Cherry Adair Interview & GIVEAWAY

Today I have the awesomely awesome (hush, I can say what I want) of authors! Today I have bestselling author many times over, Cherry Adair! Welcome back Cherry! Let’s talk about your newest book, Relentless! 

 

Relentless mostly takes place in Egypt. You’ve used this region before. What is it about this area/culture that fascinates you?

 

I’ve always been fascinated by Egypt, even as a little girl. Maybe it’s a reincarnation thing? I’m pretty sure I was a slave, because I still have an aversion to housework! lol

 

You love to put your heroines in situations that are completely out of their element, but yet all of them are extremely capable. Isis is a prime example of a woman believing herself out of her element. When you’re brainstorming ideas what is your process with character development? Do they just jump out at you or do you have to think about it?

 

The best characters for me are ones who arrive fully formed in my head. But that’s not always the case. I start with their birthday (decided very quickly with absolutely no thought) I build their personality from the character traits of that sun sign. If that is who I want them to be, great. If not (better!) I have to give them the life experiences that formed them into whoever I want them to be when the story starts.

 

Can you give us a favorite line or excerpt from Relentless?

“You have to go now.”

“Go?” He blinked her into focus. “Go where?”

“To your own room. I’m not having sex with you tonight, James Connor Thorne.”

“You’ve got to be- Why the bloody hell not?”

“Because you’re just not ready for me.”

.

She was a tightwad who made every penny work twice, once for each side. He could go first class. She’d go coach. Thorne purchased two first class tickets, and told her to shut up and enjoy her heated nuts.

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The kiss was wild and bordered on rough. It was the kind of kiss long term lovers shared, not the touch of two virtual strangers.

 

Each of your books, regardless of series, are action packed with car chases, weapons and suspense. Do you have multiple contacts in different fields for research, or do you deal with only one or two main people? Have any funny research stories?

 

I have multiple people from all walks of life who are fabulous about sharing their experience with me. I had a heroine who was a nuclear physicist (seriously? What was I thinking?) I didn’t know anyone who knew anyone. I mentioned the dilemma to my husband, and he said “Oh, I know a guy.” “You know a guy?” It turned out he knew a man from dog agility who was a nuclear physicist! When asked, the physicist was delighted to help me. I told him what I needed my heroine to know or say, and he gave me the tech speak. That was the only time I’ve ever had a character who I didn’t understand! I had to send the finished scene to him so that he could tell me if what I’d written made sense. Lol

 

Over the course of the Lodestone series you have hinted at the re-appearance of Gideon. Will readers ever see him again? Come on, TELL MEEEEEEE!!! 

 

IF Gideon Stark is alive (a- Gideon Stark is such a great name for a hero and b- his body was never found) I’m sure he’ll surface in 2014.

 

Ooh you’re sneaky! Thank you so much for stopping to talk to us today! 

**Giveaway – Cherry is offering up one paperback copy of either Hush (book one) or Afterglow (book two) to an US or Canadian winner! Simply leave a comment here and a way for me to track you down. Contest open until April 15th at 11:59pm EST with winner announced shortly after**

Order Links: Amazon/B&N

Lately, the gods are not smiling on Isis Magee. How else can she explain the bizarre events that have led her on a relentless high-stakes chase from Seattle to London to Cairo in search of the elusive tomb of history’s beautiful and enigmatic queen Cleopatra?

A Hidden Treasure

Isis has only two leads: a fragmented trail of clues offered in rare moments of lucidity by her father, a once-respected archaeologist whose last dig ended in disaster, and the unique sixth sense of sexy Lodestone agent Connor Thorne.

The Passion of a Lifetime

Connor also encountered tragedy in the Egyptian desert not long ago, and as Isis pulls him deeper into her mission to restore her father’s reputation, he is secretly plotting a revenge of his own. Propelled across wild, untamed sands by vicious unknown forces, the duo is seduced into a labyrinth of secret chambers. When they fear they can go no further, they surrender to their incendiary desires and discover that the prize each separately seeks may be waiting at the end of the same dangerous road.

Rebel by Kristina Douglas (The Fallen #4)

Available: March 26, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

A rebel angel who lives outside the world of the Fallen, Cain makes his own rules. Now he’s returned to make trouble, and he sets his sights on the unreliably psychic Martha. She has no interest in getting romantically involved with Cain, especially when she can tell he has ulterior motives. But when a mysterious figure tries to kill Martha, she and Cain must work together to uncover the villain. The heat between Martha and Cain grows undeniable, even as chaos and disaster threaten the very existence of the Fallen.

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Apparently everyone hates Cain. Which is fine with Cain because he hates everyone anyway. Still looking to settle a score from years ago when the other Fallen watched as the angels gutted his woman. He now is infiltrating them in order to gain their trust and destroy them from the inside out. He was not expecting a mousy  mostly human widow to a Fallen to capture his interest. Known as a lothario, he could have his pick of any woman in the compound. Even the mated ones. Martha, the seer, provides a unique opportunity to Cain. Fill her visions with what he wants her to see so she will lull the Fallen into a sense of security. Then he can spring his trap and finally get retribution for his lost love.

I have not read the prior books in this series. While I hate coming into something in the middle I will say that Douglas does a good job of filling in the gaps about prior books. I wanted to like this one but after thinking on it for about a week I’ve decided that just isn’t the case. I mean it was okay but in the end if all I have to say is “meh” then that can’t be good.

Cain has this set up to be a big, bad alpha type guy. He has this shadowy past and all this rage that has built up inside him just rearing to get out. Yet I never saw him as more then an arrogant prick. Something just didn’t work. There wasn’t enough light to the dark I guess. While there are a few steamy scenes between Martha and Cain they were in her dreams. Cain was giving her the visions. Once they were actually together it just wasn’t as good. The actual sex lacked originality and was boring. He never truly shows his human or emotional side. He never actually gives her any indication that he’s not a giant asshole.  Yet, this being a romance, they end up together.

Add to this that Martha was like a devout saint since her mate died..even though it seems abundantly clear that they were only ever lukewarm in the romance department. At one point, except for the polite sex they had, her memories of him were more fatherly then anything. And it kinda icks me out.

So the fact that I didn’t read the other books didn’t really hinder anything in respect to this book. I just didn’t like the hero and heroine together. Had Cain been more then one dimensional and Martha been more vivid, this might have been savable.

I give Rebel by Kristina Douglas 2.5 stars! 

Relentless by Cherry Adair (Lodestone #3)

Available: March 19th, 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

The find of the century will be lost unless Isis McGee and Connor Thorne unravel the truth behind an ancient Egyptian secret. Isis McGee believes her father, once a world-renowned archaeologist  when he claims to have found the Egyptian tomb that’s been his life’s work. However, between August McGee’s crumbled reputation and painful descent into Alzheimer’s, Isis needs help re-finding the tomb before the valley where it’s located is flooded for a much-needed dam. But the only proof her father has is an artifact that’s been stolen. And all she has to jump start the search is the exquisite gold outer box that held the relic.

Ex-MI5 agent Connor Thorne had a near death experience in Afghanistan five years ago. There, love and duty collided, leaving him bitter, disillusioned, and with a special talent for finding lost things. Now working for Lodestone, he uses his uncanny sixth sense to find lost or stolen objects, which makes him the perfect operative to help Isis McGee find her father’s lost tomb. But Conner hates deserts, and the last thing he wants is a beautiful woman tagging along while he does his job.

From Seattle, to London and Cairo, they are in a race to find the clues before the sands of time run out. Red-hot passion ignites in the desert heat as Connor and Isis must outwit a faceless enemy more powerful, more ruthless, than either can imagine.

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As much as it pains me to say this, I just am not a huge fan of this book. I read the ARC so it’s feasible that some last minute changes were made in order to fix some of the issues, but since I don’t have time to read the finished copy, I’m going to just call it like I see it based on what I read.

Isis is intent on proving her wayward archaeologist father found Cleopatra’s lost tomb and she’s coerced Conner into coming along for the ride using what little money she has left to hire the Lodestone agent to help her track her fathers last movements. Her father safely tucked away in a nursing home suffering from dementia from a blow to the head in an attack that left only him alive on his last dig….the one where he claims to have found the tomb.  Isis is stubborn and gets what she wants out of Conner by sheer force of will. Even though her bubbly attitude grated on me, I loved her tenacity to see it through to the end and prove her father wasn’t crazy. She’s not impervious to the danger and that felt like a real reaction coming from a photographer. She often needed reassurance from Conner about her safety and I was glad that by that point in the book Conner was able to give it to her without acting like a jerk. They are pursued by a variety of shadowy baddies who seem to have it out for both of them making identifying them difficult. I’m no doctor but since Conner walks with a limp and severe pain in his one leg I didn’t find the fight scenes believable. I liked he had limitations because often heros seem superhuman, but if his leg was that bad how did he managed to kick the shit out of trained professional hit men?

The relationship between Conner and Isis felt forced and superficial. I wanted to like them together but Conner comes across as such a huge pompous ass for most of the book. He has good reason I suppose, with his injury from an op gone wrong and forced hiatus from British Intelligence but it didn’t make it easier to digest or make his actions ok. He’s a stereotypical British man…too good for Isis and her little problem of finding a Egyptian tomb. Isis is the complete opposite from Conner and appears to have a personality akin to a Starbucks employee at 7am on a Sunday. You know…annoyingly happy…all the time. She refutes his snappy behavior each time and despite his surliness, she wants in his pants. So the romance aspect was seriously lacking. When Conner finally thaws out and he and Isis come together the  sex was unremarkable. In fact I might call it boring. Because I didn’t feel any tension or draw to their relationship the sex felt like just a continuation in the story. Later in the book Conner does loosen up a bit and I did eventually grow to like him…somewhat…

The ending was just that. An ending. Very anti-climatic and quiet for a suspense type book. Things tied up neatly and bad guys Conner had been after for years are suddenly apprehended without fanfair. Much too tidy for my tastes. 

I did enjoy all the Egyptian information and thought it made the books descriptive scenes really stand out. Adair excels at setting the scene no matter where her books are set. From the snowy mountains to the dusty deserts you never have any problems seeing her vision. Very Indiana Jones.

Relentless lost me early on, and though I did finish it, I wasn’t ever fully back on board. I liked book 1 and 2 of this series so I will be back for book 4 hoping we finally get to see Gideon, Zak’s (owner of Lodestone) missing brother who has been presumed dead since book 1.

I give Relentless by Cherry Adair 3 stars! 

Princess In Disguise by Karen Hawkins (The Duchess Dairies #1.5)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

Princess Menshikov of Oxenburg, Alexandra Romanovin, is done being courted by men interested only in her position and wealth. Inspired by tales told by a beloved tutor of the bold and brawny men of Scotland, Alexandra visits that misty land, hoping to find true love. But while traveling without the protection of her royal name, she finds herself accused of thievery by an angry innkeeper. Rescued by the dashing and handsome Earl of Kintore, she thinks she’s found the answer to her prayers—a man worth falling in love with. But Kintore has other ideas. An avowed bachelor who long ago swore off marriage, the earl wants nothing more than a passionate interlude with this beautiful, exotic stranger. But soon Alexandra’s intoxicating beauty and seductive touch leave Kintore wondering if a mere interlude will be enough…

I enjoyed the setting and the premise for this unique novella. Alexandra, Princess Menshikov, was traveling from her home country of Oxenburg to Scotland in hopes of finding a husband. She had been in mourning for her first husband after only one short year of an arranged marriage. While she did grow to love Dmitri after they were wed, Alexandra was afraid of being married off to someone else in the same manner. She was aware that her uncle, the king, had been interviewing prospective suitors, so she decided to take charge of her own happiness and search out a husband of her choosing this time.

James Keith, Earl of Kintore, happened upon Alexandra when he stopped at an inn for the night. He was quite drunk, and had been that way for the better part of the last few years, ever since his sister died. He took the loss extremely hard, and was intent on going through life not feeling much of anything (hence the drinking). When he found Alexandra sleeping in the parlor, he immediately was attracted to her and assumed (incorrectly) that she was a servant at the inn. They end up sharing a bit of an interlude until he discovered she’s actually a princess. He had no intentions of being trapped into marriage and he knew that would be the natural consequence of dallying with royalty.

Kintore tried his hardest to keep his distance from Alexandra. He was determined to ignore his attraction for the mysterious princess in hopes of avoiding attachment, but he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Alexandra had no such qualms – she wanted the handsome earl from the minute she woke up to him kissing her, and decided that he would suit her perfectly. When a snowstorm left them both stranded at the inn, she planned to use their time together to her advantage to try to work her way into his heart.

The characters in this story were engaging and I didn’t dislike either the princess or Kintore. He was a flawed but thoroughly charming hero, and she was friendly and impulsive and a little spoiled. The plot was a bit far-fetched, though. I had a hard time believing Alexandra would travel all the way to Scotland to find a husband simply because her Scottish tutor filled her head with stories of his homeland. I don’t know if it was because this was a novella instead of a full-length book, but there was just something lacking. The chemistry between them seemed genuine, but I didn’t quite get caught up in their romance the way I would have liked. While I enjoyed this short story, it didn’t seem up to par with others by Karen Hawkins.

I give Princess in Disguise by Karen Hawkins 3.25 stars!

Demon’s Curse by Alexa Egan (Imnada Brotherhood #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Pocket Books

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

She holds the key . . .

One of the mythical race of shape-shifting Imnada and a member of an elite military unit, Captain Mac Flannery suffers under a ruthless curse. As the result of a savage massacre on the eve of Waterloo, he and the men he served with are forced to live the hours of darkness trapped as their animal aspects. Now one of them has been murdered, and Mac suspects the existence of the Imnada may finally have been discovered. His only link to unearthing the truth—Bianca Parrino, the beautiful actress whom every man desires.

. . . to his forbidden desires

Forging a new life for herself after escaping the clutches of her abusive husband, Bianca is again drawn into violence when a dear friend is brutally murdered and she becomes a suspect. Forced to place her trust and her life in Mac’s hands as they flee a determined killer, Bianca cannot deny she is falling for the mysterious soldier. But will his dark secrets tear them asunder? Or will love be the key to breaking even the cruelest of spells?

A dark and intriguing start to a series based in an interesting historical London.

1815 – Three men walk through a house that has destruction all around, dead and dying bodies lay both outside and inside the house. The men are Imnada, a group of shape-changers and telepaths and they are trying to find out what happened and who is responsible before they go back to the war.

The three find Adam, their comrade inside and find he is the one responsible for the deaths, however they do not blame him as they will do anything to protect the secrets of their race as the Imnada’s continued survival depends on it. As the three men help Adam out of the house, one of the presumed dead men starts talking in a strange language and before they can escape, they are cursed by the Fey-blood.

A year later in London, the three are attending the funeral of Adam, their comrade and friend. David, Gray and Mac have come back together, bonding again because of Adam’s death. Since the curse they have been outcast from their clans, their bloodlines forever tainted and they have been erased from the world. Also at the funeral is a lone woman who is silently mourning the death of a friend. Bianca Parrino is a famous actress who is widely known in London; she was friends with Adam and was one of the last persons to see him before he died.

Fey-bloods look at Imnadas as monsters, during King Arthur’s time they felt threatened and tried to get rid of them, few Imnada’s survived the purge. A woman (Renata) whose father was killed a year ago on that fateful day knows about the Imnada’s and wants to avenge her father, she tracked and found Adam and knows there are others and vows to kill them.

Mac is intrigued with Bianca and wants to find out more about her. He is unsure of her alliances as she was friends with Adam and yet also has a friendship with a fellow actress named Sarah who is married to the Earl of Deane who Mac immediately recognizes as Fey-blood. He is not sure what to think, however seems to trust Bianca, especially when she gives him Adam’s journal. She also tells Mac that Adam visited her the night he died when it was dark – which means that somehow he found a way to break the curse.

While together one day, Bianca and Mac are taken when Mac is confined by silver, something very poisonous to the Imnada. He is beaten and tortured while Bianca is confined, yet eventually she helps a much injured Mac escape. Knowing the danger, Mac and Bianca decide that the best thing to do is get out of London because whoever is trying to kill the Imnada, knows about Bianca. They travel to Surrey where Jory Wallace lives, an Imnada outcast because of who he married. He spent a lot of time with Adam and will know what to make of Adam’s writings in the journal and maybe help with the cure Adam found.

Bianca believes they need one more ingredient for the cure so she goes back to London without letting Mac know and because he is worried, he follows. With danger and misunderstandings all around, Mac, Bianca and Lord Deane must trust and rely on each other to defeat Renata, find the cure and make decision about the future of the Imnada, do they go back to the old ways or find new ways to live in the world with others, causing a rebellion.

This is an interesting world the author has created based in historical London where humans do not realize that there are others living among them. I also liked the fact that because this is historical London, there are not many modern conveniences to help with their fight. The hatred between Fey-blood and Imnada goes back to the King Arthur days and many have died to protect the secrets. I liked this first story in the series, although there is a lot of world building and the back story is complicated, I enjoyed it. The characters are interesting and each had their own reason for their choices. I look forward to reading more about what may turn out to be a rebellion for making future change. Mac and Bianca were good together, the romance worked and I enjoyed Bianca’s friendship with Sarah. I liked Jory and his family in Surrey and hope they are in more, his son is just starting to grow into a fighter.

I give Demon’s Curse by Alexa Egan 3.5 stars!

The Temptation Of Your Touch by Teresa Medeiros

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Pocket Books

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Pam

Maximillian Burke has always prided himself on being the man every mother would want her daughter to marry. But after his scoundrel of a brother makes off with Max’s bride, Max discovers it’s more satisfying to be a rogue than the perfect gentleman. Forced to flee London after a duel gone wrong, he seeks refuge at Cadgwyck Manor on the lonely coast of Cornwall, a place as wild and savage as his current temper. The tumbledown manor comes complete with its own ghost, but oddly enough, it’s not the White Lady of Cadgwyck who haunts Max’s heated dreams—but his no-nonsense housekeeper.

The last thing housekeeper Anne Spencer needs is a new master, especially one as brooding and gorgeous as the Earl of Dravenwood. Even as she schemes to be rid of her new employer, she finds herself irresistibly drawn into his strong, muscular arms. When Max vows to solve the mystery of Cadgwyck’s ghost, he doesn’t realize it will put both of their hearts at risk and tempt them to surrender to a pleasure as delicious as it is dangerous.

Maximillian Burke is having a rough time; he has always been the dependable one choosing each step carefully so he does not stumble. His brother Ashton was the wild one, getting into trouble and not caring what others thought. Yet now Ash is settled down in the ancestral home of Dryden Hall with his wife Clarinda and lovely daughter, Charlotte. Ash is enjoying the domestic bliss that Max should have been enjoying with the wife he should have. It was the scandal that all of London still talked about, how Ash had stolen Clarinda from Max at the altar.

Since the marriage and scandal, Max has resigned his position from the East India Company and is currently making everyone nervous around London. So when the opportunity came for him to check out a property that his father had purchased on the southwest coast of England everyone thought it would be a great idea.

Cadgwyck Manor was a rundown home that was being taken care of by a motley crew of servants, Anne Spencer or Mrs. Spencer is the housekeeper, Dickon the twelve year old footman, Nana the cook who only knitted, Pippa a sixteen year old maid and the butler Hodges who always seemed confused. They barely ran the place however they did successfully managed to get rid of several previous masters who had come to live there. When they found out that another new master was coming to visit they hoped they would be able to send him on his way.

The villagers know about Cadgwyck Manor, they have heard the stories and knew about the last masters who turned and ran because of the haunting and even one that had thrown himself from the window. Anne and the crew have let the stories of The White Lady of the manor grow so everyone stayed away. So when Max ended up at the village after dark, he could not get anyone to take him any farther, he had to use a large amount of money to coax a young boy to drive him out to the property, Max had hoped they could make it before the storm hit, however he was knocking at the door drenched to the bone.

Most of the servants were there to greet Max and when he notices the state of disrepair of the house he is not surprised at the small amount of people who work there. As Anne shows him his room he notices the only portrait left in the house, a portrait of a woman who is beautiful and fascinating. Anne tells Max that he is not the first to be mesmerized by the portrait; many of the previous masters would stand in the room and stare at the woman named Angelica.

A decade ago the Cadgwyck family was the royalty of the village, the mother died when the daughter, Angelica was born and her father and brother doted on her while she was growing up. On her eighteenth birthday her father commissioned a portrait to be presented at her party. While she was sitting for her portrait, she fell in love with the artist and on the night of her party they were found in a compromising position by her father and brother, there was a fight and her brother shot and killed the artist. Her brother was arrested and sent off to Australia and her father went mad, Angelica was so distraught she threw herself off the cliff. The manor was sold for debt, the family gone.

The current caretakers of the household want Max gone as soon as possible, they are hoping the nightly haunting from Angelica, the bland food barely edible they serve him and the run down state of the house make him want to run back to his pampered life in London. However he seems to be made of stauncher stuff and brushes off most of the strange occurrences. And for the first time since Ash married Clarinda, he begins to feel alive again. He even comes to terms with his brother when the family visits before heading to far off lands.

Several accidents threaten Anne, Max and the others which bring out truths that have been hidden for years. Anne and Max also come to terms with their past realizing they are both feeling guilty about what has happened in their lives and that forgiveness is a marvelous thing.

I really liked this book. I liked Anne and although Max was very stiff in the first book he was much more human and liable here. The story had mystery and intrigue along with many funny instances. I loved how Anne would put the cobwebs back up to make the house worse than it was, although it was pretty bad. There was a part in the end that was surprising and a little rushed. I would have like to have more substance to the story about her brother and what happened to him. I read the first book and it does have a lot of the back story of why Max is the way he is, thinking he must rescue those he feels responsible for yet he is so angry and depressed after the marriage, yet the author explains enough so you are not lost.

I give The Temptation of Your Touch by Teresa Medeiros 4 stars! 

 

That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran (Rules For The Reckless #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Historical Romance

Publisher: Pocket Books

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Michelle

In the social whirl of Regency England, Elizabeth Chudderley is at the top of every guest list, the life of every party, and the belle of every ball. But her friends and admirers would be stunned to know the truth: that the merriest widow in London is also the loneliest. Behind the gaiety and smiles lies a secret longing—for something, or someone, to whisk her away.

Raised in scandal, Lord Michael de Grey is convinced that love is a losing gamble—and seduction the only game worth playing. But when duty threatens to trump everything he desires, the only way out is marriage to a woman of his brother’s choosing. Elizabeth Chudderley is delightful, delicious—and distressingly attractive. With such a captivating opponent, Michael isn’t quite sure who is winning the game. How can such passionate players negotiate a marriage of necessity—when their hearts have needs of their own?

This was my first book by Meredith Duran. My initial impression was that she is a storyteller. This story was…. rich. No light, fluffy dialogue or shallow plot lines anywhere. That being said, I didn’t fall in love with the book, simply because of the way the author told the story.

Elizabeth is a lively widow who, by all appearances, lives her life on her own terms. Unfortunately for her, appearances are deceiving. She is practically destitute and becoming increasingly desperate for an advantageous marriage to rescue not only herself from her dwindling finances, but also her staff and her tenants who depend on her. Having been through a bad marriage and an even worse love affair, Elizabeth is understandably cautious and reluctant to tie herself to a man, even a rich one.

Enter Michael de Grey: nobleman extraordinaire, doctor and philanthropist. He spends his days tending to the poor at the hospital he founded. Unfortunately for him, his brother decides to take out his bitterness and self-pity over his own failed marriage on Michael. He threatens to shut down the hospital (he funds it) if Michael doesn’t find himself a suitable bride. He is a duke and thanks to his wife’s betrayal, he declares that Michael must be the one to provide an heir. Michael is smitten with Elizabeth from the minute he meets her, but the more he learns about her, the more he is convinced that his brother will NOT be.

Theirs was a love affair destined to fail. Elizabeth needs funds, Michael is a second son who works for his living. Michael needs a young, acceptable wife who will win his brother’s approval, Elizabeth is a poor widow whose past is mired in scandal. I really loved how what started out as an afternoon’s brief interlude turned into a full-blown romance, simply because their feelings were too strong to be denied. They found in each other a kindred soul and neither could resist falling in love. I also loved how, in the end, they both held their ground and stood up for their love, despite the obstacles.

What I didn’t love was Ms. Duran’s writing. It was extremely wordy and I found myself skipping parts and skimming the rest, wondering when I would get to the good stuff. It seemed like, for most of the book, nothing really happened. While Elizabeth wasn’t my favorite heroine, I absolutely adored Michael and thought this book could have been wonderful if the author had followed the edict “less is more”. Less internal dialogue (oftentimes repetitive) and fewer descriptive scenes would have made this more enjoyable. It is a lovely romance full of angst if you can actually get through it all!

I give That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran 3.5 stars.

Killing Time by Cindy Gerard (One Eyed Jacks #1)

Available: Jan 22 2013 Amazon/B&N

Type: Romantic Suspense 

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki 

An exciting new series featuring Mike “Primetown” Brown, a character from her popular “Black Ops, Inc.” series.

For the seven years after Operation Slam Dunk went south, Mike Brown got drunk on each anniversary. The eighth year was no different–until he was drugged by a woman and woke up to her questions about what had happened eight years ago in Afghanistan. CIA attorney Eva Salinas has her own theory behind what happened to Mike’s team–which included her husband–in Afghanistan eight years ago, and she’s determined to prove foul play. Though she doesn’t trust him, Mike is the only person she can turn to for help. Under an assumed name, Eva convinces Mike to assemble a new team and go after the traitor who screwed up both their lives. As they track down the rogue who started it all, Eva and Mike discover they can’t live without each other. But can they stay alive while an enemy is still on the loose?

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Cindy Gerard hits it out of the park….again….with the first in her spinoff series, The One-Eyed Jacks! I really enjoyed this one, and really I can’t say I’ve ever not enjoyed Gerard’s work.

Killing Time brings secondary character, Mike Brown, from Gerard’s Black Ops Inc series, front and center in his own book of redemption, guilt and love. Brown has lived with the loss of nearly his entire military team for seven years. After a standard mission went horribly wrong Brown took the fall and left the military for good. He lives a solitary life until one night a Latin vixen shows up in the bar he’s drowning his guilt in alcohol.

Eva knows all about that horrible night because her husband was one of the casualties. When a mysterious file containing more questions then answers shows up on her desk at the CIA, Eva knows she needs to get to the bottom of what happened that night. Setting up Brown in a bar south of the border wasn’t nearly as hard as she thought it’d be. Now she’s got him right where she wants him…tied to a cheap motel bed.

Though she doesn’t trust Brown at all, I admired Eva’s tenacity and ability to stick with him through everything. Once they have a common foe to fight, Eva lets down her guard a bit and the sexual tension goes through the roof. Gerard excels in combining that tension with excellent military (black ops) suspense. Eva’s drive to avenge her husbands death keeps her going even in the face of personal danger to herself. Though Brown knows many things about her husband that she doesn’t, in order to protect her he tries his best not to let his contempt for the man show while they look for answers to what went wrong that night in Afghanistan. Eva is no shrinking heroine she gives as good as she gets and I enjoy reading about strong women who can take care of themselves.

Mike feels such guilt over the loss of his team and has spent the years after trying to ignore the pain. He craves redemption and forgiveness from the other two surviving members of his team who assumed the worst about him. His guilt also stops him from acting on his attraction to Eva who claims to still be mourning the loss of her newlywed husband. When they decide to go undercover in a anti-government compound with players who are intent on destroying more then just the American spirit, both Eva and Mike will have  trust each other more then they’ve trusted anyone before.

While there isn’t anything “new” about Killing Time, I enjoyed it nevertheless. It’s engaging and had me invested in the characters and their stories right from the beginning. As the first in a series it gave plenty of information on coming characters without everything feeling like a information dump. Killing Time has plenty of action and hot scenes that should keep readers happy from beginning to end. Gerard keeps me coming back for more!

I give Killing Time by Cindy Gerard 4 stars! 

Last Kiss Goodnight by Gena Showalter (Otherworld Assassin #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

The breathtaking first novel in New York Times best selling author Gena Showalter’s new paranormal romance series, Otherworld Assassins, featuring a black ops agent who is captured and enslaved…and the beautiful deaf girl who holds the key to his salvation…

THE SWEETEST TEMPTATION…

Black ops agent Solomon Judah awakens caged and bound in a twisted zoo where otherworlders are the main attraction. Vika Lukas, the owner’s daughter, is tasked with Solo’s care and feeding. The monster inside him yearns to kill her on sight, even though she holds the key to his escape. But the human side of him realizes the beautiful deaf girl is more than she seems—she’s his.

THE ULTIMATE PRICE…

Vika endures the captives’ taunts and loathing, hoping to keep them alive even if she can’t free them. Only, Solo is different—he protects her. But as hostility turns to forbidden romance, his feelings for her will be used against him…and he’ll be put to a killer test.

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As a first book in the series I found myself not able to get into the story line, which is rare for me. I usually love the first book because the author starts world building and it immerses me in information that my head can wrap itself around and visualize. At the end of Last Kiss Goodnight I found myself unable to like or dislike. The book was okay and it had all the prerequisites that I usually need to love something but at the end all I felt was “meh”

Showalter spends a great deal of energy painting Vika as the villain in her fathers paranormal circus. At least in the eyes of the captives. What they fail to see is that she has no choice and that her abusive father controls her every move making it difficult for her to help them. She does what she can and attempts to make them comfortable but their fear and hostility cause them to be reactive and threaten her daily. Her father’s newest captive, a being she has never seen before, is no exception and the battered male regards her with such intensive rage she is instantly afraid and intrigued by him.

Solo is intensely aware of the striking female but as part of the circus that has imprisoned him, he can show her no mercy.  Until she shows him some that is. Her patience and almost sad quality entice him to look deeper into her bruised personality. Keeping her safe suddenly becomes just as important as finding out who sold him and where his friends are.

I found both characters of Vika and Solo to be great on their own. However, together I found they missed the mark because I never felt the passion Showalter was trying to convey. I never got on board with them being together. Part of this was because they didn’t actually cave into their feelings until much further along in the book and while there was tension, nothing actually happened till towards the end. I felt for Vika at the hands of her brutally abusive father but I felt Solo could have been much more alpha and protective then he was. I wanted him to escape much earlier then he did but the wordiness of the book slowed everything down.

Vika is limited somewhat limited because she is deaf, a condition her father brought upon her in a fit of rage. She never let it get to hamper her daily duties and while she did hide it from the captives in fear they would use it against her, she found ways to overcome it and thwart her fathers attempts to beat her down. I found her strength is what gave me reason to like her.

The black ops angle was what interested me the most. I want to find out what happened to Solo’s friends the night he was sold and enslaved. The short span of time the reader is introduced to them promises an array of different males each with their own flawed personality.

Last Kiss Goodnight failed to excite me but I still feel that for an opening book it did okay. It does provide an introduction into a world I hope will just get better with time.

I give Last Kiss Goodnight by Gena Showalter 3 stars!

Shadow’s Claim by Kresley Cole (The Dacians: Realm Of Blood And Mist #1)

Available: Now Amazon/B&N

Type: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Pocket

My Copy: Sent

Reviewer: Nikki

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a new paranormal series following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a vampire kingdom hidden within the Lore of the Immortals After Dark.

Shadow’s Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament—to the death.

He won’t be denied…

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people, striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself—until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore’s most fearsome villains.

She’s bound to another…

Desperate to earn her guardians’ approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she’s lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A battle for her body and soul…

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina’s heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium’s worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away—or stoke Bettina’s own desires to a fever-pitch…

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I may have just contracted the Kresley Cole fever….because I really enjoyed Shadow’s Claim! After finishing this in one sitting, I have the itch to go back at read her Immortals After Dark series, which I own but have never gotten into (I’m ready for my tar and feathering). Shadow’s Claim is a spin off series of Immortals After Dark and takes place after Lothaire’s book in that series. Now, I don’t live under a rock and so I’ve heard readers rave about Cole and her IAD series, so I knew who Lothaire was, but not reading that series before did not interfere with my understanding of this book at all.

What really made this book for me was Bettina and Trehan. Regardless of all the lore and complex world building (or in lovers of Cole’s case, continual world building) that was spot on, but the growing relationship between these two was what pulled me in. Bettina, a virgin princess and heir to her throne, is being auctioned off to the winner of a brutal and bloody contest for her hand in marriage. Suffering from acute panic attacks and her power stolen, she needs a protector but the thought of some of these warriors being her husband unnerves her. She only craves the touch of a man who doesn’t return her feelings, her best friend Caspian. Until she mistakes Caspian for the man who steals into her bedroom late one night. Trehan knows instantly she’s his chosen bride because after centuries of not living, his body is suddenly in the throes of a mating lust. A rare Dacian assassin, he lives in shadow and he leaves no one alive who has seen him. Leaving all that behind for a chance with Bettina comes as a easy choice. Convincing Bettina of his determination to have her and Caspian’s unwillingness to love her become his top priority and he joins the competition to win her hand.

I loved the gradual warm up Bettina experienced with Trehan while realizing her love for Caspian wasn’t a romantic feeling. She’s young  compared to Trehan and so her confusion of her emotions was easily understood but no less as aggravating. I don’t usually enjoy the virgin heroine as much as I enjoyed Bettina. Cole’s depiction of her warring personality and her set backs in her recovery from the attack made her seem very human. Trehan was patient and his protective nature made him extremely endearing to me. Even a fierce warrior such as himself can be gentle.

I would have liked the competition to be a bit shorter and perhaps the dispatching of Bettina’s enemies to actually be shown. In fact I wish they would have tried to attack her again so we could truly see Trehan’s passion and protectiveness first hand. I wasn’t a fan of how that was handled in the book and thought it really took away from what the reader got to experience. There needed to be a bit more threat to Bettina. It felt unfinished in that respect for me.

All in all I enjoyed this one. Kresley Cole lovers will no doubt agree with me. If you’ve never read a Cole book, like myself, this would be a good starting point and as a first book in a new series, it’s well done. I’m really looking forward to continuing this series and learning more about the elusive Dacians and the powers they posses!

I give Shadow’s Claim by Kresley Cole 4 stars!