Bet you can't...Find Me.

Bet you can't...Find Me
    ~ Linda S. Prather
Publisher ~  Linda S. Prather
Published ~ 23 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Catherine Mans is a psychic making a living as a consultant working with the police when needed and doing insurance jobs, mostly arson cases. The jobs pay the bills and the salary of her assistant/best friend Rosetta Tosallina and she lives a comfortable if lonely life. Until another psychic sets her up as a serial killer, taunts her psychically to ‘Find me.’ and proceeds to destroy everything she loves. Catherine has to find the killer before the killer finishes the job, but in tracking the killer she finds out things about her past she doesn’t remember. Strap yourself in, it’s going to be a high-speed chase.

A most excellent mystery! I was on the edge of my seat, metaphorically speaking since I was actually kicked back in my office chair with my feet propped up on my desk. The twisty turny plot progressed smoothly and quickly with no dilly dallying around. The characters were interesting and well-developed. I didn’t want to put it down and my peek factor was very high. However, like humans have told the Borg since they met, ‘Resistance is NOT futile!’ and I managed (just barely) to avoid peeking at the end to see who the killer was.

I love the fact the story concluded, but an opening was left for more to come. Bring it on! I’m ready!

*Red Adept provided a copy of this book for me to review. Please see disclaimer page.

Lovers Undercover: Impassioned

Lovers Undercover: Impassioned
    ~ Rae McCartney
Publisher ~ Jamie Salisbury
Published ~ 13 February 2012

My Rating ~ 3 out of 5

Scarlett Bouvier owns SLB Communications and her biggest client is the sexy singer Zachariah Logan McGregor, known as Zachariah to his hoards of followers, but Logan to his friends. Logan thinks Scarlett is hot and Scarlett thinks Logan is hot. Do they dare attempt a personal relationship while maintaining a professional one? I did mention they were hot for each other, right? Of course they’re going for it! However, they didn’t count on a stalker and a big shocker.

I liked the concept for this book. The story flowed quickly, but not without a few hiccups. My biggest problem was the constant flip flopping of verb tense. It was distracting and kept pulling me out of the story. The dialogue felt a bit forced, but the sex scenes were smoking. The ending was a bit too abrupt. I felt as if I was cruising down a set of steps and as I neared the bottom I took one last step only to find there was one more after that. Or when you thought there was one more step and there wasn’t? Come on…how many of you have done that? I can’t be the only one. Ok, I’m not confessing anymore. Either way it’s pretty jarring and that’s how I felt the abrupt ending was. I would’ve liked a better build up to the cliffhanger.

I do want to know what happens in the next book. I look forward to a resolution.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

The Creeper

The Creeper
    ~ Karen Morrison
Publisher ~ Untreed Reads
Published ~ 19 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

A teenage cheerleader keeps running across a creepy guy. The creeper claims to be Alexi Nikolaevich  the rightful tsar of Russia turned vampire and the cheerleader is his long lost love. Reincarnated, of course.

This short story was a quick delightful read. It flowed smoothly and was humorous. Since I have a teenage daughter it was especially interesting to me to read from the teenager’s POV. And as I sit here writing this review it has dawned on me that at no point do I remember the teenager’s name being mentioned even once in the story. A fact, that for some reason, cracks me up. :D

I look forward to reading more stories by Karen Morrison.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Dark Future

Dark Future
    ~ K.C. Klein
Publisher ~ Avon Impulse
Published ~ 11 October 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Kris Davenport, a surgical intern, is woken up in the middle of the night and is scared shitless by a future version of herself. An older, weary, harder, tougher, kick ass version, but definitely her. Her future self tells her she has come back to send Kris forward, again, to get The Prophecy right. She can’t fail because Armageddon has happened and the dark future rests on her shoulders. She needs to fulfill The Prophecy and turn the dark future to the light. And to do that she needs to run up the side of a mountain before dawn comes. After that, well…it gets very interesting.

This story reminded me a lot of Terminator because there were many parallels. You take an ordinary run-of-the-mill person who doesn’t appear to have anything really special about them and throw them into an unbelievable mind-boggling situation and see if they have the gonads to do what is needed. Time travel, a prophecy, end of the world as we know it, survival of mankind depending on basically one person, a person we don’t think has what it takes to get the job done. Ready, set, watch it unfold.

I loved this story. It was smooth and fast-paced, the characters were interesting, well-fleshed and believable, the plot exciting. I certainly hope our future isn’t dark like the one in this story. That would suck and not in a good way. At least we’re left with hope and that’s never a bad thing.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

My Dream of Madonna & An Ecstatic Rendezvous

My Dream of Madonna & An Ecstatic Rendezvous
   ~ David Russell
Publisher ~ XoXo Publishing
Published ~ 23 March 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Two short stories that took me very little time to read. I think this will be my shortest review ever.

Delightfully weird. Or weirdly delightful. Whichever you chose. I enjoyed both short stories and would like to explore more of David Russell's work.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

His Dark Bond

His Dark Bond (Fallen, #2)
    ~ Anne Marsh
Publisher ~ Brava
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Zer is the leader, the sire, of the Dominions. Now that they are Fallen Angels he is still their leader and for over 3,000 years he’s led them on Earth. 3,000 years is a long time to hope that they will find their soul mates and be admitted back into the Heavens. Many of his brothers have turned rogue and he’s had to imprison or kill them. Zer discovers that Cuthah, the lieutenant of Michael the Archangel, has been tracking and killing the soul mates through the years because he has an agenda all his own and it does not include allowing the Fallen back to guard the celestial throne. It’s a race for Zer and his brothers to find the rest of the soul mates before Cuthah does.

Nessa St. James is an Assistant Professor at one of M City’s universities, holds degrees in genetics and biblical studies, developed a pee-on-the-stick DNA test and has the extra chromosome in her DNA that marks her as a potential soul mate. Little does she realize her life is about to be turned upside down.

This second book in The Fallen series is another winner. I’m still hooked and waiting for the next one. The plot is gut clenching, the story flows smoothly and the characters are interesting and well-developed. I am a little concerned that there is not more mention of Pell and Dathan. They seem to be forgotten most of the time. Is this deliberate or an oversight? I’d like to see a bit more of them in future books.

While I really enjoyed Zer and Nessa’s story I have to admit to some serious intrigue about a rogue that was briefly introduced in the scene where Cuthah was recruiting in the Preserve. Who is he? And, most importantly, will we see him again? I certainly hope so!

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Bond with Me

Bond with Me (Fallen, #1)
    ~ Anne Marsh
Publisher ~ Dorchester Publishing
Published ~ 24 August 2010

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5
    Hotness ~ 2 out of 3

Mischka Baran needs to find her cousin, Pell, before her cousin does something rash…again. Brends Duranov owns the club G2, an exclusive club that caters to his brothers, The Fallen. Mischka can’t find her cousin without Brends help and Brends has never wanted a woman like he wants Mischka. Throw in the fact that Mischka and Pell need protection from a psycho serial killer, a Fallen rogue, and the odds tip in Brends favor of coercing Mischka’s agreement to bond with him. Let the fun begin.

Awesome read! I love the world building. The plot is excellent. The characters are hot, interesting, well-developed and I did mention hot, right? The side story about Pell and Dathan included in the story arc is also decent though short. Don’t read the sex scenes in public. Wowzers! *fans self* This different take on Fallen Angels is very cool. I can’t wait to start His Dark Bond and see how the plot continues.

Warrior's Rise

Warrior's Rise (Warriors for Light, #1)
   ~ LJ DeLeon
Publisher ~ Dark Hallows Publishing
Published ~ 20 March 2011

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Deva Morgan is a Fae-human half-breed whose powers are growing by leaps and bounds as she approaches her thirtieth birthday. She’s surrounded by an eclectic team she calls family when Fae prince, Padraig O’Neill, walks into the bar where she’s bartending and declares himself her Protector because she is the Cáidh Arm, the Goddess’ Holy Weapon in the fight against the Dark Lord of the Abyss. He’s to protect, teach and guide her as well as help stabilize her growing powers in the coming War. Let the ass kicking begin.

A great story! I love epic battles and the fight of good over evil, light over dark and at the center is someone who never thought they would be the center of it all. Deva has been trained by weres and supernaturals since the death of her Fae dad who saw in a vision she would be the new Cáidh Arm for the Goddess. She knows how to fight, but actually going to war? That scares the crap out of her. She fears she won’t get a handle on her growing powers, that she’ll fail the Goddess, Otherworld and Earth by being defeated by the Dark Lord and, most of all, she fears losing the few people she loves most. Deva handles it all with some trepidation, but with everyone depending on her she pulls up her big girl panties and carries on.

The world building is great, the characters interesting, the plot fascinating. The War has only begun. I can’t wait to see what happens in Books 2 & 3!

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

The Duel

The Duel
   ~Barbara Metzger
Publisher ~ Untreed Reads
                    Signet (original)
Published ~ 17 January 2012
                    1 February 2005 (original)

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Ian Maddox the Earl of Marden has to defend his honor, so finds himself involved in a duel, a duel that could mean his life and all because he slept with another man's wife. Idiot. He certainly wasn't the first man to sleep with her and he will definitely not be the last, so why did Lord Paige pick him to call out? And why did Lord Paige fire early and while Ian’s back was still turned? And why did Ian, instead of wounding the coward, fire into the woods? And why did his bullet ricochet off a tree and hit a young man out for a ride with his groom? Great Scott! What a mess and that’s just the beginning.

Oh, Barbara Metzger, you haven’t let me down yet. What an entertaining read! The story flowed smoothly with no hiccups, the characters were interesting, well-rounded and funny and the plot was engaging. I especially loved Ian. Poor Ian. He needed to have his life turned upside down and the Renslows were just the ones to do it to him. It helped that his guilt was a great motivator. LOL

I’m glad Troy wasn’t a spoiled brat (I worried he would be with a doting sister taking care of him since he was a baby) and that Attie was a delightful character full of piss and vinegar. Even the dog was a delight. I also love how Ms. Metzger gives us some peeks at the servants and their behaviors in her books as well as having a salty dog or two involved in the story. Her books engage my whole attention and are a wonderful lighthearted way to pass the time. I always look forward to reading more by her.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see my disclaimer page.

Island of Desire

Island of Desire
    ~ Lorie O'Clare
Publisher ~ Aphrodisia
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 2 out of 5

Andrea Denton is a pageant director. Mark Tripp, Sr bought the Mr. Desire pageant, but then was too sick to do anything with it and asks his son, Mark Tripp, Jr, to make sure it doesn’t ruin the Tripp good name. They hire Andrea to run it after Sr. runs off the current pageant director with only a month to go until it is scheduled to air.

Ok, there were a lot of things I didn’t like about this book. First, Sr buys a pageant then deliberately runs off the pageant director, but we’re not told why he did that when his ‘good name’ means everything to him. Second, his ‘good name’ is only good because he has no scandal attached to it, not because he was a good man. He’s described as a ruthless bastard when it comes to business and ignores his wife and child just to make more and more and more money. Then when his wife dies he buries himself in even more work. Not a likeable guy in my opinion.

Next we have Mark, Jr. He seems obsessed with proving he’s not a rich playboy bastard living off his trust fund and uncaring of how the other half lives. I couldn’t connect with this guy. He turned me off completely.

Andrea is supposed to be a kick ass woman with mad pageant directing skills and an insanely short amount of time to pull off a miracle and preserve the Tripp good name yet she ends up letting Mark lead her around by the pussy. Not liking her either. In fact, I found her pathetic.

Lastly, the jewelry box search was hokey and forced. I have no idea what it had to do with the story except to give Mark something to do while Andrea was busy doing her job, the job that wasn’t all about her standing around with a dripping pussy aching for Mark to swoop in and dominate her before spearing her with his big cock.

I was disappointed. The blurb for this story sounded exciting and then it wasn’t. I couldn’t connect with the characters, the plot seemed forced and I didn’t care for the writing style.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Sweet Stuff (Cupcake Club, #2)

Sweet Stuff (Cupcake Club, #2)
    ~ Donna Kauffman
Publisher ~ Brava
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 3 out of 5

Riley Brown and her behemoth dog Brutus move to Sugarberry, GA from Chicago when Riley’s seven year relationship goes to hell in a handbasket. She finds some peace in Sugarberry and for the first time in her life she finds good friends to share life’s ups and downs with. Then Quinn Brannigan, famous and hunky author, enters her life and Riley has to decide if she has the guts to grab life by the balls and take a chance on a relationship with him. You know what they say…No guts, no glory.

This was an ok read, well-written and smooth-flowing with interesting in-depth characters. For the most part, I enjoyed reading about the colorful characters from the first book, Sugar Rush. However…yeah, that’s like a big but (not butt) hanging out there except I like to use ‘however’…for me, there was way too much dialogue and angsting going on and not enough action. Just not my thing, but I’m sure is perfect for others because we can’t all like the same stuff. That would suck and not in a good way.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Matthew (The Circle Eight, #1)

Matthew (The Circle Eight, #1)
    ~ Emma Lang
Publisher ~ Brava
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Matthew Graham is stuck between a rock and a hard place. His parents have been murdered, his five-year-old brother is missing and if he doesn’t go to Houston and claim the 4,000 acres his dad was going to claim the family of eight will lose it and only have the 600 acres to survive on. So, 25-year-old Matt goes to Houston to claim the land only to find out he needs to be married. He says he is, but his wife Hannah stayed home to watch his younger brothers and sisters. He now has 30 days to bring his wife to Houston to sign the land grant papers. The only problem is there is no wife and he doesn’t know anyone named Hannah. Rock meet hard place.

This is a great story that was hard to put down. The characters are interesting and well-developed, the plot is good and the writing flows smoothly. Set in 1836 in the Republic of Texas you really have to feel for Matt as he shoulders the responsibility of the ranch and the care and safety of his six siblings while enduring the pain he feels for his murdered parents and his missing brother. Hannah is a smart and gutsy yet insecure person. An orphan raised by her grandmother, at 23 she’s considered a spinster. A chance meeting with Matt and lucky that her name is Hannah her life takes a sharp right turn.

A first read of Emma Lang for me, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to Book 2 Brody as well as searching out other stories by her.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.

Give it to Me

Give It to Me ~ Sean Wolfe
Publisher ~ Kensington
Published ~ 31 January 2012

My Rating ~ 4 out of 5

Give It to Me is an anthology with 12 erotic M/M stories that plumb the darkest fantasies. Each story is short yet well-fleshed.  They’re not just dark erotica. Sean Wolfe makes us feel for these guys, some of whom appear to be beyond redemption. I enjoyed 11 of the 12 stories. Abducted is the only one I had a hard time falling into. The two guys in that story came off as morons in an unbelievably idiotic scenario. Wolfe had me believing in every story except that one.

This was a first read of Sean Wolfe’s work for me. I enjoyed it so much I now need to run off and find more. Ok, I don’t need to run because the internet is a wonderful tool. I just hope there are Kindle versions of his books.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page.