Archive for September, 2010

“Warrior Ascended,” Addison Fox

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Pros: The heroine’s problems don’t make her whiny or incapable of action.
Cons: The villains can be more comical than threatening at times.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Two goddesses of Mount Olympus have been locked in a struggle for the fate of humanity for thousands of years. Warrior Brody Talbot fights on the side of Themis, goddess of balance and justice. Enyo, goddess of war, seeks power to destroy the human race. A prophecy exists that says that the five Summoning Stones of ancient Egypt discovered several years ago could be a means to unlimited power, but there is only one person who can harness that power. Ava Harrison is trying to continue the legacy of her murdered father, an Egyptologist, and she’s just gotten the job of curator of an upcoming exhibit featuring the Stones. She can’t help but be suspicious of Brody, who keeps showing up in her life all of a sudden, but she can’t deny the attraction between the two of them. Brody finds himself shocked by the depth of feeling between them, but if they want to find out where that heat leads, they’re going to have to outrun a very angry Enyo…

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“Steamed” by Katie MacAlister

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Pros: The warmth and humor in this book are laugh-out-loud funny.
Cons: It took me a little while to get to know the characters and really care about them.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

Jack Fletcher’s life keeps taking unexpected turns, leaving him (despite his protests) with the reputation of a hero. In another unexpected turn, his sister interferes with one of his delicate nanoelectrical experiments, casting the two of them into another place. To their surprise, they’ve found themselves on the airship captained by Captain Olivia Pye. Olivia’s got her hands full enough with her new ship and crew on her maiden voyage as a captain, but she’s unexpectedly developing a soft spot for Jack. He’s not immune to her either, and the two of them grow closer together through the perils of airship flying. But when Jack’s sister is kidnapped by the Emperor’s guards, they find themselves in a race to save her life.

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“Kismet” by Monica Burns

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Pros: The heroine is extremely resilient and courageous.
Cons: The hero seems to feel that he has a right to what he wants, despite what the heroine thinks or feels about it.
Rating: 3 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Allegra Synnford is an accomplished courtesan used to being in complete control, choosing her lovers and keeping them from getting too close. She has a set of ethics, unlike many courtesans, and this is one of the things that intrigues Sheikh Shaheen of the Amazigh. Allegra is unlike other courtesans that he knew in his life as Viscount Newcastle, and he finds himself more and more attracted to her. She couldn’t have become a distraction at a worse time; enemies are threatening to undermine the work that he’s spent years on and those same enemies are coming to understand what Allegra means to him. Can the two of them learn to trust each other? Fate, kismet, has its own way of working things out…

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“Sexy As Hell” by Susan Johnson

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Pros: Steamy romance, and the power struggle between hero and heroine is so much fun to watch.
Cons: The ending feels rather rushed, almost as if it comes out of nowhere.
Rating: 4 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Determined to avoid marrying her detestable cousin, Countess Isolde Perceval arranges to be caught in bed with a man, thereby making her unmarriageable. Her plans are thrown awry, though, when Baron Osmond Lennox walks into the wrong room for his assignation. Instantly attracted to the beautiful countess, Lennox offers her an easy way out of the whole situation: a marriage of convenience. When her cousin backs down, the two of them will amiably divorce. But neither Lennox nor Isolde had counted on the scorching heat between the two of them, or the clashes of will that stoked that heat even higher. But have they stumbled across something worth keeping? Or will their mutual stubbornness tear them apart?

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“The Notebooks of Madame B: Ecstasy”

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Pros: The stories do an excellent job of showcasing people’s reactions to each other in steamy situations.
Cons: The voices of the protagonists feel at times as if they blend together.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review book courtesy of Penguin Group

 

Madame B has once again opened up her store of sensual stories collected from women to bring us the second volume in her Notebooks trilogy: Ecstasy. And indeed, the women in this book find ecstasy, whether in the embrace of a construction worker or a roommate, or even a stranger met at a party. There are lots of hidden opportunities for erotic encounters, and these are the secret stories of women unafraid to reach for ecstasy in whatever form they might find it…

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Thank you for your patience!

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

I have some reviews from Rene that I’m almost ready to put up, and a few books I’m ready to review. I found out that the reason I’ve been so lame is I have anemia, but I’m gradually regaining energy from taking iron supplements, so I’m hopeful that we’ll be picking up the pace again soon. Many apologies for the reviews that haven’t gone up yet!