Choosing Love

Choosing Love, Winona Wilder, Siren Publishing
A strong debut novel from Winona Wilder, she packs quite a punch in this highly emotional short story. It didn't take many pages before I felt myself drawn into Cal and Waylon's world.

Cal has been in love with Waylon for years. But Waylon is the star quarterback at their college and is dating one of the most popular girls in school. Resigned to being in the "just friends" column, he keeps his feelings to himself. Cal is afraid to come out to even his best friend after being disowned and kicked out of the house by his mother and stepfather.

Waylon is the "big man on campus" but he is keeping a secret: He is in love with his best friend Cal. While out on a double date, Cal gets drunk and when Waylon pulls him outside to sober him up, the two kiss. When their dates come outside to see what has happened to them Cal runs away. Both guys are afraid of rejection and won't admit their feelings, and this puts a strain on their friendship.

When Evan, their History teacher, confronts the two because of their slipping grades in his class, it's just to be helpful, but turns into so much more. Evan is an openly gay man and tries to encourage the two younger men to admit their feelings, at least to each other. He never planned on falling in love with them.

Just when Cal finds the courage to be open on campus, the unthinkable happens and he pays a terrible price. It will take both the men in his life get him to choose love.

I am so impressed when an author can create a world and tell a story with such depth in so few pages. This could have been a true story on any college campus. I do have to admit that I was a little skeeved out with Evan at first, but in the end I was completely into their relationship. I also had trouble with the fact that there was not even a mention of Evan losing his teaching job by being involved with two students.

CHOOSING LOVE brought to light some of the very real issues that openly gay students (people) have to deal with. I will definitely be choosing the next book in this series.
I give Choosing Love 4 chocolate dipped strawberries.
This review originally posted at The Romance Reviews,

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2302

A Firm Merger

Sometimes you just need a light erotica with some humor and love thrown in. This book that I originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews fits this description.

A Firm Merger by Stephanie Ganon is a short erotic story with just as much going on emotionally as there is sexually. It makes for a quick, sexy read when you only have a short amount of time. As long as you aren’t looking for an overly realistic love story, this ménage relationship will delight you.

The heroine, Emily, has been dating two co-workers at her law firm for a little over a year. Nick and William are both attractive, intelligent but she finds herself attracted to their differing personalities and unable to choose. All three main characters are likeable and believable, each with unique personalities so that none overpower the others. The reader can appreciate why Emily wants both men – together they make a nearly perfect man!

Emily decides to tell the men during a business trip the trio is on. But she’s too late when the men swap stories only to discover their lover is seeing them both. She’s shocked when the men seem to be taking the news so well, even as they suggest they may be willing to share her. And though Nick has a few homophobic issues with sharing a sexual encounter with another man, the three become closer than even Nick was first willing to venture. Of course, the happily ever after comes in the end but how they get there and the evolution of their relationship will surprise you. Enjoy the surprise (Nick did).

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Owning Wednesday

For those who follow my reviews, you know that once I find an author whose writing style I like, I tend to read everything they write. So I've been reading my way through Anabel Joseph's books. She has a great voice and is committed to character development in a way that makes each story so powerful and unique. Most are focused on some type of performing art which also lends to its uniqueness. I like Joseph's books and I hope you will too...

Owning Wednesday was another high quality book written in classic Anabel Joseph style. Focused on a committed relationship, albeit an intense BDSM one, the story brings depth to a simple erotic tale. The story was real and engaging with an edge of tension that kept me flipping the pages quickly.

Wednesday was with Vincent, her Dom, for nearly eight years. He viewed her more as a possession and their relationship was one of teacher to student, Dominant to submissive with a deep understanding but no love. When Vincent decides it's time to end their relationship, he finds someone whom he believes to be a perfect Dom for Wednesday. After one (very hot and steamy) encounter, the reader senses Vincent may be right. Daniel demands so much more from Wednesday than the simple obedience given to Vincent – Daniel wants a true relationship – and Wednesday has to submit to her emotions to meet his demands.

It is this emotional battle that makes the book so fantastic. Wednesday is a woman who struggles with accepting and giving love so when Daniel demands that she allow him to love her, she fights the feelings to her core. The tension derived from Daniel and Wednesday’s budding relationship is realistic and well-written. Allowing Wednesday to have a different style relationship with each man, choosing to submit and obey and still hold onto a piece of herself, created a realistic character. Wednesday was a strong submissive and a strong heroine who I very much liked.

Annabel Joseph is on my short list of favorite BDSM authors. She does an excellent job of capturing the lifestyle while bringing forward powerful love stories. Excellent emotional read.

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries... mmm... mmm... so delicious.

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found at: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2486.

Keeping Promise Rock

Keeping Promise Rock by Amy Lane
Carrick Francis has spent most of his life jumping into trouble with both feet. The only thing saving him from prison or worse is his absolute devotion to Deacon Winters. Deacon was Crick's sanity and salvation during a miserable, abusive childhood, and Crick would do anything to stay with him forever. So when Deacon's father dies, Crick puts his college plans on hold to help Deacon as Deacon has helped him. Deacon's greatest wish is to see Crick escape his memories and the town they grew up in so Crick can enjoy a shining future. But after two years of growing feelings and temptation, the painfully shy Deacon finally succumbs to Crick's determined advances and admits he sees himself as part of Crick's life. It nearly destroys Deacon when he discovers Crick has been waiting for him to push him away, just like Crick's family did in the past. When Crick's knack for volatile decisions lands him far away from home, Deacon is left, shell-shocked and alone, struggling to reforge his heart in a world where love with Crick is a promise, but by no means a certainty.

This is an absolutely amazing and heart wrenching story and perfect for you Memorial Day weekend. The story starts off with a short prologue where Carrick is about to finish up his 2 year tour in Iraq. He is losing consciousness after a violent explosion and his last thought is of the man he loves more than his own life, Deacon Winters. You immediate realize that is isn’t going to be your typical light read with humorous one liners. With that the story takes you back to when Carrick was a lonely nine year old boy traveling a dusty road on the way to the Parish Winter’s horse farm. He is befriended by Parish’s 14 year old son. Carrick will do anything to escape his abusive father and a mother who allows the abuse to continue. Parish treats him as a son and Deacon becomes his big brother. In Carrick’s teens he realized that he is a little different and starts to develop feelings for Deacon. Only after the tragic death of Mr. Winter do the two admit to feeling for each other.
Their lives are a constant struggle both financially and emotionally. When Carrick thinks Deacon is starting to push him away he makes a sudden (and stupid) decision to join the Army and serve his country. You have to read this story. You will both laugh and cry. I have to give Keeping Promise Rock 4 ½ chocolate dipped strawberries. Amy Lane give to use a powerful story of two pure hearts and the realization of the sadness that our military families go through when they are apart from one another. Great job Amy!!!!!!!!!!

Review by Shari

From London Friday

Yeah it’s Friday and a three day weekend! Hope everyone has fun plans ahead. I know I do. I’ll be hanging with my girlies enjoying the food, drink and kids. I have an AWESOME life! It’s a busy one but I wouldn’t have it any other way. June is crazy busy with the end of school activities for both kids, soccer (rec, all- star, travel, registration and camps), and life in general. Heading to DC with JJ on her 5th grade trip on Wednesday, and I am going to attempt to find Georgetown cupcakes and the Hard Rock Café. Wish me luck! I’ll take a book for the ride. I’m reading the Chronicles of Nick and it breaks my heart but I like it so far. Can’t wait to tell you about it when I’m done. But in honor of Cowboy week this is what I went with (thanks Jenn)….

Texas Two Step by Cat Johnson
It takes two to tango, but three to do the two-step with these Texas cowboys…
Londoner Maryann Morrissy finds the companionship she’s missing by making friends on the Internet with fellow rodeo fans in the States. Her fiancé Robert doesn’t understand her new obsession. His mocking is just one more thing in a long list that convinces Maryann he’s not the man for her. Perfect timing, because Maryann is flying to Texas where two rodeo cowboys are waiting to show her the ropes.
Annoyed he has to pick up his sister’s British online buddy from the airport, tie-down roper Wes Griffin drags his best friend Shooter with him. Misery loves company until Wes sees Maryann get off the plane. When her sexy accent makes his heart do the two-step, Wes begins to wish he’d kept Maryann all to himself because Shooter is just as intrigued.
After the nasty end to Maryann’s engagement, she’s ready to take both cowboys on, but is Wes willing to share?

Holy hog tying Batman! This short story was awesome! I’ve heard so much about Cat’s work from the other girls I jumped at the chance to read this for this week. Some short stories are rushed along and I think it takes skill to write a good short story and keep it moving. Cat soooo has this skill. It cracked me up that Maryann is from London and wants to come to Texas to meet the cowboys. Not that there’s anything wrong with Texas and cowboys but I’d love a trip to London (land of men with hot accents lol). After dumping her super cheater fiancé, Robert she is picked up at the airport by her friend Ellen’s brother Wes and his buddy Shooter. Neither one knows what to expect or what women from London to look like. They both have a picture of a chick in a long ugly dress with her hair in a tight bun like from the show The Nanny. Both men are pleasantly surprised when they get any eye full of Maryann. Shooter is along for the “ride” but Wes wants more. What will Maryann do with her newfound freedom? It’s hard for me to talk about the story without giving it away but you defiantly need to add this short story to your beach/pool bag. Then you can jump in the water to cool off!

I give this story 4 chocolate dipped strawberries and a belt buckle (read and find out)!

PEACE!

Giddy Up! It's A Long Hard Ride!

It‘s been just over a year now since I read my first ménage. I will never forget it – it’s just like the first time for anything – embedded in my memory forever. So it was then double-exciting when I got to meet Lorelei James, the author who wrote the book. It was titled Long Hard Ride but it was everything but long (it was a quick read because I couldn’t put it down) and hard (it was quite easy to read the delicious story). And I don’t even have to tell you that I now have an autographed copy on my bookshelf (yep, that’s right, a paperback book even though I only read e-books). So obviously when we decided to do a cowboy week on the blog, I immediately thought of my first ménage which just happened to have the most delicious cowboys… chocolate-dipped strawberries have nothing on these alpha males.

Long Hard Ride, the first book in the Rough Rider series by Lorelei James, is a sexy hot, crazy cowboy-style lovin’ erotica that actually managed to carry a solid storyline.  It broke my stereotype of western erotica (you know, everything you believe before you’ve actually ever read one).  Between the hot sex scenes, there’s an actual story with a complete cast of characters that I became invested in because they were real to me.  Aside from the main love story, there are also several subplots that hooked me in enough that I went book by book through the entire Rough Riders series and now watch for the newest release dates because she’s still writing about these great cowboys and their leading ladies.  So here’s your first warning… if you read one, you’ll want to read them all.

Long Hard Ride focuses on Channing Kinkaid who is itching for a wild adventure on the rodeo circuit with a cowboy she’ll never see again, just a fling before she settles down to the more responsible life her parents expect of her.  Channing has never felt like she belongs – made worse by the fact that her boyfriend she’s traveling with ends up being a creep – so now she's lonely, out of her element and looking for one last adventure.

Along comes Colby McKay - rough around the edges, dirty talking, hard playing, wild riding (in more ways than one) cowboy competing in the rodeo circuit. Yet he still got under my skin in his unique rough around the edges way. And it was the same for Channing. When they meet, it's not long before Channing takes Colby up on a proposition to spend a week with him and his two rodeo traveling partners. He knows he's found the perfect woman willing to have the kind of wild fun he likes. But what he didn’t expect was to fall in love in the process.

The evolution of their relationship, and the hidden tenderness that begins to emerge from Colby, is a gradual process that seems natural and realistic. They may jump into bed sooner than later but they don’t fall head over heels in the same moment. My heart squeezed as I watched this bad boy show affection towards Channing, something I’m sure he didn’t do with too many people. To be honest, I didn’t like Colby much in the beginning and I think this was purposeful on the part of the author. I was able to watch Colby evolve throughout the book, at the same time as his feelings for Channing changed him.  And Channing is just perfect for him since she calls Colby out when he needs it, giving as much as she gets (and she does get it a lot).

The strong focus on the romantic love story won me over. And not only did I experience Channing and Colby’s budding relationship but was introduced to other characters (featured in future books in this series) including a definite secondary relationship. What completely surprised me was the hottest scene did NOT take place between Channing and Colby, but a surprise couple. Here’s my second warning… there is some serious m/m loving going on in this book.  There was balance… plenty of hot sex (mmm… mmm… yummy cowboys) but equally intense emotional relationships too.  Lots of naughty and explicit dirty talk and lots of hot erotic moments all topped off with a sweet love story – it is the perfect balance.

Though I’ve read a lot more erotica since this book, especially in the western romance genre, Long Hard Ride continues to be one of my favorites.  Lorelei James is a great writer who has created characters worth knowing.  I’d secretly love to be a McKay – what a great family!  She spends a good portion of the book on story and character development; and I actually learned a bit about rodeo life too. And I would be remiss not to mention the deliciously hot covers in this series… don’t spend too much time drooling. Just open the book and read. You’ll love it.

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Hump Day Howdy Pardners...

Howdy y'all - glad to see you have survived the midway point again. Let me just say welcome back sunshine and heat as well. I am not a particular fan of extreme weather - like 70's just fine, dont really mind a bit of rain - but we seem to have gone from flippin cold to rain/tornado season and now we are smack dab in hotter n' Hades. What is up with the wacky weather? Good thing this week's eye candy was ready to beat the heat by taking off his shirt (I love brains and brawn!) Looking forward to Memorial Day weekend - celebrating the kick off of summer with BBQ's and Valleyfest woohoo! - cheers to all you who serve(d) our country as well this weekend!

So, who here loves a cowboy? (I see you raising your hands) And who here loves a good cowboy romance? (That's right, keep those hands up!) Well, let me tell you, Ms. Delilah Devlin has got your number. I dub her the Queen of Hot Cowboys - buddy, you had best prepare your reading leisure with ice water and a fan for these hot, hot erotic tales!

Saddled, Delilah Devlin, Samhain Publishing, March 2009

Slippery when naked...

When Bobby Blackhawk and Cale Yancey see a car slide off the highway and into an icy creek, they’ve got only minutes to get the beautiful driver out alive. And only one way to save her from hypothermia: take her to their isolated cabin, get naked…and hope like hell that when she wakes up, she doesn’t scream the place down.

Katherine Duvall opens her eyes in a strange bed, and the tingles flooding her body aren’t entirely due to restored circulation. She’s snuggled between two handsome men, one a gruff, gentle giant, the other a sexy, playful Native American. Having just left her fiancé romping with another woman, she’s not quite as shocked as she might have been.

In fact, these two lonesome cowboys could be the perfect bookends to satisfy her hunger for revenge and bolster her dented self esteem. It’s not long before their raging hormones are melting the snow on the cabin roof.

To their surprise, they find something else is melting, too. Their hearts…

Warning: This title contains hot ménage scenes, anal sex, double-dipping, and two sexy cowboys—double the heat to thaw one frozen woman—and the only toys a lonely girl needs!




SADDLED is a steamy, sexy and quick read that made me want to hole up in a mountain cabin with a pair of hunky cowboys. Delilah Devlin is a master at erotic romance, menage in particular, but in a way that keeps it fun and light and thoroughly enjoyable. You can find three scorching cowboy stories in a compilation called Cowboy Fever in most retail booksellers or the individual stories in ebook format. This book got me drawn into the cowboy world that Ms. Devlin created, so that there is no chance that I could even imagine not continuing with the series.

Katherine Duvall is having a bad day, no make that a really, really bad day. Having just caught her fiance cheating on her again, she takes off determined just to leave the mountainside resort. Her car careens out of control and she ends up nearly drowning and then succumbing to frostbite. She barely remembers her rescue and upon waking finds herself sandwiched naked between her two very virile saviors. Initially motivated by revenge and a smarting ego, Kate embarks upon an erotic adventure with the pair while they are snowed in.

Cale and Bobby are best friends who are comfortable in their relationship - comfortable in their sexuality. Nevertheless, the blonde beauty visited upon them makes them realize something special missing is now found. As the three embark on a tryst while they are snowbound, Kate gets more than a fantasy. Her heart may be on the line.

The character of Kate was smart and sexy, and I liked how she has an epiphany that her fiance will never change and she deserves more than a good looking, super wealthy cheater who will continue to put her second behind his needs every time. He has a certain vulnerability that is appealing to the reader. Bobby and Cale have very different, unique personalities - ones that I would like to have learned more about perhaps. Still multi-dimensional enough that their fears of losing Kate after the storm ends made me shed a tear or two.

The love scenes are erotic and graphic. Devlin manages to introduce the concept of M/F/M and M/M/F in a way that remains sexy and playful. It wasn't very long (only about 100 pages), and yet there was still a good amount of story to pace the various scenes of menage sex.

My only complaint about the book is that I wanted to know more about the after. Devlin's Lone Star Lovers series (the first two of which are included in the Cowboy Fever Anthology) have intertwined characters and storylines and that makes a series enjoyable because the reader gets to continue to peek in the lives of former leading couples. For those who enjoy their West a little wild, a good cold beer and some hot cowboy lovin, I highly recommend checking out this sassy author's work!

I give Saddled five chocolate dipped frozen strawberries - and a pair of cowboys to help me thaw them out!

TUESDAY!!!!!

I know 5 exclamation points seems a bit extreme for a Tuesday, but I am trying to psych myself up to make it through the rest of the week. Things are crazy for me for the next two weeks, I have the end of the school year coming up and I am trying to find fun, exciting, inexpensive things for my kids to do for the summer. And the end of the regular season for baseball is coming up so I am preparing for the end of the season tourny and making sure the concession stand is stocked and ready to go. I did find some time to do a little internet surfing trying to find a Steampunk costume for the Authors After Dark conference that we GI girls are going to in Philly in August. I found some cute things and now I just need to make a decision.I just really hate to buy things that I haven't tried on...for those of us that are a plus size buying things online can be a nightmare!! So the book that I want to talk to you about today comes from a series that has a bit of EVERYTHING. And by everything I mean it runs the gambit from paranormal M/F to paranormal M/M, to contemporary-western M/M and M/F back to paranormal M/M and then just for shits and giggles lets throw in some murder-suspense M/M/F. LOL The series I speak of is The Hawkins Ranch series by Cameron Dane and man can that lady write a smokin' hot love scene. The book I am going to share with you today is the most recent release in the series and it is called Becoming Three.




Becoming Three, Cameron Dane, Loose Id
Deputy Jace Maxwell looks out for Sarah Tennison, and wants her. Although the fiery feisty woman is a friend, he knows he can’t have her. Because as much as he craves Sarah, he also lives with a secret, fierce attraction for men. And Sarah just won't understand.
Sarah has suppressed her love for Jace, knowing he only sees her as a chore. Enter cowboy Jasper Simmons. Jasper is as sweet and gentle as Jace is hard. Sarah tries to keep both men separate in her mind, but can’t stop fantasizing about being tangled and sweaty in bed with both of them.
When Jasper finds a dead woman nailed to a tree, he is thrown into contact with Jace. The proximity unearths an attraction neither of them had felt before. Seeing Jace with Jasper in an emotion-filled situation gets Sarah wondering if her roommate is keeping secrets. Then Jasper admits to Sarah he once had a crush on another man, Jace suddenly kisses her in a shocking lapse of control, and suddenly Sarah's fantasies are taking on a vivid reality.
Will sweet, awkward Jasper be the key to two becoming three?

Sarah Tennison is living with her brothers best friend while he is away in Afghanistan with the military. Sarah has had a crush and Jace for as long as she can remember. But for Jace, Sarah is completely off limits due to her age and the fact that her brother asked him to keep her safe. Being around Jace every day not only at home, but at her job in the sheriffs office could make a sexually frustrated girl crazy. Giving up on Jace, Sarah starts dating and falls in love with Jasper Simmons a cowboy from the Hawkins ranch.

When Jasper finds a dead body on the ranch and Jace is called in to investigate, it stirs up feelings that both men have a hard time dealing with.

For me this is the best book in the series. While Jasper's broken grammar is kind of annoying to read it was such a part of his character I could overlook it. Everything doesn't fall right into place for this threesome, they have some problems to work through, jealousy, and denial are the two biggest. But when the three do come together it is some of the hottest sex scenes that I have read. I loved the fact that Sarah didn't shy away from her sexuality at all and asked for what she wanted in bed. The murder mystery part of the story really helped carry the story line and left me guessing right until the end. A lot of the characters from past books show up in this story so you get glimpses into their lives which is always a plus for me. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series, Quick to the Hunt, coming from Loose Id in July of this year. I give Becoming Three 5 chocolate dipped strawberries and the whole Hawkins Ranch series 5 chocolate dipped strawberries just for it's genre jumping.

Monday - Make way for Cowboys!

Howdy folks. Welcome to our week celebrating those who work the land, work with their hands, and make us wanna giddyup and ride! For those who may not know, I am one of those strange gals who has a running soundtrack in her head. Ever since Saturday, I have had R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It" stuck on repeat. Thankfully, the world as we know it did not end this weekend. Which is a good thing, because my TBR pile has not shrunk one bit! I am so excited summer is nearly here and I can't wait to settle onto my deck whenever possible with my Nook, a glass of wine and a large bottle of....50 SPF sunblock (yeah, I am a ghostly pale chick!) Speaking of the world not ending....in honor of the fact that we are all still here, how about celebrating with a delish, calorie free nibble of some eye candy???? (I know it's Monday, but we're survivors!)


Emily Cale, Tamed, Breathless Press, November 2010

Can a hot fling on a Wyoming ranch lead to more than just sex?

Tired of bringing home unsatisfying and nameless men, Delia Hawthorne needs a change of pace. When her Aunt invites her to spend some time at their family's Wyoming ranch, it takes little prodding for her to agree. Time away from work, bars and men is exactly the break she's been looking for.

When Delia arrives, she finds what she has come to avoid: a take-charge ranch hand Lucas Dane. Despite her Aunt's warning of Lucas' womanizing reputation, she decides he may be worth the risk. What starts out as just sex quickly turns into more--forcing Delia to choose between the guy she is falling in love with and her responsibilities back home. What's a city girl to do?

Emily Cale's TAMED proves to be a sweet, sassy little romance guaranteed to make you appreciate cowboys and rethink city life. A story of crossroads, Delia appears to have it all: a solid career, good friends, the occasional lover. One-night stands don't seem to be as fulfilling and she would almost rather spend her personal time in the bath with her vibrating rubber duck. Where can a city gal go to get mental clarity? Wyoming, of course!

Delia gets a call from her Aunt Erica who reports her childhood mare, Snickers, has had a foal and she gets first dibs on naming it. Longing for the easy days when she spent summers at her Aunt and Uncle's ranch, Delia makes a spur of the moment decision to come for a visit. Dropping her business in her partner's lap, Delia heads off to have some much needed family and equine bonding.

Ranch hand Lucas spies the stylishly yet impractically dressed niece of his employers arrive for a visit and assumes she is precisely who she appears to be -- a "city chick" who wouldn't know a chore from a chair. First impressions get shelved pretty quickly when Lucas and Delia meet -- sparks fly. Their encounter in the barn smolders and where there's smoke, there's bound to be fire!

Things get complicated when the icy-hearted Delia begins to have feelings for the charming rancher. Who wants to mess things up with a relationship? Delia believes herself immune from feelings of vulnerability, and yet a fairly simple misunderstanding has her sobbing like a teen with her first heartbreak. A fairly sympathetic character, she still feels incredibly naive even after we first meet her in bed with a random hook-up who ends up getting kicked out before the finish because he doesn't "get it".

Lucas doesn't feel nearly as fleshed out as a character, perhaps because he still remains a bit of a mystery -- he's a player on the ranch scene but hasn't had any real highs or lows. He does, however, score high with his staging for a romantic date without ever leaving the ranch.

One wish for this novella would be to make it slightly longer to give more depth to Lucas and his romance with Delia. Watching a country boy woo a city girl was never more enjoyable. TAMED should guarantee even the staunchest city girl will hope for romance under the open skies of the West.

Nevertheless, I give this sweet treat a delish four chocolate covered strawberries - eaten under starlight skies with a hunky cowboy by my side! Yummmmmmmm!

This review was originially written for The Romance Reviews.

YEE HAW!!!!!

It's cowboy week here at the GI site. MMM MMM there is just something about a man in jeans and a cowboy hat that is just hot. I may have to sneak in a little extra eye candy in this week. I know I am posting this a little late but I was being baseball mom yesterday with a double header trying to get games made up because of all the rain we have had. So I sit here on Monday and my arms look like lobsters that have just come out of the pot. LOL So to start our Cowboy week here I am going to tell you about a book from a long running series that I read, Out of the Shadow, is book 6 in the Cattle Valley series by Carole Lynne. I am a HUGE fan of Ms. Lynne and I think I have read just about everything she has written, but this series is my favorite. I love the small community and the people that live there, and while I know it's not real, what a wonderful concept of acceptance and how awesome would it be if it really did exist. If you get a chance pop on over to the Cattle Valley website and check out the pics of the character's from the books:http://www.cattlevalley.net/



Out of the Shadow, Carole Lynne, Total E Bound
When Shepard Black left the rodeo circuit, he thought his days of lusting after young cowboys were over. Now owner of the Backbreaker Ranch, Shep raises mean spirited bulls like the ones that used to toss him around the arena. It's a challenge, but he never imagined his best friend's son, Jeremy, would prove to be his toughest one yet. Watching Jeremy's long legs wrap around a bucking bull gives Shep too many ideas for comfort. Even worse, Jeremy seems to know exactly the affect he's having on his boss and teacher.

When Jeremy asks Shep to help him train for the upcoming Cattle Valley Rodeo Days, he has two goals in mind. To spend time with the man he's lusted after since he was a teenager and to beat his father. He's been through hell as the son of the reigning National Champion, and he wants his dad to have a taste of his own medicine. He might just get a taste of what he's longed for all this time, too.

Jeremy has been in love with Shep since he was 16 years old and came to live with his dad, Todd, and travel with him on the rodeo circuit. Nevermind the 17 year age difference Shep is the only man that Jeremy wants. Asking Shep to help train him to ride bulls in the Cattle Valley rodeo has two things going for it. One it will bring him and Shep closer together and two it will give him the advantage he needs to beat his father in the competition and finally help him come out of the shadow of his famous father.

Shep knows agreeing to help Jeremy train is not going to be easy. He has wanted the younger man forever but wanted to give him time to sow his wild oats before asking Jeremy to commit to him. He's also not sure how his best friend and Jeremy's father is going to feel about their relationship.

When Todd shows up at the ranch to stay for the rodeo Jeremy and Shep decide to keep their relationship quite until after the competition, until Shep finds out the real reason behind the divide between father and son.

Carol Lynne is one of those authors that can, in just a few pages, draw you into a story and make you feel like you have known the character's for years. All of the stories in this series are around 100 pages but the read much longer. This story like all of them brings back some of my favorite character's from earlier books and also introduces us to a few new ones to entice you to read the next installment. The relationship at the core of all her books is loving and while this one didn't have as much drama as some of the others it's still one of my favorites. If you are looking for a quick easy read with interesting characters and HAWT cowboy sex then Out of the Shadow is a great choice just like any other book in this series. I give this book 4 chocolate dipped strawberries and the series as a whole 5 strawberries.

Something About A Rancher's Pride

Rancher’s Pride by Barbara Daille is a feel good story that made my heart hurt just a little but smile a lot. Likeable characters hook the reader into a steady-moving story. I recommend it to anyone who loves a sweet love story.

Rancher’s Pride is a touching story about a man whose entire world changes in just a few minutes when he learns he's a daddy to a beautiful little four-year-old girl. Though Sam’s ex-wife never told him she was pregnant when she left, there’s no denying Becky is his child. And now that his ex-wife has given him custody, he never plans to let her go.

Then things get complicated… and interesting. Sam learns that Becky’s aunt, Kayla, plans to fight for custody. Since she’s an American Sign Language teacher and already has an established relationship with her niece, Kayla seems to be the perfect guardian for Becky. The judge orders them to share custody of Becky for the summer. And the majority of the book centers on their time together at Sam’s ranch.

Sam needs to learn to communicate with Becky.  At first it seems like he makes no effort but then the reader learns that he has been trying to learn on his own. Though hesitant, he allows Kayla to teach him some signs. It’s once he’s willing to open himself up this way that his relationship with Becky blossoms. The most memorable part of this book for me is how the author incorporates the ASL signs in scenes that include Becky.

Sam is a likeable guy with lots of friends in his small hometown. Kayla is a city girl with a heart of gold. But they can’t seem to agree on much at first as they put their own desires above the best interests of Becky. Then once they put their focus on Becky, everything falls into place. Their love for Becky actually brings them closer. And while the premise of the story involves Sam falling in love with Kayla, I didn’t feel it happening. Sure, there are mentions of some developing feelings and moments that make you wonder but then it falls flat until the end when the reader is shocked by revelations at the final court hearing.  Some more emotional development between the two would’ve helped make the ending more realistic for this reader.

The author incorporates some fun, and important, secondary characters. I loved Ellamae – every town needs one of her. I would’ve liked to see Sam’s mother developed more as she could’ve added more depth to the story. I also wondered about Kayla’s parents (Becky’s grandparents) who seemed all but absent though it was inferred that their family was close. Developing these characters more would’ve enhanced an already strong story.

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

This review was originally posted at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2419.

First Hand Friday

Greetings from the rain forest. Not really but it feels like it! It has done nothing but rain here forever and I’m so tired of it. It’s suppose to but warm and sunny not damp and cold. Sooo cramping my style! It will be August till all the soccer and baseball games get made up. Oh well, I didn’t need a summer break anyways. I will continue to lie in the tanning bed for the month of May and pretend I’m on a beach all alone and relax. That’s as close to a vacation as I’m going to get this year. With the exception of my trip to Philly. Which I can’t wait for and I need to start planning. It will be here before you know it. If you read my blog last week you know I revamped my to be read list. Just to let you know it worked out beautifully and I’m a happy girl and my fever blister went away FINALLY! Onto my blog for this week….

Seven Souls a Leaping by Heather Long

Since the day she learned to put her ABCs together, Tara Conroy has been sharing a ghostly correspondence with the spirit world. One spirit, in particular, Darian, has been talking to her since she was twelve years old. His letters of encouragement, advice and conversation take a darker turn as she sends her cousin Duncan on the hunt for a killer named Jeffrey Wiles and again when Duncan’s sister Sam finds herself helping track that killer’s spirit. But when Darian’s letters flirt on the line between desire and danger, Tara must learn what his intentions are before she loses her mind and her soul completely…

Darian Barnes ran afoul of a witch in 1929 as the stock market crashed. She blamed him and cursed him to know what it was like to watch everything he possessed disappear and be helpless to stop it. For nearly a century, Darian has existed as a spirit, always seeing, never touching or experiencing until one day he encountered Tara Conroy. For the first time in eighty years, someone could hear him. She was only a little girl at the time, but desperate for the contact, he told her stories that she could write. He watched over her, guiding, protecting and advising – always there when she needed a friend. Over time, Darian discovered that their connection left him longing for more…

Together, Tara and Darian guided her cousins against an evil man, but when that man’s spirit begins to circle Tara, Darian knows he has to do something – anything – to save her.
Now Darian and Tara must find a way to bring their love into the physical world and destroy Jeffrey Wiles once and for all – because if they don’t, Darian is terrified that the witch’s curse will cost Tara her life and her soul…

When I first started reading this (as in the prologue) I thought to myself where we going with this? But as I got further in I started to enjoy it more. It had several different twists that I liked. For example, the New England New Age (NENA) Investigations, a paranormal detective agency. Not your usual vamp slayers….nice. She can only communicate thru writing with the help of her “guided hand”. Different from your usual being able to out right see them. Again, I liked that touch (note this week’s blog title lol). I also liked how they worked the help of the witches into the story as well towards the end. You kind of figure that Tara and Darian have deeper feelings for each other but it’s very subtle throughout the story and then as the story draws to a close they become full circle. When you’re not sure you’re going to survive if you need to tell someone you love them no better time like the present and the story ended beautifully.

I give this story 3 chocolate dipped strawberries and a space heater. That brownstone she lived in sounded cold.

PEACE!

You Can't MAKE ME.

Make Me, a short story by Jessica Lee, re-visits Evin and Mason from Bloodline. The story provides readers who enjoyed the characters in the first book to get to know them even better. And again these multi-dimensional characters are strong men with a deep love for their mates, a fact that goes uncontested as the book opens with a hot, hot, hot sex scene.

Evin KinKaid, the only son of the KinKaid pack's alpha, has returned to his pack where he has now assumed the position of alpha. Together with his mate Mason, he is acclimating to pack life and finds his authority challenged by a neighboring pack. Evin gets a scare when he believes Mason has been abducted and is ready to do anything necessary to get his mate back. 

Though just a very short story, readers will enjoy the chance to see more of the relationship between Evin and Mason. The author’s descriptive writing brings readers into the relationship so that we can feel their connection. This couple is sweet (and hot); and Make Me is short but sweet.

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

I originally wrote this review for The Romance Reviews. It can also be found at: http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2440.

Hump day hey-Yo! Seismic Evil style...

Hump day again? How ever did it happen so quickly???? The world will never know - it's like Mr. Owl and his how-many-licks-to-the-center-of-a-TootsiePop? I love a good mystery. Almost as much as I love some good eye candy. So, in lieu of a life-time supply of Tootsie Pops, I give you a calorie free and just as tasty treat - Eye Candy! Breathe in, breathe out, pause and enjoy! (With a sentiment like that, how can you not make it two more little ole days????)

So, humpty humpers - let's talk about my other favorite treat, books! This weeks showcase on Heather Long's Chance Monroe series has been a real delight for me. I am really enjoying the stories - but I am a fan of thrillers, urban fantasy and witch craft (although it is a fact that Chance Monroe parts with her designer shoes way too easily for my tastes - there, are you happy Kim?) So, without further ado - next installment:

Seismic Evil, Heather Long, Sapphire Blue Publishing, 2011

Hedge Witch Chance Monroe has a problem: earthquakes throughout the region damage bridges and roads, leave masses injured, and create havoc for Chance’s mental stability as well as her powers. When the earth shudders, Chance trembles. When the earth bucks from pressure, Chance bruises. When the earth cracks, Chance bleeds.

And when Ava, a witch with her sights on driving Chance insane, manipulates the earthquakes to break Chance's magical and spiritual bond to the earth, Chance faces her greatest fight. A fight for her life and the land that nourishes her power.

Chance has the support of powerful friends and the passion of a determined ex-lover backing her, but if Ava succeeds, thousands could die.

Picking up where Prime Evil left off, Chance appears to be healing from the insanity of the last book. You know, in retrospect, there are aspects of this series that feel like an X-files episode: lots of building up, teasing characters, intersecting plot lines and then BAM a frenetic ending that leaves you scratching your head a bit. I can dig it though, no pun intended. So, for those who were disappointed in the lack of development of secondary characters and missing romantic elements from book one...Long delivers us in book two!

Seismic Evil finds our earthy friend tangling with perhaps an even scarier opponent than a split personality psycho! Hitting the deck with massive earthquakes rocking rural Virginia and the nation's capitol, Chance fears she hasn't got the strength to heal the desperate Earth. Even worse, her greatest fear is that she may actually be the cause. Paired with her guardian and long time friend, Jamie, together they try their best to repair the damage wrought around the countryside. Her best friend, Sydney, a powerful witch in her own right, joins forces with the strange but well meaning FBI paranormal talent of Callanport and banding together try to solve the mystery of the quakes. When Chance is kidnapped, her friends band together to find her and return her to her land before more than her bond becomes permanently damaged.

The development of the secondary characters: Sydney, Jack and Jamie make this book for me. The second book begins with hints of a change in the relationship between former lovers and long time friends Jack and Chance. Dont ask me how she manages to do it, but Long does manage to make a sex scene that is incredibly hot, romantic and holistically healing - it actually heals her wounds after her traumatic assault and kidnap ordeal. Jack's explanations of how he came to finally understand and support Chance's gifts as well as how he reconciles his love for both her and his dead wife brought me to tears! Seriously, I think that man may have touched this jaded cynic's heart....

As always, Long excels in her beautiful descriptions of the land of Virginia, and her detail in her action sequences is really captivating. The uniting of Hedge Witch and Wiccan Solstice ceremony culminating in a final show down was such a page turner, I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish! I dont always agree that the evil are mentally ill but certainly in this story, the enemy is so fractured mentally and her plans for Chance are so horrifying that it is actually quite tragic. Thankfully for Chance, she has some really powerful, loving friends and a community that seems to value her gifts and spirit.

I give this Seismic tale a tasty 4 chocolate dipped strawberries picked freshly from a healthy, organic Virginia farm! I urge you to stop and take the time to take a break and give this one a Chance!

Prime Evil-Does Chance have a Chance?

So, hopefully you have read Jenn’s review of this book to get a flavor of the story line to Heather Long’s book Prime Evil. While I too enjoyed the book, I just noticed something really annoying. The cover of the book. You see the cool thing about Chance Monroe is that she is a hedge witch. The thing about a hedge witch is that “[a] hedge witch shared a natural connection to the Earth around her. She communicated with it, became one with it, shared with it and took from it.” Chance uses her abilities with the Earth to help neighbors get rid of imps, fairies and even dreaded grafters(which she describes as almost like a semi-conscious spiritual fungus which feeds on the energy of the life.) She also uses her talents to help the FBI solve the identity of a serial killer. However, if being a hedge witch, sister to the Earth thing, is the coolest thing about the heroine, why does the cover show only commercial buildings and concrete? In addition, the book says that Chance has untamable curls, not straight red hair and there is no reference to her wearing all black leather. Heck, her character lives in a farmhouse, not an Arlington condo. The book is so well written it deserves a more appropriate and less cheesy cover. It also deserves a better title. Now don’t get me wrong, the serial killer is evil and is scary, but Prime Evil? Not Quite.

Despite the title and cheesy cover, I was quite taken with the heroine, her reluctant embrace of her inherited role as a hedge witch and the interesting characters that Heather Long introduced us to along the way. The best friend/love interest Jack is an appealing character, but so is another FBI agent Billy and others characters are mysterious and interesting too in terms of their abilities and the suspense Long draws out regarding the role they play in the serial murders or their resolution. I was drawn into the story and the suspense, enjoying everything written until the end of the book. It just felt rushed. There were a few characters at the end who seemed cool, but hardly developed, like Chance’s best friend Sydney and Jamie Smith, a Tracker, who the FBI was planning to use to find the bad guy. Rather than end the book when she did, I would have preferred it if Long had taken a bit longer to develop these other characters more (especially if they are going to repeat or be in a book of their own) and if she had drawn out the ending a little more, made it a little more complicated.

In the end, I think Chance deserves a chance and I encourage you to read it to see if you agree. I give the book 3 and a half chocolate covered strawberries.
Cat Devon

Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays!

There are some little known facts you probably need to learn about me. 1) I don't do early mornings - ever! The exceptions to this rule are: if you supply me with large amounts of coffee and dont ask me to do anything strenuous, you are taking me on a trip that involves planes, traines or automobiles and the promise of adult beverages at the end or you are an Adonis among men and I am about to get lucky. 2) I hate Mondays. 3) I am afraid of mice and ants and 4) I am strangely allergic to raw tomatoes, all melons and now, apparently, mangoes. I am proud to wave my freak flag - watch me!

Another little known fact is that I am really enjoying this new genre of fiction known as urban fantasy. Our book for the week falls into this latest and greatest category. Strangely enough it has none of the elements I normally adore (sex, hot men, kinky sex) but does have a fairly strong willed protagonist and lots of creative paranormal elements. I think it has immense potential and I am pleased to introduce it to you all.

Prime Evil, Heather Long, Sapphire Blue Publishing, 2009

Nearly a decade ago, Randall Oakes left hedge witch Chance Monroe for dead. Now he’s back along with her ex-lover, Jack. The FBI wants Chance in protective custody, but Chance knows it won’t be enough to protect her from Oakes. Connected to the earth, Chance must rely on her supernatural senses and her own wits to survive this game of cat and mouse.

Chance Monroe leads a quiet life. She spends her days purging gardens of fairies and attics of malevolent spirits. By night she cuddles in her rented rooms in the big old house belonging to her grandmother's friend - her only surrogate family. Chance Monroe is a hedge witch, bound to the land of her forebearers in rural northern Virginia. One thing Chance Monroe tries never to do is to think of the night nearly a decade ago that nearly destroyed her life and changed her course forever. Until her best friend Jack turns up on her porch one evening to tell her the evil she thought was dead has returned and is killing again - an may be coming for her.

Heather Long has crafted an interesting character in Chance Monroe. Full of contradictions, tied to the land, rational and loyal, the reader feels like this woman is totally real. The concepts of a strong woman owning her mantle of power is not a new one in the paranormal world. But this is no wild, in your face power. Her quiet bonding with the Earth and its bounty hearkens back to a simpler time when agriculture was paramount and urban sprawl wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye. Perhaps this is what makes this character so interesting.

The same can be said for the storyline - it is simple in its premise. Bad guy, thought to be dead, returns and starts doing bad things. Good guys band together to stop him. There are moments of well crafted action and suspense. There are moments of quiet introspection. Together they make an unique story that may not appeal to readers expecting action or romance - this story is very obviously paving the ground for future ones. Relationships grow and unfold in front of the reader, rather than being explained or presented as de facto. That element draws the reader in, requires some investment in the characters and the world created. (Perhaps it appeals to me because, having grown up in the area in which this story occurs, I can appreciate the landscape - see it in my mind's eye). The message about preserving our land, Earth as she once was and should remain, is subtle as well.

Book club certainly had some interesting discussions regarding this first installment. However, I personally give this four and a half delish chocolate covered strawberries (I am sure Betty could make something divine out of that - read the book to get the reference - you wont be sorry!). Take the time to enjoy this simple thriller/urban fantasy treat! I am headed off to read the next installment right now!

Is Three A Crowd?

Every once in awhile, every woman needs to read a menage. Ah, I can still remember reading my first. This book did the trick - I read it for my other review site - and had some important elements for me. Because even though erotica is hot, I still need romance; and suspense/ adventure is like a cherry on top. So, check out the review and then read the book sometime... you won't be disappointed. 

Is Three A Crowd? by Louisa Neil has a unique storyline with enough mystery to keep the reader interested. Five years ago, Maris lost all personal memories after an accident. Her life has been controlled by her overbearing mother as she begins a new life. But when her mother passes away and her job as a land appraiser brings her to a mountain retreat, her life changes.

Meeting Nathan, the landowner, and his business partner, Blake, causes Maris to have vivid dreams that feel more like actual memories. As the reader is introduced to each of the main characters, there is an air of mystery to the men. Each is well-developed with unique personalities and quirks; and the relationship between the two men is plausible. While the story itself might not be realistic to some readers, the characters are highly believable.

Maris discovers quickly both men were once her lovers. She is shocked by their past ménage relationship because her mother has led her to believe herself a reserved woman. But she is drawn to the men and the life they once lived together. She feels a connection to the mountain retreat where she once stayed. The character’s connection to one another can be felt as readers are given glimpses into their past. Realistically presented without being glossed over, the ménage relationship seems authentic. (And the sex is hot!)

The men help Maris to uncover her past and discover unpleasant revelations about her family and accident. The memories come slowly and there are parts of the book that stall out. As her suppressed memories return, Maris yearns to accept the free-thinking, sensual woman she once was but again, this happens almost painfully slow. The secondary characters help fill in some of the slower moments and I especially enjoyed their housekeeper.

Is Three A Crowd? is a good story. The plot is complex, maybe too much so because some of the strands are not developed thoroughly, leaving the reader wondering the purpose of some passages. And though the storyline overall holds the interest of the reader, I confess to skimming some passages because the pace was a bit slow. I recommend this book as a casual, weekend read.

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

This review was originally posted at: http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2433. For more of my reviews, go check out my page by clicking the link!

Fussy Friday

Hello all! So glad it's Friday. As always a busy weekend on the horizon. Soccer game Saturday and my niece's 1st birthday and Sunday job two and more soccer. I was all excited when I thought I had every evening next week free. That quickly went down the tubes! I now have something every evening this up coming week. If I don't get my hair done soon I'm gonna do something rash and cut it and then regret it later big time! It's suppose to rain all week. Happy Happy Joy Joy (thanks Ren & Stimpy). I also have a fever blister! Have I ever stressed my DISLIKE of fever blisters to you before? No? Well let me tell you I hate them! I don't get them often but when I do they will NOT go AWAY! I even take a supplement to prevent them yet I still get one 2-3 times a year. Really? AND don't even get me started on the medicine for them that by the way doesn't work! White is the most inappropriate color ever! I have one word for medicine makers of the world and it's CLEAR! It's bad enough you have a fever blister must you be shamed further by the white gob of goo on your lip in public? Ok, I have voiced my opinion on the fever blister issue. On to better things.


This week I'm gonna tell you about my to be read list. I've been in kind of a reading funk lately. I haven't care for several of the things I've read and I have come to the conclusion that it's because I have all this other stuff I would rather be reading. Don't get me wrong I love reading new stuff but there are a few things that I am dying to read and I have to keep putting off. I have cleaned up my to be read pile and rooted out and rearranged some stuff and now I feel better about myself (except for the fever blister thing....moving on). I got rid of some companion books. I like side books that go further into other characters from the main series but I opted not to read some that I just wasn't into. I also moved those dying to read books to the top. My theory in this was "it's summer be happy". I now introduce to you the Top Four Things Kim is Going to Read This Summer List (feel free to applaud).










Number One: Chronicles Of Nick (2 books) These are part of the Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I have the 1st one in my possession and it keeps calling my name just like that book from the Fever Series!











Number Two: No Mercy (Dev's story) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Missed this when it came out. No idea how that happened. I'm so ashamed of myself.











Number Three: City of Fallen Angels from the series Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. Loved this series. So much that I have passed them to my niece to read.











Number Four: Start The Pride Series by Shelly Laurenston. Jenn and Tyra rave about them and I've been meaning to start them for like 2 years and now I'm gonna.











Well, that's it. There is no more. This is what I'll be reading this summer. I give my new improved to be read list 5 chocolate dipped strawberries and a bottle of tanning oil.




Till next week "May the force be with you"

Master of the Sun

I found an author (Melinda Barron) that I've enjoyed everything she's written. I love it when that happens! Don't you? Its good to know when I pick up a book by them I am certain to like it and usually even love it. Master of the Sun was no exception. It is an emotionally charged story of love and loss that touched me deeply.

The book begins by painting us the picture of the perfect couple: Calliope and Henry. Calliope was insecure until she met Henry who steadfastly broke through her reserve and found the woman within. Henry was not only her husband but also her Dom. She had the perfect life. But it came to sudden end when her husband died unexpectedly right in front of her eyes while on a photo assignment at Silas Hope’s new hotel. Unable to deal with her loss, Calliope retreats inside herself – a realistic reaction to trauma of this magnitude.

Though this story has a BDSM theme, it is a love story so real it rings true to any romantic-at-heart. Melinda Barron is one of my favorite BDSM writers with her ability to create powerful scenes, realistic submissives and Dominants that are caring and loving alpha males. It’s the perfect recipe for a BDSM romance. Absolutely yummy. But in this book she goes even further by showing the healing powers of trust after loss.

Master of the Sun is an unusually serious story for the romance genre (which I have come to realize I really enjoy). The story is incredibly moving as the reader watches Calliope’s journey back to life. Accepting that she still has needs, and BDSM desires that go beyond just her relationship with Henry, and yet acknowledging that those don’t negate her relationship with her late husband is a powerful message. While Barron gives details about Calliope’s grief, she doesn’t bombard us with sadness. Instead the reader gains sympathy and understanding for Calliope.

When Calliope finally agrees to return and finish photographing Silas’s hotel, he is thrilled. His attraction to her has been strong since he first witnessed Calliope and her husband in a scene. Silas helps bring Calliope back to life by pushing her limits as any good Dom would do. But to do this, he had to convince her to open up and accept him as her master. It is a touching moment when Calliope first embraces her future. And their connection is just as beautiful as the one the reader first sees between Calliope and Henry. This connection, I think, is a difficult thing for the author to create. To allow the reader to accept the heroine in a loving relationship with two separate men while still respecting both men and their relationship with the heroine cannot be easy.

There was so much more going on with the story than even just this… while Calliope and Silas are forming their new Dom/sub relationship, a preternatural force is haunting the hotel. The spirit is drawn to Calliope because she shares the feelings of deep sorrow. Now it is up to her to show the spirit how to accept loss and move on. This was a nice storyline woven in to emphasize the concept of letting go and moving on. It also created suspense and brought greater depth to the storyline.

My only complaint, and why I can’t give this book a “5” rating, is that it ends abruptly. The story had great detail and when I was about ten pages to the end, I couldn’t figure out how the author might wrap it all up so quickly. And then BAM – it was over - and it lacked the gradual evolution to mirror the rest of the story. It was disappointing because I wanted to read more on the final resolution to really see how that would play out. But aside from that complaint, I loved the book.

I recommend Master of the Sun to anyone who loves romance. It is a tale of the difficult journey back to life after suffering the death of a loved one. Grab a few tissues before reading.

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Hump day mello hello!

Well hello there! Somehow this week has managed to creep by and yet kick my ass! Struggling with a back injury still kind of stinks - good news, my drive to read has not conked out! Yay! And there have been some fabulous things to read out there - but let me say, I am not entirely consumed by the written word. I too enjoyed the pretty shiny that was THOR this weekend (just dont ask me about plot or acting capabilities - I was waaaaay too distracted by the lack of shirts on that yummy Aussie....) So, because you have been good and I know I have been good (or at least haven't gotten into trouble this week....) here is our treat - eye candy! Delish!

As for this week's read - a treat from Loose ID press, one of our favorite e-pub houses.

Where the Heart Is, Elizabeth Silver and Jenny Urban, Loose ID

What could be better than two best friends becoming lovers? That could make sparks fly. What about when three best friends become lovers – fireworks and dreams come true! WHERE THE HEART IS looks at the fear that holds three men back from pursuing what they want most – each other.

Steve, Chris and Jason have been best friends forever, literally. They have seen each other through adolescence, college and adulthood. The death of Jason's parents cemented their bond, creating the tradition of their annual Thanksgiving ski pilgrimages as a way to thwart the holiday blues and reaffirm their steadfast love and support for each other.

Too afraid to act on his feelings for his best friends, Steve dabbles with the idea of leaving Arizona and taking a job in Colorado and announces his plans after they arrive. Rocked by this new, the men quarrel and separate to lick their wounds – each having to arrive at the same conclusion, that they all need and want to be together.

When the power goes out up in their cabin, things finally heat up. Connecting first in pairs and finally together, the three men discover passion combined with friendship is a winning combination. Authors Elizabeth Silver and Jenny Urban have captured the strength of three unique men, all comfortable in their sexuality but in professions that more than likely require some censorship of their activities (one is a cop, another is a high school teacher, the third a freelance photographer). The transition from a friendship to a sexual relationship has its awkward moments and for that reason felt very realistic. Peppering the story are elements exploring some D/s which adds another layer of intensity.

The snow, the season and three hot men – what more does a story need? More than just an erotic ride, WHERE THE HEART IS, takes the reader through an emotional journey where love has the power to heal those cracks in the soul. Ms Silver and Ms Urban have generated a worthwhile read in which to indulge.

This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews.

Keeper of the Light

Hello Hello!!! It's Tuesday again and my week has already been a little crazy. Has anyone made any progress on that cloning thing I talked about a while ago? Cause I could really use it this week. The end of the school year is coming up soon and my kids are in the throes of SOL's(standards of learning)so the stress level in my house is pretty high. It's hard to believe that another year is almost over and I will have a freshman in high school next year...I can still remember when she was rubbing spaghetti in her hair. Jordan has her first "dress-up" dance this Saturday and dress shopping this past Saturday was quite the adventure. She did find a fabulous dress and her first ever high heels,only an inch but that makes her 5 inches taller than me. I took Lane to see Thor this weekend and I saw the trailer for the re-make of Conan the Barbarian, and can I just say I am going to need to take a bucket for my drool when I go see the movie because of the HOTTIE they have playing Conan....Arnold he is not!!! If any of you are Black Dagger fans I can so see this guy playing Wrath!! MMMMMM LOL Ok I guess I should get to the reason you all read these blogs....the book!!!

Keeper of the Light, Gabrielle Evans, Siren Publishing
KEEPER OF THE LIGHT is the first book in Gabrielle Evans' new Wicked River series. Like a high speed roller coaster ride, you have the click, click, click, slow start then she slams the reader into free fall with her action packed tale of these hybrid creatures and their struggle to find love. And just like all good thrill rides….watch out for the blind drop!

Ms Evans' Gavolot hybrids are unique in their blending of lycan, vampire and demon. They initially present the reader with some challenge in understanding but eventually their natures are revealed and clarified.

Damon and Tate are mates and completely devoted to each other but they both know something is missing….their zeta, the third person that will make their unity complete. They know who their zeta is but can't claim her because she is married to another and pack law forbids interference. So the two eat dinner every night at the diner that Ryah works at just to be near her and watch over her.

Ryah never stood a chance. Suffering through childhood with a mother who was a drug addict and abusive, she marries a man who is a drunk and abusive. Ryah cherishes the friendship that she has with Damon and Tate. Even though she wants out, her husband has threatened to hurt anyone she cares for if she tries to leave him, so to keep the two men safe she stays and survives the beatings he dishes out. When Carson shows up at the diner and starts to beat Ryah in front of everyone, Damon shows up and stops him and they finally convince her to leave him.

With the love and support of the two men in her life, Ryah starts to find her courage and belief in herself when a shocking discovery puts everything on the line. Bur Ryah is stronger than she thinks, and this time she has something worth fighting back for.

While this book for me started out slow and the abuse that Ryah suffers at the hands of her husband is difficult to read, the story that grows from there is so worth sticking it out. I appreciated the strong female character that came from the broken girl you first meet. The relationship between the three is incredibly hot and the sex is inventive at times. I liked the fact the roles for the three seem to change throughout the book so we get to see each of their strengths.

If you are looking for a story with a different twist in the lycan world, then I think you will enjoy the world that Ms. Evans is creating. I found this story unique and sad and funny and sexy and I look forward to the next book in this series.
I give Keeper of the Light 4 chocolate dipped strawberries!!
This review was originally posted at The Romance Reviews

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2303