Sussex, 1824
Waking up in a stranger’s bed, Henrietta Markham encounters the most darkly sensual man she has ever met. The last thing she remembers is being attacked by a housebreaker—yet being rescued by the notorious Earl of Pentland feels much more dangerous!

Since the cataclysmic failure of his marriage, ice has flowed in Rafe St. Alban’s veins. But meeting impetuous, all-too-distracting governess Henrietta heats his blood to the boiling point.
When she’s accused of theft, Rafe finds himself offering to clear her name. Can Henrietta’s innocence bring this hardened rake to his knees?
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

I have read and enjoyed several Harlequin Historicals over the past couple of years so when I was browsing on Netgalley and spotted this one I decided to take a look. After reading the blurb and the short snippet provided I went ahead and requested it. Rake With a Frozen Heart gave me an entertaining read that didn’t quite fit the mold of most historicals set during this time period. I found myself looking for and enjoying those differences. I am not a history buff so any possible inaccuracies didn’t bother me at all.

Henrietta’s entire character provoked me into laughing out loud several times as I was reading. She was delightfully blunt and opinionated and had this habit of almost talking while she was thinking so nothing was hidden. Her naiveté was explained rather nicely as we learned about her upbringing so it fit. I didn’t have any real quibbles about how someone could have remained so completely innocent. One of the things I liked is that unlike the typical governess heroine she didn’t encounter her hero at a house party nor did she meet him when he rescued her from the unwanted advances of another nobleman but after their initial meeting she unknowingly stowed away on his phaeton as she tried to escape to London and then their adventure really begins.

Rafe was also something else. I didn’t completely buy his altruism in helping Henrietta discover the truth about the stolen jewels but given his complete desire to avoid his grandmother’s pressure to re-marry I could see that he welcomed a distraction. He was quite a contradiction on one hand bound and determined to do the right thing but refusing without refusing to re-marry and produce an heir. Possessing the reputation of a rake and yet hurt when called one by Henrietta. Ever the fashionable gentleman but heavily involved in activities no proper gentleman should ever contemplate.

Watching the interaction between Rafe and Henrietta was a lot of fun. Their circumstanced in London allowed the slow growth of their relationship with each other and made it believable. The stark contrast between their sexual tension and the innocence with which Henrietta viewed London was enjoyable to read. Rafe did not keep his attraction to her a secret but he also resisted and would stop their physical exploration long before Henrietta considered really stopping.

As enjoyable as reading Rake With a Frozen Heart was I did have a few issues with it. Occasionally Ms Kaye did use a turn of phrase that would pull me from her world as I puzzled over the words trying to create the image I think she was trying to portray in my head. I was also able to predict their reunion scene which did work but like I said earlier I enjoyed the differences from typical historical romances. The other thing that I think detracted is the amount of information covered in the epilogue. I typically enjoy epilogues but this was almost like a solution to keep from going over the word count while still providing closure to the reader. I wish some of it had been integrated in the novel itself. Despite those I did this and recommend it as a different flavor on the 1800’s romance provided you don’t require historical accuracy.

I give Rake With a Frozen Heart a B

Links to purchase:

Amazon |

Review – Rake with a Frozen Heart by Marguerite Kaye is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Grey Sommers, Lord Wyndham, never met a predicament he couldn’t charm his way out of. Then a tryst with a government official’s wife during a bit of casual espionage in France condemns him a decade in a dungeon, leaving him a shadow of his former self. Yet his greatest challenge may be the enigmatic spy sent to free his body—the only woman who might heal his soul.

Half English and half French, Cassie Fox lost everything in the chaos of revolution, leaving only a determination to help destroy Napoleon’s empire through her perilous calling. Rescuing Grey is merely one more mission. She hadn’t counted on a man with the stark beauty of a ravaged angel, whose desperate courage and vulnerability touch her frozen heart as no one ever has. With Grey, she can become the passionate woman she has long denied. But a spy and a lord are divided by an impassable gulf even if they manage to survive one last, terrifying mission….

This blurb came from the author’s website here.

Ms Putney is one of the authors whose historical romances I will usually read. I started with Thunder & Roses the first of her Fallen Angels series and proceeded to seek out all of her other books. I started reading the Lost Lords series when the first one was released. Then life got in the way and I fell behind in the series. When we were offered a chance to review No Longer a Gentleman I eagerly accepted for a couple of reasons, first I wanted a historical romance fix which I knew I would get because I had to catch up on the story I had missed and second Ms Putney’s stories usually provide me with a combination of intrigue, strong men and women, and lots of vivid details. Unfortunately this installment fell slightly short of what I expected.

I was really intrigued in the mystery that is Cassie as I was able to spend some time with her in Nowhere Near Respectable. She knew how to play all sorts of different roles while blending in and becoming almost invisible. Yet she had a very deep old hurt which kept her from settling down or revealing what she really looked like. She was also extremely driven to end any chance Napoleon had of ever ruling Europe. I liked Cassie as a person and found the unveiling of her story fascinating and tragic at the same time. It was good to see how she had overcome her past to create her present. She was a strong woman, mentally and physically and used everything she had to accomplish her missions and remained mostly self-contained.

I didn’t know as much about Grey except for the memories his classmates had of him because he had been missing (imprisoned) since before this series began. Grey seemed to be much harder on his former self than any of his friends or family could ever be. I wasn’t sure if that was a result of solitary confinement or if it was because he was forced to grow up suddenly and face the fact that if he had made one choice differently he wouldn’t have been in that situation or a combination of the two. I found it admirable that after Grey snapped out of the shock of going from golden charmed man without a struggle in his life to being brutally mistreated and imprisoned that he did what he could to regain and preserve his strength and sanity. I also really liked how Ms Putney handled the PTSD Grey experienced when he was suddenly freed. His freedom didn’t mean a switch was flipped and he returned to the lighthearted Grey he had been before. In fact she even brought up that Grey would never be the same person.

As much as I liked the two characters individually and their non-romantic associations with each other I had a few issues with their romance and HEA. I understood Grey’s need for physical closeness and to celebrate that he was free in a very elemental way but I did not understand Cassie’s motivation to have sex initially. After their first encounter well it was obvious * wink *. But even with their sexual attraction and compatibility I was not able to buy Grey’s love as anything other then a rescue fixation. My other quibble is hidden behind the spoiler tags, click at your own risk.

I found that No Longer a Gentleman was much more focused on the characters rather than intrigue. The bad guy’s method to draw Grey back into his reach I found to be extremely obvious and very predictable. My only question was at what point of the book it would occur. Given the book’s focus, the fact that I never bought into Cassie and Grey as a HEA couple lowered my enjoyment of their story. I liked them individually and as they journeyed on their path of lovers to friends but I wasn’t ready for HEA. It was also good to see some of the other early characters get closure in regards to Grey while continuing to assist as they could the war against Napoleon. I am looking forward to seeing what Ms Putney comes up next in this series.

I give No Longer a Gentlemen a B-

Links to purchase

Barnes & Noble |

No Longer a Gentleman by Mary Jo Putney is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

I had forgotten I had scheduled a Retro Review for today until my calendar popped up yesterday. All my reminder said for the book title was TBD, I searched my kindle looking for TBD and then I realized that TBD (To Be Determined) meant when I scheduled the review I hadn’t decided on a book. So I started thinking and I came up with two possibilities a western or a J. D. Robb. Both I enjoy reading and re-reading so I decided that instead of flipping a coin I would ask some totally unbiased people. I raised a very scientifically worded, unambiguous question on twitter and tallied the results. I had 100% +/- 3% variance on J. D. Robb. Thank you @JoannaMikalis and @smexys_sidekick for your opinions. The western I will review another time.

Publisher: Berkley Books
Publish Date: 1995
How I got this book: Purchased

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant using her instincts to hunt for a ruthless killer. And she’s going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire—and a suspect in Eve’s murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own.
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

Naked In Death is book one of probably the longest running series I have read except for the Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys series. It took me a while to pick this one up in fact I think probably four or five of them had been released before I decided to give the series a try. I am so glad that I took a chance because I have had hours of laughter, tension, tears, and sexytimes as I read, re-read and listen to this series during long drives. The In Death series is set in a futuristic Earth primarily based in New York City.

Eve is such a complex character with her passion for the law, by the book behavior and insistence on standing for the dead since they cannot stand for themselves. She didn’t care what that person did in life, their stature in society, who they knew or were related to. Any speculation that she treated a murder victim differently based on their stature resulted in an immediate increase in her temper. Eve’s very stubbornness, while serving her well as she progressed through the ranks, was also her downfall when it came to taking care of herself or playing the political game. Eve lives for her job so she doesn’t have a social life or any clue how to deal with a guy who isn’t a co-worker, a witness or a suspect. This makes it even more entertaining when she encounters Roarke.

I hope you will forgive me as I pause for a moment to pay mental homage to Roarke. He happens to be my personal favorite romantic hero that I have ever read. Eve first encounters Roarke’s name in the appointment book of one of her murder victims a Sharon DeBlass whose occupation was a licensed companion (legalized prostitute, very high end) and who happened to be the granddaughter of Senator DeBlass a very influential, very conservative, and very used to throwing his political weight around man. Roarke was one of the last few meetings that the victim had written in her appointment book. That combined with the extreme lack of information available to Eve during her background search ensured he was one of Eve’s suspects.

Their first encounter at Sharon’s funeral happens to strike sparks. Roarke can’t believe that he didn’t spot Eve as a cop instead of an attractive woman and Eve can’t believe how arrogant Roarke is. Roarke does discover Eve’s weakness when he offers her real coffee on the flight back into NYC. Her reaction to the coffee leads to the very first gift he gives her. Their relationship grows as the twists and turns into what appears to be a serial murder investigation become more complex. Eve also has to deal with political pressure coming from Senator DeBlass and from the Chief of Police outside her precinct. As Eve and Roarke start to spend time together things keep happening to place Roarke at the top of the suspect list and therefore discredit her investigation based on her personal behavior.

I loved the interaction that Eve and Roarke had with each other. I was also introduced to several key reoccurring characters in this series. Those supporting characters also continue to change and grow as Eve and Roarke change and grow. They help to solidify the setting and how complex people really are. I was also not let down by the mystery of determining who the murderer was. The answer to that question was really complex but I could mentally go back and trace the threads as Eve was closing the case. I highly recommend that if you enjoy romance, mystery, strong characters, and a vivid world that you give the In Death series a try. Make sure you start with Naked In Death so you don’t miss anything. In fact I think since I have just re-read this one I need to start re-reading the series again *grin*.

I give Naked In Death an A+

Links to Purchase:

Barnes & Noble | Amazon Book
| Kindle eBook

Retro Review – Naked in Death by J. D. Robb is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is time for another retro romance review.  This is one that I read shortly after I discovered The Bride.  In fact it was the second adult romance I ever read.  I had to be a little more careful when I was reading this one because it wasn’t on the bookcase, it was in a cubby in my parents’ headboard of their bed.  This meant one of them, I was sure it was my mother, was reading it.  And if you look at the cover, I wasn’t sure I was ready for them to see me reading something like that.  So I could only read it when my mom wasn’t home.  My reading was further complicated because I had to ensure it looked exactly the same each time I was forced to pause so I couldn’t use a bookmark.  Then I had the fear that before I finished reading the book would disappear.  Lucky me I was able to finish because it has become one of my favorites.  As a funny sidenote I was talking to my mother about romances the other day and she insists that before I started pushing to her she had only read romances by Julie Garwood so I don’t know if she ever finished it or if she was even the one reading it…

Publisher: Avon Books
Publish Date: 1982 (Out Now)
How I got this book: Borrowed from my mother’s bookshelf, now purchased

Debt-ridden Avery Fleming is determined to find a wealthy husband for his beautiful daughter, Erienne, so he can pay off his mountain of debts. Erienne, however, has refused every one of the old men her father has picked for her consideration. When she meets dashing American merchant Christopher Seton, she cannot deny her attraction to him, despite the fact that he wounded her brother, Farrell, in a duel, crippling him for life. However, when Seton asks for Erienne’s hand in marriage, both she and her father refuse him. Instead, Erienne’s father auctions her off to the highest bidder–the mysterious Lord Saxton, a man whose horrifying scars are hidden by a mask and cloak. Erienne comes to know her husband as a kind and gentle man, but when Christopher Seton returns to town, she cannot fight her attraction to him. She finds herself torn between her duty to the man she has wed and the call of her heart.
This blurb came from Goodreads.

I have continued to read and enjoy Ms Woodiwiss’ books but this is one of a couple that I read often. When I was re-reading for this review I realized that Ms Woodiwiss, while writing in the era of “bodice rippers” took some different tactics. Her heroine was rather strong-willed and intelligent. She didn’t sit around waiting to be rescued but tried to rescue herself and make the best of her situation. She was also extremely loyal. Sometimes I thought she was too loyal but her actions made sense given her character. Even when she was married and her husband, Lord Saxton, had a monstrous appearance, Erienne continued to remain faithful. I do not tend to like infidelity so I loved it when then heroine decided that she was going to consummate her marriage despite her fears of his physical deformities. Yes she was encouraged by the behavior of a certain individual but she made the choice to go to her husband. It would have been so easy for Erienne to take the other route so the small snippet below is just one of the many scenes that I love with her.

“Tis Erienne, milord.” She loosed the belt and dropped her robe, then leaned a knee upon the bed. The waiting silence continued, and drawing up her other knee and climbing onto the mattress, she sat back on her heels. Her voice trembled as she spoke her reason for coming. “My lord, I am less afraid of what you are than what I might become I you do not make me your wife in full. ‘Tis my plea that you take me to you so no further questions might be involved in our marriage.”

I didn’t fall in love with the hero, Christopher Seton, for quite some time. First I had my doubts as to how he was going to become the hero. Erienne’s father forbade any interaction between the two since he was the person who wounded Farrell and being a loyal daughter Erienne placed all the blame for her current list of very undesirable suitors on him. Then Erienne was auctioned on the block and married to Lord Saxton so her father could pay his outstanding debts, some directly owed to and others bought by the same Christopher Seton. Prior to the marriage auction, Mr. Seton made a habit of not just pursuing Erienne but also rescuing her from events that might not have happened just yet if he hadn’t been involved. I liked him for all of that but then after the marriage when he continued his attempts to seduce Erienne, which is when I decided that he needed some redemption before becoming a worthwhile hero. Lets just say that Ms Woodiwiss was able to make me believe in Mr. Seton as a hero.

Ms Woodiwiss didn’t just deal with the romance but she also included murder mysteries, revenge, highwaymen, a mysterious black rider, lecherous lords and ladies, missing tax revenues and tally books, brutal deaths, unlikely heroes, and gorgeous sounding clothes and jewelry. All of this is woven throughout the story of the romance and also provides some of the impetus for the actions of a few key individuals. The blending of the different threads still seems seamless as I re-read it mumble years later. It still provides me with hours of entertainment since this was also written when novels were expected to have a much longer word-count then now. When I finished reading once again I regretted the shift away from large books because the authors could have a romance span months or even years without losing the reader due to skipped scenes. The characters and settings could also be fully developed without cheating one or the other. I never thought that the story suffered due to a shorter word count.

A Rose in Winter doesn’t include any of the balls, Almacks, stale lemonade, rakes who are reformed by the heroine that can appear to be overused in today’s historicals. If you haven’t tried Ms Woodiwiss yet and you are looking for something that doesn’t fit the formula I highly recommend this one.

I give A Rose in Winter an A.

Links to purchase:

Barnes & Noble | Amazon Book | Kindle eBook

Retro Review – A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Ophelia retired from life as a prostitute, but her new position is even more complicated. Managing the bloodhound manor in Iron Creek is difficult and time-consuming, a job she enjoys less with each passing day. Then there’s her inconvenient attraction to Hunter. The newly turned hound seems eager to enjoy her company, but wary of anything more intimate.

Having survived the violence of his first full moon out of a cage, Hunter isn’t looking forward to his first new moon. Ophelia offers to be the woman who sates his needs during the three long days of sexual fury, but he can’t abide the thought of hurting her in a state of mindless lust. Especially since she longs to settle into a respectable life, and his needs are anything but respectable.

Their mutual goal is simple: avoid entanglements. It’s a solid plan, at least until a vampire drug lord and a couple of nosy Guild representatives force them to work together to defend their friends and everything they hold dear–including each other.

Warning: Contains a mostly feral, vampire-hunting hero and a tough survivor of a heroine whose retired-hooker heart is more steel than gold. Also included: dangerous frontier intrigue, fancy brothels, mad-scientist weapons and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

MinnChica: I’ve been a huge fan of Moira Rogers for as long as I can remember, and one of the things I love most is the unique worlds they create. The Bloodhounds series is one of those worlds that is so different and special and I gobble up each new release. After reading about Hunter’s struggles in the first book, I couldn’t wait to see where Rogers’ would take his character. I absolutely loved the way Hunter still struggled with his new Bloodhound ways, but acclimated to everything.

E: Poor Hunter! My heart goes out to him. Unlike the other Bloodhounds who somewhat volunteered for the transformation even if they didn’t know what they were really getting into he was not given the option to volunteer. Nor was he transformed by the scientists with their established program to include mentorship but by a definite criminal and another person whose motives are questionable at best. Like MinnChica I have been sucked into this world from the first page. I really wanted to see how Hunter was going to survive now that he isn’t kept in a cage and what was going to happen to Ophelia. At the end of Wilder’s Mate there was a line about how Ophelia had changed which implied something happened to her that caused her emotional distress. Two wounded distrusting people paired up trying to find themselves and each other. That to me is a recipe for a very enjoyable read and Moira Rogers did not disappoint.

MinnChica: I couldn’t wait to see what would happen with Ophelia, the former whore turned house-mistress and Hunter the caged wild-thing who was turned against his will. These two had so much angst between the two of them, and yet their relationship was somewhat calm and soothing to them both. I wanted to smack Hunter on the head every time he turned his back on Ophelia, especially in the beginning of the story. I understood his reluctance, his fear of hurting her. Yet I wanted him to suck it up and trust in his new instincts.

E: Hunter’s refusal to trust himself was annoying but when you think about where he came from he was dealing with some extremely unfamiliar territory. He also never spent any of the crucial moon times with another person but locked in his cage going violently crazy. I think if I didn’t know that the violent crazy would change focus I wouldn’t want to be around anyone either. Especially not someone that I had come to care for. Ophelia’s former occupation was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she knew how to handle Bloodhounds and what they were like but a curse because it meant Hunter would have a hard time believing that Ophelia meant what she said. I was amazed at how many times she continued reaching out to Hunter despite his rejections. I think at first it was she didn’t want him to suffer because it wasn’t his fault and then as she started to care for him…

MinnChica: I agree that at times I wanted Ophelia to just throw in the towel and walk away, but I loved how it all ended up for them. Once the two got over themselves and came together, they were great together. I was also glad that Hunter was able to let himself go and get the chance to kick some ass. I loved the “final showdown” and how that all played out. Rogers’ does such a wonderful job telling a story, and there wasn’t much I didn’t love about this one.

E: Besides the overall relationship between Hunter and Ophelia we also got to see some of what goes into “policing” a town in these very different days. It was very fascinating to catch some glimpses of the internal politics with the Bloodhounds, their creators and the territorial war against the vampires. I will admit I had my concerns when two strange visitors showed up in town and had undue interest in Hunter, Archer and Nathanial. I was worried about what they would do and if they would push any of the characters I have come to enjoy to do the unforgivable. Like always Moira Rogers built up the tension and then fixed the issues with a very believable solution that required all concerned parties to make some decisions and take certain actions .

MinnChica: All in all, I really enjoyed the second installment of The Bloodhounds series. Hunter and Ophelia were both amazing characters, and I loved the way their relationship played out. I was glad to see them both rely on the other for support and assistance in dealing with their new lives. I also liked the introduction of two new characters in the Bloodhound world, and was excited to see the series get a more definitive direction to take. I’m excited to see where Rogers’ takes this series, how it will all play out. I can’t wait for the next one!
I give Hunter’s Prey a B+

E: Hunter’s Prey was a wonderful addition to the Bloodhounds series. Not only did we get the almost star crossed lovers between Hunter and Ophelia we could also watch the rest of the characters we met in Wilder’s Mate continue to grow and settle into their new lives. Things are anything but safe and comfortable out on the border so to see these hardened people find something soft and caring is just great. Between the twisting politics, the hinted at but not quite said I think we are in for a rare treat as this series continues.
I give Hunter’s Prey an A-/B+

Links to purchase

Nook | Kindle eBook

Joint Review – Hunter’s Prey by Moira Rogers is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: March 6th
How we got this book: From the publisher via Netgalley

As a second daughter, Grace Andreas never had to worry about the intrigues of the Elder Races. But when her sister, Petra, and Petra’s husband are both killed, Grace inherits the Power and responsibilities of the Oracle of Louisville, as well as her sister’s two young children – neither of which she is prepared for.

Yet, she is not alone. Khalil, Demonkind and Djinn prince of House Marid – driven by his genuine caring for the children – has decided to make himself a part of the household both as their guardian and as an exasperating counterpoint to Grace’s impudence toward the Elder Races.

But when an attempt is made on Grace’s life, she realizes that Khalil is the only one who can protect her – and offer her more than a mortal man…
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

MinnChica: Thea Harrison has quickly become one of my favorite paranormal romance authors with the Elder Races series, and I’ve quickly fallen head over heels in love with this series. After the third book in the series, I was alternatively looking forward to and apprehensive of this book. I loved and adored Rune in the last book, and Khalil is nothing like him. I was a little worried that the move from the pop-culture, easy-go-lucky Rune to the stuffy and uber-formal Khalil would be too big of a transition for me to follow. While it took me awhile to get on the Khalil train, once I was fully in his corner, this story ended up rocking my world.

E: Like MinnChica mentioned, Ms Harrison is one of my auto-buy, pre-order authors that I also have to notify my family when she has a new release. The Elder Races series is one I go back and re-read without any loss of enjoyment. I was really looking forward to seeing what Khalil was going to do and how he was going to deal with Grace. I wasn’t sure what to think of him as he was fulfilling Carling’s requests so it was great to watch grace and the children break through his shell. I have placed Khalil up on the same level as Dragos. *grin*

MinnChica: I loved the moments between Khalil and the kids. So often in romance novels, when there are children involved, the kids tend to take a VERY backseat role in the story. But here, they seemed to play an integral role in softening Khalil, providing common ground for him and Grace to agree on and fight for. It was so sweet to see their little family change and morph as the story went on. I absolutely loved that. I also really liked the romance between these two. Although Khalil is very old school and set in his Djinn ways, he was also capable of letting Grace take the reigns when she proved to be the more capable. They have phenomenal chemistry between them that gave way for sexy moments and lots of sexual tension.

E: Chemistry oh my goodness. I had to open the doors, windows, and turn on the fan! I really enjoyed seeing the growth in all of the central characters. From Grace learning how to deal with her powers, the changes in her life, and how she can actually run her life instead of letting someone else run it for her. Khalil and dealing with feelings, sensations that mortals have that djinn don’t, and a different type of politics. Then you have the children dealing with their grief, the doggy-cat, and just trying to be children. That entire combination just tugged at my heart strings and I found myself cheering as their bonds grew tighter.

MinnChica: One of the other things I absolutely love about this series as a whole is how quickly it moves. There is always a million things going on and the overall story arc involving ALL the players is constantly chugging along and changing as alliances are made and broken. I loved seeing more of Dragos and Pia, Rune and Carling, and getting introduced to more of the Djinn. I can’t wait to see where Harrison takes this series, as the potential for greatness seems to grow exponentially with each book. I would have loved to see more of the inner workings of the witches covens, and can only hope we can see more of it in the future.

E: Those glimpses of previous couples were a lot of fun. I really liked seeing Dragos uncertain in more ways then just dealing with Pia although that uncertainly I think will lead to some potentially world changing events. With each installment Ms Harrison provides us with a glimpse into a very complex world. The politics between groups not to mention their own internal conflicts keep me on the edge of my seat. Whoever said that politics can be deadly certainly wasn’t joking and the chance for collateral damage is incredibly high.

MinnChica: All in all I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Oracle’s Moon. Although Rune still had my heart, I enjoyed the hell out of Khalil and Grace. These two bonded on an emotional level that had me so wrapped up I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it. The series continues to amaze me and I can’t wait for more and more Elder Races books. Any paranormal romance fan who has yet to pick up Thea Harrison needs to head to the nearest bookstore pronto!
I give Oracle’s Moon a B+

E: Like I said earlier Khalil is up with Dragos for me as one of my favorite heroes of this series. I loved Oracle’s Moon and couldn’t resist teasing my family when I finished reading the ARC. I second MinnChica’s recommendation that all paranormal romance fans rush to the store and start this series. It fills all of my requirements!
I give Oracle’s Moon an A.

Links to Purchase:

BN | Amazon Book
| Kindle eBook

Joint Review – Oracle’s Moon by Thea Harrison is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Vynessa Somerton was just a girl when she learned about true evil. An encounter with the tyrannical Corporation scarred her body and exiled her to the crime-ridden S-District. Now an adult, Vyn creates glamours, worn by those who visit a virtual playground to live synthetic dreams. She’s tried to stay unnoticed by the Corporation, but her latest invention has brought their agents to her door.
Paul Cross works for the Corporation, but he’s been plotting their downfall since they took his brother and replaced him with an imposter. Paul has a plan to get his brother back, but he’s going to need Vyn and her invention to carry it out.
Vyn agrees to help Paul, but their alliance shatters the barriers she’s put up to protect herself, tempting her to give in to desire. Just as Vyn starts to trust Paul and believe he wants her, scars and all, the Corporation prepares for its final move. Can Vyn trust Paul completely, or has he been using her all along?
This blurb came from Carina Press.

I never know quite what I am going to get with a Kim Knox title, and I mean this in a good way. I will look at the title, read the blurb and how I think Ms Knox is going to take me there is never how it really goes which I love. If a book is too predictable for me along the journey then I find myself losing interest. I have never lost interest in an of Ms Knox’s books so when I saw that she had a new release coming out from Carina Press I had to request it for review. Once again Ms Knox took me on an exciting journey.

The world that Vyn lives in is controlled by hungry mega-conglomerates that ruled the planet. Britain in this particular world is ruled for the Corporation, which has a very exclusive complex virtual system where your access to different areas is directly related to how important you are to the Corporation. Of course in those different areas there are different “amusements” available all of which contribute to how much the Corporation controls you. If you are part of the Corporation you are one of the haves, the elite. You live in secluded expansive mansions with bodyguards and everything that money can buy. As one of the elite you also have to be free of physical defects to include scarring from any physical accident because you have money to buy all the skill a doctor has. The Corporation controls everything to include randomly grabbing and replacing people with replacements that look like/sound like the original but aren’t. If you happen to visibly notice or mention the switch you put yourself at risk for being replaced. No one knows what happens to the original but they are never seen again.

Obviously not everyone can be part of the Corporation. S-district is one of the places that the non-elite live. It is pretty bad but could be worse. Vyn used to be part of the elite but after an encounter with some sadistic upper level members of the Corporation she was left with a network of silver scars all over her body. Despite her family’s money the doctors were unable to remove them so she has become an outcast. Living in S-district Vyn tries to stay out of sight while making a living providing cosmetic enhancements otherwise known as glamour to people’s mental avatars. Part of the Corporations rules about playing in their virtual world is that they have to appear as themselves with only the addition of legal glamour. Legal glamour is tagged so anyone who looks can see that they have altered their physical appearance. Vyn develops and refines illegal glamour while working on the holy grail of virtual programmers. She is trying to perfect what is known as simulacrum which would allow a person to seamlessly appear as someone else to the virtual mind of the Corporation. Anyone who could achieve that could set their conditions for the rest of their life.

Vyn is testing her attempt at a simulacrum when she first encounters Paul Cross. The two of them both had reasons not to trust each other and while Paul knows more about Vyn then she thinks neither of them is prepared to face what the Corporation has in store for them. As I mentioned earlier how Ms Knox never takes the journey I am expecting with her work. She threw several twists into this one some of which made me glad I don’t live in a fully wired world. One of the things I enjoyed is how Paul and Vyn traded being the person who had to take charge to ensure that they were able to escape the grip of the Corporation. Overall the world-building, the twists, and how Vyn grew were what carried this book for me.

I give Synthetic Dreams a B

Links to Purchase:

Barnes & Noble | Kindle eBook

Review – Synthetic Dreams by Kim Knox is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Publisher: Pocket Star
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: Purchased

By the king’s edict, Alec Kincaid, mightiest of the Scottish lairds, must take an English bride. And Jaime the youngest daughter of Baron Jamison, is his choice. From his first glimpse of the proud and beautiful English lady, Alec felt a burning hunger stir within him. This was a woman worthy of his fearless warrior’s spirit. And he aches to touch her, tame her, possess her…forever.
But with the wedding vows, Jamie pledges her own secret oath: She will never surrender her love to this Highland barbarian. He was everything her heart warned her against — an arrogant, brooding scoundrel whose rough good looks and seductive embrace fire her blood. But when strange accidents begin to threaten Jamie’s life and an old rumor that Alec killed his first wife spreads anew, something far more dangerous than desire threatens to conquer he senses.
This blurb came from Goodreads.

The Bride is one of the first two adult romances I ever read and they started me on the path I haven’t left yet. I can still picture seeing the pinkish cover on my parents’ bookshelf with this beautiful girl in the perfect white dress. I was curious so I picked it up and started reading and I couldn’t stop. The start of the book with a funeral and the thoughts of the murderer set it up perfectly. Then jumping straight from that to the rather dysfunctional Jamison family I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next. As events continued to unfold I was introduced to what I later found to be trademark Ms Garwood skills. Her heroines had character, they were spunky, determined to get their own way, yet still soft and feminine. They refused to settle for what society dictated they should and in refusing they were able to make a positive change for their family and others around them. They were able to soften the toughest, gruffest, most uncivilized men and yet allow them to still be men, not emasculated former men. They never depended on being rescued by someone else but they never felt threatened by accepting help either. Their heroes knew that they had found a partner who could and would take care of home and hearth while the men-folk were away fighting.

Jamie didn’t fit into any stereotype that I knew of at the time. She could ride a horse, shoot a bow and arrow, was known as a healer and practically held her father’s estate together. She was always willing to help yet when her future husband told her to wear white for their wedding she showed up in black and I died laughing. Along their journey to the Highlands both Jamie and I were introduced to Scottish culture and how beautiful the unspoiled wilderness could be. Yet hidden in that same beauty were roving bands of marauders and deadly feuds between different clans. I thought I could hold a grudge, boy was I wrong. “She started three wars the first week.” The amazing thing was that she, Jamie, did not intend to start any of them, she was just trying to find her place as the wife of the laird. Along the way she had to deal with wild beasts, the murderer, the direct politics of that era, mistrust and a need to feel valued.

Alec and his people also had to make adjustments as Jamie started incorporating some English ways into their well-established life. It was a lot of fun to see Alec deal with realizing that Jamie didn’t fit into what he thought was the typical Englishwoman mold. She kept surprising him with her ideas, resourcefulness and refusal to let anyone walk all over her. Every time Alec thought he had Jamie figured out, she would present him with yet another facet of her personality.

I have found that The Bride is one of those historical romances whose magic continues to live on every time I re-read it. As a result Ms Garwood has provided me with the standard for which I measure all other historical romances.

I give The Bride an A+

Links to purchase

Barnes & Noble | Amazon Book
| Kindle eBook

Retro Review – The Bride by Julie Garwood is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

As an angel of death, Keenan’s job is to collect the souls on his list. He’s carried out his duty for two thousand years and never faltered once. Until he meets Nicole St. James. When the moment of death comes, Keenan hesitates, and instead of taking Nicole, Keenan touches the vampire who’s attacking her.
Cast out of heaven for disobedience, Keenan plummets to earth. Six months later, he finally manages to track Nicole to a bar in Mexico. He’s stunned to discover that the woman he remembers has undergone a dramatic change—she’s become a vampire. And when he realizes that she’s the target of all manner of enemies—other vampires, demons, even shifters—he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if all hell breaks loose…
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

Ms Eden has written in several different genres from her paranormal romances to romantic suspense to some paranormal e-novellas. I have enjoyed her writing style in all of them although I prefer her paranormal romance because her romantic suspense scares the living daylights out of me. I found Ms Eden’s world-building in her previous paranormal series to be extremely interesting as well as populating that world with complex characters so I was looking forward to seeing what she was going to provide in this story.

After reading the beginning of ANGEL OF DARKNESS I started to wonder if Ms Eden was pulling some of what she used in her romantic suspense because I have never read such a descriptive vampire attack including the victim’s trauma. I could almost feel the mental struggle that Keenan experienced as he watched that attack and then his total shock when he discovered Nicole six months later.

Both Nicole and Keenan had serious emotional healing to do. Nicole due to the attack and its aftermath while Keenan was trying to come to terms with becoming one of The Fallen. They both blame each other for the abrupt change in their lives but end up having to rely on one other to survive. As the plot thickens Nicole and Keenan discover that not everyone is how they seem including themselves.

Ms Eden has this way of providing additional information to the reader so you know a little bit more about different characters’ motivation then the hero and heroine but not enough so that you have all the answers. I was carried on the same journey as Nicole and Keenan. I think that technique serves to make me more invested in the story because now I want to see what will happen when/if those bits of information are discovered by the characters. I knew this would have a Happily Ever After (HEA) but I was not expecting all of the complications that the characters had to survive, literally, to get their HEA. I think Nicole and Keenan certainly fit the saying that, “you value what you have to work for.”

I think my favorite subtle surprise was finding out that this book is set in the same world as her other paranormal romances. Makes me wonder about how much more is still unrevealed in her world. I can’t say much more about the parts I really enjoyed because I think the discovery of the various twists and turns is part of what made this read so wonderful.

I give ANGEL OF DARKNESS an A.

Links to purchase:

Kindle eBook | Amazon Book | Barnes & Noble

Review – Angel of Darkness by Cynthia Eden is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

A HANDSOME DEVIL

1762. James Sherbourne, Earl of Whitney, is a gambling man. Not for the money. But for the thrill, the danger—and the company: Whit has become one of the infamous Hellraisers, losing himself in the chase for adventure and pleasure with his four closest friends.

Which is how Whit finds himself in a gypsy encampment, betting against a lovely Romani girl. Zora Grey’s smoky voice and sharp tongue entrance Whit nearly as much as her clever hands—watching them handle cards inspires thoughts of another kind…

Zora can’t explain her attraction to the careless blue-eyed Whit. She also can’t stop him and his Hellraisers from a fiendish curse: the power to grant their own hearts’ desires, to chase their pleasures from the merely debauched to the truly diabolical. And if Zora can’t save Whit, she still has to escape him…
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

I have read other books in the past that have used the idea of a person or several people making a bargain with evil to satisfy their short term desires. What I find interesting about that trope is the combination of what the desire was, who inspires or guides them towards redemption, and the path they take. I had read and enjoyed several of Ms Archer’s previous works so I was really curious about how she would address those three areas.

Devil’s Kiss, the first of Ms Archer’s new The Hellraisers series, introduced me to five rather dissolute friends who make a habit of trying to find new entertainment. Never is this entertainment in the form of anything good or wholesome but usually involving what could be considered a sin. What I found fascinating about the five is that each of them was primarily interested in a particular method of entertainment. As a result initially they appeared to be bound together more by boredom then by common interests.

I really enjoyed the incarnation of evil that Ms Archer created. He didn’t follow many of the common stereotypes like requiring a contract signed in blood, worship or rituals just something that belonged to them. He was a quite sinister evil. He used several different tactics to attempt to keep Whit either through fear or by fulfilling his desire. The reader knows that Whit and his friends have just done something rather ill-advised so aatching Whit’s realization of what he got himself into, who, and what he was against was very entertaining. Despite his bargain Whit was not completely lost from the beginning just mostly lost.

Zora was a treat as well. I really liked how Ms Archer was able to portray a Romani girl who didn’t quite agree with all the traditions but still valued her family and her freedom. While she matured, her actions throughout the book stayed true to what we saw in the beginning. I think my favorite scene with her was when she took enjoyment in the fact that Whit’s servants thought she was a ghost. She was also determined that she would do whatever it took to try to save the goodness and spirit she initially saw in Whit.

I think Ms Archer used the interplay between the five friends to really establish exactly how evil the villain was along with setting up future books. Whit’s journey was hard enough but I think she is going to put the other four (hopefully) through all sorts of misery before they reach their redemption. She did give a glimmer of hope for Whit’s closest friend but it was such a slight glimmer. I am looking forward seeing their journeys.

I give Devil’s Kiss a B+

Links to purchase

Barnes & Noble | Kindle eBook | Amazon Book

Review – Devil’s Kiss by Zoe Archer is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter