Review: Devil Without a Cause by Terri Garey

Devil Without a Cause
Terri Garey
Series: The Devil's Bargain #1
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: May 31, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.371}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal
Characters: Faith McFarland, Finn Payne
Challenge: 100+, Summer Romance

Idle hands are the devil's workshop

Temptation and seduction are the tricks of the Devil's trade, and when offered the chance to regain his wings by playing guardian angel, he's hell-bent on doing things his way . . .

Faith McFarland is in need of a miracle. So desperate to save her sick child, she's willing to make a deal with the Devil: steal a ring worn by Finn Payne, the bad-boy rockstar who long ago sold his soul for rock 'n roll. Temptation and seduction become necessary evils, yet Faith's salvation means Finn's damnation . . . because the ring is all that stands between him and Hell. Falling in love was never part of the bargain, but now that they've tasted heaven in each other's arms, can they convince the Devil to give up his due?

Faith is willing to do whatever it takes to save her sick son. Even if it means selling her soul to the devil.

This book had me engrossed from the first page. It's unlike anything I'd read before. Faith and Finn both are ordinary people who made the wrong choices in moments of weakness.

The connection between Faith and Finn progressed rather quickly, but did not lack believability. The fact that they both felt genuinely sorry for what they felt they had to do to each other because of their deals, endured you to them as individuals.

This one was a fast paced read that didn't do a lot of prolonging. It was straight to the point. I wish I had the back story of Nikki and the devil, because the mere mention of her seemed to humanize him a bit.

I definitely would like to see more of this series.

Review: Only Mine by Susan Mallery

Only Mine
Susan Mallery
Series: Fool's Gold #4
Publisher: HQN
Publication Date: July 26, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.379}
Source: Publicist
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Dakota Hendrix, Finn Andersson
Challenge: 100+, Summer Reading

You can’t win if you don’t play…

Her town’s lack of men may make headlines, but it isn’t news to Dakota Hendrix. The beautiful blonde has bigger problems to deal with, such as overseeing the romance reality competition filming in Fool’s Gold. Screening eligible bachelors is a difficult enough task, but Dakota hits an unexpected snag when a sexy stranger comes to town.

Finn Anderssen will do anything to keep his twin brothers—the perfect contestants—off the show. Despite Dakota’s better judgment, she finds herself drawn to the mysterious outsider. Like her, Finn knows about heartbreak and how a family can fall apart, so she doesn’t dare to hope for anything more than a fling. After all, even in the Land of Happy Endings, finding true love is never as easy as it looks on TV.

Once again I'm moving to Fool's Gold! The is an integral character in and of itself. The vivid description of Fool's Gold and amazing storyline of the people who reside there, never cease to amaze me.

Dakota and Finn had an easy-going, fun kind of relationship. You could tell that they truly enjoyed the other's company. With Finn's dry sense of humor, they were matched perfectly. One of Finn's strongest attributes was his love and commitment to his family, and with Dakota coming from a large close-knit family, it was key the the man for her would have that same commitment.

When I wasn't totally engrossed with watching Finn and Dakota fall in love, I was engrossed with his little brother fall in love. It was like getting two love stories for the price of one. I hope to see more of Stephen and Aurelia in future Fool's Gold novels.

Witnessing Dakota's struggles were truly heart wrenching which made her getting her happy ever after all the more sweeter.

Review: Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

Savor the Danger
Lori Foster
Series: Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #3
Publisher: HQN
Publication Date: June 28, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.411}
Source: Publicist
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Characters: Alani Rivers, Jackson Savor
Challenge: 100+

She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty—with no memory of what happened— he knows he's been drugged…even if Alani doesn't.

After she was kidnapped, Alani vowed never to trust another man again. Still, something about this strong, sexy hero with the tender touch makes her want to believe him. As Jackson hunts down a mysterious intruder, he swears he'll move heaven and earth to keep Alani safe. But what really happened that night? And will the truth bring them closer than they ever thought possible—or put Alani squarely in harm's way again?

The overall story was a great! It kept me engaged with the action packed storyline and smoking hot romance. I had to force myself not to peek ahead to see what would happen next.

The series has the common thread of human trafficking among each of them, but Ms. Foster somehow manages to make each book totally exciting and different from the previous. These men are the men you want watching your back and in your bed.

I really love Jackson! He's a great combination of tough guy and playfulness. He always seemed to know just the right way to communicate and interact with Alani when everyone else wanted to treat her as a victim. Jackson is the kind of man you can say anything to no matter how outrageous because he'll come back with something even more outrageous. And if that wasn't reason enough to love him, then his relationship with his pseudo-sister was.

I truly liked Alani, but she did have her one moment with me. She knew of the danger she was in but refused to listen to Jackson and had a "you're not the boss of me" moment. If I wasn't so invested in her character, I probably wouldn't have let it bother me.

I anxiously await the next book in the series. If it's anything like Savor the Danger, I won't be disappointed. If you haven't read this series, I strongly suggest that you get to it ASAP!

Review: In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare

In the Heat of the Bite
Lydia Dare
Series: Regency Vampyre Trilogy #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.368}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Characters: Rhiannon Sinclair, Matthew Halkett
Challenge: 100+, Historical

Chivalry is far from undead...

Matthew Halkett, Earl of Blodswell, is one of the few men in the ton who can claim to be a knight in shining armor- because that's precisely what he was before being turned into a vampyre. When he spies a damsel in distress in the midst of a storm in Hyde Park, his natural instinct is to rush to her aid...

But not every woman needs to be rescued...

Weather-controlling witch Rhiannon Sinclair isn't caught in a storm-she's the cause of it. She's mortified to have been caught making trouble by the imposing earl, but she doesn't need any man-never has, and is sure she never will...

But when Rhiannon encounters Matthew again, her powers go awry and his supernatural abilities run amok. Between the two of them, the ton is thrown into an uproar. There's never been a more tempestuous scandal...

In the Heat of the Bite started out interesting enough in the way in which Rhi and Matthew met. After that, there wasn't much of anything all that memorable about them as a couple. I found more entertainment from the scenes of Radbourne than the scenes that contain the hero and heroine. Matthew was likeable, but lacked a bit of fire that I guess I was expecting from a vampire.

This was my first novel by this author so I was not expecting or prepared for the Scottish vocabulary. It ended up being a distraction for me from the overall story. I almost gave up on reading it because I kept to re-read lines to undersatnd what was being said before I finally got used to it.

This read lacked the heat of it's title. The way the story ended with loving being the answer, was somewhat of a disappointment.

Review: A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber

A Turn in the Road
Debbie Macomber
Series: Blossom Street #8
Publisher: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 26, 2011
Audio Book {10 hrs}
Source: Public Library
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Bethanne Hamlin, Ruth Hamlin, Annie Hamlin
Challenge: 100+, Whisper Stories

In the middle of the year, in the middle of her life, Bethanne Hamlin takes a road trip with her daughter, Annie, and her former mother-in-law, Ruth. They’re driving to Florida for Ruth’s 50th high-school reunion. A longtime widow, Ruth would like to reconnect with Royce, the love of her teenage life. She’s heard he’s alone, too...and, well, she’s curious. Maybe even hopeful. Bethanne herself needs time to reflect, to ponder a decision she has to make. Her ex-husband, Grant — her children’s father — wants to reconcile now that his second marriage has failed. Bethanne’s considering it....

Meanwhile, Annie’s out to prove to her onetime boyfriend that she can live a brilliant life without him! So there they are, three women driving across America. They have their maps and their directions — but even the best-planned journey can take you to a turn in the road. Or lead you to an unexpected encounter — like the day Bethanne meets a man named Max who really is a hero on a Harley. That’s when Bethanne’s decision becomes a lot harder. Because Grant wants her back, but now there’s Max....

From Seattle’s Blossom Street to the other end of the country, this is a trip that could change three women’s lives.

A Turn in the Road was an emotional journey of the generations of women all with the same common factor: love. As these women road trip from Washington to Florida, we witness their struggle to find their happily ever after.

Bethanne, a six year divorcee, is contemplating whether or not to go back to her ex-husband. She feels that she at least should give it serious consideration for the sake of her adult children. The only problem is that she is unsure if she can ever truly trust Grant again after his betrayal. That is until she meets Max. She is instantly drawn to this man like no other before him. She has to then decide if she wants to take a chance on her ex or the drifter motorcyclist, Max.

Ruth, Bethanne’s ex-mother-in-law, is taking this road trip to attend her 50th class reunion in hopes of reconnecting with her high school sweetheart, Royce. These two are so cut together and showed that love can be found at any age.

Annie, Bethanne and Grant’s daughter, was the only downside of the story. She was constantly whining and interfering in her mother’s life that it made her an extremely unlikable character. I couldn’t take her seriously as an adult and completely understood her boyfriend leaving her. Annie had a lot of growing up to do, and she never accomplished that by the story’s end. For me, Annie is what took this story from a five star read to a four star.

However one of the secondary characters, Rooster, Max’s motorcycle buddy, was a great addition to the story. He was a loyal friend to Max when he needed him most. The scenes Rooster shared with “Granny” were some of my favorites.

Read by Joyce Bean
Duration: 10 hours
Brilliance Audio
Narration: A+
I love Joyce Bean's narration. She is one of my absolute favorite female narrators. She always seems to make the books come alive.

Review: The Creed Legacy by Linda Lael Miller

The Creed Legacy
Linda Lael Miller
Series: Montana Creeds #7
Publisher: HQN
Publication Date: June 28, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.377}
Genre: Contemporary, Western
Characters: Carolyn Simmons, Brody Creed
Challenge: 100+

Rough-and-tumble rodeo cowboy Brody Creed likes life on the move. Until a chance encounter with his long-estranged twin brother brings him "home" for the first time in years. Suddenly Brody is in Creed territory—at thirty-three, he's a restless bad boy among family with deep ties to the land and each other. And a secret past haunts him as he tries to make plans for his future.

Carolyn Simmons is looking for Mr. Right in Lonesome Bend, as the ticktock of her biological clock gets ever louder. Then she falls for gorgeous Brody Creed, the opposite of everything she wants. Until lassoing his wild heart becomes everything both of them need.

Brody and Carolyn were two characters that had once had something special, but circumstances prevented them from being together. Now the opportunity has presented itself for them to once again be together, but Carolyn isn't too sure about trusting Brody again.

Brody and Carolyn are both realistic, likable characters both together and apart. For me though, the romance between them was a bit lukewarm. They had more of a comfortable relationship and not a burning love for each other.

The overall story, dialogue, and characters were great, but the chemistry seemed a bit off. I'll always continue to come back to the Creeds and McKettricks, and I look forward to the next installment.

Review: What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian

What a Goddess Wants

Stephanie Julian
Series: Forgotten Goddess #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
Trade Paperback {p.271}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal
Characters: Thesan "Tessa", Caligo
Challenge: 100+, 50 States ~ Pennsylvania

It's OK no one remembers Etruscan Sun goddess Tessa. But when a demon threatens her life, she must turn to mythology's darkest warrior for protection...

Caligo of the Cimmerians has never met a woman as warm, sunny and inviting as Tessa. Their sizzling mutual attraction quickly sweeps the two of them into a love story that's worthy of the gods...

What a Goddess Wants is filled with loads of hot sex. That is to be expected when you have a goddess of the dawn (sun) who gets her power from sex.

Caligo and Tessa have an amazing, explosive meeting and the book takes off from there. The story moved at a quick pace which is always a plus with me. Although the pace was quick, the story didn't really grab my attention.

Caligo was protecting Tessa from a demon after her powers, but it seemed to stay in the planning stages with little action.

I did however really enjoy the ending. The love Cal had for Tessa was evident for all to see. The raw emotion he showed was so moving that if you weren't a fan of Cal in the beginning you were by the end.

Romance 101 Reading Challenge 2011

July 1 - December 31, 2011

Hosted by: Yz the Whyz

Rules: Read 1 book from each romance sub-genre {12 books}

I am going to be participating in yet another romance reading challenge! Yz states that whether you're a veteran or novice to romance reading, that this challenge will make you fall in love. With a tagline like that, how could I pass this challenge up!

• Contemporary Romance
• Historical Romance
• Romantic Suspense
• Paranormal Romance
• Science Fiction/Futuristic Romance
• Fantasy Romance
• Time Travel Romance
• Inspirational/Christian Romance
• Multicultural/Interracial Romance
• Erotic Romance
• Serial/Catergory Romance {ie. Harlequin, Silhouette}
• Classic or Mainstream Fiction that includes a love story {ie. Time Traveler's Wife, The Bridges of Madison County, The Notebook}

1. The Creed Legacy by Linda Lael Miller
2. In the Heat of the Bite by Lydia Dare
3. Savor the Danger by Lori Foster
4. What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian
5. Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle
6.
7. Mystical Warrior by Janet Chapman
8.
9
10. SWAT Team Two and Miss Robin Hood by Dixie Lynn Dwyer
11. A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber
12.