Review: The Storm That is Sterling by Lisa Renee Jones

The Storm That is Sterling
Lisa Renee Jones
Series: Zodius #2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: November 1, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.339}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi
Rebecca Burns, Sterling Jeter
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death... or worse...

This book drew me in from the prologue. I was instantly intrigued by Sterling and the blossoming relationship he had with Rebecca. You could tell there was a mutual attraction that had the possibility of becoming more.

Fast forward 14 years later that attraction is still there. Only this time they also have a little issue with trusting one another. With both the Renegades and the Zodius trying to get their hands on Rebecca, she doesn’t know which team Sterling is playing for.

This is another action-packed installment to this paranormal series. It’s a fast-paced read with something for everyone. Even the secondary characters bring something to the table other than just filling pages. There’s never a dull moment with this series.

Review: Only Yours by Susan Mallery

Only Yours
Susan Mallery
Series: Fool's Gold #5
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: August 30, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.384}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Montana Hendrix, Simon Bradley
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

Montana Hendrix has found her calling—working with therapy dogs. With a career she loves in a hometown she adores, she's finally ready to look for her own happily ever after. Could one of her dogs help her find Mr. Right… or maybe Dr. Right?

Surgeon Simon Bradley prefers the sterility of the hospital to the messiness of real life, especially when real life includes an accident-prone mutt and a woman whose kisses make him want what he knows he can't have. Scarred since childhood, he avoids emotional entanglement by moving from place to place to heal children who need his skillful touch. Can his growing feelings for Montana lead him to find a home in Fool's Gold, or will he walk away, taking her broken heart with him?

I don’t think I really “felt the love” with Simon and Montana.

Although Simon and Montana seemed to genuinely enjoy each other, he still came across to me as reserved. I don’t think I ever formed any connection with him throughout the book. By the end of the book, I didn’t know Simon any better than I did at page one. Their love story didn’t draw me in and hold my attention like the previous books in this series.

Simon isn’t who I would have thought Montana would end up falling for. I’m not sure who I pictured her with, but Simon wasn’t it. But in the end, he was who she needed.

I love this series and the residents of Fool’s Gold, even though I didn’t really enjoy Simon and Montana’s story. I loved catching up with all the other residents and seeing a glimpse of the whole Max and Denise situation. I can’t wait to see that story unfold. And see what else is in store for Fool’s Gold.

Review: Cowboy Up by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Cowboy Up
Vicki Lewis Thompson
Series: Sons of Chance #5
Publisher: Harlequin
Publish Date: June 21, 2011
Kindle {p.224}
Source: Public Library
Genre: Western
Characters: Emily Sterling, Clay Whitaker
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

"Never fall in love with a cowboy." These words were drilled into Emily Sterling's head since her parents divorced over twenty years ago. But now Emily has returned to her father's ranch… only to find herself face-to-face with jawdroppingly hot rancher Clay Whitaker.

Clay is the resident stud expert at the Last Chance Ranch and isn't so keen on "spoiled" city slickers…until Emily arrives. Now he's showing Emily just what a ranch—and a cowboy—has to offer. And luckily for him, it's an offer Emily can't refuse...

Cowboy Up was quick and to the point. Emily and Clay had previously met ten years before, but it was more memorable to one of them.

Emily and Clay are attracted to one another and secretly begin an affair that’s not as secret as they’d like to believe. They seem to have a very strong sexual connection and a so-so connection everywhere else.

Emily’s sudden turn-around about ranch life wasn’t all that believable for me. Although she insisted it had nothing to do with her relationship with Clay, I still felt it did. I did however enjoy watching her relationship with her father blossom. I felt bad for her father and how much he had missed of Emily’s life.

This is a quick, fun read with a few sexy encounters. Nice pick for an afternoon of light reading.

Review: Surrendering to Summer by Kortny Alexander

Surrendering to Summer
Kortny Alexander
Series: Whispering Mountain #2
Publisher: Siren Publishing
Publish Date: May 18, 2011
Kindle
Source: Publisher
Genre: Erotica, Menage
Characters: Summer Showers, Dalton, Denver, Dillon Durden
Challenge: 100+, Ebook
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summer Showers was excited about moving to Whispering Mountain for a better job and triple the pay. When her living situation changes, she is persuaded to move in with the Durden men temporarily. Staying with the men only makes her undeniable attraction grow stronger. She finds it difficult to suppress the desire growing inside of her.

Dalton, Denver, and Dillon Durden knew they were in trouble the minute they invited Summer to stay with them. While all three men tried to fight their attraction to her, they found it difficult to stay away.

Someone is lurking in Whispering Mountain and they won’t stop until they get what they have come for. Will the stranger rip their world apart or will the Durden men fight to protect everything they love and surrender to Summer?

Summer finds herself attracted to not one man but three, who just so happen to be brothers. Although it seems as if only two of them return her feelings.

The story started out straight to the point. No big build up to the romance between the involved parties because it was already in progress. This to me is a plus. You don't have all the filler pages distracting you from the story. But in this case I didn't really feel that there was more going on between Summer and her men other than the physical attraction.

Denver and Dillion were great guys in the fact that they treated her well, but beyond that I didn't really feel that I knew anything about them. Dalton on the other hand, came across as a jerk until he opened up ad became the wounded hero.

The overall chemistry between the three of them was very well written. Ms. Alexander manages to write some very vivid and descriptive sex scenes that will keep you wanting more.

Review: The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

The Perfect Play
Jaci Burton
Series: Play by Play #1
Publisher: Berkeley Heat
Publish Date: February 1, 2011
Trade Paperback {p.299}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Erotica
Characters: Tara Lincoln, Mick Riley
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

The last thing event planner Tara Lincoln needs is the jet-set lifestyle of a football pro like Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand proved that Mick is an all-star-both on the field and in the bedroom.

Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a certified heartbreaker. But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind to catch this sultry vixen.

The Perfect Play took a while for me to warm up to it. I think it was around chapter 13 or 15 before I actually got into it.

Mick and Tara set the sheets, among other things, on fire throughout the entire book. there was loads and loads of steamy sex. They had great chemistry in and out of the bedroom. Although they had great chemistry, they were a bit boring at times.

I enjoyed the fact that Mick wasn't perfect, because from the outside looking in, it sure appeared that way. Both he and Tara had troubled past. I liked Mick from the start, but Tara and I had our moments. Her back and forth attitude became a little annoying, especially near the end.

I adored Mick's family. His mother, father, sister, and brother were such warm, welcoming characters. Elizabeth, Mick's agent, provided me with all the entertainment. I loved her interaction with both Mick and Tara, although I didn't really care for her as a person because of her meddling. I do look forward to seeing how she redeems herself in the next installment.

Review: The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

The Sweetest Thing
Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor #2
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: March 28, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.348}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Tara Daniels, Ford Walker
Challenge: Summer Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon

Two Men Are One Too Many . . .
Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

I must say that I enjoyed this addition to the trilogy way more than Simply Irresistible. I am so glad that I did not give up on the trilogy. I enjoyed the Steel Magnolia and the Wild Child so much in book one, that I had to read their stories. As a reader, I felt more invested and connected to Ford and Tara than I had with Jax and Maddie.

The characters were well developed and relatable. The whole aspect of a small town and all the gossip was dead on.

The addition of Tara's ex-husband, Logan, was a nice twist to shake things up with her and Ford. I was always laughing when Ford and Logan got together. It would be nice to see him stick around Lucky Harbor.

As always,I loved Chloe! I'm so looking forward to her and Sawyer. You can practically feel the heat between these two in this installment, so they are sure to set the pages on fire in their own book.

Review: Mystical Warrior by Janet Chapman

Mystical Warrior
Janet Chapman
Series: Midnight Bay #3
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publish Date: June 28, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.351}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal
Characters: Fiona Gregor, Trace Huntsman
Challenge: 100+, Summer Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon

An eleventh-century lass with a stubborn streak unleashes the red-hot hero inside her modern lover in bestselling author Janet Chapman’s irresistible new Midnight Bay adventure.

Trace Huntsman’s peaceful life has headed to hell in a hand-basket ever since stunningly beautiful Fiona Gregor moved into the vacant apartment above his house. Kidnapped centuries earlier and transformed into a red-tail hawk, Fiona is human once more and must learn how to be a modern woman. But damned if Trace is going to be the one to teach her. Not when her mere presence ignites a fiery passion deep within his cautious heart.

Fiona longs to overcome the painful memories of her tragic past—to let down her guard and become a mother again. But so far her handsome landlord is not exactly thrilled with the stray animals—and suitors—that keep following her home. When the wizard Maximilian Oceanus shows up, Trace reaches the end of his rope. Weird things happen when Mac is around—raging storms, snarling demons—but this time, Midnight Bay is at the center of a fierce battle, and Fiona is the primary target. Only Trace can save her, but first, the lovers must set aside their fears...and open up their hearts.

Fiona is trying to adjust to her new life in the 21st century as a single, independent woman. With some pushing from her brothers, she gets her own apartment, living above Trace's house.

This is book three in the series, and I read book two and fell in love with these characters, with this town. So of course I had to continue forward with book three. I loved both Fiona and Trace in the previous book and was excited to see them get their own story. Although Trace tries to fight it, he can't help but to be attracted to Fiona. But with Fiona's horrible past and fear of men, he tries to keep his distance. But Trace seems to be one of the few men she isn't afraid of.

The storyline pulled me in from page one. I had already formed a connection with the characters reading the previous book, but even if I hadn't I would have been drawn in with this one. Chapman writes strong, likable characters that feel like like family.

One of those secondary characters that you can't help but love is Mac. He piqued my interest in book two, and I fell in love with him in book three. He may hold all this magical power, but he's just as vulnerable as the rest of us. I really hope Mac gets his happily ever after.

Review: Eat Prey Love by Kerrelyn Sparks

Eat Prey Love
Kerrelyn Sparks
Series: Love at Stake #9
Publisher: Avon
Publish Date: October 1, 2010
Mass Market Paperback {p.373}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Paranormal
Characters: Caitlyn Whelan, Carlos Panterra
Challenge: 100+, Paranormal
Buy the Book: Amazon

Wanted: Bride. Must love children. Mortals need not apply.

Carlos Panterra is looking for a mate, a woman who will love and care for the young orphans he's recently taken under his wing (or paw, as the case may be). When the shape shifter spies the beautiful Caitlyn, it's like sunshine amidst the darkness. At last, he's found the perfect woman, except...

Caitlyn Whelan is mortal. Worse, her father is the head of a CIA agency bent on hunting the undead. Still, Caitlyn knows that Carlos is the man for her, shape shifter or not. So she jumps at the chance when her sister offers her a job to work with him, determined to show Carlos their attraction is more than just animal magnetism. But danger lurks in the night, and their unleashed, untamed passion might just get them both killed...

Eat Prey Love was a funny and entertaining take on vampires and shape shifters. The blurb is what caught my eye about this book. A shape shifter searching for a wife to be the mother of his orphans that he's taken in.

Carlos and Caitlyn had an instant attraction that Carlos chose to fight because Caitlyn is human. But that didn't stop Caitlyn; she was determined to have Carlos. There didn't seem to be anything going on deeper than their attraction.

I enjoyed Caitlyn's interaction with the children, but I would have liked to have seen more of that. Afterall she would become their mother, but she only had limited interaction with them. Plus she really only interacted with two of the children he took in.

The book was a bit short on action but it was big on laughs. I'll have to go back and read all the books in the series leading up to this one.

Review: Baby, Drive South by Stephanie Bond

Baby, Drive South
Stephanie Bond
Series: Southern Roads #1
Publisher: Mira
Publication Date:  May 24, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p.329}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Nikki Salinger, Porter Armstrong
Challenge: 100+, Summer Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon

The hardheaded Armstrong brothers are determined to rebuild their tornado-ravaged hometown in the Georgia mountains. They've got the means, they've got the manpower…what they need are women! So they place an ad in a northern newspaper and wait for the ladies to answer their call...

Porter, the youngest Armstrong, is all for importing women. Still, he's so blown away by the sheer numbers, he falls off the water tower. Luckily there's a doctor among the newcomers—sweet and sexy Dr. Nikki Salinger.

And Porter has every intention of checking out her bedside manner...

The Armstrong brothers are trying to rebuild their childhood hometown of Sweetness, GA. In an effort to speed things along, they have place an ad in the newspaper to recruit single women to the town with the promise of a fresh start.

Among these women is Dr. Nikki Salinger, who is what some may call a plain Jane. Nikki is trying to heal from a broken heart and is not at all interested in getting involved.

I enjoyed the storyline and the witty dialogue. The town of Sweetness seemed like a place one truly would want to be involved in the rebuilding of.

Nikki was a bit reserved but truly a good person who had taken a few bumps in life for not being the most beautiful. Where it was the total opposite for Porter. At times I didn't like him because of his comments and behavior toward Nikki. Every strike she had against her with him, involved her appearance. Because she wasn't among the most beautiful of the women that moved into town, Porter seemed to dismiss her.

The whole town of Sweetness and the additional Armstrong brothers great entertainment. I truly am invested in seeing how the town of Sweetness progresses.

Review: Colters' Lady by Maya Banks

Colters' Lady
Maya Banks
Series: Colters' Legacy #2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
Kindle {p.199}
Source: Kindle Loan
Genre: Erotica
Characters: Lily Weston, Dillon Colter, Michael Colter, Seth Colter
Challenge: 100+, Summer Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon

Can their love give her the strength to overcome the tragedy in her past?

When police officer Seth Colter sees the delicate, shabbily dressed beauty in line at the soup kitchen where he's serving, he's gut shot over the idea of her being on the streets cold and alone. More baffling is the dark, possessive instinct that tells him she belongs to him.

For Lily Weston, home is a secluded nook in a back alley?until Seth offers her a place to stay. She's wary of his offer, but even one night out of the cold is too much temptation to resist.

Seth is convinced Lily is his. The problem is, when his brothers lay eyes on her, the same primitive instinct comes roaring to the surface. The Colters never imagined they'd follow the unconventional path of their fathers, but they can't ignore their mutual need to offer Lily their protection?and their love. But before Lily and the brothers can forge a future together, they must heal the deep wounds of her past.

Lily is a woman who has seen great pain and sorrow in her life, and feels that she is responsible for it. In a effort to punish herself because she feels she's not worthy, she lives her life on the streets. But when she meets the Colter brothers, all that changes.

I truly enjoyed revisiting the Colter family and seeing them thiry years down the road. I loved Colters' Woman, so I was excited to read about their children.

Lily seemed like she could be a strong female but lost her way. I didn't quite get a full understanding of her until the very end. Each and every one of the brothers were great, but at times I felt as though Seth was a little left out.

This addition was more of a sweet romance than a steamy erotica. Lily and her men spent the bulk of their rime in the kitchen either cooking or eating. Don't get me wrong, it did have some steamy sex, but the overall story was sweet which was a nice thing.

Review: Baby, I'm Yours by Stephanie Bond

Baby, I'm Yours
Stephanie Bond
Series: Southern Roads #0.5
Publisher: Mira
Publication Date: May 1, 2011
Kindle
Genre: Contemporary
Characters: Shelby Moon, Emory Maxwell
Challenge: 100+, 50 States {Georgia}

Emory Maxwell has come home to the small town of Sweetness, Georgia, with one goal in mind—to get his childhood sweetheart Shelby Moon to marry him. They've been in love with the second grade, but Shelby's father is determined to keep his daughter in Sweetness, not moving around the country as a soldier's wife. No matter what she chooses, Shelby knows she'll hurt one of the men she loves.

But when a tornado rips through town, will she and Emory lose their chance to be together forever?

This was a nice little opener to the Southern Roads series.

Emory is trying to propose to his long time girlfriend Shelby while he’s on leave from the Army. That’s when the small town of Sweetness is hit by a devastating tornado.

The novella only allowed for surface connections with the characters due to the length, but that didn’t stop me from becoming invested in the outcome of the town and its citizens.

This is a series I look forward to reading more of.

Review: Strong, Silent Type by Lorelei James

Strong, Silent Type
Lorelei James
Series: Rough Riders #6.5
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: May 5, 2009
Kindle {p.81}
Genre: Erotica, Western
Characters: Libby McKay, Quinn McKay
Challenge: 100+

Wyoming rancher Quinn McKay thought he’d only have to bide time until his level-headed wife came to her senses and called a halt to this “trial separation”. He never believed the marital rough patch would drag on for a coon’s age.

Libby McKay knew when she married the gruff, laid-back cowboy that he wasn’t prone to blathering about his feelings. But three months have passed and her stubborn-as-a-mule husband is still living by himself in the horse trailer. It seems he’d rather hold onto his pride than hold onto her.

Quinn realizes Libby is determined to move on if he doesn’t loosen his tongue and he’ll lose the only woman he’s ever loved. In a last-ditch effort to keep her in his life, he offers her one weekend of uninterrupted sexual decadence.

Reigniting the passion is easy. The hard part comes after the sheets have cooled and they find out if what remains is strong enough to survive past mistakes.

Libby and Quinn’s marriage is falling apart and neither knows how to fix it. Libby is to the point of not even wanting to try any longer. Like the title states, Quinn is the strong, silent type. He doesn’t communicate with his wife at all.

Libby is withdrawn due to pressure from her mother-in-law to have a baby and her lack of being successful at that. The two of them decide to give it another go by having a no holds barred weekend of all you can take sex.

They rediscover the love and passion they have for one another as well as learn what pleases their partner.

This was a nice short read of an established couple working to making a marriage work. So often we get to take the journey with a couple falling in love, but we rarely get to take the journey of them working to stay in love.

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.