365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #64

Sheriff's Runaway Witness - Kathleen Creighton
Harlequin Romantic Suspense
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373277261

N.B. This book is a North American release


My rating




From the back cover:

"Pregnant and on the run, Rachel Malone Delcorte is the only witness to the murder of two federal agents. Mob boss Carlos Delcorte wants her baby—his grandson—and he wants Rachel dead. But as fate would have it, sheriff's deputy Jethro "J.J." Fox gets to Rachel first.
After delivering her baby and seeing her safely to her billionaire grandfather's estate, he's sworn to protect the beautiful widow. Keeping mother and son safe isn't the problem for J.J.—he's used to handling the bad guys. Matters of the heart—that's a whole different story. He's always had his own agenda. One he's not sure Rachel can accept…"


This was one of the books I bought while I was in NYC and was quite excited to read it as the 'Romantic Suspense' line is not available in the UK. I enjoyed it.

The story begins with the heroine Rachel escaping the home of her father-in-law, we discover that Rachel was married to the son of a very powerful and dangerous mafia boss. She is also witness to a shooting, which killed two federal agents and her husband, and she is nearly 9 months pregnant. Fearing for her life she escapes but her car breaks down in the desert where she collapses from exhaustion. The hero J.J., the local Sheriff, finds Rachel and tries to get her to safety but when Rachel goes into labour he helps deliver her son. When he discovers Rachel's identity he sees her as a chance to regain his former life as a homicide detective by persuading her to testify what she knows about the federal agents murder. When Rachel and her son are threatened in the hospital, J.J. takes her into his protective custody and takes her to the home of her reclusive grandfather. Rachel and J.J. grow close to each other and both develop feelings, however J.J. is still determined to convince Rachel to testify against her father-in-law.

This was a riveting read, and at times quite exciting. Rachel was a great character, she started off lonely and unsure of herself but as the story progressed she became stronger and stronger. J.J. was an OK character although at times I felt he wallowed in his own self pity a little too much. I felt the 'action' sequences didn't quite work and seemed a little rushed. The romance between Rachel and J.J. was well written and believable.

This is the first book in the 'Scandals of Sierra Malone' mini-series, running alongside Rachel and J.J.'s story is also that of Rachel's grandfather, who after years as a recluse has decided to reach out to his grandchildren. The parts with his story were really interesting and I will be interested in seeing how his story plays out.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #63

Too Proud to be Bought - Sharon Kendrick
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886528




My rating




From the back cover:

"The humble waitress and the Russian billionaire...
Waitress Zara Evans doesn't belong in glittering high society. That is until she finds herself unexpectedly at an exclusive party and manages to captivate the most sought after man in the room - Russian oligarch Nickolia Komarov - by attracting his undivided attention...
For Nikolai, there's something about Zara's beauty that makes her stand out from the first class crowd. Experience has taught him all women have their price, but he has never encountered anyone like Zara - a young woman who is too proud, too independent, too wilful to be bought..."

I'm a big fan of Sharon Kendrick's books, she is master at writing romances and her books are fantastic examples of what the 'Modern' line is all about. This is another classic and brilliantly written example.

The story begins with the heroine Zara being persuaded by her friend to gatecrash a high profile party in order to try and get her friends clothing designs noticed by Russian millionaire Nikolai, the hero. Nikolai is immediately intrigued by Zara as she is so different in comparison to all the high society people at the party. He tries to seduce her but Zara refuses and leaves. Even more intrigued, Nikolai tracks her down, thinking she is a gold digger he offers her a job hoping to expose her motives. Zara turns out to be nothing like his expectations and they begin an affair. Nikolai is shocked by the feelings Zara creates in him, he tries to retain control over both his feelings and Zara by attempting to shower her with expensive gifts and make her quite her low paying waitress job. Zara refuses both these things needing to keep her independence, this creates even more turmoil for Nikolai. He tries to push her away but finds it difficult to fight his desire and need for Zara to be in his life.

This is a very traditional plot line for a book from the 'Modern' line; rich man meets poor woman, he thinks she's a gold digger, they have an affair etc. However in this book Sharon Kendrick has managed to make this a much more interesting story by changing and updating certain elements. I particularly liked how Zara kept hold of both her independence and her principles, she was a fantastically written female character - hones and feisty without being silly. Nikolai was a little more difficult to like, he was quite cold, he started off being the typical judgemental Alpha-male type character but he grew as the story progressed, which was mainly down to the strength of the female character.

This is a beautifully written romance with a fast pace, great characters, passion and a nice HEA.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #62

The Highest Stakes of All - Sara Craven
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886498




My rating




From the back cover:

"The House always wins...
Once upon a time, and far away, Joanna Vernon found herself the ultimate prize in a dangerously high-stakes card game. When the last hand had been revealed, the knowing curl of Vassos Gordanis' lip told her he had every intention of claiming his winnings...
Though no setting could be more beautiful than Vassos' private island, to Joanna the Aegean Sea was merely a turquoise-hued prison wall. In the Gordanis house a woman was expected to know her place, and this merciless Greek knew exactly where he planned to settle the score...
MEN WITHOUT MERCY Arrogant and proud, unashamedly male!"


Another Sara Craven book, her books have definitely grown on me, I really enjoyed this one. I read this on my Kindle (iPad app), I actually bought it a while back and forgot about it (oops!), if I had known how much I would enjoy it I would have read it sooner!

The heroine Joanna spends her life following her gambling addict father around the world, acting as his sort-of mascot, whom he uses to act as his adoring female and flaunt herself in the hope to distract players. She has grown weary of the lifestyle and longs to go back to England. Her father is going through an unlucky streak and Joanna hopes to convince him to give it all up, until a very wealthy and infamous Greek tycoon, the hero Vassos, turns up and her father manages to secure an invitation to his private high stakes poker game that evening. Joanna is forced to play the role of his adoring arm candy again, but when she realises that this opponent is much more formidable than her father has anticipated she knows things are not going to end well. Her father is drawn into playing an betting with more and more risk, and eventually he stakes Joanna herself. She is furious with this, even more so when her father looses and abandons her to the mercies of the Greek.
Vassos relishes the thought of having control over Joanna, both for his own pleasure and for revenge on her for her role in a past event that almost ruined a member of his family. Vassos takes Joanna to his private island in order to seduce her and keep her under control, he is not expecting her innocence or the feelings of protectiveness she creates in him. Neither does he expect her to discover secrets he would rather keep hidden.

This books is part of a new mini-series of retro inspired romances, and is set in 1975. The writing is very typical of Sara Craven's style but I though she managed to incorporate aspects of the social differences between now and the 70s brilliantly. As a 21st century woman myself at first I found the heroine a bit weak and lacking, however the more I read and thought about it I realised that back then women were not as strong and equal as we are today. As a result Sara Craven has actually written a female character that was quite strong for the time. The hero was incredibly arrogant and unashamedly Alpha, but again this fit perfectly with both the era and the story.
I particularly likes all the aspects of 70s pop culture included, such as popular books of the time like 'The Day of the Jackal', mentions of Jackie O and a scene where they are dancing to a disco cassette (oh, cassettes! I had almost forgotten about you!). The descriptions of the fashions worn by the characters were also brilliant, dated but brilliant!

This book will not be for everyone, the writing style is very reminiscent of the old style of Mills and Boon's (Violet Winspear, anyone!) but again it fits perfectly with the era it was set in.

An enjoyable read, I look forward to reading other books in this mini-series!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #61

With This Fling... - Kelly Hunter
Mills and Boon RIVA
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263883619




My rating





From the back cover:

"Successful archaeologist Charlotte Greenstone has no time for men, so invents a convenient one - who bears a highly inconvenient resemblance to sexy stranger Greyson Tyler! To protect her mortifying white lie, Charlotte begs Grey to act as her temporary fiancé...
One glimpse of Charlotte's killer curves, and Grey can't resist making his own outrageous proposition - he'll pretend to be her fiancé...if they can enjoy all the benefits of being a couple! Smoking hot Grey is definitely fling material, but Charlotte knows that's all it ever can be... Can't it?"


So back to the RIVA's. I have read wuite a few of Kelly Hunter's past books under the Modern Extra/Heat lines and always enjoyed them. This is both another good book from Kelly Hunter and another goof RIVA.

To comfort her beloved dying godmother the heroine Charlotte pretended to have a fiance, which Charlotte had a great time imagining and describing. When work colleagues hear about her 'fiance' Charlotte tries to play down the relationship, only one of her friends gets in contact with the company he supposedly worked for asking for a photo to be sent for Charlotte. Instead of the photo Charlotte actually gets a box full of stuff belonging to a Dr G Tyler, who by some strange coincidence shares both the same surname and job as her made-up fiance. The hero Greyson tracks Charlotte down in order to reclaim his stuff, which was sent by an incompetent secretary while he was away doing research. In another strange coincidence it turns out that Greyson also has a made-up significant other, done so in order to make his ex realise things are truly over. He asks Charlotte to play that role and attend a family gathering and in return he'll play the doting fiance for her friends. They also act of their attraction to one another and begin a short-term affair. But when this leads to an accidental pregnancy both of them know they will have to make changes in their lives.

This was a really fun read, it was fast paced, modern, sexy, fun and chock full of witty dialogue and sizzling chemistry. Yes, this story is based on a set of very strange and, lets face it, unrealistic coincidences but it is brought down to earth with believable characters, and at the end of the day its fiction and not everything has to be deadly serious!
I loved both characters; Charlotte was so feisty and independent that I couldn't help but love her and Greyson is both charismatic and aloof! I really enjoyed how both characters had careers that they loved and were both highly intelligent. Another great element to this book was that the secondary characters played quite a significant role in the book, and helped to ground the book even more, as well a some nice little comic interludes!

This is a nice read that is light and funny, it will have you laughing out loud but still feeling warm all over like any good romance novel.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #60

Burning Ambition - Amy Knupp
Harlequin Superromance
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373717026

N.B. This book is a North American release


My rating




From the back cover:

"Captain Joe Mendoza has wanted to be fire chief since he was four years old. And now he's one step away from making assistant chief. But that's proving to be some big step now that the chief's daughter has joined his crew. He's promised he'll keep her safe—and promised himself to keep things strictly business.
Faith Peligni has battled her way back from an on-the-job injury in San Antonio, and she's stronger than ever. Even if as the first female firefighter on the San Amaro Island crew—and the chief's daughter—she's expecting some heat. But with the impossibly distracting Joe Mendoza as her captain, who knew it could get this hot?"

I picked this book up when I was in NYC recently, I did so for two reasons; the first is that I used to enjoy reading books from the Mills and Boon Superromance line, which is no longer available in the UK (some of the Harlequin Superromance titles may be released under the Mills and Boon Cherish line but I'm not sure so don't trust me on that!). The second reason is the cover! Who could resist it, it has a gorgeous firefighter holding tiny, tiny kittens! It's so cheesy it's good! Those two things aside, this was a really enjoyable read.

The heroine Faith has just started her new job as a firefighter in her home town's Fire Department, she has two things against her. First of all she is the daughter of the current and well respected Fire Chief and everyone expects her to get an easy ride. Secondly she is female, and the first female ever in the department. The hero Joe has been asked to look out for Faith by her father. Joe is on the verge of being promoted, which will bring him one step closer to his life long dream of becoming Fire Chief. In his attempts to look out for Faith he discovers that she is determined to prove herself and doesn't need or want Joe's help. Both of them form a bond through their love of their careers and with helping each other with their own current personal/family troubles. As their feelings for one another turn to love, each is forced to choose between them or their careers as it seems they can't have both.

This was a really enjoyable and interesting book. I think the issues of sexism, and females in a male orientated career was handled and written really well. It is clear that the author has done plenty of research into this, which really helps to make everything believable. As a result of this Amy Knupp has also written a fantastic female character who is brimming with confidence in her abilities and determined to prove it. What I particularly liked about the character of Faith is that she wasn't portrayed in any stereotypical way, it would have been easy to write the female character as a bit of a tomboy since she is in a 'mans' career, but this is not the case, instead she is a normal girl. I also liked the male character of Joe, having him a little older that usual was a nice element, he was mature, caring and encouraging (not to mention good with kittens, yes they make an appearance, swoon!!)
I liked the balance of two normal people trying to juggle their professional and personal lives as well as realising their growing feelings for one another.

This is a very heart warming romance, with the right amount of sizzle, fantastic characters and issues that we can all relate to. I definitely recommend it.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #59

Jezebel's Wish - AJ Nuest
Wild Rose Press Yellow Rose
Wild Rose Press, 2011
ISBN: 9781601548986




My rating




From the back cover:

"Haunted by nightmares, tormented by guilt, Jezebel came to Redemption Ranch to escape the past-except now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere with no redemption in sight. When her mother pushes her into riding lessons with local veterinarian Matthias Saunders, Jezebel balks. Sure, the doctor is gorgeous, but he's completely obnoxious and knows how to push every one of her buttons.
Only her deep connection with The Reverend, a gentle stallion who guards her darkest secrets, has her agreeing to spend any more time with Dr. Saunders. Caring for the stallion is the first bright spot in her life in months, and if being around the horse means she has to deal with Matthias Saunders, then so be it. Surely a city girl like her can handle one country vet-even one with disturbing blue eyes. Can't she?"

AJ Nuest contacted me by email and very kindly sent me an ebook copy of this book to read and review. Let me just take this moment to say a huge thank you to AJ for this, and apologies for the time it has taken me to post this review! Up until now I have only reviewed books from Harlequin/Mills and Boon, this is mainly down to availability in the UK, but I am open to reading romance novels from anywhere!

When we first meet the heroine Jezebel she is in a very dark place in her life, not to mention in a foul mood! Jezzy is staying with her mother for a short time in order to rest after the death of her fiance. She is struggling with nightmares and feelings of guilt regarding her relationship with her fiance and the situation right before his death, we discover that he was abusive as well as possibly having an affair. Jezzy is introduced to the hero Matty, the local vet, when he comes to check on her mother's horses. Her mother persuades her to let Matty give her some horse riding lessons, in the hope it will make her feel better. Matty teaches her to ride and care for The Reverend, whom Jezzy finds it easy to talk to and confess her inner turmoil, which eases her feelings of guilt.
Matty is drawn to Jezzy and wants to help her heal, be that via The Reverend or through his tenderness. When a love-affair between them begins, Jezzy's nightmares return with a vengeance and she immediately begins to push Matty away.

This was one intense and emotional book, I spent the majority of the time reading it on the verge of tears, and one particular moment in floods of them (if you have read it you will know which bit I'm talking about!). The grief and guilt that Jezzy is suffering from is written brilliantly with both depth and sensitivity, it really made me feel connected with the characters feelings.
What I loved most about this book was the bond built between Jezzy and The Reverend and how AJ Nuest explored the healing power of animals. The Reverend was the only one Jezzy felt she could open up to, which helped her heal enough to trust again and give Matty a chance. Speaking of Matty, he was an amazing male character! He was so caring and strong, who encouraged Jezzy to heal but never pushed her, I only wish that the narrative could have included some of his point of view as well.

AJ Nuest deals with some tough issues in this book (abuse, grief, depression etc) and they are all handled perfectly. A lighthearted read this is not, but amazing nonetheless.

For those of you, like me, who had never heard of The Wild Rose Press before, here is the link to their website - The Wild Rose Press. Their books are available in both print and ebook form (ebooks are available in many formats for different devices) bear in mind that the print books will take a while to arrive and will be a bit more expensive as they are still a relatively small company. The books are also available to purchase from Amazon in both print and Kindle versions and available for those of us in the UK too! Good stuff!

Once again, many thanks to AJ for sending me this book.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #58

Honeymoon with the Rancher - Donna Alward
Harlequin Romance
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373177301

N.B. The above details relate to the North American release of this book.


My rating




From the back cover:

"Tomas Mendoza left the city behind when he retreated to a rustic Argentine ranching guesthouse after losing his fiancée. He has found peace working the land…until socialite Sophia Hollingsworth plants her stilettos in front of him and demands to stay the week.
Sophia is nursing private hurts of her own—after all, she is on her honeymoon…alone. Her bravado is a cover act to show everyone she can stand on her own two feet. Trouble is, she's in danger of being swept away into the rancher's arms!"

Most of the books I read tend to be in the Modern/Presents range, however I do enjoy reading books from the more traditional Cherish/Romance lines. They are well paced, warm and emotional books, and this one is no exception.

The book begins with the heroine Sophia arriving at the Esta Vista del Cielo ranch, not only is she there alone on what should have been her honeymoon, she also discovers that the reservation was cancelled without her knowledge due to a recent fire. The hero Tomas reluctantly agrees to let Sophia stay, even though he is annoyed with the prospect of having to keep the seemingly spoilt Sophia entertained. Sophia was expecting to find a luxury spa resort, instead she finds out it's a working ranch where guests are expected to pitch in with all the chores. Tomas expects Sophia to live up to his impression of her and is surprised when she puts her all into learning and doing the jobs he sets her. Sophia is determined to prove to both herself and Tomas that she is not as useless as people think. As they spend time together they begin to open up and share their secrets and hurts with each other, which leads to them falling in love but afraid to admit it for fear of getting hurt again.

The first thing I noticed about this book was the beautifully described settings and surroundings, thanks to the brilliant writing I could really visualise them completely. This was particularly fantastic at the very beginning when Sophia arrives at the ranch and also when they visit Iguazu Falls. Both characters were well developed, I really liked Sophia and how she started off being the person other people expected her to be but feeling a little lost and as the story progressed she became more and more confident. I love character growth in romance novels and Donna Alward has done this perfectly in this book.
There isn't a lot of 'humour' in this book, it's actually quite serious and honest but that fits with the overall pace of the book, and lets face it, sometimes life can kick you about a bit! The HEA is very satisfying and I was left with a warm feeling inside. A thoroughly enjoyable read,

This is the first book by Donna Alward I have read but I will definitely be looking out for more in the future!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #57

A Passionate Protector - Maggie Cox
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2003
ISBN: 9780263833041

Reprint-
Passionate Protectors? By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263881103


My rating




From the back cover:

"Charming, wealthy and smoldering, attractive Kyle Hytner could have an international playboy lifestyle -- and any woman he wants. So why has he set his sights on Megan Brand?
Megan is rebuilding her life, step-by-step. But the frighteningly intense passion she shares with Kyle is more like a giant leap! And she's not sure she has the courage to take it...
Kyle needs this beautiful woman by his side and in his bed. He knows he can help set her free from the past, but he has to persuade Megan that her future lies with him!"

So this is the third and final book in the 'Passionate Protectors?' By Request omnibus, details above and definitely the best of the bunch. I have read quite a few of Maggie Cox's books and this is one of the best I have read.

The heroine Megan is persuaded by her best friend to attend an art therapy session as her friend feels she needs a little help to move on from recent events in her life. Megan spent 10 years in an abusive relationship, which resulted in her being left with permanent damage to her leg after her ex husband pushed her down the stairs. Now divorced, she is trying to regain her life but is struggling to do so. She agrees to go to the art therapy session where she meets the hero Kyle. Kyle is a well known artist who has given up the art 'scene', after realising her wanted more from life, to offer art therapy. When he meets Megan he immediately feels a connection with her, and after encouraging her to talk about her experience he wants to protect her. Megan had dreams of becoming an artist but was forced to give this up by her ex husband, Kyle recognises her talent and supports her to help increase her confidence. As they spend time together both develop feelings for one another.

The pace of this story was actually quite slow, but I feel this really helped to set the mood and aid the development of the relationship. Megan's trauma and experiences were written with sensitivity as was a really great part of this book. I really liked how Megan's confidence grew as the story progressed, she went from being afraid and damaged to strong and confident. Kyle is also a good character, really caring and never overbearing. Both of them were really well written.

This was quite and emotional story at times and I really enjoyed reading it.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #56

The Bedroom Barter - Sara Craven
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2004
ISBN: 9780263837131

Reprint-
Passionate Protectors? By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263881103

My rating




From the back cover:

"Penniless and without her passport, Chellie Greer's stuck working in a seedy club with no means of escape -- until Ash Brennan walks in. What's such a powerful, irresistible man doing in a place like this?
Ash offers her a way out, but Chellie has to wonder exactly why he is rescuing her. Does he really want to protect her, or is the price of freedom...her body?
Sara Craven whisks you into a world of exotic passion, betrayal and red-hot romance....
Foreign Affairs -- surrender to seduction under a golden sun."

This is the third book by Sara Craven I have read in this challenge, I once said that in the past I have found them to be a little hit and miss. This book... well its OK!

The story begins with the hero Ash going into a rather horrible strip club on a Caribbean island, where he meets the heroine Chellie. Recognising she is in a desperate situation he offers her the chance to go with him where he can get her off the island. Chellie is stuck in her situation after she ran away from her rich but controlling father in order to marry her boyfriend, only he turned out to only be interested in her inheritance and left her stranded. Chellie accepts Ash's offer and they leave together, and after a while begin to fall in love with one another. Ash tries to fight his feelings knowing that he is lying to Chellie as to how and why he rescued her, and afraid to tell her the truth.

This isn't one of Sara Craven's best, but hey who's perfect! I liked the idea of the story, it's a little different than the standard Modern type story lines, and I'm all for trying something new. I liked both of the characters; Ash was well developed, he was both commanding and protecting and open to love, which is rare in a Modern hero! Chellie was less easy to like, she seemed a little silly to begin with, and did a lot of whispering 'wistfully' to herself. Both characters were able to grow as the story progressed, which was pleasing.

All good stuff individually, unfortunately packaged together with everything else I just found it a little boring.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #55

Hot Pursuit - Anne Mather
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2002
ISBN: 9780263829761

Reprint-
Passionate Protectors? By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263881103

My rating




From the back cover:

"Sara was beautiful, secretive -- and haunted. Matt Seton was both intrigued and annoyed by his unexpected houseguest. She wouldn't tell him where she was from, but he could tell she was running from something.
Common sense warned Matt not to get involved, but then a newspaper article revealed that Sara was in fact the wife of a rich man and missing, feared kidnapped. Matt knew he couldn't abandon Sara; she needed his protection. And as the atmosphere became erotically charged between them, Matt also realized that, though he mustn't touch Sara, he couldn't let her go...."

This was the first book in the By Request omnibus as above, which I borrowed from my local library. Anne Mather is one of my go-to authors, I have read quite a few of her books. This book, while quite enjoyable, didn't really live up to its potential.

The story begins with the hero Matt meeting the heroine Sara after he car breaks down near his house, he offers to help her arrange to have the car fixed. Matt, a famous author, is suspicious of Sara, especially when she avoids answering questions about herself. Sara has run away from London after an incident involving her abusive husband and is afraid to reveal her true identity. When Matt discovers the truth about her he offers he shelter. Both of them are deeply attracted to one another but afraid to do anything about it due to both of their past hurts and their current situations.

I think the premise of the book had real potential, and a very exciting title, but I don't think it was made the most of. The characters were both good, well developed with a good amount of inner turmoil to deal with. The chemistry between them was really well written, as a reader I was really rooting for them to get together. The title lead me on a bit, being named 'Hot Pursuit' I thought there would be more, er well, pursuit! Like I said, I feel that the idea wasn't made the most of and ended up feeling a little flat.

Xx