Review... Angel of Darkness - Lynne Graham

Angel of Darkness - Lynne Graham
Mills & Boon Romance
Mills & Boon, 1994
ISBN: 9780263786132












My rating

From the back cover:

"'I will never marry you... but I will make love to you as no man ever has before...'
Kelda had always clashed with her stepbrother Angelo and now he was interfering in her life again, ostensibly on their parents behalf  But they both knew there was more to it than that - there was unfinished business from that night five years ago, when Kelda's world had been turned upside-down. Now Angelo was threatening to make her his mistress. Would Kelda be able to resist him, or would his lethal attraction break her heart?"

Wow... this is an example of Lynne Graham at her finest. IMO her older M&Bs just can't be beaten for sure inventiveness and stories that are packed with the most blistering passion and intensity. Her older books also have the feeling that they are treading the fine line between taboo and PC, and this book has that in spades.

The whole stepbrother idea had me immediately on edge, to me it felt like it might be a bit, well, ick! But somehow Lynne Graham made it work, in fact this element of the story far from being a put-off only added to the overall angsty mood of the whole book.

I hated and loved this book in equal measures, and that is what makes it so damn good! Angelo as a hero is someone I wanted to throttle for the way he treated the heroine, but oh-man he is alpha to the core and by the time I was near the end I was almost desperate for him to fess up to his actual feelings. His initial treatment of the heroine suddenly made sense... love it when and author turns your opinion on a character totally on it's head. My only complaint... I wanted his POV included so bad!

The heroine is far from perfect herself; on occasions she acts like a bit of a harpy and really needs to open her eyes to what's going on in front of her eyes. But she is also fun and independent so I couldn't help but like her.

The story is weaved perfectly and is very powerful, it is certainly not an easy read but very worth it. The feelings between the hero and heroine are amazingly written; angsty, emotional, a little bit naughty even and they fight every single one of those feelings from page one so by the time they get to their HEA it felt like a fraught journey. And I loved every minute of it!

If you like the older style M&B's then this is definitely one not to be missed.

Xx

Review... Urgent: One Nanny Required - Olivia Logan

Urgent: One Nanny Required - Olivia Logan
Crimson Romance, 2013
eISBN: 9781440566691













My rating

From the back cover:

"Hollywood director Nick Trenton needs a nanny and fast. It certainly hasn’t helped that his son has run off every one he’s hired. With a big shoot coming up in LA, Nick’s running out of options. Then along comes Rania George—sweetshop owner and one of the few people his son doesn’t want to give the slip. No, she doesn’t like Nick, but he can work around that. He loves his son and will do anything to get the lovely Miss George to say yes to his plan. 

Rania is used to children hanging outside her sweetshop but seeing one alone on a dark night is a first. What sort of parent would let his child wander the streets at night?
Then she meets his Hollywood director father and assumes Nick’s too self absorbed to notice his son is wandering the streets alone. She learned from an early age that anything Hollywood related was bad news. She has vowed to stay away from anything—and she means anything—Hollywood. 

Not that it helps when Nick’s cute-as-a-button son captures her heart nor when she’s offered to babysit said son for a huge amount of money. Only catch is she has to fly to Hollywood and spend three weeks in the company of his devastatingly attractive father. 
After all her experiences with Hollywood, is she willing to risk it"

First and foremost... Yes, I know I haven't posted a review for ages. Sorry! Will try my best to get back on track.

Secondly, many thanks to Olivia Logan for very kindly offering me the chance to read and review this book.

OK, so moving on to the book...

This is a very sweet, almost soft romance that strolls along at a really nice pace and kept me engaged with the story all the way through. 

The character's relationship builds gradually, and beautifully, and what is nice about this book is that there isn't too much external conflict keeping the hero and heroine apart. Instead this is mainly internal conflict, which is well thought out. But... I did feel that the hero's background wasn't fully developed enough and felt a little flat. The promise was there but it didn't quite get into the nitty-gritty that I would have liked, his issues from his previous marriage were hinted at but not really fully explored.

However, the heroine is a well rounded character and her conflict is fantastically portrayed by the author. 

Sometimes when a book includes a child as a secondary character there is a risk that they could overpower the bones of the story, which must (IMO) be all about the hero and heroine in a romance. On occasions this book teetered on the edge of this, some scenes lacked emotional depth with the fantastically cute son stealing the show!

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. It's a sweet and gentle romance that in the right mood can be really satisfying to read. I look forward to reading more from Olivia Logan in the future. 

Xx

Review... Awaken to Pleasure - Nalini Singh

Awaken to Pleasure - Nalini Singh

Mills & Boon Desire

(ebook reissue)

My rating 

This book started off good but quick became contrived and cliché-ridden. Elements of this book had the potential to be incredibly emotional and add really depth to the story, but instead the author just skims the surface and the issues raised just seemed to resolve rather too easily.

Nice descriptive writing, although taken (in my opinion) a little too far with the physical description of the hero. He ended up sounding like some hulking-great, thick-necked, pulsing-veins WWE wrestler - not the toned sort-of sexy kind either!

Found myself rolling my eyes throughout a lot of the book too. Shame, as this could have been so much more.

Xx

Review... The Italian's Runaway Bride - Jacqueline Baird

The Italian's Runaway Bride - Jacqueline Baird
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2001
ISBN: 9780263825558
Reissue - Mills & Boon Modern Backlist, 2011
eISBN: 9781408940228









My rating

From the back cover:

"Gianfranco asked Kelly to marry him, after her holiday affair with him left her pregnant! But, once married, Gianfranco was often away on business, and his family made Kelly's life a misery. Then she heard that Gianfranco didn't want her at all - he just wanted their baby.

Kelly had no choice but to run away. However, one thing was certain. Gianfranco would find her - but why? Because he wanted to reclaim his bride or his child?"


My immediate impression on starting this book is that it starts in the wrong place. The title and blurb clearly tell us what is going to happen but it is not until 70% in that the actual event took place and it skipped to three years later. I feel it would have been better to have started at this point and have the past explored and revealed throughout the course of the story. As it was, I was reading with a sense of impending doom and frustration as I knew what was going to happen but not when/how.

Because of this, I never really engaged with the story and the plot felt, to me, a little flat. There is plenty of emotion in the book, but the author never really delves deep enough into this to make it a really well thought out story. 

Also, the book makes over-use of two very frustrating elements - the evil other woman character and a hero that doesn't believe a thing the heroine says. Add into that a rather whiny 'victim' heroine, it became a little tedious. 

This could have been such a great book; the plot is there, the emotion is there, but the execution lets it down. Kept me interested but left me slightly disappointed.

Xx

Harts of the Rodeo... BEAU: Cowboy Protector - Marin Thomas + Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

BEAU: Cowboy Protector - Marin Thomas
Harlequin American Romance
Harlequin, 2012
ISBN: 9780373754298












My rating

From the back cover:

"Beau Adams can't stop thinking about Sierra Byrne. Her feisty spirit and ample curves dominate his thoughts, while he should be focused on getting himself and Midnight, the Harts' prized stallion, to the National Finals Rodeo. When Beau and Sierra's electric connection finally leads to a steamy night together, Beau hopes it's the beginning of something more.
As much as Sierra wants to be with Beau, anything long-term is out of the question. A recently diagnosed eye disease will soon leave her blind, and she can't ask a rising rodeo star like Beau to take on that responsibility. Though she tries to pretend their tryst was just another item on her bucket list, Sierra's true feelings run a lot deeper. Will she let her affliction steal not only her sight, but her dreams of happiness, as well?"

Everything about this book feels real. From the relationship between the hero and heroine, the setting and situation, right down to the issues that the characters face.

I think Marin Thomas handled the heroine's sight problems, and her coming to terms with her eventual loss of sight, well. It is done with honesty and sensitivity, I particularly liked that this wasn't kept as a secret, especially not from the hero, instead it was actually acknowledge and dealt with instead of angst about. To have had it a secret, I feel, would have over dramatised the situation and overloaded with story with more conflict than was necessary.

Beau, as a hero, is pretty darn wonderful. He tries and tries to woo the heroine and that made my heart melt, and I loved that the heroine constantly surprised him.

The actions, and reactions, of the heroine are exactly what should have happened. She doesn't handle it well at times, does some rather silly things as well as having moments of feeling sorry for herself. Very gripping to read.

Overall, I found this a hard hitting read, which has a beautiful relationship blossom from what the characters are going through. The story is well written and full of tenderness, honesty and hope.

Really enjoyable.

*N.B. ARC provided by Harlequin, with thanks, in exchange for review.

Interview with Marin Thomas

About the book... 

Where did you get your inspiration for this book from?

First, let me say how excited I am to be at Everyday Is The Same—thanks for having me today, RLA!

The inspiration was handed to me by the editors. J Beau: Cowboy Protector is book #5 in the Harts of the Rodeo—Born to Ride continuity by various authors. The editors at American Romance created a bible for this series and gave each author a short synopsis of their individual book as well as their hero and heroine. We were given a framework to start with, then it was up to us to take the ball and run with it.

Describe your heroine in 3 words... 

Stubborn. Creative. Prideful.

Describe your hero in 3 words... 

Determined. Searching. Protective.

What do you think comes next for your hero & heroine? 

A baby of course--American Romance is all about family!

What was the biggest challenge writing this book? 

Creating a sympathetic heroine who was facing a life-changing medical diagnosis. Sierra had to be strong yet human and I wanted the reader to see glimpses of her vulnerabilities without having her come off as a martyr.

What was it like being involved in a multi author series? 

Fun! It's a great way to get to know other authors. The brainstorming sessions were amazing and I especially enjoyed that part of the creative process.

What do you think of the whole series? 

Love it! I love the idea of a famous stallion saving the livelihood of a ranching family and I love that there's plenty of "family" squabbles and drama. The Harts became a real family to me and I enjoyed the chance to delve deeply into my hero's relationship with his twin brother. After reading all the stories I was convinced the hero and heroine in each book were perfectly matched and truly belonged together.

About you... 

Being English I am naturally obsessed with all things American, especially cowboy's, that's why I love the American Romance line so much! But I have two questions... Where have all the cowboys gone?! And are they really like the ones in your books?

The traditional cowboy hasn't disappeared, but I think the traditional rodeo cowboy is changing. Nowadays young men and women fly all over the country to attend rodeo schools where they hone their skills with the help of modern technology. Many of today's rodeo cowboys and cowgirls don't work on ranches but hold down professional jobs during the week.

Much has been said on the topic and relevance of romance novels, what do you like most about the genre, and what is your response to the criticism about it? 

I believe romance novels are inspiring and restore our faith in humanity. After reading a romance novel the reader should feel optimistic and believe that everyone, no matter the hand life has dealt them, is entitled to their very own Happy Ever After.

For those who believe they offer nothing of value to a reader I dare them to say that out loud at the annual RWA Readers for Life Literacy Autographing J

Do you believe in the Happily Ever Afters we love to read about in romance novels? 

Yes, but I also believe that everyone must travel their own path to Happy Ever After. Some folks get there on their first try while others are forced to take a detour or two or three until they meet their perfect mate. J

What's next for you? 

After the final book in my Rodeo Rebels series, No Ordinary Cowboy (April 2013) I'm kicking off a new six-book series called The Cash Brothers. Six crazy and wild brothers all named after country western singers by their mother. The first book, The Cowboy Next Door will be out July 2013.

What is your favourite and least favourite part about being a writer? 

My favorite part about being a writer is when readers contact me and tell me that I've touched their heart with one of my books. I write romance because I love the genre, but I also write because it's my way of giving back to others. I'm not a doctor who can cure the sick or a lawyer who fights for the poor. I can't even volunteer at the Humane Society because I'd end up crying all day and bringing every dog and cat home with me. But I can offer my stories and hope that they give readers a few hours of enjoyment or escape from their busy, crazy lives.

My least favorite part about being a writer is sitting at a desk for long periods. I kid you not. The poor toes on my right foot are numb most of the day now because I sit for long periods of time. I need to invest in a work station where I can stand up and type—better yet, walk on a treadmill while I'm writing!

Anything else you would like to say... 

You can find out more about my books at Happy Ever After…The Cowboy Way. I give away free copies of my books every month—to find out where sign up for my Newsletter.

And I love to hear from readers. You'll find me on FB Twitter Pinterest and Goodreads and if you like cowboys as much as I do, drop by my blog All My Heroes are Cowboys where I've always got something to say about the guys who wear wranglers and Stetsons.


***

A huge thank you to Marin, for not only agreeing to appear on my blog but also for allowing me to be a part of the tour for this wonderful mini-series. The interview is great, with some really candid and interesting answers. 

Marin has also, very kindly, agreed to give a copy of this wonderful book away to one very lucky reader (US, Canada & UK only). All you have to do is leave a comment on this post before Saturday 10th November 2012 along with your answer to this question...

“What is your favorite trait in a cowboy hero?”

Tight Jeans... 'nuff said!

The best answer will be chosen by Marin and I will update this post accordingly. Don't forget to check back!   In the meantime, thanks for stopping by my blog and thanks again to Marin and the Harlequin American Romance team.

Xx

Book Review... The Reluctant Husband - Lynne Graham

The Reluctant Husband - Lynne Graham
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1998
ISBN: 9780373119714
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459262287








My rating

From the back cover:

"She was still his wife!
Frankie thought she'd seen the last of her husband, Santino Vitale—until he breezed back into her life with some earth-shattering news. Their marriage wasn't annulled, and now he intended to claim the wedding night they'd never had!
He had it all worked out. Within three weeks Frankie would have paid her dues and be free to leave Santino, file for divorce and forget all about him forever.
But Santino hadn't reckoned on falling for Frankie all over again—or that now she could be expecting his baby...."


I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book... I liked it, but not all of it. It is certainly classic Lynne Graham in it's style, which is definitely a good thing, however I feel that certain elements needed to be toned down a little.

I find it frustrating when authors include a hero that refuses, point blank, to believe anything the heroine says. The constant accusations of lying get old real fast and this ends up feeling like it is a desperate attempt to get as much conflict into the story as possible.

The heroine had a really interesting background, different and quite daring and it is used nicely, but I couldn't work out why the hero was always angry with her - she's hardly to blame for the crappy life she's had.

The love story between the hero and heroine is nice, but the overall angry atmosphere of the book as a whole overshadowed this a little in my opinion.

This isn't an easy read, but it is a classic angsty story that keeps you interested.

Xx

Harts of the Rodeo... AUSTIN: Second Chance Cowboy - Shelley Galloway

AUSTIN: Second Chance Cowboy - Shelley Galloway
Harlequin American Romance
Harlequin, 2012
ISBN: 9780373754250












My rating

From the back cover:

"No man should look as good as Austin Wright. Especially when that man is a suspect in a string of burglaries. And, Sheriff Dinah Hart can't afford the distraction. Roundup's thieves are growing bolder and Thunder Ranch's prize stallion, Midnight, is still missing, putting the Harts' entire livelihood at risk. Dinah needs to focus, because she's worked too hard to earn the town's respect just to throw it away on a fling.Austin knows he's got a bad reputation. He's been following his father's self-destructive footsteps for far too long. Now he's finally ready to take the first step toward fixing his life, and convincing people, especially Dinah, that he's changed.
But when Austin discovers an unexpected connection to Midnight's disappearance, will Dinah see him for the man he was, or the one he's trying to become?"
Another great book in this mini-series….

From the start this had me hooked, and surprised at the depth of the subject matter.

This book deals with the difficult subject of alcoholism and I think the author does a good job of not making excuses for her hero’s problems and actually having him face up to them throughout the course of the book. So often, especially in my experience of Category Romance, when a character has/had addiction problems it has always been a past event, but this book actually goes through the sobering up process, the meetings, the withdrawal, etc. A nice change, and quite well done.

The heroine is difficult to like; she’s prickly and a little uptight but it does work with her character. Her past or specifically what triggered her change from teenage wild child to respected small town sheriff felt a bit of a let down when it was finally ‘revealed’. I think more could have been made of it to make it more shocking. My opinion obviously, I read so many Presents I'm used to more drama!

At the heart of this story is two flawed characters finding peace with each other and accepting themselves, and the romance is very satisfying to read.

The ongoing plot of the thefts and missing horse from the previous books in this mini-series is resolved but I feel it was done a little too easily; I had though this plot would have carried on into the coming books. But I am eager to see what comes next for this family.

A very enjoyable read. 

-

This book is available now from all the usual Harlequin Books stockists, as well as direct from Harlequin, for readers in USA and Canada.
UK & International readers can buy the ebook from the Mills & Boon UK website.

-

*N.B. ARC provided by Harlequin, with thanks, in exchange for review.

Xx

Book Review... A Husband of Convenience - Jacqueline Baird

A Husband of Convenience - Jacqueline Baird
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373120529
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252042









My rating

From the back cover:

"A father for her unborn baby...
Josie's husband, Conan Zarcourt, was tall, dark and handsome. Yet Josie could only look, not touch, because theirs was a marriage in name alone. Conan had stepped in as father to his brother's child—the baby Josie was carrying.
But when an accident left Josie with amnesia she naturally assumed that Conan was her husband, her lover and the father of her baby. And until she remembered the truth, Conan was more than happy to have Josie in his bed...."

Another Treasury book and another classic trope - marriage of convenience - and one that is done very well by Jacqueline Baird.

There is a lot of reality to this story, such as the heroine regretting her mistake of sleeping with her ex and the difficulties two people face learning to live with one another, and that makes this an enjoyable book to read.

The heroine is nicely independent as well as a but prickly - for the most part I liked her.

The star of the show here though is the hero... right for the first he fell hard for the heroine and spent the rest of their time trying to show her despite having so many obstacles. I love this kind of story and hero.

I could have done without the small amnesia part - or have had it introduced earlier in the story - as it was, it felt a little crowbarred in.

Overall this is a well written, classic story with a pretty much perfect hero!

Xx

Book Review... Wife to a Stranger - Daphne Clair

Wife to a Stranger - Daphne Clair
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373186983
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252288










My rating

From the back cover:

"Stranger in her bed
Capri recognized the handsome man in front of her as her husband. She knew his name was Rolfe, but other than that he was a complete stranger to her. In fact, she could remember nothing at all about her life, prior to waking up in the hospital bed. Perhaps all she needed was to get home to New Zealand and her memory would return.
It didn't, despite some shocking revelations about herself and her marriage. One thing she did know: whatever their marital problems might have been, the chemistry between them was as strong as ever. But how could she sleep with a man she barely knew—even if he was her husband?"

I bought this book from the treasury line ages ago and forgot about it! I have liked the few books I have read from this author so I thought I would give this one a go.

I have noticed that a lot of the Presents from the 90s are the amnesia trope. Yes ok, they are clichéd and a bit weak as believable stories, but I admit that I quite like them!

This one was enjoyable, very much so. The author captured my interest with a wonderfully played out story with glimpses into a very troubled past relationship between the hero and heroine, a hero that would can tell is trying all her can to make it work between them, and a heroine that is vulnerable in exactly the right way.

The writing is wonderful; full of depth with a touch of mystery that captivated me from the word go. Then…

The Plot Twist happens. And it ruined the whole book.

I don’t want to say what it is, but it certainly threw me, I wasn’t expecting it at all and it felt a bit like I’d walked slap bang into a wall. It made this book, quite frankly, ridiculous. I felt let down, not to mention that this twist was introduced far too late for it to have any chance of being correctly played out to make it even slightly more believable and the end was rushed and a bit, well, silly.

Disappointed.

Xx

Harts of the Rodeo... DUKE: Deputy Cowboy - Roz Denny Fox

DUKE: Deputy Cowboy - Roz Denny Fox
Harlequin American Romance
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780373754212












My rating

From the back cover:

"Deputy sheriff and aspiring rodeo star Dylan "Duke" Adams has his hands full with the recent string of burglaries in Roundup, Montana, especially when the thief strikes at his family's ranch. Duke is trying to focus on the case, but he can't stop thinking about a different thief—the petite blonde who just stole his heart.

Angie Barrington can't stand the rodeo. Though she's seen plenty of abused rodeo animals at her rescue ranch, for Angie it runs even deeper. No matter how kind and compassionate Duke is, at the end of the day he's still a cowboy. Right?
When Duke makes it to the national finals, he finally has a chance to bring prestige—and much-needed money—to Thunder Ranch. But if competing means losing the woman of his dreams, how can he ever win?"

The Harts of the Rodeo mini-series has been really enjoyable so far and I was really looking forward to reading this one.

It is a really well crafted story, with plenty of depth. Although I felt the beginning was a little info-dumpy, but it eventually settled down and ended up being really entertaining.  The author tells a nice story with a very natural love-story between the hero and heroine.

For me what makes this book stand out is the heroine. She has morals, and is an animal lover whom questions the ethics of the Rodeos and the treatment of animals. As a long term animal rights advocate this is something I myself have questioned and researched, so I really identified with this. The part of the story when the heroine finally has enough and walks away after seeing something she doesn't agree with made me want to start cheering!

There is something very sweet, almost innocent, about the hero’s wooing of the heroine and it flows really nicely and draws you in totally to the romance.

Overall, this is a nice instalment to the series which leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger so you will want to read the next one!

An enjoyable read.

This book is available now from all the usual Harlequin Books stockists, as well as direct from Harlequin, for readers in USA and Canada.
UK & International readers can buy the ebook from the Mills & Boon UK website.

*N.B. ARC provided by Harlequin, with thanks, in exchange for review.

Xx

Review... Ten Years On - Alice Peterson

Ten Years On - Alice Peterson
Quercus, 2012
ISBN: 9780857383259













My rating

From the back cover:

"Rebecca is happily married to Olly and content with her job at a glamorous London art gallery. But when tragedy strikes, she decides to move back to her childhood home in the country, hoping time will help her to heal. Joe, born in the same country town as Rebecca, had a falling out with her a decade earlier. Now he's the successful owner of a wine bar, Maison Joe, and is breaking local hearts by dating a striking actress, Peta. Rebecca finds living with her parents again a challenge. Nor is it easy to discover that Joe lives and works too close for comfort. When she sees him once more, memories rush back to haunt her, along with unanswered questions about the past. Why did they lose touch? What was Olly hiding? Can Rebecca answer those questions and move on?"

I bought this book when it was on-sale for Kindle for only 20p. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much, just a quick easy read that wouldn't require a lot of attention.

I couldn't have been more wrong... This book is simply wonderful!

The story is beautiful and so full of emotion. I spent the majority of time reading it crying my eyes out, and that doesn't happen often!

The author really took us on a journey with her heroine. The glimpses into the past, as well as the passage of time through the present day story are weaved together perfectly and make the story feel really three-dimensional.

The grief and sadness the heroine goes through feels genuine and the author never makes light of it.

This is a very deep and moving story about love, life, loss, and second chances that had me hooked all the way through.

Highly recommended. Bring tissues!

Xx

Harts of the Rodeo... COLTON: Rodeo Cowboy - C.J. Carmichael + Author Interview

COLTON: Rodeo Cowboy - C.J. Carmichael 
Harlequin American Romance
Harlequin, 2012
ISBN: 9780373754175











My rating




From the back cover:

"After years of tearing up the rodeo circuit—and shirking his family duties—Colton Hart shouldn't be surprised that his return to Thunder Ranch has been a bit thorny. His plan to put the Harts' prize stallion, Midnight, back into dangerous rodeo competition doesn't help.Colt's stirring up trouble off the ranch as well, especially in Leah Stockton's heart. Recently divorced, Leah is determined to make a new life for her two kids. The last thing she needs is a man who acts like a child himself.
And Leah doesn't even know about the biggest mistake of Colt's life. When his shameful secret is revealed, she'll never look at him the same again. But Colt also realizes it's past time he acts like the man Leah deserves…whether she wants him or not."

The glimpses of Colt given in the first book of this series (AIDAN: Loyal Cowboy-Cathy McDavid) intrigued me as to what might be coming in this book, so I was looking forward to reading it.

I'm really pleased that this lived up to expectation. Colton is exactly the kind of hero I like; full of pain, yet self-assured, and willing to love wholeheartedly. I adored the heroine. She is trying to make a new life for herself and her children after being badly hurt, yet she is constantly coming up against obstacles - an inconvenient attraction to Colt being one of them!

The love-story between Cold and Leah develops beautifully and the pacing of the book is spot-on, it really made me want to keep reading.

Colt's pain is very emotional, and understandable after what he has been dealing with alone for so many years. The author handles this well and doesn't hold anything back, including Leah's shock and disappointment when he confides in her.

This is a beautiful read and a great second-instalment to this series... Next please!

*N.B. ARC provided by Harlequin, with thanks, in exchange for review. 

Interview with C.J. Carmichael

About the book... 

Where did you get your inspiration from?

The story line for the Harts of the Rodeo series was developed by our Harlequin American editors…in particular Kathleen Scheibling. I loved the story Kathleen assigned to me. My hero, Colton, made a mistake in his past. That mistake has haunted him ever since and I loved writing about how he finally comes to terms with what he did and sets himself on the path of redemption.

Describe your heroine in 3 words...

Leah has spunk, humor…and she’s a good mom!

Describe your hero in 3 words...

Reckless, good-hearted…and hot!

What do you think comes next for your hero & heroine?

I see them building a house together on Thunder Ranch. I’m not sure if they’ll have more kids. Between them they already have three. I do think they’re going to add a bunch of pets to the mix, though!

What was the biggest challenge writing this book?

This was my first book set in Montana, my first book set on a ranch and my first hero who was a rodeo cowboy. So the learning curve was big. I spent a lot of time researching!

What was it like being involved in a multi author series?

Collaborating with 5 other authors isn’t easy. We all have our own ideas and developing a story arc that covers 6 books is a challenge. But as is often the case, what is the most challenging is also the most rewarding.
Cathy McDavid, Roz Denny Fox, Shelley Galloway, Marin Thomas and Linda Warren all have the three qualities that I love to see in people I work with: Talent, a good work ethic, and a terrific sense of humor!

What do you think of the whole series?

It’s a satisfying family saga with a bunch of really interesting characters. I love the fact that each hero and heroine is a unique individual. I think readers will really appreciate that. And I also love the story line that centers around the Hart’s prize stallion: Midnight of the Rodeo. Midnight is the real star of this series!

About you...

Being English I am naturally obsessed with all things American, especially cowboy's, that's why I love the American Romance line so much! But I have two questions... Where have all the cowboys gone?! And are they really like the ones in your books?

I live in Calgary where we have the tradition of the Calgary Stampede. This is a 10 year party/rodeo/exhibition/fair that sweeps over our city and fills our streets and bars with real cowboys. Yes, they exist!
But I think what women really hunger for are manly men with a sense of honor and a feeling of connection to the land and their family. And yes, those men do exist, but nowhere are they quite as ideal as in our books!

Much has been said on the topic and relevance of romance novels, what do you like most about the genre, and what is your response to the criticism about it?
I think, like all genre fiction, you find those authors who write what you like and you stick with them. Good romantic fiction delivers a story that sweeps you away. Dynamic characters, an engaging plot, and a warm, satisfying ending that leaves you believing in the good things in life.
I get frustrated with people who say they don’t read romance but enjoy watching films like Crazy, Stupid Love; The Proposal; When Harry Met Sally. Don’t they realize that these are romance stories in another form? Let’s support the books as well as the films!

Do you believe in the Happily Ever Afters we love to read about in romance novels?

I see them every day. And I’m working on my own Second-Chance Happily Ever After.

What's next for you?

My own cowboy series: Coffee Creek Montana! The Lamberts are a powerful ranching family with a controlling mother as the matriarch. Olive Lambert runs the ranch and tries to run her children’s lives as well. Readers will have to judge whether she succeeds…

What is your favourite and least favourite part about being a writer?

I love building new worlds. I’m very visual and like to visit the places I write about. I also collect pictures. I’ve just started using Pinterest to bring all these pictures together. I have a board for every book in my Coffee Creek Montana series. I invite you to take a look: http://pinterest.com/cjcarmichael/

Least favorite thing? When deadlines collide with visits from daughters or fun outings with friends…

Anything else you would like to say...

Readers…I’d love to have you visit my website. I have lots of background on my stories, research and writing process. As well as frequent contests. So come and stay a while! www.cjcarmichael.com.

Thank you Rebecca for inviting me to your blog. I love to hang out with people who love books!

Happy Reading!
CJ

***

Thanks CJ for visiting my blog, and for a great interview.

For a chance to win a copy of COLTON: Rodeo Cowboy, and read another fabulous interview with C.J. hop over to my wonderful friend Sara's (AKA Harlequin Junkie) Harts of the Rodeo site by the end of today - Link

Harts of the Rodeo... AIDAN: Loyal Cowboy - Cathy McDavid

AIDAN: Loyal Cowboy - Cathy McDavid
Harlequin American Romance
Harlequin, 2012
ISBN: 9780373754137











My rating

From the back cover:

"Aidan "Ace" Hart left Flynn McKinley heartbroken when he put family duty above her feelings. Then one night, the old passions were reignited and now Flynn is about to get something she's always wanted—a child to love. 
Ace takes his responsibilities very seriously. Running Thunder Ranch and his busy veterinary practice leaves little time for a personal life. That'll only get worse now that he's spending every spare minute with Midnight, the champion rodeo stallion he hopes will save the ranch from financial disaster. 
Flynn refuses to marry Ace and be yet one more "responsibility" to him. She wants Ace to want to marry her! And until he admits he loves her, she's determined to raise her baby alone…."


This is exactly the kind of American Romance book I like; real, down-to-earth characters with flaws that everyone can relate to all taking place in cowboy-land! A great start to this mini-series.

The author paints a vivid picture of the ranching setting, and the passion the characters feel for their world is wonderfully portrayed. The hero is wonderful, and his love for what he does, is very clear. I really enjoyed reading about all the interactions with the horses, it was very moving - even though I had to look up nearly every term as I know nothing about horses!

The love story between the hero and heroine plays out beautifully, and it is nicely uncomplicated in the sense that there was no other conflict apart from the characters own issues that they worked through as the story progressed.

'Lovely' is the word here, the whole book is very heart warming.

Overall, this is a very satisfying romance and, in my opinion, the very definition of books from this line. Cathy McDavid does a nice job of introducing characters and hinting at issues that we will discover in coming books in this series. Can't wait for the next.


This book is available now from all the usual Harlequin Books stockists, as well as direct from Harlequin, for readers in USA and Canada.
UK & International readers can buy the ebook from the Mills & Boon UK website.


*N.B. ARC provided by Harlequin, with thanks, in exchange for review.

Book Review... The Innocent's Surrender - Sara Craven

The Innocent's Surrender - Sara Craven
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263877649











My rating

From the back cover:

"His price: her awakening 
Natasha Kirby has long been saddened by her family’s feud with the Mandrakis men…now she’s caught in its savage crossfire. Her family’s business has fallen into the hands of merciless tycoon Alex Mandrakis. Summoned to his bedroom, Natasha is given an impossible ultimatum: sacrifice her virginity, or he will destroy her family! 
Captive on Alex’s luxury yacht, Natasha finds her trembling fear turns to traitorous shivers of desire. By rights she should despise him, but slowly she finds herself wishing that her bittersweet seduction could last for ever…"


I feel like before I start writing this review I should put a disclaimer or something... This will not be a book for everyone, that's for sure!

This is a difficult review to write because this is a difficult book to read, at times. There is something about Sara Craven's rather un-PC books that I like, she's certainly 'old school' in her style. This one, well, perhaps it went a little too far!

If you read any other review for this you will be able to ascertain that the first love scene is, er, not the best. I'll be honest, it's a little rapey...

In my opinion it would have been much better without it as the rest of the story is beautifully written and very absorbing.

The book feels very dark, so in a way the first love scene does fit the mood. Sara Craven does a great job of hinting at the real truth underneath all the horrible surface stuff, and that makes you want to keep reading.

The heroine fights her feelings at every step and as a result her character really goes on a journey of self discovery (sorry for the newage speak!). She starts off unforgivably naive yet ends up really growing as a character.

The same for the hero, even though there was no POV for him, at the start I hated him but ended up falling totally for him.

This is a very up and down book, but somehow Sara Craven waves her wand and makes this a very compelling read.

If I have one moan it is that the hero and heroine didn't meet until 15% into the book (thank you Kindle stats!) and that felt a little too long to wait, IMO.

Anyway, like I said, it's not for everyone but I actually enjoyed this book.

Xx

Book Review... Androletti's Mistress - Melanie Milburne

Androletti's Mistress - Melanie Milburne
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 2007
ISBN: 9780263853612
Reissue - Mills & Boon Modern Backlist
eISBN: 9781408939499










My rating

From the back cover:

"Duty forced Nikki Ferliani to leave the only man she'd ever loved - Massimo Androletti - and marry another. Massimo was left with the bitter memory of Nikki, the gold-digging seductress. Now she's widowed and broke, and the only person who can help Nikki is the very man she once betrayed...
Massimo has purchased her body for revenge, and she's paid with her heart. Little does he realize that Nikki's now carrying his child, and would have given him both for free..."

This is a re-read, I first read it maybe two years ago and enjoyed it a lot, and I still very much enjoyed it on second reading!

Reading this book is a bit of an effort, it has a lot of difficult moments and at times I really wanted to hate the hero and his [occasional] cruel attitude towards the heroine. But at the same time I could see why he would behave that way. This is something that Melanie Milburne does quite a lot - her characters behave very badly but she is able to make the reader empathise with them, and her hero's always tread the fine line between Alpha-male and complete bastard yet she makes this work.

I was hooked throughout the whole book, mainly down to the fact that the heroine's story is uttely heartbreaking.

With all the anger between the hero and heroine there is lots of fiery passion to go with it, as well as some genuinely tender moments that balances the mood a little.

The book deals with some difficult subjects, but they are handled well. Yes, it is a little hard to read and, perhaps, overly dramatic but it is also a moving and powerful read - especially for a 180ish page category romance!

Xx

Book Review... Behind the Castello Doors - Chantelle Shaw

Behind the Castello Doors - Chantelle Shaw
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890730











My rating

From the back cover:

"Torment on his doorstep 
Cesario Piras, brooding master of the Castello del Falco, wasn’t prepared for the visitor who turned up on his doorstep during a raging storm – or for the little bundle bearing the Piras name she had in tow. Cesario’s head screamed Run, but his damaged heart began to betray him. 
Beth Granger knew the moment she knocked on the castle door that there was no going back. She had a job to do. But the moment Cesario looked deep into her pleading eyes her faultless plan crumbled around her…"

Chantelle Shaw is one of those authors who I can't decide if I like or not. I have read a lot of her books and they are a little hit and miss, but this one was a hit! I really enjoyed it.

When I started reading this book I was almost groaning out loud thinking that I knew exactly what was going to happen. But I'm pleased to say that the author surprised me and didn't take the easy cliché route.

I adored everything about the hero and heroine, their backgrounds were equally painful and these were two damaged and flawed characters. As a result, there is plenty of angst in this story as well as some explosive passion.

The plot is absorbing and keeps you guessing. There is an almost tense atmosphere to this book that really helps set the mood, and draws you in.

Worth a read, definitely!

Xx

Book Review... Marrying the Enemy! - Elizabeth Power

Marrying the Enemy! - Elizabeth Power
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373187003
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252301










My rating

From the back cover:

"For better, or for worse... 
Alexia had known that coming home after all these years would be difficult - even more so as she'd be living under the same roof as York Masterton. The last time they'd met, Alexia had been an innocent teenager. Now she was a sophisticated woman who knew what she wanted: her rightful inheritance. 
York didn't bother to hide his suspicious dislike of Alexia - until he realized that, far from hating her, he wanted to marry her And he'd give everything he owned to be able to trust his new wife. Especially now that she was having his baby...."

I'm a fan of Elizabeth Powers's books, there is something about the very emotional stories she writes that apeals to me, and this is another good book of hers.

At first the story is a little difficult to get into, there seemed to be a lot of hints to lots of different things that you don't really make sense of until much later in the book. That is frustrating, but it certainly keeps you interested, and keeps you reading!

The relationship between the hero and heroine is full of ups and downs, as well as plenty of passion, betrayal, angst, etc - all those lovely things that you want out of a Presents! The heroine's background is interesting, and well written to have some great emotional impact. It was particularly interesting to have a grey haired heroine (hereditary premature greying), it would have been nice if this had been reflected on the cover.

The bitchy-other-woman character and plot was unnecessary and I feel that it ruined the flow of the book, it seemed forced in.

Overall, this is a very entertaining book.

Xx

Book Review... Wicked Caprice - Anne Mather

Wicked Caprice - Anne Mather
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1996
ISBN: 9780373118694
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459268784










My rating

From the back cover:

"Temptress--or tormentor? 
Was Isobel Herriot a marriage-breaker? Patrick Shannon's sister certainly believed her husband was having a torrid affair with Isobel. But when Patrick paid a visit to Isobel's Cotswold craft shop he couldn't be so sure.
How could he reconcile the fact that someone so reserved could also be promiscuous? Or that someone who played down her generous curves could also arouse him to uncontrollable passion? Patrick wasn't interested in a relationship that he couldn't control, but Isobel was beginning to torment him in the wickedest of ways...."


I bought this book a while back but never really felt inclined to read it, I'm not a massive fan of the title! But I really enjoyed reading this one.

The relationship between the hero and heroine is built really well by the author, there is plenty of passion and angst, with a little bit of misunderstanding thrown in.

The hero was particularly well crafted - he was at war with his feelings towards the heroine and this is portrayed beautifully. The heroine has a great mix of feistiness and naivety that makes her very relatable, I also liked that she made sure to assert her independence.

The author set up the initial meeting between the hero and heroine and the eventual betrayal perfectly, both the hero and heroine were at fault, which made this book much less one sided than a lot of other books with the revenge style plot.

I could have done without the last-minute scene with the hero's bitchy sister, and also the other woman part - why is it that some authors resort to throwing in unnecessary clichés when they already have a good enough story?!

But overall this is a well written story, with a wonderful love-story that has plenty of passion and emotion.

Xx

Book Review... The Valentine Child - Jacqueline Baird

The Valentine Child - Jacqueline Baird
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1996
ISBN: 9780373117956
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459276123










My rating

From the back cover:

"Would Valentine play Cupid?
When Zoë's baby arrived on February 14, it seemed only natural to call him Valentine! But as far as Zoë was concerned, Valentine had been the only romance in her brief marriage to Justin Gifford. And since Justin had harshly declared that he never wanted to see her again, she hadn't had the chance to tell him that he had a son.... But then the unthinkable happened: Valentine became desperately ill and Zoë knew that she would do anything to save him—even if that meant seducing her own husband!"

Another book from the Treasury line. I have been enjoying reading older books recently, some of the more recent ones have been a little disappointing.

This book turned out to be so much more enjoyable than I expected. The title and blurb really don't do it justice. This is a 'secret baby' book, but that's not the entire focus of the book, which makes it very interesting.

I really enjoyed reading the hero and heroine's early relationship - how it built and how it, eventually, crumbled. Both the characters make mistakes in the relationship, and I appreciated that the author didn't attempt to sugar coat them.

Communication, or more accurately, lack of communication is the 'theme' of this book. The hero and heroine are so afraid to talk to one another, and the author does a great job of showing how this slowly festered and snowballed into a complete lack of trust, which eventually destroys their relationship, and it is still present when they eventually re-connect. Very emotional reading.

The secret baby part of the story is handled well, and interesting as it is not the main source of conflict in the book.

Absorbing and emotional.

Xx