365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #73

Forgotten Daughter - Jennie Lucas
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889697





My rating





From the back cover:

"Annabelle... Reserved. Elegant. Scarred.
Sister to seven brothers, Annabelle should be used to men, but her trust was shattered the night her father almost killed her. Now Annabelle is a poised, polished ice-queen, whom no man has ever touched...
Stefano Cortez can tame a wild horse quicker than any man alive and this passion heats the blood in his veins. Annabelle might appear untouchable, but he sees beneath the frost, sees the real her: a woman desperate to be brought alive again."


When I read the first book in this series and read about the 'incident' that caused so much distress for all the Wolfes, I could hardly wait to read Annabelle's story. Coming from Jennie Lucas, I had a feeling it was going to be intense... I wasn't wrong!

At the start of the book Annabelle arrives at a horse ranch in Spain owned by notorious playboy Stefano, the hero. Annabelle is a well known photographer and has earned a reputation of being untouchable, she was left scarred after a horrific beating by her father and has not let anyone close since. She rarely stays in one place for long and hides her scars as well as her emotions. Stefano sees Annabelle as a challenge and immediately desires her but he gets frustrated by her constant rebuffs. In order to be successful at seducing her Stefano begins spending more time with her, but as he gets to know her he begins to have other feelings towards her and senses that she is hiding her real self. When Annabelle finally succumbs to Stefano's seduction they are both shocked at the level of passion between them. Stefano realises that Annabelle means a lot more to him than simply a challenge but Annabelle is determined not to let him close and to move on.

This is a very intense book, since Annabelle's past is very dark you would expect this, and it was done perfectly. Annabelle was written with the perfect mix of vulnerability and detachment, I liked how she had managed to drag herself out into the world and make something of herself even though she was still very tortured by what had happened to her. This was a little hint of the strength inside her that was just waiting for the right man bring it out. Cue Stefano! I'll be honest, I hated him at the start, yes hated! All he could think about was the challenge of bedding her, so he could brag about it perhaps, that I just wanted to hit him over the head the book! However, once he managed to get his head out of the gutter he gradually let his gentle and caring side shine through, sigh! All is forgiven Stefano! To make you change your mind on a character that much shows how strong the writing is.
The chemistry between the two is very, er, intense (sorry that's apparently my favourite word at the moment!). Annabelle's back story is explained and written well and right at the perfect moments to add more layers of emotion to the story, I really felt that the love story between the two characters was believable.

As expected from Jennie Lucas the writing is spectacular, the book is fast-paced and exciting and the characters are well developed. Quite simply, I loved it!

This book will be released on general sale here in the UK mid-July, you can buy it now the Mills and Boon UK website as a bundle with all eight books in the series. It will be released in the US in January 2012 called 'The Girl that Love Forgot' (great title!).

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #72

Illegitimate Tycoon - Janette Kenny
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889680




My rating




From the back cover:

"Rafael... Brooding. Proud. Outcast.
Always an outsider, Rafael spent his life looking in on his privileged Wolfe siblings, a boy in the shadows. And so, determined to create the lifestyle and family illegitimacy denied him, Rafael punishingly worked his way to the top. His marriage to beautiful supermodel Leila was the icing on the cake of success!
Now his marriage is crumbling and the vows he took seem in vain. Rafael chased a rainbow - but made his wife feel as though she was never more than a trophy... Now it will take all of his courage to win his wife back..."

This is the sixth book in the BAD BLOOD series.

The hero Rafael and his wife Leila, the heroine, meet for the first time in 8 months due to their careers taking them away from each other. Rafael is looking forward to spending the week with Leila as he has missed her terribly and wants to finally start trying for the family he longs for. Rafael spent his childhood watching his siblings be together and was never acknowledged by his father. When he and Leila are together he feels complete, only now he feels Leila distancing herself from him and becoming more and more obsessed with her career. Leila, a famous model, is guilt ridden around Rafael, she suffered a miscarriage a year ago, which she believes to be her fault due to her past issues with anorexia, she also never told Rafael about it. Leila has fears she will never be able to have children and is afraid that Rafael will no longer want to be with her, whereas Rafael thinks that Leila has changed her mind about wanting a family and is only interested in her career.

Usually when a romance novel has a married couple as the hero and heroine they are separated or perhaps near to divorcing. That's not the case here, Rafael and Leila have a relatively happy, albeit distant, marriage. This is a different angle and I found it interesting and enjoyable to read.
Rafael is caring and devoted to Leila, but I found his tendency to dictate what she could or could not do a little annoying. He is desperate to have the happy family he feels he missed out on as a child, it seems a little bit of an obsession, and I think he was lucky to have missed out on some of the horrors the Wolfe family went through. Leila was well written, her issues with anorexia were handled with sensitivity and I liked how she really wanted to make a success out of herself. I did feel uncomfortable with the fact that she kept the miscarriage from Rafael.
This is a story about the dangers of couples not communicating in marriage and was interesting, if a little frustrating, to read. I did like the angle of Rafael's experiences of being external, so to speak, to the Wolfe dramas, and I think it added more depth to the whole series.

An enjoyable read.

This book will be out on general sale in the UK in July, and is available now from the Mills and Boon UK website. In the US this book will be titled 'The Trophy Wife' and will be released in December.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #71

Heartless Rebel - Lynn Raye Harris
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889673




My rating




From the back cover:

"Jack... Red-Hot. Renegade. Restless.
Notorious gambler Jack no longer gets a buzz from the risks, or the money, he takes at the card table. In fact it bores him. Until one night he wins more than he ever bargained for...
His prize is the stunning Cara Taylor - she might be down on her luck but she certainly doesn't need rescuing by a maverick card-shark like Jack! Now she's stuck with him she doesn't know whether to love him or loathe him. But, cut from the same pack, playing Jack at his own game is the most fun she's ever had!"


Moving on to the fifth book the BAD BLOOD series, and I couldn't wait to read this one, it was certainly worth it!

The heroine Cara is working as a croupier in a casino in the south of France, one night she is asked by her creepy boss to throw a high stakes poker game and in return she will get a significant bonus. Cara reluctantly agrees as she desperately needs the money to help her family, who are still struggling after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, at the last minute she can't go through with it and the winning hand goes to Jack, the hero. Jack realises what's going on when Cara is taken off the table and into a back room, he steps into help and ends up being beaten. Cara gets him out but she is angry for his actions, which have cost her her job. Jack offers to pay her to attend his brothers upcoming wedding with him, something he is not looking forward to , especially seeing Jacob again whom Jack is still angry with for running out on the family causing Jack to have to step in. They soon begin an affair, which they both know is only a short term thing, only when both of their feelings begin to grow Jack pulls further away.

Lynn Raye Harris is one of those authors with the ability to hook you in right from the very first sentence and this is exactly what she does in this book. I loved the whole opening scene with the high stakes poker game, it was jam packed with tension, enhanced by the regular change of character point of view that made it interesting and exciting. I almost choked on my drink with the amount of money being gambled, do people really gamble that much?!
I adored Jack's character, he was written with a very cool, almost bored attitude that really worked and his issues regarding his family and especially Jacob were believable. Cara was also a great character, she had integrity and was honest, especially in her dedication to helping her family but also being honest enough to admit she needed to get away and live her own life, I think this is very true to life and made her character very relatable.
The chemistry between the characters is nothing short of intense, the strip poker scene was so hot that if I wore glasses they would have steamed up!

The plot was fantastic and fast paced, with realistic characters, this is a great book on its own and a brilliant part of this series.

The book is out on general sale in the UK this month. In the US it will be released in November and will be called 'The Man with the Money' (LOVE that title!).

Enjoy.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #70

Fearless Maverick - Robyn Grady
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889666





My rating




From the back cover:

"Alex… Thrill-seeker. Player.
Champion. Driven to succeed, Alex’s only desire is to win, win, win – at all costs! A champion race-car driver, he lives like he drives – fast, reckless and always number one…
But after a huge crash, his racing career facing ruin, Alex must confront his biggest fear: failure.
Physio Libby Henderson is there to help him get back to fitness, and all Alex wants to do is get physical! Libby’s dealt with more challenging things in life, but it’s taking all of her professionalism to keep this stubborn playboy at bay!"

This is the fourth book in the BAD BLOOD series, and once again another fantastic read.

The story begins with the hero Alex, a famous racing car driver, being involved in a crash after becoming distracted with his memories of his dark childhood, caused by learning about his eldest brother Jacob's return. Due to an injury he is told he will not race for a while and will need physiotherapy treatment and sign off before his return. Alex's solution to get back to racing as quickly as possible is to find a [female] physiotherapist who will not be able to resist his charms, in the hope he will be able to convince her to sign off his injury early.
Alex gets more than he bargained for when physio Libby, the heroine, turns up and refuses to dance to the beat of Alex's drum. Libby is an ex Pro Surfer, after losing her leg in an accident she took control of her life an retrained as a physiotherapist and specialises in sports injuries. She still hasn't fully come to terms with her accident and finds it difficult to trust. Libby can see exactly what Alex is trying to do and doesn't back down, they begin to develop feelings for one another as they open up to each other.

This book is in a different setting that the previous ones, it's set in Sydney. I really liked the change of scenery, which was described beautifully. Libby was a great female character, she had the perfect mix of honesty and inner hurts, both written flawlessly. It was also a refreshing change to have a disabled female character, as well as very brave, and once again this was written beautifully and with sensitivity, the accident that caused Libby to lose her leg was shocking, I actually gasped out loud! I had a bit of an up and down relationship with Alex, I started off not liking him but I grew to like him as the story progressed, he was certainly complex and this was very entertaining to read.
One of the things I liked most about this book was the development of the relationship, it was built over a period of time and the characters feelings were able to develop in a way that felt very believable.

This book is out now in the UK. It will be released in the US in October (same title).

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #69

Restless Billionaire - Abby Green
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889659




My rating




From the back cover:

"Sebastian… Sharp. Cool. Controlled.
Ruthless in business and revered by many, Sebastian is at the top of his game professionally. Emotionally he keeps himself alone, aloof and almost untouchable. Some say his heart is made of stone.
Escaping her wedding, it takes one look at ice-cool Sebastian for Bollywood star Aneesa Adani to be hooked! Passionate Aneesa is the biggest risk Sebastian has ever faced, and letting her close could ignite the fire that melts even the hardest of hearts…"


So, I'm on to the third book in this series and still loving it!

The book begins with the heroine Aneesa, a famous Bollywood star, in the middle of her wedding to her co-star. She is terrified and desperately wants to stop the ceremony knowing that the marriage will be a sham, but is worried about the shame her actions may cause her family. In the end she can't go through with it and runs, inadvertently running into the hero Sebastian's suite. Sebastian, unbeknownst to Aneesa, is the owner of the hotel, earlier he had been observing the wedding and had felt a connection with Aneesa after sensing her fear and loneliness. They end up spending the night together agreeing it's a one night thing, but a few weeks later Aneesa discovers she is pregnant and is forced to leave India for a while due to the scandal. When she tells Sebastian about the pregnancy he offers her a place to stay and they both fall into a rather awkward pattern of living together and trying to be friends, not to mention trying to ignore the chemistry between them.

I really enjoyed this book, the accidental pregnancy plotline is a traditional one, but one that Abby Green does spectacularly (I recommend Abby's 'Ruthlessly Bedded, Forcibly Wedded' for a perfect example of this!). I really loved Sebastian as a character, he is different from the previous two Wolfe brothers, he is more quiet and introverted, although equally as tortured. He took a while to come to terms with the pregnancy and his feelings towards Aneesa and this was very honest and well written. I found Aneesa difficult to warm to, she seemed a little silly at first but as the story progressed she matured and became more sure of herself, which was very satisfying to read.
As expected from Abby Green's books, the chemistry between the characters lit up the pages and the intense emotions kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.

I think the cover should have an Asian woman on it to reflect the heroine. But this has no effect on my enjoyment of the book or the quality of the writing, just an observation.

This book is out now here in the UK. In the US this book will be titled 'The Stolen Bride' and will be released in September.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #68

Shameless Playboy - Caitlin Crews
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889628




My rating




From the back cover:

"Lucas... Playboy. Rebel. Rogue.
No one denies Lucas anything. Women fall at his feet and into his bed at the click of his fingers. His life is charmed, reckless and carefree. He is definitely a bad boy.
Grace Carter knows uncontrollable Lucas could ruin her career and she won’t tolerate his wayward behaviour, despite their chemistry. But working with Lucas is thrilling, and after just a small dose of his magic, even Grace’s prim and proper shell begins to shatter."


This is the second book in the BAD BLOOD series and once again a fantastic book.

The hero of this book is Lucas, the 2nd eldest of the Wolfe siblings, he has lived the majority of his adult life as a playboy 'it' guy and all round darling of the tabloids. After a run in with his eldest brother Jacob, Lucas decides to accept a job as a figurehead for a world famous department store that has past connections with his family, where he meets Grace, the heroine. Grace is busy planning the store's upcoming centenary and relaunch celebrations and doesn't have the time or desire to babysit Lucas, whom she has nothing but contempt for. Grace has worked hard to get where she is after her childhood growing up in a trailer park, and due to a disturbing incident when she was a teenager she has learnt to only rely on herself and cultivated an 'ice queen' image. It doesn't take long for Lucas to realise he wants Grace, but gets only frustrated by her constant rebuffs and his increasing need for her.

This book had me at hello! I literally read it in one sitting. One of the first things that struck me in this book is the fantastic dialogue between the characters, it was full of wit and sass, especially from Grace, this was very enjoyable to read. The characters are well crafted and beautifully written. At first I couldn't warm to Lucas, he seemed lazy and unnecessarily antagonistic, I was agreeing with every one of Grace's negative opinions! As the story progressed I found myself liking him more and more, just as Grace fell more and more in love with him, to me this shows how strong and emotive the writing is. Grace was a great heroine, she was strong and ambitious, yes she was a little uptight and cold but that suited her with her determination to become a success despite her origins.
My favourite element to this book is the development of the relationship, it was very honest. The HEA is immensely satisfying in that there are no sappy overblown declarations of love followed by a proposal, instead it was two people, who didn't have the greatest starts in life, agreeing they love one another and saying 'hey, let's give it a go'! (apologies if that's spoilerish!)

A great book, and I can't wait to read more of this series.

This book is available now in the UK and will be available in the US in August called 'The Disgraced Playboy'.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #67

The next eight books I will be reviewing are part of the new continuity series from Mills and Boon titled BAD BLOOD. Each book is based on one member of the eight Wolfe siblings. Here is the copy for what this series is all about:

BAD BLOOD
A powerful dynasty, where secrets and scandal never sleep!
THE DYNASTY
Eight siblings, blessed with wealth, but denied the one thing they wanted - a father's love.
A family destroyed by one man's thirst for power.
THE SECRETS
Haunted by their past and driven to succeed, the Wolfes scattered to the far corners of the globe.
But secrets never sleep and scandal is starting to stir...
THE POWER
Now the Wolfe brothers are back, stronger than ever, but hiding hearts as hard as granite.
It's said that even the blackest souls can be healed by the purest of love...
But can the dynasty rise again?

I bought these direct from the Mills and Boon UK website where you can get all eight books. They are not all out on general sale yet. For readers in the North American market these will be released under the Harlequin Presents line in the mini-series titles 'The Notorious Wolfes', some of the titles will be different, and I'll add this info in if I can find it!




Tortured Rake - Sarah Morgan
Mills and Boon Modern Special Release
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263889581






My rating




From the back cover:

"Nathaniel…Icon. Celebrity. Heartthrob.
But underneath his movie-star good looks is a man battling with the demons of his past. No one knows the real Nathaniel, they only see the pin-up, the illusion he pretends to be.
Then one night he is forced to rely on Katie Field, an ordinary young woman from a very different world to Nathaniel's. She may be starstruck but she isn't blinded by the bright lights of fame. Can Nathaniel trust her enough to reveal the real man behind the mask? Let the seduction begin…"



At the beginning of this book the hero Nathaniel, a world famous Hollywood actor, is about to make his stage debut. Before he even opens his mouth for his first line he is frozen in shock at seeing someone he didn't expect in the audience. He walks off stage and runs (literally) into the play's costume designer Katie, the heroine. He begs her to help him escape before being noticed, sensing his distress and desperation Katie agrees and takes him to her place. Nathaniel was shocked after seeing his eldest brother Jacob in the audience, whom he hasn't seen in 20 years after Jacob ran out on the family after a horrifying incident. Katie doesn't know what to make of Nathaniel, she can see he is suffering from some trauma that he tries to hold in, and he refuses to open up to her always resorting back to his actor persona. Nathaniel whisks them away to a private island to escape the paparazzi (and his demons), where they begin an affair.

I had been looking forward to starting this series ever since it was released, with it being called BAD BLOOD I knew it was going to be dark, but boy I was not expecting it to be that dark. During these reviews I'm going to try not to reveal too much because trust me when those secrets and events are revealed they will shock you!
This was a fantastic start to the series, if it had stopped at this one I would have been a happy bunny, but from this example I can't wait to read the rest!

In this book Sarah Morgan has written two fantastic characters, neither of them overshadowed the other. Nathaniel is really well developed and every bit the tortured rake (see what I did there?!!), I really liked how he uses his acting as a way to hide from his demons, he slips seamlessly from disturbed to charming in the blink of an eye. I simply adored Katie's character, especially her bouts of endless nervous chatter, I was cringing along with her! She had some self esteem issues, which got a little annoying, but I can forgive this since she was in the presence of a famous actor. She managed to make Nathaniel more normal with her openness, they seem perfectly matched.
Those secrets and events that are revealed are explosive and written with great depth and sensitivity, the journey that is taken in this book is very emotional. Oh and that HEA, wow! just wow!

This is out now in the UK and is out this month in the US titled 'A Night of Scandal'.

Enjoy!

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #66

Just for the Night - Tawny Webber
Harlequin Blaze
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373796168

N.B. This is a North American release


My rating



From the back cover:

"Power outages happen, and you have to be somewhere—like in an empty store—with your ex. Who is still irresistible. And hot. And who knows how to make the most out of a dark situation….
Checklist for: Larissa Zahn
☑ Food
☑ Water
☑ First aid kit (With condoms. Be prepared. Very, very prepared.)
☑ Someone you're still overwhelmingly into (Jason Cantrell, I'm looking at you.)
☑ Plenty of time in the dark (Read: hot nookie. Lots of it.)
❑ The ability to walk away without regrets in the morning…. (Uh-oh!)"


This is one of the books I bought while in NYC, I'm not sure if it has been (or will be) released in the UK. I like the Blaze line, as they are forward and contemporary, this book is both those things and enjoyable.

The heroine Larissa is about to take her career one step further with the hope of winning an empty store in a brand new hotel. After she has given her pitch she is left trapped in the hotel due to a city wide blackout with the hero Jason. Jason is also hoping to win the empty store as a base for his own business. Jason and Larissa were engaged a few years back, which ended badly, very badly, after Jason was led to believe Larissa cheated on him. Larissa was deeply hurt that Jason could accuse her of this and ended the relationship without explaining it, since she has reinvented her career and herself, but still hasn't completely gotten over Jason. While they are trapped together all their past issues and chemistry bubble up, resulting in passionate arguments and even more passionate sex. However they both know it can only for for one night as they both want to be able to move on.

I really liked the idea of the story; throwing together two ex's in an inescapable situation and seeing how they handle it. If the two characters had parted amicably when they broke up previously and just had a night of steamy 'ex sex' then this would not have been as interesting. Neither of the two characters had closure with their relations, so what resulted was some intense and emotional scenes. The sex was every bit as steamy as you would expect from a good Blaze, there was even chocolate body paint, need I say more...!
The author managed to write some great character growth, what I particularly liked is how they dealt with both the issues that drove them apart as well as their own personal issues. I will say that their almost constant arguing did get a bit tedious after a while, although it is very believable to the situation.

An enjoyable read.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #65

A Spanish Awakening - Kim Lawrence
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886474



My rating




From the back cover:

"Twenty-four-hour seduction...
In the chaos of an airport strike, Madrid's most sought-after bachelor Emilio Rios stumbles across old flame Megan Armstrong. In the past he bowed to duty and married the 'right' woman - leaving the less sophisticated Megan on the sidelines. Staying away from Megan has been the hardest thing Emilio's ever done, but now that he's free he isn't going to waste a single minute!
He's got twenty-four hours - plenty of time for a full seduction...
One Night In...A night with these men is never enough!"

This was another book that I bought for my kindle but forgot about! The back cover blurb sounded really exciting, unfortunately the story, while enjoyable, just didn't live up to it.

The story beings with the hero Emilio going to pick his ex wife up from the airport. When he gets there he sees the heroine Megan, the sister of one of his friends and also the girl he fell in love with a few years back. At the time Emilio was stuck in a marriage of convenience and by the time he was free Megan was involved with someone else, or so he thought. Megan is stuck in Madrid to a strike and Emilio offers her a place to stay, Megan is initially reluctant to accept as she believes Emilio doesn't like her, and when he kisses her she thinks it is in order to make his ex wife jealous. Emilio knows that his offer is a front to him finally getting a chance to be with Megan and he is determined to seduce her.

As I said earlier the blurb made this sound really exciting, I was expecting more chaos, perhaps the characters being trapped in the airport... I don't know, maybe I have watched too many episodes of 24! The whole back story of Emilio and Megan's love was just a load of misunderstandings and assumptions, that could have been resolved with just a few words. Megan was a bit annoying as a character, a bit hysterical and written with too little self esteem. Emilio's character saved this book, he was strong and confident with principles and a caring side.

It was enjoyable, but I did find it a bit of a let down.

Xx