Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor #6) by Jill Shalvis

Forever and a Day (Lucky Harbor #6)
by Jill Shalvis
Expected publication: July 31st 2012
Publisher: Grand Central

review courtesy of netGalley

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT.

Grace never thought she’d be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh’s loveable mutt to caring for his rambunctious kids. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad…

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family–until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “good bedside manner.” Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day…

My Thoughts

Ok, Jill Shalvis is making it sooo difficult to choose a favorite in the Lucky Harbor series, but thusfar this is my favorite. It was everything you would want in a romance book, happy ever after at it's best!

The hero and heroine are complete opposites- but you know the saying opposites attract,  making the banter and tension between the two, hot! Through Jill's wonderful writing you witness a the story of the making of a family. Grace who didn't want any emotional ties finds herself falling in love with Josh's family despite the inner barrier she has created around her heart.

Grace is in search of a job, she comes to Lucky Harbor after leaving her last one where putting out for the boss was part of the deal. She has been raised to achieve, aim high, being the adopted daughter well educated parents, always trying to live up to their high expectations. But the job prospects are slim so she begins to take on odd jobs- modeling for drawing class, floral deliveries.  Her life changes when she takes on the most challenging job of all "dog sitter" for Josh, the drop dead gorgeous ER doctor, that has been appearing in the series.  This job should be easy, peasy.... "Um hi, this is your dog walker... I might have just killed your puppy".  That is just a sample of the hilarious dialogue in this book. Hold on, this book is more than just a comical romance, this book is about growing, trusting, and best of all loving.

Josh is a single dad, responsible not just for his young son, but for his sister who is in a wheel chair, being the only survivor after their mom and dad were killed in a car accident. And if that wasn't enough on his plate, he works in the ER and also took over his dad's medical practice, talk about the weight of the world of your shoulders.  The last thing he needs in his life is a relationship.. but you know fate it happens whether you are ready for it or not.

Josh and Grace, you put them together and sparks fly!  Forever and a Day is the perfect summer book, filled with a whirlwind romance that encapsulates true love at its finest. If you are still thinking about what to read this summer, this is a must.  It can be a stand alone, some of the other characters show up in this one, but Jill sets the background so you don't feel like you are missing anything.  Make it a Jill Shalvis summer, its's hot enough on the outside and the inside to just sizzle your fingers..

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating

                   

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The Lucky Harbor Series:

Simply Irresistible

Book One
October 2010

The Sweetest Thing

Book Two
April 2011

Heating Up the Kitchen

eBook
Companion to The Sweetest Thing
April 2011

Christmas in Lucky Harbor

2-in-1 reissue of Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing
October 25, 2011

Head Over Heels

Book Three
November 22, 2011

Lucky In Love

Book Four
May 22, 2012

At Last

Book Five
June 26, 2012

Forever and a Day

Book Six
July 31, 2012

Tempted by the Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan #3) by Michelle Willingham

Tempted by the Highland Warrior (MacKinloch Clan #3)
by Michelle Willingham

Published June 19th 2012 

Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 0373296983 (ISBN13: 9780373296989)

review courtesy of netGalley

After years of brutal torture, Callum MacKinloch is finally free of his captors--but his voice is still held prisoner. He'd never let anyone hear him scream.Although Lady Marguerite de Montpierre's chains may be invisible, they threaten to tie her to a loveless and cruel marriage.

When Marguerite discovers Callum waiting to die, her heart aches for the warrior beneath the suffering--but they can have no future. Yet she is the one woman with the power to tame the rage locked inside him. Maybe he can find another reason to live...for her.

My Thoughts:
I wasn't sure how the author was going to pull this off, writing for a character who couldn't not speak, but she did it and she did it in spades.  Wonderful stretch of her writing ability, bravo to Ms Willingham.  

Callum and Marguerite were kindered sprits, both imprisoned, she by the invisible chains of her father in arranging her marriage and Callum who has been imprisoned by chains since he was twelve.

Marguerite risks it all by coming to his aid, just that moment of kindness gives him the courage and the will to survive. Callum suffers ongoing beating, he stands strong throughout all of them, determined not to break, he conditions himself not to scream, although his wounds heal over time, he remains silent and his voice is still tucked away. No matter how hard he tried, his words were locked away, keeping him silent.  Despite the silence and against all odds, these two fall in love.  And in the end, will  the sacrifices they make to be together be enough?  Can Callum save her as she had saved him? And what a love story it is..

The characters were so well written, you could feel their emotions. This heartbreaking story is one not to miss. Be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions, there is so much going on in this book so hang on tight. Can true love prevail after all the obstacles that is placed in front of them? You just need to read it to see how they face each obstacle head on..

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:

                   

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The Guy Most Likely To...Underneath It All, Can't Get You Out of My Head,A Moment Like This by Leslie Kelly, Janelle Denison, Julie Leto

The Guy Most Likely To...Underneath It All, Can't Get You Out of My Head, A Moment Like This
by Leslie Kelly, Janelle Denison, Julie Leto
Published June 19th 2012 by Harlequin Books

review courtesy of netGalley

"Ever wonder what happened tothe guy most likely to...Score with the prom queen?"

Lauren and Seth were the high school "it" couple--until Seth disappeared on prom night. But a reunion gives Seth a chance to show Lauren an evening "long" overdue.

"Not date a Playboy Bunny?"

Ali was the highlight of geeky Will's high school years. But now that he's ditched the nerdiness, he's 100 percent of calculated hotness...and Ali won't be able to say no.

"Ride out of town on a Harley?"

Rebel Scott "Rip" Ripley always had a thing for the elusive Erica. But reunion night holds a few sexy surprises when Erica decides it's time to take the bad boy for a ride.

My Thoughts:
This was a great quick summer read, each story is filled with steamy scenes, just want you want on a hot summer day.  Three of my favorite Blaze authors team up to create three sizzling books centered around "high school reunions".

"Underneath it All" by Leslie Kelly
Being stood up at your high school prom is not a good thing, especially if you are the Prom Queen and your King is MIA. Seth and his family leave suddenly and leave no explanation. The last thing Lauren wants to do is attend her 10 year reunion, but she promised her best friend she would go, she wasn't expecting was Seth to walk in looking hot as ever!! Can the past be explained, can they mend their broken hearts, well you know with Leslie Kelly true love and HEA are always possible.

"Can't Get You Outta My Head" by Janelle Denison
Cheerleader falls for class nerd! What a wonderful storyline, these are they type of stories I love reading.  Class bullies kept them apart all those years ago, but seeing each other ten years later at their class reunion, can they rekindle the romance?

"A Moment Like This" by Julie Leto
I almost didn't finish this one, actually I skimmed through it rather quickly, yes it was super hot and sexy, but there storyline was weak. Bad boy and good girl reunite at reunion. I didn't see their romance blossoming to more than fulfilling an itch, a lust, not a HEA but more than let the good times roll..


I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:  an average

                 

   
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Takes Your Breath Away #6

I am happy to welcome back, Black Tulip. She once again joins Forever Book Lover with several wonderful and poignant quotes, which she has graciously shared from the books that she has read. You know the ones, they are the moments when one character expresses their true feelings, their love for another, maybe you dog ear the page, or highlight them on your ereader, they're the ones where you simple have to catch your breath, because they simply- Takes Your Breath Away.

Later as dawn crept into the sky, they lay entwined, reluctant to allow even sleep to part them.
She said it first, allowed it to slip out as his body plundered her own. "I love you. I love you." And then he had exploded deep inside her so she knew, without him ever saying, that this was what he had desired to hear above all.
Dangerous Enchantment - Margaret Blake

She pressed her hands to his chest. "Do you not see, my dearest? For too long you have walled yourself behind a fortress, shutting out the pain, but also dwelling in shadows of your own making. Yet, I see the light that yet shines in your heart. You cannot hide it, and I would see it burn brighter still."
Shades of the Past- Kathleen Kirkwood

"I thought I'd lost you," Skyler said, choking on tears.
"No, love," Quentin lifted her chin with his forefinger, gazing into her eyes, "You had me the first day I saw you. I love you, Skyler Ellesbrooke."
The Road to Dark Desire - Brooklynn Rivers

“I’ve always loved you, Adriane. I just didn’t know it until I saw you.”
Adriane could see the depth of his promise in his eyes. With him beside her, she’d be able to face whatever was to come. Even the blackest closet of her fears would never be completely dark again, for his love would glow from inside her to push aside the darkness. A gift of light from the Lord who had heard her prayer in the darkness.
Words Spoken True - Ann H. Gabhart

“I'm afraid, so afraid,” she whispered against his mouth as he sought to reclaim hers.
“Afraid o' wha', mo cáran? O' lovin' me?”
“Afraid of loving you, only to lose you.”
“Our love is a blessin' we've both been given, a blessin' tae be treasured, no' feared. Time canna take tha' from us, in any century. No matter wha' may come, our love will remain.”
He kissed her deeply then, a thick, full kiss, extravagant and timeless. Julia gave herself completely to that pleasure, loving him with her lips. As that sweet joining continued, Julia felt a part of her flow out to him, even as a part of him flowed to her.
A Slip in Time - Kathleen Kirkwood

What breathtaking quotes, thank you for sharing these with us Black Tulip.

If you would like to submit your favorite quotes to be featured in "Takes My Breath Away", please fill out this form and I will share your wonderful quotes with all.  

Lord of Fire and Ice by Connie Mason, Mia Marlowe

Lord of Fire and Ice
by Connie Mason, Mia Marlowe

Published July 3rd 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

ISBN: 1402261853 (ISBN13: 9781402261855)

review courtesy of netGalley

His Duty is to Fulfill Her Every Desire...

Brandr the Far–Traveled has seen the world and a good many of the beautiful women in it. His bed skills are the stuff of steamy legend, his sword sings death, and he can call up fire from thin air. No one in a hundred years ever thought he could be enslaved through trickery and forced to wear the iron collar of a thrall—least of all him.

Until All She Desires is Him...

Katla the Black isn't just called so for her dark, silky hair. His new mistress has a temper as fierce as a warrior's and a heart as icy as the frozen North. But inch by delicious inch, Brandr means to make her melt.

My Thoughts:

Wow, my first viking book!!  Very steamy and sensual! Who knew that these warriors could be passionate and romantic heros.  Brandr was a warrior with the ability to conjur up fire, until he was poisoned and capture and an iron collar was place upon his neck.

Katla was a strong minded warrior of her own, she is a widow, responsible for her farmstead and the people that live within it. Karla wants to be desired for herself not for the land that comes with such a bond. She dreams of the mighty passion, she yearns for it. A bond so strong and intimate that lovers could hear each others thoughts. She hopes for this with her first marriage, but instead her husband leaves her bed once a month, has his own thrall, a sex slave he would go to when Katla had her monthly cycle. What a dog!!

Her brothers bring her a gift one night, a thrall (Brandr), the son of the man responsible for the death of her husband. She was out for revenge of his death, but to keep the thrall she has to agree to the marry the man of their choosing.

I was hoping for more of a fight from Brandr when he became held against his will, being the warrior he took the duty of slave with little fight. It was almost anti climatic. The other thing that didn't fit is the whole "fire" thing, it is in the title, it is in the cover art and our hero warrior may have demonstrated some of his abilities but I would not say that this was a "paranormal" book in as much as it was a romance book. There was more fire and sparks in their intimacy then coming from our hero.

Despite the above, the book was filled with a wonderful love story developing between Katla and Brandr. When it was down to the three men that Katla had to decide upon, she chose Brandr, knowing that once she removed the collar he would depart and return to his land.  But his love was strong with or without the collar, she finally got her dream, the mighty passion, hearing Brandr voice in her head. Still untrusting of his intentions, it took a bit before he was able to hear her voice, but in the end these two find the true HEA.

All I know is while I draw breath, all I am is yours.

Connie Mason and Mia Marlowe offer up one compelling and sizzling read. There is kidnapping, torture, revenge, passion and love. Sit back and be entertained.  This would be one to put on your TBR list. 

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating:

                 

     Buy it today!     

To Seduce a Scoundrel by Darcy Burke

To Seduce a Scoundrel
by Darcy Burke
Published July 5th 2012 by Intrepid Reads
ISBN:  0615639534 (ISBN13: 9780615639536)

Quintessential debutante Lady Philippa Latham is determined to avoid scandal at all costs so that she may marry well. When her mother’s outrageous behavior threatens their family’s reputation, Philippa unwittingly follows her to a party no unmarried Society girl would risk attending. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Philippa is “rescued” from disaster by England’s most notorious scoundrel, which sets them both on a path to public and personal ruin.

Lord Ambrose Sevrin is infamous for ruining his brother’s fiancé and refusing to marry her. Content to remain among the fringe of the upper ten thousand, he is an intriguing enigma to London’s elite. Philippa thinks she’s met the true Ambrose—a gentleman who would fight to defend her and help her secure a husband before it’s too late. But he can’t be that husband, even for her. He won’t tolerate redemption—or love—for his crimes are far worse than anyone can imagine.

My Thoughts:
And I didn't think this series could get any better... To Seduce a Scoundrel, by far is my favorite of the series, but I think I may have said that when I reviewed the first two, Her Wicked Ways and His Wicked Heart  :)  But honestly, Darcy Burke has once again knocked this out of the park!!!

Sevrin suffered hatred not only by those who shunned him but his worse enemy was himself.  He has carried around this inner loathing over what he did and how it tore his family apart that he deemed himself unworthy of love. We got a glimpse of him in the past book, His Wicked Heart, I knew he had a tale to tell and I am so happy he had a chance to tell it.

Phillipa, well now she couldn't be more of a better match for our fallen hero. She defies societies "norm" and refuses to marry unless she has a say in the matter. Her well to do family has fallen apart, her mother's wicked ways is what brings Phillipa to a ill respected place to confront her mother and her lover.

Sevrin and Phillipa had sizzling sexual chemistry, sensual love scenes, and deliciously fun, witty banter. Readers will fall in love with Sevrin's personality transformation- I found it believable, beautifully moving, and utterly romantic.  Even the epilogue was sinfully yummy!

You are my life, my love, my reason for breathing. ... if you don't marry me, I'll simply spend the rest of your life destroying your reputation until you do.

The secondary characters came to life before your eyes. The scenery and the "fight" was vivid you could even feel like you were part of it..

Step back in time and fall in love this summer!! Darcy Burke has moved up to my auto buy, she is an author you want to add to your bookshelf or ereader!! I was so excited to read that this wonderful series has at least two more books to come, Never Love a Scoundrel (Lord Lockwood and Lady Lydia Prewitt) and Scoundrel Ever After (Jagger & Ms Audrey Cheswick).

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this ebook!

My Rating  

                   

 

In the Spotlight ~ Characterized

On Wednesday's, Forever Book Lover hosts a feature, "In the Spotlight".  It introduces bloggers, we get to learn about their reading genres, what they do when they aren't blogging.  It has been a blast and today's featured blog is no exception.  Characterized is a team of three friends, Anastasia, Demitra, & Persephone, who partnered up to share their love of books. This is a quote from their blog, so you can see that these three are BFF's.

We have known each other since 1st grade. We're city girls from New York. Our parents like to think of us as inseparable. As they say, "Our parents couldn't handle us as sisters, so they settled for best friends."

Welcome, Anastasia, Demitra, & Persephone!!!

 
When and how did you all decide to become create a blog?
We decided to start the blog in the beginning of our sophomore year in high school. Yeah that's right, we're teenagers. Before actually considering making a blog, we sold about half of our joint YA libraries at home. Then we decided, "Hey, we should find a way, to write all our thoughts about every book we read down." Eventually we heard about this website, called Goodreads, and started following a lot of people's reviews, and each time we did it would say “for more reviews click here” with a link to their blog, so we decided why don't we make a blog? (Oh boy, was it way harder than it seemed.) I guess this takes us into the next question, doesn't it?

So far, what’s the hardest part of being a book blogger?
Well, for starters, writing a review for every book we read is kind of hard. Before we started our blog, we would just read a book and move onto the next one, but now we have to express our thoughts in a review of one to four paragraphs. We find this kind of a hard habit to adopt, but we're getting there (: . In addition, most bloggers have one to two posts a week but since we are still in high school, we're not able to post as frequently as most bloggers (but we are still dedicated of course). 

What do you do when you are not blogging?
When we are not blogging, we are doing homework, studying for tests, joining any extracurricular activities that we can, and of course, planning the next meeting for our Book Club at school. We are also on the school varsity soccer, and volleyball teams together. (You'd be surprised how hard height deficient teenagers can hit/ kick a ball.) We all seem to be defective in whatever growth hormone controls height. All 5"1 inches of us, but if at first you don't succeed ... stand on your tippy-toes, right? Since we had a smidge of extra money left in the school budget, we decided to make a book club. Our book club came right after the blog. We just asked are principal, and he says "Good idea, ladies!" And just like that our meetings of 3, became meetings of 45 teenagers. Whoop, Whoop! Right now we're reading Envy by Gregg Olsen altogether. Then we'll write a collective review, as a club together. Wow. We really do like reading ... Pretty strange for a teenager, isn’t it?

How many followers do you have? How often do you post to your blog? How can people follow you? Okay so write now we have 101 beautiful followers, and the number keep growing! Which totally just blows our minds. As previously stated we are often occupied with schoolwork, but in a good week, maybe twice, and thrice? People can follow us via Linky, Shelfari, Goodreads; we're considering making a Facebook page, and GFC, of course.

Tell us about how the name of your blog "Characterized". What does it mean and how did you all come up with it? 

Characterized? Okay wow, we really like this question. Characterized is supposed to be a YA book blog, but also a self preserving, and encouraging blog, in which we may post a few quotes, talk what they mean to us, and hope they touch or reach someone out there. When we came up with the name we were thinking something along the lines of be-yourself, but also relating to books. You'd be surprised, with the crazy names we came up with. (We're all smiling as we're answering this question, because it took us about 3 hours to think of a name.) We wanted the sub-heading to definitely be “Building Libraries and Character”. Which if you look, it still is. Then we all start yelling out random names, "Read now," "Stop, drop, and read," "This is a no name blog," "Untitled," "Characterization," and "Characterized." Silence, and then we started squealing, because we knew we just found our new name. It had a deeper meaning to us, after we made it, though. Character meaning the character, and personality everyone has, and Character, as in the characters in a book, get it? Pretty corny we know, but imagine us being called "Untitled"?

Who are your three favorite authors?

This is hard, okay. We would say the typical answer, too hard, can't choose, but we're going to be different. The first 3 authors that come to mind as candidates would be ... Ellen Schreiber, Raine Thomas, and Wendy Higgins.

Which author would you most like to meet (dead or alive)? Tell us more..

An author we would like to meet, definitely Dr. Seuss. Ugh, we love him so much. We know we have a YA blog, but come on, Dr.Seuss is the father of all storylines. Ask anyone about a line from his book, and we bet they could recite it off the back. " I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I am." (Yes, we're still kids, in the inside.)

How big is your TBR pile? How many books do you read/review in a month?
Our TBR pile is about 200 books that we have on our shelves, and e-readers, but just can't seem to get to them. We are determined to read until our TBR is up to 25 or less. Impossible goal to reach? We think not.

Finally, if someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be? 

Title of our bio: Can You Spot What is Wrong With This Picture?

On A Personal Note:

Please provide some personal bio information on each of you or whatever you want me to share with my readers. 

Anastasia: My name is Anastasia Brito, and I'm 16 years young. I am a sophomore that is currently attending Jefferson High in NYC. I am a city girl that loves to shop, hang out with friends, plan parties, decorate, and read! (Can you spot what's wrong with this picture?) So, yes ... I do LOVE to read. You'll usually find me reading classics, and all genres in the Young Adult realm. I like getting to know people, because I feel more of a connection to them. Even if we don't talk much, I just like the fact that they know i'm there if they need someone to talk to. I also enjoy taking classes on architecture and tech. I hope to one day pursue a career that allows me the freedom to create my own designs, as well as, follow through with the construction of them. I attend an amazing high school, with 2 amazingly stubborn best friends-- Demitra & Persephone (; I play basketball, and soccer; basketball being my better sport. Kicking does't seem to be my forte, but apparently i'm good enough to be on a soccer team. Yes ... we're all on the same soccer team, GOOO Jaguars! Honestly, we're new to blogging, but we'll catch up quickly! Promise.

Demitra: My name is Demitra Cruise, and I am 16 years old. I'm fun, spontaneous, and passionate about anything I set my mind to. I absolutely love reading with my best friends Anastasia & Persephone (<3). My other hobbies include playing soccer (Whoop whoop!) and tennis, hanging out with friends, and drawing. I love art classes of any kind, especially sketching and painting. I love meeting new people and getting to know other cultures better. My dream is to travel the world, and learn 2 other languages. What can I say? Big hearts, and big thinkers, have big dreams, right?

Persephone: My name is Persephone Cox and I’m sixteen years old. I’m a sophomore, and I attend Jefferson High School in New York City with two of my best friends Anastasia Brito and Demitra Cruise. I love to play volleyball and tennis (though I don’t always hit the ball – yes I’m a shortie ;/ ) and sometimes go for a walk when the weather is nice. In addition, I also like to go shopping, hang out with friends, and of course R E A D ( : My favorite genre in general is realistic fiction with romance but I’ll read anything as long as it’s good! I love my friends to death and sometimes they call me a part-time therapist because I’m a good listener <3 . My favorite quote is “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” (Dr. Seuss). I like this quote because it shows that life goes on and just because something good ended doesn’t mean something new won’t start again. Keep on Reading! Xoxo


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Pleasures of a Tempted Lady by Jennifer Haymore

Pleasures of a Tempted Lady
by Jennifer Haymore
Publisher:Grand Central Publishing
Pub Date:July 31, 2012
ISBN:9780446573160

review courtesy of netGalley

Forbidden passion is the ultimate temptation...

Captain William Langley knows the ocean well, but nothing could prepare him for what he discovers adrift on the cold Irish Sea. The tiny boat carries two passengers: a child—and Meg Donovan, Will's long-lost love. Meg's disappearance at sea eight years ago was a devastating blow. Now she's back, as beautiful as ever, and with secrets as deep as Will's own.

After years held captive by a cold-blooded pirate, Meg has finally escaped with little Jake, the boy she's come to love as if he were her own. But the pirate wants his revenge—and Meg must do whatever it takes to shield Jake from the madman. Determined not to lose Meg again, Will vows to protect them both, yet Meg can't risk putting the only man she's ever loved in danger. With the threat to her safety growing, and her passion for Will burning brighter every day, surrendering herself to Will might be a pleasure too tempting to resist.

My Thoughts:

I was excited to see that Will's story. I just have to get this out... I never liked Serena and after reading this story I still have mixed emotions about her and her deception. But enough about that, let's talk about the latest book in the Donovan series.

There was alot going on in this book, deception, kidnapping, pirates, scandals~ it was action packed. I think why this didn't work for me, is that so much of the story line was just too hard to believe, it was just one more thing added to the plot and it just made it to hard to imagine.

We learned of Will's indiscretion, that part of the book seemed to be out of place, like it wasn't needed. The story at hand already was packed with so much drama that when I read it, it just didn't fit.  I didn't really care for Meg, here is a man willing to die for her and she still does not trust him. I think too much time and words were spent over this. Her biggest fear was that Will had given up on her, well based on all he went through, I wouldn't blame him from walking away. Enough is enough. She not only puts her own life in danger but that of those she supposedly loves.

I loved the secondary story between Jessica and Mr. Briggs, quite honestly I found myself skimming the pages to get to their story. Now their story would be one worth ready!!

The author did a great job building the characters and scripting her words that you could just picture the steamer. I just personally didn't like the heroine. 

This could be a stand alone as the author gives you the full background of the Donovan family.  

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

My Rating:

      

His Wicked Heart by Darcy Burke

His Wicked Heart
by Darcy Burke
Publisher: Intrepid Reads

Publication: June 5th 2012
ISBN: 0985455810 (ISBN13: 9780985455811)

It’s hard to be respectable, when you'd rather be wicked

Jasper Sinclair, Earl of Saxton, made a bargain with his devil of a father to marry in one month’s time. But instead of shackling himself to an acceptable debutante, he indulges his baser needs. He joins a fighting club and pursues a delectable woman who may not be what she seems. Soon he finds himself battling addictions that threaten his already wicked heart.

Orphaned seamstress Olivia West wants the chance to lead an honest, respectable life, but the arrogant Earl of Saxton launches a daunting campaign to make her his mistress. Destitute and desperate, she agrees to one night with the dangerous lord, hatching a scheme to take his money and keep her virtue. However, Jasper uncovers her deception and vows to claim what he's owed—not his money, her.

My Thoughts:

This is the second in a series, but quite honestly it can be a stand alone book. We met Jasper in "Her Wicked Ways", we saw that he placed his sister's happiness over his own.  This book has so much going on, so hang on tight you in for a wonderful time.

I was looking forward to reading Jasper’s story, just the little tease that Darcy gave us in the first book  was enough temptation me. In  Her Wicked Ways  the readers learned that Jasper Sinclair, Earl of Saxton, made a bargain with his devil of a father to marry in one month’s time.

Jasper is out trying to secure an evening of pleasure. He comes to the aid of a woman who was being accosted by a rather forward bloke, unhindered rage poured through Jasper as he tried to master his control. After the ordeal, he insists on walking the strikingly redhead home. The entire neighborhood is filled prostitutes, not knowing if this was her profession, he propositions her, only to be turned down. Bits of Jasper's character begins to develop and we learn that Jasper has a darker side and finds his release in fighting. As the rage he still is feeling is bubbling up in side him, he stumbles upon a fighting club audition, a club ran by a outcasted viscount, Sevrin. And surprisingly to all, he befriends Sevrin, a viscount who was notorious for ruining a girl, his brother’s fiancée and refused to marry her.

The sounds of fighting—of fists striking flesh, of exertion—moved through him like the finest symphony, a balm for his frayed temper.

Olivia, I immediately loved her. Her mother came from one of the oldest professions and Olivia is trying to rise above the life that she was born into. All Olivia is searching for is a family to call her own. In a turn of fate she befriends Jasper's loving and eccentric aunt, Lady Merriweather believes that Olivia is the daughter of her late husband. This just sets the stage for a worldwind of events, hold on tight you are in for a wonderful ride.   You will love the final showdown between Jasper and his father, and with a little help from his friends in the end, true love wins and Olivia finds the family she was looking for..

I also came to appreciate Lady Phillipa, she will have her story told in the next book in this series, To Seduce a Scoundrel. What a surprising leading man, Ms. Burke picks for this independent and strong willed heroine.

I enjoyed this book, and if you like historical romances you will love this one, the story line was fresh, you have a cast of well developed characters. Darcy Burke is a new author for me, but she has found a place on my auto ordering from now one. She is an author on the move!!

I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks again, Darcy!!
My Rating:

           

More from Darcy....

          


  

The Lady is a Vamp by Lynsay Sands

The Lady is a Vamp (Argeneau #17)
by Lynsay Sands
Expected publication: July 31st 2012
Publisher: Avon Books
ISBN 0062078070 (ISBN13: 9780062078070)

Review courtesy of edelweiss

One late night leads to . . .

Kidnapped When Jeanne Louise Argeneau left work, she never thought she'd end up tied down by a good-looking mortal. More attracted than annoyed, she quickly realizes there is more to her abductor than meets the eye.
One desperate act leads to . . .

Love? Paul Jones has need of a vampire, and only Jeanne Louise will do. He just has to convince this beauty of a Vamp to help him . . . never imagining that he would fall in love. But with the immortal world's answer to law enforcement hunting them, their time together is running out . . . and Paul and Jeanne Louise will need to risk everything to spend an eternity together.

My Thoughts:
The last book was not my favorite and I was hoping that I would not be disappointed in this book. Sometimes when you have so many in a series I find sometimes the storylines lose their uniqueness, perhaps the names are different but the same plight is there.

I am happy to say this book reaffirmed my love of the Argeneau series.  This book is about true love, what one would forsake for the ones they love. In this case a father would do anything for the love of his young daughter who has a life threatening brain tumor, he is a widow losing his wife a few years back and he will do anything to keep his daughter alive even kidnapping if that is what it takes.

Jeanne Louis gave up on finding her mate, she has been such a workaholic that she didn't even realize her soul mate worked at the same place she did until he kidnaps her. Her heart goes out to the father and daughter, is she willing to sacrifice her "one turn" her possibly only chance for a life mate, to save the daughter of the man she loves?   You need to read it to find out what happens... it is not how you expect it, it kept me guessing..

I really enjoyed this book. It renewed my interest in this series. If you have read the previous books and loved them or maybe you thought they may have ran their course, I recommend this book. It is a wonderful tale of love with the sexiness and heat worthy of a great paranormal romance. Sink your teeth into this one, you won't go wrong.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My  Rating:

      

What do you you plan on reading this summer?

Are you catching up on your TBR list or adding to it?

Which books are a must read this summer?