Thrown by Colette Auclair - A Champion of a Debut
Professional horse trainer and Olympic hopeful Amanda Vogel, has suffered a traumatic event that has left her unable to compete. Hoping to give herself time to emotionally heal, she has accepted a job to train movie heartthrob Grady Brunswick's young daughters to ride and show horses.
Grady and his two daughters Solstice and Wave are just learning to live as a family after the tragic death of his wife. Leaving Grady floundering and overprotective, the superstar who can handle any red carpet is lost when trying to deal with two little girls. Add to this his unwanted attraction to his new headstrong and outspoken employee and Grady has some major adjustments to make.
Read the rest of the review at - http://ragesexandteddybears.blogspot.com/2013/12/thrown-debut-novel-by-colette-auclair.html#more
Romance Lives at Rougemont
Alysia Villier, daughter of the infamous courtesan Violet Villier, grew up in the home of her mother's lover, Lord Courtenay. Seemingly a member of the family, Alysia was aware of the huge difference between herself and the other. After the death of her mother, Alysia's situation becomes more awkward and she realizes her future will most likely take a similar path as her mothers. Even though she has loved Andrew forever, she knows she must leave her childhood home. Her passions must go unheeded for Andrew can never be hers.
Andrew Tilmore, Lord Preston, future Marquess of Courtenay, now home from Oxford, discovers his feelings for his childhood friend have only grown stronger. They have evolved into the passions of an adult man. Determined to have Alysia, he must defy not only his parents, the beau monde, and the parade of acceptable women his mother forces on him, he must also battle Alysia herself.
Of the books I have had the privilege to read by Moriah Densley, (any I could get my greedy hands on) The King of Threadneedle Street is by far the most encompassing and layered book in the series. While the other Rougemont books were wonderful and made me smile, The King of Threadneedle Street is a saga. While retaining her trademark wit and keen eye for authenticity, Moriah takes the reader for a journey that spans the European continent. I could actually feel the characters evolving into the most worthy of the title hero/heroine.
At the beginning of the book, Andrew, was headstrong, and slightly immature. By the end of the book, he is indeed a droolworthy man. His journey, I believe was the hardest, although he has his position in society and wealth, he develops strategies to win his lady love and almost topples England's economy. He transforms himself from a slightly spoiled aristocrat to a man that can work in the trenches, who can withstand all who oppose him and who fully comprehends the meaning of love.
Alysia had my admiration from the get go. Although young, and a tad bit naive, she is strong and determined to protect the ones she loves, even at the cost of her own happiness. She has the heart of a lioness and the wherewithal to ignore the slings and arrows she must endure because of her mother's legacy. By the end of the story she has learned to trust her own heart as well as Andrew's.
The cast of characters in The King of Threadneedle Street is filled with favorites from the previous books, and were a very welcome addition to at times a tearjerker of a story. I loved the depth they added to an already compelling read. the romantic thread ranges from sweet to throw a glass of ice water in my face hot. Moriah manages to inject steam into the story without the overtly graphic sexual scenes so prevalent today. While I have been known to enjoy a raunchy book or two in my day, this book can please all readers of romance.
Visions of Sugar Plums
One would think that Mary Cavendish was a saint in training with her volunteer work at the parish hospital, the Cockington Beautification Committee, and anywhere else that she can fit in her schedule. While she is indeed a lady filled with charity and compassion, she is also a woman with an urgent need to curtail her appetite for sumptuous holiday treats that attack her ever expanding waistline. With a corset designed to rob her of her ability to breathe and her quest to find a "knight on a white horse" to wed, it is imperative that she look her best.
Acclaimed Shakespearean actor, Sir Wesley Darcy is not having a good start to his holiday. Enduring a robbery attempt, an overturned carriage, and a painful shoulder injury, Wesley now finds himself in a hospital on Christmas Eve being treated by a woman who makes it more than clear that she finds him to be quite the cad. Sensing the passion underneath her innocent exterior, Wesley is beyond pleased to find that his enticing nurse will also be spending the holidays at Rougemont. Despite their innocuous beginnings, he intends to win Mary's heart and show her the adventures that have been sorely lacking in her life.
Moriah Densley has fast become one of my favorite new authors. Her stories are very reminiscent of the great Johanna Lindsay's Mallory series and Catherine Coulter's Brides series. Her characters are fun and immeasurably likable. Historically factual, Moriah's books fly by so quickly, I am always shocked and sad when they end for too quickly. I love the fact that characters from her precious stories are revisited, and in this short but wonderfully fulfilling book that the entire Cavendish clan makes an appearance. Mary is a wonderful heroine. She has her share of insecurities, but puts on a brave front that sometimes comes across as being a bit staid to her family. The dashing Wesley sees past this and is instantly captivated by her curves and sharp wit. They were absolutely perfect together. This is a sweet, lighthearted, romantic and beautifully written tale that is sure to bring a smile to even the most sour of Scrooges this holiday season.
About the author:
Moriah Densley sees nothing odd at all about keeping both a violin case and a range bag stuffed with pistols in the back seat of her car. They hold up the stack of books in the middle, of course. She enjoys writing about Victorians, assassins, and geeks. Her muses are summoned by the smell of chocolate, usually at odd hours of the night. By day her alter ego is your friendly neighborhood music teacher. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband, four children, and two possibly brain-damaged cats. Published in historical and paranormal romance, Moriah has a Master's degree in music, is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist, 2012 National Reader's Choice Award winner in historical romance and '12 NRCA "Best First Book" finalist.
Website: http://moriahdensley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoriahDensley
Twitter: @Moriahdensley
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Moriah-Densley/e/B0081GEY1Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829287.Moriah_Densley?from_search=true
2012 RWA Golden Heart finalist, Historical Romance
2012 NRCA winner, Historical Romance
SONG FOR SOPHIA, Sept. '13
To win a man's heart, a woman must have the mind of a diplomat, a general, and Cleopatra, all in one.
MARY'S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT, Nov. '13
Could a rogue be her knight in shining armor?
THE KING OF THREADNEEDLE STREET, Dec. '13
Lord Preston wants the one thing money can't buy...
Buy link: Only 99 cents
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GIBJXZ8/ref=docs-os-doi_0
Lesson Learned
Gage Stone is an investigative reporter looking for his missing younger sister. She is his only family and he fears she has been sucked in by Everlife's questionable organization. Determined to find her, he goes undercover as an Everlife new recruit. His assigned mentor, Rena could be an invaluable resource but she has not only drank the Kool-Aid, she showers in it every morning.
Let me just say that I don't know what I expected from this book, but it wasn't what I got . When I first met Rena, my first reaction was "Oh no, another fidiot heroine". As I read on, I discovered some sterling characteristics though. On the surface, she is fearless, strong, smart and a leader. On the downside, she also seemed to easily swallow whatever tripe her Everlife gurus threw at her. It was no less than mindless worship. I understand she felt that she had found the home, purpose, and family she so desperately needed, however it was very difficult not to wish she had indeed stepped in front of the semi. She ignores her inner voice that says "Hey, get a clue!" But wait, don't runaway yet, it gets waaaaay better.
Enter my boy, Gage. Yaaaay, a person with working brain cells!! (Spoiler hint) That statement has MAJOR implications. Instantly attracted to Rena, he is frustrated by her refusal to see the cancer in the upper echelons of Everlife. He perseveres however because he is just that awesome. I loved Gage.
Now I know you must be thinking, "Wow, she does not like this book.". Au contraire, mon ami. I was enthralled by this book, and let me tell you it absolutely shocked me to my toes. It is an enormous testament to Dawn Atkins' talent as a writer. She not only answered every qualm and question that I had, but she did it in such a compelling way that I had finished the book and become an avid fan before I realized it. I was obsessed with finding out how Rena could prove my initial impression as dead wrong. The story was a wonderful thriller with twist, turns, surprises, heartbreak, and redemption. There is a thread of romance, but the actual story is the thing. The evolution of Rena and Gage as a couple and as individuals turned out to be a wonderful reading experience. Just goes to show that first impressions can be seriously flawed and for that I thank you Ms. Atkins, for the life lesson and the absolutely enjoyable read.
Yeah, I'm a Big Ol' Bandwagon Jumper
4 of 5 stars
OWEA (Otherworlder Enforcement Agency) Beatrice Davis is on a forced sabbatical from her job. She understands it's to prevent psychic and mental burnout, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. Her situation gets even worse when her ex lover, vampire and detective extrodinaire, Claude Desmairis shows up at her door needing her special talents to help catch a serial killer.
Claude Desmairis has two constants in his life, his job and his friendship with Luc Chevalier, the vampire Magister. He also lives with his heavy regret of how he ended his affair with Beatrice. This could be his opportunity to rekindle the flame with Beatrice, but when evidence starts to point towards Luc, he may have to choose between the two.
I had been hearing wonderful buzz from the blogosphere about this author. Being the last to find out something has never set well with me, so I immediately jumped on the chance to read this book. While I'm not a huge fan of stories told in first person, the actual story made up for that. Beatrice was a great heroine, tough, smart and with enough chutzpah to not fall immediately back into Claude's arms. The plot was a pretty decent mystery that keeps the reader guessing for most of the book. The emotional element was saturated with hurt, regret, compassion and an underlying longing. There was also redemption and forgiveness, with a lot of action and hot sex to spice things up. I truly enjoyed the characters and Tiffany's ability to spin a compelling story. However, I really, really, REALLY would have liked to have known what was going on in Claude's head. In the end, I am very happy with my decision to jump on Tiffany Allee's bandwagon. I definitely will be following this series.
Buy Links -
B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vampire-games-tiffany-allee/1115290510?ean=9781622661428
Star of the Show
Jade Clarence was born into a family of exorcists, who believe the only good lingering spirit is a destroyed lingering spirit. Bucking family tradition, Jade believes that some spirits are not inherently evil and is trying to discover a way to help the spirit move on rather than painfully destroy the lost souls.
Dutch Hutchinson has been trapped on the mortal plain since his tragic death over a hundred years ago. Tired of his lonely existence he uses his energy to contact the Clarence family to perform an exorcism, leaving out some very important details. Meeting Jade may just give Dutch a chance to hang around.
I'm going to lay some honesty on you right now. I agreed to review several books in order to receive the newest release of another author. Smack me hard and call me dumb ass. This little short story stole the show big time. Sarah Gilman just blew me away in less than a hundred pages. I fell right into Dutch's predicament and was emotionally invested by the end of the first chapter. I flew through this story in record time and reread it the next day just to make sure it was as good as I had originally thought. It absolutely was. The characters were extremely engaging and well developed. The story was fraught with deep emotion, light humor and enough spice to keep it on the hot scale. There is of course a quasi-villain in the mix and a dilemma to overcome. Think all this couldn't possibly be covered in seventy pages? Give it a read and find out.
Short and Sweet, With a Touch of Spice
Release date 10/28/2013
4 of 5 stars
Arabella Pierce has a very unique and sometimes troublesome talent. She can sense and at times interact with the dead. After being burned by skeptic reporters, she is more than a little hostile when she is told to work with another of the same ilk.
Lucas Brown understands how the Revenant team might not be on board with his presence for the next hunt, but he has an obligation to present the facts to his readers. He will come in with an open mind and no preconceived notions. He will however be watching very closely for any tricks or deceptive practices. Arabella will just have to deal with it.
I was kind of like Lucas when starting this book. I went in with an open mind, but on alert for anything that was going to set off my "pfffft" radar. It never sent out a loud alarm, in fact the story read very smoothly, My only complaint is that Lucas' POV was never presented. I know it would have been a tight fit since Ghost of Kingston Cottage is under a hundred pages, but still, I like to have the male's perspective. The actual writing was spot on, building anticipation of will they or won't they.
To me however, the actual star of the story was the plight of Seamus and Katie, the lingering spirits of two tragically deceased souls. Their story squeezed my heart and made my eyes a bit misty. Their love was eternal, but neither could move on until they connected on the mortal realm. Simply heartbreaking. Lucas and Arabella's story was more of a side note for me, it added an extra spice and gave a feeling of being more connected to the real world. Their relationship progressed at a rapid rate, kind of a love at first sight occurrence. I am a believer of this phenomenon, so I totally bought in to this plot line. Everything considered, I recommend this book. It will more than fill the bill for those looking for a compelling but short love story with a strong paranormal thread.
Buy Links
B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghosts-of-kingston-cottage-libby-bishop/1117054089?ean=9781622663354