Monday, August 25, 2008

THE SHEIKH'S BLACKMAILED MISTRESS - Penny Jordan


Title: THE SHEIKH’S BLACKMAILED MISTRESS

Author: Penny Jordan

Line: Harlequin Presents


Release month North America/UK/CA: July 2008

The S-Factor: Sexy & Sensual



Life has taught Prince Vereham al a'Karim bin Hakar to control his emotions. Duty to his kingdom drives the enigmatic sheikh.

But one unexpected, intensely sexy encounter with inexperienced Samantha McLellan shakes Vere's steely control. And when he discovers that Sam could be betraying his country, he decides to blackmail her--into being his mistress!

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

From the moment they collide in a hotel hallway, share a kiss they are both affected so strongly......was it fate?

The man, a sheikh and a proud and honourable ruler. Prince Vere has vowed he will never love again as to love only brings pain. As a young man he lost both of his parents and that pain has long stayed with him. Just one brief encounter with Samantha McLennan has reminded him he must never give in. However, desire and that one encounter never leave him. He sees Sam in his dreams and then on a trip to the desert he encounters her again.

Sam is shaken by the man and the kiss. She too cannot erase the memories out of her mind. It's painful, keeps her awake and when she takes an assignment to map the boundaries of a few Arab countries she believes she can shake those memories until she meets him again face to face.

Vere immediately puts up a wall and then one of her "jealous" co-workers puts it into his mind that Sam cannot be trusted. Vere seeks his brother's counsel and they decide to investigate her. He proposes a trip to the desert and then everything goes down hill from there. They act on their feelings and everything spirals out of control.

A wonderful love story with so much passion and pain and in the end Vere learns the lessons of love, trust and healing. A great sheikh book, excellently penned by Penny Jordan!

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

ONE NIGHT, ONE BABY - Kate Hardy


Title: ONE NIGHT, ONE BABY

Author: Kate Hardy

Line: Harlequin Presents
Mills and Boon Modern Heat

Release month North America: August 2008, UK: December 2007 AZ: February 2008

The S-Factor: Sexy



Everyone seems to have forgotten Jane's birthday—but meeting handsome, brooding millionaire Mitch Holland gives her good reason to celebrate. The attraction between them is intense, but Mitch puts a strict limit on their time together: he can offer her one night only.


A few weeks later, Jane is still struggling to forget gorgeous Mitch—and their unforgettably sexy night together. Then she discovers she's pregnant….


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

From the moment they meet it’s immediate attraction and Jane has a goal to experience everything on her list because today is her birthday and family, friends and co-workers seem to have forgotten. On her list is to photograph a handsome man which she does drawing attention immediately to herself. Mitch is intrigued and invites her for coffee, then as they spend the day together and check off everything on her list, the attraction continues and leads into a night of passion.

Mitch is one attractive and vibrant man but he’s vowed never to commit because of a past experience in loosing a woman and baby he loved. Now he finds out that his one night with Jane has left her expecting his child. I promise the reader you are in for one moving and tearful read with One Night, One Baby as only Kate Hardy can deliver!

This is a story of so many dimensions, Jane’s “interesting” upbringing, her warm, loving and caring friends and housemates, Mitch’s occupation of being a “storm chaser”, just the whole dynamics makes for a truly enjoyable read.


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Reviewed by: Marilyn

IN THE TYCOON'S BED - Kathryn Ross


Title: IN THE TYCOON’S BED

Author: Kathryn Ross

Line: Harlequin Presents


Release month North America/CA/UK: July 2008

The S-Factor: Sexy & Sensual



Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

This fierce and proud millionaire from the moment he set eyes on Nicole Connell thought only of having her as his mistress. And now she’s working as an executive at RJ Records during the day and in the evening occupies his bed.


Nicole left England behind when she was offered a position with RJ Records. She’s left behind an ex-husband who hurt her badly. For years she believed herself happily married and struggled to conceive a baby with no success. Then she learns her husband has been having an affair and they are expecting a baby. Will she ever trust again and give her heart?


Luke has commitment issues but he knows that he must continue to see Nicole but she has other ideas. When she realizes she’s fallen in love with her boss she decides to end the relationship before she’s hurt any further. Luke has other ideas and he’s not going to budge. RJ records are working on a very important business deal to purchase another company. The owner is insistent that whoever purchases his company must be married. Therefore, Luke comes up with a plan that will seal the deal and allow him to continue his relationship. He tells owner that he and Nicole are engaged to be married and that they will both fly to his exclusive island to seal the deal. The meeting goes well and so does their time alone together. In fact so well, that Nicole finds out she’s expecting.


Luke is shocked! He’s going to be a father. Nicole has other ideas…..she wants to return to England and raise the baby herself. She’s aware that Luke will never commit and she’s fine with being a single parent. Luke has other ideas.


Sometimes it takes a tragedy to wake a stubborn alpha and make him see the light and that’s in the end what happened to Luke Santana. This book was an amazing love story. I loved the way author Kathryn Ross used their lust, attraction and the pregnancy to bring them together. Luke’s realization that he loves Nicole will have you in tears.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

THE PRINCE OF MIDTOWN - Jennifer Lewis


Title: THE PRINCE OF MIDTOWN (Park Avenue Scandals Series)

Author: Jennifer Lewis

Line: Silhouette Desire

Release month: North America/CA/UK: September 2008

The S-Factor: Sexy & Sensual


721 PARK AVENUE: Apt. 12B
TENANT: Sebastian Stone, Prince of Caspia
SCANDAL: Seducing a commoner!


Crown Prince, billionaire businessman and globetrotting bachelor Sebastian Stone needs assistant Tessa Banks to hold his life together. From his Manhattan office she organizes his public and private life with ease. So when Tessa gives notice, Sebastian resorts to what he does best: seduction. Ermine and jewels in his sun-drenched palace…sensual pleasures beyond her wildest fantasies. But when the two weeks' notice is up, the prince discovers his plan has backfired. He's fallen for a woman he can never marry.…


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Jennifer Lewis’s writing style and the way she describes her characters and their places of travel absolutely makes one believe they are there and living and experiencing it along with them.

I personally loved Tessa Banks the personal assistant to Prince Sebastian Stone of Caspia. She was efficient, lovely, and talented plus she adored her boss for years. She cared for him so much so that she realizes she must leave his employ and move on because she can no longer watch him dating models and starlets. She wants a future with someone who will love her for who she is, not taking advantage of her organizational skills. So upon the Prince’s return to New York she hands in her resignation notice.

Tessa leaving him? No way will he allow nor stand for it! This rugged and handsome Prince is used to having his way and his business is in financial trouble. He needs his efficient PA to help him overturn and make it a success. Prince Sebastian comes up with a plan, he entices Tessa to accompany him to Caspia and dangles a few suggestions……travel to a beautiful seaside city to rest, relax and help him to set up meetings with the principals of the luxury designers who make up Caspian Designs.

Sebastian charms her with sightseeing trips, horseback riding, balls and lovemaking taking Tessa’s breathe away and melting heart. It’s a Cinderella story with its own very handsome Prince Charming, Sebastian Stone. Yachts, ball gowns, and the rich and famous. There’s a love scene involving “crown jewels” you absolutely will not want to miss!

Time and time again, I was drawn in and so appreciated Jennifer’s descriptive writing, the humour she interjected and the way the tables were turned on this worldly Prince. It’s an extremely entertaining, sensitive and seductive love story.


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About the Book:

From Jennifer’s website:

”I enjoyed creating the Mediterranean nation of Caspia which is now so vivid in my mind. I could book a flight there. I think first I’ll go for a gondola ride along the quays lined with designer shops, and then take a dip in the warm waters of the ancient harbor. Or should I ride up into the mountains that look down to the ocean glittering in the late afternoon sun? Decisions, decisions, I do enjoy having an active imagination.”


Reviewed by: Marilyn

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

TAKEN BY THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE - ANNA CLEARY


Title: TAKEN BY THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE

Author: ANNA CLEARY

Line: HARLEQUIN PRESENTS

Release month North America: August 2008/UK: July 2008

The S-Factor: Sensual and Sexy

Back-Blurb:

Overheard…
Cate Summerfield never meant to eavesdrop. Now powerful Tom Russell must stop her from exposing details of an important deal.
Overpowered…He'll keep Cate very close—seducing the beautiful blonde will be no hardship at all! And in way over her head!
Cate knows Tom's not just a ruthless billionaire—but can the girl from the wrong side of the tracks ever be more than his convenient mistress?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Anna Cleary has written an extremely, sensual and emotional-packed book which will make one forget whatever it was they were doing before they began reading Taken by the Maverick Millionaire.
This is Anna’s second book set in beautiful Sydney which features the newspaper industry. It’s about secrets, corporate takeovers, a fake relationship which results in a rocky romantic journey for Cate Summerfield and Tom Russell. Tom Russell, the proud and handsome son of the Russell Newspaper dynasty finds himself with three problems……his father has passed away leaving his fortune to charity, if a secret merger doesn’t happen he’ll loose his business and on top of that, the day of the funeral a rival newspaper woman overhears the secret details of that merger. What’s he going to do? He promises to give Cate Summerfield the scoop of the year if she’ll stay with him, pretend to be his mistress until the merger is complete.
Cate Summerfield comes from a middle class family, she’s has two loves, her ailing Grandmother and the desire to make her proud by becoming a successful newspaper woman. She’s recently had one bad relationship and it caused her Gran to suffer a heart attack when they were arguing beside her hospital bed. When Cate is given the chance to cover the Russell funeral and write the story, she’s over the moon. What she doesn’t count on is overhearing a discussion between Olivia West (publicist) and Tom who were making plans for a secret merger and if Cate scoops the story, it would take the Russell dynasty down! What she also doesn’t count on is her attraction for Tom and when she agrees to stay with him, her life if thrown into turmoil.
Both Tom and Cate have secrets and Taken by the Maverick Millionaire allows the reader to take their journey in a beautiful country, see the bond they form, see how they heal each other in the process, and in the end see how they learn to trust and declare their love for each other. It’s quite an emotional and spirited love story and one that would light up any alpha's soul!

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From Anna’s website: “So try on the persona of Cate Summerfield for an hour or two. See how it feels for her when she meets The Man. True heroines like her deserve the very best in the hero line. Someone strong, attractive, sexy, honorable, intelligent, sensitive, humorous and HOT. Someone like Tom Russell? AC
Reviewed by: Marilyn

MISTRESS: HIRED FOR THE BILLIONAIRE'S PLEASURE


Title: MISTRESS: HIRED FOR THE BILLIONAIRE’S PLEASURE

Author: India Grey

Line: Mills and Boon Modern

Release month UK: August 2008

The S-Factor: Sensual and Soulful

Back-Blurb:

Fast cars and glamorous socialites are everyday components of devastatingly handsome billionaire Orlando Winterton’s thrilling, decadent lifestyle…


…then something changes, and Orlando closes himself off from the world. Until Rachel Campion arrives at Orlando’s remote country estate, desperately in need of shelter. Orlando cannot deny the pull of her fragile beauty, and takes her with passionate fury. The next morning his demons return to haunt him, and he knows he must ask Rachel to leave… But then a baby is found abandoned on his doorstep – allegedly his son!


To Orlando, the solution is simple: he’ll hire Rachel to take care of the child – and as long as she’s under his roof he’ll keep on making love to her… Until he’s got her out of his system!


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

India Grey has written a spectacular and moving love story in Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire’s Pleasure. Bravo and magnifco would be the way to describe this story as it’s about courage, strength, bravery and determination.

India’s English alpha is a competitive, proud and determined man who is tortured because he has a degenerative eye disease which has forced him to leave the RAF something he loves more than life. He’s recently lost his brother when his RAF plane crashed. All through their lives growing up they had been competitive and now he has been left alone, and blames himself for his brother’s death. He closes himself off from everyone and retreats to his estate, to live in darkness behind the walls of his palatial mansion.

Rachael Campion is a world class concert pianist has been raised as an only child by a controlling mother who insists she marry her conductor/manager. The man is a brute and Rachel is overwrought with fright at marrying the man who has physically hurt her. On the eve of her wedding she escapes to a cemetery where she meets Orlando. They speak and he talks to her about courage, courage to make a choice for herself.

Rachael decides just before she is to walk down the isle she will find that courage, so she takes her car, to run and hide from this monster and to leave her life behind. Along the way, she gets lost and where should she end up but at Orlando’s grand estate, Easton Hall. A winter storm is not only brewing outside. Inside the walls of Easton Hall another is storm brewing. Orlando offers Rachel shelter and comfort and things become very heated and they act upon those feelings. Rachel is immediately drawn to this man, so much so she becomes intimate with him. She’s not aware of his sight problem and mistakes his gruffness for other things.

That’s not all that’s brewing or brooding…….Orlando has closed himself in darkness and the reader wonders how would you feel if you lost your sight, something as precious as that should not be taken for granted. Would you close yourself off, not accepting the warmth of love or friendship?

On top of everything else, his old mistress arrives on the scene with a baby, claiming that Orlando is the father. To further add to the mix, he distances himself from the child and leaves his son’s care in Rachel’s hands. Talk about the lack of courage from a heroic alpha…..trust me, he’ll learn many lessons at Rachel’s hand, bravery being one of them and that he didn’t need his sight to see clearly, he just needed Rachel’s love.

You will absolutely learn to adore Rachel because she finds the courage she needs to stand up to this man, to show him what courage he needs to heal himself and step up to the plate for his son. She truly shows him her selfless love and in the end, heals him, bringing sunshine into his life.

Reading Hired for the Billionaire’s Pleasure, I felt I could look into the souls of each characters; cried right along with both of them. Reading about how they found courage, made me take a look at my own personal life; thanks India!

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“Behind the book the heroine from India Grey’s blog:

Because of Orlando's sight problems it was important to me that Rachel should have vivid red hair, but beyond that I didn't really focus too much on what she looked like-- in the book much more emphasis is placed on her voice and her evocative rose scent. I chose the name Rachel simply because I liked it and it suited her, so it seemed rather spookily satisfying when during my endless hours of research/ cyber-stalking in the early stages of writing the book I came across pictures and clips of James D'Arcy in An American Haunting. Opposite gorgeous redhead Rachel Hurd-Wood. The film was dire, but although she's a good few years younger than my heroine, I'd found a face that seemed to fit the girl in my head.”

CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE BAD BOY - TRISH WYLIE


Title: CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE BAD BOY

Author: TRISH WYLIE

Line: Mills and Boon Modern Heat

Release month UK: May 2008 Australia/NZ: July 2008

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Revenge is best served red-hot, passionate and delicious!


Heiress Ashling Fitzgerald has come home, determined to prove that she’s changed. Secretly she wants to make amends – with the tall, dark housekeeper’s son she left behind. But he’s not the boy she once knew – Gabriel Burke is now an infamous billionaire playboy!


Gabe thinks Ashling is spoilt and selfish – but still oh-so-sexy. He doesn’t want her apologies. Instead he wants her in his bed; he wants revenge…


But, once he gets it, Gabe can’t believe he is still so hungry for more…

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Trish Wylie has written one dynamic, remarkable and extremely romantic love story in Claimed by the Billionaire Bad Boy. Bad boy doesn’t even begin to describe Gabe, the one time Fitzgerald family housekeeper’s son now self made billionaire. Since Gabe can remember he’s always looked out for the Fitzgerald’s daughter and she drove him nuts with her shenanigans, her loveliness and then she went away. Now Ash is returning home and will probably mess up his life.

The Fitzgerald family are one of the wealthiest and respected families in Dublin. In His Mistress, His Terms you met Alex Fitzgerald (Ash’s brother) and Merrow. They appear in this story as well. Alex has designed an art studio for his sister and has hired his accomplished and wealthy long time friend Gabe to build it, knowing there will be complications when Ash and Gabe see each other. There was agitation and tension between the two when Ash left for France; a tension no one understood or what had caused the riff between the two. The reader will learn what just one kiss and oh what a kiss and the passion that resulted from it rocked both of their worlds. It’s revealed how Ash hurt Gabe publically by announcing he “was the housekeeper’s son”, how it stung and how that kiss was something Ash didn’t know how to deal with……all a major problem. When she returns will revenge be on Gabe’s mind? Will they be able to work together? Will they tell each other what’s gone on over the years they’ve been separated?

Ashling Fitzgerald is one lovely, talented and spirited woman and deep down wants people to know she’s changed and grown. When she sees Gabe she secretly knows she’s in trouble because the attraction and pull are still there and when she finally comes to act on that attraction I promise your heart will dissolve as did this reader’s. Their chemistry absolutely sizzles off the page. But it’s more than that; it’s how they keep their relationship a secret, how they hide their true feelings and emotions; it was hard to read.

Their story, seeing how the exchange of “cruel” words can hurt and wound just reminds one of a very important lesson “think before speaking”. However, for Ash and Gabe, working through it all and finally admitting it to themselves and each other was amazing and simply wonderful to read. More important was for Ashling finally feeling she belonged. It was the ultimate gift Gabe gave her and thanks to Trish Wylie, for the lessons to be reminded the reader of…….not to keep secrets, judging others by position or economic status, and how verbal cruelty can wound the heart and soul. It’s a story of trust, acceptance and of coming home!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
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Tidbit about Trish’s alpha, Gabe:

“Gabe is quite simply Gabe. There will never be another hero like him for me. He's stubborn, pig headed, irritating, single minded... I could go on and on and on... But oh-my-is-he-sexy!!!” TW

HOT CITY NIGHTS - ANTHOLOGY


Title: HOT CITY NIGHTS

Authors: Sandra Marton, Sarah Mayberry and Emilie Rose

Line: Harlequin Romance

Release month North America/UK: July 2008

The S-Factor: Sizzling, Sensual, Sexy

Back-Blurb:

SUMMER IN THE CITY - Sandra Marton In New York a billionaire remembers the beautiful stranger with whom he'd shared a kiss—a kiss that burned them both to the soul. Now he's a desperate new father, and she's suddenly the only woman who can help him!

BACK TO YOU – Sarah Mayberry
In Sydney a woman comes face-to-face with the man she swore would never hurt her again. But when they agree to an intense, no-strings fling, she wonders if she's gotten in way over her head…and her heart!

FORGOTTEN LOVER - Emilie Rose In Atlanta a woman lies in a hospital bed after a serious accident. But when the hospital calls her emergency contact—her ex-lover—she's horrified. Why doesn't she remember him? Worse still, she might be falling for him…again!


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

SUMMER IN THE CITY - I was reminded that as a reader sometimes we limit ourselves in not venturing out to read others who write for the genre. An analogy is the perfect way to read and hear the voice of a new found author. For me it was authors Sarah Mayberry and Emilie Rose who along with Sandra Marton contributed to Hot City Nights. I'm a sincere fan of Sandra Marton's. I've actually read everything she's written. A few years ago, I had time on my hands, and I began reading Sandra's books. After ten or so, I went on a search to obtain everything she'd written and I'm so glad I did. Sandra Marton's contribution is SUMMER IN THE CITY and it's a very intense sensual journey. From the moment Linc and Ana meet in a bizarre way, just one kiss it registers off the charts! Linc is actually shaken up due to the kiss and the fact that this woman has breached his newly installed security system.


Linc is finalizing the security system of his wealthy South American client. The client makes an earnest request; he wants Linc to marry his sheltered and only child. What a mess....Linc just wants to return home. But as fate would have it the intruder turns out to be the very woman he's been asked to marry; a very curvy and sexy woman. Their shared kiss knocks them both sideways. When Linc receives a call that his sister and her husband have died in a plane crash he immediately he returns home. Months later, Linc is still dealing with the loss of his sister and her secret, a small infant. On top of that, after going through several nannies, and a Grandmother who has suddenly appears from no where to claim the child, Linc has to face the possibility of custody problems. Ana appears at his office in an untimely manner requesting he find her a position in his corporation. Linc's stunned but when he thinks about it Ana can probably help him with his niece.

Linc after seeing Ana with his niece offers her a job as his nanny. This works for both of them and allows Ana to remain in the States and be independent from her family, the bonus, someone to care for his niece and a beautiful woman who would drive him nuts with her beauty and her softness. What neither of them counts on is their attraction to each other, and their mutual love for the child. Linc tries not to act on his feelings for Ana but the attraction is too strong. When he comes home and sees her only wearing a towel he acts upon that need and then the worst happens, a surprise visit from the social worker. The only solution, an immediate marriage must be arranged to keep custody of his niece and Ana in his bed.

The months following for Ana are wonderful and then the rug is pulled out from her when she realizes she's in love with Linc.


It's an emotional and healing story ....moving, sensual and just plain sizzles with tension and emotion as only Sandra can pen. It takes courage to love someone and have them love you back; an invaluable lesson for both Linc and Ana.


BACK TO YOU - Sarah Mayberry sets her book in beautiful Australia with ten year reunion theme. Becky Taylor is hoping Cal McKenzie will not be in attendance. They have a shared past as co-workers and "hot" lovers. Becky has recently left a relationship and Cal is newly divorced. It's obvious to them both that they feel the attraction and bond of passed years. So they both agree to a no strings affair. Cal doesn't do commitment but he's thrilled by their resuming arrangement; not so Becky. Becky loved him years ago and now her heart is in danger of getting broken again.

Becky realizes this relationship can go nowhere so what should she do? On top of loving Cal, Becky finds out she's expecting a baby and because she knows Cal doesn't do "commitment" she doesn't know how to handle the situation nor tell him. Of course he's stunned by the announcement and it takes some getting used to the idea of being a father. However, Becky stands firm on her decision to have the baby on her own.

Cal's realization that he was still not only attracted to Becky but had fallen in love with her as well was extremely enjoyable to read. When he realizes there is more to the relationship than the sex, it will melt your heart!

FORGOTTEN LOVER - Jake's motto, no involvement! He's a man with issues and his past has made him the man he is today. The reader will learn that years ago he was left to care for his siblings and something went terribly wrong and they were taken away and put in foster homes. Because of this, he doesn't let anyone in and Talia knew it then and when her memory returns, she knows it now!

What I loved about Emilie's writing style was her focus on the man and the small boy. While Talia was lovely and a devoted mother, it was the relationship between man and boy that was remarkable to read.

Marton, Mayberry and Rose's contribution to this book clearly live up to a quote on the back cover "Love rules the night but what will the daylight bring....?"


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