Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Pink Heart Society Reviews - UPDATE

The Pink Heart Society Reviews is no longer accepting
books for review.

But we're not going away completely! The PHS has joined forces with Marilyn's Romance Reviews!

For Pink Heart Society category romance reviews, visit us on the main Pink Heart Society blog beginning Sunday, March 6, as Marilyn Shoemaker gives us the highlights from Marilyn's Romance Reviews!

Monday, February 28, 2011

RUTHLESS BOSS, DREAM BABY (uk) / GRAY QUINN’S BABY (North America)


Author: Susan Stephens
Line: Mills and Boon Modern / Harlequin Presents
Release month: NA: Gray Quinn's Baby – February 2011
UK: Ruthless Boss, Dream Baby – January 2011
The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back Blurb:

Magenta knows having a new employer might be tricky. But she isn't expecting the old-fashioned ruthlessness of Gray Quinn! However, plucky Magenta is up for the challenge, and tries to beat the distractingly gorgeous Quinn at his own game….

Quinn is no New Man—he wants temptingly innocent Magenta in his bedroom, not the boardroom. But he can make her no promises. He'll give her the night of her life, but he might not be there when she wakes up…. And he definitely doesn't want her taking maternity leave!

Review: ♥♥♥♥ 1/2

Gray Quinn’s Baby a fantasy read? Maybe, but one incredible journey with two strong characters that were meant to be together and written by the fabulous Susan Stephens.

When I read some of Susan’s posts at I(Heart)Presents and at The Pink Heart Society concerning Gray Quinn's Baby and that it would involve dreams and being transported back into the 60’s I wondered how the author would connect the past with the present. Quite well I must say and introducing the heroine Magenta Steele a top ad exec to her new boss Gray Quinn who was the new owner of her father’s firm. He was one sexy, well built and handsome man who rode in on a vintage motorcycle and somewhat rescued her by taking her home due to her broken down car.

Determined to impress him and make her 9:00 am meeting the next day, Magenta went back to the office, fell asleep and began to dream, not of the present but was transported back into the past, the 1960’s and of course, who was her boss? Gray Quinn and she was working as his admin, making his coffee, listening to the men on the “team” making sexist jokes about women in the office and treating them as if they didn’t have a brain in their heads.

I quite enjoyed reading this romance, a blast from the past plus one hot love story! Magenta herself was an interesting heroine, all business, no pleasure because she didn’t think she would ever measure up to any man. She was very inexperienced, buttoned-up and a workaholic. When she realized she was back in the 60’s she was determined to make a difference, especially for the women in the typing pool because they had ideas, good ones and they deserved to be recognized and receive praise. She was passionate about it and she pitched her team of fellow co-workers to Gray Quinn and he bought into it. However, he wanted more from Magenta, he wanted her in his bed and there she stayed. It was a magnificent time for them both but she worried she would have to leave him and go back to the 21st Century.

Gray and Magenta enjoyed their time together and he liked her ideas. However, always in the back of her mind, was when would the dream be over and when would she wake up? All she could think of was “sometimes in dreams as in life, you had to settle for what you had” and she really wanted Gray. However, like all things she was abruptly returned back to the present day along with a heart broken.

How would the past meet the future? It was her new boss Gray Quinn who not only woke her from her dream, he was the very same Gray from the past, the biker bad boy who at her first meeting she felt silly because she thought she had met her soul mate. The attraction was mutual, it was crazy and some times bordered on coincidence and she wasn’t sure if she was still dreaming or actually back in London working at Steele Design.

Susan Stephens was brilliant the way she tied everything together from their first meeting in the car park, to their immediate attraction for each other and then being transported back into the 60’s with the very same man. Then to fall in love and abruptly return to the present only to find out that Gray Quinn, her new boss was the man of her dreams. It was fate, Kismet all wrapped into one lovely wonderful love story and such an incredible blend of fantasy tied into the present.

Please see the Behind the Book the book at the end of this review for more insight into the creation of the storyline.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book:

Post at I(Heart)Presents
Additional post at I(Heart)Presents

Saturday, February 26, 2011

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Natalie Anderson

Author: Natalie Anderson
Line: RIVA / Harlequin Presents Extra
Release month: UK - Feb 11 ; US - Apr 11 ; OZ/NZ - Mar 11
The S-Factor: Sexy

Back Blurb:

One crazy afternoon on the beach...

A fling with sinfully hot champion snowboarder Jack Greene isn't Kelsi Reid's normal behaviour... but one glimpse of his wicked blue eyes has Kelsi throwing caution to the deep blue sea (along with her clothes!). After all, who better to go crazy with than a man who deserves a gold medal for his prowess on the slopes and in the bedroom...?

Then Kelsi crashes down with a terrifying bump - of the baby kind. They couldn't be worse matched - Jack is Mr Right-Now, while Kelsi craves stability. But it's hard to keep your feet on the ground once you've met the man who turns your world upside down...

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

They were so different from each other, he handsome, rich and charismatic and a professional snow boarder. She quirky, creative, somewhat of a loner and they met in the most bizarre way. Kelsi Reid literally hit him with her car, and after talking to each other, Jack Greene talked her into spending the day together at the beach. Explosive is what I would say happened next, they made mad passionate love and her life changed on that day forever!. Walk on the Wild Side was a most amazing and out of the box romance by the very talented Natalie Anderson.

Kelsi Reid was an interesting heroine. She worked as a web designer, worked extremely hard, and as a reward, her co-workers got together and treated her to a day at the spa. Instead, she spent the day with a very sexy man. She also lived alone away from the mother she adored. She didn’t trust men, thanks to her father who had left her mother for another woman. Her mother was so proud of Kelsi and that meant the world to her. As for her father, well let’s just say he had let her down by favoring his second wife and daughter. Kelsi never measured up to his expectations because she thought she wasn’t pretty enough and for other reasons, her father he never gave her his time. She had red curly hair, freckles, pale skin, and she disguised her looks with clothes and colored contacts. However, Jack found her attractive and he appreciated her personality. And then Jack left because he wanted to follow his own dreams and that was to train and get his gold metal. Besides what would he want with a girl like her? Kelsi thought?

Kelsi was an interesting woman and Jack was attracted to her, so much so he couldn’t get her or their lovemaking out of his head or forget their day at the beach. Yes, he was popular with the ladies but something about her intrigued him. She was different and besides that, he had the greatest sex in his life. One thing was for sure, he wanted to see her again and sleep with her again.  However, one thing bothered him, because they made love in the ocean he wondered if she could possibly be pregnant?

Kelsi, was renting a room in an old home which was about to be sold. No roommates, she lived alone so she was surprised when Jack showed up on her doorstep. She was also surprised when he suggested she might be pregnant…….actually she was shocked. So when he demanded she take a test she was absolutely floored to find it positive! He was like a steam roller, he bought her large home, moved in, cooked for her, tempted her, taunted her and drove her crazy. He wanted her like no other woman and so did she and it drove them both crazy until they finally satisfied their urges. However, it made everything worse because they couldn’t deny their emotions for each other. On top of that was the pressure for Kelsi to tell her mother and the possibility of disappointing her.

Like Kelsi’s mom, Jack’s father had given up his dreams. At childbirth, Jack’s mother had passed away and he had to revamp his life for his son. Jack was worried about Kelsi being so petite, just like his mother. Taking over her life didn’t even describe it, especially when he insisted on moving in and then he broke her heart when he told her he was leaving to follow his dream.  Was he being selfish?  Did they even have a chance to find happiness together?

The ending chapters were so amazing because each of Natalie’s characters learned so much about each other and themselves. A man used to his freedom, fame and fortune was transformed due to his feelings for this amazing and interesting woman. As for Kelsi, let’s just say she learned to love and trust and give up on the past hurts thanks to her father. Walk on the Wild Side you won’t want to miss and I can certainly see why Mills and Boon chose this particular romance as their Book of the Month.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Review: Hired by Her Husband - Anne McAllister


Title: Hired by Her Husband
Author: Anne McAllister
Line: Harlequin Presents
Release Date: February 2011
The S-Factor: Sensuous


Back-Blurb:


Once, Sophy and George Savas were happily married...Then Sophy woke up and realized that her blissful marriage was a sham. She's never looked back - until the day she learns her husband has been critically injured, and her world is shaken.


Now, though he's stubborn and proud. George wants Sophy's help. He knows she won't come willingly, so he hires her to be his wife for as long as he needs her! But playing happy families is dangerous, and soon George realizes that his need for Sophy runs deep and strong!


Review:

I adore Anne McAllister's books! Her novels for Harlequin Presents have all the drama, passion and emotion which readers expect from the line, but she peppers her stories with a wonderful sense of humour that will have readers laughing and crying in equal measures.

In Hired by Her Husband, Sophy McKinnon gets the shock of her life when she gets a phone call asking for a Mrs. Savas. Sophy hasn't been called by that name for four years - ever since her marriage to George Savas had broken down, after she had realized that he had married her out of duty and not love. Although she had tried to move on with her life and start afresh, Sophy had never forgotten George and when she is informed that her estranged husband has been in an accident that could have had fatal consequences, Sophy drops everything and rushes off to be by George's side.

George had been devastated when Sophy had walked out on him. Now that Sophy has come back into his life, he is not about let her walk out again. He knows that Sophy will use any excuse to avoid talking about their past, so when his doctor tells him that he needs someone to care for him during his recuperation period, George hires Sophy!

Sophy is initally reluctant to take the job, but she has got no other choice. She is adamant that this is only going to be a temporary arrangement, and that when George is back on his feet, they would go back to their lives on different sides of the country. But, old feelings and buried passions quickly begin to resurface...

Will it be second time lucky for George and Sophy? Or will past fears and old skeletons condemn them to a lonely life?

Hired by Her Husband is a tender, passionate and wholly gripping page-turner from this talented storyteller! Anne McAllister never fails to deliver a hugely satisfying read that will leave readers entranced from start to finish and Hired by Her Husband is no exception. As always, her characterization is spot on. Her heroine, Sophy, is strong and feisty and George is a sexy brooding hero who manages to be an Alpha male without any of the typical annoying traits which these heroes sometimes have.

Heartwarming, funny and engrossing, with Hired by Her Husband, Anne McAllister has penned another winner!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Review: Rebel with a Cause - Natalie Anderson


Title: Rebel with a Cause
Author: Natalie Anderson
Line: Harlequin Presents Extra
Release Date: February 2011


Back-Blurb:

Office gossip!

It's well known that rugged tycoon Lorenzo Hall comes from the wrong side of the tracks, and that opposite attract...Apparently one glimpse of his pristine new assistant Sophy Braithwaite had Lorenzo itching to undress her - we wonder if she's as prim and proper as she looks!
Of course, to Sophy, her smouldering boss should be off-limits, but it's easy to see how Lorenzo's criminally hot body and the dangerous twinkle in his eyes could tempt her to break all the rules...



Review:
A sexy, flirty and feel-good contemporary romance, Rebel with a Cause is the spectacular new novel by USA Today best-selling author Natalie Anderson!
Sophy Braithwaite comes from a long line of successful lawyers whose skills in the courtroom are absolutely legendary. Generation after generation of Braithwaites have passed the bar and become a force to be reckoned with in the legal world. Not Sophy. Sophy has never shown the slightest bit of interest in the law and has become an office assistant with a secret passion for jewelry design.

Sophy's skills in the office are just as legendary as her family's legal prowess, but she is not going to spend the rest of her life working within the stifling confines of an office. Sophy has great plans for the future and hopes to make her dream of becoming a jewelry designer a reality. But first she must earn some serious money so that she can get the ball rolling. However, not even Sophy, could have foreseen the direction which her life was going to take...

She's just accepted a job working as an assistant to rugged playboy Lorenzo Hall - and prim and proper Sophy cannot help but be floored by her sexy new boss. Lorenzo is like no other man she has met before and, despite vowing to keep things strictly professional, she soon finds herself falling for her boss!

Lorenzo doesn't do commitment. He had tried it once and had failed dismally - and even though he cannot stop thinking about Sophy, he vows to keep their relationship casual. But when he starts losing his heart to her, will Lorenzo be brave enough to tell Sophy that he loves her? Or will his fears condemn him to a lonely life?

The pages just turn themselves when reading Rebel with a Cause! Natalie Anderson has written a fabulous romantic tale that sizzles with explosive chemistry, steamy love scenes, heart-wrenching intensity and breathtaking emotion. This talented New Zealand writer has made a name for herself by writing red-hot romances with heart that put a fresh spin on old favourites and Rebel with a Cause is sure to leave readers everywhere spellbound as they find themselves enthralled by this powerful, uplifting and highly enjoyable romantic story!

REVIEW: SINGLE DAD'S TRIPLE TROUBLE - FIONA LOWE




Title: Single Dad's Triple Trouble
Author: Fiona Lowe
Line: Mills and Boon Medical Romance
Release Date: February 2011
The S-Factor: Sweet




Back-Blurb:



Three little miracles!

Single dad Dr. Gabe Lewis is a single dad...to triplets! But Gabe's adorable tots are triple the trouble - when it comes to simple things like babies' bathtime this brilliant doctor meets his match. He knows someone who could help - someone really special who has recently reentered his life.

But Gabe once broke Dr. Elly Ruddock's heart in two - might he perform another miracle by mending it again with the help of his mischevious trio

Review:

Fiona Lowe's latest Medical Romance, Single Dad's Triple Trouble, is a charming, heartwarming and spellbinding tale that is sure to satisfy readers everywhere!

Dr. Elly Ruddock and Dr. Gabe Lewis' relationship had been rock solid. They were good-looking, successful, extremely skilled and blissfully in love. Elly had thought that she and Gabe had a future together - a future involving a family. However, Gabe had shocked her to her very core when he had announced that he had no intention of having kids with her. Upset, flabbergasted and determined not to continue to live a lie, Elly had decided to stop seeing Gabe, and she had fled her old life and taken up a position working at a small Tasmanian practice in the town of Midden Cove.

Forgetting a man like Gabe is not easy, but Elly knows that she cannot continue to live in the past. She's doing her best to move on with her life, and luckily for her, she's got a great job, has made a few friends - and has even started dating....although Elly is dismayed that no man seems to match up to Gabe.

Gabe had never forgotten Elly - nor had he ever forgiven himself for letting her slip through his fingers. An error of judgment had compelled him to make a decision that had serious consequences...triplets! Having to juggle three demanding babies with a challenging career is no walk in the park, so he is looking forward to taking some time out and relaxing at his parent's house in Midden Cove.

The last person Gabe is expecting to bump into is Elly! Yet, when he claps eyes on her again, old feelings return and passions reawaken. But has too much water gone under the bridge for the two of them to have a future together?

Single Dad's Triple Trouble is a terrific read! Tender, believable, realistic and poignant, Fiona Lowe has written a romantic, heartwrenching and hugely enjoyable Medical Romance that will keep readers blissfully turning the pages.

As always, her characters are exceptional. Elly is a strong, modern and sensitive heroine and Gabe - and his adorable brood - are gorgeous.

A fabulous read that kept me reading late into the night, Single Dad's Triple Trouble is another unmissable romantic treat from Fiona Lowe!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

MILLIONAIRE-DOLLAR AMNESIA SCANDAL – Rachel Bauley


Author: Rachel Bailey
Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: UK: / North America: February 2011
AU/NZ:  March 2011
The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back Blurb:

An accident left April Fairchild with no memory, ownership of a multimillion-dollar hotel and the nagging sense something wasn't quite right in her life. It also brought her intensely sexy businessman Seth Kentrell, whose late brother had left her the property. Seth believed her a gold digger—and how could April deny it, when she couldn't even remember her name? Now Seth was ready to play hardball to get the hotel back.

But April knew enough to refuse to sign over the property until her memory returned. And if that meant Seth needed to persuade her…well, that was something she could enjoy! At least until the whole truth came out….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Million-Dollar Amnesia Scandal was an incredible blend of passion and gripping emotions. Seth Kentrell was the “total package” He was a ruthless and sexy billionaire and was determined to get his Lighthouse Hotel back!

One met his half brother Ryder Bramson in The Billionaire’s Beck and Call so I couldn’t wait to read Seth’s story. Truth, lies and seduction all rolled into one! There was one thing for sure, Seth had lost his brother Jesse who died in a car accident. But he also had a problem, the woman April Fairchild travelling with Jesse somehow got her hands on one of his hotels and he wanted it back but she couldn’t remember their deal because she was suffering amnesia from the accident.

There was only one way he could get his hands on the Lighthouse Hotel and that was to keep the beautiful April close, so when she was released from the hospital he picked her up and drove them both to the property. She felt safe with Seth and she knew he would do the right thing but she wanted her memory to return, she wanted to remember why this hotel meant so much to her. April also knew Seth was dangerous because there was a mutual attraction between them and would he use this against her?

April couldn’t even remember her own mother who was also her agent. She was told she owned Fairchild Creative which was her own label and recording studio. From the age of 13 she had launched a career as a very successful jazz singer and piano player. However, she signed over her home and studio to Jesse Kentrell in exchange for one of the hotels owned by Bramson Holdings.

Seth couldn’t loose the Lighthouse Hotel, it would mean he could loose his inheritance. Seth and his brother Jesse were the illegitimate sons of Warner Bramson and now that Jesse was gone that meant that he and his half brother Ryder owned the shares but would they be enough for Seth to gain control of the board? He wasn’t going to let Ryder Bramson get control nor JT Hartley, the other man claiming he was also an illegitimate son of Warner’s. This hotel meant the world to him, it reminded him of the family vacations they took to the hotel. Even though he felt the attraction to April, he was not going to let her win but he couldn’t deny that he wanted her in his bed. Of course, all of this passion between them, in the end I wondered who would suffer, Seth or April or possibly both of them? Would getting his hotel back be more important than having April in his life?

Seth didn’t want to want her but he did. However, he wasn’t going to be weak like his brother Jesse who had in the past tried to impress the opposite sex and was always trying to be the big man around women. Nor was he going to be foolish like his mother who had been the public mistress for 32 years to his father. He wanted his relationships simple, but he couldn’t deny the fact that he wanted April and that made him angry with himself. As for April, she wondered if he was trying to seduce her to get his hotel back. Talk about a mess. Add to the mix because she didn’t have her memory back, had she slept with his brother Jesse? She honestly didn’t know so that put them at odds. Even with those obstacles, I wanted this couple together not only because of their hot passion, I just knew they would be perfect together.

Seth Kentrell actually believed that “nothing good ever came from love and commitment.” His father had taught him that every time he left his mother crying because he was going to visit his “other” family. I remember from reading Ryder’s story, that he felt the very same. It caused me to wonder how they would work out their respective ownership in their father’s company and would this supposed new brother appear on the scene? Talk about a bizarre family plus the fact that Seth desperately needed the Lighthouse Hotel back in his portfolio.

Seth and his brother Ryder had a short meeting and decided to unite due to the fact that JT Hartley was claiming to be the son of Warner Bramson. They included April and Ryder’s fiance Macy in their meeting. It gave me hope for Seth and April’s relationship because he thought enough of her and trusted her to invite her to brunch. However, she also feared Seth because he and his brother were so ruthless.

April knew she needed to walk away and go home. If Seth could be this ruthless about his brother and business, what would he do to her? Everyone wanted something from her, her mother and Seth and she needed peace and to get her memory back. Walking away would hurt them both. Would he ever put her first instead of Bramson Holdings I wondered? Would he and his brother Ryder ever come to terms with their past family hurts? Plus, what would happen when her memory returned? Would she be hurt by what she found out about her life?

Rachel Bailey has written a real “winner”, a beautiful love story one of hope with Millionaire-Dollar Amnesia Scandal. The way the author dealt with Seth and April’s emotions, the return of her memory, the revelations about her mother, his brother. Talk about a roller coaster romance!   Plus there was the most magnificent love scene on a grand pianoI promise you this book and The Billionaire’s Beck and Call are both must reads. Talk about sexy billionaires, scandal, mistrust, lies, sexual tension they both have it all. However, Seth’s and Ryder’s story doesn’t seem to be over because out there lurking is a possible half brother wanting his piece of the pie!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the Book:

"I've always wanted to be able to play the piano well. I had lessons as a child, I even made half-hearted attempts to practice, but I'm still not that much chop. So I did the natural thing - I created a heroine, April Fairchild, who could play (and sing!) so well that she's become world famous. (And her hero, Seth Kentrell, finds her playing very attractive. :))

The next question was what type of singer / pianist she was. I don't know about you, but I think some slower jazz numbers can be very sensual and just seemed to fit perfectly for a romance. I listened to a lot of Diana Krall, in particular, while writing this book. Side note: I listened to Ravel's Bollero over and over while writing At The Billionaire's Beck and Call - the slow, controlled build to the explosive end really worked for Ryder and Macy's journey.

The heroine in Million-Dollar Amnesia Scandal, April Fairchild, is a jazz singer and pianist. As a failed pianist myself, I have to tell you, I really enjoyed writing the scenes where she's playing. But more than April's playing - when I was writing this book I knew I wanted to write about her being kissed on her piano. Perhaps it was memories of watching The Fabulous Baker Boys and seeing how sexy the piano could be. Perhaps it was having stared with awe at gorgeous men while they tinkled the ivories, but I knew this book wouldn't be complete without that kiss.

April's hero, Seth Kentrell, also thinks the piano is kinda sexy after he hears her play. Naturally. I've always been fascinated by star gazing. I love sitting under the stars and night and seeing if I can recognize any shapes - both the official constellations and ones I make up myself.

When I was a child, my family spent our school holidays at Byron Bay. For those who don't know the spot, it's Australia's most easterly point, with stunning beaches, and, when we used to go it was a relatively unknown piece of paradise. It's become much more popular in recent years, but the beaches are as gorgeous, and the whole bay is still presided over by a grand old lighthouse. The Cape Byron Lighthouse is not only Australia's most easterly lighthouse, but it's also the country's most powerful. At night we would watch the light go round and round from the sand dunes, and during the day, we could see the tall white tower from the beach. So, is it just me and the effect of my childhood memories, or do lighthouses hold a special fascination for others too? Perhaps the appeal is symbolic - a guiding light for those in troubled waters.

Since I've laid bare my love for all things lighthouse, you probably won't be surprised to learn I managed to sneak a lighthouse into a book. In fact, I set an entire book at a fictitious luxury hotel: The Lighthouse Hotel in Connecticut, New England. In Million-Dollar Amnesia Scandal, one of the first things April wants to do when she arrives at the hotel, is climb the steps of the lighthouse. April has many traits that have nothing to do with me - eg., she can sing and play the piano beautifully - but that need to climb to the top of the lighthouse is all me. :)

One of the most fun aspects to research for Million-Dollar Amnesia Scandal was which constellations would be visible to the naked eye in Connecticut at that time of year. You see, April is a bit of an amateur astronomer. It's not something that has a lot of page space devoted to it in the book, but I loved having that small thread there for April. So, it turns out that in my ficticious town of Queensport, with the naked eye, you can see the stars Vega, Altair and Deneb, and together they form a triangle. You can also easily see Venus, which is a planet, but often called the Evening Star or the Morning Star."  R. Bailey

Friday, February 18, 2011

HAVE BABY, NEED BILLIONAIRE - Maureen Child


Author: Maureen Child
Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: North America/UK:  January 2011
The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back Blurb:

He'd certainly never set eyes on—much less gone to bed with—Tula Barrons. That he would have remembered. Yet businessman Simon Bradley agreed to let Tula and her infant cousin—a child she claimed was his—stay in his mansion until he had proof of the little boy's paternity.

But having Tula under his roof revealed something unexpected—her father had once nearly destroyed Simon's business. The billionaire now had the perfect opportunity for revenge. He could seduce Tula and take away the baby she loved…but if he succeeded, he could lose all he'd come to care for.

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Maureen Child has written a heart warming love story with Have Baby, Need Billionaire. What this billionaire didn’t know was he had a son and that the lovely Tula Barrons and his son, in the end would steal Simon Bradley, the ruthless businessman’s heart!

In Maureen Child’s Christmas love story The Wrong Brother (Under the Millionaire’s Mistletoe) the reader met Anna Cameron and her best friend Tula Barrons. Tula writes children’s books, a “Lonely Bunny” series. The Cameron’s have been like family to Tula because even though her parents were divorced she relied on her friendship with Anna and the warmth she felt with the Cameron’s because it had been missing from her life. Her mother just as soon as she graduated from high school left town and basically her father years later disowned her because she wouldn't live her life his way. Now she was taking care of her cousins baby, actually had custody of Nathan because his mother had died in a car accident.

Tula had to get in touch with Simon Bradley, the man who was Nathan’s father, the same man that didn’t know he had a son. It was her intention to make sure Nathan and his father would adjust and then she would be on her way back home. Sound easy? Definitely not because the little boy had over the weeks she cared for him had stolen her heart. Of course, she wondered what kind of a man Simon Bradley was and when she went to tell him the news, she was immediately aware of him physically and that bothered her, even though she knew he was the same ruthless businessman, just like her father. One up tight buttoned up man who lived by schedules and was a workaholic. Not her type, no way even though when she shook his hand, the sparks flew and her fingers tingled.

Talk about being center punched in his gut! A son he didn’t know about and the mother was dead? Well he needed a plan and the plan was for Tula to leave her hometown with the baby and move into his mansion in San Francisco. But first the paternity test even though he knew in his heart the baby was his. Tula and baby literally took over his home, but that’s not all they took over because in the end he really enjoyed having them both there, they brightened up his home plus she intrigued him, she was beautiful, sexy, warm and she and Nathan brought sunshine into his home. His life had been orderly and he had brought his father’s failed business from ruin to a successful chain of department stores. However, no thanks to the man that almost ruined them and cost them their home, Jacob Hawthorne. The very same snake that was always purchasing property Simon wanted, the man he hated, and he wanted revenge. What Simon didn’t know was his arch enemy was actually Tula’s father.

Tula and Simon definitely had chemistry and I wondered how they would both survive their attraction for each other. I also wondered what sort of father Simon would become. The days up until he found out the paternity results Simon held himself back.  When the results turned out to be positive, everything changed not only for Simon but also for Tula. All of her life, Tula had wanted a family, to feel the warmth of love and now while living in his home, watching him with the baby, the sexual attraction between them, it was all too perfect and I knew in my heart that this would end badly especially for her because of her big heart. And what would happen when Simon found out who her father was because that surely would come out? He had absolutely no idea who Tula was because she didn’t use the Hawthorne last name. He had his best friend Mick who he employed investigate Tula’s background just to make sure she was everything she said and then the bomb was dropped when he found out who her dad was. On top of everything else, they had slept together and he still wanted her even though he wondered if she was working with her father to try to bring him down.  As Nathan’s guardian, she held all of the power.  However, Simon knew he could prove he would be a good father. 

Simon thought of Tula night and day but he still had a plan to bring down her father.  He would throw their relationship in his face and then send Tula packing. His friend told him it would backfire and it did, it cost them both so much and trust me, you’ll cry for all three of them. Tula was so kind hearted, so loving, an incredible mother who only wanted both Nathan and Simon……a family, the warm and wonderful family she never had as a child. And then the rug was pulled out from both of them. Shock for Simon when he confronted Jacob Hawthorne.  Nothing but sadness and heartbreak for Tula when Simon revealed his meeting with her father.

Sadness does not even describe what I felt for Simon Bradley, the man who lived my his own rules and a orderly life. Because as the last chapters unfolded I had hoped that he would see what was right before his eyes and it wouldn’t be to late. Heartbroken, Tula left but she couldn’t return home because she had promised to do a reading and booking signing for her latest “Lonely Bunny” book.   You absolutely won’t want to miss the last chapters of Have Baby, Need Billionaire because Maureen Child's gives this couple a most beautiful and happy ending and the wonderful family they both so deserve.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Reckless in Paradise/His Prisoner in Paradise (UK) – Trish Morey


Author:  Trish Morey


Line: Mills and Boon Modern/ Harlequin Presents Release month: North America: Jan 2011 /UK: Jul 2010
The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back Blurb:

Merciless Daniel Caruana will do anything to prevent his sister marrying his nemesis! It just so happens that her wedding planner is the groom’s sister—and in the flesh, despite her prim clothes, Miss Sophie Turner is very tempting.

An eye for an eye, a sister for a sister….

Daniel will have Sophie exactly where he wants her—with him on his private island and willing in his bed! But when Daniel realizes that true love does exist, it's not just his sister who's in trouble….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Again Daniel Caruana’s sister had fallen in love and would her brother have to pay him off like the others? Not until he found out its Jake Fletcher, a man he hates, a man he holds responsible for the death of a woman he loved. Now he’s faced with Jake’s sister Sophie Turner, the wedding planner and a woman who wants the best for her brother and his bride. Could Trish Morey pull this off and give them a happy ending………you bet!


So how would author address this dilemma and since the wedding was immediate, how would they deal with the family issues and their mutual attraction? Throw in the beautiful secluded island located in Queensland, a posh resort with a horrible thing to about to happen, Daniel would as he had in the past, try to pay off Jake Fletcher NOT to marry his sister. He hated Jake, they had a past and he would not allow Monica’s marriage to happen.

Sophie Turner not only was the sister of a man he hated, she was his sister’s wedding planner and a woman he desired. His plan was to stop the wedding, could he pretend to be in compliance with the plans and in the end halt the process? You bet and then some…..did he have a plan? First of all, he wanted Sophie where he could control the wedding planning plus bed her. However, he had a grander plan. Buy off her brother who was his arch enemy. It had worked before with Monica’s other boyfriends so he was sure it would work with Jake. Why did he hate Jake, Sophie’s brother? They had not only a competitive past; Daniel blamed Jake for his fiancée Emma’s death.

It was all too much while trying to mend fences between Daniel and her brother. It was obvious Daniel hated Jake and absolutely didn’t want his sister to marry. However, what lengths would he go to stop the wedding? Buy out the venue, offer Jake money to stop the wedding, bed his sister? Yes to all three. Daniel, Jake and Daniel’s security man Jo all had a past, they grew up together, went to high school together. Jo hated Jake almost as much as Daniel, so he agreed to again offer Monica’s boyfriend or in this case fiancé money. Jo, well let’s just say, was a bit snake and soon to slither out from under his rock.

I adore a tormented alpha and that’s exactly whom Daniel was yet I could also feel his emotions crumbling towards Sophie, the woman he didn’t want to like, only use. However, while he had her on his island, had control of her and the wedding plans, he thought why not take it a step further and have a short affair. Did I agree with his tactics…..no. Did I want to see the tables turned…definitely yes! Obviously he adored his sister, had taken care of her after their parents had died and he was sure her fiancé, Jake was only using her. He was so wrong on all counts and so much more

The word angst described it all especially the ending chapters. I looked up the word and its definition was as follows: “anguish, torment, anxiety, trouble, sorrow, worry, fear”……..let’s just say It’s exactly what happens on all counts! Not just for the happy couple Jake and Monica but also for their respective siblings it all ends horribly. Could all of their relationships be salvaged and could there be a wedding?

Well Ms. Trish Morey, you’ve done it again with Reckless in Paradise, explosive, secrets, lies, passion but you also gave your hero a very valuable lesson, one that Sophie taught him. Sophie taught him “that the bonds of love were stronger than the chains of hate. She also taught him the love wasn’t about control.” Sophie taught Daniel if he truly loved her, he would have to let her go and hopefully she would return to him because she wanted him! Happy ending? Yes, not only for his sister Monica and Jake but also for the two of them, in paradise!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Trish Morey website

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

WILD NIGHTS WITH HER WICKED BOSS / HER BAD, BAD BOSS (NA) – Nicola Marsh

Author: Nicola Marsh
Line: Mills and Boon Modern Heat/ Harlequin Presents Extra
Release month:
     Harlequin Modern Heat-UK Dec 2010
     Mills & Boon Sexy Sensation-
     AUS/NZ- Jan 2011
     Harlequin Presents Extra - 
     Her Bad, Bad Boss-USA May 2011
The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back Blurb:

Her red-hot boss definitely shouldn't be on her "To-Do" list!

When glittering socialite Jade Beacham's life falls apart she's determined to make a completely fresh start. Packing away her designer wardrobe, she heads out to the arctic splendour of Alaska to become deliciously dangerous Rhys Cartwright's newest - and feistiest! - employee.

Expecting a high-maintenance princess, Rhys finds Jade's enthusiasm and natural beauty surprising...and outrageously enticing! If working together is wicked torture, then giving in to temptation is worse - as their blistering night together plays havoc with Rhys's strict "one night only" rule...

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Author Nicola Marsh brought back so many memories for me with Wild Nights with her Wicked Boss. This heartfelt and warm romance takes place in the state of Alaska. A place I not only visited so many times due to work but a place that stole my heart. I can’t even begin to describe my experience while reading this beautifully crafted romance. Both of these characters tugged at my heart and their personalities leaped off the pages and so did their chemistry.

Rhys Cartwright was quite the handsome millionaire and owned a tour operating company which catered to clients who wanted to experience Alaska. However, early on he had experienced the loss of his older brother and he and his brother the rejection of their parents after his brother’s death. Later on he would also experience the loss and death of his girlfriend for which he blamed himself. So love and commitment, absolutely not! However he did care very much for his brother and family who lived in Australia. Callum and Starr's story were in Overtime in the Bosses Bed.

And then there was the lovely Australian society girl, Jade Beacham. She had lived the high society life and had been spoiled by her parents. However, not only did her parents let her down by their betrayal in their own marriage, so had her fiance when she found out he had been cheating on her. Now she had the chance to make something of her life and live independent from her family. Her first interview to be a tour guide with Wild Thing was with Callum Cartwright, the CEO’s brother and now she would have her interview with the owner of the Alaska tour company, Rhys Cartwright. Let’s just say it wasn’t the normal interview and there were lots of sparks flying on both sides. However, she got the job and was quite surprised due to her lack of experience. What she didn’t know was that dear old dad had secured the job for her.

Jade was determined to succeed because at the end of season she wanted to return to Australia and study biology. However, she was so attracted to Rhys and he was attracted to her as well. They fought their attraction every step of the way but in the end when they were left along at his lodge, they made love. Rhys could tell she felt something for him and he didn’t want to hurt her so he told her absolutely no more, it was over. Her pride and determination in tact, she worked doubly hard and her two male co-workers admired her determination and secretly so did Rhys.

Jade was under Rhys skin and she drove him crazy. He was determined she would never have his heart but he wanted her so badly.  It was their turn to make the journey to Skagway, AK for supplies.  Rhys was determined to give Jade the date they never shared.  They went to dinner, again made love and stayed overnight at his condo. He knew then and there he was in trouble but what he didn’t know was that he would hurt her beyond repair when she overheard a phone conversation concerning the terms of her employment with Wild Thing.

The hero Rhys Cartwright and heroine Jade Beacham were so real, warm, spirited and funny and you’ll actually feel like you’re personally on their journey. Jade and Rhys had suffered so much loss; Jade due to betrayal by her fiance and her parents and Rhys by the death of his brother and girlfriend. Their journey wasn’t an easy one, it was full of obstacles but in the end and oh what an ending it was spectacular!

Wild Nights with her Wicked Boss had a most creative and beautiful ending. It’s one you definitely won’t want to miss because Nicola Marsh’s love of romance, love of Alaska was truly portrayed in this most amazing love story.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book:

"I'll let you in on a little secret: this book in its original form is the first partial I ever submitted to Mills and Boon! While 'Fire and Ice' wasn't suitable for Harlequin Modern at the time, Kim Young wrote a 2 page encouraging rejection, asking for anything else I'd written. The result? I sent in THE TYCOON'S DATING DEAL and it sold!

Cue forward five years and with a hefty rewrite, Rhys and Jade have their romance in Alaska published! I'm thrilled this book will be released, considering it was inspired by my honeymoon. Glacier Point, Davidson Glacier, all real. And the canoe? I actually rowed out on it to the glacier, incredible experience! As for the hot tub in Skagway, sadly, I didn't get to research that first hand!"  Nicola Marsh

Connected book Overtime in the Bosses Bed

A Personal Note from Marilyn:

For more than 17 years, I worked for Princess Cruises and Princess Tours. At first as PA to one of the Vice Presidents and then as a tour and shore excursion coordinator. The places Nicola writes about Davidson Glacier and Glacier Point, I've visited several times. Years later I planned personalized tours to the state with Knightly Tours. If it’s your dream to see Alaska, I highly encourage it whether you travel by cruise ship, rail or personally drive. It’s glorious country with beautiful vistas, lodges, especially South East Alaska. And there is no better way to see by a tour operator like Rhys Wild Thing. It's a wonderful way to view a glacier in canoes or kayaks, by helicopter, by float plane .  On land by rail or rafting down a river in Denali National Park.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

THE MILLIONAIRE MEETS HIS MATCH – Kate Carlisle

Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: UK/USA: July 2010
The S-Factor:  Sexy

Back Blurb:

Mr. July: Adam Duke, committed to his company

His Foil: A matchmaking mother

His Future: Avoid Operation Matrimony

The CEO of Duke Development had been on guard since he discovered his mother's diabolical plot to marry him off. Him and his brothers. And when his desirable new assistant, Trish James, hinted she wanted more than just a business relationship, Adam figured she was in on the scheme. So the boss decided to play along and seduce the secretary...then put a stop to his mother's meddling marriage plans once and for all. But even Adam could not have guessed Trish's true agenda for wanting him in her bed....

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

I couldn’t wait to read The Millionaire Meets His Match by Kate Carlisle, which was Book 1 in Kate’s Duke Brother series. The series I just know is going to be fabulous because I read Book 2 (Sweet Surrender, Baby Surprise) first, and adored it!

Brandon Duke said to his brother Adam, “just don’t be surprised when you find yourself on a honeymoon with some woman who was planted right under your nose by our diabolically clever mother.” And yes, their mom Sally Duke was not only a matchmaker she was an incredible mother to her adopted sons.

Adam was at the top of Sally’s list to marry off and he wouldn’t put it past her dear friend Marjorie, the HR Director to have this so called woman right under Adam’s nose. If Trish was a plant and a gold digger, then Adam was on top of the situation and he would out maneuver his mother and her best friend!

And then Adam remembered a conversation he overheard when Trish said, “he won’t even know what hit him” not realizing they were speaking about something else entirely. But what he didn’t know was the conversation was between Trish and her best friend. He had asked Trish to join him on a business trip to Fantasy Mountain, Duke Enterprise’s new resort. He wanted to check out an error that was made in the construction of the new parking garage because it wasn't up to code or user friendly for the ADA traveler. The very same facility that had displaced Trish, her grandmother and other family friends because Duke Enterprises had purchased the entire block before they could bid on it themselves because they wanted it for Fantasy Mountain's parking garage.

Trish was on a mission to find out something negative she could use against Adam and bring him down. What she didn’t count on was she was attracted to her new boss and nervous about the trip. However, she remembered her promise to her grandmother on her death bed and she wouldn’t let her feelings for him to get in the way. She would take him down no matter what or how handsome and nice he was because it was about doing the right thing. She didn’t want to let down the past residents of Victorian Village, the property they lost because they weren’t the owners when they had applied for historical designation for the Village. She was furious with the city to allow a historical building to be bulldozed and in it’s place a parking garage erected by Duke Enterprises. And then it was suddenly clear, if she messed up she would never find work in this town again.

I was so intrigued by this storyline and yet I hadn’t even got to the “good parts”, their business trip, their love making, the feeling of betrayal and Adam finding out if his mother and her best friend had played a part in all of this or had they? Well I wasn’t disappointed because their chemistry sizzled! .Trish fell in love and Adam fought it and he realized after the gala and grand opening that he would need to end their relationship because he didn’t “do forever” even though he had feelings for Trish.

Of course when one keeps secrets they are bound to come back to haunt them and for Trish it was devastating when a man recognized her as one who had pleaded for him not to tear down Victorian Village which destroyed all of their homes and businesses.. However before leaving so abruptly, she managed to tell him about what his company had done to her and had in the end caused the death of her grandmother. Not before revealing and handing him a disc that told him he was about to do it again. What a mess and it all took place in front of his guests and family.

They were both miserable without each other but trust me, in the end Adam did the most incredible thing for Trish to make up for Duke Enterprises involvement in the destruction of the Victorian Village. It was so obvious to me that not only did Adam Duke have charisma and charm, he was a good man. However Trish had other ideas because she found an incriminating file and when Adam had to address this issue, in the end, he did the right thing not only giving them their happy ending, one for the residents of Victorian Village as well.

These three Duke brother’s who came from similar backgrounds, who were adopted by the lovely Sally Duke, nurtured and loved and who together built up a corporation, have been a joy to read. Brandon Duke will be the last of the miniseries and I’m hoping author Kate Carlisle also gives their adorable and meddling mother Sally, a “love interest”.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Monday, February 07, 2011

REVIEW: REPROBATE LORD, RUNAWAY LADY - ISABELLE GODDARD


Title: Reprobate Lord, Runaway Lady

Author: Isabelle Goddard

Line: Mills and Boon Historical Romance

Release Date: January 2011

The S-Factor: Sweet


Back Blurb:


London, early morning.

One woman, one man, two escapes!


Amelie Silverdale is fleeing her betrothal to a vicious, degenerate man. Dressed as a maidservant, she climbs out of her bedroom window. Gareth Denville, wrongly accused of cheating at cards, is also contemplating escape. The scandal that once drove him from London is about to erupt again.


Coming across Amelie, Gareth recognises a kindred spirit wanting to break free and offers to help. While they are on the run together the attraction builds, but both are hiding secret identities...What will happen when their old lives catch up with them?


Review:


Written with flair, style and assurance, Reprobate Lord, Runaway Lady is the enthralling debut novel by a fabulous new voice in historical romance: Isabelle Goddard.


Amelie Silverdale will do anything to avoid marrying the repugnant Sir Rufus Glyde - who is not only twice her age, but who is also threatening to evict her family from their house! Realizing that she cannot possibly contemplate spending the rest of her life with such a despicable individual, Amelie decides to dress up as a servant maid and run off to her grandmother's house in Bath. It should be a simple enough plan - however, little does Amelie realize, that she is about to get entangled in a web of danger, peril...and desire!


Gareth Denville had once been accused of cheating at cards. Having been ostracized by his grandfather, made to feel unwelcome by members of the Ton and treated as a pariah in Town, Gareth had fled England for the continent. But, when his grandfather dies and he inherits all his worldy goods, Gareth is forced to return to London. But, on his arrival, he realizes that things haven't changed. The Ton still regards him with suspicion, so Gareth decides to tie up any loose ends and head back to the Continent. However, when a chance encounter brings Amelie into his life, England begins to look extremely appealing...


Gareth cannot help but be intrigued by Amelie. She might be dressed as a maidservant, but her poise and manner belie her humble appearance. What secret is Amelie hiding from Gareth? And what will her reaction be when she finds out about Gareth's past?


Does their love stand a chance of surviving? Or will a vicious enemy destroy this new found happiness and push them apart?


An enchanting, compelling and highly romantic read, Reprobate Lord, Runaway Lady is a captivating tale of dangerous secrets, forbidden passion and nail-biting drama that will hold readers in thrall! Isabelle Goddard has written an outstanding debut novel that sparkles with first rate characterization, vivid period detail, heart-pounding adventure and tender romance.


A stellar debut novel Regency romance fans will love, Reprobate Lord, Runaway Lady is an enjoyable tale by a writer who is set to be a huge reader favourite: Isabelle Goddard!


REVIEW: ST. PIRAN'S: ITALIAN SURGEON, FORBIDDEN BRIDE - MARGARET MCDONAGH


Title: Italian Doctor, Forbidden Bride
Author: Margaret McDonagh
Line: Mills and Boon Medical Romance
Release Date: January 2011

The S-Factor: Sensuous


Back-Blurb:


Who can resist St. Piran's deliciously sexy new Italian surgeon?


Talented neurosurgeon Gio Corezzi 's deliciously dark good looks turn the head of every female at St. Piran's hospital - except quiet beauty Jessica Carmichael's. And Gio cannot help but notice that Jess flinches away from anyone getting too close....


With nobody to turn to...and nowhere for Jess and her bundle of kittens to live while her dilapidated cottage is being patched up...she knows Gio's offer of a roof over her head is one she can't refuse. Now the devastatingly handsome Italian has got one week to claim the vulnerable Jess's heart...


St. Piran's Hospital...Where every drama has a dreamy doctor and a happy ending!


Review:


A tender, captivating and poignant book which will tug at your heartstrings and leave you breathless, the third title in the St. Piran's continuity: Italian Surgeon, Forbidden Bride is not to be missed! Touching, unputdownable and heart-wrenching, with Italian Surgeon, Forbidden Bride talented storyteller Margaret McDonagh is at her mesmerizing best!


Jess Carmichael's life had changed irrevocably when an error of judgment had compelled her to lose everything which she held dear to her. Alone, friendless and afraid, Jess had left her life in Scotland behind and come to the tiny Cornish town of St. Piran's to start afresh, the agony of the past ever present in her life. As a hospital counsellor, Jess loves her job and has even managed to make some friends, but she is adamant that she will not allow anyone to get too close to her...


Italian surgeon Gio Corezzi had also come to St. Piran's to start over. The past has left scars on Gio which can never heal and the talented Italian surgeon is hoping to rebuild his life in the picturesque Cornish town. The last thing Gio is expecting is to fall in love...yet when he claps eyes on Jess, he finds himself drawn to the beautiful Scottish counsellor with pain in her eyes. But everytime he tries and gets close to her, Jess pushes him away...


When Jess' cottage is flooded, Gio offers her and her adorable kittens his spare room. Although initally reluctant, Jess finds herself agreeing to Gio's proposition and briefly moves into his house. Thrown into close proximity together, passion soon ignites. But how can Jess possibly contemplate a future with Gio when the past continues to hold her captive?


An absolutely stunning contemporary romance that kept me glued to its pages, Italian Surgeon, Forbidden Bride is another first-rate Medical romance from an outstanding voice in romantic fiction. Margaret McDonagh is the mistress of emotional romantic fiction and her latest novel tackles tough issues with sensitivity, compassion and warmth. Uplifting, gripping and wholly gripping, this wonderfully written, highly compelling and absolutely unforgettable romance is another one for my keeper shelf!


Hero Hotness Factor: Five Hearts

Heroine Loveability Factor: Five Hearts

Awww Factor: Five Hearts

Stickability Factor: Five Hearts

Weepy Factor: Five Hearts

Monday, January 31, 2011

Bella and the Merciless Sheikh/ Bella's Disgrace (UK) - Sarah Morgan


Author:  Sarah Morgan
Line: Mills and Boon Modern / Harlequin Presents
Release month: UK:  Dec 2010 /USA: Jan 2011
The S-Factor:  Sensual and Sexy

Back Blurb:

Sheikh Zafiq Al-Rashid is furious when his week of solitude is interrupted by Bella Balfour, lost in the desert! While his fierce honor demands he rescue her, the willful heiress is a little less grateful than he'd expected. Zafiq is tempted to leave the spoiled socialite wandering the wilderness…but where would be the challenge in that?

He's powerful enough to tame the rebellious beauty. However, when they depart from the seclusion of the oasis, will Zafiq leave the memory of the fiery passion behind or announce to his kingdom that he is taking a queen?


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Sarah Morgan has yet again provided this reader with a most magnificent read. In fact I personally enjoyed it so much, I read it twice!

Bella Balfour intrigued me as she hid so many hurts. As we've learned in previous The Balfour Legacy series, their father Oscar holds a charity ball every year and it seems each one has some sort of press coverage of a new family scandal. Behind the scenes, Bella who is known for her beauty and being a party girl and her Olivia were locked in a battle over a shocking discovery and it was revealed concerning their sister Zoe. So their father like he has done in the past sent Bella away to a quite retreat in the desert to think about her behavior and how she could turn her life around.

Feisty Bella had noticed the stables across from the retreat and slipped away. She found a lovely mare and as she in her youth was an experienced horsewoman, she decided to take the mare to go into the city because she was going crazy at the retreat with no cell phone, Internet, etc. Once there she would leave the mare. However, she got lost and thought she would die in desert alone.

Sheikh Zafiq was an amazing man and head of his country, Al-Rafid. He was a strong and proud ruler, loved his country and his journey once a year to find peace and meditation. He was devoted to his siblings and had raised them He at times, felt the burden of raising them plus the burden of his country so he was looking forward to his five days alone in the desert, with no one, not even his guards. You can well imagine when he found his prize mare and a beautiful young Bella lost, dehydrated and sunburned in the desert, he was furious.

Bella and Zafiq's time in the desert began on a extremely rocky note and then after he nursed her back to health, the sparing began and then the sexual tension. They have five days to get to know each other and their time and romancing you absolutely will not want to miss. Their attraction was as intense as the hot desert sun and Bella fell in love. Zafiq, well let's just say duty came first. He was determined not to be like his father and be weak and fall in love with a beautiful, spoilt and pampered woman. Bella shared with him so much of her life in England and her family and he knew he was duty bound to his country to find respectable wife and mother for his heir so he needed to say goodbye upon their return to Al-Rafid and send her home to England.

Bella didn't want to go home because she felt two things; 1) her sisters were still angry with her and 2) every time her father looked at her she reminded him of her mother's betrayal.

She also new the mare she had stolen, his prized mare was the prize in an upcoming race. Zafiq's marvelous horse favored to win. However, if he did not, then the sheikh stood to loose his mare. She begged him to stay and promised if he gave her a chance, she would work in his stables, anything not to have to go home and face her family. I so admired how Bella handled herself with the grooms and horses. How hard and long she worked and because of her love for this proud man she was willing to sacrifice her safety. It was brilliantly written and so many lessons for all reading Bella's Disgrace.

Oscar Balfour had many family rules and I think Bella learned a few under the desert sun which were dignity, courage, loyalty and commitment traits any man could love. However, she most importantly learned about sacrifice because that was what she was willing to do for the man she loved even if it meant sacrificing herself or injury.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the Book:

"When I was first invited to contribute to the Balfour Bride series, I was thrilled. As I waited nervously for the brief to arrive, I hoped that my Balfour sister would be someone ‘real’ – someone whose journey would be absorbing and emotional. Right from the first moment I read Bella’s story I was excited, and that excitement stayed with me all the way through the writing of the manuscript. Bella was definitely flawed. She was also complex and sometimes spoiled, but I sensed immediately how vulnerable she was underneath all that attitude and how much of her ‘image’ had been developed as a defence mechanism.  Spoiled Bella became humble Bella and then bold, brave Bella.  I loved her (Go Bella!), and I hope you love her too'.....Sarah's post at I(Heart)Presents

Sarah's post at Tote Bags n' Blogs

AMNESIAC EX, UNFORGETTABLE VOWS – Robyn Grady

Author: Robyn Grady
Line: Silhouette Desire
Release month: UK/North America : January 2011
The S-Factor: Sexy

Back Blurb:

The last woman Samuel Bishop expected to have in his arms was his ex-wife. Left with amnesia from an accident, Laura had no memory of their bitter divorce. In her mind, she and the business tycoon were still newlyweds. With her ready to pick up where she thought their scorching-hot marriage had left off, he couldn't turn her down.

But soon Bishop realized he was playing with fire. He wanted to reclaim the wedded bliss this Laura had shown him, but what would happen when her memory returned?

And what would happen if it didn't?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Amnesiac Ex, Unforgettable Vows by Robyn Grady was a very moving love story with two extremely likeable characters, Bishop and Laura.

Their courtship with swift and fast and they both fell head over heels in love with each other. As Grace, Laura’s sister said had they taken more time and not rushed into their marriage maybe things would have turned out differently. Had Bishop been able to understand that Laura’s heart condition didn’t diminish her need to have a child and not adopt one. Had they both been able to talk after the baby they conceived resulted in a miscarriage. It was all so easy to walk away from each other ending their marriage with a divorce.

Now Bishop was back in Laura’s life because she had an accidental fall and was suffering from amnesia. As her sister told him, maybe they would get a second chance and love one another again. It was such a touching story line and it was one of those love stories that at times was hard to read. As for Laura, she didn’t remember loosing the baby and she thought they had only been married a few months. For Samuel Bishop, it was shear torment because his feelings for Laura were both physical and personal. It was obvious he still desired and loved her after the weeks tending to her needs and moving back into the home he built for her. It was like walking on egg shells, wondering when she would remember, trying to turn away her touches and kisses, trying so hard not to make love to her; it drove him crazy.

After days of resisting his ex’s flirtations plus the tension of trying to decide if he should sell his business, he finally gave in and took some time off to spend with Laura. All she could talk about was creating a baby together, wanting her own child and not to adopt one and couldn’t understand Bishop’s resistance. And then, finally Bishop gave in, he couldn’t resist anymore and no matter what the consequences, he realized he wanted that child and Laura. He realized he loved her! Of course she knew he was worried something could or might happen to her and/or the baby. But she didn’t understand his behaviour until after a couple of weeks later part of her memory returned.

I wondered if they could get their second chance, clear the air, talk out why their marriage ended the first time. It had to workout because they both loved each other. But would it be enough? Because no matter how well they suited each other, there would always be the past between them.

Amnesiac Ex, Unforgettable Vows took place in Australia with the final scene taking place on New Years Eve, with the opera house, bridge and fireworks in the background. But those weren’t the only fireworks because after Bishop’s friend encouraged him to talk to Laura again, make her understand how much she meant to him, they had a lot to celebrate in the end. They got their happy ending and so much more thanks to the very talented Robyn Grady.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Saturday, January 29, 2011

THE BRIDE THIEF (US) / THE VIRGIN’S CHOICE (UK) - Jennie Lucas

Author: Jennie Lucas
Line: Mills and Boon/Harlequin Presents
Release month: UK: Oct 2010 / North America : Jan 2011
The S-Factor: Sensual

Back Blurb:

If anyone here present knows of a reason why this marriage may not lawfully take place, please declare it now...

Xerxes Novros is about to do more than just voice his reasons why Rose's marriage should be stopped... He's going to steal this beautiful wife-to-be and whisk her away to his private Greek island!

Now the kidnapped virgin bride has a choice... or does she? Xerxes certainly knows what he wants – he's determined to give Rose the wedding night she's been denied...

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Bride Thief was a powerfully written and extremely emotional romance. Their journey was a difficult one but in the end so worth all of the pain they went through to get their happy ending.

In Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant one was introduced to another ruthless billionaire from Argentina, Rafael Cruz and he went after what he wanted and that was his virgin housekeeper. At Rafael's birthday party, another ruthless billionaire was in attendance, Greek billionaire Xerxes Novros who also owned many properties and several private islands. In fact, he let Rafael and his mistress stay on one of them for awhile.

The Bride Thief was Xerxes and Rose’s story and oh what a ruthless and determined man this Greek alpha was and a man with a plan and agenda. He was determined to rescue a young, Laetitia, a woman from his past who was believed to be in a coma and she was married to Baron Lars Vaxborg from Sweden who actually wanted her dead so he could have Rose. Lars met Rose Linden in San Francisco and was determined to marry her; so much so, he rushed her to make a decision to marry and flew her entire family, siblings and all to his castle for the wedding. Now Rose was married and scared because she wondered if she’d made a mistake. She wandered outside, was kidnapped by the Greek billionaire Xerxes and taken to his private island in Greece.

Talk about being scared because Rose didn’t understand the situation and Xerxes believed her to be in on the fake marriage to Lars. It took a few days to determine that she had no idea about Laetitia. On top of that he was angry with himself because after touching her, kissing her, trying to torment her, he was angry with himself. Why? Because she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, he wanted and desired her. On top of that, he had made the call to Lars to make a trade…..Rose for Laetitia. He was a man of his word and he would definitely not go back on his word. However, they moved from the private island to three other destinations because his security team had sightings of Laetitia. Rose thought they were moving due to Xerxes business but that was not the truth. It all became so complicated for both of them…..the attraction, the emotions and being a man of his word, Rose would have to ask him to kiss her because he promised her back in Greece he would only do so if she asked. However, there was one thing for sure, Rose knew from what he told her, he needed no one, didn’t do relationships and would never love nor marry.

Xerxes knew one thing for sure…….she made him feel at home and she was such a generous person, always doing things for others, especially her family. As she once told him “a life without faith, , without being brave enough to risk loving someone and be loved in return, was no life at all.” While reading this incredible love story I could feel Xerxes soften, knew he had a past and secrets because he would not tell Rose whom or why Laetitia was important to him. Quite honestly, his secrets were shocking and I wondered and then understood why this proud Greek shielded his heart.

The ending of The Bridal Thief was quite shocking; from the trading of Rose for Laetitia due to the fact Lars divorced his first wife so he could have her back in his life. Then the brutal kidnapping of Rose by Lars, to Xerxes revealing his and Laetitia’s past……it was quite moving. This stubborn and honorable man had a lot of things to overcome before he could give them their happy ever after but he did so with such flourish and style giving this couple hope, love and making their dreams come true.

I love connected stories and Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant and The Bride Thief were such amazing and sensual reads. I just knew Xerxes had to have a story like his ruthless billionaire rival and it was so worth waiting for and then some. Plus the fact that both of the heroines were such accepting, understanding and patient women.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book:

Jennie's post at I(Heart)Presents

Jennie Lucas website

Thursday, January 13, 2011

BREAKING THE SHEIKH'S RULES (Summer Sheikh's - Abby Green


Author: Abby Green
Line: Mills and Boon/Harlequin Presents
Release month: UK: JUL 2010/ North America : May 2011
The S-Factor: Sizzling, Sexy and Sensual


Back Blurb:


When Sheikh Nadim buys the O'Sullivan stables, Irish virgin Iseult is plunged into a life of glorious sensuality and luxury - for as long as she can obey Nadim's one cast-iron rule: don't fall in love with me..

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥


Spirit, sass and spunk is what I adore in a heroine and Abby Green has outdone herself in Breaking The Sheikh’s Rules, her first venture into writing the sheikh genre. It’s an amazing sensual journey you’ll take with Sheikh Nadim and Iseult O’Sullivan.


Sheikh Nadim Bin Kalid Al Saqur was quite the ruler and he was in the process of purchasing the O’Sullivan Stud Farm. In fact not only the farm but the O’Sullivan home, along with the services of Paddy, Isuelt O’Sullivan and their housekeeper, plus their prize two year old magnificent horse, Devil’s Kiss. What he didn’t count on was he would be on the receiving end of her smart mouth. No one, but no one talked to him in the manner this sassy redhead did; she not only challenged him she intrigued him. In the end, the plan was to move his racing and breeding horse program to Ireland and to make sure Iseult returned home with him to Merkazad along with Devil’s Kiss to assist in training the prize horse.


What an excuse, to have her return home to his country and see her daily. What a mistake, but he couldn’t help himself because he desired her.  He didn’t do love nor relationships. He would have a mistress from time to time but that was the extent of his love life.   At one time he had been married.  But his wife and unborn child died, due to a horse riding accident. However, this young and spirited woman stirred things inside him and until he figured it out and got her out of his system, he wasn’t going to get much sleep.


It all happened to fast, the sale of the farm, her relocation to Merkazad and being installed in employee housing.  Then of course, her being part of his training team. Iseult was confused by her feelings for this handsome sheikh. As he pointed out, when he purchased O’Sullivan’s, he owned all of them including Iseult! He was larger than life and she felt the sensual pull, especially when he was too near, touched her and then kissed her. While working with Devil’s Kiss there was an incident which made Sheikh Nadim angry and gave him the perfect excuse to move her to his castle. Sparks flew every time they were together and in the end on a horse buying trip to look at Arabian’s, they finally both had had enough. An innocent “harem dance”  led to them making love in his tent, and this virgin’s fate was sealed. Honestly, it was like something out of the Arabian Knights!


Because Nadim was her first, he reminded her he didn’t do love or commitment.  She was reminded of an earlier conversation when he revealed he did not love his wife and their’s had been a marriage of convenience. So when she agreed to be his mistress, he was very firm their relationship would be over when he said so! What an arrogant Sheikh! I only hoped she would remember her conversation with her boss, the head trainer Jamilah and family friend of the Al Saqur’s.  Jamilah warned Iseult the Al Saqur’s were ruthless and she knew it first hand because she had once been involved with Nadim's younger brother.


Back at the palace they resumed their love making; however he didn’t stay the night with her and she realized then that he had the power to hurt and destroy her. There were other changes, her co-workers treated her differently, so did Lina her maid and her sheikh didn’t like it when she wasn’t there waiting for him. However, there was something about her; he realized was special . Nadim felt comfortable with her and shared more with her than he had with anyone.  In a way, I personally thought they were somewhat alike as they had both been thrown into taking responsibility for their family……Iseult for her family and horse farm and he for his family and country.


Holding my breath, I wondered what would become of their affair because Sheikh Nadim was so adamant they didn’t have a future together. Plus the fact that their world's were so different from each others. When would it end and how? Simply, Iseult ended it because she couldn’t continue and spilled  her emotions.... she loved him! Shock would be the word I would use to describe his reaction to her confession..... “I’ve fallen in love with you” . Then disbelief  because she was leaving him, followed by anger. However, Abby Green gave this desert lord and sassy Irish lass a brilliant and happy ending.  It was hard to believe this was Abby Green's first sheikh book.


Be on the lookout for Sheikh Nadim’s brother’s story in Secrets of the Oasis. It’s his younger brother Salman and his family friend Jamilah Moreau, Nadim's head horse trainer. You’ll get a short glimpse of the emotion and tension brewing between this couple, towards the end of Breaking the Sheikh’s Rules.


Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn


Behind the Book:


"When my editor first asked me to consider writing a sheikh story, I was reluctant. Why? Because this prospect was daunting to say the least. These books, to me, have always delivered the ultimate fantasy – the heroes are impossibly autocratic, hardened by their harsh environments; the heroines have to be strong enough to withstand their particularly delicious brand of arrogance. And there is a well-loved list of names who do them so well; Penny Jordan, Jane Porter and Sandra Marton, just to name a few. Not to mention the sheer task of creating that evocative world. Deserts and oasis and stupendously gorgeous palaces.


But….the lure became too great. I’d had an idea in my head for sometime about a sheikh who comes to Ireland to buy a thoroughbred horse and so that became the start of my story…not in the arid desert, but in the lush green fields of Ireland.


And whilst in the process of writing the story, I found myself encountering two more arrogant heroes; one a sheikh, the brother of Nadim in this story, and the other a sultan from a neighbouring sultanate. So, far from my initial trepidation, if looks like I’m going to be inhabiting the land of sheikhs and sultans for a while longer.


I hope you enjoy Nadim and Iseult’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it"……Abby

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

TABLOID AFFAIR, SECRETLY PREGNANT! (UK) FRONT PAGE AFFAIR (USA) - Mira Lyn Kelly


Author: Mira Lyn Kelly
Line: Mills and Boon Modern/ Harlequin Presents Extra
Release month: North America: Jan 2011 /UK: Oct 2010
The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual

Back Blurb:

Payton hasn't seen Nate Evans in years—not since he used to hang out with her brother in high school. But now she and Nate are guests at the same wedding where the notorious millionaire offers her a wild proposal—a sexy, scandalous and irresistible affair!

Nate's outrageous proposition was supposed to stay only paper-thin; it was merely a ploy to distract the tabloids from another, all-too-real scandal. But neither he nor Payton expected such a very public affair to prove so very hot in private…

Or to have such lasting consequences….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Myra Lyn Kelly has written the “perfect” romance with Front Page Affair.

Nate Evans had a secret, one he didn’t not want the press to get ahold of. So he needed a diversion and who better than a woman from his past, Payton Liss, a woman he felt he could trust because years ago they had been friends.

Payton couldn’t believe her eyes, Nate Evans was just as handsome as ever and she’d always wondered why he and her brother had argued and Nate had abruptly disappeared from her life. His father taught at her school and she had always respected Mr. Evans and now Nate was attending the same wedding as she and he had a proposition for her, he needed her to pose as his girlfriend. It couldn’t come at a better time because she had a lot she wanted to do with her life since her father’s death and her break-up with Clint her fiance.

Payton had always lived for her father and family. Now she was living and working where she wanted; not at the family business. Nate knew she would help him because she always did the right thing. She was a “good girl”. She was also someone who would know the score……he didn’t do love and forever and he would make sure Payton understood that fact. She felt that after all of these years, she could handle her attraction for him, she’d done that for half of her life or could she?

There had been untrue gossip as to why Payton didn’t marry Clint and she was tired of it. So Nate convinced her if she would play along with him, giving people the impression they were having an affair, it would change the gossip and not have people feel sorry for her. All she wanted was her independence and then he kissed her and everything flew out the window. Her sanity, all of it because the kiss was all consuming and she wasn’t prepared for it! From that moment on, I knew this entire “fake” affair would end on a bad note, especially for Payton but what about Nate? Well one thing was for sure, he hadn’t counted on the kiss being so sensual and he couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman more and definitely he wanted her in his bed.

The passion roared between them and their little charade turned into an evening of passion in a hotel suite where the wedding they attended had taken place. There was no going back even though Nate tried to be cautious. This was real, it wasn’t a charade, it was crazy! He wondered if she only wanted him because he was a dangerous bad boy. But Payton knew that Nate also knew her for who she was when no one else ever thought to look. He was the only one. However, he knew she would want the white pickett fence, the whole marriage bit and he wanted to stop their love-making, making sure she understood, no relationship and no forever as in marriage.

She represented a complication. As much as he wanted her friendship and company, he didn’t want to hurt her. They were so comfortable together and yes they both “got” each other. However, one afternoon he lost control and forgot protection until he realized it and remedied the situation. Every step of the way he fought their relationship and I wondered why because he was so close to his father. And then Nate revealed that his mother walked out when he was a small child, so it made sense he had trust issues when it came to women. They’d spent a month together and then the light bulb went on. Had Payton started her period?

Who ever said life was easy because for Payton and Nate everything changed when her pregnancy was confirmed. Being Nate even though there was no love in their relationship he demanded they marry. However, Payton definitely had other ideas and the answer was no, not without love. What I wondered was why couldn’t he see what was right there in front of him and that beneath all of his denial, he actually loved Payton. When would he realize that he missed her, her mind, her body, her softness, her laughter, all that made her so very special. Let’s just say that Mr. Playboy Nate Evans was literally brought to his knees in the end which had me so choked up with emotion because he loved his baby but could he love Payton as well?

You won’t want to miss Front Page Affair, it was such a beautiful and sizzling love story beautifully crafted by romance author Mira Lyn Kelly.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥
Reviewed by: Marilyn

Mira Lyn’s website
Mira Lyn on Facebook