HOT-SHOT TYCOON, INDECENT PROPOSAL - HEIDI RICE

Title: Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal

Author: Heidi Rice

Line: Mills and Boon Modern Heat

Release Date: June 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back Blurb:

Caught, claimed… Contracted for marriage?

Tycoon Connor Brodie has just apprehended an intruder! One clad in lacy satin underwear…and not a trespasser at all, but his feisty neighbour Daisy Dean.

The red-hot encounter leaves him aching for more – could the luscious Ms Dean be the answer to his prayers in more ways than one? Connor needs to safeguard a business deal, and he fully intends to finish what they’ve started. Unable to resist his lethal charm, Daisy finds herself agreeing to two hedonistic weeks in New York – as Connor’s fake fiancée!

Review:

Hot-Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal is the wickedly romantic and utterly brilliant new Modern Heat by the fabulous Heidi Rice!

Daisy Dean is determined to find her landlady's missing cat. Yet, in her quest to find the missing pet, little did Daisy know that she would find herself in the arms of gorgeous Irish billionaire Connor Brody! Sexy, charismatic and drop dead gorgeous, Connor looks like every woman's fantasy, and although Daisy had sworn never to have another relationship ever again, she finds herself drawn to the handsome Irishman.

When Connor asks her to travel with him to New York and to pose as his fake fiancee, Daisy's initial reaction is to refuse, but one sexy kiss - which leads t0 a night of passionate love-making - soon changes her mind!

Daisy is determined to enjoy her two-week luxurious trip to New York - but she never counted on losing her heart and on falling in love with a man she can never have - Connor!

Connor knows that he is not marriage material. His inner demons prevent him from getting attached to anyone, but Daisy seems to have shattered down all of his defences and captured his heart. But is he prepared to take the rest and let someone in? Or will his fears and pride push Daisy away for good?

Heidi Rice's books are always fantastic reads which sparkle with humour, pathos, drama and intensity and Hot Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal is no exception! I adored the heroine, Daisy, and fell in love with flawed but gorgeous Connor. Wonderfully moving, wickedly funny and captivating from the very first page, Hot Shot Tycoon, Indecent Proposal is another Heidi Rice book that has keeper stamped all over it!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

BEDDED BY BLACKMAIL - Robyn Grady

Author: Robyn Grady

Line: Silhouette Desire

Release month North America/UK: June 2009
AUS/NZ: July 2009

The S-Factor: Sexy

Back-Blurb:

Burned by a greedy heiress, Tristan Barkley had sworn off romance. Until a sizzling night with Ella Jacobs, his secretive housekeeper turned blonde bombshell, made the millionaire rethink his decision. He'd find a way to guarantee she remained by his side…and in his bed.

Yet when he learned she was carrying his child, he proposed the only solution: marriage. As their no-strings-attached connection turned all too real, Tristan couldn't shake the feeling that Ella was hiding something. And soon he began to doubt her true motives for the match—for love, for money…or forever?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Robyn Grady has written a fantastic and wonderful love story in Bedded by Blackmail.

Tristan is quite a catch and is constantly pursued by women who for the most part want him for his wealth. He has left the family business and has become quite successful himself so he's learned to be cautious of women's motives.

When he returns home one day he finds a woman swimming in a pink bikini and long and tanned legs only to discover it's his "mousy" housekeeper Ella Jacobs. He's alarmed because there have been break-ins in his neighbourhood and sees her over turned purse. Now Ella has inherited some money from her mother's estate and is giving her notice to Tristan but he talks her into staying on as he has a business deal to close and needs her to cook and help entertain.

Ella is a lovely woman but she has secrets and she's keeping them that way. Just before her mother passed away, she found out her father had an illegitimate son and the only way to describe him is he's evil and he's blackmailing Ella. He's also gone to the police accusing her of killing her mother. The entire situation is a mess. Her brother Drago calls and hangs up, shows up without warning asking for money and has violent tendencies. In the end, an additional secret is revealed to Tristan and everything turns upside down.

Ella's not the only one with secrets, Tristan has one of his own; a fiancé who was killed when driving drunk. He also believes she was having an affair with his oldest brother. Reading this story one will definitely feel the family tension. At times you will see his jealous and mistrusting tendencies.

Bedded by Blackmail is a lovely romance with some lessons to be learned, like trust, forgiveness and belief in finding happiness. Just another example of an incredible romantic story as only author Robyn Grady can pen.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

THE REBEL SURGEON'S PROPOSAL - MARGARET MCDONAGH

Title: The Rebel Surgeon’s Proposal

Author: Margaret McDonagh

Line: Mills and Boon Medical Romance

Release month: June 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet

Back-Blurb:

From rebel…to surgeon… to perfect husband!

Nicknamed ‘the ice maiden’, Francesca Scott has kept men at arm’s length – ever since bad-boy Luke Devlin walked out of her life.

Tarnished by the reputation of his family, Luke left Strathlocan. Now a surgeon, he’s back – and determined to put his rebellious reputation behind him.

Realising that beautiful Francesca is the best thing that ever happened to him, Luke has returned to Strathlochan to face his past and claim Francesca as his bride once and for all!

Margaret McDonagh welcomes you back to Strathlochan Hospital

Review:

Margaret McDonagh continues to dazzle and astound her readers with her wonderfully poignant Scottish Medical Romances!

In her latest novel for Mills and Boon Medical Romance, we meet Francesca Scott, a woman whose life has been blighted by a domineering mother and merciless bullies who’d made her childhood a misery. The only bright spot in her childhood was a passionate kiss which she had shared with bad boy Luke Devlin as a shy sixteen year old.

The Devlin family had been notorious in Strathlochan for their criminal exploits and Luke had been tarred with the same brush even though he’d always distanced himself from his brothers and father and had always vowed to make something out of his life. Now a successful surgeon, Luke finds himself returning to his home town in order to reclaim Francesca, the woman he’s never managed to forget…

Francesca is stunned when she claps eyes on Luke after all this time and her old feelings for the former bad boy soon come flooding back. But Luke had broken her heart once before when he had walked out of Strathlochan without a backward glance and she is not sure whether she will want to run the risk of getting her heart broken all over again.

However what Francesca does not realize is that Luke is determined never to let her go ever again…

Nobody writes realistic and emotional romances better than Margaret McDonagh! The Rebel Surgeon’s Proposal is a poignant, heartwarming and enthralling Medical Romance from this wonderful writer whose books just keep on getting better and better!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥

Awww Factor♥♥♥♥

Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥

Humour Factor♥♥♥

Weepy Factor♥♥♥♥♥

HIS FOREVER LOVE - Missy Tippens

Title: HIS FOREVER LOVE

Author: MISSY TIPPENS

Line: Love Inspired

Release month: June

The S-Factor: Sweet and Satisfying

Back-Blurb:

In Magnolia, Georgia, local legend says that a couple who holds hands around the “forever” tree will have an unending love. Even so, Bill Wellington held Lindsay Jones’s hands around that tree years ago…and then left her behind. He chose the big city, and now he wants to bring his grandmother there. But to his amazement, he finds that Granny has a boyfriend—and a vibrant life. A life that includes Lindsay, Granny’s caregiver. Bill never thought he’d want to come home, yet Magnolia clearly has its charms. As does Lindsay, who makes him long for a second chance at forever love.

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Lindsay and Bill had been best friends in school, doing science projects together, studying for exams, all the things “best friends” do together. So when he left town right after high school and didn’t answer her letter, she was heartbroken. That didn’t stop her from caring for his aging Granny, though.

Bill loved Lindsay, but she was beautiful, graceful, and all the other things he was not. How could someone so wonderful as her love a klutz like him? So when she came to him just before high school graduation to show him the engagement ring someone else had given her, he couldn’t get out of town fast enough. Who could blame him?

She did, evidently, for ten long years. Then his Granny fell and broke her wrist, making it necessary for Lindsay to call Bill. Of course he came running—er, flying, as fast as he could, from across the country.

Immediately upon his arrival in Magnolia, he took charge, informing one and all that he was moving Granny to Boston to live with him whether they, or she, liked it or not. His alpha-male character really irked me. His “I’m going to make you do what I think is best for you” attitude really made me grind my back teeth. As the story progressed, I began to see that Bill’s tough attitude was actually hiding insecurity and feelings of incompetence. He was a very lonely person looking for love.

Missy Tippens is a comparatively new author, however, I can see her going far in this, her chosen field. Her command of the written word is excellent. She had me feeling happy, sad, angry, and all the other emotions of the story’s characters right along with them. She had me anxiously turning the pages to see if Bill changed his mind about moving his Granny, or if Lindsay stepped out in faith and went to Boston to see him. I will definitely be looking forward to more work from this author.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor: (will it last?) ♥♥♥♥♥
Humor Factor: ♥♥♥
Weepy Factor: ♥♥

Reviewed by: Donna B

CAPELLI'S CAPTIVE VIRGIN - Sarah Morgan

Author: Sarah Morgan

Line: Mills and Boon Modern/Harlequin Presents

Release month UK: May 2009 US: June 09

The S-Factor: Sizzling




Back-Blurb:


Lindsay has turned down ruthless Sicilian Alessio Capelli once before, but he's determined she won't do it again—he will use her and discard her! Circumstance has provided him with the ideal opportunity: Lindsay has been forced to step into her missing sister's shoes and work for him.
This time Alessio will be the one in control. He relishes the thought of having a virgin in his bed, and he'll do everything to keep her captive—until he's ready to dismiss her….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Captivating is how I would describe Sarah Morgan’s Capelli’s Captive Virgin as it’s one of those love stories you’ll want to read from beginning to end in one sitting. Their chemistry leaps off of the pages.

Lindsay is a relationship counselor who’s had first hand experience because she witnessed her parents fail and blame everything on her young sister who also made some bad decisions when it came to men. And she has a problem; she hasn’t heard from her sister Ruby and has flown to Rome where Ruby is working for the billionaire Alessio Capelli. She dreads seeing him because they somewhat have a past. While the sisters were in Rome they were approached by a gang and it was Alessio and his brother Dino who saved them. Now Ruby is with Dino, is missing and Lindsay is frantic. She also dreads seeing Alessio again because of the sensual tension which vibrates between them and she is the only woman who ever walked away from him.

Alessio is a divorce attorney and very good and rich one with a reputation going from one woman to another and making it clear he doesn’t do marriage. He also only represents men. Now he is faced at seeing the only woman who has ever walked away from him and on top of everything she’s a pain because of her being so opininated on relationships, love, commitment etc. He tricks her into taking her sisters place as his personal assistant and going with him to the Caribbean to work a high profile divorce case. Then tension simmers between them and they act on the passion between them. Their bantering was amusing and their passion amazing.

There were many ups and down to this wonderful love story like Lindsay coming to terms with how’s she’s dealt with her sister, acting on the passion with Alessio knowing nothing will come of it and leaving him when she realized she loved him and that love would not be returned. For Alessio the realization he actually liked this woman, shared more with her than any other woman he’s been involved with and actually shared past family secrets with her. It’s sensual, fun at times especially their arguments, romantic and just an incredible love story.


Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

THE TUSCAN TYCOON'S PREGNANT HOUSEKEEPER- Christina Hollis

Author: CHRISTINA HOLLIS

Line: Mills and Boon Modern

Release month: UK: June 2009

The S-Factor: Sexy

Back-Blurb:

Virgin housekeeper, convenient wife

Plain, shy housekeeper Michelle Spicer keeps her head down and gets on with the job. She knows her place.

Bored and restless in the South of France, Alessandro Castiglione has found himself a plaything. Stripped of her uniform and naked in his bed, mousy Michelle blossoms before him.

But she knows she’s only the housekeeper – not a rich man’s wife. Discarded, disgraced, and left with nothing but the child inside her, Michelle is back in rainy England. Until the Tuscan tycoon decides to taste her charms again…


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Intense doesn’t begin to describe The Tuscan Tycoon’s Pregnant Housekeeper written by Christina Hollis with both of her characters Michelle and the handsome Alessandro having past issues to be dealt with regarding their past.

The very shy and somewhat plain Michelle was ruled by her very stern mother and has sincere self esteem issues. However, when the rich and proud Italian arrives at the mansion she’s taking care of as housekeeper she doesn’t stand a chance. Her gentleness and innocence immediately charm him; she’s like no other woman he’s met and he decides to have a vacation affair. However he abandons her and returns to Italy. He also makes arrangements with one of his foundations to set Michelle up in business and buys her a cottage.

Returning back to England, Michelle finds herself pregnant and meanwhile Alessandro can’t seem to get her out of his mind so he returns to England to rekindle the affair and finds out her secret. Being always in control of his life, business and affairs, he demands she return to Italy with him and marry for the sake of his heir.

Alassandro literally has overturned the family business and whatever he touches he’s a success. There is no way he’ll ever allow House of Castiglione to be tainted. He’ll marry her, get his heir but she won’t affect him in any way. Both of his own parents strayed so love for him isn’t ever going to be an option.

As for Michelle does she love him? What would she know of love, no one had ever shown her, including her parents. Reading about her upbringing and how she was willing to settle for anything he gave her was very hard to read. I wanted to strangle him for his incensitivity. Michelle’s stay at the villa was sad to read as well, not speaking the language and being shut out but when Alassandro’s secrets are uncovered and everything is revealed about his past, the reader begins to understand his actions.

Alassandro and Michelle’s love story even though at times was sad to read, their coming to understand each other was lovely to read.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

ONE NIGHT WITH THE REBEL BILLIONAIRE - Trish Wylie

Author: Trish Wylie

Line: Mills and Boon Modern Heat
Harlequin Presents

Release month North America: Jun 09/UK: Jan 09

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual



Back-Blurb:
When Roane Elliott meets a naked stranger on the beach, her second thought is to challenge his trespassing. Her first thought makes her innocent heart beat quite erratically!

Then she discovers the stranger is Adam Bryant, the wickedly smoldering son of the Bryant dynasty. After a decade away, he's back to claim what's rightfully his...however willful the prize.

Roane is determined to resist him, but the temptation is overwhelming. His bedroom door is open and she's walking toward surrender....

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

From the moment Roane spotted him naked and swimming on the beach she was transfixed or should I say mesmerized and then she realized eventually that he had returned back to Martha’s Vineyard, had returned home but what were his motives and what has he been doing for those years?

One Night with the Rebel Billionaire was sexy, hot and a fast sensual read as only Trish Wylie can pen and her billionaire alpha Adam Bryant is one sexy, handsome and beautiful man, one with secrets and twelve years to answer for to his father and brother. What he doesn’t count on is his attraction to Roane a young woman who’s working for his brother and also taking care of his father. The sexual tension between Roane and Adam leap and sizzle off the pages. And then after sexual taunting Roane is swept away and is given passion that’s she’s never known and tries to guard to heart in the process.

As they get to know each other she realizes that he is guarded about his past and why he’s returned home. Other things are also revealed to her like his high IQ, his past feelings about his father and how he grew up and then everything blows up in their face when his brother Jake reveals what he’s found out about Adam. Will Adam leave her and return to his billionaire life?

Roane and Adams love story was strong and fabulous to read and the ending a little surprising but so worth it thanks to this wonderful author Trish Wylie.


Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥
Weepy Factor♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

LIP SERVICE (Lone Star Sisters) - Susan Mallery

Author: Susan Mallery

Line: HQN (Harlequin)

Release month North America/UK: June 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back-Blurb:

Skye Titan's wealthy father thinks he can still dictate his daughter's choice in men. Now widowed and a single mother, Skye isn't the yes-girl she once was. Especially since the love of her life is back in Texas after eight long years. He won't like the answers to the questions he's asking. About why she left him at the altar. And about her eight-year-old daughter.

Former navy SEAL Mitch Cassidy comes home to find nearly everything different. His wounds from battle have changed the way people treat him. His cattle ranch is suddenly organic. But time hasn't touched his desire for Skye—or the sting of her betrayal. Forget lip service. He's asking that luscious mouth of hers to reveal the truth. But will Mitch be able to put the past aside to help Skye get out from under her father's thumb…and help himself recover from a broken heart?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

New York Times best selling author Susan Mallery continues to amaze with her second in the Long Star Sisters series, Lip Service which is Skye’s story, the middle Titan sister. The reader was introduced in May to all three sisters who share a father in Under Her Skin. One also learned they had an illegitimate brother Garth who has only revenge on his mind and has vowed to take the entire family down. To use adjectives like amazing or brilliant don’t even describe how wonderful the second book is and waiting until July for Straight from the Hip is going to be torture.

Skye is the dutiful daughter of Jed Titan and she hopes one day to inherit the family home and have her father finally tell her he loves her. Nine years earlier instead of marrying the boy next door, who she loved deeply, she married a much older man her father arranged for his own selfish reasons and a sweet daughter Erin came from that marriage. Now she’s a widow, hosting her father’s business parties and again, Jed wants to marry and threatens her because he’s aware that her exlover is back in town and he’ll destroy Mitch and his ranch if need be; trust me you’ll want to strangle Jed Titan and take him down yourself.

Skye’s and Mitch’s story was lovely to read because in the end as only Susan Mallery can pen it’s about what’s important in life and that’s family, love and a real home, not one like Jed Titan is dangling and manipulating his daughters to believe they want. The reader literally watches Skye become stronger and realize that she and Erin can have a happy life with Mitch and their love story was incredibly beautiful.

Susan Mallery has written wonderful family stories which I’ve read throughout the years and some of them have sincere patriotisms as she relates tales of honour and valour for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces and who give up their lives or come home injured fighting for our Country. That was the case with Mitch Cassidy who has returned nine years later missing part of his leg and with a real chip on his shoulder. It’s the people who assisted raising him and maintaining the ranch and Skye’s daughter Erin who help him to heal. It was sad to read about his ordeal and his final acceptance through therapy, group sessions and finally forgiving Skye and realizing he still loved her and her daughter. In the end, I was cheering for both Mitch and Skye because they stood up to Jed Titan.

The Titan sisters Lexi, Skye and Izzy have one common thread they love and are devoted to each other and the fact they all want their father’s affection. Love is the common theme in both books, how it can heal and how much stronger the three sisters are because of it!


Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

Pleasured by the Secret Millionaire - Natalie Anderson

Author: Natalie Anderson

Line: Mills and Boon/Harlequin Presents

Release month UK - Jun 08 ; US - Jun 09 ; OZ/NZ - Aug 08


The S-Factor: Sensual and very Sexy


Back-Blurb:

One night of hot loving...

Gorgeous millionaire Rhys Maitland is tired of women throwing themselves at him because of his power and wealth. When he meets beauty Sienna Rendel, Rhys decides to hide the truth, and insists on being with her for one night only...

Sienna's quite happy with Rhys's offer of fast, furious lovemaking! She doesn't know she's being pleasured by a secret millionaire, but when she and Rhys realize one night isn't enough, they'll have to strip themselves bare - in every sense!


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Natalie Anderson has written the most amazing love story which literally sizzles off the pages with extreme passion, major secrets, an incredible journey and a most romantic and teary ending one a romance reader will definitely want to read.

While reading this I went through many thought processes because Sienna the lovely young woman made me wonder what I would do in her situation. The reader is given her background that she was coddled by her family due to a heart problem and now as an adult she has left home to begin a lifetime journey with her journal and a wish list. Not knowing her fate, she has a list of things she wants to accomplish and when she arrives in Australia and meets the handsome Rhys she believes to be a band promoter, one of the items at the top of her list is to experience a night of passion like no other and you won’t believe how she accomplishes her task. In fact, next time I see a storage closet, I’m going to blush!

As for Rhys, being a well known doctor, a man of wealth from a well known Australian family and one with past experiences with women who only wanted him for fame and fortune, he’s decided to take a short and needed vacation using another identity. What he doesn’t count on is meeting Sienna and how much he’s attracted to her and wants to continue the vacation romance but discretely.

When Sienna’s medical issues are revealed to Rhys, you will see such a wonderful softness in him, however you’ll be angry when you realize he’s invaded her space and read her journal. The lesson he learns is that she matters and he wants to be more than a vacation romp and in the end how he makes everything right. But it’s how they both get there is what’s important.

Sienna’s journey is just that, she needs to experience, life without constraints, live, laugh, love, and take chances. After spending time with Rhys she realizes that leaving him is going to be painful but she must leave him and follow her dreams. In the end and yes your tears will fall especially when they both realize how very special and unique their relationship has become and they must forgive each other.

Rhys and Sienna’s energy, strength and passion are beautiful but Rhys realization that he needed to forgive himself, learn to trust and believe were wonderful to read. The “new list” they agreed to create together to keep up with the zest for life was extremely sweet and emotional.


Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Natalie’s Website: http://www.natalie-anderson.com/

Reviewed by: Marilyn

ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID

Author: Nina Harrington

Line: Romance

Release Month: July 2009

The S Factor: Sweet

Back blurb:

Amy Edler is a baker, not a wedding planner! But along with making her best friend's wedding cake, Amy finds herself planning the wedding--with only her friend's disapproving big brother for help!

Gorgeous entrepreneur Jared Shaw hasn't made his millions letting other people run the show. So, although he's normally allergic to weddings, he has rolled up his sleeves and is helping sweet and sexy Amy with every last detail!

And his last job is to buy the bridesmaid the perfect gift ...

Review: ♥♥♥♥

I am a huge fan of the 'romance' line and so it was an absolute pleasure to be given Nina Harrington's debut book to review. Nina has a warm engaging style of writing, not unlike Jessica Hart's.

The heroine, Amy, is a chef so you must be prepared to hear about sweets, cakes and pastries to die for sprinkled throughout the text. Fortunately reading about these treats does not expland your waistline!

Amy has a secret she would really rather keep secret from the hero, Jared. They join together to help his sister's wedding go to plan after the wedding planner runs away. Forced to spend time together, her feelings for him grow quickly. However, she is afraid of his reaction when he finds out her secret.

Jared has secrets of his own, his difficult childhood has helped to turn him into a self made man who is very driven. Work is literally his life. Until he meets Amy. She was once a high flying executive and he wonders how and why she has given up that life to become a baker.

They battle their attraction, desire to give Jared's sister the perfect wedding as well as their secrets to arrive at a beautiful resolution. Mini sub plots were woven perfectly into the story line so the ending is perfectly plausible and right for these characters.

I look forward to reading this author's next release ... and her next ... and her next. It truly is a stunning debut with characters that will remain in your thoughts long after you have closed the book.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor: (will it last?) ♥♥♥♥♥
Humor Factor: ♥♥
Weepy Factor: ♥

Reviewed by: Joanne Cleary

SUMMER AT THE LAKE - Linda Barrett

Title: SUMMER AT THE LAKE

Author: LINDA BARRETT

Line: Harlequin SuperRomance

Release Month: May

The S-Factor: Stirring and Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Kristin McCarthy hears him before she sees him. The melody of his saxophone glides across the summer night. The music’s healing effect on her daughter has Kristin seeking the person who can play so beautifully. Too bad Rick Cooper is a cop. With all she and her daughter have experienced, police don’t rank high on their get-to-know-you list.

Still, Rick could be one of the good guys. Something about him challenges all Kristin’s assumptions. And their time together sparks her hopes for a future beyond this lakeside retreat. But before she can bring those dreams to life, Rick has to prove he’s the man she and her daughter can trust…forever.

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Kristin had brought her daughter, Ashley, to Morningstar Lake in the Catskill Mountains in an attempt to help her heal from a devastating and traumatic incident that had happened a few weeks ago. It was heartbreaking to see such a vibrant and enthusiastic little girl reduced to a pale shadow of her previous self. Hopefully relaxing by the side of the lake in this borrowed cottage would return the soon-to-be-teenager to her usual exuberant self.

But they’re barely unpacked when they realize someone is living in the house just down the beach from them. Rick, too, has come to the lake to heal. His job is one of the most stressful there is. He is trying to recover after a hostage situation goes bad and he loses three innocent lives.

Can Quincy really help? How does this canine “save the day”?

At first I wondered how I would feel reading about such a terrible trauma to a young girl, but Linda Barrett handled this subject with so much grace and tact that it didn’t make me uneasy at all. She focused on how Kristin and Ashley struggled together to recover. She wrote about the things they did to regain “normal”. This book is truly an inspired piece of art.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Humor Factor: ♥♥
Weepy Factor: ♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Donna B

The Emergency Doctor Claims His Wife - Margaret McDonagh

Title: The Emergency Doctor Claims His Wife

Author: Margaret McDonagh

Line: Mills and Boon Medical Romance

Release month: May 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet

Back-Blurb:

There’s a sexy new doctor in town!

Pulses rise at Strathlocan Hospital when a tall, dark-haired, drop-dead-gorgeous new doctor strides purposefully through the doors, especially Dr Annie Webster’s! Nathan Shepherd is her ex – the very man she’s never been able to get out of her system.

It’s been five years, and they both have very different recollections of their break-up. Whatever the tensions between them, neither can deny the smouldering passion they still share.
It’s clear to Nathan they have unfinished business, and this time he’s not leaving without answers…or his woman!

Margaret McDonagh welcomes you back to Strathlochan Hospital

Review:

The Emergency Doctor Claims His Wife is the heartwarming new novel from one of my favourite romance writers: Margaret McDonagh

Nathan and Annie had fallen head over heels in love from the very first moment they met, as medical students at university. They had thought that they were going to be spending the rest of their lives together, but when a ghost from Nathan’s past prevented him from moving forward, Nathan found himself having to say goodbye to the woman he loves above everything else.

But Nathan had never forgotten Annie and when he gets a job at Strathlochan Hospital, working alongside her, Nathan vows to reclaim the woman he loves. But will he be able to convince Annie that he wants to commit to her body and soul?

Five years ago, Nathan had broken Annie’s heart and she is not prepared to give him a second chance. But as the two begin to spend more and more time together, her old feelings for Nathan resurface and she soon realizes that the only place she wants to be in his arms.

But is the confining hold of the past preventing the two of them from moving forward?

A poignant and tender romance that will bring a tear to your eye, in The Emergency Doctor Claim His Wife, talented author Margaret McDonagh has truly outdone herself. Realistic, engrossing, moving and absolutely breathtaking, The Emergency Doctor Claims His Wife more that deserves its place on every romance reader’s keeper shelf!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Stickability Factor (will they have a happily ever after) ♥♥♥♥♥

Humour Factor♥♥♥

Weepy Factor♥♥♥♥♥

HER LAST CHANCE - Terri Reed

Title: HER LAST CHANCE

Author: TERRI REED

Line: Love Inspired Suspense

Release month: June

The S-Factor: Sweet but Scary

Back-blurb:

MISSING MOTHER FOUND

The mysterious man at her door swears he recognizes her. She’s Leah Farley. Mother, wife – and suspected murderer. But her amnesia has wiped away memories of her former life. When a shower of bullets follows the man’s claims, Leah is forced to accept the truth. She’s in danger. And unless she can make herself remember, there’s no way to stay safe. With bounty hunter Roman Black’s help, she must uncover her lost memories – before the killer succeeds in keeping Leah’s past and future buried forever.

Without a Trace:
Will a young mother’s disappearance bring a bayou town together. . . or tear it apart?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Who was she? Was she Abigail, like the hunched old woman said? Or was she really Leah, the missing woman from another town? The one the papers all said had killed her husband and run off, leaving her small daughter behind.

Roman Black thought he knew, but was he right? And if he was right, why was someone trying to kill her? He had led them right to her, so now it was his responsibility to protect her. After all, if she died, he wouldn’t get paid for finding her. But was that the only reason he needed her alive?

This book is number six in the mini-series Without a Trace. It is the conclusion to a mystery begun in January with What Sarah Saw by Margaret Daley. All the authors in this series did an incredible job, working together to keep the facts straight, and the story flowing. They could not have picked a better author to conclude the series. Terri Reed’s marvelous control of the English language, and her vivid imagination kept this story moving from one exciting scene to another. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

And the murderer – came as a complete shock to me. A wonderful read. Even though the story is part of a series, it stands alone very nicely.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Humor Factor: ♥♥
Weepy Factor: ♥♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Donna B

TEMPORARY DOCTOR, SURPRISE FATHER - Lynne Marshall

Title: TEMPORARY DOCTOR, SURPRISE FATHER

Author: LYNNE MARSHALL

Line: Mills and Boon Medical

Release month: June

The S-Factor: Sensual and Secretive

Back-Blurb:

Her baby secret. . .

One-time bad-boy Dr Beck Braxton has been assigned a temporary role in the ER department of his old local LA hospital. Fine – until he discovers that the nurse he’ll be working with is the woman who broke his heart thirteen years ago…

Of all the ERs in all the world, he had to walk into hers… Jan can’t believe the rogue she’s never been able to forget is back in her life! While he’s changed, Beck is still as devastating as ever – and the chemistry between them is still very much alight…

Now all Jan must do is to tell him her secret…that Beck is the father of her child!

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

This story opens with Beck trying to convince January to wait for him while he goes out to explore the world. While she was willing to wait for him, other things come along that make it impossible for her to keep this promise.

Thirteen years later. . .

January has decided she wants to be called Jan. She has been married and divorced, and she is the best Emergency Room nurse Los Angeles Mercy Hospital has ever seen. She also hasn’t seen or heard from Beck in all that time, not since her mother forced her to break up with him right before she shipped her off to have her baby elsewhere.

Until today. . .

Does the full moon have anything to do with the fact that Officer Beck Braxton, who needs a refresher course for the National Guard, is assigned to work with her for the next month?

So how does she go about telling him about the little girl she gave up for adoption? The one who looks just like him? Does he realize that at 16 she didn’t have a lot of choices? Is he able to work through the fact that her mother made very sure they were kept apart?

Lynne Marshall’s excellent writing skills lend excitement and credibility to this story. The medical scenes are realistic, adding much to the substance of the story. Her love scenes are sensual. The tension between Jan and Beck is realistic, and keeps you reading to the very end. A very satisfactory end.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Humor Factor: ♥♥
Weepy Factor: ♥♥

Reviewed by: Donna B

BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INNOCENT WIFE - Annie West

Author: Annie West

Line: Mills and Boon Modern

Release: May 2009 - UK (Mills and Boon Modern Romance
June 2009 - Australia/NZ (Harlequin Mills and Boon Sexy)

The S-Factor: Sizzling, Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Forced to wed...
Hard-hearted magnate Dario Parisi will reclaim his stolen birthright - even if it means forcing the granddaughter of his family's sworn enemy to marry him.

...and share his bed!
Alissa Scott is certainly not the biddable wife Dario wanted - yet he's consumed by red-hot desire for his unwilling bride. So when she tires to change the rules, he demands she honour all her vows. Finally he undresses exactly the kind of wife he wanted: a virgin bride!


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

A captivating, powerful and sensual read as written by contemporary romance author Annie West. Blackmail, revenge, passion, and secrets from the past, all rolled into one in this entertaining romance Blackmailed Bride, Innocent Wife.

I so admired both Alissa Scott and Dario Parisi for their passion and reasons for wanting the castello which Alissa would inherit if she married. However, Alissa had secrets for why she wanted it because all of her life she and her sister had suffered under the abusive hands of their grandfather. Now Alissa’s sister needed medical attention and they couldn’t afford it so she was forced to find a bridegroom, marry and in the end divorce to received the money her evil grandfather had stipulated in his will. Her friend agrees to a marriage and in the end backs out as one will learn Dario paid him off and now he is determined to marry Alissa and reclaim the castello the “old man” took from his family.

Dario Parisi is one incredible alpha Italian with pride, passion and determination to make restitution from deeds of the past. Not only the promise he made to his father but to revenge the family who took everything away which he holds Alissa’s grandfather responsible. What neither Dario nor Alissa count on is the lust and passion they shared. For him, something about her was different and beyond his experience.

While their story was lovely to read, I wept for Dario and his struggle. I adored Alissa for her determination to save her sister and for her strength to walk away from the love of her life when she believed the crumbling castello meant more to Dario than the passion and joy they both shared. Blackmailed Bride, Innocent Wife is a passionate and sensual journey one won’t want to miss!


Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book from the author’s website:

This story developed because of some non-fiction writing. I was preparing an article about using the senses in stories, (see 'The Power of Scent' on my website) and giving examples. As a romance writer an obvious choice of scene was the wedding ceremony. I used examples of how the various scents we associate with a wedding might impact on the bride, depending on whether she was delighted, anxious or even horrified to be walking down the aisle.

And then that tingling sensation began as I latched on to the notion of a bride, all in white, walking to the altar, sick with dread at the very thought of marriage. What an idea for a story opening! After that I let my imagination really let go and came up with the idea of her marrying not the man she’d intended but a complete stranger as all her plans go awry and a dangerous man with a take charge attitude turns the situation to his own ends. Now that was real fun! I was hooked and all I had to do was work out who she was, why she was getting married despite her own inclinations, who the groom was, why he’d hijacked the wedding and how they could legally marry. Easy!

Annie West

lyn

UNDER HER SKIN - Susan Mallery

Author: Susan Mallery

Line: HQN

Release month North America/UK: May 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Lexi Titan can just see the headlines. All of Titanville will be buzzing. Not that she has any other choice. Faced with exactly thirty days to come up with two million dollars, she is out of options. Marry Cruz Rodriguez or lose everything—the successful day spa she built herself, her tyrant of a father's respect. And the long-standing competition with her sisters for the family business.

Cruz has money, success, smoldering good looks—everything but the blue blood needed to become a true member of Texas society. If Lexi agrees to be his fiancée for six months, lending him her famous father's influence and connections, he'll hand her a check on the spot. And in six months they'll go their separate ways.

But neither one is prepared for their long-ago shared passion to throw a wrench into what would seem to be the perfect deal….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Under Her Skin, the first book in author Susan Mallery’s Lone Star Sister’s series was literally amazing; full of passion, family secrets and very emotional. You will fall in love with the very beautiful Lexi and her sisters Skye and Izzy and their close friend Dana. Each woman has one thing they’re searching for and Lexi’s is revealed in this book. It’s to be acknowledged for her business savvy by her father, have his love and have him admit they are a family.

Their town Titanville was founded by her family and her father runs a very successful corporation which Lexi walked away from. He has also challenged his girls to compete for the family business holdings and their family home, Glory Gate, and the sister who wins, wins it all! Lexi is interested in Titan’s corporation while her sister Skye is only interested in the family home. It’s amazing to see how this competition has not destroyed the sister’s relationship and you will love how they band together and how close they are as Lexi had a different mother than Skye and Izzy. And now Lexi is in trouble and stands to loose her spa business because of an anonymous loan which is now being called in. Add to the mix when they find out they have a brother unknown to them who wants to take them down!

Cruz and Lexi have a past, one night of passion years ago when they met under unusual circumstances. Cruz was racing to win at all costs, pink slips and Lexi that evening was daring as well and experienced an incredible night with Cruz. Only to be hurt the next morning when he walked away. Cruz has come up the hard way and is now worth millions. However, there are social doors still closed to him and that’s why he’s decided to attend Lexi’s sister Skye’s charity and renew his friendship with Lexi. He sees her as a way to get ahead and when he hears about her need for two million to pay off her loan, he makes a deal…..the money for society introductions. To make everything look real she must move in with him, become engaged and help him get the social connections he needs.

Lexi and Cruz have so many secrets and obstacles to get past and to come to terms with and it’s this journey and her love for him, her sister’s and friend Dana’s support that make her get through it all. Lexi’s past with her father have put up all sorts of barriers, can she let herself love and what if she’s not loveable back? However with Cruz she could be herself.

For Cruz, he has so many scars from his youth which his father caused for he and his mother and he’s afraid to give his heart. His realization that he can have it all with Lexi and coming to terms about their pasts will have one in tears. Again, Susan Mallery does not disappoint with this wonderful story, extremely interesting characters and so many lessons to be learned…..trust, love and believing in oneself! Thank you Susan Mallery!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Humour Factor♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

Tidbit about author: Under her Skin made the New York Times Bestseller list. Congratulations, Susan!

THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY - NICOLA MARSH

Title: The Billionaire's Baby

Author: Nicola Marsh

Line: Mills and Boon Romance

Release Month: May 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet

Back-Blurb:

Billionaire Blane Andrews has come to Melbourne to win back his wife. He walked away from Cam, believing he wasn't good enough. Now he's risen to the top, but he wants the one thing money can't buy.

As Blane romances her, Cam realizes that the magic in their marriage never faded. Yet she can't give Blane the baby he's always wanted. This time she must say goodbye….

But hold on to your dreams, Cam! Miracles can happen, and Blane's penthouse might need a nursery after all….

Review:

Heartwarming, emotional and believable, The Billionaire’s Baby is the latest page-turner by talented Mills and Boon Romance author, Nicola Marsh!

As a teenager, Camryn had yearned to escape from the stifling confines of small town Australia for the bright lights of city life. But when drifter Blane Andrews turned up at her parents’ dingy coffee shop, her life changed completely. Cam was bowled over by Blane’s charm and charisma, and when he proposed, she accepted straight away even though she knew that they were too young to make such a huge commitment.

But Blane soon realized that their marriage would hold Cam back from achieving her objectives, so he did the hardest thing he ever had to do and walked away from the woman he loved. But he never managed to forget his wife, who broken-hearted had vowed never to let another man get under her skin ever again.

But a lot of time has passed and Cam and Blane have grown up. Cam now has achieved her objective of owning a trendy café and Blane is now a billionaire. When the two meet again, the old spark soon reignites. However, can there ever be a hope of a future when Cam can’t give Blane the one thing he wants: children?

The Billionaire’s Baby is just a wonderful story of second chances, new beginnings and the sheer strength of the human spirit. Nicola Marsh writes wonderful stories about modern women who know what they want and smart and sexy heroes her readers cannot resist falling in love. Romantic, engrossing and realistic, The Billionaire’s Baby shines with pathos, charm and heart and readers looking for a story they can lose themselves in shall certainly not be disappointed.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Stickability Factor (will they have a happily ever after) ♥♥♥♥♥

Humour Factor♥♥♥♥

Weepy Factor♥♥♥♥

Review: The Surgeon's Special Delivery - Fiona Lowe

Title: The Surgeon’s Special Delivery

Author: Fiona Lowe

Line: Mills and Boon Medical Romance

Release month : May 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet

Back-Blurb:

From top-notch doc to daddy!

Dr Tess Dalton couldn’t wait to give her two closest friends the greatest gift – a baby of their own. But when tragedy strikes Tess finds herself alone, carrying her friends’ baby…

Enter the baby’s uncle, Callum Halroyd, leading surgeon and dedicated bachelor. Returning to the Outback for the sake of his family, he’s shocked to meet Tess…and to discover she’s about to give birth to his nephew! Becoming an adoptive dad certainly wasn’t in Cal’s plan!

But newborn Oscar and beautiful, vibrant Tess make Cal reassess everything… Soon he realises just how much he wants to give Tess and the baby the love and care they so very much deserve…

Review:

The Surgeon’s Special Delivery is the latest delightful Medical Romance by the fantastic Fiona Lowe!

Leading surgeon Callum Halroyd dreamt of saving the world with his surgical skills alongside his brother James. But when James had opted to settle in a rural Outback town instead of the on the frontline, Callum had vowed to never speak to his brother ever again, concentrating his energy on doing the best job he can in the war zones which he has made his home. But when Callum hears the tragic news that his brother and his wife were killed in a tragic accident, Callum finds himself returning to Australia, regret dogging his every move.

The last thing Callum is expecting is to find a pregnant woman in his brother’s apartment. Tess Dalton was James’ wife best friend who had selflessly decided to act as a surrogate mother for the couple who couldn’t have children. Tess is determined not to be pushed around by the autocratic Callum – nor is she going to let herself fall for the sexy surgeon.

But when baby Oscar is born, Tess and Callum are thrown into further proximity together and both of them begin to wish that they were a real family. However, with commitments on the other side of the world, will Tess and Callum put their heads before their hearts?

Wonderfully moving, beautifully written and impossible to put down, The Surgeon’s Special Delivery is another keeper by the talented Fiona Lowe. Peopled with gorgeous characters, intense medical scenarios and searing emotion, The Surgeon’s Special Delivery is not to be missed!

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥

Stickability Factor (will they have a happily ever after) ♥♥♥♥♥

Humour Factor♥♥♥

Weepy Factor♥♥♥♥♥

HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE - Donna Alward

Title: HIRED: THE ITALIAN’S BRIDE

Author: DONNA ALWARD

Line: Harlequin Romance

Release month: June

The S-Factor: Sensual and Stirring

Back-Blurb:

Dream Job – enter hot new Italian boss!

Mariella Ross has built a new life for herself at the Fiori Cascade hotel, and she isn’t going to allow the new owner’s devil-may-care attitude to disrupt her hard work! Even if Luca Fiori’s laid-back charm and infectious smile are giving her butterflies. . .

Luca’s showing Mari a side of life she’s almost forgotten. Overcoming her dark past won’t be easy, but with Luca by her side, Mari’s beginning to feel that anything might be possible. . .

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Mariella (please call me Mari) Ross almost disliked Luca before she even met him. She frowned on his way of life. She was worried he was going to disrupt hers. But most of all, she was afraid. Afraid? Afraid of what?

Luca Fiori had it all – good looks, charming personality, good work ethics, money. . . But he didn’t seem to have what it took to break down the walls Mari had built around herself. Luca was a “toucher”. He got quite a start, though, when he touched Mari and she nearly jumped out of her skin, and very quickly told him to never touch her again. Being the smart person he was, it didn’t take him long to realize that Mari was afraid of personal contact.

Luca didn’t get where he was by giving up, so he devised ways to show Mari that she was safe with him. One by one he broke down her barriers, until finally, she trusted him.

Donna Alward once again shows her command of the written word. She draws you right into this wonderful love story. What I loved most about this book is the way Donna gave her hero such insight in handling a very volatile situation. Donna wrote about a subject that a lot of seasoned writers stay away from. Abuse is a topic that we’ve all heard about, that way too many have lived with, but Donna wrote about it with understanding and deep feeling. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor: (will it last?) ♥♥♥♥♥
Humor Factor: ♥♥♥
Weepy Factor: ♥♥

Reviewed by: Donna B