I write book reviews for all types of books. Mainly, mystery/thriller, Contemporary and Historical fiction, Biography/Memoir and True Crime, and a little Romance, too!
With her son's life in the balance, Catherine Fry is forced to locate and steal the priceless Ruby Cross of the Knights Templar. She knows who has it—it's just a matter of coercing Thomas Glanville, the handsome and incredibly stubborn captain of the ship she’s captured, into telling her the exact location. Fortunately, Catherine knows that there are many ways to get a man to talk...
Captain Thomas Glanville has the cross and he'll be damned if he's going to hand it over now that he finally has the means to buy a ship of his own. He's at the mercy of a fiery woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. But Catherine has no idea who she's dealing with—and Thomas has his own means of charming a woman into his mercy and his bed...
His Pirate Seductress- Love on the High Seas by Tamara Hughes is a 2015 Entangled (Scandalous) publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pirates seemed to fade out of view for a long while, what with every single historical romance novel set in the regency period, and focused exclusively on manners, dukes, earls, and society rules. However, I have noticed a small trend emerging where pirates are once more prominently featured. That’s a good thing!
Pirates are always interesting to read about since one can count on an adventure to be woven in with the love story. But, this novel adds the unique element of having a female pirate as one of the main characters. Not that it hasn’t been done before, but it’s not all that common. So, I was doubly excited about this novel.
A priceless artifact is at the heart of this story. The Ruby Cross is in Thomas Glanville’s possession, but Catherine Fry aims to make it hers. So, she captures the man and holds him prisoner ready to do whatever it takes to get her hands on The Ruby Cross. A battle of wills ensues, but when Thomas realizes why it is so important to Catherine to have the artifact, the two wind up joining forces in order to save her family, but will still allow Thomas to see his dreams come true. However, there is more than one enemy, they must face, and one is right there in their midst….
In the meantime, a grudging respect develops on top of a mutual physical attraction between Catherine and Thomas. Will they be able to move past their initial status as enemies? Will they be able to rescue Catherine’s family? Will Thomas gain his family’s respect and see his dreams come to their fruition?
This is a fun read, full of high seas adventure, suspense, and intrigue, but also one of family and love, and learning what really matters in life. There is some nice dialogue in this one, and the ending is very sweet and satisfying.
I do hope books like this one will inspire more high seas sexy adventures!
“Catherine bristled at the amusement in his voice. He could laugh all he wanted when he stood tied to a wall utterly naked. A little humiliation might do him good.”
A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh.
A foundling raised in a world of humansGrowing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl... to would-be superhero... to enchanting, ruthless villain.
A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission
A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood - and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.
A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin...
Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.
Sweet Ruin by Kresely Cole- An Immortals After Dark Novel- is a 2015 Gallery Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher as an XOXpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark.
The wait is finally over! The hotly anticipated new release in the wildly popular Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole is here!!
All year, I have been trying to catch up with the series, because I knew this book was coming. I was so far behind, though, that I never got caught up before the release of “Sweet Ruin”. However, I was pleased to discover that it is not necessary to have read all the other installments to enjoy this book.
Josephine is orphaned, caring for her younger brother, Thaddeus, while trying to survive on the streets. But, Jo goes through a big change, and ends up leaving her brother behind, but she longs to reunite with him, and continues to watch over him, as she lives her new life as ghostly vampire, not understanding fully what kind of creature she is or what her history is.
Rune the Baneblood meets up with Josephine while on a mission to kill the oldest Valkyrie. Instantly, he knows he has met his match, but doesn’t understand who she is or what she is or where her loyalties lie. As the two tests the waters of their relationship, they forge an unshakeable bond and become a kind of dynamic duo. But, Rune’s painful past could be their undoing, if he can’t relinquish his bad habits.
One thing about Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series that stands out is the author’s incredible imagination and her ability to draw her readers into a rich fantasy world full of amazing creatures and beings. The other thing is how this series always manages to take on new dimensions, go in new directions, and branch out into never ending possibilities. Few series have that capacity, and this speaks to the author’s talent as a writer. Never one to rest too long in one place, Ms. Cole keeps the reader guessing, the material fresh, but, still manages to please long term fans and bring in a whole new audience all at once. I have to admit though, that I did feel a little puzzled by this one, with the introduction of all new characters and new realms. But, once I got started, I found it to be refreshing, and the more I read, the more excited I was about it and I suppose it helped a little that I didn’t have any specific expectations about the book beforehand.
While the story does not have some the darker undertones I’ve become used to with this series, the hero is one of my favorite types. Rune is flawed, filled with self -doubt, and doesn’t hold himself in high regard. Jo, becomes important enough to him that when push comes to shove, he manages to pull his head out and do the right thing, but you will be on the edge of your seat as he goes through some situations that will make you want to cover your eyes or scream at him.
Jo was an interesting character study too, and I had to laugh at her vernacular on occasion. Her story is compelling and is certainly interesting. I ended up really liking her.
Rune and Jo together are fire and ice and their attraction is too hot to handle sometimes, and while past chapters in the series have been quite steamy, this one seemed even more sensual that usual, since Rune and Jo can't seem to keep their hands off one another. With that said, I did miss some to the action and adventure with this one, which seemed less prevalent, this time around.
Overall, this one took me by surprise, a little bit, but I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to more installments centered around this new cast of characters, even if it is very different from the atmosphere I have grown accustomed to. However, I do think this is a wise move for the author to make, and will broaden the scope for the continuation of the series. I can’t wait to see how it will play out in the long run.
Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.
A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Her IAD books have been translated into twenty foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.
Cole lives in Florida with her family and “far too many animals.” You can learn more about Kresley at www.kresleycole.com.
The fateful day Mimi Marcus has
dreaded begins with a phone call...
The wife of a U.S. Marine, Mimi
spent countless nights worried that her husband Joel would fall in the line of
duty. He had fought valiantly and served his country with honor. That’s exactly
what they tell her when they deliver the news—Joel was taken by the enemy in
Afghanistan. Her husband is dead.
In desperate need of closure, Mimi
travels to the one place Joel still has ties—The Marcus Ranch in Texas,
inherited by his handsome younger brother Austin.
New beginnings are only an
illusion...
The closer Mimi grows to the Marcus
family, the more she considers it home. But when suspicions of Joel’s past
surface, Austin refuses to disclose family secrets—even to his brother’s widow.
It’s only by accident she uncovers evidence of Joel’s tainted past. Devastated
by his lies and betrayal, she slowly opens up to Austin, and together they unfold
layers of pain and grief.
Mimi is
sure she’ll never love again, but is Austin the man to prove her wrong? Then
the unthinkable happens…
Just as Mimi finds new hope in a
future with Austin, Joel returns home from war. Enraged, traumatized, and
teetering on the edge of insanity, Joel confesses to a history of deception,
revealing yet another secret—this one too terrible to forgive.
In an
awful twist of fate, Joel proves marriage vows are made to be honored.
Novelist, movie addict, and animal lover, Cristina Slough is the author of Till Death Us Do Part, her debut novel.
Cristina has always been a bookworm, rarely seen without a pen and paper in her hand, she loves delving into a literacy fictional world of her own.
At the age of 11, her junior school teacher told her mother that she would be wasting her life if she didn’t become an author. Throughout her teenage years and beyond, her parents spurred her on to keep writing. She later began a career in commercial real estate, working in London’s West End, a corporate bubble where she was unable to fuel her passion to write.
It was on her Californian honeymoon in 2012 that the bug to write was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. After visiting Yosemite National Park she was inspired by the natural beauty of the land that surrounded her. Holding a special place in her heart, Yosemite would later be written into her debut novel.
She finally gave up the ‘big smoke’ when her son, Lucas, was born in October 2013.
When Lucas was a newborn, Cristina was told to sleep when the baby sleeps. She never could. There was a calling inside her to write. After getting to grips with her new role as a mother, she began working a psychological thriller, but she couldn’t fully connect to the characters she created. She ditched the manuscript and started Till Death Us Do Part (Limitless Publishing, 2015).
Cristina is married to Adam, who runs a successful business; together they share their Bedfordshire home with their son, crazy white German Shepherd and three spoiled cats. They can be found trekking through woodlands, or around the many shops Cristina loves to explore. As a family, they love to travel frequently, the United States being a firm favorite.
Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around.
As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey.
She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful
Here is a snippet of my review posted on Night Owl Reviews:
The humor and sharp witted dialogue kept the story balanced and despite the heavy hitting subject matter, it did not become too mushy or drippy. Like Bailey, I am a big fan of mixing romance with great passion and emotional attachment and it is so very refreshing to read a romance novel that provides all these elements. Bailey and Hud finally get their hard earned happy ever after and no one deserves it more than they do.
“I took one look at you,” Hud said to Bailey, “and control went flying out the window. You tore down the brick wall around my heart one smile at a time.”
GRAB YOUR COPY HERE: http://www.amazon.com/My-Kind-Wonderful-Cedar-Ridge-ebook/dp/B00W22IKD8/ref http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-kind-of-wonderful-jill-shalvis/1121710258
MORE BOOKS IN THE CEDAR RIDGE SERIES:
1
Book one: Second Chance Summer
Book three coming in March 2016- Nobody But You
Jill Shalvis on the Cedar Ridge Series:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras with her family and far too many assorted quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental.
Look for Jill's latest, ONE IN A MILLION, on shelves and e-readers now, and get all her bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold.
Visit Jill's website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
His Pirate Seductress by Tamara Hughes
