Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 4 1/2

synopsis: She was unmarried, untouched and almost thirty, but novelist Amanda Briars wasn't about to greet her next birthday without making love to a man. When he appeared at her door, she believed he was her gift to herself, hired for one night of passion. Unforgettably handsome, irresistibly virile, he tempted her in ways she never thought possible...but something stopped him from completely fulfilling her dream.

Jack Delvin's determination to possess Amanda became greater when she discovered his true identity. But gently-bred Amanda craved respectability more than she admitted, while Jack, the cast-off son of a nobleman and London's most notorious businessman, refused to live by society's rules. Yet when fate conspired for them to marry, their worlds collided with a passionate force neither had expected...but both soon craved.

Review: I enjoyed this quite a lot. A little different from the norm, sexy, funny, basically classic Kleypas. The sex scenes were a little hotter than she normally does, and just a teeny tiny bit kinky. Nothing to faint over, but surprising for her nonetheless. I found it quite engrossing and a lovely cabin vacation read.

Impetuous by Lori Foster

Rating: 5 ♥

The normally frumpy teacher Carlie shows up at her best friend's costume party masked and dressed to kill as a harem girl -- she has no idea that she will attract the notice of her friend's brother-in-law, sexy ladies man Tyler. After an unexpectedly sexy encounter, Carlie sneaks out on Tyler.... but Tyler won't give up on finding his mysterious harem girl. Now he has suddenly noticed Carlie as a woman (who is not a frump at all) though, and he is getting to know the caring wonderful woman that she is inside and he finds himself torn between the two, never guessing that they are one and the same.....

This is a reissue of Lori Foster's very first published book, so I went into this one without high expectations.... while there was a detail or two that didn't really make sense, over all I was extremely impressed with this book. The banter between Tyler and Carlie is fun, funny, and endearing. And of course it was sexy. I LOVED it. And, um, wow on the cover!! Kept this one covered when the kids were around..... ;)

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Rating: 4 1/2 ♥

Back cover:
WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL...
Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man-a naked unconscious man-and loses her innocence forever.

HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN...
Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he's hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities-even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.

OR TO HELL
Charmed by Simon's sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has-her love...

Review: This book took me by surprise -- though I don't know why. It's not like Hoyt's books have ever left me unsatisfied before. I ADORE this new-ish author. How does she do it? I was rolling along in this book enjoying it, but not wowed at first, but about half way through I was well and truly captivated and emotionally involved in Simon and Lucy's story. I admit that I was at first a little put off by Simon's fashion sense. The word "metro-sexual" comes to mind.... but once I caught the glimpses of the man behind the urbane mask, I was lost. This is an emotional and wonderful story that should not be missed. And no, still not as good as The Raven Prince.... I'm still waiting for one of her books to reach the utter perfection of that story.

In Too Deep by Lori Foster

Rating: 3 ♥
I was trying to write a synopsis for this book, but it's one of those that sounds hopelessly confusing when trying to describe the story line. So I think I will give up and just say what I thought about it. I can sum it up in one short word: Eh. If 'eh' is a real word, that is. It has a heroine named Charlie (I am SO not a fan of girls with boys names). And she's a tough cookie. The only thing feminine about her is her frilly bedroom -- which incidentally seemed odd and out of place to me. I get that Foster is trying to say, 'hey, look, she's not all boy-ish', but it just didn't work for me. I wasn't feeling this book at all. It had it's moments, and I'm glad I read it, but if you don't already have this number on the 'ol TBR, I'd say don't bother. It was just Ok. There was no 'blaze' to it.

Fantasy by Lori Foster

Rating: 4 1/2 ♥

Review: Sebastian Sinclair is not thrilled to find himself on the auction block at a charity auction, but because it's for a good cause (a woman's shelter), he submits to the indignity of being bid on by rabid women. ;) When he is bought by the organizer of the event as a birthday present for her sister, Sebastian is thrilled to meet Brandi, a woman he found himself captivated by while he stood on the block. But Brandi is not happy with her sister's present, but to help her sister's shelter, she grudgingly consents to go on a short getaway (part of the prize) with this sexy stranger. Brandi doesn't think she can ever be with a man because of her bad past experiences, but she is surprised to find that Sebastian might be exaclty what she needs....

This little book took me by surprise. This is one of Foster's early works, and it's easy to see how she has attained such popularity after reading this. For a 217 page book it tackles some serious issues, but also manages to be sweet, endearing, sexy, and totally engrossing. I devoured it in one day (like that was hard - LOL!), and wished for more! And can I just add that I LOOOOVE a hero named Sebastian. It's my number one favorite hero name.......

Irish Hearts by Nora Roberts

Rating: 4 1/2 ♥

Synopsis:
Adelia Cnnane. Her hot temper sent the heart of Travis Grant aflame. Now the proud, powerful owner of Royal Meadows horse farm resolved to make this wild Irish Thoroughbred his own.

Erin McKinnon. A bold beauty, she accepted Burke Logan's loveless proposal and his cool promise of security and wealth. But could this ravishing Irish Rose win her hard-hearted husband's love?

Review: This was a reissue/2-in-one deal containing Irish Thoroughbred and Irish Rose. I loved both stories, but I was particularly charmed by the first one. I read this while camping and found it perfect for vacation reading. Both books made me tear up and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I have the next 2 books in this series and I am hoping they are as endearing as these two.

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward ,

Challenge: Double trouble (a story with a twin)...
Rating: 5 ♥

This is not your teenage daughter's vampire story. The Bella in this story is not a child. In the previous book (Lover Eternal, book 2) Bella was kidnapped by the Lessening society and held captive by a deranged Lesser with serious head issues. Zsadist has made it his personal mission to find her and bring her back, haunted by the connection they had before her abduction. In a stroke of luck, he and the rest of the Brotherhood find out where she is and rescue her, en mass. I have to say that part made me a little teary, that they would all care that much. Now Bella must heal inside and out after her weeks at the hands of the Lesser named Mr. O. Not the only one with some healing to do, Zsadist is seriously mentally and physically scarred from his own past as a blood slave to a female vampire, who used him for more than just his blood, and warped his ideas of sex. The way Bella and Zsadist are able to come together, heal together, and be together was touching and wonderful. I was thoroughly enamoured with this book and it's complexity. A few things happen to other characters in this book that didn't exactly thrill me however. I can't wait to find out how this story continues.....

Lord of Desire by Paula Quinn

Challenge: Tile with a person of royalty.
Rating: 4 ♥

Amazon synopsis: Lord Brand "the Passionate" Risande defeated Lady Brynnafar Dumont's father in battle and has now come to claim the Dumont castle. Brynna vows to do whatever it takes to protect her family's Saxon retainers, even if it means marrying the conquering Norman brute. When Brynna finally meets Brand, she is shocked to discover that he is the man she briefly encountered a year before who has since haunted her every romantic fantasy. Suddenly, the idea of wedding the sinfully sexy nobleman becomes much more appealing, but Brand, who caught his former betrothed in the throes of passion with another man, has no interest in marriage. Brynna knows that earning Brand's trust and love will not be easy, but she is determined that this is one battle she will definitely win.

Review: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. This is Paula Quinn's debut novel, and I do think she has gotten better since then. I found this easy to read. The writing had an enjoyable feel, it moved along quickly, and the characters were engaging and fun. It didn't quite reach keeper status for me, but definitely well worth the read if you like a light medieval romp.

Something Wild by Toni Blake

Rating: 3 1/2 ♥

Synopsis: Penny Halloran is confused. Her boyfriend has proposed, but they've never ... Well, before she makes her decision, she needs to know if they're ... compatible. What better way to find out than *seduce* her man in the back of a limo? If sparks are there, she'll say yes! She just never intended to say yes to the *wrong* man!

Ryan Pierce wants to start over. No longer the swinging bachelor - he'd gotten into too much trouble! - he's sure life will be much simpler. But when he mistakenly gets a sexy invitation for a night he'll never forget, he doesn't know what to expect. Certainly not the sweet restaurant owner from downstairs ... who turns out to be a *wild woman!* What's a reformed bad boy to do? Help Penny discover her wild side, of course, and turn those sparks into a full-blown inferno!

Review: Ummm.... this was cute. Not blown away though. I'm not even a little bit into geeky types, and the hero was kind of geeky. I was a little bored in parts of the book, but I pushed through them, and I'm glad I did. I have some of this author's more recent work waiting patiently on my TBR sheves, and I am still looking forward to reading them, I just won't be keeping this one around for a re-read.