Highland Guardian by Melissa Mayhue

Romance novelist Sarah Douglas decides she needs to get away and throw her life to the fates and see what happens. So she goes to the first Scottish cottage she finds in her search for her getaway. Sarah hopes to overcome her writers block and come to terms with her ability to sense feelings of people, but her unexpectedly handsome landlord Ian MacCullough has some other ideas for how she can spend her time. Ian is a half fae guardian -- he guards the fae portal and protects humans from rogue fae. When he realizes that Sarah is also half fae, he fights his feeling that he may just have found his elusive soul mate. But an evil pure blooded fae has plans to use Sarah to get back to the land of fae, since as a half fae female Sarah can see the hidden portals, putting her in great danger and forcing her to dig deep into her hidden gifts and powers to save herself and the man she loves.

I enjoyed this story. It was a light easy read in an interesting setting with lots of fun characters. It didn't set me back on my heels or anything, but it was worth reading and kept me interested throughout!

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

This is magical and mesmerizing tale about the Drakon, a race of people who can shape shift into a smoke or dragon form. They live in their shire far into the European hills, away from outsiders. Everyone from their race are not allowed to live outside the shire in order to protect their secret. But every once in a while someone will fake their death and escape to the outside world. When Rue turns 17 she comes into her powers and becomes the alpha female. As such she would be required to marry the alpha male Christoff. She has been in love with him for years, but she refuses to have him this way, so she flees, faking a drowning to keep the tribe from looking for her. But 7 years later, the tribe hears of someone who turns to smoke and steals jewels, and they know that one of their own are in London, so they set up a trap to catch their smoke thief.

As usual Shana Abe draws you in and fascinates with this unusual tale of love and magic. I enjoyed it a great deal. The only reason I can't give it a 5 is because the ending felt a little forced. I wasn't completely convinced that Rue was ok with going back to the shire. In fact I am sure she didn't want to, she just wanted to be with Christoff. I am looking forward to reading more about the Drakon!

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

So, I didn't actually finish this book. I realize I am going to be in a major minority here, but I had trouble getting into it, and I read through half the book trying to get into the story. It wasn't that it wasn't good, it just wasn't to my taste. Eve is a pretty moody and damaged, and she has a hard job. Frankly, the thought of reading an on-going series about her and her job is kind of depressing to me. In this particular book she is trying to find someone who is killing prostitutes, and some of the subject matter is graphic and rather violent. I did enjoy Roarke as a hero. His caring and suave charm towards Eve was endearing, but I can't see reading the whole series just for him. I'll be chalking up this series as not for me.

Sawyer by Lori Foster

I WAS going to read Shanna by Woodiwiss, but it looked so long, and I felt so tired just looking at it... so I picked this small volume instead. Lazy, I know. LOL! Anyway, this was a very cute, light read. Honey Malone (yes, her read name) is on the run from unknown people who are trying to kill her. When she crashes into a fence and winds up in a pond as a result of being very sick with a fever, it's sheer luck that the fence and pond belong to Buckhorn county's hot doctor Sawyer Hudson and his band of equally hot brothers. Lucky girl. Sawyer insists that she stay with them while she recovers and they try to figure out who could be trying to kill her and why. Sawyer has sworn off marriage, but something about Honey makes him reconsider.

I really enjoyed this story. It wasn't mind blowing (hence the 4 rating), but it was short, sweet, and hot. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the Buckhorn series! I have enjoyed everything I have read from Lori Foster!

Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

There isn't a lot I can say about this book without putting spoilers, but this is how I felt about it:

Holy. Crap. Once upon a time, when I read Darkfever, I knew this series would be darker, and much more intense than anything else I had read, but I had absolutely no clue how pitch dark things might get. Bloodfever was a shock, but it was NOTHING compared to this book. I have read that this book leads to Mac's darkest hour, and does it ever. The last few chapters of the book are chilling. Shocking. A warning: this book (and series) are NOT for the faint of heart. KMM isn't pulling any punches with this story. I will be anxiously awaiting Dreamfever, and I hope that what they say about it always being darkest before the dawn will come to be in the next installment. It breaks my heart to leave Mac there.

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Wow!!! Count me in on the new fan bandwagon!! This book was too fabulous for words. Widowed Anna Wren is in need of a job to keep food on the table for herself, her mother-in-law, and their maid. It just so happens that Edward, The Earl of Swartingham, is in desperate need of a secretary. While this solution is not entirely ideal to both parties at first, it solves both of their problems. The love between the two grows in a very sweet and believable way, and when Edward feels like he absolutely cannot hold on to his lust for another second, he decides to visit London and the brothel he has frequented in the past to satisfy his baser needs. Anna finds out his plan and is furious ... until the fates give her a chance to be one he spends the night with him at the brothel without his knowledge.

I started this book before bed, and then could not tear my eyes from it for 2 1/2 hours before finally forcing myself to go to bed. It was wonderful, sweet, and engrossing. Words can not describe how much I loved this book. I loved Edward so much. I was intrigued by the "ugly" aspect (pox scars), and I was amused at his fondness for throwing nic-nacs when angry. It made him oddly endearing. This is a comfort read through and through!!!

Savage Thunder by Johanna Lindsey

Jocelyn Fleming is a feisty redheaded widow on the run. When her elderly British husband dies, his son is furious that his dad left most of his money to Jocelyn and hires someone to find her and bring her back. Jocelyn runs away to America and with her large caravan of guards and servants and travels around dodging "Longnose" (her pet name for the hunter). A botched attempt on her life by Longnose brings half-breed Colt Thunder into her life when he helps her escape her overturned carriage. Jocelyn decides that Colt will be the perfect man to help her dispose of her virginity to keep any future husband from knowing her deceased husband and she were never intimate. Neither count on the fling turning into something more and lasting.

I enjoyed this book. It didn't wow me or anything, but it was a good light read with lots of adventure. I haven't read a western for a while, and this was a western through and through with several gun fights, sleeping on the range, etc. Jocelyn is lovably aristocratic and ladylike without being annoying, and Colt was very hot and there is an AWESOME love scene on a horse. LOL!! Kind of made me wish I knew how to ride..... I had to find this old bodice ripper cover to post with it since #1, it's the cover I have, and #2 I like the old racy covers. ;)