Jennifer
3 1/2 stars My rating would have been higher if more of the book had included Farleigh. Before his arrival on the page I confess I did a lot of skimming. The last 30% was perfect...the anticipation of and finally the culmination of all 4 of them together in one fantastic MMFF scene.
Reread March 2015...5 stars, just like the first time! Now to read the rest of the series!
I love westerns, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman is one of my favorite TV shows, and this story is a lot like Dr. Quinn...if it were set today instead of in the 1870's, if there had been no Sully, and if Cloud Dancing had been younger and hotter and unmarried, lol.
The lovely Duchess Nicole had this picture on her review of this same book and once I saw it, I couldn't get it out of my mind. This is Rebel:
WHEW! fans self
I loved Rebel from the start. Although the name suggests he might be a bit of a bad boy, he wasn't that. But he WAS a man who valued faith and family. He cared a great deal for his people, and I respected and grew to like him because of it. Rebel is much more than a pretty face (and body!) He's also a Medicine Man, and carries on the traditions taught to him by his grandfather. I loved that aspect of the story. And there was one scene with the grandfather where I teared up. Sniff sniff.
As for the heroine Madeline...
I loved her stubborn, fiery nature and her wild, unruly curls. She was instantly attracted to Rebel, but fought against it, as she had come to the White Sandy reservation with one purpose, and one purpose only: to serve as their resident doctor for the next two years. Needless to say...fate had other plans. ;-)
With Madeline practicing the white man's medicine and Rebel practicing the Lakota way as a Medicine Man, there were a few times they clashed, but that just made it all the more interesting. But this couple soon realizes they're on the same side, and learn to work together, and that, ladies and gentleman, is when the sparks flew.
The scene in the river was my absolute favorite. So romantic, yet super sensual and very, very hot.
“The spring rains, that was what she smelled like. The spring rains soaking into the earth, washing away the grit of a winter spent asleep. Every second with her was like waking up all over again. And he hadn't even realized he'd been asleep.”
The loves scenes were nice. A little on the mild side, but this isn't erotica. ;-)
Can't wait to read the rest of this series! Especially book 3, which is supposedly about another character we met in the book...a mysterious man by the name of Nobody.
Currently only 99 cents! http://amzn.to/1LxHHti
As a lover of fairytales and a true romantic at heart, I was very excited to discover this book, a re-telling of Cinderella. But not just ANY retelling. An EROTIC retelling. ;-) Because as much as I love a romantic story, I love an erotic one even more. big grin
On both counts, “A Midnight Dance” did not disappoint.
The story had some elements of Cinderella, but didn't follow the traditional story exactly, but that's ok. It was a wonderful story, and kept me interested and entertained, and gave me a beautiful happily ever after ending. sigh
The sex was pretty awesome! Wonderfully descriptive, and the first scene happens right out of the starting gate. While sometimes this could ruin a story for me, as I generally prefer to get to know the characters a bit more and feel that sexual tension build, in this case it was an integral part of the storyline and wasn't gratuitous. It also didn't kill the tension either, at least in my humble opinion.
While this definitely isn't bdsm, there was a bondage scene that was pretty damn hot and a bit of dirty talking going on. (LOVE me a dirty talkin' man!)
Important- Do NOT overlook reading the very, very end!! But don't read it first, either, or you'll spoil the story, lol. ;-)
5 stars for this wonderful story, and I can't wait to read more of Lila's work!
Tessa Dare has officially taken the top spot as my favorite author! I loved every single book in the Spindle Cove series and “Any Duchess Will Do” was no exception! This was truly a fairytale romance, but with a heavy dose of humor and heart. (And the sex scenes were HAWT! I'll role play with you anytime, Griff, haha! ;))
I'm sorry to be saying goodbye to Spindle Cove and to these amazing characters.
This trilogy deserves a million stars! I am in awe that a new author wrote a story of this caliber. So many twists and turns...you never know what's coming and it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the very end. Well done, C.S. Pacat. Well done.
Well done also for making me love this story when I normally loathe trilogies. I don't read them. Ever. I hate cliffhangers. But when my hold became available at the library, I downloaded purely out of curiosity and found I couldn't stop reading. I'm sure it helped that my library had all 3 parts of the story, but even if they hadn't, I would have wanted to know what happened next, would have needed the conclusion to Damen and Laurent's story. It's the kind of epic romance that consumes you, that you just want to keep reading without stop.
It had all the odds stacked against it...a trilogy, and one that takes place mostly on the battlefield, something I thought would bore me to tears. It didn't. Not even a little bit.
It also takes a very long time to get to the sex, which normally for me would be a big strike against it. In this case, however, it felt right. Considering the dynamic between these two men, one held against his will as slave to the other, I was actually glad that it took as long as it did for them to be intimate, because when it finally happened it was consensual. It wasn't rape. It is also quickly apparent that something happened to Laurent in his past that put him off of sex, so the way it unfolds between them slowly, gently, makes total sense.
That being said, the dynamic between Damen and Laurent as slave and master is still so hot. Damen is the bigger man, physically, of the two...heavily muscled. A fighting machine. It goes against everything in him to act as a slave when he should be a king. Gradually he comes to accept it, in part because he's slowly seeing Laurent for who he really is and falling for the flesh and blood man beneath the facade, and in part out of guilt for having inadvertently hurt Laurent in the past before he ever knew him, something that remains an obstacle between them and any real relationship.
I highly recommend the epilogue The Summer Palace, book 3.5, as an accompaniment. It's beautiful and romantic, and I loved reading more of their happily ever after.
The Highwayman was one of my top reads of 2015, so I was beyond excited when in a conversation where I gushed about it to the author, she offered me an arc copy of The Hunter! My very first arc, and Kerrigan Byrne did not disappoint. She continues to delight me with her beautifully written, passionate romances. The gut-wrenching emotion grabs you right from the prologue.
Christopher Argent is every bit the tortured antihero with the tragic past. He is cold and emotionally closed off, but after the heartbreaking opening to his story, you completely understand why.
My Argent:
Millie:
Even though this is a historical, there are elements of dark romance and suspense. Argent is an assassin, as is one of the villains in the story. This is not light and fluffy fare. It's gritty, angsty, and at times a bit brutal. But in order to be true to who Argent is, as well as to the plotline, The Hunter should have these elements. I admire Kerrigan for not being afraid to really go all the way with the characters. She holds true to their essence.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the sweet relationship between Millie and her son. She is a stronger person because of Jakub. She is courageous for him. She fights for him. As a mother myself, I can understand her desire to protect him at all costs. But it was Argent's interaction with the boy that truly plucked at my heartstrings. Their tentative friendship was beautiful to watch unfold.
It was great to see Dorian and Farah again, as well as meet the heroine of the next book in the series. Mena certainly needs a happy ending, and I was surprised and delighted to see she will get a romance with the Demon Highlander. I await their story with eager anticipation!
Amazing, as always! Susan Elizabeth Phillips has become one of my absolute favorite authors. Her romances are consistently fabulous, and First Star is no exception. Loved the characters and the storyline. And I loved that there was a bit of a mystery in this one...a nice little twist.
Absolute perfection! This is historical romance at its best. Really excellent writing, a tortured antihero with a heartbreaking past, an abduction of the heroine by said antihero, delicious sexual tension and steamy love scenes...I have definitely found a new favorite author!
It really is a shame that Emma Holly stopped writing historicals, because a good erotic historical is hard to come by.
I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Holly's writing style, which is very detailed. I prefer authors who paint scenes in a descriptive way instead of a more simplistic style.
The storyline was good...I felt the chemistry between Edward and Florence and it certainly had me hurrying through to get to the good stuff. ;-)
The sex was good as well. There were only a couple of words or phrases that made me snicker, lol.
There is one sex scene at the very beginning of the book between the Hero and his mistress, but don't get concerned—the hero isn't a cheater. Once he gives his heart to Florence, he remains faithful to her.
On the whole an excellent read if you love historicals with a bit more steam than average.
This book captured my attention from the very first page, as did the rough around the edges heroine Louise aka Low Down. Such a great character! She truly had a heart of gold. Highly recommend if you're looking for a unique storyline and a funny/heartwarming/tender read.
If you've never read this amazing and highly entertaining book, what are you waiting for? 5 action-packed STARS! I'd give it 10 stars if I could, as it's a wonderful tale that's even better than the beloved movie, although I'm pleased to say the movie definitely does the book justice. I love them both. Both are high quality entertainment, and if I had to choose between only experiencing one or the other, I'd find that decision awfully HARD!
I read this to my three young daughters, and they were just as engrossed in the story as I was. I may have skimmed over the torturing of Westley JUST a bit, but in my defense, my youngest is only five. ;-)
So don't delay, read this delightful book today! To pass up a story this awesome would be utterly inconceivable! My advice? Drop what you're doing and immediately begin reading “The Princess Bride”!
I struggled with how to rate this book, but I've finally settled between 3 1/2 and 4 stars.
It's very well written, it kept my interest, and it made me FEEL, but oh the pain and hurt and misunderstandings just didn't let up. My heart was twisted into knots the entire time.
I love angst, but I'm discovering I love it most when balanced with a bit of happiness. In Lions and Lace there were no happy moments for the H/h until the VERY end of the book, followed by the short epilogue. I didn't like how the hero revealed his true feelings for the heroine in a letter. After all the hell he put her through he should have had the courage to say it to her face. As a reader I needed more, more of a satisfyingly happy ending after all the heartache.
I did enjoy the secondary romance story very much...so sweet, and a breath of fresh air after the constant turmoil. And I did love the unique setting and time period as well.
Review of all 3 books is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1720533543?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Review of all 3 books is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1720533543?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
What a beautiful love story. I have a special place in my heart for Heroes that have been tortured and abused, and Nicholas was certainly that. It was wonderful to watch as, through his growing love for Bethie, he was able to put his past behind him and have a bright and beautiful future. He did the same for her, as she had a difficult past as well. They healed each other.
Nicholas was a fabulous hero. I usually like the bad boys, but he was so kind, so amazing, so patient and yet he never bored me.
Since this is in the synopsis I can mention how his helping Bethie with the birth of her daughter, and essentially saving both of their lives...WOW! I was in awe of him at that point.
I love how Ms. Clare painted a very realistic picture of the time, and I especially enjoyed her Author's Note at the end, where she describes some of her research and how it applies to this story. As a detailed researcher myself, I appreciate when an author takes the time and effort to get the historical time and place of his or her book right. Pamela Clare certainly did that, with fantastic results.
The steam/sexual tension in Ride the Fire is slow building, but it makes sense once you learn certain things about Bethie's past. The lovemaking when it did finally happen, was definitely worth the wait. Not quite as hot as I normally like, but satisfying nonetheless.
Amazing story, and a fitting end to the Blakewell/Kenleigh Family trilogy!
A story I read many times as a child, and one I enjoyed sharing with my own little women. <3
5+ stars!!!!
Brad Swanson is a whiskey drinkin', card playin', cheroot smokin', dirty talkin'...PREACHER. Yep. You heard right.
I have a penchant for bad boys, and let me tell you, there's nothing more wicked than a preacher who isn't all that he seems. ;-) Brad is hiding something, Evie is sure of it, and she's fascinated with the man. She secretly studies him, and that fascination culminates in her painting his portrait–in the NUDE. What's most humorous about the situation is the fact that Brad is not so much upset that she painted him, but that she painted him rather UN-flatteringly, lol. The conversation where they discuss her model for a certain part of his anatomy was quite hilarious. LOL!
A shotgun wedding ensues, and Evie and Brad are thrown together in a bit of a whirlwind romance. I loved that they had both secretly noticed each other and that there was a mutual attraction there that had been simmering under the surface for quite awhile. Their being forced into marriage was the best thing that could have happened to them both.
Evie is determined to show him she won't be mowed over, while Brad is just as determined to show his new bride who's boss. (In lots of deliciously wicked ways!) Their flirty banter is fun and engaging, and their chemistry is HOT.
I've read other reviews where people said this book isn't as hot as the first 3. I have to respectfully disagree. The scene in the church that I quoted from at the beginning of this review? HOLY HELL. And I think that sentiment is quite appropriate considering we're talking about a preacher, here. ;-D That one scene makes the book. Don't get me wrong, the rest is awesome as well, but I just really, REALLY enjoyed the hot, possessive, somewhat exhibitionist sex in the church. LOL.
For those who've read the first 3 books, you'll enjoy several scenes with old friends. If you haven't read the others, you might be slightly confused on who certain people are, but I felt Ms. McCarty introduced everyone fairly well to ensure that all enjoy the book, even a newcomer to the series.
Speaking of former characters, I loved Gray's interaction with little Brenna. Made me wish Ms. McCarty would do a book for the two of them where they're all grown up and in love despite the obstacles that he being Indian and her being white throw their way. I do see a 5th book is being written, and I'm highly curious to know why it hasn't been published yet. I sincerely hope Ms. McCarty will continue this series.
Back to Brad and Evie...I do believe I loved this story every bit as much as book 1, (which was my favorite thus far), if not even a bit more! Brad was just a fascinating picture of contradiction, and as we soon discover, Evie was right about him. He IS more than just a preacher. If I'm a sucker for a bad boy, I'm an even BIGGER sucker for a bad boy with a tortured past. ;-D
Highly recommend Brad and Evie's story. Funny and hot, with a beautiful love story and an engaging plot.
This book had a very intriguing start and definitely held my interest, but then it was revealed that the heroine looks EXACTLY like the hero's sister (because they are half sisters), so much so they could be twins. That's a bit creepy to me. It just seemed too weird for him to be attracted to a woman who looks so much like his sister you can hardly tell the two women apart. I stopped reading.