This Week's New Releases

So is it cooling off where you live? Here, it's actually cool in the mornings, only in the 70's. lol  Still hot during the day but in another month we'll stop having to run the air conditioning, at least at night.

She writes historical romances beautifully. She writes romantic suspense amazingly. With her spin-off from her successful I-Team series, she started her Colorado High Country series. I just finished the first book, Barely Breathing, and can't wait to read Vic and Eric's story!

Slow Burn
Pamela Clare
Contemporary Romance
Colorado High Country series/Book 2

Victoria Woodley is done with men. Fresh off a dating nightmare, she flies from her home in Chicago to Scarlet Springs to take part in her best friend’s wedding. Who picks her up at the airport? Eric Hawke. Of course. She made a fool of herself over him last time she was here. He’s cocky, charming, and sexy as sin. But the fact that she’s attracted to him is all the proof she needs that he’s bad news. She would ignore him if she could. But he’s the best man, and she’s the maid of honor. She can’t just tell him to jump in a lake—especially not when her lips are locked with his.

Eric isn’t looking for a relationship. Between running the firehouse and volunteering for the county’s search and rescue team, he has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need to get tangled up with a woman from the big city, especially one whose idea of roughing it is going without designer coffee. Yet from the moment he looks into Victoria’s big brown eyes, the attraction he feels is too strong to deny. Faster than he can imagine, the spark of desire that has smoldered between them since the first day they met will flare into full-blown passion.

But can Eric convince Victoria to set aside her doubts and trust him with her heart before their time together runs out?

Oh, this sounds chillingly different! Something out of my usual comfort zone. Yes, this will no doubt find it's way to the TBR pile.

The Female of the Species
Mindy McGinnis
Young Adult/Suspense

Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.

While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways.

But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her.

So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for.

Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.

A favorite series, Kate and Curran are also a favorite couple of many a reader. Hard to believe this is the ninth full length book in the series.

Magic Binds
Ilona Andrews
Urban Fantasy
Kate Daniels Series/Book 9

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

I have not read anything by this author, but have heard good things about her novels. The blurb intrigues and it's the first book in a new series so I won't be starting behind!

The Queen of Blood
Sarah Beth Durst
Fantasy
The Queens of Renthia Series/Book 1

An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure.

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.

When I was little, maybe 6 or 7 years old, I was fascinated by the bookmobile. I wanted to be the bookmobile lady when I grew up. To drive around all day, surrounded by books, pure joy! This next release is the adult version of that dream.

The Bookshop on the Corner
Jenny Colgan
Contemporary

Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.

Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.

From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

Review: Defiant

Defiant
Pamela Clare
Historical Romance
American Colonies/1760
MacKinnon Rangers/Book 3
Berkley/July 3, 2012

Major Connor MacKinnon despises his commander, Lord William Wentworth, beyond all other men. Ordered to rescue Wentworth's niece after the Shawnee take her captive, he expects Lady Sarah Woodville to be every bit as arrogant and contemptible as her uncle. Instead, he finds a brave and beautiful lass in desperate peril. But the only way to free Sarah is for Connor to defeat the Shawnee warrior who kidnapped her—and claim her himself.

Torn by tragedy from her sheltered life in London, Lady Sarah is unprepared for the harshness of the frontier—or for the attraction she feels toward Connor as he guides her first through the consummation of their forced union and then through the dangers of the wilderness. When they reach civilization, however, it is she who must protect him. For if her uncle knew all that Connor had done to save her, he would surely kill him.

But the flames of passion, once kindled, are difficult to deny. As desire transforms into love, Connor will have to defy an empire to keep Sarah at his side.

It's been nearly four years since the second book in the series, Untamed (November 2008) was released.  Since then many fans have wondered what would happened to Connor and when would he get his Happy Ever After?  Well, Connor has his HEA and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out!  

Connor MacKinnon has spent the last five years fighting a war he wants no part of.  He and his two brothers were blackmailed into creating a superior fighting force that has become known as MacKinnon's Rangers.  Connor is now the last of the MacKinnon brothers still fighting and he longs for the days when the war will end.  I simply adored Connor!  His loyalty to his brothers and the men he fights with makes it hard to resist this hero.  We also see what he considers his weaknesses which only work to epitomize the depth of his character.  Family is everything to Connor and when he must rescue a family member of a man he has sworn to kill, it makes it hard to look past to the woman beyond the name.

Lady Sarah Wentworth left London in disgrace and in her attempt to reach her beloved uncle, is taken captive.  Sarah is resourceful, courageous and stubborn.  Which all come in handy when she gets a crash course in survival.  She learns how dangerous the colonies can be as well as how beautiful they are.  Sarah doesn't know about the bad blood between Connor and her uncle, Lord William Wentworth.  Instead, Sarah has heard only of the bravery of MacKinnon's Rangers.  This makes for much conflict between Sarah and Connor as they fall in love.  I really liked how Sarah was torn between her belief in the goodness of her uncle as she comes to realize what he has done to Connor and his brothers.  She's very conflicted over the two men she loves.  Even when she sees her uncle's deviousness, she doesn't stop loving him but aches over the loss of  his greatness in her eyes.  

Connor and Sarah have such a beautiful and at times tragic romance.  They must overcome so much which is consistent with everything going on around them.  The war ugliness of war isn't glossed over and set aside to make room for the romance.  Instead, Connor and Sarah must make the best of the situation they find themselves in, which only makes their love that much stronger.  Pamela Clare has a way of getting to the heart of her characters by showing their courage in the face of adversity.  

This wouldn't have been such a wonderful story without the secondary characters of the MacKinnon brothers, Ian and Morgan and their families.  There is also Captain Joseph, blood brother to the MacKinnons and the Rangers themselves who add to the camaraderie and historical feel of the story.  

Pamela Clare has again giving readers a great romance bound within a fascinating setting that only makes me want more.  Perhaps Joseph will get his own book?  We can only hope!

Rating:  A

MacKinnon Rangers Series ~

Surrender 
Untamed
Defiant

Review: Breaking Point

Breaking Point
Pamela Clare
Romantic Suspense
I-Team/Book 5
Berkley/May 3, 2011

From the author's website ~

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach's battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

Pamela Clare is an author with a gift of true story telling. She not only gets you into the characters head, she lets you live there. As I started reading Breaking Point I had a feeling it would be different than her other I-Team novels in that it takes place primarily away from the teams office. The subject matter of human trafficking is spotlighted and Clare does a incredible job of showing the different affects it has on people.

While Natalie Benoit has been in previous I-Team books, very little is known of her background. She's considered a southern belle, beautiful but not exactly approachable. Natalie has a shattered past that keeps her from getting too close to anyone. She chooses to be more focused on her work, maintaining relationships with co-workers but still keeping them at a distance. As Natalie finds herself in desperate, life-threatening situations, she shows what she's made of. I would say she is one of my favorite heroines of this series. She's smart, brave but still has that southern belle feel to her. Steel Magnolia. Clare showed Natalie doing things that she never thought she would or could do, but she did them because she is a survivor. I liked how Natalie was sicked by the violence she was forced to carry out but she understood that if she didn't fight back, she would be dead. Her feelings and reactions were genuine to the situation without any TSTL moments to irritate this reader.

Zach McBride is in a world of hurt. He's looking death in the face and it's ugly. Then he hears a voice out of a dream and he has a reason to keep living. Zach and Natalie are forced to trust each other if they're going to get out alive. It's a unique way to begin a romance since, at first, neither can see the other and then when they do, they are looking far from their best. Zach is a scarred hero, both literally and figuratively. He doesn't make any promises to Natalie, just tells it like it is. The pacing is furious and you wouldn't think they would have much time to get to know each other but they do and it felt right when they do get together. And boy do they burn up the desert with their very hot, very emotional scenes. There is definitely romance and passion between Natalie and Zach.

The suspense is intense and the environment brutal. Clare doesn't hold back on the savagery or the desperation of the circumstances Zach and Natalie find themselves in. I think I would have found it disappointing had the tone been less harsh. Kudos to Clare for not backing off when it comes to showing the reality of a life where the cartels hold the power.

Another great thing about Breaking Point are the heroes and heroines from the previous novels lend a hand to help Natalie and Zach. It was wonderful to see them again, pulling together for their friend. I loved the camaraderie between the men, especially Marc and Julian.

After everything Natalie and Zach go through escaping the cartel, they still have some heavy baggage to deal with. They worked hard for their HEA and Clare gave them a lovely ending that not only wrapped up the loose ends but gave them a beautiful beginning.

Rating: A

Books in this series ~

Extreme Exposure
Hard Evidence
Unlawful Contact
Naked Edge
Breaking Point

March Reads...

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, or so the saying goes. I'm not sure about that, all I know is that the flowers are blooming and my allergies are killing me. The goods news is that I did read some great books, only a couple that didn't work all the well for me but overall a good reading month.

Tapestry ~ Karen Ranney ~ Historical ~B+
Ecstasy Unveiled ~ Larissa Ione ~ PNR ~ C+
A Matter of Class ~ Mary Balogh ~ Historical ~ A
The Stolen Crown ~ Susan Higginbotham ~ Historical ~ A-
Roadkill ~ Rob Thurman ~ UF ~ Buddy review to come
Have You Seen Her? ~ Karen Rose ~ RS ~ A-
Naked Edge ~ Pamela Clare ~ RS ~ C+
The Secret Year ~ Jennifer Hubbard ~ YA ~ B+
Stolen Fury ~ Elisabeth Naughton ~ RS ~ Review to come
My Soul to Save ~ Rachel Vincent ~ YA ~ A-
Fantasy in Death ~ J. D. Robb ~ RS ~ B+
Bound by Your Touch ~ Meredith Duran ~ Historical ~ A-

12 Total

Historicals ~ 4
PNR ~ 1
RS ~ 4
UF ~ 1
YA ~ 2

A good mix dominated by Historicals and RS. Which surprised me. I didn't realize I had read that many historicals. No straight contemporaries. I'm sure I'll have some this month. I've got Sarah Mayberry and Julie James on the tbr pile. :)

Any weekend plans? Saturday, I'll make an attempt to clean the garage. We plan to have a yard sale soon so I need to get the junk together for that. I'll get some reading in too and need to wash my car - it's horrible! Do you ever notice how your car seems to run better when it's clean?

Sunday is Easter and we are going to my mom's for dinner. She didn't want me to bring anything but I'll be making fruit salad and bringing cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. The cheesecake is the frozen kind from Sam's Club but it's still delicious!

*The flowers are from a Bougainvillea in my front yard. The yard is very colorful: reds, pinks and purple flowers are everywhere. Just wish my nose enjoyed it as much as my eyes. :)

ARC Review: Naked Edge

Naked Edge
Pamela Clare
Romantic Suspense
I-Team series/Book 4
Berkley/March 2010
ARC won from DA

From the author's website ~

What do you do when desire drives you to the very brink?

The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met Gabriel Rossiter, the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rock slide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger's hands. Although she can't forget him she thinks she'll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends off Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.

Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he's determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte and to keep Kat safe.

But asking questions can be dangerous almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth and each other makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land.

First off I want to say that I've enjoyed the previous books in Ms. Clare's I-Team series and was looking forward to Kat's story. We knew just the basics about her from previous books but that was enough to snare my interest. Unfortunately, my interest in Kat slowly dissipated as Naked Edge progressed. And Gabe Rossiter, well, lets just say I had some issues with him to. But I'll get into those later.

The story starts out with Kat heading north to do some hiking. She heads to Eldorado Canyon State Park where hero Gabe Rossiter works as a ranger. After Kat's close brush with death and Gabe's rescuing her they both go their separate ways. Kat back to Denver and her job as an environmental investigative report with the prestigious I-Team and Gabe with his ranger duties.

Move forward three months later and Kat is at Mesa Butte, participating in a Navajo ceremony when it's violently broken up by the local police. Gabe is called in because the area is part of the Mountain Parks jurisdiction. What he finds are some women and an old man not bothering anyone but being treated like criminals. I liked the Native American aspects of the story. I thought Clare worked them well into the plot and made them an interesting part of Kat's heritage.

Gabe is stunned to see Kat again. He hasn't forgotten her from when he rescued her from the rock slide. But Gabe is not a one woman man and for Kat, that's all she wants. The dynamics of Kat and Gabe's relationship were polar opposites when it came to their sexual needs. Gabe wants to fuck. Period. In fact, I got to thinking that was his favorite word since he used it so much. Kat was a 26 year old virgin with very little experience with any type of physical intimacy. I liked the fact that she stayed true to her beliefs. She was strongly attracted to Gabe but let him know that she was a virgin and planned to stay that way. Talk about being shocked! That part I thought was funny. Gabe couldn't believe gorgeous Kat James was a virgin. For a guy as experienced as Gabe, Kat was out of his realm of experience. :)

Gabe's past history with woman is front and center in his present views of women. It's not that he is disrespectful towards them, it's just that he only wants no strings sex from them. The problem I had with Gabe's outlook is that he was a smart man but couldn't see that not everyone woman was destined to treat him like crap. Kat was so different from Gabe's previous lover that I had a hard time buying into his trust issues with her (Kat). Once he got to know Kat, there is no way he could have expected her to treat him with anything other than honesty. I think it would have been easier from me to believe that his attitude about sex came from being self-centered rather than having trust issues.

Kat started out fine but slowly got on my nerves. Kat is this young woman with a very important, stressful job that most journalist would kill for. It wasn't that I had a hard time believing in her writing skills or her intelligence but her ability to deal with stressful situations became hard to believe. To put it bluntly, she turned into a cry baby. Seriously, she just seem to cry all the time. At one point, I thought "what is she, pregnant?", then I remember she was a virgin. And her need to be rescued, repeatedly. It just go to be too much.

The suspense aspect of the plot was engaging. It did run fairly smoothly until near the end. Then I pretty much had to suspend all disbelief to take in the dramatic cliff-hanger of an ending. Up until that point, I thought the development of the mystery of Mesa Butte fairly well done. I do think some of my favorite scenes were at the newspaper. Seeing the workings of a big city newspaper, that's where Clare shows her stuff. She lends her experience as a journalist to the story and gives the reader the feel that they are right there in the newsroom with the I-Team.

So, not my favorite story in the series but there were certain parts that I did enjoy. Most of the reviews I've read for Naked Edge have been very positive, so I'm chalking this one up to personal preference and that it just didn't live up to my expectations. I did take a peak at the excerpt for the next book in the series. If the excerpt is any indication, it looks to be a good one. Even with the little bump in the road that was Naked Edge, I still like Clare's writing and will continue with this series.

Rating: C+

Reading, Sneezing and Blogging...

So, it's been really quiet in blogland. Wait, that's Nath's line. LOL

One of my goals for the year was to post more about me and RL. This isn't exactly what I had in mind but, for now, it's all I've got. :)

I’ve been quiet and way behind on blog hopping. Friday night I started getting that icky feeling in my throat. Then the sneezing started. But I was determined I wasn't going to get sick. Nope, not happening. The weather is too pretty to be stuck inside and it’s spring break here. Lots to do.

Saturday found me feeling worse and a giant box of tissues as my constant companion. I still didn’t feel terrible and thought it would just be a mild cold. I did read my TBR challenge book, Karen Rose’s Have You Seen Her? Started it Friday night and finished it Saturday night. I couldn’t believe it’s 499 pages! But considering I didn’t do much more than read and snooze Saturday, it’s not surprising I was able to finish it quickly. Plus it’s a good story.

Yesterday I woke up with a pile of tissue on the floor next to the bed. Yuck! Horrible night, very little real sleep and probably breathing through my mouth the whole night. Lovely. Turns out it could get worse with my eyes now teary and itching, my throat hurting and lets just throw some pms in there for fun. I had to wear my glasses all day, no way could I wear my contacts. I hate wearing glasses. I did start Pamela Clare’s newest, Naked Edge. It’s good but I only managed to read about 70 pages, the eyes watering and headache made reading difficult. I did get my mp3 player fixed, sort of, so I started listening to KMM’s Beyond the Highland Mist. I will say the voice of Phil Gigante made me feel sooo much better. Love his brogue!

Today is better. Definitely more energy and my throat isn’t as sore. So I hope to get around to the blogs today and find out what I’ve missed. And now that I’m on Pacific coast time because of DST, I feel like I’m an hour behind. We don’t spring forward where I live but since everyone else does our time zone changes. Weird.

Oh, I did see that dabwaha has started and picks can be made until Wednesday. So I need to do that since I plan to win it this year. :P Anyone not familiar with the craziness that is dabwaha can head over here and learn all about it. It's a lot of fun, surprisingly exciting and there are some great prizes.

I hope if anyone else out there has the sickies that you are feeling better!

Review: Untamed

Title: Untamed
Author: Pamela Clare
Genre: Historical Romance

Series: MacKinnon Rangers/Book 2

Prisoner. That's what he was. Their prisoner. But not for long. Soon he would be taken by the Abenaki Indians and then he will be made to wish for death. Long for it. But he could not, would not betray his brother or his men to the French. The Rangers were his family and he would die for his family if he must. Then she was there, an angel among the nightmares. She gave him peace and then she gave him hope.

The second book of Clare's MacKinnon Ranger series is about the middle brother, Morgan MacKinnon. The setting is 1759 during the French and Indian War. Morgan took over as leader of the Rangers when his older brother Iain left the Rangers to return to the family farm with his wife and child. Now it is Morgan the men look to for leadership. Along with his younger brother Connor, Morgan fights the French and their Indian allies all the while hoping that the war will end soon.

When the Rangers attack a supply shipment that is being unloaded at Fort Carillon one of Morgan's men is wounded and Morgan goes back for him. While he is able to get his man to safety, Morgan is shot and taken prisoner by the French. It is here that he is tortured but kept alive so he can be given over to the Abenaki Indians where he will be tortured more and burned alive. When Morgan's wounds are being seen to he meets Amalie Chauvenet. She has been asked by the fort's commander, Chevalier de Bourlamaque, to see to Morgan's injuries in the hopes that she may learn something of importance from him.

Amalie Chauvenet is the daughter of Major Chauvenet of the French army. She was raised in a convent but has come to Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga) to be with her father. Her mother, who is deceased, was half Abenaki. Amalie does have some physical characteristics of her Abenaki heritage but she is unfamiliar with their way of life. She is part of two worlds yet not meant for either.

I really liked Amalie. She is a strong heroine but quiet in her strength. She has certain beliefs that are tested as she comes to know Morgan. Her intelligence is such that she understands there are two sides to every situation and she is open minded enough to realize that things are not always black and white, the shades of gray being the hardest to understand and accept. I can not imagine what it would be like to live in the fort with the opportunity for attack always present. What it must have been like, knowing that there was a war going on just outside the walls and that at any moment it could come knocking?

There is a scene where Morgan is holding Amalie and notices that her heart is beating fast...

"Your heart is beatin' like a wild bird's, lass." His lips brushed over her skin as he spoke, his breath warm and scented with brandy. "What is it that's frightenin' you?"

She swallowed, tried to speak. "Tomorrow." page 206

To be afraid of what each tomorrow would bring must have been truly difficult to live with. Clare is able to bring that underlying fear to the story. And by doing so gives the reader the idea of how strong these men and women of the frontier were.

Morgan is similar to Iain in that he has the same innate loyalty to his Rangers, his family. But I sensed that Morgan had become more of the diplomatic type than Iain and is more inclined to weigh all possible outcomes before acting. He was a man pulled in opposing directions ~ his love and loyalty to his Ranger brethren and his feelings for Amalie. No matter what he does there are negative consequences along with the positive. I loved Morgan unfaltering loyalty and love for his men...

But long afore I pledged my loyalty to him, I made another oath ~ to my brothers and my men! Would you have me break that vow and become a betrayer and slayer of my own kin? As you loved your father, so I love them!

She heard his words, felt the conflict within him, but was too hurt, too outraged to care... page 195

And I don't want to forget the love scenes. They are very hot! As the story progresses Morgan and Amalie are not shy about their physical attraction to each other. I was left with visions of Morgan in my head that are definitely x-rated. Not that I'm complaining. Not in the least. *grin*

The situation Morgan found himself in made for an interesting twist to the story that I thought Clare pulled off brilliantly. I thought Untamed was a really good follow up to Iain and Annie story in Surrender. You can read my review of Surrender here. Pamela Clare also writes romantic suspense novels with her I-Team series. You can find out more about Ms. Clare at her website. I would certainly recommended not only Untamed but any of Pamela Clare's novels.

Rating: A

Surrender Winner...

Big thank you to everyone that entered my first contest. I wish I could give a copy to all of you but I only have one extra copy of Surrender. My daughter Abby and the magic hat worked their mojo and the winner is ~ HILCIA

Please send your snail mail address to lgladnick@cox.net and I'll get the book in the mail to you. Enjoy!

Review: Surrender and a Contest

Title: Surrender
Author: Pamela Clare
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: MacKinnon's Rangers/
Book 1

The British and French are at war in the North American colonies. The MacKinnon brothers who are Catholic and from Scotland, want no part of it. They simply want to farm their land and eventually go on to raise families. One day that changes and they are forced to fight not for France and the Catholics but for their enemy the British. If they refuse to fight it will mean death. Iain, the eldest, chooses life.

An ocean away in Scotland a young woman must also make a difficult choice. She is fighting for her life and chooses to take the arduous road to what she hopes is eventually freedom. Wrongly convicted, Lady Anne Burness Campbell is sent to the colonies as an indentured servant to fulfill her fourteen year indenture. It is here that she meets her fate in the form of Iain MacKinnon.

This first book of the MacKinnon Rangers series sets the tone for what is to be a stunning trip back in time to the late 1750's. When America was still a colony and wars were waged on her soil. Much like her book Ride the Fire, Clare holds nothing back in terms of the brutality of war. She doesn't shy away from the fact that innocent people are brutally killed by both sides. The life of a soldier and that of the frontier families is full of hardship and pain. But through these hardships bonds of trust and loyalty are built. The men who make up the group of Rangers in Surrender demonstrate such a vivid example of those bonds. Clare is able to bring these men to life and gives them such a strong presence in the story.

Iain MacKinnon. Just the name alone makes me sigh. Iain is certainly a sigh-worthy hero. He was born in Scotland and was exiled with his family when he was fifteen. He along with his parents and two younger brothers moved to the American colonies to start life over. Here he was taught the ways of the Muhheconneok Indians when he and his brothers were adopted into the tribe. Iain has such a strong sense of honor and loyalty. Even when he has difficult choices to make his loyalty and honor never waiver.

When Iain sees Anne running from Abenaki Indians he decides he must save her. His brothers, Morgan and Connor, try to talk him out of it. They tell him that he will be in serious trouble with his commanding officer, the same officer who has forced him to fight for the British. They also remind him of the mission they are on and how Iain's rescuing the woman could jeopardize the mission and put his men in harm's way. But he can't turn his back on her and leave her to certain death. So he orders his brothers and the Rangers to leave and risks his own life for that of a stranger.

"Curse me for a fool, but I cannae abandon her. This is of my choosin'. Leave me to it! I'll rendezvous wi' you if I can. Go! Now!" Iain waited until Connor had disappeared into the trees behind him, whispered his clan's motto.

"Audentes fortuna iuvat." Fortune assists the daring.
page 31

Lady Anne Burness Campbell may be a lady born but she is no frail, delicate miss. She is accustomed to the life of an aristocrat but when she is faced with hardships and difficulties she does her best to overcome them. In her own way she is a fierce fighter like Iain. She has her own loyalties and tries very hard to honor those loyalties. Annie Burns, the name she gives to Iain, is a heroine that is full of life and will scrape and claw her way out of danger because of the value she places on life. She also has secrets that she must guard or else jeopardize her shaky future. Even though her loyalties are to the British, as she comes to know the MacKinnons and the Rangers she realizes that there are two sides to every war. That the Rangers are honorable men whose friendships she values.

Iain and Annie's love story develops over time along with their learning to trust each other. First they must travel through hostile territory and get back to Fort Elizabeth. Then once at the fort they are confronted by Lord William Wentworth, commander of the fort and the man who forced Iain and his brothers to serve as Rangers. Wentworth is suspicious of Annie and her background. He decides he wants her for himself and causes no end of trouble for Iain and Annie.

As Iain comes to feel more than lust for Annie he still tries to hold back, thinking he has nothing to offer her until the war is over and he is free to live his life the way he wants to. But he can't seem to help himself when it comes to Annie. The sex scenes are beautifully written and hold such depth and passion along with some humor.

When they are making their way to Fort Elizabeth, Annie is able to take a few moments to bath quickly while Iain leaves to scout the area. She intends to only wash her feet but quickly changes her mind...

Eager to put it all behind her, she washed quickly, first her breasts and belly, then her arms and shoulders. The breeze raised bumps on her wet skin, but the cold water soothed her bruises. As dirt and mud and dried blood washed away, she began to feel like herself again.

“You’d tempt a saint, lass. But I am no’ a saint.”

Annie gasped and covered her breasts with her arms.

He stood not ten feet away, the butt of his rifle resting on the ground, his hand around the barrel, his gaze sliding blatantly over her.

“Y-you ought no’ be watchin’!”

“You ought no’ be naked.” pages 88-89

And when Iain can no longer hold back his passion, he does what he's been longing to do...

He ran his thumb over the fullness of her lower lip. "All I'm wonderin' today, mo leannan, is how I've gone so long wi' out doin' this."

Then he took her lips with his.

With a whimper, Annie gave herself up to his kiss, welcoming the sweet invasion of his tongue, melting into the hard wall of his chest. Heat licked through her, flared deep in her belly, leaving her weak, reckless, breathless. "Iain!"

He growled, took the kiss deeper, ravished her mouth, until her lips tingled and ached and there was nothing in her world but him. The sharp stubble of his beard. The hard curve of his shoulders. The spicy male scent of him.
pages 161-162

And there is also the "shaving scene". Not going to say more, don't want to spoil it. *grin*

The characters of Morgan and Connor, Iain's brothers, are well developed and exhibit that same sense of loyalty and honor that all the Rangers have. I think Iain, being the eldest of the brothers, has more of the natural leadership abilities than Morgan or Connor. Iain seems to understand that while not all decisions he makes as the leader will be the best choice for all he still needs to follow his conscious and is willing to take responsibility for any mistakes he might make.

The Rangers who appear on the pages are such a diverse group of men. Many but not all are from Scotland. They are loyal to a fault to Iain and his brothers and transfer that loyalty to Annie. There is also Captain Joseph who, along with his Stockbridge men, help the Rangers on their missions. Joseph is a Muhheconneok Indian and has been friends with the MacKinnon brothers for many years.

The book is full of action and passion. The action of war and all it's blood and glory. The passion Iain and Annie have for each other and for their beliefs and convictions. The story held my attention long after closing the book. I was fortunate to have Untamed, the next book in the series, to read after finishing Surrender. I can only hope we don't have to wait too long for Connor's story.

I first read Pamela Clare's romantic suspense novels and enjoyed them. I'm so glad I finally gave her historicals a try. It's obvious that she does a lot of research of not only the historical setting but of the type of people that were part of those historical events. Surrender is another exceptional read from Clare. The next book in the series, Untamed, is out now and is about Morgan MacKinnon. I would highly recommend any of Clare's work, both the romantic suspense and her wonderful historicals. You can find out more at Pamela Clare's website.

Rating: A

CONTEST ~ Today, December 2, is the birthday of a someone very special to me. So in honor of his birthday I'm having my first contest. I've got one brand-spanking new copy of Surrender up for grabs so if this sounds like a book you'd like to read leave a comment to this post before noon, Friday, December 5, 2008. I'll put all names in a hat and pick one winner. Due to postage costs this contest is limited to residents of the U.S and Canada. Check back here after noon on Friday for the winner's name. Good Luck!

Untamed and a Coupon...

So I'm getting ready to run errands which includes getting Untamed by Pamela Clare. I pop over to Lora Leigh and Roni Chadwick's fun board and find out that Barnes and Noble have a coupon for 40% off any one book. Yep, I snatched that puppy up and went to B&N instead of Borders. The coupon is good until December 1. The catch is you do have to pay with a MasterCard. Here's the link ~ B&N Coupon

I asked the cashier if I could print another coupon and use a different MasterCard and she said she didn't see why not. I'm planning to go back tonight, not sure what book I'll get yet. Maybe one for dd.

So I've started Surrender and I've got Untamed lined up next. YEAH! Happy reading!

Review: Ride The Fire

Title: Ride The Fire
Author: Pamela Clare
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Blakewell~Kenleigh Trilogy/Book 3

It's 1757 in the Ohio Wilderness and Nicholas Kenleigh is about to be tortured and killed by his captors, the Wyandot Indians. He was taken prisoner while trying to save two young soldiers he had taken under his wing. Now all three face a horrendous death. They are to be tortured and killed by fire at the stake. At the last moment Nicholas is spared only to be forced into an existence that becomes hell on earth. After enduring months of humiliation and becoming someone he doesn't even know, he escapes the Wyandot and travels home to his family in Virginia.

I have seen a number of readers post to say that Ride The Fire is one of their favorites. After reading it I can certainly see why. Previously, I had only read Pamela Clare's romantic suspense and enjoyed them immensely. So when I was lucky enough to win a book from Ms. Clare's blog contest I was intrigued as to what her historicals would be like. Ride the Fire takes place during The French and Indian War and Clare doesn't hold back when describing the brutality of war. Nor the fact that neither side is innocent in committing that brutality.

Once at home in Virginia, the fact that war and being held prisoner have changed him becomes very real for Nicholas. He begins to have nightmares and when he acts out during one of these nightmares, he unknowingly tries to hurt someone he loves. He packs up and leaves his parents and siblings, traveling west and keeping to himself. He is searching, not for peace but for death. After six years of living the life of a trapper and a loner he ends up near Ft. Detroit in what is considered the Northwest Wilderness. It is here that he is injured and has no choice but to seek the help of a woman at a secluded cabin. In the end what he finds is not death but hope in the form of Elsbeth Stewart.

Elsbeth, or Bethie as she is called, is a very pregnant young widow. She has lived alone in the secluded cabin since her husband died two month past. While she doesn't like living alone and is very afraid of what will happen when time for her baby to be born, she has no where else to go. So she tries her best to take care of the animals and the small farm. Young and alone, Bethie is a woman with so much courage, even she doesn't realize how brave she is. She is determined to take care of her baby and herself no matter what.

When Nicholas shows up Bethie is terrified to find a man on horseback in front of her cabin. When she realizes that he is injured she reluctantly takes him in and helps him to heal. This is after he holds a gun to her head. That's how desperate he is.

But Nicholas isn't the only one who is desperate. Bethie drugs him and ties him to the bed. She also takes his weapons from him and refuses to give them back even after he is well enough to help with the chores. Then Bethie's time comes and she has no choice but to turn to Nicholas for help. He uses his knowledge of raising horses and helps bring little Isabelle into the world. After Bethie's daughter is born she and Nicholas both continue to heal and form a tentative friendship.

In the coming weeks Nicholas and Bethie slowly realize they are attracted to each other. The realization comes much slower for Bethie because she was abused and has a huge distrust of men. She has a hard time understanding how she can admire Nicholas' looks given her history of abuse. She wants nothing to do with men or their lust. Nicholas tries to fight his attraction to Bethie since he has no plans to stick around long and he feels he is unworthy of her. He doesn't think it's safe for her to stay alone in the wilderness and plans to help her get back to her family in Paxton which is the last place she wants to go.

Bethie is a contradiction with her innocence and her abilities to live alone in the wilderness. She has no difficulty nursing her baby in front of Nicholas. But on a hot summer night, thinking he is asleep on the cabin floor, she decides to sleep in her shift. When she realizes he is awake and looking at her she becomes upset. I think this contradiction comes from Bethie's upbringing and her view of herself. She views nursing her child as a normal occurrence and doesn't see anything sexual about it. But Nicholas seeing her in her shift she construes as being forward and wanton. These views were literally beat into her by her step-father, Malcolm Sorley.

When Bethie learns that Nicholas can read she is overcome with awe. Having never learned to read because her step-father deemed it "a skill wasted on women", Bethie is thrilled when Nicholas offers to teach her. While teaching her to read, Nicholas is also teaching her to trust again. He realized that she had been hurt by a man and in order to get her to trust him he would have to go slowly with her and let her set the pace.

Eventually Nicholas and Bethie are forced to leave the cabin and make their way to Fort Pitt. On the way they encounter burned out cabins and Delaware war parties. It seems like everyone is heading to Fort Pitt. When they arrive at the fort Nicholas tells everyone that Bethie is wife and Belle is his child. Even at the fort Nicholas continues to protect Bethie and Belle. He still says he is taking her back to her family in Paxton but in his heart he knows he can't let her go. Terrible things happen at the fort and Bethie's past comes back to haunt her.

Nicholas is also learning to trust again. He bears terrible scars on his body from the torture that was inflicted on him at the Wyandot camp. His soul is also scarred and he feels like he will never be whole again, as if he lost his soul in the camp. When he left his family in Virginia he also left any kind of hope of being healed. While living in the wilderness he was simply existing. But Bethie brought that hope back into his life. She is the one that helps him to heal and to trust himself again.

At one point when they are in the middle of making love Bethie panics and tell Nicholas to stop. He can tell that her body is ready for him...

But her mind was not. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her face turned away from him.

"It's all right, Bethie." He fought the raging of his blood, ignored the animal drive inside him that urged him to take her despite his promise. He withdrew his hand. Then he pulled her into his arms, stroked her hair. "Tell me what you fear, love. Tell me who hurt you." So I can kill the bastard~if he's not already dead.

For a moment she said nothing, but trembled in his arms. "Th-there is nothing to tell."

Because she seemed so fragile, because he did not want to upset her further, he let the lie pass. He pressed his lips to her hair. "Sleep. We've a long journey ahead of us." page 158

Nicholas may think he's not fit to be around other people but the way he treats Bethie, and Belle too, tells another story. He doesn't push Bethie into doing anything she doesn't want to no matter how much he wants it. I think it shows that there is more humanity left in him than he thought.

I loved these two characters and watching them interact. At times it seems like they would take two steps forward and one step back but they were still making progress in their healing. While there were other secondary characters the story was truly Bethie and Nicholas'. Clare does a good job in giving the setting a historical feel and also describing the landscape of the period. When describing the lushness of the land even in the most dire circumstances you feel as if you are right there with the character. When Bethie is fleeing from the forest fire Clare does a wonderful job in detailing what is happening around her. This part especially stood out for me.

Then above the roar and crash of the fire she heard screams~the high-pitched screams of women, of children. They came from all around her~piteous, keening cries.

She lifted her head, looked to her left, to her right, saw only flames.

A shiver ran down her spine.

The screams were not coming from women and children, but from the trees. page 138-139

As you can tell I absolutely loved this book. It's the first of Clare's historicals that I've read but not the last. Her latest, Untamed, is due out at the end of month. It is the second book in her MacKinnon's Rangers series, the first is Surrender. You can read an excerpt of Untamed here.

Even though Ride the Fire is the third book in the trilogy it can be read as a stand alone. To find out more about Pamela Clare and her writing you can check out her website and also her blog for updates on new releases. And for readers new to Pamela Clare you're in luck because her first four historicals are being re-released at a discounted price of 4.99 USD. It's a great way to experience this wonderful writer.

Rating: A