Review: Snapped

Snapped
Laura Griffin
Romantic Suspense
Tracers/Book 4
Pocket/September 1, 2011

From Goodreads ~

On a sweltering summer afternoon, Sophie Barrett walks into a nightmare. A sniper has opened fire on a college campus. When the carnage is over, three people—plus the shooter—are dead and dozens more are injured. Sophie escapes virtually unscathed. Yet as details emerge from the investigation, she becomes convinced that this wasn’t the random, senseless act it appeared to be. No one wants to believe her—not the cops, not her colleagues at the Delphi Center crime lab, and definitely not Jonah Macon, the homicide detective who’s already saved her life once.

Jonah has all kinds of reasons for hoping Sophie is mistaken. Involving himself with a key witness could derail an already messy investigation, not to mention jeopardize his career. But Sophie is as determined and fearless as she is sexy. If he can’t resist her, he can at least swear to protect her. Because if Sophie is right, she’s made herself the target of a killer without a conscience. And the real terror is only just beginning. . .

I knew after reading Unforgivable (Book 3) that I would love Sophia and Jonah's story. And hey, I was so right! I did not want to put this one down. It was such a thrill ride with Sophie and Jonah right along with me.

Sophie may not have a bunch of degrees like many of her colleagues, but as the receptionist and the face of the acclaimed Delphi Center she is smart and resourceful. Sophie is a heroine I knew I would connect with. She's written with flaws and strengths that we can all relate to. She comes from a family of doctors and feels like her intelligence is in questions because she didn't graduate from an Ivy League school. But she is very intelligent and has street smarts that help her out of more than one tough situation. She's not perfect but she is funny with a nice slice of attitude to go with that humor.

Jonah Macon is a big guy - 6'4 with plenty of muscles to go with the height. But I never felt like he was this lumbering neanderthal who used his size rather than his brain. He's smart but like so many men, doesn't understand woman well. One woman in particular confuses him - Sophie Barrett. Jonah has know Sophie for months, ever since she was kidnapped and Jonah was the Detective to find her. There's some sexual tension between them but Jonah is giving Sophie her space, which is very cool. But now she's throwing him some mixed signals and confusing him even more. His confusion made him even more attractive.

Sophie and Jonah together really clicked for me. I could see how they could become a couple beyond the physical attraction. There's plenty of chemistry going on but it goes past that and into a more intellectual connection. There is respect and mutual admiration for their abilities regarding their professions. The sexual tension only adds to the overall attraction they have for each other. Definitely a couple you can cheer for.

The gunman, his motivations and the theories surrounding him are well written with Griffin building the crime investigation in and around the romance. The suspense is kept tight, with a good balance of police procedure and action. The investigation didn't simply pause to add in some romance but worked right along side Sophie and Jonah's developing love story.

The Tracer series continues to entertain with appealing characters and absorbing story lines. Spring can't get her fast enough, bringing with it Ms. Griffin's next release.

Rating: A

Books in this series ~

Untraceable
Unspeakable
Unforgivable
Snapped
Twisted (Spring 2012)

Review: Giving Chase

Giving Chase
Lauren Dane
Contemporary Erotic Romance
Chase Brothers/Book 1
Samhain/September 1, 2006

From Goodreads ~

Together they find a special love-can it survive the threat stalking her? Some small towns grow really good looking men! This is the case with the four Chase brothers. The home grown hotties are on the wishlist of every single woman in town and Maggie Wright is no exception. Maggie has finally had it with the men she's been dating but a spilled plate of chili cheese fries drops Shane Chase right into her lap. The sheriff is hot stuff but was burned by a former fiance and is quite happy to play the field.

After Shane's skittishness sends him out the door, Maggie realizes that Kyle Chase has had his eye on her from the start. Now that Shane has messed up, Kyle has no intention of letting anything stop him from wooing her right into his bed. Despite Maggie's happiness and growing love with Kyle, a dark shadow threatens everything-she's got a stalker and he's not happy at all. In the end, Maggie will need her wits, strength and the love of her man to get her out alive.

After reading Lauren Dane's futuristic romances, I decided to give her contemporary series a try. The setting of small town Petal, Georgia also pulled me in, filling my mood for a steamy small town romance. The town and it's residence definitely give off that good 'ol boy feel of friendly neighbors who look out for each other. That intrusiveness can sometimes be a hindrance to the romance but this time it felt like it belonged.

Maggie is a teacher at the local high school and she looks the part. After a makeover from her best friend, Maggie gets noticed by the notorious Chase brothers. Maggie is a nice woman with some serious image issues. She's been downplaying her looks and now that she's gaining more confidence, she feels like she can handle one of the Chase brothers. I liked how Maggie dealt with her problems stemming from her bitch of a mother and her equally bitch of a sister. They both demoralized Maggie, criticizing her looks and belittling any achievements. Thankfully, Maggie finally stood up to them and the Chase family backed her up. Love that about them!

Shane Chase is the stand-in hero. He screws up with Maggie so Kyle can step in and give her a hero she deserves. Kyle was so cool about his attraction to Maggie while Shane was dating her. Kyle is a decent guy and didn't want to compete with his brother. But once Shane dumps Maggie (he's such an ass), Kyle steps in and boy does he fall fast. It felt a little too fast but he's very clear on what he wants and that's a serious relationship with Maggie. Kyle is almost too good to be true and a little too smothering regarding Maggie.

This is a family affair with the Chase clan welcoming Maggie with open arms. She gets far better treatment from them than she ever did from her mother and sister. It was sweet and sad to see Maggie overwhelmed by the love and affection showered on her by the Chases. She had a hard time believing she deserved it thanks to the number her mom and sister did on her.

Maggie and Kyle's romance moves quickly and the added threat of a stalker only pushes them closer together. There may be a stalker lurking about but that doesn't stop Maggie and Kyle from steaming up the windows! This is erotic and Dane knows how to write it. I would have liked to see more of Kyle and Maggie developing their relationship and less of the stalker sub-plot. It felt that both Maggie and Kyle fell into lust/love too fast. I got that they liked each other but the love felt like it was do more to gratitude on Maggie's part than a deep, lasting love.

Even with the issues I had, Giving Chase was a pleasant way to spend a few hours and meet some new characters I hope to read more of. Three more Chase brothers to look forward to!

Rating: B

Books in this series ~

Giving Chase
Taking Chase
Chased
Making Chase

Free Novella From Elizabeth Hoyt

In great anticipation of the upcoming release of Scandalous Desires (October 18), the next book in the wonderful Maiden Lane series, Elizabeth Hoyt has released a free fairy tale novella. Clever John is the enchanting fairy tale at the beginning of each chapter of Scandalous Desires. The novella also includes the first three chapters of Scandalous Desires. So if you're impatient waiting on the 18th, you can get a taste of Ms. Hoyt's next release.



You can get the e-book free at B&N or Amazon.

ARC Review: Only His

Only His
Susan Mallery
Contemporary Romance
Fool's Gold/Book 6
HQN/September 27, 2011

From Goodreads ~

Wedding bells are ringing in Fool’s Gold, but not for Nevada Hendrix. Her triplet sisters are engaged, and even her mother has a more active love life than she does. Determined to make a fresh start, she applies for her dream job, only to discover that her new boss is her first love. Maybe she could overlook the fact that they’ve seen each other naked, but she’ll never forget the way he broke her heart.

Tucker Janack agrees to Nevada’s “business only” ground rules. After all, love is a trap that the construction millionaire has avoided his whole life. But when great business partners turn out to be so much more, every rule gets broken. Will either of them be willing to try again…or will their past get in the way?

I was surprised I liked all three of the Hendrix sisters but I think Nevada, with her sometimes brusque manner, intrigued me the most. She has a secret in her past that was alluded to but now we find out that secret is centered around Tucker Janack.

Nevada Hendrix is ready for a change. She works for with her brother Ethan as an engineer but has decided to apply for a position with Janack Construction. They are building a casino and resort just outside of Fool's Gold and Nevada thinks this will be a great opportunity for her. It's a surprise when she find Tucker Janack instead of his father conducting the interview. Nevada is such a dynamic heroine. Someone I can see myself hanging out with. She's so generous and giving, always thinking of others which is where I had some problems with her and wanted to just yelled are her "What are you doing?!". But I'll get to that later. Now, she's trying to move on and get the job but Tucker wants to rehash the past and it just pisses Nevada off. She's more mature about the whole thing than Tucker was - good for her! She handles the situation well and once she's cooled off, listens to advice and makes the logical choice.

Tucker Janack is used to traveling the globe for his work. He never really had a permanent home so life in Fool's Gold is a new experience to him. Nevada Hendrix is not a new experience. They have a past, although Tucker doesn't seem to place as much importance on it as Nevada does. He was too absorbed in the power of Cat, as in Caterina Stoicasescu, a temperamental artist who left an impression on both Tucker and Nevada ten years ago. Tucker isn't the same guy he was ten years ago but I still had a hard time warming up to him. I'm not sure I can say I even really liked him. He was just kind of there but the real focus for me was Nevada.

As Nevada and Tucker start working together, the attraction starts to build but fate is about to bitch slap them both in the form of Caterina Stoicasescu. Seriously, I could never figure out why Nevada was so damn nice to Cat. At first Nevada felt sorry for her but then she actually started to like the stuck up diva. This just bugged the crap out of me since otherwise, I liked Nevada. Could not stand Cat. Far too manipulative and self-centered.

Nevada has other things going on besides her annoying to me, friendship with Cat. Both of her sisters are engaged and it looks like there will be a triplet wedding for two since Nevada has no prospective groom in sight. I felt so bad for her. To have to deal with this on top of everything else. There were a few bright spots in Nevada's life, namely Heidi, Charlie and Annebelle. It was good to see Nevada branch out from her sisters and have some new girls to hang out with. I would imagine all three women will get their own stories, maybe next year.

There is also a secondary romance of Nevada's mom, Denise, and a past love. I thought it was merely okay and Denise at times acted like a hormonal teenager rather than a woman in her fifties. The town of Fool's Gold also get in on the action, as usual but it didn't feel as intrusive to the romance as in some previous books.

I did find myself laughing at some of the situations Nevada found herself in. It's a good thing she has such a great sense of humor, otherwise she probably would have gone crazy!

Only His had some good points, mainly Nevada, but I think I'm ready for a break from Fool's Gold. I hope the next group of heroes and heroines are not as marriage focused as those in the past. While it's sweet and romantic, it can become a little too sweet and unrealistic. So for now I'll say good-bye to Fool's Gold and maybe I'll see you sometime next year.

Rating: B-

Books in this series ~

Chasing Perfect
Almost Perfect
Sister of the Bride (novella in Summer Brides anthology)
Finding Perfect
Only Mine
Only Yours
Only His

ARC Review: Unleashed

Unleashed
Sara Humphreys
Paranormal Romance
Amoveo Legend/Book 1
Sourcebooks/October 1, 2011

From Goodreads ~

What if you suddenly discovered your own powers were beyond anything you'd ever imagined...

Samantha Logan's childhood home had always been a haven, but everything changed while she was away. She has a gorgeous new neighbor, Malcolm, who introduces her to the amazing world of the dream-walking, shapeshifting Amoveo clans...but what leaves her reeling with disbelief is when he tells her she's one of them...

And shock turns to terror as Samantha falls prey to the deadly enemy determined to destroy the Amoveo, and the only chance she has to come into her true powers is to trust in Malcolm to show her the way...

Going home can be a comfort. It can also reveal a fascinating hidden world of shapeshifters. Such is the case for Samantha Logan. She thinks to start her life new, moving into a house filled with wonderful childhood memories. It's not just the house she goes back to but Nonie, her beloved grandmother. It turns out Nonie isn't the only one waiting on Sam's arrival.

Samantha Logan gave it her best shot but she's tired of waiting to make it big in the art world. She's decided to take a break from New York City and return to the place that's calling her back. It's her grandmother Nonie's home on the coast of Rhode Island where she seeks shelter. Samantha is very down to earth, but it felt like she accepted Malcolm and his shapeshifting a little too easily. She did put up a fight when he told her they were "life mates" and destined to be together. She's a likeable character with plenty of qualities that kept her from falling into the TSTL heroine category. She does have this way of teasing Malcolm that he is so not use to. It was amusing to see him take her out on dates, which he was reluctant to do. He's very old fashion and thinks dating is for humans, of which he does not consider himself. But he wanted to please Sam so he attempted to woo her in the way of humans.

Malcolm Drew is a very attractive man who has been waiting a long to for his life mate. His wait is over and he's anxious to bring Sam into his world of the Amoveo. He doesn't want to scare her off but he also has other concerns, mainly the fact that his powers are growing weaker and there might be a Caedo after Sam. The Caedo are the enemies of the Amoveo and have tried to wipe them out. That's why the Amoveo live in secret. So along with keeping Sam safe he needs to get her to trust him which requires getting to know each other. Sometimes Malcolm was so unsure of himself while dating Sam. He would get nervous, not sure of what to say or do, which was odd since otherwise he was very confident in himself. It was sweet at times but also at odds with how he was the rest of the time. I think it had to do with his lack of experience in dating and developing a relationship with a woman. He had been with women, just nothing long term.

The world building was interesting with the different clans of Amoveo represented by different animals. They also have the ability to speak to each other through their minds and travel at the speed of thought. While there is information on the Amoveo and their history, I was still left with a lot of questions and hope Humphreys will go deeper into the Amoveos and their history in future books.

The plot involving the Caedo held my interest even though I had a pretty good idea of the identity of Sam's stalker. There was a nice twist at the end with both Sam and Malcolm making a joint effort at defeating the big bad. The secondary characters add to the story with Nonie providing Sam guidance and family and Davis, Malcolm's butler, providing some much needed advice for Malcolm. There are other Amoveos who are part of Malcolm's life and they certainly have the potential for future heroes. Sam's best friend Kerry gets in on the action and catches the eye of one of the Amoveos so I wouldn't be surprised if they get their own book.

The romance is sweet at times, intense at others. There is the life mate angle that some readers might not like. Sam and Malcolm did getting to know each other through their dates but for Malcolm it was already a done deal. Malcolm's attitude bothered me but he eventually did come around. I did like how Sam handled his bossiness, letting him know she would and could make her own decisions. He learned how to loosen up a bit and not be so domineering which was good since their relationship wouldn't have worked had he not learned how to bend a little. So, while it started out with Malcolm seemingly holding the power, in the end they both ended up as equals.

Unleashed begins a new series and while it didn't blow me away, it did make me want to learn more about the world of the Amoveo.

Rating: B

ARC Review: Tempted by His Target

Tempted by His Target
Jill Sorenson
Romantic Suspense
Harlequin/September 20, 2011

From Goodreads ~

Wanted for the murder of a Mexican drug lord's son, party girl Isabel Sanborn fled to Oaxaca. Now she owes her life to Brandon Knox, a passing tourist who just saved her from a hit man.

But Knox is no accidental hero—he's an undercover U.S. marshal assigned to bring Isabel to justice. Instead, wanting to protect her, he joins her on the lam…with cartel goons and corrupt police in hot pursuit!

And as the danger escalates, sexual tension sizzles. For the first time in his career, Brandon considers jeopardizing his mission to safeguard his target. And though Isabel can elude the authorities,she can't escape her feelings…

The opening pulled me in, set on a beach, with the hero watching the heroine surf. (One movie I can watch over and over is Blue Crush). He may be the well-trained one but she can hold her own against the men after them. The setting is not a place we see often either. Although I've only been to Baja, Sorenson did a good job describing not only the landscape but the people and culture of the Oaxaca region. It was an enjoyable change of scenery.

Isabel Sanchez loves the ocean. It's one of the reasons she's living in this region of Mexico. She fled her life and the high living in LA when a night of drugs and loss of memory put her on the most wanted list of a dangerous man and the US government. But it's the drug lord that she's more afraid of since she thinks he wants her dead. Isabel Sanchez aka Izzy Sanborn has come a long way from the party girl she use to be. I liked how Izzy has transformed herself into a survivor. She still makes mistakes but her survival instincts have kicked in.

Brandon Knox is just a surfer, looking for the perfect wave when he shows up on the same beach as Izzy. A harmless tourist who just happens to teach self defense classes which explains why he's so good at saving Izzy from the men who are after her. Just like Izzy, I had no problem buying into this but when Brandon pulls out a gun and ammo, his story started to get shaky. His fear of Izzy bolting if she knew who he really was very genuine. The reason she's in Mexico is because she ran so there's no reason to believe she won't do it again but as they became closer and he thought of them having a life after she was safe, he should have come clean and trusted her.

The romance was an on-the-run romance which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. This time it didn't fully work for me. I got the physical attraction part. Izzy and Brandon had no problem steaming things up, but the actually falling in love part is where I felt the story weakened. Since they were both lying to each other about who they were, it was hard to believe they actually fell for the real person. Too many lies in the way. Maybe if they had had a chance to fall in love after they were no longer on the run, it might have made it more believable.

The suspense runs fairly high with little down time. With Izzy knowing the country and how the drug cartels work, she proved to be a real asset to Brandon. At times, he played the muscle while she was the brains. Even with all of Brandon's training, Izzy was just as important a factor in keeping them alive as he was. (I liked that!) They did learn to work together quickly with part of that due to the fact that they didn't have much choice if they wanted to survive. There was still an air of mistrust between the two which made sense since neither was telling the full truth.

Tempted by His Target was a quick read with a lot of action. The romance seemed to be brought about by the physical attraction and driven by stressful circumstances. I did like the pacing of the story, I never got bored just wish I had believed more in the couple. Looking forward to reading Sorenson's full length novels.

Rating: B

ARC Review: Animal Attraction

Animal Attraction
Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance
Animal Magnetism/Book 2
Berkley/October 4, 2011

From Goodreads ~

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

Yes! We're back in Sunshine, Idaho where three very sexy brothers live. After reading Brady and Lilah story (Animal Magnetism), I was left wanting to know more about Brady's foster brothers Dell and Adam. It seems obvious that there is an attraction between Dell and Jade but something is keeping them apart.

Jade Bennett doesn't look the part of a receptionist at an animal clinic. She is far too sophisticated in her pleated pants, high heels and sweaters. But she doesn't mind getting cat hair on her designer clothes as long as she can wield her spreadsheets and keep the office under controlled chaos. I really loved how she is portrayed. She's not easy for other characters to get to know, sharing only bits and pieces of her life but never really letting anyone get too close. Her stay in Sunshine was always suppose to be temporary even though we see how she is, in spite of herself, making a life there. I liked how we see her slowly start to open up with Dell, making him want to get to know her even though he knows she's leaving.

Dell Connelly is such a wonderful, wounded hero. He loves animals and loves his job as a veterinarian. He also lusts after women but only on a short term basis. Dell is a hero controlled by his past. He grew up with very little stability and went through very tough times before finding an adult he could depend on. He only lets a select few get close and doesn't do long term relationships when it comes to women. I love when the hero insists he doesn't want to get serious with any woman but you can see him doing exactly that. Then he keeps telling himself and anyone who will listen that he doesn't do serious relationships. Dell is that guy! It was wonderful to see him fall head over heels in love with Jade.

The romance is this dance of two steps forward and one step back, leaving Jade and Dell wanting what they think they can't have. Jade has made promises to leave Sunshine and go back home and Dell doesn't want to be the one to stand in her way. I understood Dell's reasoning but man I wanted him to just tell her what he felt in the worst way! I thought how Jade's fears concerning the event that drove her to Sunshine were handled well. I found her reactions to situations believable based on her past trauma. I also loved how Dell didn't push Jade but let her know that he was there for her. Their sparing sessions were fun and sexy with Dell teaching Jade how to defend herself and kick some ass. They have their friendship as a basis to build on which made their romance that much stronger and convincing.

The setting of the clinic and Sunshine itself, make for a wonderful backdrop to Jade and Dell's romance. The animal characters add their own unique humor and charm to the story. The bonus of seeing Brady, Lilah and Adam again only adds to the overall feel of friendship and family. It never got too sugary sweet. That wouldn't happen with these guys, especially the way Dell and Adam tease and torment each other. They're such guys when it comes to showing affection but it comes through very strongly how much they close these brothers are.

Shalvis has a way of writing that is not only entertaining but makes you believe in these characters and want them to find happiness. Adam's book is next and I can't wait! This is a witty, sexy, romantic series filled with passionate alpha males and the women who show them loving someone is worth the risks.

Rating: A

Books in this series ~

Animal Magnetism
Animal Attraction (October 4, 2011)

Review: Archangel's Blade

Archangel's Blade
Nalini Singh
Paranormal Romance
Guild Hunter/Book 4
Berkley/September 6, 2011

From Goodreads ~

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

In the fourth full-length book of the series we get a marked change in the protagonists. Raphael and Elena are out of the country leaving Dmitri in charge of the Tower. I've been curious about the dark, brooding vampire. He's perceived as being cold and cruel, the humanity long gone from him. But we know he can't be all that and still be a romance hero. There is a dark history to Dmitri that explains so much of his remoteness.

Honor has been hiding from the outside world. She's been living at the Guild, keeping close to the one place where she feels some sense of safety. But it's time she gets out and back to work. She's given an assignment at the Tower and ordered to report to Dmitri. This is where Honor shows not only courage but sheer guts. She was tortured by vamps for two months and Dmitri is the vampire other vampires fear. This is where my emotions engaged, feeling a protectiveness towards Honor.

Dmitri is determined to keep this cold shell around him but I do think we see little cracks in the armor. Whenever he is talking to Raphael we can see a bond that goes beyond their working relationship into camaraderie and a deep respect and friendship. I liked that Dmitri didn't suddenly become this sweet, docile being once he accepted Honor's love and compassion. He stayed true to his nature but opened up and brought her into the small circle of beings he cares about.

The two external challenges Dmitri and Honor face are finding out who is leaving bodies for Dmitri to find and who was involved in Honor's kidnapping and torture. It's a matter of both Dmitri and Honor facing their ghosts. I liked how they each encouraged each other, Dmitri's method may have been harsher but it got the job done. Honor isn't timid when dealing with Dmitri, which worked. Had she been cowering in a corner half the time I don't see how Dmitri could have developed any respect for her let alone love.

The ending is where I had a problem. In trying to keep this spoiler free, I won't go into details but the secret of how Honor was able to connect with Dmitri and help him break out of that coldness that surrounded him didn't work for me. I felt let down and couldn't help but wonder if this had not been the case, would Dmitri still have fallen for Honor?

I don't know who the hero and heroine will be in the next full length novel or if Raphael and Elena will take center stage again. I'm kind of hoping they keep to the background a little longer since there are a few secondary character I would like to see more of. I do like this series, although it took me far longer to get into than Singh's Psy/Changeling series. It doesn't have the full power to completely suck me in just yet.

Rating: B

Books in this series ~

Angel's Pawn (special e-book prequel)
Angel's Blood
Archangel's Kiss
Angel's Judgement (novella in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology)
Archangel's Consort
Archangel's Blade
Angel's Wolf (novella in the Angel's of Darkness anthology)
Angel's Flight (3 previously released novellas, 1 new/March 2012)

ARC Review: Bad Boys Do

Bad Boys Do
Victoria Dahl
Contemporary Romance
Donovan Brothers/Book 2
Harlequin/September 27, 2011

From Goodreads ~

Olivia Bishop is no fun. That's what her ex-husband said. And that's what her smart bob and glasses imply. So with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She's going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble—in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan—may be too tempting to avoid.

Jamie Donovan doesn't mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. Now it's time to grow up. He's even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong?

The second book in Dahl's newest contemporary series features a sexy as hell, kilt wearing ladies man as our hero. But is he really the irresponsible modern day rake that everyone thinks he is? Not by a long shot. Jamie is getting a chance to tell his story and show his siblings (I'm looking at you Eric) that he is far more than just a sexy man in a kilt.

Olivia Bishop is thirty-five years old. That thought is most prevalent in her mind when she finds herself attracted to Jamie Donovan. Olivia has a hang up about her age when compared to young Jamie's twenty-nine years. Did she dwell on it a little too much? Yep. Did it bug me? Not too much but I don't see six years as a big difference. Olivia is an intelligent, successful woman but her split with an ass of an ex left her doubting her value. So it made sense that she would focus on the age difference as her reason for not getting serious with Jamie. Between that and Jamie's rep, Olivia tried to convince herself that it was just a fling. A very satisfying fling that wouldn't lead to anything serious. I thought Dahl did a good job explaining Olivia's fixation on the age difference and showed how Olivia was able to finally look past the numbers to the man she had fallen in love with.

Jamie Donovan loves women and women love him but it doesn't end with that. Sure he's had his share of physical relationships/one-night-stands/quickies. Whatever you call them, Jamie is ready to move on from those and into something deeper. You can see it in his actions, how he still welcomes, smiles and gives attention to his female customers but there is so much more going on behind that gorgeous smile of his. How he wants to be treated as more than just eye candy, asking his sister to stop with the tweets that encourage the women to fondle, grope and kiss him. When Jamie meets Olivia he knows she is different. I think that difference both scared and intrigued him, he wasn't sure how to treat her. Jamie is smart and he learns quickly, realizing Olivia is someone special.

Olivia and Jamie start their relationship acting on the mutual physical attraction. It becomes more than that for both which has Olivia panicked and Jamie deciding he wants more than just casual. Jamie is truly trying to change his ways and pursue what is important to him which is expanding the family business. Olivia helps him, realizing he has some great ideas. It's Jamie's siblings that need convincing and that's where I felt Jamie totally won me over. The treatment he endured from his siblings Eric (the ass) and Tessa made me feel so bad for Jamie. He's trying to be more responsible and they won't let him. Jamie showed a lot of restraint and maturity with Eric. Eric did reluctantly come around but I think a 2 x 4 would have been more effective (and more satisfying!).

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly fond of Eric. I did like him in the novella Just One Taste, so there is hope. Dahl has her work cut out to turn this ass of a brother into hero material but if anyone can do it, I believe she can.

I loved how Jamie and Olivia get to know each other through late night phone calls. And how Jamie finally opens up about what happened when his parents died. You can't help but feel overwhelming sympathy for him and everything he's been through. It's easy to see that Olivia is good for Jamie but he also has much to give in return. It was good that Dahl didn't give Jamie all the sexual power in the relationship and Olivia all the intellectual power but brought a nice balance of both between the two. There is a whole lot of heat going on between Olivia and Jamie. My goodness can Dahl write the steam. It's classy steam with a taste of naughty thrown in making for some very erotic scenes.

This is a contemporary series that keeps getting better. The relationships between the three Donovan siblings continue to change and progress. Jamie and Olivia, for all their surface differences, have real chemistry that was a pleasure seeing developing into far more than either imagined. Definitely recommend this series!

Rating: A-

Books in this series ~

Just One Taste (prequel novella in The Guy Next Door anthology)
Good Girls Don't
Bad Boys Do
Real Men Will (November 2011/Eric)

TBR Challenge Review: Doubleblind

Doubleblind
Ann Aguirre
Romantic Science Fiction
Sirantha Jax/Book 3
ACE/September 29, 2009

*Spoilers for Previous Books
*Highly recommend reading in order

From the back cover ~

Sirantha Jax isn’t known for diplomatic finesse. As a “Jumper” who navigates ships through grimspace, she’s used to kicking ass first and taking names later—much later. Not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons.

And Ithiss-Tor council meetings aren’t the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to maneuver carefully. Her lover, March, is frozen in permanent “kill” mode, and his hair-trigger threatens to sabotage the talks—not to mention their relationship.

But Jax won’t give up on the man or the mission. With the Outskirts beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and the flesh-eating Morgut, an alliance with Ithiss-Tor may be humanity’s only hope.

Which has Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job…

I've had this book since its release nearly two years ago. I do remember starting it then putting it down. It had to do with the slower pace and lack of fight scenes. I had become accustomed to Jax, March and the gang getting into some serious trouble and fighting their way out of it. I'm thankful I gave Doubleblind another try because it was certainly worth it. This time, the fighting is there but on a mental level that tests Jax's abilities just as much, if not more, than jumping through grimspace and kicking ass.

Time for another road trip, this time to Bugland, home of the creatures of Ithiss-Tor. Bugs. But these are not bugs from our world. These bugs are highly intelligent, dangerous and real snobs when it comes to humans. They think humans are savages, beneath them. So it's up to Jax to form an alliance which is odd in itself since Jax isn't what you would call diplomatic. She's really out of her element which I think made her try that much harder. I loved seeing this side of Jax. Not only her ability to think quickly but she was also dealing with the fallout of March's breakdown and subsequently emotional shut down. Jax is walking a thin line between the two, giving the story the tension I craved.

The relationships in Jax's world are complex. None more so than her's and Vel's. Vel is one of the Bugs but he left Ithiss-Tor in disgrace many turns ago. He's different than others from his home planet. He doesn't look down on humans, not choosing to limit his small circle of associates. Vel is one of the very few Jax trusts and that's saying a lot since they first met when he was a bounty hunter and she was his prey. They've come a long way and I'm glad Aguirre didn't limit Jax to only the one important male relationship with March but gave her this deep friendship with Vel.

As the story progressed, I became quite interested in the outcome of Jax's diplomatic mission. You couldn't tell which way it would turn out since someone was committed to sabotaging the mission and it would go from looking positive to possible imprisonment for the gang. The relationship of Jax and March mirrored the diplomatic mission, with Jax making progress with March only to suffer a setback. I loved how Jax refused to give up on March. If their roles had been reversed, he would have done the same.

The ending of Doublind I will say left me relieved that Killbox, the next book in the series is sitting on my TBR pile. I have a feeling there will be more than enough action waiting for me in the next installment of this uniquely entertaining series.

Rating: B+

Books in this series ~

Grimspace
Wanderlust
Doubleblind
Killbox
Aftermath
Endgame (September 2012)