All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey

 

A second shot at first love…

After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he's forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren's son…

The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan's door every day to work off his crime.

With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can't deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

*******

All He Ever Desired is the fifth book in the Kowalski Family series and another enjoyable story. I can tell you, without hesitation, that Shannon Stacey is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and this series is must read for me. The stories are sweet, passionate, humorous, and often focus on valuable lessons, reminding us of what is most important in life; Love, family and integrity.

There are so many things to love about this story! Revisiting the Kowalski clan as they come together for Paige and Mitch’s wedding made for some fun times. Watching Rose and Andy grow closer – Rose’s snarky (for Rose) comments and Andy’s obvious affection for her. Meeting Lauren’s troubled teen age son, Nick, and getting a glimpse into the man he’ll become. And most especially, Ryan and Lauren, the stars of this story.

Ironically, my favorite part of this story is also my least favorite. Like the cover blurb tells us, a lot of years have passed since Ryan made Lauren an offer she was obviously able to refuse, and both moved on with their lives, though neither ever forgot the other. Circumstances have brought them together again, so with all those years behind them and nothing to stop them, they’re finally ready to take a chance on each other and see what the future might hold.

And this is why it's my favorite part: I loved how real it felt. How we watched their struggle - Ryan's to approach Lauren again after having already been shot down once. It might have been 16 years ago, but the wound she inflicted to his pride, and his heart, is still fresh. And Lauren's struggle to take a chance and allow someone into her life again, especially a man like Ryan Kowalski who makes her feel things no one, not even her ex husband, had ever made her feel.

And this is why it's my least favorite part: It's heartwarming, at times poignant and inspirational, but by the very nature of this story, it also causes some lag in the flow and pacing. Not to the point of distraction, mind you, but for me it was there and that's the only thing keeping this from being a 5 star read.

So now I'm very much looking forward to Josh's story and finding out if he can make his own dreams come true. He's been the one person holding everything together while everyone else was off following their own dreams and now it's his time to shine. And then there's Liz's story, too. That girl's had it rough and it's time that she have a chance at love, whether she realizes she wants it or not.

The bottom line: Like all the books in this series, All He Ever Desired is a romantic, steamy, funny, feel good story. The devotion to family and community gives these books that small town feel that I adore, and the characters - their lives and loves - are what keeping me coming back for more.

My thanks to netgalley.com and Carina Press for providing me with a copy of this book for review. As always, it was a pleasure.

Unraveled by Courtney Milan

 

Smite Turner is renowned for his single-minded devotion to his duty as a magistrate. But behind his relentless focus lies not only a determination to do what is right, but the haunting secrets of his past—secrets that he is determined to hide, even if it means keeping everyone else at arm’s length. Until the day an irresistible woman shows up as a witness in his courtroom…

Miranda Darling isn’t in trouble…yet. But she’s close enough that when Turner threatens her with imprisonment if she puts one foot wrong, she knows she should run in the other direction. And yet no matter how forbidding the man seems on the outside, she can’t bring herself to leave. Instead, when he tries to push her away, she pushes right back—straight through his famous self-control, and into the heart of the passion that he has long hidden away…

*****

Every so often I go through my Goodreads book shelves, making sure they're nice and tidy; books listed on all the right shelves, star rated and reviews written. That's what I was doing today, and imagine my surprise when I discovered that I had not written my review for this book! I was floored. Simply shocked that I had forgotten to do so.

Well, it might have been quite some time since I read the book, and though I had forgotten to write the review, I have not forgotten the story, or how much I adored Smite Turner and Miranda Darling!

Unraveled is the third book in the Turner series and the story I had been most anxiously waiting for, and oh, how I loved this story! Every word, every sentence, every page, every… well, you get the idea. I loved it! Smite’s story, even more than Ash’s and Mark’s, tore me up. It’s emotional – heartbreaking, gut wrenching, poignant, inspirational, romantic and very sexy. It’s all the things I've come to expect from Courtney Milan’s stories and much, much more.

Because this is one of those stories that delivers on every level, I’m going to break it down and ramble a bit.

Smite Turner – AKA, Lord Justice. Honorable, just, compassionate, wise, worldly, naïve, devoted, romantic and so very sexy. Tormented, vulnerable, strong, determined, perfectly imperfect and so very wise. Smite is all of this, rolled into a handsome bundle of manly delectability who I wanted to bring home and love all the pain away. He is my kind of hero!

Miranda Darling – AKA Darling. Clever, funny, independent, compassionate, worldly and yet naïve. In all the things she was, and even those she was not, she’s perfect for Smite! Her stubbornness was both annoying and admirable, and I absolutely adored her!

The story – Fun, exciting, surprising, fast paced, and not the same ol’, same ol’ historical romance. I loved how Miranda’s problem, and Smite’s inability to ignore it, brought them together, helped bring out the very best in them, and each other, and gave them the chance to achieve the happily ever after they were both so deserving of!

The bottom line – If you love historical romance and want your stories to have incredible characters, people who come to life and grab hold of your heart and never let go, then you simply must read Courtney Milan’s Turner series. Each story is amazing, and sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a contented sigh in your soul. Trust me on this – you won’t be disappointed!

The Way to a Duke's Heart by Caroline Linden

 

Charles de Lacey, Lord Gresham, is running out of time, running from his responsibilities, and running from love.

Destined to be a duke, Charles de Lacey has led a life of decadent pleasure, free of any care for propriety or responsibility. It comes as a terrible shock to learn that he might be stripped of everything, thanks to his father's scandalous past. He has no choice but to find the blackmailer who would ruin him—and his only link to the villain is a woman who may be part of the plot…

To save his fortune and title, he vows he'll stop at nothing—in fact, he's all too eager to unravel the beautiful, tart-tongued Tessa Neville. She intrigues him and tempts him like no other lady ever has. With only his heart to guide him, and keenly aware that his entire future is at stake, Charles must decide: is she the woman of his dreams, or an enemy in disguise.

**********

The Way to a Duke’s Heart is the final book in the The Truth About the Duke trilogy and a fun, charming story. Scandal, mystery, romance and blackmail make up this tale, and I enjoyed every minute of it! This is my first taste of Caroline Linden’s writing and a truly pleasant experience. The characters, their lives and circumstances, kept me invested and wanting to know more about them, especially the scandal surrounding Charles’ rightful – or not – claim to the Dukedom. 

And speaking of Charles, I found him to be clever, insightful, immensely charming, and most definitely sexy, too! But aside from all this, I think what I loved most about him were his insecurities and uncertainties because they made him an imperfect hero, one I wanted to bring home and love until he could see in himself the man that I saw in him! Charismatic, flawed, honorable and sexy... Charles is the kind of hero I love in my historical romance reads.

Tessa is a truly great heroine, one I felt connected to early on. Unconventional, independent, compassionate and loving, she might have been stubborn but she was never annoying – okay, maybe occasionally annoying, but nothing I couldn’t cope with! She felt deep love for her family, and shame for what she had put them through, and so she spent her life trying to prove herself and win back their respect. I loved this about her! She didn't whimper and whine about the things that had happened. There was no “Woe is me!” simpering. She knew what had to be done and then set about putting everything to rights, thus restoring her family’s faith in her! Though I have to say, I'm not entirely sure she had ever truly lost it.

In addition to the wonderful leading couple, there was an awesome supporting cast, but my favorite was Tessa’s clever, elderly companion, Eugenie, who stole the show a time or two.

Before closing, I want to reiterate - Although this is the third book of the trilogy, it really does work well as a standalone. Ms. Linden did a fabulous job giving us the back-story without it feeling forced or dictated. That said, I will most definitely be reading the prequel, I Love the Earl and the first two full length novels, One Night in London and Blame it on Bath, and look forward to reading more by this very talented author!

The bottom line: While there were areas the story lagged a bit, The way to a Duke's Heart is a brilliant work of twists and turns that never felt contrived or predictable. I’m very impressed that, although I hadn’t read the first two books, I never felt lost or as if I had missed something. The relationship and the romance built at a comfortable pace and I found myself cheering for Charles’ and Tessa’s happily ever after and when they reached it, knowing it was a love meant to be.

3.5/5 stars

My thanks to HarperCollins/Avon Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Seduced by a Pirate (Fairy Tales #4.5) by Eloisa James

Charming, witty, romantic, sexy… I loved this novella! What it lacks in page count it more than makes up for in story, and this is how novellas should be done!

Blurb....In Eloisa James's companion story to The Ugly Duchess, Sir Griffin Barry, captain of the infamous pirate ship The Poppy, is back in England to claim the wife he hasn't seen since their wedding day . . . but this is one treasure that will not be so easy to capture.

*****
I’ll say it again, just in case I wasn’t clear: I. Loved. This. Story! I loved Griffin, Pheobe, Shark, Griffin’s dad the Viscount Moncrieff, Lyddie, Nanny McGillycuddy, Alastair, Margaret, and especially the adorably fierce, wee pirate in training, Colin. I hadn’t realized just how much I wanted to read Griffin's story until I had read Griffin's story and loved every word!

I smiled, giggled, and sighed my way through Seduced by a Pirate, and while I wish it had been longer, it didn’t need to be longer to be a delightful story, one I’ll read again and again!

Bravo, Ms. James’! Well done!

My thanks to HarperCollins/Avon Publishing for providing me a copy of this novella for review. It was such a pleasure!

The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James

 

How can she dare to imagine he loves her…when all London calls her The Ugly Duchess?

Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.

Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime…until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.

Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.

And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love—or War.

**********

The Ugly Duchess is yet another wonderful story in Eloisa James’ Fairy Tales series. In all that it is charming, romantic, funny and sweetly sexy, it’s also heartwarming, poignant and a truly beautiful love story. 

There’s something so special about Ms. James’ retelling of these classic stories. We read the originals as children and learned valuable lessons, and now, as adults, we can read them and learn those lessons again while being entertained and seduced by the magic and power of love.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I adored James who had loved Theo, his Daisy, since childhood. Best friends, companions, confidantes… these are the things enduring relationships are built on, and James and Daisy had that, and more, from the start.

Of course this tale is about recognizing where real beauty is found, and in this scene, one of my favorites of the story, that lesson was beautifully delivered -

“If you ever utter a word about my wife that is less than complimentary, I will not slam you against the wall again. I will instead send you through a window. And not on the ground floor, either.”

James didn’t wait for an answer; who expects garbage to answer back? Instead, he held out his arm to his wife.

When they turned, they saw that the gallery was now crammed with people.

“My duchess,” James stated, his eyes sweeping the crowd with the air of a man who has ruled the waves. “She is not a swan, because that would imply she had once been an ugly duckling.”

He glanced down at Theo. Her eyes were painted with an exotic tilt at the corners. Her cheekbones were regal and her bottom lip was colored a perfect red that made it more kissable than it already was. Small but lush breasts, skin the color of clear moonlight, rose above a waist the size of a man’s hand.

But none of that mattered compared to the innate kindness in her eyes, the joyful turn of her lip, the wild intelligence with which she greeted every day.

That was beautiful.

And so is this story. I laughed, sighed and even got weepy a few times. And now, as I sit here thinking back on this charming tale, I can't help but smile for all the Daisies and their James' throughout history who understood that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, and as Confucius so insightfully told us, "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

And how sad are their lives for all that they miss.

My sincerest 'thank you' to HarperCollins/Avon Publishing for sending me a review copy of this wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it!

Heart of Danger by Lisa Marie Rice

They are Ghosts. They do not exist. Their birth certificates have been destroyed, all traces of their civilian and military pasts wiped out. They have no official military rank and wear no uniforms or insignia, save a tiny steel pin of a striking hawk forged from the rifle that killed Osama Bin Laden.

Ghost Ops. A small team of super elite soldiers so secret only two men know of their existence-General Clancy Flynn and their commanding officer, Colonel Lucius Ward. On a mission to destroy a US-based lab working on weaponized bubonic plague, the team is betrayed by their commanding officer. The Team is massacred and only three men survive to be court martialed: the Team Leader, Tom 'Mac' McEnroe, tech genius John Ryan, and lethal Nick Ross. They disappear en route to prison and are never heard of again.

Mac and his men hole up in a high tech lair, completely off the grid. But when a beautiful woman somehow finds him, he doesn't know whether to kiss her, or kill her.

Dr. Catherine Young is on a mission, propelled by forces beyond her control to find a man who has disappeared off the face of the earth. She is bearing a deadly message from a dying man. Catherine has a gift that allows her to see into the heart of others. But looking into Mac McEnroe's heart is like looking into the heart of danger itself.

**********

Heart of Danger is a fast paced, action packed, very sexy story told in true Lisa Marie Rice fashion. This book just oozes with sexual tension and burn up the bed sheets lovin’, but it’s also filled with emotion. Heartbreaking, disturbing, violent… sweet, tender, romantic, Ms. Rice took me on a roller coaster ride of feelings and kept me reading ‘til the wee hours of the morning, unable to stop until the very end.

I couldn't help but become totally caught up in the Ghost Ops world and the people who live there, but I have to be honest, this isn't a terribly unique plot. Fans of romantic suspense will probably be able to name more than a couple of similar plots they've read by other authors, but the way Ms. Rice tells it gives a fresh voice to the story line. It’s a very compelling world… exciting, intense, mysterious…and it takes place in the not too distant future. Technology is advanced beyond what we know today, but not to the point of being science fictionish.

Tom ‘Mac’ McEnroe is one of those heroes who’s been through hell and lived to tell about it. His scars run deep, both physical and mental, but he’s a leader who will not let his men down. Being betrayed by his commanding officer, a man he’d come to respect, trust and love, destroyed something deep inside Mac the way nothing else could. But it also made him stronger, more determined to protect those around him, and for me, this made him the perfect hero.

Catherine Young is pretty much a loner. Her gift – or curse, depending on how she looks at it – of being able to get inside people’s heads and read their emotions, has caused her to be alienated from friends and family who think she’s more than a little weird. But weird is the last thing Catherine is. She’s incredibly intelligent, compassionate, and intuitive. She’s brave, honest and has strength of character that, along with her uniqueness makes her an amazing heroine.

Apart, Mac and Catherine are awesome, but together, they are perfect!

The bottom line: With Heart of Danger, Lisa Marie Rice has given us an exciting start to what I believe will be an awesome series. The book isn’t without flaws – more internal dialog than I usually like in my stories and some repetitive mental hashing and rehashing of thoughts and emotions – but overall, it’s a very enjoyable read. I loved the Haven community, the secondary characters and their stories, and am very much looking forward to reading more about them and their stories in the Ghost Ops series!

3.5/5 stars

My thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins/Avon Red Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. The pleasure was mine!

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

 

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos.

 

**********

 

Okay, well, that blurb isn’t the best and while it gives the readers somewhat of an idea of what to expect, the book is actually much, much better than it suggests.

 

A Discovery of Witches is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy, and Deborah Harkness's debut novel. It’s a unique story that subtly brings together and addresses many of today’s cultural and societal issues, as they pertain to the All Souls Trilogy world, without beating the reader about the head with messages of political correctness. In fact, the story is so fun, so well written and meaningful that by the time I was through I was left wishing I had the next book right here in my hot little hands!

 

I’m going to give you a heads up here… this story is slow to start, but it’s only due to the very necessary amount of world building and backstory that we readers need in order to understand the complex society these beings exist in. My point is, Do. Not. Give. Up! At about the twenty some percent mark it really picks up and once it does, it doesn’t let go. The romance is slow to build, too, but it's there and it’s sweet. The sexuality is mild with most scenes taking place behind closed doors, but I loved the sexual tension and passion between Diana and Matthew.

In my opinion, the true excitement of this story lies in the quest to unravel the mystery of vampire, witch and daemon origins and, depending on who existed first, deciding which species is most entitled to the fullness and truth of that knowledge.

The bottom line: Loved it. What an incredible, exciting, thought provoking, fun debut novel! Deborah Harkness is well on her way to making quite a name for herself in the PNR/UF genres and I am so looking forward to watching it happen, each story and every step of the way!

Many thanks to my Goodreads friend, Nomad, for suggesting this book as a buddy read. I'm afraid I would have put it off indefinitely had it not been for her suggestion. Also, for those who took part in the DHASG buddy read - Pat, Tammy, Heather, Teresa, Megan and Cindi - I enjoyed discussing this book and sharing thoughts with you all!