Mills and Boon Annual 2008

Fun, romantic Christmas annual

4 stars

The 2008 Mills and Boon Christmas Annual is once again a delight for fans of romance and Mills and Boon.

The small (A5) annual is packed full of content. There are delicious Christmas recipes from punch and nibbles to main course accompaniments; several puzzles from sudoku to word searches; features on gardening, Christmas traditions and 100 years of Mills & Boon; horoscopes; craft ideas from gorgeous edible gifts to a knitted baby shawl and much more.

And of course there are the stories. You get Modern romance from Kate Walker, Annie West, Trish Morey and Jane Porter; straight Romance from Rebecca Winters, Shirley Jump and Claire Baxter; Historical romance from Elizabeth Rolls, and short stories from Debbie Macomber and Kate Mayhew - the winner of the Woman's Weekly short story competition. Some of the stories are only a page long while others are more in-depth but each is fun and well-written.

The only downside for me was that I would have liked to see some stories by Blaze authors - as this is my favourite Mills & Boon line. But I can't really let this detract from the book as if you are a fan of either the Modern or Romance lines then you will be in heaven with all the stories! Also, being a book out for Christmas with plenty of festive articles, I would also liked to have seen at least a couple of the stories being Christmas themed.

But having said that, the annual is fun, interesting and a perfect purchase if you enjoy Mills & Boon romance and Christmas. There's so much packed into the book that it will keep you engrossed all day and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Bad Girl Bridesmaids: Three All-New Erotic Tales

A reasonably enjoyable anthology

3 Stars

This is a set of three erotic stories, all written by Susanna Carr, showing just how naughty bridesmaids can be.

Serial Bridesmaid on the Loose

Kelsey Morgan is sick and tired of being a bridesmaid – especially when she realises that she’s only being asked so she can be treated as a slave. To stop the demands of the current bride, Kelsey hooks up with gigolo Zack Cooper to keep her occupied. Only Zack’s actually a multi-millionaire – and he’s not used to giving up the power and control.

The Bridesmaid’s Diaries

Two years ago Tara Watkins, the wedding co-ordinator at her family’s vineyard, had the most amazing sex with the best man at a wedding. Ever since then she’s been writing a Bridesmaid Blog on the net about her experiences. Now Luke Sullivan is back and determined to use the information gained from her Internet diary to relive that wild night.

Wedding Wrecker

Amber Hughes left her small town home after she ruined the wedding of a close friend. Now she’s back to be a bridesmaid again but this time sexy Josh Griffin plans to make this wedding crazier than her last – this time for all the right reasons.

All three of the stories in this anthology are fun, well-written and enjoyable. Mostly the characters are people you identify with and can root for although I wasn’t too taken with a couple of the heroes – far too domineering and arrogant for my tastes (and I generally tend to like an alpha male). And they do all suffer from the short length of the stories, as there is no real character or plot development. This also means you have to suspend reality in order to believe in the happy endings as love happens very quickly in each case.

And while these are billed as erotic stories, I found myself being slightly disappointed. All the words and actions were there in spades, but the actual sex scenes lacked any real sparkle or sizzle that would set them apart from other romance books.

Overall – if you’re looking for something light, fun and romantic then you should give this book a try. While perhaps not being the best example of erotic short stories, the writing is good, the stories hold your interest and they will take your mind off things for a while.

There Goes the Bride by Lori Wilde

Enjoyable, quirky romance

4 stars

Texas socialite Delaney Cartwright is having second thoughts about her extravagant society wedding to her predictable childhood friend especially since she came across a magic veil which apparently grants the wearer their deepest desires. Determined to spice things up with her fiancé - Delaney decides to kidnap him for a night of passion - and ends up with the wrong guy!

Detective Nick Vinetti is slightly surprised to be accosted by such a beautiful woman and even more surprised, and annoyed, to find that she is already taken.

So now Delaney is even more desperate to get out of her wedding so she decides to arrange her own kidnapping. Throw in some true love, blackmail, heart stopping kisses, magic, ghosts and car chases - and things are just starting to look a little interesting!

This is the first book in the new 'Wedding Veil Wishes' series by Lori Wilde and it is a fun book to kick things off.

Delaney is an enjoyable character, trying to find herself despite her mother's constant criticism and expectations. And Nick is just lovely - sexy, rugged but strong in his convictions as he won't allow Delaney to break her vows to her fiancé. Which is nice for us because it throws in some delicious sexual tension! Together the pair work well and I liked their interactions with each other which seemed real.

There are also a good cast of entertaining, and sometimes slightly odd secondary characters, many of whom you assume are getting books of their own in the series.

The book is sensual, but not overly so, and while it does have it's quirky elements, it's not in the least scary or disturbing. Just some fun, romance and crazy situations!

If you enjoy your romances slightly quirky with some unusual and interesting plot points - then this is the book for you. A definite page-turner, it will keep you hooked from beginning to end.

Coming Undone by Susan Andersen

Thrilling, Sexy Romance

5 stars

Bright new singing sensation Priscilla Jayne Morgan should be having the time of her life. Her country music career has finally hit the big time and she's selling out concerts across America. But she's just had to fire her crooked manager mother and the press have gone crazy. Now her record label have decided to hire a watchdog to escort her on her summer tour and who should they hire for the job but Jared Hamilton - the guy from her past that she's never been able to get out of her head.

Jared's here to do a job and although he remembers just how headstrong little P.J. can be - he's not going to let her damage his legendary self control. But he didn't factor in how much P.J. has grown up or how much she drives him crazy.

So being stuck with the hottest girl in show-business for five weeks is going to be bad enough but when her very life is threatened he decides he needs to stick even closer - he just doesn't know if that's going to be a problem or not!

If you are a fan of Susan Andersen you will be happy to finally see a story for Jared (Tori's runaway brother from Hot and Bothered) and his street-wise runaway friend, P.J.. Although this book probably does stand alone, I would really suggest you've read Hot & Bothered before reading this one as otherwise you'll miss out on quite a lot of back story that is essential to the plot.

Both Jared and P.J. are wonderful characters. P.J. is feisty, fun and strong while Jared is a delicious former marine with a tough exterior and a lovely soft centre! The pair together are fiery, sexy and perfect for each other.

As is often the case with Susan Andersen - there is an element of suspense/danger in this book with the addition of a deranged stalker. This works well within the book while never overshadowing the plot and it's interesting enough to keep you involved without being scary or disturbing.

Overall, I am so glad that P.J. and Jared finally got their own story and Susan Andersen has created a book filled with her own brand of humour, edge and sexiness. This is a book that you will not want to put down and one I would highly recommend if you like your romance with a little bit extra. 5 stars.

The Player by Rhonda Nelson

Sexy start to a new series

5 stars

Former Ranger Jamie Flanagan is very happy to finally be free of the military - especially after his last mission which left him guilt ridden and emotionally scarred. But in his haste to leave, he and his friends promised their former commanding officer one favour. Anything. Anytime.

Now Jamie's favour is being called in and he has to protect the lovely Audrey Kincaid at her de-stressing camp in the middle of Maine. But it isn't long before he realises he's actually there to woo her away from another man. But there's one, hard and fast rule. No kissing, no touching and no seducing. Jamie always follows orders - but Audrey is testing his limits - and he's not in the military anymore.

This was a fun, enjoyable romance that is the perfect start to a new series about Jamie and his two ex-military buddies.

Jamie himself is a to-die-for hero. Sexy, rugged and alpha with a wounded soul to go along with it. And Audrey is the perfect match for him as he tries to rid himself of his demons while fighting his attraction to her. The chemistry is real, the sex scenes spicy and satisfying and there is enough humour to keep the book light. Although potentially dealing with some heavy issues such as ill-health, grief etc. - at no point does this book become melancholic or too dramatic - it's a romance and the author has written it as such.

As I mentioned, this is the first book in a new series by Rhonda Nelson with The Specialist and The Maverick following on from this.

All in all, this is a better example of a Blaze romance - fun, sexy, smart and definitely worth a read. 5 stars.

Going All The Way by Isabel Sharpe

Enjoyable but not perfect

4 stars

Back in school Jenny Hartmann was shy and unassuming. But now she has become a minor celebrity after writing her sizzling self-help book entitled 'What Have I Done For Me Lately?' She aims to liberate all women to become as sexually confident and sassy as she too has become.

Back in school, Ryan was a hell-raising bad boy but now he has grown up and calmed down. But this new Jenny is really driving him crazy especially when she decides that she will have a fantasy fling with him. And whatever the new Jenny wants, the new Jenny gets.

But when the pair get together - they both begin to realise that maybe they haven't changed all that much after all.

While I enjoyed this book I really wavered between giving it 3 or 4 stars. I liked Jenny to begin with as although she was sexy and confident, she was still vulnerable and not a man-hating feminist like she could have been written. But halfway through the book she started to become very selfish and immature and not someone that I liked at all. Admittedly by the end of the book she saw the error of her ways and had become nice again but I was still suspicious of her! Ryan is an enjoyable character - sexy and straight-laced with his inner bad boy just waiting to get out! There were also two strong secondary characters that had quite a lot of book time and while enjoyable - they weren't as good as Ryan and Jenny.

I decided to go with 4 stars as despite its faults, it's an uplifting, enjoyable, sexy read that doesn't flag and keeps you turning the pages right to the end. While not perfect, it's written well and although maybe not a keeper - it is still a book you should pick up if you get a chance.

Just One Touch by Debra Mullins

Intelligent and Engaging Romance

5 stars

When Rogan Hunt happens across the beautiful Lady Caroline being accosted by highwaymen he cannot help but intervene. But he is thrown into turmoil when the lady's grateful father offers her hand in marriage in thanks despite his lowborn status.

Lady Caroline Ware is terrified of the handsome Rogan but she is surprised when she starts to care for her new husband. But just as the pair seem to be getting along - secrets are revealed and enemies from the past reappear that put their newfound passion in jeopardy.

As seems to be the norm for Debra Mullins - this book is passionate, intense and thoroughly enjoyable.

Rogan and Caroline are well-developed, believable characters with flaws that make them interesting and perfect for each other. And most importantly - both are intelligent. There are no ridiculous misunderstandings or jumping to conclusions, which is so refreshing in any novel.

And despite it coming quite late on in the book - there is a nice amount of sensuality and sex in the novel without it overpowering things. Also, there are an interesting set of supporting characters that again, don't overpower the main storyline but still add something to the story.

Interesting, intelligent and beautifully romantic - this book delivers everything that a historical romance should. A definite 5 star read and one I would highly recommend.