Letting Loose by Mara Fox

Slightly disappointing Blaze romance

3 stars

Tina Henderson is desperate to find a way to forget about her fling with fellow lawyer, Tyler Walden. Things were getting too cosy and Tina’s just not a relationship sort of woman. So a night of hot sex with the stripper from her friend’s hen night seems like the perfect way to chase away the memories of Tyler and the fun they had together.

Tyler isn’t about to let Tina walk out of his life – especially since they had such potent chemistry. Posing as the stripper at the hen night is a calculated risk but it’s one that Tyler is determined to take to win Tina back. But what will happen when she finds out about his deception – and will she be happy to see this particular lawyer again – this time without his briefs?

I’ll admit that this Blaze left me slightly disappointed and I didn’t feel it was up to the standard of other books from this line.

Tina was an exceptionally strong character but I felt that she was a stereotype and really wasn’t developed throughout the story. As well as that, at the beginning of the book she decides she will pay the stripper for sex which really stopped me from identifying with, or even liking her. Tyler was a good enough character but you hardly ever learn anything about him other than the superficial. And again, at the beginning of the story – he decided to use his current date to make Tina jealous – hardly hero behaviour!

The actual plot of the story was okay – basically concentrating on Tina’s changing feelings towards Tyler and relationships in general. It didn’t offer anything new but it wasn’t truly terrible.

My biggest complaint was the sex scenes. There were plenty of them and I’ll admit that they were hot and sexy – however they read like the script of a cheesy 80s porn flick. It wasn’t sensual or romantic and the dialogue during the scenes was so cringe worthy it was embarrassing.

Having said all that, I did manage to finish this book and it was an easy read which is always a plus. It didn’t offer anything particularly exciting or new and it’s not a book that I would keep, however it’s certainly not offensive so if you like this author or are looking for a quick read then this book could be for you.

Coming Soon by Jo Leigh

Fun and sexy with a little bit of murder!

4 stars

A movie is being shot in and around the world famous erotic hotel Hush, so concierge Mia Traverse definitely has her hands full. And that's before she stumbles over a very dead body in the basement club. A murdered, dead body!

Detective Bax Milligan can't wait until he leaves the force in a few months and he needs all the help that he can get solving this most high profile of murders. But he hadn't counted on the sexy, CSI addict, Mia becoming the Watson to his Holmes and reviving that long forgotten thrill of solving a crime and triggering a few new thrills at the same time.

When Mia's life is put in danger it's up to Bax to protect her - and his bed seems like the safest place to do just that. But is it safe for either of their hearts?

I am pleased to see that Blaze's Do Not Disturb series is back again and we get to revisit the wonderful Hush hotel with another sexy and fun story.

Mia is a girl who loves her job and is lively, interesting and determined to solve a crime. Thankfully, she also wasn't a heroine that was ridiculously stupid although she did manage to get herself into a few scrapes that she needed saving from. Bax was slightly jaded without being a stereotype and a deliciously rugged hero. Together the pair were a perfect match and a cute crime fighting duo.

The sex scenes were both hot and sweet although it was maybe the latter that stopped them from scorching the pages. But they still were enjoyable.

The mystery was engaging and engrossing and I certainly didn't immediately guess who was the main culprit of the murder as there were so many pieces to the puzzle in the end. Those more used to reading or watching murder mysteries might disagree, however!

Overall, this is a well-written, welcome return to Hush hotel that is entertaining, sexy and definitely worth a couple of hours of your time. 4 stars.

Just Dare Me by Stephanie Bond

Predictable but enjoyable romance

4 stars

Marketing executive Gabrielle Flannery is tired of being overlooked and undermined at work so when the opportunity arises to manage the account of the biggest outdoor equipment company – she jumps at the chance.

But she didn’t bet on the office heart-throb and all round marketing whiz, Dell Kingston, wanting to handle the account too.

So to win the account – the pair must head off on a wilderness survival weekend and compete against each other. Since he’s in touch with the great outdoors (and she’s anything but) he reckons he’s on to a sure thing. But he doesn’t count on the distraction of Gabby’s sexy legs and she certainly has a few other tricks up her sleeve.

And nothing stimulates a sexual appetite like a campfire, the great outdoors and a healthy bit of lust!

This was a fun romance as an ‘ugly duckling’ goes up against a gorgeous, confident man that she has worked with, and had a crush on, for a long time.

Any woman who has ever felt that she faded into the background will identify with Gabby and cheer her on as she tries to take control of her life. Dell is a good hero – outdoorsy, gorgeous and just a little bit cocky.

The story is very engrossing and keeps you turning the pages although the plot itself is fairly predictable. There is plenty of anticipation and build up toward the sex scenes yet there maybe aren’t as many as I would have liked!

Overall, I was debating between 3 and 4 stars for this particular book. I settled on 4 as despite its slight predictability, it’s a fun, entertaining and well-written book that I very much enjoyed. A good, light read for fans of Blaze romances.

Three Nights... by Debra Mullins

Entertaining and engrossing story

4 stars

In order to save her gaming father from certain death, innocent Aveline Stoddard offers herself to rakish, rogue Lucien DuFeron. In return for her father’s vowels, Aveline will submit to three whole nights to satisfy any of Lucien’s deepest, darkest desires and passions. The nights are a revelation for them both but when they are over – Lucien vanishes.

Betrayed by someone close to him, Lucien is handed over to evil brigands and imprisoned by them. Five years later, he manages to escape back to London, determined to find the enemy responsible. Instead he finds the one woman who he has never been able to forget – Aveline. But things have changed a lot in five years and despite passions still running high between the pair, Lucien can’t let go of his need for revenge. If his quest leads him to someone close to Aveline he may destroy a love that is powerful enough to free his tormented heart.

I am a huge fan of Debra Mullins and she doesn’t disappoint with this story. Lucien and Aveline are larger than life characters and you are easily drawn in to their story through their interactions. Lucien is a fantastic, tormented hero who has a heart-warming vulnerable side while Aveline is an innocent miss who is also strong and determined. There are no missish, stupid heroes or heroines in this book!

The story is primarily about Lucien and Aveline and their relationship, with the ‘mystery’ of who betrayed Lucien really only taking a small part. And it’s not really a mystery as we are told enough, quite early on in the story to realise who is likely to be the culprit.

The sensuality and deep characterisation in the novel are typical of Debra Mullins and this book is really a page turner. While being by no means her best novel, it’s still engrossing and a very good read. If I had to have one complaint, it would be that the conclusion of the mystery/betrayal plot was ever so slightly disappointing as I personally felt that the wrong people got their comeuppance at the end and some not at all! But this wasn’t enough to ruin what is essentially a delightful, romantic story. 4 stars.

Tex Appeal

Fairly enjoyable Texan anthology

3 stars

This book contains three sexy Blaze stories which all revolve around a Valentine’s Day newspaper contest. Set in Texas, each tells a different story of hunky, Texas cowboys and the women that tame them.

Real Good Man – Kimberly Raye

Cheryl Anne Cash is fed up of being dowdy, sensible and boring – so she decides to spice up her life by dumping her long term boyfriend and becoming a “carnal” coach. But things get complicated when her ex doesn’t want to let her go and wants her to show him all her new found skills.

This was a cute, light read about two people who had lost the essential sparkle in their lives. Although I didn’t understand the motivations of the main characters at certain times – this was still a well-written story that kept you turning the pages.

Unbroken – Alison Kent

Dr. Tess Autrey is writing a story on rodeo ‘buckle bunnies’ and decides to do a bit of time at a ranch for some in depth research. But when ranch owner Wyatt Crowe turns up the heat – the research becomes more one-on-one.

This story really wasn’t my cup of tea. It was slow paced and in my opinion, slightly boring. I didn’t like either of the main characters and while I’m usually happy to suspend belief in a romance – I just didn’t believe this happily-ever-after. Disappointing.

I Can Still Feel You – Cara Summers

Several months ago chef Macy Chandler had a sizzling affair with Texas Ranger Cade Dillon until he disappeared in the night. Now he’s back and Macy is determined not to fall into the same trap as before. But this time Macy’s life is in danger and Cade has no problem in staying as close as possible.

This was a slightly different story to the first two as there was the danger element thrown in along with the romance. Although this isn’t usually the type of story that I would go for, it was still a fun and enjoyable read. Both Macy and Cade were interesting, well rounded characters that seemed perfect for each other.

Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable anthology of stories centering around Valentine’s Day in Texas. While possibly not being the best Blaze anthology, it’s still worth a read although it’s maybe not a keeper. If you’re looking for short stories to pass the time then you can’t really go wrong with this book.

In The Highlander's Bed by Cathy Maxwell

Fun and adventurous romance

4 stars

After failing in his mission to retrieve the legendary Sword of McKenna from the English, Highland warrior Gordon Lachlan decides to strike personally at those who hold the sword – by kidnapping Constance Cameron from her boarding school and demanding the sword from her relatives in return for her release.

Constance is fed up with being stuck away in a boarding school and decides to run away and make a life for herself in her American homeland. But before she can escape the school, she is kidnapped by a roguish, but very handsome, Scottish rebel.

Neither are what the other expected and as passions run high, the pair realise they may have to fight for something more precious than freedom.

This was the concluding book in a series about the Cameron Sisters of Ohio (after The Price of Indiscretion, In the Bed of A Duke and Bedding the Heiress) although it does set up another book after this one so I suppose the series is a continuous one. There is a plot line that flows throughout the books so I wouldn’t suggest you read this book without having read the others first.

Constance is fiery and independent without ever coming across as a stereotype while Gordon is a fantastically tortured hero – torn between his need for freedom and his desire for love. The pair were well matched and I liked the banter between them throughout the book. I am also a fan of this kind of plot line and so I enjoyed the romance between the pair too.

Despite enjoying the book, I did have a few problems with it that stopped it from getting the full 5 stars. Firstly, the underlying plot of the Scottish cause and the Sword of McKenna seemed to fade as the book went on and although the romance was satisfactorily ended, the ‘sword’ plot was not and I felt slightly disappointed that nothing came of the so called rebellion. Gordon was so passionate for his cause at the beginning and then gave up his fight without much thought at the end of the book. There were also factual errors that really irked after a while such as when they left Edinburgh and travelled east yet somehow managed to end up in the Highlands!

As I mentioned before, I did actually enjoy the book even with the faults. It was exciting, romantic, a real page-turner and very well written. I would recommend this book to fans of Cathy Maxwell and those who enjoy a fun romantic adventure. 4 stars.

Bedding the Heiress by Cathy Maxwell

Enjoyable addition to the series

4 stars

When a loathsome rake steals heiress Francesca Dunroy's most treasured possession she is determined to get it back. In return for the heirloom, she decides to offer the rake a kiss. But on the darkened terrace in the middle of a ball she makes a dreadful mistake - she seduces the wrong man!

Justin Maddox is London's newly titled duke and he's not enjoying himself at all with his new position. Although that all changes when the fiery Francesca kisses him with a passion that surprises them both.

With neither able to forget, or even stay away from each other - love soon starts to blossom. But what will happen when Justin's enemies decide that it's time for revenge?

This is the third book in an ongoing series (after The Price of Indiscretion and In the Bed of a Duke) which focuses loosely around the Cameron sisters. This book follows where the last left off and tells the story of Justin Maddox as he tries to come to terms with the fact that he is now an English duke and not the Scottish rebel he always thought he was. As it is part of a series, I really don't think that this book stands alone as there is too much back story that you need to know to understand this book.

Both Justin and Francesca are enjoyable, interesting characters and I liked the interplay between them and their honest interactions with each other. It was also nice to see some characters from previous books pop up in this one.

I guess my main issues were that this almost felt like a filler book. Francesca and Justin's story was central although there was so much anticipation of the next book and the underlying action/plot line that runs through all the books, that the romance almost took a back seat. And compared to previous books by Cathy Maxwell, this book lacked a lot of emotional oomph. And I found myself increasingly frustrated with various Americanisms that crept into the text and inaccuracies such as spelling Scotch whisky with an 'e'. This didn't affect my rating of the book but it was annoying none the less.

Having said all that - this book was still miles better than many others in the same genre. It was upbeat, interesting, a definite page-turner and if nothing else it has made me really look forward to the next book in the series. If you're a fan of Cathy Maxwell and are keeping up with this series then this is a book I would recommend.