Maid for the Billionaire by Ruth Cardello

A fresh and enjoyable modern romance
4 stars

When Dominic Corisi comes across Abigail Dartley cleaning his mansion, he instantly wants her to distract himself from the problems he’s been having in his personal life and with his business. When she doesn’t fall instantly into his arms he plans to do whatever he can to make her his.

Schoolteacher Abby isn’t used to taking risks with men, especially rich, arrogant and sexy ones like Dominic. So when she agrees to a trip to China, she can’t help but think she’s losing her mind. Or is she just losing her heart?


The book would fit into the Mills and Boon Modern line so if romance is not your thing then this book probably isn’t for you.

This is the first time I’ve ever read a self-published novel so I’ll admit to being a little apprehensive at first. However, once you start to read you get swept up into the story and you can’t help but want to read just a little bit more each time you pick up the book.

Personally, I found it refreshing to find a heroine with compassion and vulnerability but also with a real strength. Despite Dominic’s strong, forceful and, at times, arrogant personality, Abby never lets him bully her. It was also nice to see Dominic’s emotions and motivations shown throughout the book. He was deliciously alpha but not in an overbearing way. The pair had nice chemistry and played well off each other.

I enjoyed the overall story and the interactions between the characters. I’m really looking forward to reading Nicole and Stephan’s story (For Love or Legacy) as well as Lil and Jake’s story (Bedding the Billionaire) who all appeared as minor characters in this book.

The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is that I would have preferred to see a little bit more of a grand romantic gesture at the end. Having the family descend on Dom and Abby when they’d only just declared their love made it a little anti-climactic and took the focus off the main pair. But that’s a minor point in what was a very enjoyable story overall. 4 stars and definitely worth a read.

Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen

Enjoyable but not as good as the first two
4 stars

Back in high school, Cade Gallari slept with “fat girl” Ava Spencer to win a bet and proceeded to break her heart, dent her confidence and make her vow to hate him forever. Now, 13 years later, Cade, hotter than ever, is back and about to make an offer Ava can’t refuse.

Now a documentary film producer, Cade needs Ava to work closely with him on his newest project and if she manages to forgive him at the same time then he’ll be happy. But he won’t be completely satisfied until Ava gives him another chance and he’s not above playing dirty to get what he really wants.


This is the third book in the Sisterhood Diaries trilogy after Cutting Loose and Bending the Rules and I probably would suggest that you read the books in order for everything to make sense.

This book was a long time coming and I was so excited to receive it and read it. Perhaps my high expectations were part of the reason that I failed to be completely blown away by this novel.

It’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination and Susan Andersen’s wit, style of writing and humour are there in spades. Both Cade and Ava were lovely characters and had the kind of ‘hate turning to love’ storyline that I really enjoy. They had good chemistry and I was really happy for them and rooting for them on their path to the happily ever after.

I would have liked to see a little bit more interaction between Ava, Jane and Poppy (especially as the scenes when they were together were so sweet!) and perhaps a few more scenes with Jase and Dev but that’s probably just personal preference and didn’t necessarily distract from the actual love story. The baddie wasn’t scary (and I’m a total wimp) and was dispatched so easily that there really hadn’t been much danger.

Overall, if you like Susan Andersen and are reading the Sisterhood trilogy then this isn’t a book you’d want to miss. I wasn’t sure how to rate this one as although it’s not nearly as good as the first two in the series, it’s still much better than other books I’ve read so I’ve stuck with 4 stars and Susan Andersen continues to be one of my favourite authors.

Taken By The Viking by Michelle Styles

Rich and absorbing Viking romance
4 stars

When Vikings landed at Lindisfarne, one wrong move turned a peaceful trading mission into a deadly raid that saw the place ransacked and pillaged. Annis of Birdoswald knew she had to flee but she was no match for the fearsome Haakon Haroldson.

Taking Annis back to his lands, she must choose between life as a lowly slave or give in to the dark and dangerous passion she feels with Haakon. But there are plots and intrigues that may stand in the way of this couple finding happiness with each other.


This is the first of three novels all connected by the raid at Lindisfarne coming before Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wifeand The Viking's Captive Princess. While they share similar characters and back story, each are entirely stand alone.

Annis is a strong woman who knows her own mind but her insecurities and worry make her much more than a stereotype. Haakon is the strong Viking Jaarl who tries desperately to keep control of his headstrong captive and his own heart. The pair had chemistry and although the sex scenes weren’t scorching, they were still nicely sexy. If I could have changed one thing, I would have liked to have Haakon show just a little more emotion when it came to his feelings for Annis – even if that was in private. Despite that, the ending was lovely and had me sighing!

The story was very rich in detail and it was obvious that the author not only did a lot of research into the time period but also put her heart into ensuring historical accuracy. At the end of the book she explains some of the points of note and lists the books she found useful which is an interesting touch and good if you are interested in learning more about the history of the Vikings.

Overall, this was an enjoyable story to pass the time and one that I would recommend if you enjoy a Viking romantic adventure. 4 stars.

The Captive by Joanne Rock

Slow and subtle Viking romance
4 stars

When Vikings attack the hall where she is staying, rich Saxon widow Gwendolyn refuses to give up without a fight. But when her daring leads to her falling at the feet of Viking warrior Wulf, she realises she may be in deeper than she anticipated.

Wulf didn’t plan his raid to find captives but one look at the wilful Gwendolyn and he knows he has to take her. But as he soon finds out, taking Gwendolyn and keeping her are two very different things.


When I first started to read this book I assumed it would be all strong, brawny Vikings raiding English villages, stealing away innocent maidens and sailing on the high seas. So I was more than a little surprised when the story was actually a lot slower than the mad paced adventure I thought it would be.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing though as it gave you time to get to know the characters. Gwendolyn was a delight. She was a strong woman who knew her own mind but still had insecurities, faults and while being impulsive, was sensible with it. Wulf was the strong, silent type and while I knew he was a tough leader, he did tend to be a lot softer and calmer than you might expect a Viking warrior to be. Together the couple worked well and they had some good chemistry although not as hot as some I have read.

The story held me from beginning to end and I did enjoy the battle of wills between Wulf and Gwendolyn. The ending was wrapped up nicely and overall this was an enjoyable story that I very much enjoyed. If you enjoy a Viking romance without too much war or wickedness then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.

Terms of Surrender by Leslie Kelly

A book of highs and lows
3 stars

Navy pilot, Danny Wilkes, only has one mission in life and that’s to join the American space programme. But as soon as he sets eyes on fiery Marissa Marshall he has another mission in mind and it involves both of them delightfully naked.

Mari and Danny strike sparks off each other and the sex is terrific but growing up an army brat, Mari is against a relationship with anyone in the military. So Danny has a choice – his lifelong career dreams or the woman that he’s fallen hard and fast for.


I am a huge fan of Leslie Kelly’s and am always excited when she brings out a new book. Unfortunately, this one didn’t really float my boat.

I think, for me, the main problem was with Mari. There was something ballsy and brash about her that meant I just couldn’t like her much or root for her. I’m not against strong females in a romance but she seemed a strange mix of mouthy forcefulness and needy uncertainty that seemed at odds with one another.

Danny was a better character but again, I wouldn’t call him a perfect leading male character. The chemistry between Mari and Danny was fairly hot but not scorching and there were plenty of sexy scenes between the pair.

The story ran along smoothly although I did find myself being interested in the beginning while Danny and Mari weren’t together. Then, when they got together it got quite boring. And again, they weren’t together and it started getting interesting again. It was strange that it was unable to hold my attention from beginning to end. The ending itself was what you would expect but it certainly didn’t make me sigh or even really make me remember it after I’d put the book down.

Perhaps I’m being overly harsh with this book because I have adored some of Kelly’s previous books and so probably set quite a high standard for this one. Having said that, this book was still fairly enjoyable and is an easy read for a quiet afternoon. 3 stars.

Molly Cooper's Dream Date by Barbara Hannay

Inoffensive and fairly sweet romance
3 stars

Molly Cooper wants to make a change in her life so decides to make her dreams a reality by taking her long dreamed of trip to London and away from small island life in Australia. But rather than leave her small home unoccupied she arranges a swap with Londoner, Patrick Knight.

Patrick is stressed to the max in his role as a city banker. Needing a change of pace he decides to give small island life a try to concentrate on writing a book.

But when the pair start to chat to each other through email they both begin to wonder if what they’ve been looking for all along is now living half a world away.


Although this book was written in the form of emails, diary entries and some standard third person, I was actually intrigued despite this being a format that I’ve read in the past and felt it lacking. I got into it fairly quickly and was quite enjoying it. And then it got a little dull.

The email exchanges really showed off Molly’s personality but the lack of actual interactions between the pair made it seem a little tedious for a while and made Molly’s continued rambling on in her emails a little needy.

I actually stopped reading this book for a while and read another before finally picking this up again to finish it. I’m glad I persevered because as soon as Patrick and Molly actually met, things started to pick up again.

Overall, this isn’t a book that I would rave about and it didn’t display much depth or originality of plot but for a romance that will take your mind off things for a while with a slightly different format than usual then you could probably do worse than this book. It’s also quite typical of the Riva line so if you like their storylines then I’m sure you’ll like this one too.

Delicious Do-Over by Debbi Rawlins

Average Spring Break Romance
3 stars

The week before she’s set to change her conservative, boring life and take a risk on a new business venture, practical accountant, Lindsay Shaw is talked into taking a second spring break in Hawaii for a bit of fun.

Six years ago Rick knew that Lindsay knew how to have fun. They’d had the most amazing night of his life yet she’d taken off the next day without a word. Now she’s back and he’s determined to make up for lost time.

This is the second book in the Spring Break mini-series after Second Time Lucky.The books are interconnected but easily stand alone.

As soon as I picked up this book I was interested and my interest didn’t wane right up to the last page. Having said that, there really isn’t any conflict in the story and nothing really stopping the pair from being together.

Both characters were sympathetic although didn’t really have any magical spark either individually or as a couple. I understand that Lindsay was a shy type but even I got annoyed with her meek behaviour at times and she didn’t really grow as a character in the space of the book. Rick was also an okay character but his “uncharacteristic” outbursts were never really explained and he did seem to be a bit uncommitted. But the most annoying thing was that he, who had known a girl for 8 hours and proceeded to get a tattoo of her name on his arm, was panicking that Lindsay was getting in too fast and too deep. Bizarre!

Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable romance that wasn’t spectacular but still passed the time. The writing was good, the descriptions of Hawaii made it come alive and if you’ve got a couple of hours to spare then it will certainly do the trick.