ebook, Nook, 337 pages

Published November 2009 

by Samhain Publishing, Ltd

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Pulling off the ultimate con...if they can keep from pulling off their clothes

Keely McKay knows Jack and Jack Donohue is a certified pain in her Wranglers. The lone girl in the prolific McKay family, Keely needs another man giving her orders like she needs a hole in her boot. What she does need is a restoration specialist so she can open her physical therapy clinic and prove she's left her wild-child days behind. That means dealing with buttoned-down, uptight Jack.

Jack is this close to securing a career make-or-break project, until he learns his lack of marital status puts him out of contention. When the notoriously hot-tempered and hot-bodied Keely begs him for help, he proposes a crazy idea. He'll oversee her project if she acts the part of his loving fiance.

Their sizzling lust makes it all too easy to go from butting heads to knocking boots but outside the bedroom they're as mismatched as ever. The McKays remind Jack of the humble upbringing he left behind, and cowgirl Keely feels she doesn't measure up to Jack's big-city lifestyle.

When the dust settles, Jack and Keely must face the fact they're not fooling anyone but themselves or they'll risk losing the real deal.

Warning: this book contains one hot-blooded cowgirl and one cool-headed businessman in a stripped-down, revved-up game of sexual truth or dare.

My Thoughts

So, I'm making serious headway into this series. And loving it. I think I got the immediate McKay families romances all finished up, but I'm sure there's plenty of McKay cousins for me to read about in the upcoming books. Ought be one hell of a ride. 

Jack: I honest to goodness love Jack. He is one surprising hero. Extremely dual and yet no part of him is ever really hidden. Vulnerable. Stubborn. Demanding. Moronic at times. Proud. Sweet. Tender. You see it all because there are many layers to Jack but he wears them on his sleeve. I loved that about him--he's open. Easy to get to know. He was easy to love as a hero. And I did totally love him. He loved Keely, and while he demanded from her, he gave a lot too. And while he was territorial about her, he wasn't a total jerk or mean. He just growled a lot. It was sexy and sweet, and a different sort of spin on a possessive lover. I liked it. I liked that Jack would do anything for Keely. 

Keely: I've always liked her sass. She does whatever she wants and I love that about her. Nothing takes her down. Jack can set her on edge, keep her on edge, and she never has the upper hand with him--but she never backs down either, which he likes. And she likes that Jack challenges her and demands from her. These two are a match made in hell in some ways--constantly snipping, arguing, always get their panties in a knot over something, but they are so perfect for each other because they can be themselves together. And because neither one of them will take shit from the other. 

So why don't I love this book more? I guess it's because something was just slightly off for me. I think it might have been because even in their own hearts and heads these two don't really acknowledge their feelings to themselves right up to the end. It's only once the pretend engagement is over that they realize they love each other and don't want it to be over. I think they both knew all along they loved each other, but there wasn't a really good moment for either one of them where it showed big time. Maybe it was so subtle I missed it, but I don't think that's the case. Anyway. I wished I loved this more. But as it is, there is a solid romance, great story line, wonderful characters and great moments when the family comes out in full swing to support Keely. 

4 glittering stars

ebook, 

Published March 31st 2011 

by Colleen Gleason Inc.

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Passionate romance and court intrigue, lords and ladies, knights and castles...

Madelyne de Belgrume has lived in secrecy in a hidden abbey for years. Her mad, abusive father, Fantin, believes she is dead.

Lord Gavin Mal Verne wants nothing more than to seek revenge on Fantin de Belgrume...and he has the king's blessing to bring the man to heel.

After a battle with Fantin that leaves Gavin nearly dead, he accidentally comes upon a hidden abbey...and the beautiful, serene nun who helps to heal him...and touches his heart in more ways than one.

When Gavin discovers Madelyne's true identity, she is forced to leave the sanctuary of the abbey and appeal to King Henry for succor.

To her horror, Madelyne learns she must either marry...or be returned to her father's custody.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with the cover. And you know all know how much I love historical romance. And it's been a while since I read one set in medieval times. Could I resist this? Naturally not. I think I have discovered a gem in Colleen Gleason who seems to write a wide variety of genres and spun a beautiful story in Sanctuary of Roses.

Gavin: I love it when big, tough warrior men turn out to to be kitty cats in tiger's claws. Gavin seems very hard and unyielding to Madelyne, and he is very much that way. Very much bound by duty and honour and the past which was not very kind to him. But underneath that is a sensitive soul who longs for peace. It's not surprising that he should he find it in Madelyne who is beautiful and kind. I liked watching Gavin battle his heart with his head, but in the end it was his heart that won out and I loved seeing him melt a little. The scene in the garden before their marriage is one of my favourites. 

Madelyne: She would have made an intriguing sort of nun I think. She's independent and she doesn't let her status as a woman keep her from saying what's on her mind. To Gavin or even to the king. While it at times irked Gavin, there were times I wondered at her tenacity--how does a nun in training come across such determination? I truly liked that about her. She was completely at peace with herself but she could and would rise up when treated as though she was an object to be taken care of, instead of a person with a mind and feelings of her own. I was also quite impressed that she had no difficulty in letting Gavin know how she felt about him--once he decided that he was marrying her himself. 

This novel's plot is largely driven forth by characters and the madness of Madelyne's father. I was tickled pink at the smart way in which characters are used throughout the novel, and thought it had enough action to keep the reader guessing as to whether or not there would be a HEA--I have to say, I was concerned at one point about that HEA, and usually I have faith that the HEA will come to pass. But I was worried this time around (though my anxiety proved unnecessary). A character driven romance, Sanctuary of Roses left me yearning for more romances set in this era. 

4 glittering stars 

ebook, 100 pages

Published November 9th 2010 

by HarperCollins e-books (first published 1998)

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SHE WAS GIVEN TO A STRANGER
Cordelia McQueen was a virtual prisoner in her father's house. Until everything changed when she was shamelessly traded in a battle for land and water rights, and thrust into an unfamiliar world as the bride of Dallas Leigh.

HE BELONGED TO THE LAND
Dallas had given his life to the land. Now he aimed to put West Texas on the map. But as he gazed into the eyes of the lovely stranger who belonged to him, he caught a glimpse of another ambition--a warm, radiant desire of the heart. Was this the woman who would walk beside him as, together, they carved out a rich future with all the promise of love?

My Thoughts

What can I say, I've fallen in love with old west romances. The covers are nice too ;) I was eager to start the second book in the Texas Trilogy by Lorraine Heath, and I have to say, I was not disappointed. I think I still liked Houston's story better, but Dallas' story was one of longing and I loved it. 

Dallas: He's in need of a son. He has everything else. He doesn't have a son. He needs a wife to get a son, so he arranges to marry a neighbour's daughter. But, as you can expect, the farther along he got into this marriage the more he realizes, he should not have rushed head long into marriage. Cordelia, or Dee as she she is affectionately called by those who love her, is a woman who is afraid of her own shadow. She's been closeted away by her family for entirely selfish reasons and Dallas immediately realizes that he can't rush this timid woman into his bed--or his heart. In fact, he's soon convinced that no matter that he loves her (and oh, does Dallas love her) that she does not love him. I adored him for the depth of his feeling. I adored him for letting Dee dream--because dreams are all we have, and that he actually let her dream and then gave her the independence and means to see those dreams into reality--well, I fell in love with him for that. 

Cordelia: She dreams big, and she's got a heart as big as Texas itself. I couldn't help but laugh when she thought that Dallas was in pain whenever they made love (which is why she didn't want to do it again after the first time), but I was touched by the fact that she couldn't stand to see him in pain. And as for why she was leaving  at the end, talk about unselfish. She was a gentle, yet strong heroine and I really liked her. It's refreshing to find a heroine who has a quiet strength like Dee does. I can't say much more about her because the things she and Dallas go through are heart breaking and I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. But every part of this story is wonderful and worth the read. 

This books leads nicely into Austin's story, and I'm expecting great things from that sensitive, big hearted soul. I'm also expecting his book will have a lot of action. 

5 glittering stars

Book Synopsis 

Try – verb: to make an attempt or effort to do something or in this case…someone.

Sex. Logan Mitchell loves it, and ever since he realized his raw sexual appeal at a young age, he has had no problem using it to his advantage. Men and women alike fall into his bed—after all, Logan is not one to discriminate. He lives by one motto—if something interests you, why not just take a chance and try?

And he wants to try Tate Morrison.

Just coming out of a four-year marriage with an ex-wife from hell, a relationship is the last thing on Tate’s mind. He’s starting fresh and trying to get back on his feet with a new job at an upscale bar in downtown Chicago. 

The only problem is, Tate has caught the unwavering and unwelcome attention of Mr. Logan Mitchell – a regular at the bar and a man who always gets what he wants.

Night after night Tate fends off the persistent advances of the undeniably charismatic man, but after an explosive moment in the bar, all bets are off as he finds his body stirring with a different desire than his mind. As arrogance, stubbornness and sexual tension sizzles between the two, it threatens to change the very course of their lives. 

Logan doesn’t do relationships. Tate doesn’t do men. But what would happen if they both just gave in and…tried?

Kindle Edition, 353 pages

Published November 12th 2013 

by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

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My Thoughts

When I heard Ella Frank was writing an m/m romance my heart went all a-flutter. Ella Frank is one of my favourite steamy authors to read, and I had high hopes that Try would be delicious. So I was more than excited to get this read in my greedy little hands. And this was one read I could not put down (save for the necessity of work and sleep) and I am still thinking about this book. 

Logan: We first met Logan in Edible and I thought he was an intriguing there. The sexy, arrogrant brother of Cole, I knew his story would be interesting for sure. And boy oh boy, was I right! Logan is pushy, undeniably sexy, and stubborn. He has no problem letting Tate know he's interested and he doesn't seem to care that Tate is straight, daring him instead to try being with a man. Oh, did I forget to mention Logan is ballsy and says exactly what's on his mind? Because he is, and I loved that about him. He made me laugh out loud at times, and other times I thought my eyes would pop out my head at the things he'd say. But Logan, sadly, is a player. A player who learned to play because he was in essence, played. And he's never really trusted or done relationships since. So he's hardly ready for where the experiment, so to speak, with Tate is going to lead. 

Tate: Friends, I think I have found a new imaginary boyfriend. I adored Tate. Adored. He was unfailingly honest, and I found that damn refreshing. He didn't deny to himself, or to Logan, what he was feeling. It took him by surprise and it took him a bit of time to get used to the idea that he wanted to try with Logan, to see why he had feelings for a man, but once he starts trying, Tate doesn't back from the reality of what is happening. And what's happening is that he likes being with Logan--and not just in bed. He likes Logan. And I loved that when Logan pisses Tate off and disappoints him at times, Tate always lets Logan exactly what's on his mind. His temper is spectacular and so is his stubborn streak (I think Logan more than met his match there) and I just loved how these characteristics combined into one honest, forthright man. And geez, the curls ladies. I could almost feel them in my fingers when Ella talked about the curls. But now I'm gushing. Tate is going to have to do a lot of standing up for himself in the next book, but I know he can deal with the drama because Tate always stands up for himself and for what is right. Hence, my adoration. 

Steam level? Off the charts. And a major part of the plot. But I honestly felt as though each encounter brought them to a new level in their relationship--not just sexually, but emotionally. Tate is a challenge for Logan, and I think challenge and that time they take together pushes Logan to the realization that he needs Tate in his life. And each time they are together, Tate accepts that his entire life is changing and that he wants it to, because he wants to be with Logan. I highly recommend this read--I was completely devastated by it. I would like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. 

Favourite Quote

"It's been real since the moment I realized I couldn't stop thinking about you."

5 glittering stars

Paperback, 360 pages

Published September 30th 2008 

by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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He has tried hard to forget her.

Kev Merripen has longed for the beautiful, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway ever since her family rescued him from the brink of death when he was just a boy. But this handsome Gypsy is a man of mysterious origins—and he fears that the darkness of his past could crush delicate, luminous Win. So Kev refuses to submit to temptation…and before long Win is torn from him by a devastating twist of fate.

Can she remember the man he once was?

Then, Win returns to England…only to find that Kev has hardened into a man who will deny love at all costs. Meantime, an attractive, seductive suitor has set his sights on Win. It’s now or never for Kev to make his move. But first, he must confront a dangerous secret about his destiny—or risk losing the only woman he has lived for…

My Thoughts

I'm a big fan of Lisa Kleypas. So much so that even though she has plenty out that I haven't read, that I space out her novels a bit because I'm afraid of running out of her glorious books. She's yet to produce one I was disappointed in.

Kev: What a stubborn man. Usually I find this endearing. In this case, I wanted to shake Kev. I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to flounce off after some scathing tirade so that my frustration was vent. Honestly, he had hang ups that to me didn't really make a lot of sense--I understood where he was coming from, considering his childhood. And I was glad after Leo let him have it that Kev comes to his senses regarding letting Win marry Dr. Harrow. But geez, for a while there I thought there was no hope because he's so darn stubborn. And yet, there is a layer of vulnerability so deep inside him that I also found his character compellingly engaging. He loves Win with a passion so deep that it's almost hard to see it. And I think that is what is so wonderful about him. Win is his everything. Literally.

Inside cover

Win: I may not have gotten to flounce off after a tirade that left Kev's ears burning, but Win certainly does take her life into her own hands and leaves him burning in a lot of other ways. I really liked her gentle, yet extraordinary determined character. She was no nonsense, but all heart too which I found a happy marriage of traits. I loved how even when she was really angry at Kev, that she still couldn't pretend to herself that it was over between them. Or that she wanted it to be. She was determined to move on with life if Kev wasn't willing to make a life with her, but she knew for her that Kev would always be the one. And my favourite part was when Kev kidnapped Win, Romany style, to "ravish" her and Win thought, finally. I was pretty darn relieved myself!

Overall, a delicious read. Full of beautifully turned emotion, laugh out loud moments and with a healthy sprinkling of le sigh. 

4 glittering stars