With Seduction in Mind by Laura Lee Guhrke

Her proposition . . .

London Society is harsh for a young woman with no family connections who has to work for a living. But when Daisy Merrick is sacked from yet another job, the feisty and outspoken miss comes up with a plan that could give her a future beyond her wildest dreams. There's only one problem. Her success depends on a man, the most infuriating, impossible, immovable man she's ever met.

His resolution . . .

Sebastian Grant, Earl of Avermore, is England's most infamous author. Known for his notorious reputation, he is more interested in play than work, and has no intention of cooperating when Daisy shows up on his doorstep with a mad plan. The provoking, fire-haired beauty stirs his senses beyond belief, and Sebastian knows he has only one way to stop her. Seduction.

My Thoughts: When the owner of the publishing house that Sebastion writes for decides to take matters into his own hands Sebastian won't know what hit him. Sending the fiesty Daisy out to partner with Sebastian was jus the ticket to getting the creative juices flowing for both of these to writers.

Everyone know that rewards are the best way to get something done. It gives just the right amount of a kick to get you going and gives you something to look forward to at the end of the job. This is the tactic that Daisy implements on Sebastian. Now Sebastian must write a hundred pages before he is able to experience the taste of Daisy's kiss again. This will surely drive both to distraction!

This was a fun and enjoyable story.

Haunting Beauty by Erin Quinn--Review

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (August 4, 2009)

Erin Quinn

Danni always believed she was an abandoned child. Then the seductive Sean Ballogh appears out of nowhere with a startling story challenging everything Danni thought was true. He claims that Danni's family has been searching for her ever since she disappeared twenty years ago. He's come to bring her home to Ireland. Now, Danni must rewrite history to save her family, to fight a force more evil than she ever imagined, and to reunite herself with the man she was destined for-or risk living forever in time as nothing more than an ethereal memory, a tragic and haunting beauty.

My Thoughts:

Always feeling like she was different she hid her gift to the point that she completely blocked her past, remembering nothing more than an image of her mother dropping her off at preschool, never to return again. She grew up being shuffled from foster home to the next. She can no longer block out her gift and is faced with the haunting images of a family torn, a gorgeous man that she senses wants her for some purpose.

Sean walks into her life with stories of her disappearance and the knowledge that her family has been searching for her. They are swept into another time and place where they must put the clues together before the sands of the clock run out. Danni must right the wrongs done to her family in order to find a happiness to last her for a lifetime.

Haunting Beauty is a spellbinding mystical story of love lost and paths crossed. It is not an epic romance by no means, but it surely will drag you into the lives of this family and have you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to find out if the pull that Danni and Sean feel toward each other will finally bind them. My only problem with the book is that I thought it lacked in the romance department, great paranormal though.

Rating: 4 stars

A Wanted Man by Linda Lael Miller

A WANTED MAN
HQN Books
May 2008 Paperback


The past has a way of catching up with folks in Stone Creek, Arizona. So schoolmarm Lark Morgan and Marshal Rowdy Rhodes are determined to hide their secrets-and deny their instant attraction. That shouldn't be too hard, since each suspects the other of living a lie. Her too-fancy clothes and big-city ways inspire gossip all over town; his blond good looks and impudent grin belong to a man sporting a gunfighter's coat.

But Rowdy and Lark have one truth in common: the very real dangers they face. Like the gang of robbers wreaking havoc on the railroad heading toward Stone Creek-the men Ranger Sam O'Ballivan expects Rowdy to nab. And as past and current troubles collide, Rowdy and Lark must surrender their stubborn pride to the greatest power of all-an undying love.

My Thoughts:
I read the first, The Man from Stone Creek, in the Stone Creek series a few years ago, and thought what could be a better way to help celebrate the Great Western Drive (Ramblings on Romance) than to read the second in the series, A Wanted Man. I didn't count on not remembering much more than the hero and heroine. This created a feeling of picking up the series mid stride and experiencing this world for the first time. Linda Lael Miller did not disappoint by any means.

I enjoyed going back to the Old West and reading about train robberies, people with their troubles in a simpler time, and the loyalty of an old dog. A Wanted Man reminded me why I started reading HR in the first place and made me question the why of leaving the Old West for so long. If you have not yet had the pleasure of reading any part of the Stone Creek series, I suggest you take time and settle in. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

Colters' Woman by Maya Banks

Maya Banks

Publisher: Samhain Pub Ltd
Pub. Date: January 2007
ISBN-13: 9781599983509
272pp
Rating: 4 stars

Adam, Ethan and Ryan aren't looking for women. They're looking for a woman. One woman to share their lives and their beds. They don't want a casual romp in the hay, they want the woman who will complete them and they're losing hope of finding her. That is until Adam finds Holly lying in the snow just yards from their cabin. He knows shes different the minute he holds her in his arms. But before Adam gets his hopes up, he knows he has to gauge his brothers reactions. Soon its evident that shes the one. There are a few problems, however convincing her she belongs with them and keeping her safe from the man who wants her dead.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, menage a quatre, violence.

My Thoughts:

This was my first Maya Banks read, and I have to say it most likely won't be my last. I really enjoyed reading Colters' Woman. Maya Banks did a superb job in making sure that the reader was able to see the emotion shared by all four participants. Each brother showed different characteristics that are needed in any good relationship... basically you wrap all three men into one and you have the perfect man. I would settle for either of the three amazingly hot men!!

I wasn't as impressed with Holly as I was the brothers. She started off as the defenseless damsel in distress who eventually strengthens as the story progresses. I can only surmise that this is because she is being so thoroughly loved by three hunky men. She is suppose to be a virgin upon meeting the brothers, but she seemed way to knowledgeable and willing to enter a relationship with three men. Holly did redeem herself by the end of the book in my eyes.

Overall this was an enjoyable first read by this author and I look forward to reading more from her. Next time I will have the following items at hand before reading:

• fan
• lots of ice
• a bottle of wine... hell you better break out the Crown!!
• send the kids to my sisters
• husband
  

Lord of Pleasure by Delilah Marvelle

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Zebra; 1 edition (August 4, 2009)

Delilah Mavelle


Once upon a time, Alexander William Baxendale, the Earl of Hawksford, was known to all of London and its besotted women as the Lord of Pleasure. Those days of frolicking, however, come to an abrupt end when he inherits not only the estate, but all of his father's responsibilities, including five, overzealous sisters and a not-so-proper mother. When Alexander meets the beautiful Lady Chartwell, he once again finds himself yearning for days of old.

Left penniless by her philandering husband, Lady Chartwell survives financial ruin by turning to scandal and becoming the Conductor of Admissions to a school that educates men in the art of seduction. Alexander knows that desperate times call for desperate pleasures, but if he's lucky, it may very well lead him to a hell of a lot more.


I heard about Lord of Pleasures through Sabrina at Cheeky Reads, when she posted a letter from Delilah Marvelle to all of her readers requesting the help to save The School of Galantry. Here is a little snippet from said letter:

Then the reviews started coming in about my series set in 1830 London England about a school that educates men on the topic of love and seduction. People loved it! Wow. It got nominated for awards. Wow. Readers are e-mailing me raving. Wow. Readers from France, Austria, Poland, South Africa and from all over the U.S and the world. Wow. It just kept getting better and better. I was beginning to feel as if every penny I spent was all worth it (even though my family and I weren't going on any vacations and were eating out of cans). Because all that mattered was that my publisher loved me and my readers loved my series.

Come contract time, I'm ready for whatever they wanna throw at me. Or so I thought. Mistress of Pleasure, though completely sold out and unavailable anywhere (unless it's a used copy, some going for a ridiculous amount of $40.00), hadn't done as well as my publisher had hoped. So without waiting for the second book to come out to see if the series was even worth saving, I get a rejection from my own editor citing lack of sales.

I thought it was pretty amazing that with the first book receiving such good reviews and selling out, and I did in fact look for Mistress of Pleasure and you can't find a used copy for less than $20.00 on Amazon, that a publisher would not want to continue publishing this series. I did what most of us would do when our interest is piqued and can't find the book in stores or on the internet, I added it to my wish list on Paperbackswap.com. My wish was granted, I have yet to receive the book, but have been informed that it is on it's way. The lovely lady emailed me to tell me it was sent back to her for lack of postage, but I should receive it next week. Side Note: I really appreciate when someone takes the time to inform you of why you haven't received an expected item. I went back to PBS before I started writing this review and found that Mistress of Pleasure is still on some peoples wish list. This has to amount for something, or so one would think!

When Lord of Pleasure was released on August 4, I went to Amazon and ordered it. Like I said I have yet to read Mistress of Pleasure, but that was not going to hinder me. I wanted to read this book after reading the blurb and Ms. Marvelle's letter to her readers. The School of Galantry intrigued me to say the least.

My Thoughts:

Alexander has recently inherited the obligations of marrying off the eldest of five sisters and continuing to help raise the other four. His family is a little unconventional to say the least, and he himself included in the unconventionality. The family has always played by the rules of the Ton in public, but when it comes to their own home, there are no rules. Alexander is struggling trying to lead by example and establish some sort of order to his household. He wants nothing to impede the chances of great marriages for his five sisters.

Charlotte has lost almost everything. Her husband was murdered by one of his many mistresses leaving Charlotte with out a penny to her name. The only left for her is her family home, which she is in grave danger of losing. She has decided drastic measures are needed. Her salvation comes in the form of Madame de Maitenon and her grand idea of opening a school to teach men how to pleasure their women in every sense of the word.

I enjoyed the verbal battling going on between Charlotte and Alexander and the determination that Alexander has to have Charlotte. Charlotte was stoic in her determination not to allow Alexander into her life, that is until Madame sat her down and gave her a nice little talk. Watching the relationship unfold between these two was delightful.

At the beginning of each chapter, you are graced with a new lesson from The School of Galantry. Each one is craftily created to intertwine with the plot and the goings on between Alexander and Charlotte. Let's face it ladies, not all men are born with the God given gift of knowing how to love a woman, showing his love, or following through with that love. Can we get an actual school to send our men to?

Alexander's sisters, and lets not forget about his mother, are priceless and I truly want to see more come of their escapades in driving Alexander to the brink of insanity.

I hope all of you will join the ranks and help save The School of Galantry!!

One Knight Only by Julia Latham

Julia Latham

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: November 2007
ISBN-13: 9780061235160
384pp

She knew she would have to risk her life...

Daring and adventurous, Anne Kendall would give anything to join the secret band of warrior knights known as the League of the Blade, and she eagerly agrees to a perilous masquerade. But then Sir Phillip Clifford, a reckless, brutally handsome knight, joins their party, bringing back memories of stolen kisses, passionate longings, and one night when seh would have done anything to be his.

But not her heart...

Anne would prefer to concentrate on the dangerous mission at hand... but the glorious, savage passion that begisn to develop between her and this unruly warrior may prove him to be the knight of her dreams...and her fantasies.

My Thoughts:

Disguised as Lady Rosamond, Anne has embarked on a mission to save one woman’s life and thwart a plot to kill King Henry. When Phillip recognizes Anne in the disguise she has to find a way to protect her identity and the mission, and what better way than to have the Bladesmen protecting her invite him to help.

Anne and Phillip share a history that Anne would sooner forget, feeling the embarrassment of desiring a man she cannot have. Phillip becomes a distraction that could endanger the mission. They both must overcome their pasts and their background to find an end to the mission and eventual happiness in the lives that they both have chosen.

One Knight Only is a real cloak and dagger story set in the fifteenth century. Anne is a strong willed woman who is desperate to find a new life, one in which she chooses and has control of. Phillip is a daring Knight that is tired of living his life based on someone else’s dreams. He has finally decided that what he most out of life is not what he wants and is not that important any longer. What matters most is finding the love that only one woman can show him. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Anne and Phillip’s adventures and look forward to reading Thrill of the Knight and Secrets of the Knight; these books are not considered a series however they are linked by the characters in them.

4 stars

The Canted Curse by Bliss Addison

Nothing ever goes right for Blossom McDougall. Three marriages and three divorces, two degrees and no career, and if it weren’t for bad luck, she’d have no luck at all.
The curse of Clara Teesdale, the woman who Blossom’s great-granny Aggie stole her husband from, is to blame.

As she approaches her thirtieth birthday, the day when she would follow in the footsteps of her great-granny Aggie, granny Winnie and her mother, Gladys, and take her own life as the curse decreed, God answers her prayers and sends her an angel named Fin.

The pair form a strange alliance, and together they fight the battles of the other.



Blossom McDougall is a sweet character strapped with the knowledge that her Great Grandmother committed an immoral act, sleeping with another woman’s husband. The wronged woman, Clara Teesdale, cast a curse on the women in Blossom’s family. The women are said to never find love and will ultimately take their own lives at the young age of thirty. It is a month prior to Blossom’s thirtieth birthday when we meet her. She has already been married and divorced three times, and has had as many careers. She lives a solitary life running a bookstore and taking care of three elderly tenants. Blossom is resigned to the idea that she will most likely be dead in a month and does what she does so often, prays for assistance.

Her assistance comes in the form of Fin, an angel in need of help. He must complete the task of helping Blossom get rid of the curse and finally find happiness in order to get his wings so he can be with his family in Heaven.

Together they embark on a journey to find out how to end the dreaded curse. In doing so they become involved with helping to solve the missing persons case. Four college students have come up missing in the last three years.

I was drawn into Blossom’s life from the very start. If it weren’t for bad luck Blossom wouldn’t have any luck at all. Her spirit seems broken by this curse. Having succumbed to the curse she still tries to keep a positive outlook on life.

Canted Curse is spell binding, full of love and mystery. The characters really draw you in. From Blossom’s pet mouse to her elderly friends you will find plenty to love about this book. Blossom and Fin are characters that I won’t soon forget. I laughed out loud with Blossom’s description of one particular man in the story, “rubbers man”. The continued use of this nickname kept a smile on my face.

***This review can also be found on You Gotta Read Reviews ***

Eden at Twilight by Colleen Love

Blurb:

EDEN AT TWILIGHT is the story of Lily, a woman who wants love, and Leaf, the man who risks it all to love her.

Lily Moore is an ordinary accountant who works long hard hours, leaving room for little else. After strange occurrences begin haunting her, she’s convinced by a motherly friend to take a vacation in Scotland. While there, she meets the man of her dreams, a handsome stranger with shifting hazel eyes. Leaf falls for Lily the moment he sees her, love at first sight. Never has a woman taken his heart so quickly. When trouble stirs and threatens her, he stands by her side, traveling through time and dimension to reclaim her from a deadly Drow leader. Lily has no choice but to trust him and hope his strength will pull them through. But is his strength alone enough?

My Thoughts:

He came to her in her dreams, now Lily is face to face with her knight in shinning armor.

Feeling like she is cracking up, Lily has decided to take a vacation—maybe she can escape from the haunting presence.

Arriving at the picturesque cottage in Scotland, Lily meets the man of her dreams, literally. Leaf feels an instant connection to Lily and is shocked when he looks into the face of the woman from his dreams. Realizing that Lily feels the same connection he knows that it won’t take much persuasion to make her his, however he must tread lightly because he senses that all is not right with Lily’s life.

They are swept into another time after Lily is abducted in the middle of the night and taken to the magical garden, where Leaf barely reached her in time. Now they must battle this presence together and find a way back to their own time.

Eden at Twilight was a fascinating read that I will revisit again. This book will keep you spellbound and turning the pages until the very end.

**you will also find my thoughts/review on You Gotta Read

Slaves of Shebwai by Scarlett Vaughn

Blurb:

King Henrick of Capriana charges Lady Eronica of Tibeth with a dangerous and seductive mission to cross the ocean and spy on his enemy, the Sultan of Shebwai. Driven by patriotism and a desire to ascend beyond her station, Eron nevertheless feels as though she and her maid Corine may be in over their heads.

Trained in the arts of pleasure and servitude, Eron regularly turns the tide to her advantage: first as a pirate’s captive, then as a harem slave. Even the mysterious captain of the Angry Goddess, James Jovark, cannot tame her, though she may have, in fact, tamed his heart.

Eron must match wits against Sultan Jatuu and elude the evil of his Necromancer in order to somehow escape back to Capriana. But Eron never intended to fall in love along the way.

My Thoughts:

Eron is going on a secret mission to infiltrate the Sultan of Shebwai’s palace. The only other person that knows the details of this mission is King Henrick II. Eron has been trained in the arts of pleasure, whether it is the dominant or the submissive. Taking her servant and friend Corine along on this trip, she is hoping that the worse does not come to fruition. She is relying heavily on her beauty, wits and training to accomplish what needs to be done. If she fails it not only will cost her her life but it could also be the end to the Kingdom. She is counting on the pirates sailing the waters to abduct her and sale her on the Shebwai’s slave market, and praying that she is bought by the Sultan himself.

This book is not for the faint of heart; it definitely contains some explicit content. That being said Slaves of Shebwai is definitely a book that I would recommend. I enjoyed the story and was kept on edge through the entirety, a real page-turner. James brings helps to bring about what I am always looking for, the romance and a Happy Ever After. There were times when I didn’t not know how Ms. Vaughn was going to pull it off, but she did so splendidly.

***I have started reviewing for You Gotta Read, This is one of the books I just read and reviewed for the group. You will also find this review on their blog.

Tears Like Rain by Connie Mason

Back Cover: The Maiden

As untamed as the prairie, as free as the wind, she hated what the white men were doing to the Cheyenne. But spirited Tears Like Rain risked her life to save a Calvary officer and make him her slave.

The Soldier

Although the Indians had beaten and stabbed Zach Mercer to the brink of death, the real torture didn't begin until Tears Like Rain rescued him. Never had Mercer ached so desperately for a woman who scorned him. Zach longed to make his beautiful virgin captor desire him as fiercely as she now despised him, but he wouldn't succeed until they both learned a different lesson: that only the bonds of love are unbreakable.

Review: When I first started reading romance Connie Mason was one of my auto buys, at one time I probably owned everything she had published. I went through a very strong Indian/Western romance phase and Mason was the Pooh! I recently ran across this book at my Mom's house and had an almost desperate desire to re-read it. I guess the 15+ years in between the first reading and the second reading served a good purpose... it was like I was reading it for the first time. I really had no recollection of the story; I had no idea what was coming with each turn of the page. Other than a few hang ups with the way some of the conversations sounded (and of course this could just be me) I really enjoyed this re-read. Tears Like Rain did get on my nerves a little, but I guess that is to be expected from a woman who does not trust the man or community that she is with. Mason did an excellent job weaving this story around true events that took place on the western front before the end of the Civil War. I might just have to search out Wind Rider, Tears Like Rain's brother, and continue reading this trilogy.

Rating: 4 stars

448 pages

Land of Falling Stars by Keta Diablo

Description from Amazon.com:

Penniless, her parents and brother dead, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved childhood home during the Civil War. Another bluecoat is staggering down the hill, but before Sophia allows him to rob and pilfer like the others, she shoots him. How is she to know it is Gavin, the dark knight of her youth, carrying secrets too horrific to imagine and a passion that ignites her deepest desires?As Sophia gradually learns Gavin’s secrets—and enjoys his talents in the bedroom—she discovers how to finally know her own heart. Can she save the Land of Falling Stars, or will she lose it all to the horrors of the War and Reconstruction? And will the Southern lady and the Yankee soldier be able to recapture the bliss of their youth – this time in each other’s arms?

My Review: I read an excerpt of this book online before purchasing it. I have to admit that I was totally caught within the first chapter and for two days could think of nothing but this story. I broke down and purchased my first ebook in order to read Land of Falling Stars.

Like I said I was hooked from the word go. I could not wait to find out how and when Gavin was going to tell Sophia his dark secrets. Would she forgive him and still love him? I was totally engrossed.

These two were childhood friends harboring a strong love for each other. Sophia was promised to another, their other childhood friend Jesse. Gavin committed himself to loving Sophia from afar and Sophia was not ready to delve into her feelings for Gavin believing that she needed to find and nurture her love for Jesse. Tragedy strikes during the Civil War. The two best friends (Gavin and Jesse) are fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War and Sophia loses her entire family to a fire.

Gavin travels to Arbor Rose after being released from military duty to find Sophia and share his secrets. These two were both riddled with inner turmoil. It seems that Gavin was a slave to his love for Sophia and Sophia was too bull headed to admit that she loved him. Sophia had no problem using Gavin for her needs however never giving him what he wanted in return. It was sweet, heartbreaking, and angering to watch Gavin do so much for Sophia... constantly doing what was right for her but struggling with his love for her and his guilt over his secrets. Sophia really started getting on my nerves after a while, which is why I cannot give this book a 5 star rating. Her stubbornness to admit what everyone else could see and her treatment of Gavin had me wanting to reach into my computer and strangle her. I don't know maybe it is me reading late into the night and taking my lack of sleep out on this heroine, but I couldn't get over how Sophia just refused to admit her Love for Gavin.

Over all I really enjoyed the story, I really loved Gavin and as I have already stated could have strangled Sophia. I am giving Land of Falling Stars 4 stars. I highly recommend reading Land of Falling Stars!

side note: What a beautiful cover page!!!