Romance Books

A delightful little book, Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate is almost a modern-day fairy tale. Told in monthly installments, the novel is simultaneously story and cookbook, filled with both recipes and home remedies and as well as the story of Tita, our heroine, who was born, raised and taught in the kitchen, and who has the amazing ability to cook her emotions into her marvelous recipes. Tita's story is one of longing, love and the need to be her own person; to escape the tyrannical presence of her mother and create her own life with the man she loves. It's a relatively fast read, but enjoyable all the same.

If you enjoyed Allende's The House of the Spirits, then this is the right book for you! Much like Allende's novel, Like Water for Chocolate combines the ordinary and the supernatural in the portrayal of two young, Latino lovers living in the midst of civil war. However, Esquivel's work remains unique though her use of food in not only emphasizing her pride in the Mexican culture, but also in expressing the strong conflicting emotions that are deep within the hearts of the characters. Through the use of magical realism and the motif of food, Esquivel depicts a love story that explores the classic theme of what happens to a dream deterred.
Every chapter of the novel begins with a recipe, which serves to accentuate how the life of a traditional Mexican family is centered on the kitchen. Thus it is no surprise that the main character is no other than the youngest daughter and head chef, Tita, who is characterized as a talented young girl whose spirit is constantly broken by her mother's incessant upbraiding. Tita's lifelong pain is symbolized through the motif of onions, which appear throughout the novel during times of deep sorrow and heavy weeping. Esquivel's use of food as a motif is further evidenced by Tita's culinary masterpieces--such as the rose dish that causes its consumers to be afflicted with erotic obsession. Overall, Esquivel's originality is derived from her ability to mix the elements of cooking, erotica, and the magical realism in creating a novel that demonstrates the consequences of emotional repression. I personally recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a love story chock-full of Hispanic culture, garnished with elements of the supernatural.

Get ready to be engulfed in the mouth-watering aroma of delicious Mexican dishes and a tale of romance, mystique, and an all-consuming passion. Laura Esquivel's beautiful novel, Like Water for Chocolate, is a combination of simple prose and the charm of magic realism that makes it a delightful and fascinating read.
The novel encompasses the life of Tita de la Garza, the third daughter of Elena, from her unusual birth to the spectacular event of her death. Intertwining with Tita's story are monthly recipes that are served during the course of her life and have had significant impacts on Tita and the people around her. The dominance of food throughout the novel is further embellished by Esquivel's use of magical realism. Taking a role itself, the appearance of food or the ingredients that are used to prepare food instigate a myriad of events in the story. Tita's birth is explained as being triggered by her cries within Elena's womb due to chopped onion, and the dishes that Tita prepares carry a magical power that could induce tears or passion once consumed, such as the "Chabela Wedding Cake" and "Quail in Rose Petal Sauce."
Thwarted of the chance to marry her only love, Pedro Muzquiz, Tita transfers her emotions into food and allows her cooking to express the concealed feelings she has for him. Just as strong as her passion is for food, Tita's and Pedro's ardor for each other surpasses all boundaries of time and familial obligations. The fierce passion of their love is so powerful that it magically ignites them at the final climactic moment of their joining, causing a great fire and ultimately concluding Tita's life.
Overall, Like Water for Chocolate is a sumptuous and sensual tale that will evoke a sense of longing in the reader's heart and appetite.

Chocolate in the tummy, title or story improves the experience.
This book is on my stack of all time favorites-some of the dramatic images will amuse you and stay with you-for years.

"Like Water for Chocolate" was a romantic food novel that I was required to read for my college English class. The book was very realistic at times but would have certain elements playfully exaggerated with a fantasy twist. It was unique how the Laura Esquivel incorporated recipes to go with chapters of the book. This novel was written beautifully and will leave you in a half fantasy world of love surrounded in a deep aura of Spanish foods. It truly transports you to another world. Recommended for the romantic. :)

I am shocked that anyone liked this book. I gave it a two because I was able to finish it (by skimming a lot). The plot is just really, really dumb and completely unbelievable.

In the beginning, I agree, the book starts slow. However, it picks up & I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Max's character and emotions are well established - I would have liked to have seen more of Blake's, "the rushing home" feeling I did not feel that.

In the end - I thought it was typical DS, but not cry your heart out.

Books like this one are the unfortunate result!
I think this is the second Danielle Steel book I've ever read in my life and I'm pretty certain it will be my last. This novel reads like a 320-page outline of a story idea that the author either lacked the time or the desire to fill in and develop. Characters are never fleshed out -- (which I guess is difficult to do with cardboard). Instead of scenes we get summaries of scenes -- as though any action that might have been remotely interesting took place off stage! And I don't think I've ever read so many cliches in one book. In the end, I cared about none of the characters because the writer gave me nothing to care about! In short it's just a horribly, horribly done book that the author seemed to have written with an indifference that shows no respect for the following that has made her a success and very, very wealthy.When I finished this book I was just pissed that I wasted my time -- and money.And the editor of this mess should be fired.

This book is so predictable! The very end of the book (I won't give any spoilers) is so nauseatingly predictable, hokey and unrealistic that I just shook my head in wonder. And the only likable character was the housekeeper Zelda.

Another bomb from Danielle Steel.

I've been a fan of Danielle's books for years. I actually met her on the beach in Hawaii in the 1980s, and she was and is a personal delight. "Rogue" continues her seemingly never ending formula for successful romance novels. It may start off a bit on the slow side, but it picks up and roars from then on. A wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

Editor of Michele Cozzens' award winning women's fiction A Line Between Friends

This is the first of this type book I had read and I couldn't put it down. Have ordered many books since then but this remains at the top of my list.

This was my first Annemarie McKenna book, as well as my first book dealing with a menage a trois. I have to say, this book was delicious!!

The plot is pretty outlandish. A domineering, bullying father blackmails his daughter Brianna into having sex with Cole Masters in order to take her son and pass it off as his heir. He uses the threat of sending Brianna's brother to an institution if she doesn't go along with his plans. Cole Masters at first wants absolutely nothing to do with the obviously crazy man until he sees Brianna. He's charmed, and aroused. Instantly he knows she's the one for him.....and his best friend, Tyler Cannon. After some pretty steamy sex, the plot thickens when attempts are made on Brianna's life and the men have to protect the love of their life from an unknown killer.

Wow. Menage is hot. I've never read this genre before, didn't even know a genre for this kink was even available. I personally always thought menage was silly, an adolescent fantasy. This happy threesome makes it work though. They confront any problems, any possible jealousy and it's just not a problem for them. The men can have individual sex with Brianna or indulge in group sessions that left me panting! While the plot is pretty transparent, it gives just enough to make it more interesting. It also adds a little naughtiness, making Tyler a strong, gruff bodyguard and Cole, the protective businessman. What girl wouldn't give to be the jelly in this sandwich?!

I can't wait to read some more from this extremely talented and inventive author!

I bought this book, along the the excellent Slave Ship and Other Stories and was very pleased with my purchase. This is one of the best erotic books I've read in a long time and I am lucky that I happened upon it. I couldn't put it down. I'll definitely buy more of Annmarie McKenna's books.

Im a little unsure what to think about this book. The sex scenes were really hot but the story line

Brianna is a 26 year old virgin and is blackmailed by her father to have sex with millionaire Cole Masters to get pregnant. If she doesn't do it he threatens to send her blind brother to an institution. Cole was about to tell her father to go to hell since he wasn't going to be part of that crazy plot but than he sees Brianna and he changes his mind.

So this is about the time the book throws me off for the first time: Cole tells Brianna that he wants to sleep with her but there is no way in hell he would hand over his child to her father. So I was thinking "Ok, great he doesn't plan on knocking her up. Whataboy." Yeah. no such thing. He claims that he never slept with a woman without a condom but there is something special about Brianna and he wants her without a condom All other forms of birth control don't seem to be an option either. Ooookay.

Cole also has this thing about sharing women with his best friend Tyler. Does he give poor virgin Brianna a heads-up? Noooooo He rather ties her to the bed, blind-folds her and than invites his friend in. After that the two morons blackmail Brianna into being their little sex slave in exchange of her brothers safety (who seems to be the only normal one with an IQ higher than toasted bread).

I also hated that Brianna seemed to have no back-bone whatsoever. After being pushed around by her father all her life you should think that she has enough of that crap. But no, she lets those two monkeys control her life They talk about her like she is some sort of helpless 2-year old while she stands next to them. Everytime she wants to say somehing they just ignore her

And than Cole comes up with this brilliant plan to marry her - after 4 days. But he is scared that she might say no (huh, why would she ) so he decides not to ask her at all. No, he has an even better idea! He just orders her to marry him! Gee, how romantic.

However, the book still get's 3 stars from me just because I don't read books like that for their awesome plot line - if you know what I mean ;) If I should re-read it again I will just skip the whole plot and just read the steamy parts.

I believe this book to have great twist's and it had me not wanting to put this book down.I dont think i have ever read a boko so fast in my life.

I look forward to my next good book like this one.

I read Chapman's book and was pleased. I am not yet a married woman, but it provided a lot of insight. I have a better understanding of myself and love. I learned new things about myself and I learned new things about the opposite sex. The greatest gain for me in reading this book was the understanding I gained about myself and MY "love languages."

I recommend this book for everyone....especially engaged couples.

IT WAS A BLESSINGS!!

This book gives actual steps to do, and explains the theory why it works.

The author tells why, and ways to really get their mate to understand. I liked it because make your marriage wonderful" book.

The examples are great, and it is a very easy.

Other book about love that helps me with my marriage is I Love You. Now What?: Falling in Love is a Mystery, Keeping It Isn't

Most books focus more in the philosophy of life that the author supports, this book is down to earth and very practical. We love it!

I am very pleased with the books I ordered. Thank you for the prompt service.

This condensed version of the original Five Love Languages book give a great synopsis of the meaning behind each one. I gave this copy to a friend because I kept referring to an old one that I had. This version makes a great gift. The Five Love Languages breaks down how each of us want to be loved and how each of us gives love to others. Since I first read the book I have enjoyed finding out which love language that my loved ones like to receive. I highly recommend it!

I love the drake series. This one is very good one. Couldn't let go

This book is a great addition to the drake sisters series and is an awesome example of what christine feehan can accomplish.

Kate is more than I thought she would be. Aunt Carol is a love! You find yourself rooting for the underdog and hoping it all works out for love in the end.

Classic Feehan .. a little bit of mystery, a dash of suspense, some intrigue and plenty of romance all spun into an entertaining tale. The Drake Sisters with their supernatural talents take center stage once again with this second installment of a possible seven books. Something in the mist is playing havoc with the people of Sea Haven and it's up to Kate Drake and the dashing Matt Granite to save the day ... can they survive the horrors of the mist and will they find the courage to recognize love when they find it? Fans of books by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nora Roberts may enjoy this novel.

I thought this book was stupid, to put it bluntly. The mist that takes material form so that it can throw things because it hates Christmas? The relationship between Matt and Kate? Two people who have lived years apart on different continents and did not even attend school together? They were never friends that I could detect from the storyline. Yet, each KNEW the other was the only one for them. What utter tripe. Maybe the man in the mist is more believable than the love story, now that I consider it farther. A stinker of a book.

For the record, I read and enjoyed the Hannah story! That made this all the more disappointing to me.

Immortals after dark is a great series of books, I've read them all! They have everything, drama, love scenes, humor, and every "paranormal figure" you can think of. It's hard to pick a favorite character/book, but I might have to go with Cade & Holly's story. Will definitely keep reading when more books are released!

I have been reading romance novels since I was 15, so a good 20 years now. In my mind nothing like a cup of tea and a good romance novel to escape and unwind at the end of a day.
Just to give a sample of my taste, other authors I enjoy are: Jen Holling, Connie Brockway, Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, Christina Dodd, just to name a few.

This entire series is such a page turner. I had a hard time putting any of the titles down. More evenings than I care to admit I stayed up way to late "just to read one more chapter".
In No Rest for the Wicked. I found Sebastian to be such a great leading man. He was strong, dedicated, and what he did to pursue Kaderin essentially to the ends of the earth was such a show of dedication. What he gave up of his own family to be with this woman and to save her life and that of her family. Boy a true hero. I loved them together!

I enjoyed the glimpse of supporting characters so you felt that any of them would be enjoyable to read about in their own series. The entire series is fast and there is not a lot of review of what happened in a prior book. You open the book and off you go. These are not slow moving. I laughed, I cried, I blushed. Boy Ms. Cole writes some steamy scenes. Wow! And I am amazed that nothing repeats. Each book is so different, the plots are so different and the way the main characters relate is so different. Yes they do all have hansom men and lovely ladies. But the dynamic relationship between the main characters is simply fire from page 1 to the end. Out of all my years reading romance. I have never read modern romance before. I can say without a doubt that these are the best romance books I have read and that is truly saying a lot considering how many authors works sit on my shelf.

This series is captivating. It hooks you and you don't want to put it down.

Laugh out loud. Sizzling hot and brings the sexy. Big time. This is a keeper.


On a scale 1 to 5, Five is Best:

Villian: 5
Plot: 5
Creativity: 5+++
Uniqueness: 5+++
Humor: 5
Bringing the sexy: 5
Passion: 5 stars
Laughs & Amusement factor: 5 +++
Silly Whiners who get on your nerves: 0
Lazy Author repeating too much from prior chapters:0

Centuries ago, before she earned the appelation " Kaderin the Coldhearted", she spared the life of a young vampire and lost her twin sisters because of that act of mercy. Blaming herself for that one act of weakness, she made an oath to never let her emotion sway her judgment ever again. To atone for her sisters' brutal death, she dedicated her existence in annihilating their enemies and promised to rid the earth of vampires. Thus, Kaderin the Coldhearted became the Valkyrie's most prolific assassin. And as per her vow, an unknown power ensured she was able to follow her oath, promising surcease from the pain, thereby blessing her for eternity. Yet, was it truly a blessing, or a curse? For while she might have found relief from her sorrow, her emotions have been dead ever since.

For a thousand years, Kaderin has withered away in her cold existence void of emotions. Then just as she was gearing up for the Talisman Hie, Kaderin accepted a mission to kill a vampire in a remote Russian village. There, for the second time in her immortal life, Kaderin was unable to kill an enemy. For inexplicable reason, she was drawn to him, stupefied to meet a vampire who was begging to be killed. And as she stood watching him, Kaderin the Coldhearted began feeling once again. Oh, how the mighty has fallen!

As the readers are told of Kaderin's initial meeting with Sebastian Wroth, the author begins the tale of a lonely vampire who's been turned by his brother against his will. The reader sees through Kaderin's eyes the anguish of a man who has felt nothing but weariness for what he considers an abominable existence. Unlike the first book, the chemistry sizzles between Kaderin and Sebastian from the word go leaving you waiting the next time their paths would cross. As the readers read on, Kresley Cole continues to build her world of fantasy where we learn of the immortals' version of the Amazing Race in which creatures of the Lore compete for the ultimate prize to take back to their faction. Cole introduces more fascinating characters and creatures that beg for their own story. We learn more about the difference between the two vampire factions, the Horde and Forbearers. And as the Talisman Hie begins, we are taken on a venturous journey where a magical key is not the only coveted prize for our hero and heroine, but the once in a lifetime chance to find happiness.

If you like fantasy and are fascinated by alternate reality where faeries, vampires, lykae, elves and other interesting creatures co-exist with humans, Kresley Cole has granted your wish with her Immortals After Dark Series. I admit that I wasn't exactly captivated by A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1) but still decided to continue with the series. I am glad that I did as I found NO REST FOR THE WICKED utterly entertaining and enjoyed being taken on an exciting journey around the globe (yes, I'm a huge fan of the Amazing Race!) and reading about Kaderin and Sebastian.

I really like the way the auther has you on the edge of your seat/ It is hard to put the book down after you get in to the story.

I haven't been able to find an author that grabs me for some time...believe me, I have been looking and have many unfinished novels on my shelf. I was waiting for a plane two weeks ago and saw her latest on the best sellers shelf and decided to look at other books by this author. Long story short...read two from the FBI series in a week and have ordered four more today. Ms. Coulter is a fabulous writer and really knows how to draw one in and keep them reading and reading. I am not a romance novel reader so hope she keeps with the FBI series. Enjoy!

I am a huge fan of Catherine Coulter, so I was not surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. This would be a great story for the movies. Mary Higgins Clark has nothing on Catherine Coulter.

I haven't ever read one of Ms. Coulter's books until Double Take and I will never read another one. The dialogue is contrived and poorly written. The plot is ridiculous. It reads like a 4th grade student's mystery. There are many other mystery writers who are more worthy of a reader's time and money.

If you've read the other 10 FBI books this one is a must. As with the others it hooks you from the start. Can hardly wait to get book 12.

What a disappointment this book was. The author portrays Elizabeth as a mindless pawn in the hands of the traiterous Robert Dudley. Anyone who has done much reading about Queen Elizabeth I knows that she was a brilliant linguist and astute politician and was extrememly wise in her choice of advisors. No one put words or ideas in her head that were not her own. To portray her as an emptly headed, mindless individual with no thought beyond what Robert Dudley wanted does a great disservice to one of the most successful and brilliant historical figures ever. She was way ahead of her times in her thoughts on politics and religion. I would not have finished the book except I was hoping to see some redemption somewhere in the final pages. Shame on you Phillipa Gregory for your unfounded and false portrayal of Elizabeth.

I was a little disappointed. Primarily it's because I didn't like her portrait of Elizabeth. However accurate or inaccurate it may have been. Elizabeth is one of my heroes, but in this book she is whiny, capricious, indecisive, foolish..... I didn't like her at all. Allison Weir's portrait of the young Elizabeth in "The Lady Elizabeth" is more likeable, and yet apparently is still a version of Elizabeth that is grounded in the historical facts that are known.

However the mystery surrounding Amy Rosbarth was very interesting. This is worth reading if you are a Gregory fan or a Tudor history fan.

I have read several of Philippa Gregory's books and this is one of my favorites (the first one being The Other Boleyn Girl). It continues with the same themes of love and greed that appears in the other books but they are presented from the perspective of a man. Which make is quite interesting because all her books are usually written from a females perspective.

Virgin's Lover / 0-7432-6926-8

I really cannot understand why Gregory books seem to be so hit-or-miss. The Constant Princess was wonderful - great history, great story. The Other Boleyn Girl was, well, it was poor history but a decent story, and that's really all that matters. The Virgin's Lover isn't even a good story, and I really cannot understand why.

The story ostensibly centers around Amy Robsart, Robert Dudley's wife. Amy is distressed that her husband, upon Elizabeth's recent rise to the throne, now has a place at the palace in the new queen's court. This upsets her because, in typical Gregory fashion, the political marriage between Amy and Robert is really a romantic marriage between two lovers. However, we have to take Gregory's word on this matter - the two 'lovers' are invariably nasty and cruel to each other, with Robert being unforgivably distant (he does not even send a message when he is absent over Christmas) and Amy being petty, childish, and nagging (telling him that a dream of his father's death is an omen to stay out of battle - as though Robert has a choice in the matter - and greeting him smugly after the battle when his brother has just died). Amy also invariably prays for the death of Queen Elizabeth when it would be far more realistic for her to pray for the death of her callous husband - and we are told that Robert abandoned Amy long before Elizabeth came to the throne, so this animosity towards Elizabeth is deeply confusing, at best. With these strokes, Gregory has managed to give us two characters who are totally unsympathetic, with the end result that we do not particularly care about Amy's abandonment (we would abandon her, too) nor do we care about Robert's infidelity (we would know better than to love someone so worthless).

With the "main" characters thus rendered meaningless, all we have left is Elizabeth. This is where the novel's flaws show most badly - Elizabeth has been reduced to a silly, vacillating, pleasure-seeking, childish girl who is barely capable of making the slightest decision. She throws a very un-regal temper tantrum during her first royal mass, and leaves the pieces for the shrewd Dudley and Cecil to pick up for her. In fact, she manages to leave ALL the affairs of state to the two men, since the affairs of state are dreadfully dull and she is just a winsome 25 year old girl without a serious thought in her silly head. Until the next page, when we are told solemnly by Gregory that Elizabeth's long years of imprisonment and uncertainty seasoned and aged her and made her fit to rule. And yet, we turn the page, and there is stupid, childish Elizabeth again, because the plot demands that she be so. Honestly, if I didn't know the author better, I would assume that the writer had serious issues against women, that's how badly Elizabeth is portrayed here, and the characterization of her as a stupid promiscuous idiot flies in the face of all historical fact about the woman.

Which brings us to another major flaw in Gregory's writing here - 99 times out of a hundred in this book, she TELLS rather than SHOWS. A good author shows a characters emotions, reactions, conversations, and so on and the reader can intuit from these glimpses that the character is immature or childish or wise or altruistic or any number of character traits. Instead, Gregory just goes the lazy route and tells us "Elizabeth is this," or "Elizabeth is that," and thus is all subtlety lost completely. Paragraphs are written in this sort of style: "Dudley handled all the coronation details, because Elizabeth did not care how the coronation was planned, only that everything be perfect. Elizabeth never cared about the how or why - she was a player on a stage and she only demanded that the other actors play their parts perfectly." Well, that's certainly VERY compelling writing, except that it isn't. Good literature is not written this way. The same point could have come across much more memorably if Gregory had fabricated a conversation where Dudley tried to involve Elizabeth in the ceremonies and she reacted coolly with disinterest. This would have given us some insight into Elizabeth without having to simply memorize what Gregory tells us.

I really cannot recommend this book. Obviously, it has struck a tone with some readers and perhaps you will enjoy it, but I would recommend looking for it at the library before buying a copy. I felt that the history was bad, the writing was dull, the characters were irritating and uninteresting, and the story was lacking any kind of drama or interest.

I would be ashamed to put my name to this rubbish. That Philippa Gregory put her name on this is an embarrassment.

When reading reviews of products or books, I tend to take into most consideration those "middle-area" reviews, since they seem likely to be the most accurate. If only I had seriously read the 1-star reviews of this book. Nothing infuriated me more than to read a female novelist who wrote the Constant Princess (one of my more favorite historical novels - which gave a new, intelligent perspective to Catherine of Aragon) writing a novel about two women who are the most idiotic, insufferable and utterly unrelatable women I have ever heard tell of. The characters are first of all, not even remotely plausible - historically or in fiction.

Amy Robsart is portrayed as a wet blanket of a woman who cannot stand up for herself much less get over the fact that her marriage is ending. She is forever waiting for Robert Dudley, shown here as a miserable louse of a man, to return and live happily ever after with her. Cecil's character is tiresome, simply because he is rendered impotent by Dudley's and Elizabeth's characters, and instead of retaining dignity and poise is resentful and bitter.

Walsingham gets nary a mention and is instead merged into Cecil - pure laziness, really, especially since it's Cecil's made-up spy network that gets all the write up. Elizebeth herself is a woefully indecisive wanton tart, better suited to grocery aisle book cover than anything in a Philippa Gregory novel. Elizabeth, a woman considered to be fairly politically savvy in a time when women weren't even considered viable rulers, is utterly dependent upon men. When Cecil is away, she turns to Dudley to manage all of her affairs.

Worse, there are redundant phrases in the book, one being that Cecil rarely, if ever, puts his name on documents. Oh yes, because Cecil is the spymaster, right? And he's quite careful? This dumbed down repetitive tripe is a poor excuse for a novel, much less anything written by the Philippa Gregory I had come to respect as a writer. I am offended and insulted that this would pass among her fans, and I am dismayed to see so many giving it positive reviews. It's trash. Dressed up historical trash, but trash nonetheless.

The story is told from the perspectives of Robsart, Dudley and Cecil - never from Elizabeth's perspective at all. While this is somewhat typical of Gregory's work and writing technique, Elizabeth is too central and too enigmatic to benefit from it. Instead, the book seems lazily written, as if it's too much effort to imagine any plausible explanation or motivation for her behavior. Because Elizabeth was such an enigmatic ruler in reality, it's a shame that Gregory didn't think to writer from her perspective. Instead, Elizabeth is almost a sideline character, while the Men do Men things like rule her realm and tell her where to stand and what to do (quite literally - evidently, Elizabeth had no clue how to behave during royal entertainments, and depended upon Dudley to tell her exactly what to do).

There is nothing queenly about Elizabeth in this book. Nor is there anything dashing or appealing about Dudley. In a time when one's bed partners meant life or death, and Elizabeth had first hand experience with that (consider Seymour's beheading as a result of his treasonous plots including Elizabeth herself), it's impossible to believe that she would be so casual about her affairs. It's insulting, especially, considering the real Elizabeth was so careful and calculating.

Suffice it to say, I did pay money for this book (humorously, only because Alison Weir's book was out of stock). I fully intend to write a strongly worded letter to both Ms. Gregory and her publisher requesting a refund.

This book is so hot I swear my fingers were singed while reading it. If you are looking for a hot book to read to keep you warm on a cold night. This book is for you. You can't go wrong with it.

goooood really good real page turner for me this for me was steamy, sexy, wild, wicked and waton ....KEEPER

10 stars!! I swear that's what I'd give this book if I could!! This was actually not only my first "erotic romance" but also the first thing I'd ever read by Jaci Burton. And let me tell you...from the moment I opened to the first page, to the very last...my body throbbed. I couldn't read it w/o wanting to reach for my significant other. It was just that amazing!! The premise of three gf's, a sexy bet, and each of the women's ensuing fantasies...just so DID IT for me. Wild Abby is approached w/a sexy menage proposition...and it would kill me...to be asked by even one of her sexy suitors...much less both. So I could TOTALLY relate to her shock, surprise, and the downright hedonistic pleasure of THAT CRAZY NIGHT. Damn. This was a really, really, hot story. And probably my favorite of the three. Then there was Wicked Blair...I didn't get that she was all that "wicked" since she needed Rand to help her "let go"...but the sex scenes were still pretty damn hot. Raunchy talk at it's finest!! And last but not least...is Wanton Callie. Definitely a fun girl. Not at all what you'd expect from a widow & sweet coffee shop owner! She & lawyer Jack deserved to be called more "wicked" than Blair & Rand, in my opinion....but whatever. This whole book was just one fabulous fantasy fest....Definitely another keeper for my collection.

"Wild"
Abby has rebuilt her life after a nasty divorce from a cheating
husband. After having sworn off men for good, she knows where she is
going in life and what it will take to get it. Working with the two
hottest veterinarians in the state is a wonderful bonus. Now if only
she can keep her word to herself. She wants them both. Will she have
the courage to allow herself to enjoy what both of her bosses have
offered? Sex never sounded so good.

"Wicked"
Blaire is not a fan of commitment. She has lived her life the way she
wants and has been quite content. Minus the fact that she still has to
go to bed with the only man to drive her crazy. He knows all her
buttons to push and is not afraid to make her know he is alive by
pushing each button. Hard. Now her friends have given her no way out.
She will find out what she has been missing all these years. Can she
allow someone else to have control?

"Wanton"
Callie has fantasies that she just does not want to admit to out loud.
Not even to her best friends. The one that drives her craziest is
about the sexy guy who comes into her coffee shop every morning. Can
she share her dreams and find out just how far she can go? Or will she
live her life with her broken heart hanging over her head?

Wild, Wicked & Wanton is Jaci Burton at her best. Again. Ms. Burton
starts Wild, Wicked & Wanton with the feeling you have when you first
walk into a steam room. The sudden heat makes you weak in the knees
and you have to sit down to get comfortable. The steam takes over and
you just enjoy it. Three stories within one is how Ms. Burton set up
Wild, Wicked & Wanton. It starts with a friendly wager between three
friends who each end up living out the fantasies they have always
wanted to indulge in. Each friend ends up sleeping with whomever the
other two friends have chosen. And the friends choose well. And each
juicy detail is shared. I enjoyed Wild, Wicked & Wanton to the point I
have to Joyfully Recommend it and then cool off.


Barb
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I had just arrived home from work and my husband had that familiar twinkle in his eye. He took me in his arms and virtually stripped me where I stood and gave me the sexual experience of a lifetime. It was only later that I learnt that he had spent the afternoon reading Wild Wicked and Wanton and needed to release his built up passion on me. Needless to say I spent the next day devouring the book and it was wonderful. The characters are like real people that you know and the situations where fantastically erotic, but at the same time very believable. The three stories were works in themselves, but at the same time interrelated. Get a copy for your husband and if it has the same effect that it had on mine, then there will be a lot of ladies going to work tomorrow with a big smile on their faces. Two other books we have read recently that have had the same sexually electrifying effect have been 100 Percent Erotica and Purple Panties: An Eroticanoir.com Anthology Both red hot, up close and raunchy, sexy books.

The book is okay, but I don't care for the 'wilting flower' type of women.

The series is written in first person and is about Cat, half-human and half-vampire. Her mum got raped by a vampire and because of that Cat hunts and kills vampires.

In the first book, Halfway to the Grave, she is forced to team up with another vampire called Bones. Bones is pretty much a bounty hunter/hitman and he tries to track down a ruthless vampire who kidnaps and sells human girls. Cat and Bones have an awesome chemestry going on and of course they hook up.

The book reminded me a lot of Buffy, not because she is a vampire slayer but because the book has an awesome sense of humor without being silly. Every other page made me at least smile but at the same time the whole story line was serious enough. Bones also reminded me a little of Spike (before he turned into Buffys lap dog) and I liked that there was no mistaken about how he felt about Cat.

I didn't like that there wasn't a real happy end in the book. I understood the reasons why she acted the way she had to and I know that Bones will be there in the next book but I think I would have been happier if I would have got a happy end

I never watched Buffy or charmed or any of those shows on TV so I wasn't too concerned after reading the bad reviews.

I enjoyed Cat and Bones characters very much. I laughed myself to tears and found the characters to be very funny, charming and steamy. The jealousy had me rolling! The banter between Cat and Bones was my favorite part.

The story moved along very fast. I read the book in a day and quickly downloaded the next one. (I LOVE MY KINDLE) I was not happy with the way the book ended however I am looking forward to the next.

Cat is a young half human half vampire who spends evenings staking out every vampire she can set eyes on. She does this as revenge for the rape of her mother by a vampire five months before her premature birth. She also hopes of stumbling upon and killing her father. Her mother encourages her to do this, which really seemed warped to me, this human mom all out for vengence. Then Cat meets Bones. Bones gets the best of her in a match and forces her to team up with him. Only this time, she can only kill the vampires he approves of. Namely, the bad vamps. He explains to her that there are two kinds of vampires. Those that feed because the must and then leave people uninjured, and those that try to harm humans in every way possible. Under their common mission, Cat and Bones grow from a wary working relationship to genuine friendship, to possibly love. This is the story of their relationship, the relationship between Cat and her mother, and also Cat's self-awareness in who she really is. Add in tons of bad guys doing sickening things to people and some great action and what we have is a winner. I like Cat and Bones and it was easy to cheer for them. My only complaint is that the book took longer for me to read then normal and I'm not sure why. This didn't keep my reading nonstop like many of my favorites do. I don't want to discourage paranormal readers from grabbing this book up and I give it a strong four stars.

This is a must read for fans of Kim Harrison's and Charlaine Harris' heroes. It is not as deep as the Rachel Morgan and Sookie Stackhouse novels, but my guess is that this was because it was the first in the series. This book reminded me of the original Anita Blake before she became obsessed with sex. This story has a simple plot with expected twists and turns, yet it made me feel great while reading it and afterwards. I cannot wait to buy book 2 in the series.