Romance Books

Before buying a book, I go to the library and borrow it. In this case, with Harrison's series "Dead Witch Walking", "The Good, The Bad and the Undead" and "A Fistful of Charms" (very cute puns on Clint Eastwood films) I'd feel my money would be better spent elsewhere.

I *enjoyed* parts of the books, when there was plot evident, but I did not enjoy the constant emo-ing and angsting. Although the plague that wiped out a huge portion of humanity is mentioned once in a while, usually in tandem with tomatoes, the only effect the plague seems to have had was to bring supernatural creatures and witches and so forth out of the closet. If Harrison was not going to incorporate such a enormous societal change in a realistic way, it should not have been included at all as an explanation for a world with open magicking.

By "A Fistful of Charms" the only character I give a hoot about is Jenks. He doesn't emo all over the place, although he does take part in one too many deep heart-to-hearts with Rachel Morgan about her love life and psychological state. This book in particular felt like I was eavesdropping in on a massively long and drawn out therapy session instead of following along in a well-structured adventure/mystery puzzle.

The plot, when it bothered to show up between talking head heart-to-hearts, was sort-of cohesive. There was some weaving together of elements from the beginning of the book to later scenes, but, either I wasn't reading closely enough, or I missed the section that introduced a character (by name) and by who he was arriving with in order to have an assisted suicide. I had to figure out he'd been mentioned cryptically a few chapters earlier, but not by name. He was not a character until Rachel had the chance to ooze emo all over HER ethical dilemma. It made her incredibly self-indulgent and unlikable. I almost found myself wishing she'd been killed in the car wreck, also.

Rachel Morgan's own revelation at the end of the book about her psychological nature of needing thrill-seeking to have sex was just...I won't say repulsive, but really, I didn't need to have it spelled out for me. In fact, I didn't like having every deep personal motive of the every major character spelled out for me in dialogue between the characters, as if they were all in Junior or High School trying to figure out their social status and who they could screw and why not or why it could work or not. Does every character own some sort of speshul knowledge about a key character, as if they all have canted telepathy?

Harrison does have a way with writing hooks in her stories. I just wish she'd reign in the emo-talk, the spelling-out of motivations, and hang her stories together a little more securely. Also, make Rachel less of a whiny sex-driven stereotypical witch, please. Sex is healthy; but I don't want to read about characters endlessly whinging about it!

This one was so full of events...I think someone should make it a movie. I would certainly go see it!

A Fistful of Charms, the 4th entry in Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, is easily the best story in the series. (At least so far; I haven't had a chance to read books 5 or 6 yet!) The story is wonderful, and this stellar entry elevates a solid series into a great one.

Ironically, it's not the main plot that makes this book shine. (Although it is a good one.) Instead it's the sub-plot involving the personal relationships between Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks that makes this book a "page-turner." The author finally gives us some real insights into the reasons behind Ivy's emotional struggles as well as why she is so obsessed with Rachel. Seeing Rachel come to terms with these revelations and begin to open herself up to Ivy is sweet, touching, and even a bit erotic. (No spoilers! You'll have to read the book for all the juicy details.)

Jenks is back, which makes the book very fun to read. (I sorely missed him and his sense of humor in book 3.) Jenks's efforts to rescue and reform his son Jax really adds depth to his character, and you get the sense of someone who may look young but is actually very world-weary.

It's especially nice to see Rachel making better decisions about who to trust and how to run her life. It is sometimes irritating in the earlier books to see Rachel constantly resisting her friends' efforts to help her. It's was especially wearisome to see Rachel get in over her head and barely manage to survive over and over again. One of the strong points of this book is that you (and Rachel) finally get some insight into WHY she often finds herself in those situations.

That is also a strong selling point for the main plot. For once, Rachel (with Jenks's help) manages to complete a run without everything spiraling COMPLETELY out of control AND without getting beaten to a bloody pulp. (Both of which seem to happen with alarming frequency.) Seeing Rachel rescue Nick and Jax and then successfully fend off several packs of Werewolves was very interesting, and the author did an excellent job with it. It was also nice to have a break from the seemingly constant threat of Demons gunning for Rachel. Having the bulk of the story take place in Mackinac was icing on the cake for a Michigan native like me!

For the first time with this series, I can't wait to get the next book! While the fist book was excellent and the second book was decent, the third book was a bit of a chore to read. (Except for the well written love scene between Rachel and Kisten.) I was ready to relegate this series to the "nice but not worth the price" category until this fourth entry. Now I'm hooked for good!

The audio cds for the first five books in the Rachael Morgan series by Kim Harrison are read with great skill. They hold your attention. The different voice pitches are right on the characters, the emotions, the plot. If you have any of the first five audio books, you are going to want this one and the rest. UNFORTUNATELY, for me and for any otheres who have to listen to audio books rather than having the pleasure of reading, the sixthy book in the series The Outlaw Demon Wails is terrible. A new reader has taken over. Her voice is irritating and childish. Her characters sound ridiuclous. The demons sound more like a cartoon, Jenks sounds like a faiie..and if you'rve read the previous books, you'll know what an insult that is. Sometimes for no reason, a character YELLS. I don't know if that is the read, which I suspect, or engineering. Also, Demon Wails is horrible. As wonderful as the first five are, Demona Wails is almost impossible to listen to without a lot of head shaking and eye rolling. The Rachael Morgan books went from wonderfully dramatic, humorous, emotional readings to a sad, sad 'I wish I had not wasted my money' flop. Some of us are going to be forced to buy the poor reading to continue the exploits of Rachael. If I can possibly find someone who has read the book, I'd settle for them simply telling me what happened. "The Outlaw Demon Wails" is that bad, and the first five are that good. Oh...and in Demon Wails, the reader not only cannot pronounce the characters names, but she cannot pronounce basic vocabulary. Sad but true.

This series is a wonderful surprise. I read this in one gulp of fresh air - it's humorous, very real and the characters are so detailed that you actually feel that you know them in your real life!
So many reviews here compare it to Anita Blake, but I read the first few books in that series - and NOTHING compares to Rachel Morgan.
First off, Rachel Morgan is a much more complex individual, and Harrison creates a world of characters that you actually care for. In Anita Blake, I didn't feel any sympany for her or anything bad that happened to her . Moreover, the story is so stupidly plain and simple that leaves no room for imagination.
I also tried to read the Dresden files (read 2 books) - AWEFUL!!!!!!
The closest I could find to the style of writing and the intricate little things that happen all around in the book is the Sookie Stackhouse series which I also am thorouly enjoying right now. Can't wait for the next book in the Rachel Morgan series!!!

While the premise of the story is good, the movie did a much better job of capturing the characters. Her writing style needs polish and she writes as a 22 year old pretending to know what it's like to be 30 and widowed. The characters have no depth and you find yourself saying over and over again "that wouldn't really happen". Phrases are used repetitively and dialog is weak. There were some charming moments, but overall it reads like a high school paper. The author needs to mature a little and get some life experience. Skip the book and rent the movie.

The prelude to this story had such an amazing idea- such a wonderful thought! A young married- so in love- couple finds out the husband is dying and will be gone within months. We quickly learn how they met, how and why the fell in love... and then he dies. Within days of his funeral the wife receives a package- it is from her husband. Once per month over the course of one year, she consistently receives surprise packages or letters from her dead husband, helping her to cope iwth him missing and lists of things to do to get on with her life.
This could have been such an amazing story! The idea of a man planning this for her was so romantic!
But Cecelia Ahern disappointed me. I just could not connect with the main character. I didn't FEEL like I had missed out on a life and love so amazing. I didn't believe they were truly in love, nor did I enjoy most of the letters. If my husband had died untimely an dI had to wait month after month for a letter, I would hope to receive more than one line from him telling to go and buy a lamp, or a new dress. How about listing a great memory of us together? How about how much he loves my smile? How about describing our unborn children? How about explaining what our life together could have been like? You have to live through it to let it go sometimes.
I just wanted more. It had so much potential. The premise of the story was fantastic- it was just lacking that certain "something" that makes a story special. "PS I Love You" was a huge disappointment.
If you did happen to enjoy it, try "Catch & Release" on DVD. That movie I've seen 3 times and enjoyed it very much!

The book is a lot like the protagonist, Holly, flawed but sweet. The heart of the story, truly what I found the most moving, was any scene with Holly reading and cherishing the monthly letters from her unfortunately deceased husband, Gerry.

Strangely enough, I found Gerry to be one of my favorite characters despite the lack of his physical presence in much of the novel. He seemed much more charming and likable than other characters of the novel. (Perhaps because the novel drew on his adoring widow's perspective.)

I wish we had learned a bit more backstory about the many characters of the novel, but alas.... we did not.

Though the writing was sappy and drawn out at its worst, it is very sweet and poignant at its best. P.S. I Love You was an enjoyable read about prioritizing one's life, coping with grief and loving yourself.

I have read the book and have never seen the movie. I don't want to because the book holds a pretty special place in my heart and I fear the movie will ruin it. This book hit home from the moment I started for an entirely different reason then I have seen in the other reviews. My fiance is in Iraq and as I read I realized that over the last year I have been basically dealing with his "death" in much the same ways as the main character. I laughed, I cried, I promised to appreciate people more, I prayed, I just loved this book.

As an "International Bestseller" with a feature film spin off, I bought this book expecting a decent read. Instead, I muddled through it in constant amazement of just how bad the writing was. I couldn't even believe that it had been made into a book until I read somewhere that the author is the daughter of Ireland's Prime Minister.

The storyline itself has potential, but all was lost as a result of the author's poor prose and consistently corny dialogue. Bottom line... I would not recommend this book to anyone who reads or thinks above a 5th grade level.

This book was more about the feelings of the heroine than a chilling suspenseful tale about a unsolved crime. The storyline was so slow that about over half of the book repeated itself. The actual criminal was a true let down and did not add to the suspense of the book. I had to skim the book to finish it. Do not read this book if you are looking for a suspensful read.

I loved this book! I read it in two days, which is pretty good considering I have a 10 month old! I stayed up until 1:00 AM to finish it. Carla Cassidy does it again, I had no idea who the evil rapist was, she kept my guessing until the end - what a fantastic job!

This is usually one of my favorite authors, but this book was so boring all I could do was skim it, I wanted it done and over with so I could read my New Sandra Brown. I hope Sandra does not let me down.

Happy Reading!

It's been 16 years since Mariah Sayers was home. Raped as a teen, she finds herself pregnant and unable to turn to her strict parents for support. She runs away to Chicago and starts her life over, but returns to bury old ghosts after her father dies and leaves the family home to her. With the intention of merely fixing it up and putting it on the market, a new romance blossoms with the unlikely boy who sat behind her in class. Jack Taylor is now the town vet - sending women swooning to shelters to get pets to have him treat them. He has always had eyes for Mariah. But the memories of that long ago night continue to haunt Mariah, and just when she starts to think it might be safe to think about staying in Missouri for good, her best friend comes to visit and is brutally attacked and nearly murdered. When the police start to think that the over abundance of runaways might be linked to the attack, Mariah fears that the man who raped her has escalated to murder and she has to decide whether or not to report the crime that caused her to flee in the first place, which might have a devastating effect on her daughter.

Cassidy is an always riveting writer. Her books are like truffles - you just want to devour them. I stayed up late into the night trying to guess who the baddie was - I was totally convinced I was right, and then wham - I was wrong. She creates tension, and tons of red herrings, and takes a storyline that has been used numerous times and makes it seem fresh. My only cirticism is that I would have liked to have more of the aftermath of the killer's reveal, as well as what made them crack. I loved the relationship between Mariah and daughter Kelsey. It was totally believable. And the romance between Mariah and "Dr. Hot" as Kelsey labels him is ... well, hot! I'm convinced that Cassidy could write want ads and keep me glued to the page!

© Tracy Vest, September 2008

The assault from an unknown person frightened teenager Mariah Sayers as she expected to die; instead the man he zipped his pants back up and claimed he broke her and owned her before leaving. Frightened she ran from her hometown of Plains Point, Missouri. She vowed never to return and for almost sixteen years she avoided the place.

However with the death of her father, Mariah accompanied by her teenage daughter Kelsey has come home with plans to sell the family house. However, Mariah and Kelsey feel as if they finally came home as each enjoys living here and the mom is seeing Jack. Still, the shadow of the monster lingers in the background until a girl is murdered; Mariah believes her assailant is the killer just from the little she knows. This time she plans not to run as she decides instead to uncover the identity of her fiend.

Using the topics of teen rape and child abuse, Carla Cassidy provides a strong romantic suspense thriller starring a brave flawed woman and a deep support cast especially her daughter and her boyfriend, but especially the villain who for the most part is off page yet his few words emphasize the terror he causes. Years after her harrowing incident Mariah still suffers from nightmares as in his way the predator truly owns her. However, this time she refuses to run. Lights will be left on long after the reader finishes BROKEN PIECES.

Harriet Klausner

Emma complete illustrated novel by Jane Austen

Austen's witty exploration of social relationships in "Emma" is both humorous and insightful. An enjoyable read for everyone.

I have always loved Emma the movie, the one with Gwyneth Paltrow in it. Her Emma is so clueless, so innocent, yet somehow loveable. I finally decided to pick up the classic novel to see if the movie missed anything and to get the full story straight from the author. The book delighted me just as much as the movie did, as I am pleased to say.
Emma Woodhouse is a young, rich woman living with her germaphobe father in the town of Highbury. Bored and eager for some sort of excitement, she decides to matchmake her new friend Harriet Smith with the local vicar Mr.Elton. Emma is convinced that her matchmaking skills are among the best, wrongly taking credit for pairing her governess Miss Taylor with their neighbor Mr.Weston. Many mishaps occur, and many hearts broken and confused, but in the end all is well, with all three of the main couples finding happiness.
It took me a little while to get in the vocabulary of the time, but once I did the book breezed by. Emma is so flawed like all of us; that is why we love her. Just because this book was written almost 200 years ago doesn't make it bad: it makes it better.

A smug but goodhearted society girl learns her judgment isn't as incisive as she thinks it is. "Emma" is a fun, lighthearted version of Jane Austen, with enough misunderstandings and crossed signals to form the basis of a modern sitcom. For all its pleasant enjoyability, however, the novel is also a fascinating character study of one woman being elevated to a nobler level by being taken down several notches.

In this respect, "Emma" is a prime example of the fact that although many see Jane Austen as something of a proto-feminist, she often gave her male characters the most admirable constitutions of her entire cast. Although the female Emma may be the heroine we hope will triumph, the male Mr. Knightley (like Colonel Brandon of "Sense and Sensibility") is the unimpeachably noble person, and the one who helps Emma ascend to a higher plane of virtue when she might otherwise have been left in despair at her failures. In the end, Austen's fourth novel (and the last published during her lifetime) is not a feminist manifesto. Rather, it transcends the gender wars and remains a touching comedy of errors with a profoundly subtle commentary on human pride and folly.

It was a good book, but older writing styles are hard for me to get used to. I liked the characters, but the movie ruined it for me. ALWAYS read the book before you see the movie.

Like most of Jane Austen's novels, the theme is around young women and how to obtain marriages with suitable men and be in love with them at the same time. In Emma, we have a heroine who not just sits around and speculates on who would pair up with who, but actively strives to influence and guide the matchmaking. She takes on a protege, Harriet Smith, a young woman of unknown parentage and sees into every interaction with the various gentlemen, more than is actually there. Unfortunately for poor Harriet, whose emotions get tangled around various men "who are all above her socially", Emma learns that manipulation and scheming is doing more to hurt her dear friend than to have left things alone.

The reason I read this book as a mystery, is that the reader is left to speculate (without peeking) which man would pair up with which lady. There are red herrings, where the characters other than Emma, misspeculate, to lead the reader into examining the clues to see if it were the case. Also, one of the male characters purposely set out to mislead where his affections are placed, and there is also a misunderstanding between Emma and Harriet on which gentleman she admires, with Emma giving encouragement because of mistaken identity.

The scheming finally crashes to a sequence of revelations brought about by a sequence of events. One after another, the couples pair off with a sequence of marriages, assuring the reader that the correct matches were made and happiness for the future guaranteed. Even though the middle of the book is very slow, the reader can go back and look at the clues and events after knowing the ending to see where inclinations rested and secrets lay buried.

Have you ever had premonitions of the future? Been smaller in stature than other people, but able to control them with your mind? Ever wondered where you got your powers, or why you are different from everyone else? This book has ALL the answers. Open the mists with your hand and return home to the island of your ancestors...we're waiting!

This is one of my all time favorites. I bought this copy as a gift for a friend. Nearly every literate person has heard the tales of Camelot and King Arthur. This classic novel expertly focuses on the women's perspective. I've read it several times and find insights into the origin of legends and religions, especially the feminine aspects of the Divine. If you enjoy it, I highly recommend the prequels, The Forest House and Priestess of Avalon.

I read this book years ago, in my 8th grade year of school. It's a big book, but it was so good that I just kept on reading. I could hardly put it down. I've been trying to get my hands on the book for a good price ever since i finished it (I had borrowed from the library). This book really got me into Arthurian legend. It was great, I'm in love with it.

What an amazing book. All of the other 5 star reviews say what I want to say, so I'll leave it at that.

The entire premise behind this novel is a good one. It is the legend of King Arthur, Camelot, and Avalon but told from the point of view of the women involved, particularly the priestesses of Avalon. Central to the plot is that Vivianne, Avalon's powerful high priestess, tricks Morgaine, her apprentice (and the novel's main character), into sleeping with her brother Arthur in order to produce a son that has Avalon running through his veins from both sides. Arthur himself is a product of Vivanne's goal of ensuring that Britian has a High King who will remain faithful to Avalon and keep peace between Christians and the follower's of the Goddess of Avalon. Otherwise Avalon is in danger of diasappearing into the mists forever.

When Morgain finds out it was her brother Arthur who she slept with she turns on Vivianne, leaves Avalon, and goes to live with her scheming sister Morgause in the wilds of Lothian. There she gives birth to Mordred but then falls vicitim to her sister's scheme when Morgause finds out Mordred is King Arthur's son. Morgause takes Mordred from her an does not allow Morgaine to form a bond with her son in the hopes that by raising him it is she who will be the real influence behind the throne when he is High King.

Meanwhile, Arthur has married Gwenhwyfar, a devout Christian and a woman who seems to suffer from one phobia after another. She sees her inability to give birth to a child as punishment from God for Arthur's divided allegiance to both the followers of Avalon's Goddess and the Christian God. She uses Arthur's love for her to convince him to turn his back on Avalon and make Britian an entirely Christian nation. This, Mordred waiting in the wings, and the fallable nature of human being's sets the stage up for conflict and destruction that will destroy all of the orignal plans for peace and unity between Christian's and Avalon. And Morgaine, after years of living outside of Avalon yet longing to return, discovers that leaving Avalon was easy but finding her way back is anything but.

While all these factors seem to be the ingredients for an amazing read, this reader was dissapointd with several aspects of the novel. To start with, the author's pro-Pagan anti-Christian views come shining through each page of this novel. I think it's wonderful that a novel was published with such a different point of view. No matter what your religious orientation, it's always good to question and see things from another vantage point. The problem I had was that after several hundred pages of this it began to grate on my nerves. Eventually it was like, "OK, I get it already!!!" It was just too much and the entire novel would've benefitted from a much more subtle approach.

Then there was the extreme long-windedness of the author. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good long novel but not when it seems to just go on and on and on and on about what, IMO, were not major plot points in the novel. Some serious editing needed to be done here. This novel could've shaved off a couple hundred pages and not suffered a thing.

I also thought the portrayal of Gwenhwyfar as a whiney, wimpy, 'fraidy cat was too over the top. I get that the author was trying to portray the difference and the conflict between her and Morgaine, which represented the heart of the conflict between Avalon and Christians, but she just has no reedeming qualities whatsoever. In what is supposed to be an novel told from the women's viewpoint, the author seemed to do the same thing she accuses Christians of doing, laying the blame for the sins and downfall of the world at the feet of a woman. It seemed that she Gwenhwyfar was the author's scape goat here. I wouldn't have minded the less than flattering portrayal of Gwenhwyfar if would've at least attempted to be somewhat fair and at least allowed the reader to discover some reedeming quality about her.

OK so I know I've waxed verbose about what I didn't like about the novel but there were some things that I thought were great. In fact, overall I didn't hate this novel it's just that the above gripes keep it from getting too great of a score. As a heroine, I absolutely loved Morgaine. She was flawed yet sincere, very human, and yet somehow very spiritual and divine. She was not the typical beauty but yet she radiated with an inner beauty. She made mistakes over and over again and suffered for those mistakes as did others.

I also enjoyed the humanity of so many of the characters. They were so recognizably human, flawed, caring, violent, and yet they yearned for peace. They made mistakes and suffered the consquences. That was painfully depicted here in a way I haven't seen in many other novels. It was very atmospheric and, when I wasn't pulled out of the story by the above irritants, I was swept away into ancient Britian and the world the author created.


I enjoyed reading about the conflict of cultures as Christianity began to spread across Britian. Just the fact that there is a novel with such a different point of view than we are used to, female and Pagan, is a very good thing. I would love to try and read more about the ancient religions. I just wish that, as a whole, this particular novel had been written better. But this is one I'm going to hang on to and reread in a few years and compare my reactions.

Overall I do recommend this novel because of it's very different premise, I love the heroine, and you may not have the same issues I did with the presentation of the story. 3 1/2 stars.

ETA: I don't get the complaint from so many reviewers that this is a "feminist" novel. It's told from the viewpoint of the women involved, does that make it feminist? Even if it was "feminist" what's so wrong with the idea that men and women should be equals? Since when is that a bad thing?

It's the "good Pagans, bad Christians" theme repeated ad nauseum that causes this novel to suffer, not the fact that it's told from a female perspective. And I'm agnostic so I don't claim one religion over another, I just don't like it when an author's personal POV overtakes what otherwise could be a good story.

this book was not very good. there were 3 of the 4 authors that wrote these stories who were favorites of mine. angela knight, lora leigh, and emma holly. I did not like their contributions to this particular novel. and diane whiteside was completely boring and not in the same arena with the other type stories. I was very surprized that I did not like none of my favorites in this book. I gave this one 2 stars.

I just loved the twist in Angela Knights story. I hope she continues with this world, hothothot.
As usual I loved Lora Leigh's story. It was a great mix of sex and suspence, I love these "breed" stories!
Diane Whiteside her story was filled with magic and love. Not as hot as the other stories but just as stong.
And last and certianly forgettable, Emma Holly. I didn't have a urge to finish this story. Her latest books and novella's have fallen short.

Overall for lovers of hot sex and the paranormal this is a must read.

This book contains the following four stories.

5 stars for DRAGON'S DANCE by Angela Knight.
Creative, new, different, fun. Humans with special powers are called Hypers. Some are good and some are bad. I don't want to give away some of the fun surprises, so I won't tell any more of the story, other than it was well done and worth buying. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: three. Setting: current day Blue Ridge Mountain area in U.S. Genre: paranormal romance.

For a list of my reviews of other Angela Knight books, see my 2 star review of "The Forever Kiss" posted 9/09/08.


3 stars for IN A WOLF'S EMBRACE by Lora Leigh.
Some parts wild, wicked and fun. Other parts a little weak. Too much time was spent in the thoughts of Matthais, thinking and worrying about losing her and his life without her. Too much time was spent with Grace rejecting him and wanting to get away from him after seeing him shoot another man. But otherwise, it was enjoyable. Story brief: Matthais is 1/2 wolf and 1/2 human. His breed has only one mate for life. He meets Grace and knows she is his. He spends time with her. Then she sees him execute a man who had tortured others. Matthais kidnaps Grace and she eventually gives in and falls in love with him. Sexual language: erotic. Number of sex scenes: five, some several pages long. Setting: 2003 New York city and Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. Genre: erotic paranormal romance.

For a listing of my reviews of other Lora Leigh books, see my review of "Tempting the Beast" posted on 6/30/08.


2 stars for CAUGHT BY THE TIDES by Diane Whiteside.
Not entertaining enough. Something was missing. I wasn't emotionally invested in the characters. I was bored with the way the author described the lifestyle, schooling and lack of parenting of mages, as well as the powers of mages and magick of the land. I'm having a hard time describing what was wrong, but overall I was not entertained. Story brief: A British spy, Owen who is a mage, just returned from spying on Napoleon in France. He is injured and Emma heals him. Trevelyn is a spy for France, living in England and is also a mage. He and Owen fight. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: 1803 English coast. Genre: historical, paranormal romance.

For a list of my reviews of other Diane Whiteside books, see my 2.5 star review for The Irish Devil posted 8/31/08.


2 stars for QUEEN OF ALL SHE SURVEYS by Emma Holly.
Something is missing, I'm not sure what. I kind of wanted it to be over. The plot is about having sex, not much else. The king has a large sexual appetite. His son Memnon, does as well, but he chooses one woman per month to be with. An enemy queen has a stable of harem men. She uses several of them every day to service her. Her army captures the king's army and she requests Memnon as the ransom. Memnon goes to her at his father's command. He is so good in bed, or should I say they are so good for each other, that she keeps him and no longer uses her harem of men. Sexual language: erotic. Number of sex scenes: six, some several pages long. Setting: ancient Yama civilization on earth. Genre: erotic paranormal romance.

Beyond the Dark is a pretty good book if you are into the paranormal romance genre. Fans of Angela Knight and Emma Holly will enjoy these offerings from them, which are the typical high quality we've come to expect from these authors. I also enjoyed Diane Whiteside's offering although I was not familiar with her work. I felt Lora Leigh's novelette was the weakest of the four but it was still worth reading. While this collection is not really a "must read", it does have merit and is worth a look for veteran readers.

This is a collection of four stories by well-known authors of paranormal romance of the more erotic variety.

DRAGON DANCE by Angela Knight
This story started off excellently with our heroine, Arial Dean, trying to negotiate the release of a woman and two children in a hostage situation. Initially the story seems to be an ordinary hostage situation but then we learn that the man who has taken his wife and children hostage is a Hyper, someone who has some extra powers. These powers became apparent in the population five years before and can have devastating effects on the mental states of those who become Hyper. Arial and the other law enforcement officers have to call in Tracker, a Hyper who works for the Feds, to try to deal with the hostage taker. When Tracker arrives he and Arial rescue the family, but with some collateral damage - to Arial. When Arial realises she has become a Hyper and turns to Tracker to help, she is starting a new journey in life where she discovers there is a lot more to the Hypers than previously thought. Arial's personal Hyper skills may be necessary to defeat the evil Kali, a woman who has taken six slaves and wants to get Tracker and Arial too.

This story was interesting and well written although the sex scenes felt rather unnecessary to the plot, at least in the detail in which we were given. The situation of the Hypers was interesting and I would have liked more to be made of it. However it was an enjoyable read and the characters were well drawn and appealing. Four stars.

CAUGHT BY THE TIDES by Diane Whiteside
This story follows Emma Sinclair, a young widow, who sees a man washed ashore near her home in Cornwall and goes to rescue him from the incoming tide. Although he's far too heavy for her to lift she finds that the magickal spells she learned years ago, that never previously worked, seem to help him. She nurses him to health, finding his recovery amazingly fast. This is because Owen Bentham is a King's Mage and messenger and Emma herself has previously unknown magickal abilities - she is a chalice which means she can amplify the power of a mage. Owen's mission of returning from France with the antidote to a spell that Napoleon could use to find safe UK harbours was disrupted by a local mage working with a French mage; that local mage wants to both kill Owen and take over Emma's chalice skills. Owen and Emma have to work against him, utilising the magick stored in Emma's house and some new magic of their own.

This was a charming enough story set in an interesting time (the time of Napoleon) with magickal overtones. The romance side was an instant love-at-first-sight rather than anything more deep and complex but was pleasant enough to read. There were some aspects of the story that didn't quite work for me, such as the Gryphon's occasional appearances, but it was a reasonable read. Four stars.

QUEEN OF ALL SHE SURVEYS by Emma Holly
This story is another set in Emma Holly's Yamish world (also visited in full-length novels 'The Demon's Daughter' and 'Prince Of Ice') and the story has some similarities with 'Prince Of Ice', at least as far as the special mating abilities of the Yamish royals go. However the other background of the Yamish world isn't really featured in this story and it works perfectly well as a stand-alone short story. The hero of this story is Memnon, only son of King Ravna, whose battles in the long-running war with Queen Tou aren't very successful. King Ravna agrees to give his son to Queen Tou as a war tribute in order to have captured soldiers released. Memnon is sent to Tou's city and has to join her harem of men. It soon becomes apparent, however, that there is something special between the two of them; Tou is god-touched and King Ravna had also received the favour of the gods - it seems that Ravna's son and Tou might have a special affinity for each other.

Much of this story is taken up with the sexual antics of Tou and Memnon but there is also an attack on Tou's city which forms a brief part of the plot at the end. The main focus is always the relationship between Tou and Memnon which is described in detail. Like all Emma Holly's books this is a well written story set in an interesting world but the short story form leaves little room for much plot other than the sexual relationship and I would have appreciated more detail about the rest of the situation of Tou and Memnon. Four stars.

IN A WOLF'S EMBRACE by Lora Leigh
This story is apparently part of a series as there are several other characters named whom we don't actually meet. The hero, Matthias Slaughter, is a Wolf Breed, a man who has been genetically engineered with wolf genes and who, along with the other Breed, was experimented upon and tortured for much of his life. He and the other Breed members now work to track down those responsible and bring them to justice - in Matthias' case, often summary justice. Unfortunately when he shoots Dr Benedikt Albrecht in the back of the head in his hotel room, he doesn't realise a young woman was in the room too; not just any young woman but Grace Anderson, the woman he realises is fated to be his mate. He kidnaps her so that she can't turn him in, takes her to her cabin in the country where he can persuade her of the justness of his actions.

Most of this story consists of the conversations between Matthias and Grace where he persuades her that shooting a man in the back of the head without warning is OK, that it is a necessary part of the struggle against those evil people who torture Breed members. His explanations don't seem that convincing to Grace but fortunately the mating bond takes over and she seems to accept it. The story is mostly about their mating bond, with a short escape from danger at the end. There's a reasonable amount of characterisation for Matthias, a man without family who's always been on his own, but Grace was rather more of a cipher. It was a reasonable enough read but nothing special. Three stars.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

I love this J.D. Robb series, and this is a very good selection. I just wish that the reader hadn't changed Peabody's voice so much. Everything else is great. A good story line, and characters are true to form.

I dearly love the In Death series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) and hearing them performed by Susan Erikson makes them even better as she has developed such distinctive voices for the characters. When she first began performing these books she hadn't developed most of the voices, especially Peabody's. This CD is a totally redone performance of the book with all the familiar accents and tones. In the original you can't tell Peabody's voice from Eve's. Now you can! I loved it.
Also, normally an unabridged CD version of a book comes on a bunch of discs and costs a bundle. This is a new format, though. The complete book comes on just one disc and, with shipping, cost me only about $20. Hardback books cost more than that and you don't get to hear Roarke's sexy Irish voice in your ear or Peabody's saucy comebacks.
You do have to have a stereo that will play the MP3CD format, so that can be a problem for some but I suspect all new players will do it. It will play in the computer so there's always that method of listening to it. I haven't tried copying it to my MP3 player but I imagine one can do that as well.
My only complaint about the format is that I can't seem to rewind or fast forward in small amounts like I can with a regular CD. I can jump by chapters, but that's the smallest increment I can make it do. However, for the price and convenience of having it all on just one disc, I'm willing to accept the limitations. Hopefully they will fix them soon.

Nora Roberts Rocks! Lt. Eve Dallas makes the best protagonist and it's like a ongoing series so there is always a new story!

Great book! J.D. Robb did a terrific job on this book. It really holds your interest. If you her previous In Death books, this one will not disappoint you.

The 12th installment of the IN DEATH series delivers!
Eve Dallas tackles her greatest challenge to date when it is discovered that the murderer she's chasing has targeted none other than her husband, Roarke. She must balance heart and head, managing to keep both in check, if this murderous rampage is to be stopped before her husband falls victim.

The suspense is perfectly-written. It feels very natural. It feels very real and lifelike. Occasionally, writers grow stale and their stories lose something. In this installment, Nora Roberts (writing as J.D. Robb) has not lost a step! I loved this book.

GREAT BOOK! It was reccomended to me and I read it in one night. It was a very enjoyable read with a great story told from two points of view. I wish there was a sequel because I loved it a lot. Great for 13-25 year olds.

Teens will enjoy this. It was an easy read. There were parts that had me laughing. I enjoyed reading Jordan's point of view more than I did Courtney's.

this was an awesome book, i couldnt put it down. But.. when i finanlly got to the ending it kind of sucked. the book has a very good plot line and interesting story to keep you reading. i defianatly liked it!

Jordan and Courtney were an unlikely high school couple, but it really didn't matter because they were in love. They even planned to drive together to college orientation since they're going to the same college. But then Jordan dumps Courtney for a MySpace girl. Courtney is devastated, but she won't give Jordan the satisfaction of seeing her mope, even though that's extremely difficult for her. And now they still have that road trip to go on since it's too late to change plans. What Courtney doesn't know, though, is that there's a reason Jordan wants to go on this road trip with Courtney and a couple secrets he hasn't told her which have to do with why they broke up in the first place. Two-Way Street is the story of first love and true love in the midst of hardship.

Two-Way Street was a much better novel than I thought it would be. It's told from both Jordan's and Courtney's perspectives so you understand both their sides of the story. I enjoyed the flashbacks to before the trip, because it was really obvious how perfect Jordan and Courtney were for each other, even when Jordan's secret became too much for him to bear. I was hoping through the entire story that Jordan and Courtney would work out their issues because it felt that they were totally meant to be together. This story and the characters had a lot more depth than I expected from what I thought was a simple romance story. The complications to Jordan and Courtney's relationship added some humor and well as meaning to the novel. Overall, Two-Way Street was very enjoyable to read and much more than just a romance novel.

I recommend this book to all teen girls, but other readers may also enjoy it. I truly did love Two-Way Street and may read a couple of Lauren Barnholdt's other novels.

it's something different and unique. i was pretty satisfied with it and would give it 4 and a half stars. i liked the way the author wrote from the point of view of both jordan and courtney and kept switching from past to present; i thought it would be confusing but the author made sure that didn't happen. the suspense is also good and i can tell because when the secret is revealed to the reader, i literally gasped and stared gapelessly at the page for like thirty seconds. the love story is sweet and cute. the only thing i didn't like about the book was the writing style itself. it sounded like a distressed cheerleader talking the whole time; maybe because it sounded so much like a teenager talking i didn't like it, because i prefer more sophisticated writing. overall, a quick read, i finished it in several hours.

I enjoy all of Susan Mallery's books. Tempting is a good ending to the Buchanan series. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary romance books.

I'm definitely going to miss reading about the Buchanan family now that I've read the final book in the series. This one is about Dani & Alex who just happens to be the adopted son of her biological father (that Dani just found out about). Yes, you have to be able to let go of the "ick" factor (which is there, no matter how you spin it); but the book is fun and story is entertaining.

I found the ending to an otherwise terrific series very dissappointing. However, this will never stop me from reading any future Susan Mallery works.

I enjoyed the first three books of this series and was really looking forward to Dani's story. The book starts off promising but then just seems to get dull and repetitive. I missed the romance (Alex did seem like a hottie - why not show more? and the fact that Dani really did have a life outside of taking Alex's sister for shoes in the mall. Overall, this book wasn't terrible but it wasn't one I'd want to give to a friend. Disappointing.

I know I'm in the minority with this review, but I really disliked this book. This book shows Dani Buchannan finding her biological father and falling in love with her father's adopted son.
I thought there was no spark between the heroine and the hero, and that the writing was horrible. For example, when Dani calls Alex 'dragon boy'. I thought that was rather..lame. I thought Katherine's and the Senator's relationship could have been fleshed out more, and that Katherine should have left him in the end. Yes, I was hoping for a seperation in a romance novel.
I thought Dani was stupid for believing Fiona, Alex's ex. But hey, what's a romance without a silly misunderstanding and a silly heroine. I thought Alex was silly for not letting his family know that Fiona was a cheating psychopath, or what ever mental ill.
I thought it was silly for Alex and Dani to worry about the campaign because of her discovery, then decide to have 'hot monkey sex'. I thought it was lame for Susan Mallery to have her heroine use that phrase.
In closing, I also think it lame that I will get inundated with 'no helps' just because I'm writing an honest (if simple sounding) review.
Sorry guys, this book IMO, deserves 1 star.

Darcy Smith is a bartender among several other jobs. She does these just to stay afloat; having not finished high school, good jobs are hard to come by. She does what she needs to, to survive. Having been in foster care since a baby, she'd been moved less than every two years, coming to believe herself a freak. finally running away as an early teen. She isn't like normal people. When she gets hurt, she heals two quickly to be human. She's stronger and faster than a normal human. At age eighteen, she stopped aging. She believes she's a freak. And for that reason, doesn't let anyone close to her - no meaningful friendships, no meaningful relationships. She's alone - and until she can figure out why she is the way she is, prefers it that way.

Styx has a problem. Seems the prince of weres is in Chicago, where he isn't supposed to be. He's outside his hunting territory, and Styx wants to know why. News travels, and Styx finds out he's after a girl - Darcy Smith. He plans to get to her first and use her as a hostage, and as a bargaining chip with Salvatore. What he didn't plan on was wanting Darcy for himself. And just when Salvatore almost has his hands on her, Styx beats him to it.

Salvatore Guiliani is desparate. Turns out, Darcy is one of four missing sisters, all who had gone missing shortly after birth and believed to have been sold on the black market. Their DNA had been `toyed' with, which surpresses the wanting/needing to shift. The weres need Darcy and her sisters because of it. Having been forced by the vampires to boundaries is slowly killing their race. Purebloods are almost non-existint, as are curs, and if they have Darcy and her sisters, who's shifting has been surpressed, they'd be able to carry children full term, replenishing their race.

Styx treats her wonderfully, never making her feel like a hostage or a bargaining chip. He cares for her a great deal - Darcy feels a kinship with him, can feel his loneliness. When Darcy finds out that Salvatore wants nothing more than a breeder, the thought sickens her stomach. And she won't be pushed, for she's fallen in love with Styx, and no one, not even the mother she never knew she had, can change her mind or heart, regardless if she is a were...

Oh, did I like this one. I adore the series and can't wait to get my hands on the next novel. While is seems that most men have that caveman attitude, Styx learns quickly that Darcy will not be pushed around. She isn't one to be told what to do. Believing she is human, he thinks her fragile and vulnerable, until Darcy shows him otherwise.

She doesn't back down from an argument, and gives as good as she gets. Styx isn't used to that. He'd lived the life of a monk for so long, celibacy and all, and is finding the stirrings of desire in him fresh and new. Darcy surprises him more and more, and what surprise could be the biggest ... when they end up mated.

I loved watching Darcy and Styx fall for each other. It was the sweetest thing. Action scenes where well written and spaced, love scenes erotic enough to make any reader hot under the collar and breathless. The author has a way with her descriptions of sucking (no pun intended) you into the story and you'll have a hard time letting go. I think the best part was when Darcy managed to convince both Styx and Salvatore that everything can work out if they compromised, teaching them both a lesson. This novel sets up the next few novels in the story really well. Truly a series in the paranormal romance genre you don't want to miss.

Styx was only just more interesting than Dante in book 1. But there was a lot more that could have been done with this...it did not deliver based on his build up in book #2. This did not deliver like that book did with Viper and Shay.

This was kinda flat against expectations..for him to be such a serious awesome warrior and the king of vampires, it felt like the soda was flat in the bottle.


On a scale 1 to 5, Five is Best:

Villian: 3.2
Plot: 3
Creativity: 2.9
Uniqueness: 3
Humor: 0
Bringing the sexy: 2.7
Passion: 2 stars
Laughs & Amusement factor: 0
Silly Whiners who get on your nerves: 0
Lazy Author repeating too much prior chapters:0

Last year I stumbled across this author by a friend loaning me her book. Wow. I've loved the two first books in this series. Ivy can actually combine humor (I actually laugh out loud once in awhile) with suspense. This book did not disappoint. I hope she continues this series, at least until it is no longer fresh. I love her style of writing.

I love all of this author's books. I can't wait for the next Guardians of Eternity book!

Great book.. Keeps you reading so you can see what is going to happen in the end..can't wait for the next Guardians of Eternity book to come out.