Darcy Lundeen, Finding You Again

Title:  Finding You Again

Author:  Darcy Lundeen

Rating:  Three And A Half Siren Stones

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Sub-Genre:  Romantic Comedy

Keywords:  Champagne Rosebud

Page Count:  223     

ISBN E-Book:  d6423

Price:  $3.99

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

Buy-Link:  http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4726

Reviewer:  Nikki

Blurb/Summary:

Maggie Demarco thought she’d have the perfect wedding…until the groom backed out without even saying goodbye. So she packs a bag and flees to the town where she grew up to heal and prepare for the rest of her life.

Eric Holt is surprised when he learns that Maggie’s back in town. He’s never forgotten the hours he spent in high school introducing her to the joys of sex. Of course, he’s also never forgotten the pain of her rejection. But he’s still willing to help her recapture the sexual mojo she lost waiting for her AWOL groom, and he proposes a no-strings-attached affair to prove how desirable she still is.

Neither expect the unintended consequences, when old hurts resurface, new problems arise, and simple sex threatens to turn into the craziest complication of all: love.

Review: 

What could be worse than being stood up at your own wedding?

That's what the heroine, Maggie faces.  I can't imagine the mixture of feelings this woman must have.  So she sets out to take a journey and clear her head for awhile.  I don't always like the way Maggie acts, especially around Eric.  She's sometimes a bit snotty and self centered.  I know she's just gone through an emotional roller coaster, but still, it got to me.

Eric isn't always much better.  Maybe it's the way they react to one another.  But after awhile, their chemistry gets better and they aren't as much fire and ice with one another as they are in the beginning of the book.

I love stories about second chances, and Eric sure has a plan to change Maggie's mind about things.  Her overall attitude does get better as the book progresses.

If you're a fan of contemporary stories filled with heat and heart, grab yourself a copy of Finding You Again. 

Cindy Jacks, Landlocked

Title:  Landlocked

Author:  Cindy Jacks

Rating:  Five Siren Stones

Genre:  Science Fiction

Sub-Genre:  Romance

Keywords:  Pirate

Length:  Short Novel     

ISBN E-Book:  978-1419933783 

Price:  $5.20

Publisher:  Ellora’s Cave

Buy-Link:  http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9305-landlocked.aspx

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug

Blurb/Summary:

For ten years, Kathryn has struggled to survive in a war-torn region that used to be part of the United States. Her country ripped apart and her husband presumed dead, she and her son need a miracle to find safe passage to the West. She’s not expecting that miracle to come in the form of Captain Brett Logan when he stumbles, injured, onto her front porch.

A privateer for the Republic of Texas, Logan keeps one eye on the horizon and one hand on his sidearm, knowing the life of a modern-day pirate is often short. When an enemy bomb nearly ends him, Kathryn nurses him back to health. Against her better judgment, she’s drawn to the enigmatic man with his tattoos and battle scars.

Kate finds shelter in Logan’s arms—and his bed. The captain navigates her body with the same skill that he sails the seven seas. The heat of their passion gives way to deeper currents. But with danger surrounding them, they must struggle to stay together and survive.

Review:

Landlocked by Cindy Jacks is a wonderful science fiction romance.  It’s filled with action, intrigue, and mystery.  The story takes place in a future time on earth or some might consider it an alternate reality.  However you might consider, Landlocked rips apart the nation and sends part of the United States back into the dark ages through war and constant struggles.

The heroine of the story, Kathryn, is left to care for her young son in a very scary world.  Her husband disappeared five years earlier and she is all alone.  Kathryn relies on herself and good neighbors to keep going.  Every day is a feat of survival in Gulfland.

The hero of the story, Logan, is a privateer that makes a living supplying the resistance.  He happens upon Kathryn’s farm after being injured.  Good old southern hospitality is not dead, as Kathryn tends to his wounds and helps him recover.  During the process, Logan finds a part of himself that he didn’t know existed. 

Cindy Jacks knows how to build up the sexual and romantic tension between her characters.  The paradigm had me tearing through the pages.  There is a great balance of their everyday reality and romance in this story.  Kathryn and Logan have incredible chemistry and once the tension breaks it really explodes.  Their love scenes are erotic, descriptive, and worth the tension. 

Landlocked has some plot twists that will leave you on the edge of your seat.  This is a great story for any science fiction romance fans.

Mahalia Levey, Courting Disaster

Title:  Courting Disaster

Author:  Mahalia Levey

Rating:  Five Siren Stones

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Keywords:  Gargoyle, Demon, Witches, Magic

Word Count:  15,111     

ISBN E-Book:  978-1-55487-914-4

Price:  $3.99

Publisher:  Extasy Books

Buy-Link:  http://www.extasybooks.com/courting-disaster-5/

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug


Tagline:  Will the two opposites be able to avert politics aiming to separate them? Or can passion and respect?

Blurb/Summary:

Sorcha Channing is determined to achieve a positive outcome in her craft. The daunting task she undertakes lands her in over her head. With the help of her familiar, Esmie—just maybe she can fix what’s gone wrong. Macsen Steele is tired of rescuing young witches from the boiling cauldron. With his enhanced and manipulated DNA, he’s only there to do his job, not fall for the beauty he’s assigned to but can never have.

Review:

Mahalia Levey draws you into the story with her descriptive prose and sense of humor.  She makes the characters instantly likeable by making them seem very human.  The main characters are Sorcha and Macsen.  Sorcha is a lovable witch that is clumsy and could even be considered a walking disaster.  Macsen is the guardian gargoyle that was sent to protect Sorcha and her sisters.

Sorcha and Macsen meet face to face early on in the story during one of Sorcha’s accidents.  Macsen sets things right and Sorcha can’t stop the instant attraction.  Sparks fly and then words.  The two set each other’s nerves on end without even trying.  This is something that is developed in a positive way throughout the short story.  Their romance is a whirlwind of erotic delight.

The secondary characters deserve a mention because they brought out the personalities of Sorcha and Macsen and added a layer of humor.  Sorcha’s sisters and Macsen’s gargoyle friends kept the story light and flowing.

Ms. Levey left her readers hanging in Courting Disaster with worry for the safety of one of the sisters.  I’m hoping that this ending means that we’ll see more of these witches and gargoyles in the future.  Mahalia Levey created a wonderful world for these characters so that with future instalments it can grow even further.  I look forward to the journey.

Mary Eason, Worth Staying For

Title:  Worth Staying For

Author:  Mary Eason

Rating:  Four And A Half Siren Stones

Genre:   Romantic Suspense

Keywords:  Crimson Rosebud, Spicy

Page Count:  206     

ISBN E-Book:  978-1-61217-194-4

Price:  $5.00

ISBN for Print:  978-1-61217-003-9

Price:  $11.99

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press 

Buy-Link:  http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=137&products_id=4722

Reviewer:  Nikki

Blurb/Summary:

Dr. Jordan Scott is banking everything, including her life, that she can simply disappear into thin air, forget the nightmare she left behind in New York, and never be found again by her ex-fiancé Caesar Santiago or his powerful family.

Detective Riley Donavan believes the pretty doctor knows more than she's telling him. Can they work together to solve the murder of her brother, or will they end up the next victims of the crime lord?

Review:

How well do you ever know someone, even those that are supposed to be close to you?  Jordan Scott learns the answer to that question when one thing leads to another and sends her life spiralling into a nightmare.

Mary Eason turns up the suspense and the emotion in this spine-tingling suspense novel.  I couldn't wait to find out what happens next.  Jordan is under the influence of a powerful man and I hoped from the start that she'd make her getaway.  The pulse pounding tension kept the pages turning faster, and it didn't take me long to finish this book.  It's a fast paced thrill ride that I won't soon forget.

If you are a fan of romantic suspense, then I'd suggest putting Mary Eason on your list of authors to buy.  Worth Staying For is a beautifully written novel that I enjoyed very much.