Christine London, Leap of Faith

Title: Leap of Faith

Author: Christine London

Rating: Three And A Half Siren Stones

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Keywords: Italy

Page Count: 149

ISBN E-Book: 978-1-58749-735-3

Publisher: Awe-Struck Publshing

Buy-Link: http://www.awe-struck.net/books/leap_of_faith.html

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb/Summary:

Film student Faith Holmes is on an Italian holiday bought and paid for -- a familial inducement to finding an Italian husband. She wants none of it. Boredom and curiosity make for a volatile mix and Faith is lured into the heart of the island of Forio's exclusive international film festival not as guest, but crasher.

Hollywood's premiere publicist Hunter Jameson has more than enough on his plate when his client, English film sensation Alex Winslow decides he's departing from the straight and narrow. One American party crasher should be the least of his worries. He has no idea that Alex’s growing feelings for Faith rival his own. The only thing for certain is his life will never be the same.

Review:

The setting initially drew me to this book; I adore Italy. Not an original passion I grant, but a very sincere and heartfelt one. The descriptions of the setting were very good, but I do feel a little more research should have been put into the language aspect; there were some glaringly obvious mistakes that spoilt the overall presentation for me.

The evolution of the interaction between the characters was good, as was the majority of the plot. However, I did feel some points were laboured, resulting in parts of 'the message' being hammered home a little too heavily at times.

The emotional aspects of the story were told from the individual characters perspective, and this gave a better indication of the emotional depth of each.

I would have liked to see some of the background story, especially Faith’s history, developed a little more though. On the whole, this was an enjoyable read.

Tara Nina, Night Ranger's Moon (The Lykoians Series)

Title: Night Ranger's Moon (The Lykoians Series)

Author: Tara Nina

Rating: Three And A Half Siren Stones

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Keywords: Black Rose, Shape-Shifter

Page Count: 238

ISBN E-Book: 1-60154-800-1

Price: $6.00

ISBN For Print: 978-1601548009

Price: $11.99

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Buy-Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/night-rangers-moon-p-4200.html

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb/Summary:

Weylin Anthropos is a Lykoian with anger issues and a demon in his past that haunts his soul. He’s a Night Ranger, one of the elite protector’s of the Lykoian clans. Without the backing of the council, Weylin sets out to find his brother. The trail leads him to Mississippi and a village that many Lykoians would rather forget. Ghosts of the past linger on these hallowed grounds but are disturbed by an intruder…an enemy from his ancestry. One he must face and defeat if he is to survive and find his brother.

Long and lethal, a charcoal gray wolf from an unfamiliar clan interferes in his surveillance. Her presence toys with his mind, body, and soul. Where did she come from? How did she find him? And most of all, what did she want?

Review:

Following another brother from the Anthropos family of werewolves, Night Ranger's Moon concentrates on Weylin, and his mission to find his youngest brother, Nick, who has gone missing while on a mission, set by the pack Council.

The first half the book is essentially a romance story; and Tara pitches the growing attraction between Weylin and Zeva at the right level. Neither character is at a place in their lives where they want a soul mate, let alone have it interfere with their respective missions.

As always, that true twin flame attraction wins out and together they face the threat of Leopold, one they believed to have been neutralized years before. The love scenes between the two as they come to terms with their new found bond are highly intimate, but not overtly coarse or crude.

The second half of the story further explores Leopold’s drive for survival, and the interbred abomination he seems to have become, half vampire, half werewolf, all twisted. Although the two ‘halves’ of the story deal with different aspect of the whole, there is enough intertwining to make the story flow, and at no point did I feel like they were disjointed.

I’d be happy to read other books in this series.

Debby Conrad, Everything But The Truth

Title: Everything But The Truth

Author: Debby Conrad

Rating: Three And A Half Siren Stones

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Keywords: Crimson Rose, Spicy

Page Count: 186

ISBN E-Book: d5332

Price: $4.75

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Buy-Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/everything-but-the-truth-p-4166.html

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb/Summary:

Blurb: After witnessing a murder, Peyton Delaney is on the run from the mob and looking for protection--disguised as a hooker. She has no idea who to trust anymore, especially when the detective who was supposed to keep her safe is shot and she discovers it was an inside job. Now, at the detective’s insistence, she must find his best friend and beg for the man’s help. But how can she be sure she can trust this man?

Ex-cop Reeve Sinclair has no room in his life for a woman like Peyton, yet he agrees to babysit her as a favor to a friend. Reeve soon finds he has more trouble than dodging bullets; he’s actually fallen in love with a hooker, or so he thinks.

Review:

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this story when I started to read it. The story itself perhaps isn't new... a witness to a mafia like murder, dirty cops and trust issues, hero and heroine hate each other, and finally end up in love, but this is quite a smooth read, and a welcome return to books with a softer, subtler sexy side. It is nice to read a story that hasn't resorted to coarse language during love scenes, and this is what they really are, to sell books.

My only issue is a few errors on the name continuity, which can make it a little difficult to follow the story, which, in part, relies on an alias on the part of the heroine. I wasn't too sure about the naivety of the heroine regarding some of the sex, but the humour and originality that Debby injects into some of these 'mishaps' works well as a direct contrast to what Reeve expects from her persona as a 'hooker'.

Overall, a great read that would've been excellent with a little more care towards editing. I'd certainly read other works by Debby Conrad.

Marie Kenward, Dark Promises

Title: Dark Promises

Author: Marie Kenward

Rating: Four Siren Stones

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Keywords: Vampires, Black Rose

Page Count: 402 pages

ISBN For Print: 1-60154-775-7

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Buy-Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/dark-promises-p-4098.html

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb/Summary:

Sometimes being good is bad. Three-hundred-year-old vampire Alexi Dugas knows everything there is to know about evil. After all, for centuries he's walked a tightrope between his blood-thirst and his humanity. When he inadvertently rescues a young woman from his former clansmen, he must decide once and for all if he's more man than beast, for Sarah Hennessy carries a weapon that can forever alter the delicate balance of power in his dark world. Now, after living in the shadows and surviving in those shades of gray, Alexi must finally choose which side of the battle he's on. Unfortunately, doing the wrong thing will cost him Sarah's love. But, doing the right thing might just cost her life.

Review:

Sarah is just a perfectly normal girl, with a good friend, Charles who likes exploring exotic places, and often ends up sending her trinkets and gifts from his travels. The latest parcel though, a book and a Celtic cross necklace has her stumped. Is there more to this than meets the eye? Why is some pale maniac, complete with a giant sword, insistent that she has something he wants?

Cue entry into the middle of a feud in a strange world, peppered with darkness, with a man she has never met before, so how come she knows his soul?

The initial antagonism between Alexi and Sarah, as they both struggle to understand what is between them is intriguing, and compels the reader to find out why they have such chemistry. Is it simply lust, or something much deeper, born from their past?

Vampires are treated, as exactly they should be, sexy as hell, but essentially as dangerous predators. Although Dark Promises is jam packed with characters and a complex plot with more twists and turns than the local maze, at no point does it become confusing keeping track of who said what. Some errors are inevitable in books of this length, but good editing keeps them to a minimum.

I’d read this again as a print book though, rather than an e-book, mainly due to the length (402 pages).

Overall, a great read.

Aileen Harkwood, Wolf's Den

Title: Wolf’s Den

Author: Aileen Harkwood

Rating: Four Siren Stones

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Keywords: Shape-Shifter, Black Rose

Page Count: 112

ISBN E-Book: d4918

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Buy-Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wolfs-den-p-4120.html

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb: “Dangerous. Why?

Do you think I can’t take every delicious inch of you? Do you think I can’t handle you?”

He blinked, astonished by this statement and apparently at a loss for words. It was, she had to admit, the single cheesiest thing she’d ever said aloud. She watched him trying to figure out how best to react, while at the same time maintaining that stern, “we aren’t going to have sex, no-way, no-how” attitude.

The longer they looked at one another without saying anything, the harder it was to keep a straight face. She couldn’t say who broke under pressure first, but suddenly both of them were laughing uncontrollably. She collapsed forward in hysterics, her forehead dropping against his chest.

A few seconds later, she realized he’d gone completely still.

He pounced.

Review:

Where do I start?

In a world intentionally kept separate from our own, the Kith, wolf shape-shifters, mate for life like all wolves do. So what happens when that partnership is divided by death?

The internal struggle the hero goes through being attracted to the person who has, to all intents and purposes, just murdered his potential mate in cold blood, and the self loathing those feelings produce is felt acutely by this reader. This empathy is mirrored in the confusion and revulsion the murderer feels upon seeing what they have done to another living creature. So why on earth would they ever be attracted to each other, even just sexually?

Add to this mix the possessive human ex-lover, hell bent on seeing them both dead, and the result is a high paced, adrenaline fueled battle for survival.

This is a really great book. A well written and well edited page turner. Even though you kind of think you sort of know what might be going on as you read it, it really doesn’t give too much away at the beginning.

The subtitle, Legacy of the White Wolf Book One suggests a great start to this series, and I can’t wait to read the rest!

Eliza Knight, Take It Off, Warrior

Title: Take It Off, Warrior

Author: Eliza Knight

Rating: Four Siren Stones

Genre: Historical

Sub-Genre: Erotic Romance

Keywords: Time Travel

Page Count: 84 pages

ISBN For Print: 978-1419928154

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

Buy-Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-takeitoffwarrior-441860-144.html

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb/Summary:

Sixteenth-century Highland laird Camden MacLeod wakes up in the modern world. Confused with his surroundings, he haphazardly throws on his kilt and goes in search of whoever has played such a foul trick on him. What he finds instead is beyond tempting…

Valerie is thoroughly exploring the medieval Scottish castle she’s rented for her best friend’s bachelorette party. Not only does an oddly shaped stone in tower catch her fancy—it somehow brings her dream man to life.

Review:

Valerie is drawn to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. A love of castles and tales of clans and honour is one reason she uprooted from England, and indulged her love of books by purchasing a local bookstore.

While organising a bevy of hot, kilted highland dancers for her friend’s bachelorette party, she gets a little more than she bargained for when the old faerie magic takes a hand in her fate, and draws her soul mate warrior from the very history she adores.

Unlike some stories of this type, which sacrifice actual ‘story’ for a plethora of sexual encounters, this tale blends those two aspects well. Definitely on the more tasteful side of erotica, which is brought about by the deeper connection between the two main characters, this book was a pleasure (no pun intended!) to read.

I am usually rather sceptical about the historical accuracy of some tales based on Celtic legends, being of that heritage myself; this story flows easily and is clearly well researched. My only criticism is that when referring to Scotch, whisky is spelt without the additional ‘e’.

Based on this book, the first I have read from this author, I’d definitely look up her other titles.

Anthology; Jewels of the Quill, Halloween Treasures

Title: Jewels of the Quill Anthology: Halloween Treasures

Author: Margaret L. Carter, Dee Lloyd, Barbara Raffin, Jane Toombs, and Karen Wiesner

Rating: Four Siren Stones

Genre: Anthology

Keywords: Paranormal Romance, Horror, Romantic Suspense

Page Count: 309 pages

ISBN E-Book: 978-1-60313-570-2

ISBN For Print: 978-1-60313-569-6

Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press

Buy-Link: Releasing September 2010

Reviewer: Lisa Fitzpatrick

Blurb/Summary:

The Scarecrow and Ms. Moon {paranormal romance} by Barbara Raffin (Dame Jade): Never make a witch mad. Jackson Wolfe did and he’s now a scarecrow in her garden. Jessie Moon doesn’t like liars and, in a fit of anger, turned the man she loves into a scarecrow. Now, four months later, she’s exhausted every spell to restore him, been put on probation by her coven, and is still angry at Jackson for lying to her. On All Hallows Eve, the coven assembles at Jessie’s house to restore Jackson to his living, human form at the stroke of midnight. What Jessie doesn’t realize is that this is a test for her—a test that will determine whether or not she will be allowed to remain in the coven. Since impulsive anger is this novice witch’s problem, Jessie is given the twenty-four hours of Halloween in which to learn to control her anger and love Jackson enough to let him go or to lose her place in the coven. As if that wasn’t enough, if she fails, not only will she be cast out of the coven, but Jackson will be turned back into a scarecrow...forever. Cuddly {horror} by Dee Lloyd (Dame Aquamarine): Sam Farber heads for a neighborhood bar after a particularly grueling shift in the emergency room. This Halloween had brought out all the crazies. He’d spent hours dealing with the bloody aftermath of a gun battle between two teenaged gangs. All he wants is an hour or two of warmth and companionship. He gets more than he’s looking for. Paper Tiger (Kaleidoscope Series, Book 5) by Karen Wiesner (Dame Amethyst) {romantic suspense}: Kaleidoscope Office Building provides employment to nine hot, young singles—all about to make a love connection. Working 9 to 5 has never been so complicated…or so much fun! Billy LaPointe’s wife died only a couple years after they married, leaving him with a son to raise on his own. Nine years later, he’s found love again with Veronica Spencer and his teenage son Damian is just as smitten with her. But after years of hearing Roni hedge on his marriage proposals, Billy is desperate. Determined to make her his forever, he offers her an ultimatum that he soon regrets. What he doesn’t know is that Roni has a secret past she doesn’t want to look back and confront—a past that may have come back to haunt her. Can she risk losing Billy and Damian because of what could be a true threat…or merely a paper tiger? The Charmer (North of Nonesuch Series, Book 9) {romantic horror} by Jane Toombs (Dame Turquoise): Who is the charmer and who the charmed? A very difficult distinction to make. If Will Pasanen fails to solve the problem, more than his love for Lily Fowler is doomed... Mistress of the Shadow Hounds {paranormal romance} by Margaret L. Carter (Dame Onyx): A sinister artifact handed down in her family forces a young woman into conflict with creatures from an alien dimension that threaten not only her life but the safety of the entire world.

Review:

Whether you prefer a little more banter in your romance (The Scarecrow and Ms Moon), or something more ‘straightforward’, the eclectic mix of author voices makes this anthology a good read.

Some ‘traditional’ horror tales have been modernised and updated with a refreshing energy (The Charmer), while others warn the reader to Be Careful What They Wish For…. Lest they actually get it.

None of the tales were overly graphic in either the horror department or bedroom antics for my taste, and I enjoyed the balance that all the authors struck between these two aspects. This is more a read for those who like their romance with a Small Side-Order of Scare, rather than all out blood, guts and no-hope-of-ever-sleeping-again.

I wasn’t overly drawn to the cover art, and I did find the electronic layout a little odd at first. It’s probably more suited to paperback, but on the whole each story flowed easily, and they all fit well together without merging into each other. As with all books of this type, I preferred some stories to others, but the overall experience was none the worse for that.