Lori Foster - Trace of Fever (ARC)

Title : Trace of Fever
Series : Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor #2
Release date : May 31th, 2011
Publisher : Harlequin Books
Genre : Contemporary Romance

Trace River’s sister Alani has been kidnapped by human trafficking and moved to Mexico, where his best friend Dare saved her and brought her home safely. Those responsible are dead, but that isn’t enough for Trace and his friends, they want the ones higher on the ladder. So now he is working undercover as a bodyguard for Murray Coburn, a big player in the human trafficking business and Trace will do anything to bring him down.

Priscilla Patterson visits Murray Coburn and claims that he is her unknown father. She isn’t there to claim her birthright or to get to know her father; no revenge is the only thing on her mind. It appears her mother was one of the first victims of Murray and taught her daughter not to trust any man. But she didn’t expect to meet this tall handsome bodyguard Trace, who make it his business to keep her save from the start.

Trace of Fever by Lori Foster is the second novel in her Men who Walk the Edge of Honor Series and another great instalment. The first novel was a surprise with one hell of an alpha male as main character and this time I was prepared…at least that’s what I thought.

Trace Rivers has been undercover in Murray Coburn’s company for a couple of weeks now. He wants to take this huge player in human trafficking down, but not before he finds out who else is involved. Trace is a real protector, so when Priss walks into Coburn’s office and claims to be his daughter, he knows he has to protect her, because Coburn will use or sell his own daughter if that means he could earn more money.

Priss Patterson has lived a very protected life; her mother was one of the first victims and warned her daughter to be very careful around men. Priss is determined to destroy her father for what he’s done to her mother and revenge is the only thing on her mind when she steps into that office.

The chemistry between Trace and Priss is there from the beginning, but you can tell that Priss is very innocent in very way. I have to say that her innocence bugged me some times, okay she’s very young and lived a protected life, but then again she owns an adult shop, luckily Trace’s character balanced it all.

I loved that we saw the previous couple Dare and Molly back again and don’t forget Chris and his terrific comments. We also see the third man Jackson, the hero of the third novel.

Miss Lori Foster has written another great novel in this series, and I have to say if she keeps writing about these sexy alpha men I’m going to be there every step of the way. Savor the Danger is next and I know Jackson’s story is going to be another fabulous one.

Josephine Angelini - Starcrossed (ARC)

Title : Starcrossed
Series : Starcrossed Trilogy #1
Release date : May 31th, 2011
Publisher : Harper Teen Publisher
Genre : Young Adult

Sixteen year old Helen Hamilton knows she is different from the rest of the small community on the Island. She is a real beauty, although she believes herself as plain and simple, not very popular at school. Her best friend Claire is a tiny girl, but with her heart in the right place. Besides Claire the only other people Helen is close to are her father and his co-worker Kate. Lately she is having stomach cramps when she is the attention of people and she also discovers that she is much stronger and faster than the people around her.

When the Delos family moves to the small Island, things are getting worst for Helen. She is getting hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood and the moment she meets the Delos teenagers she has the urge to kill them, especially Lucas. Luckily for her this new boy in town is a little faster and knows what she’s capable of and stop her in time.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is her first novel in the Starcrossed Trilogy and I have to say that this book is addictive. The moment I started I couldn’t put it down; it had me from the first page and holds my attention all the way through.

Helen Hamilton is a young woman, who lost her mother when she was just a toddler. Her father raised her alone and they are close, her only and best friend is a tiny teenager named Claire. They have been friends from the cradle and trust each other. Helen knows she is different from the rest, but cannot imagine how different she really is. But she is about to find out, when the Delos family moves into the area and their children are going to the same school as Helen.

From the moment she meets those children, but especially Lucas Delos she has the urge to kill or hurt them. She has no idea why, but fortunally for them Helen hasn’t grown into her full powers yet and they can stop her in time. She knows it’s time to talk to this family and demands some answers, not knowing that her mother was a demigod and she inherited some great powers.

What I love about this book is the journey Helen goes through, in the beginning of the book she is a reserved young teenager who grows into one confident strong young woman, determined to control her powers. Her growing relationship with Lucas is just fabulous, two young teenagers trying to discover what they are feeling towards each other and finding out that is totally forbidden. But we all know that love and fate has a mind of its own. I would love to see how this is going to work out in the future novels.

Besides Helen and Lucas, my attention was immediately drawn to Hector, Lucas’s cousin; he‘s a total ass in the beginning trying hard to protect his family against Helen, but turns out to be Helen greatest companion in battle at the end. My heart was weeping when I read his destiny at the end; I truly hope that his life will be better in the next novel.

This debut novel by Josephine Angelini is well written and full with great characters. The moment you take the book into your hands and starts reading you are hooked….well that is exactly what happened to me. I loved it and I truly hope that the next book isn’t that far away. I cannot wait to find out more about Helen & Lucas and their destiny.

Colleen Gleason - The Vampire Narcise (ARC)

Title : The Vampire Narcise
Series : The Regency Draculia #3
Release : May 2011
Publisher : Mira
Genre : Historical Paranormal Romance

Lucifer offered some men or woman a curse/gift in a dream, what they didn’t realizing is what they were signing up for until they woke up the next morning with a mark on their back, the need for blood and a personal Asthenia “an Achilles heel or vulnerability”.

From the moment Narcise has been tricked into turning Draculia, she has been under her brother’s Cezar control and held captive to serve her brother’s needs. In order to be free from the men around her brother who force themselves on her, she has to win the sword fights. Luckily for Narcise she’s been thought well and only lost the battle once or twice in the last couple of decades. She has promise herself to never let a man capture her heart and take control over her, but that all change when Giordan Cale walks into her life.

Giordan Cale has had a rough life on the street when he was young, but luck was on his side and growing up fast made him a very wealthy man. Then Lucifer appears in his dream and he accepts his fate as a vampire, a draculia. During a meeting with evil Cezar Moldavi, he meets his sister Narcise and knows his life will never be the same again. He soon discovers that she’s being held by her brother and he vows to save her, but not everything goes according plan.

The Vampire Narcise by Colleen Gleason is the third novel in the Regency Draculia Series and a total surprise. I think I have the same opinion as many others have, about not being sure how I feel about Narcise.

We meet Narcise briefly in the previous two books, where she just escape her brother’s prison and is travelling with Chas Woodmore, the brother of Angelica and Maia. We see the tension between Giordan and Narcise when they meet at Dimitri’s house, but cannot figure out why. I’m glad that the whole situation is cleared in this book.

This book is set back into the past, so that you can read about the meeting between Giordan and Narcise, how they fall for each other, the way Giordan is trying to save her from her brother and how she sees it as a betrayal. I really thought this book would be about Narcise and her relationship with Chas Woodwore, well I was in for a surprise, a very pleasant surprise when it turned out to be Giordan.

I have to admire Narcise for her strength, because she was still standing, not matter what her twisted brother had in mind for her. There was a time I could smack her in the head for not seeing the truth about Giordan, but she catch up for that in the end. I already knew that Giordan was a strong man, but reading what he went through only made him more like a man in my eyes.

This book was definitely different if you compare it with the previous novel, but definitely a great addition to this series. The ending was clearly different then with Voss and Dimitri, but I can live with the solution.

Miss Colleen Gleason has written a fabulous new vampire series and I hope to see more of her books in the near future.

Lisa Renee Jones - Pleasure with Purpose

Title : Pleasure with purpose
Release date : April 18th, 2011
Genre : Contemporary Romance

In a conversation with her best friend Brenda, Heather tells her that she’s missing something in her sex life. So Brenda suggest that Heather should go man hunting, have a one time thing and not worry about the morning after. Even though Heather isn’t that kind of woman, she decides to follow up on some of her suggestions, getting sexy lingerie, watching Basic Instinct and the rest will follow. But there is only one man in her mind for that fantasy, but she knows he is off limits.

Brad is Brenda’s older brother and hears some of the conversation and knows he has to act like the older brother. So he decides to talk to Heather and see why she’s acting so strange lately and change her mind about the man hunting. But deep down inside he knows that he wants to be that man who turns her world upside down.

Pleasure with Purpose by Lisa Renee Jones was given to me by the author herself for an honest review. I have to say that this was definitely a great story, I loved it.

It’s a short contemporary erotica romance and very easy to read. The main characters Heather and Brad are characters you can relate yourself to, normal people who struggle with their feelings and finding a way to deal with it.

I’m already a huge fan of her other books and this one will be in the list of my favourites too. I only can say that if you love contemporary short novels and want to read something fabulous, then you have to check this out.

Lisa Renee Jones - Beast of Desire

Title : Beast of Desire
Series : Knight of White #2
Release date : March 2008
Publisher : Harlequin (Silhouette Nocturne Series)
Genre : Paranormal Romance

An Immortal group of warriors, called the Knights of White are all men that were attacked somewhere in the past by one of the Darkland Beasts. Then only be saved by a man named Salvador, these warriors are bound to protect humankind against these evil beast.

Des is one of those Knights of White; he was betrayed by his Spanish ruler’s daughter and died after an attack of a Darkland Beast. Every day Des feels his beast growing inside him; it wants to come out, to become the thing they are fighting against. But Des knows there might be a solution, just like his leader and best friend Jag had found to satisfy his beast. But will it be in time? Will Des survive his final test?

Jessica is an archeologist and works at the museum. Her father is a senator and afraid for his daughter, because she followed her mother with her career and he is afraid that he will lose her too. The museum has possession of the journal of Solomon, something her mother was looking for. It appears the book contains a list of angelic bloodlines and there are some people who will do anything to get their hands on that journal.

Beast of Desire by Lisa Renee Jones is the second novel in her Knight of White Series and another fabulous book to read.

The warriors of the Knight of White are all men who died by the hand of the Darkland Beast, who were trying to steal their human souls. But Salvatore restores their soul and recruits them to be part of a group that fights this evil enemy and save human kind.

Des and his team has been send to the museum to collect the journal before the Darkland Beasts gets their hands on it. The Knights want it to track down the angelic lines in order to see if there are more mates for them and protect them. The Darkland Beast wants the journal so they can destroy the line and rule the world.

Des pretends to be a potential donor for some artifacts and meets Jessica there, the attraction between them is good and Des feels his beast responding, calming down. He cannot tell her the truth about what he is and why he’s there. But when an insider of the museum works together with the Beast to get more power, Des knows it is time to fill Jessica in on things and hopes she can help them and forgive him for lying.

It’s only the second book in the series but I’m already a huge fan, the Knights of White are strong determined men who want to fight for the greater good. Their mates are great characters and strong minded to join them on the journey to destroy the Beasts.

Darkland Beast leader Adrian works directly for Cain and want to prove his loyalty towards him. If that means he has to play dirty by using his second in command Segundo, then that’s the way, but Segundo has a mission of his own. I love the dirty games between these two, both of them wants to reach the top to impress Cain, but it’s not always working because the Knight of White are always one step ahead of them.

Lisa Renee Jones has written another fabulous novel and I’m already looking forward to the next novel, which happens to be about Max.

Vicki Lewis Thompson - Should've been a Cowboy (ARC)

Title : Should’ve been a Cowboy
Series : Sons of Chance #4
Release date : May 24th, 2011
Publisher : Harlequin Publisher
Genre : Contemporary Romance

Alex Keller has left the fast life of the city behind him after a disaster break-up with his ex-wife. Now he’s living on the Chance ranch in Wyoming and lives as a real cowboy. But he cannot seem to forget the passionate woman he had a one-night stand with in the hayloft ten months ago.

Tyler O’Connelli is a party organizer on a cruise ship and is heading towards a huge promotion, just like she dreamed off. Just before sailing off again, she visits her very pregnant sister at the Chance ranch and spend some time there. But Tyler couldn’t suspect seeing Alex again, she knows this will change her future, even if she doesn’t want it…or does she.

Should’ve been a Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson is the fourth book in her Sons of Chance Series and I loved it. I haven’t read the previous three books in this series, but that doesn’t matter, you will pick up about the storyline and character soon enough.

Alex & Tyler had a one time thing in the hayloft after her sister’s wedding, neither one was interested in a relationship, Alex was just recovering of a divorce and Tyler’s dream job was just around the corner. So when Tyler suddenly appears on the Chance ranch, where Alex works and lives now, you can imagine both their surprise.

The chemistry between them is still huge and even though neither of them seem to want a relationship, they agree to give in to the attraction and have an affair for the rest of Tyler’s stay. But being together and around their families gives them both something to think about.

I love Alex, he is definitely my favorite character of this book, he’s a tough city boy who took the opportunity to give his life meaning again by moving to Wyoming and be near his sister, especially after the betrayal of his ex-wife. I have to say he turned into one hell of a sexy cowboy, I really wanted to be in Tyler’s spot during the book, especially the shower scene.

This novel is well written and has some fabulous characters. I found it a very entertaining novel and couldn’t help myself drreaming about handsome cowboys. I also have to give my compliments to the cover, that’s one hell of a cowboy.

Patricia Briggs - River Marked

Title : River Marked
Series : Mercedes Thompson
Release date : March 2011
Publisher : Penguin Group
Genre : Urban Fantasy

Mercy Thompson has been through hell and back, but there is one thing that scares the hell out of her, her human mother. Her mother Margi is going overboard with planning Mercy’s wedding to Adam, so she’s thinking about eloping real hard.

Mercy and Adam are going to the banks of Columbia River for their honeymoon, just the two of them in an ignoramus trailer. But trouble always follows Mercy, this time a huge monster lurks in the river destroying everyone who dares to enter.

Mercy also discovers more about her past and others of her kind and she will need their help to stop the monster before it will take them all.

River Marked by Patricia Briggs is the sixth novel in her Mercedes Thompson Series and it’s another fabulous instalment.

What I love about this book is that it’s finally about Mercy and Adam alone, the way they bond after the wedding, working together as a team to fight this monster and learning more about Mercy’s past. We all know that Mercy push Adam’s buttons more often than normal couples, but I believe that’s what makes their relationship special. It was fabulous to read about their growing relationship.

The only downside of the book is that we don’t see the previous secondary characters as much as we want to. The focus of this book was about Mercy and her background. Although I’m a huge fan of Mercy and especially Adam, I really hope to see the others more often in the following book.

Fans who already love the series won’t be disappointed with this novel; it’s a great addition to the series. I highly recommend this book to the Urban Fantasy Booklovers.

Sarah Addison Allen - The Suger Queen

Title : The Sugar Queen
Release date : May 20th, 2008
Publisher : Bantam Publisher
Genre : Contemporary Romance

Josey Cirrini is the only daughter of the late Marco Cirrini and his wife Margaret. Her parents weren’t young when they finally got pregnant of Josey, ever since her father died she has done everything in her power to make her mother’s life easier. She even lives with her very demanding mother in their huge, but empty mansion. Every day her mother reminds her how plain she really is and tells her want she should or shouldn’t wear.

The only comforts in her life are her books and her candy. She has all kinds of candy and keeps them in a stash somewhere hidden deep in her closet, far away from her mother. For the last three years she has her moments when their mailman Adam brings them their mail.

But Josey life is about to turn up-side-down when she discovers a local woman in her closet and she isn’t going to leave until Josey sets her life around. Because of Della Lee she meets her new friend Chloe, who runs a small food stand in the local city courthouse lobby.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen was recommended to me by a friend and I have to thank her for that. This novel is a mix of fairy tale and contemporary fiction and I loved it. It took me in from page one and hold me all the way through.

Josey is a lovely character, she is lonely while taking care of her elderly mother, sweet candy is her life saving, her reward after spending the day with her demanding mother. Josey has a crush on the mailman Adam and doesn’t really know what to do with it. She has been raised within the mansion walls, so dating isn’t something she is familiar with. But with the help of Della Lee and Chloe, she’s opening up to Adam and finds a way to really get to know him.

The second storyline is about Chloe, she discovers that her boyfriend cheated on her only once but he won’t tell her with whom. So she sends him on his way, but deep down inside she still cares. Her new friendship with Josey is helping her to decide what to do with her life.

The friendship between Josey & Chloe is great, both women are dealing with something in their life; it seems that books and food are something they have in common. But their kindness and determination is what keep their friendship growing.

This book was definitely a fun read, I often find myself smiling when I was reading. You can really relate with the things both women are dealing with. Because I enjoyed this book so much, I definitely will be checking out her other books.