The Pleasure of Your Kiss (Burke Brothers: Book One): Teresa Medeiros

“Legendary adventurer Ashton Burke has roamed the globe for ten years trying to forget the spirited woman he left behind in England.  His devil-may-care pursuits are interrupted, though, when he reluctantly agrees to retrieve his brother’s kidnapped fiancé from a sultan’s harem.  Too late, he discovers his quarry is none other than Clarinda Cardew, the very same girl who made off with his jaded heart.

“The last thing Clarinda wants is to be trapped in a palace of sensual delights with the man whose irresistible kisses still haunt her sleepless nights.  She quickly realizes that allowing Ashton to rescue her may put her yearning heart in even greater peril.  In a journey both tantalizing and treacherous, Ashton and Clarinda resume the impetuous steps of their dangerous dance only to discover the most seductive pleasure of all may be love itself.”

This was a new one for me since I’ve already read a majority of this author’s other works.  One of the best parts of her works is the worlds she creates.  She really draws you in with vivid imagery and experiences which enthrall all of your senses.  I hadn’t yet read a book of this genre set in such a far-flung corner of the British Empire, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  For me, part of the charm is usually losing myself in the elegance and beauty of England/Great Britain because I’m such an Anglophile.  Despite my reservations, I was sucked into the lush and exotic world of Clarinda’s kidnappers.  The palace and its luxuries with its foreign ways and manners and food captivated me.  All of the secondary characters were interesting and unique, each with his/her own big personality.  The uniqueness of the setting made this book fun and special, allowing it to stand out in a genre of relative sameness when set during this time period.  It provided an exciting backdrop for the development of a unique love story.

Clarinda was a strong, brave female lead.  I thought she behaved admirably well given her lot in life (and her kidnapping…and having to adjust to life in the harem).  Her struggles felt believable and her backstory seemed to provide enough support that her strong personality was in-character.  Her friendship with Poppy was entertaining and provided a bit of levity in a situation where the female lead could have given in to far too much despair and hopelessness so as to make this a much less “fun” read.  I particularly liked Poppy as well – she had a sweet disposition and an innocence which I found endearing.

Ash(ton) was everything you’d expect from a swashbuckling, exploring, Indiana Jones-esque male lead.  We encounter him just as he’s about to be put to death for a perceived slight against a very powerful man, only to have his life saved at the very last instant.  When the reason for the timely rescue becomes apparent, Ash isn’t so sure he’d rather not have perished by the firing squad.  He’s sent on a mission to save the last woman on earth who’d probably rather he’d died than rescue her.  His struggle to come to terms with both his past and present were amusing and realistic.  Ash, while dashing and adventurous, had a bit more to him than a “flat” traditional male lead in this genre.  He came with his own issues and complexes.  What I found particularly interesting was the change in relationship between Ash and his brother, Max.  The backstory and Ash’s childhood speaks volumes to his character and seems to have helped shape him in a believable way.  I will, however, say that I would have liked to have read a touch more from his point of view.  He’s such a bold, exciting character that I couldn’t help but want more!  I think Clarinda’s perspective ended up swallowing most of the story.

Ash and Clarinda have loved each other for most of their lives.  They grew up on neighboring estates; Ash, a duke’s second (disappointment of a) son, and Clarinda, the daughter of a wealthy, self-made man.  What began as a childhood rivalry eventually blossomed into a passionate young romance.  Ash, determined to make his way in the world – determined to make something of himself so he’d be worthy of Clarinda rather than just an impoverished second son – decides to join the navy.  Horrified that he’d think of leaving her, Clarinda chases after him.  What begins with tears and hurt ends in a passionate embrace the two would remember for the rest of their lives.  The years pass and Clarinda sees neither hide nor hair of Ash (except for the tabloids detailing his heroic adventures).  Convinced he’s abandoned her, she finally decides to accept the marriage proposal of Max, Ash’s older brother – wealthy, stable, staid, intelligent, and ever-practical.  She’s on her way to meet Max for their wedding when she and Poppy are abducted by pirates and sold in a slave market into the harem of an obscenely wealthy, handsome young sultan.  While there, Clarinda is groomed and trained in all the ways of the sultan’s harem.  After months, she and Poppy begin to despair of ever being rescued and returned home…that is, until a dashing ghost from Clarinda’s past makes a surprise appearance.

What follows is a tantalizing romance of opposing wills.  Both Ash and Clarinda are nursing old wounds, but still find themselves drawn toward one another by a powerful force that seems to transcend time and distance.  Will Ash be able to save Clarinda from the sultan’s harem and deliver her back to his brother?  For that matter, how can he stand by and allow his brother to marry the one and only woman he’d ever truly loved?

I found the plot entertaining and very fun and different from others in this genre/time period.  It was refreshing!  I enjoyed reading this and it was a relatively quick read.  I’ve already begun reading the second in this series and it’s shaping up to be another lively read!

Surrender of a Siren (Toby and Isabel Trilogy, Book Two): Tessa Dare

"New author Tessa Dare takes passion to the high seas in this steamy tale of a runaway bride and a devilishly disarming privateer.

"Desperate to escape a loveless marriage and society's constraints, pampered heiress Sophia Hathaway jilts her groom, packs up her paints and sketchbook, and assumes a new identity, posing as a governess to secure passage on the Aphrodite.  She wants a life of her own:  unsheltered, unconventional, uninhibited.  But it's one thing to sketch her most wanton fantasies, and quite another to face the dangerously handsome libertine who would steal both her virtue and her gold.

"To any well-bred lady, Benedict 'Gray' Grayson is trouble in snug-fitting boots.  A conscienceless scoundrel who said the seas for pleasure and profit, Gray lives for conquest -- until Sophia's perception and artistry stir his heart.  Suddenly he'll brave sharks, fire, storm, and sea just to keep her at his side.  She's beautiful, refined, and ripe for seduction.  Could this counterfeit governess be a rogue's redemption?  Or will the runaway heiress's secrets destroy their only chance at love?"

I finally get to do my RAIR method again!  (Granted, I’m nearly done with the book, but I’m just going to say this counts because I’m not done yet!)  I was happy to see Sophia get a book of her own.  She was very flat and almost non-existent in the first half of Goddess of the Hunt.  She felt more like a doll than an actual human being; that was, until she and Lucy bonded over Lucy’s budding romance with Jeremy.  I was very surprised by the ending of that book – I hadn’t expected Sophia to run off like she did; especially after Toby finally showed some physical and romantic attention toward her, just as she’d desired.

Sophia is a far more complex character than she seemed in the first book in the series.  Her knack for lying/weaving tales is interesting – if a bit bolder than I would have thought her capable.  This is probably the only thing I find a bit shaky about the story thus far – the ease with which Sophia spins lurid tales.  It is one thing for her to imagine them and make up stories for Lucy, quite another thing for her to tell them to Gray.  I like that “Gervais” made another appearance in this book.  I get that Sophia was drawing a lot of inspiration for her stories from the “dirty” book Lucy had given her, but I think her boldness with some of her audiences was a bit unbelievable

I like Gray thus far.  Unlike Jeremy in the first book, I felt like I got a very good sense of what he looked like from the get-go.  I also appreciate how the descriptions of him are told from the mind of an artist; the details are managed very well and I think they keep very true to Sophia’s mindset and training as an artist.  As for Sophia, I already learned about her from the first book, though I still feel like Dare is doing a good job writing from Gray’s point of view.  She threw in a bit of a character quirk about him (I won’t reveal it here, even though it’s not some jaw-dropping revelation) which, thinking back on it, I realize Dare kept very true to throughout the story.  I’m impressed.  She clearly gives a lot of thought to her characters.

Thus far, I feel like both Sophia and Grey are well-developed characters.  Dare will sometimes develop either her male or female lead more than the other, but she has done a great job of balancing this out in this book.  When she does do this, the chemistry is excellent and it’s so easy to fall into the book and lose yourself.

I’m finding Gray’s self-deprecating behavior and statements a bit annoying.  I struggle with the fact that even I, the reader, don’t think Gray has done things “evil” enough to warrant his poor opinion of himself.  Maybe some worse confession is coming?  I’m not sure, but I’m nearly done with the book and I can’t quite see why Gray thinks he’s such a bad person.  He wasn’t a real pirate, but a privateer and sanctioned by the Crown.  Sure, he was sometimes selfish when it came to his brother, but he’s genuinely trying to make things right and it seems like he’s taken great strides toward doing so.  He’s trying to keep his promises, but I’m sometimes left frowning at the voracity with which he sometimes does this.  I guess his motivation is a little bit unclear and I’m wondering if it will be clarified as I read further.

I really like the book so far.  It’s a fun read and I’m having a difficult time putting it down.  I’m looking forward to finishing it and seeing how everything ends up!

…

Tessa Dare has done it again.  I sincerely enjoy her writing style, her storytelling abilities, her captivating plots, and the vibrant characters she weaves.  As a follow-up to Goddess of the Hunt, I thought this was a very appropriate book.

I will admit that I became a little bit annoyed at both Sophia and Gray.  Gray’s self-deprecating behavior felt a little bit overly dramatic and Sophia’s own self-deprecating behavior was overblown.  However, I will say that I got over this and really enjoyed the book nonetheless.  I realize there has to be some conflict and personality quirks to make the characters believable and create an interesting plot – Dare was only doing what she needed to do in order to create a unique story and (what I feel to be) her trademark captivating characters.  I’m always so impressed with how different her characters are from book to book.  I’ve read quite a few books by Dare (as I’m sure you can tell) and not once have I even sensed a hint of laziness or repetition in the creation of her characters.  This is a pretty remarkable accomplishment and one I think I’ve only ever experienced with Sherrilyn Kenyon’s works (very different branch of the romance novel genre – much darker and more paranormal).  A few authors I’ve read have fallen into this trap where they need to write another book and they recycle traits or personality quirks from other stories; part of me wonders if they always realize they’re even doing this because some of those authors are such prolific writers.  Still, Dare continues to impress me.

Overall, I thought the book was very good.  It’s definitely still one of Dare’s earlier works, but I enjoyed it a great deal nonetheless.  As I mentioned, there were points when I grew frustrated with some of the characters’ adamancy that they were “bad” people.  I never did quite understand why Gray thought himself such a wretched human being.  Sophia’s anxieties were a bit more solidified, but still a tiny bit frustrating.  I loved the chemistry between Sophia and Gray, though.  Gray was a powerful, confident male lead.  Sophia was so much better developed than she was in Goddess of the Hunt (of course, this is to be expected because this is, after all, her book).  I thought the dialogue was witty, the romance was sweet, and the characters were unique.  There was one bit toward the end that literally had me laughing out loud (I’m pretty sure my dogs thought I was crazy), but I won’t give it away so you can all enjoy it as much as I did.  I thought the last two chapters wrapped everything up quite nicely – even if I am a bit “unsatisfied” (for lack of a better word) about how Sophia chose to spend her trust (while a nice gesture, I don’t think it quite fit with everything else).  Sophia was brave, Gray was selfless, and we were introduced to Bel, a.k.a. Isabel – she stars in the final book in this trilogy.  As of right now, I’m a bit unsure about Bel.  While I realize she’s supposed to be selfless and pious, I just don’t see her being much of a romantic heroine at this point in time.  She was too good, too pure, too much a servant of God and missionary-like that I am unsure how Dare is going to pull off the final book.  I have faith in her abilities as an author, though, and that’s what’s driving me to read the final installment in the series.

I don’t think this is much of a spoiler, but I thought I would warn you just in case:  I liked how Lucy was brought back in at the end of the story.  I love seeing former “leads” return in other books in a series; it lends an air of realism and really rounds everything out.  I just thought Lucy might say something about how Sophia had changed because, at the very least, her appearance would be far different from when she’d last seen Lucy – before spending months at sea.  This is a small note, however.

I recommend this book.  Dare obviously did an insane amount of research after she decided to have this book set (at least 95% of it) on a ship.  She used excellent sailing terminology and it really helped to sell the story.  I already have the third book in this series waiting in my purse for me to read on lunch at work today, but I’m torn about whether or not I should dive into it just yet.  I love Dare’s writing, but I don’t know if I necessarily want to plow through this series in the span of a couple of weeks.  I should probably take a break and do some more of my Shakespeare reading for grad school.  While I absolutely love Shakespeare, I think I might love Dare’s writing just a smidgen more.

Once a Mistress: Debra Mullins

“Hard-Hearted Captor…

“He was the dark, dashing rogue of Diana Covington’s fantasies…until he literally swept her off her feet, swooping across the ship’s deck on a rope to rescue her from her evil abductor. But now Diana is the captive of this handsome, charming pirate—and who will save the beautiful heiress from the bold stranger whose burning kisses inspire such unmaidenly thoughts?

“Or Man of Her Dreams?

“Alex Rawnsley is merely living up to his rakish reputation when he claims lovely Diana as his mistress—but he had no intention of plundering her fiery innocence. This Earl-in-disguise hides behind tales of pillage and seduction in order to win vengeance—not love. Yet the mere thought of one passionate night with the defiant beauty is more than enough to tempt Alex to forget his pledge to return her home—untouched.”

So—in case you haven’t noticed—I have been on a sort of a “kick” with reading new authors. I’m finding some real gems, with this book being one of the best. I bought this book at a local library book sale and thought I would give Debra Mullins a try. I was most definitely not disappointed!!!

Her writing was absolutely beautiful and the characters were amazing. I loved the plot and the settings and, overall, it was a fantastically written book. Everything was very well-thought-out and it all came together to make the book very fun to read. The author really made this time period come alive with her swashbuckling pirates and her epic battle scenes. I loved every page of this book and would be more than pleased to read more of Mullins’ works!

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (Contains Dark-Hunter Series, Book Seventeen): Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Lori Handeland & more

“WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, WITCHES, VOODOO, ELVIS—AND WEDDINGS

“An “ordinary” wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories. What’s the seating plan when rival clans of werewolves and vampires meet under the same roof? How can a couple in the throes of love overcome traps set by feuding relatives…who are experts at voodoo? Will you have a good marriage if your high-seas wedding is held on a cursed ship? How do you deal with a wedding singer who’s just a little too good at impersonating Elvis?

“SHAPE-SHIFTERS, WIZARDS, AND MAGIC, OH MY!

“Spellbound: L.A. Banks”

Well, this was not the first time that I read L.A. Banks, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first—and, for those of you who didn’t read my other review of Banks, I didn’t really like the writing to begin with. I REALLY don’t want to be completely down on Banks because it does take a lot of work to write, but there was just something lacking in both stories I have read by her. Plain and simple, her writing just isn’t for me. The plot was not fun to follow and there were just so many names and hardly any background at all (which was similar to the other short story of hers that I read). The overall idea of this story was cute and interesting, but things could definitely have been explained better, and I had a hard time feeling for the main characters at all. I was a little disappointed with this story and—in all honesty—really hoped that the book got better as I read.

“Something Borrowed: Jim Butcher”

I have never read Jim Butcher before, so this short story was a first. I liked the characters and the story was unique because it was written in the first-person. This isn’t easy to do and not many authors are able to pull it off, but I must say that Butcher did a very good job. His story was interesting and gave me good background and defined terms so I wouldn’t struggle through the story.

Now, this isn’t really my normal type of reading, but it was fairly compelling and a good, short read. Who knows? I might even read more of Butcher’s works in the future—even though he isn’t entirely my style.

“Dead Man’s Chest: Rachel Cane”

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this story!!! It has to be my favorite one in this book thus far. The characters were fun and realistic and the plot had captivating twists that kept me reading. ****This next part is a bit of a spoiler*** As soon as I read the description of Captain Lockhart, I instantly thought “oh boy…here’s a blatant copycat of Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean…” and that Rachel Cane was just a Pirates fanatic… But I was REALLY happy that Cane’s character realized how similar the situation was to Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. She even went so far as to practically quote certain scenes that corresponded to the film. I laughed several times and found myself charmed by her characters.

Overall, the plot was unique and VERY interesting and would actually LOVE to read more of Rachel Cane in the future!

“ “All Shook Up”: P.N. Elrod”

This is the first writing by P.N. Elrod that I have gotten a chance to read and I really enjoyed it. Her characters were sweet and endearing and the plot was fun. I found myself guessing what was going to happen next and could not figure it out. (That’s pretty hard for an author to do that to me. Though, I will be honest, I think if I had read Elrod before, then I would have been able to figure it out.)

Anyhow, this was a very cute short story and found myself really liking the characters. I will probably read more of Elrod in the future.

“The Wedding of Wylda Serene: Esther M. Friesner”

Esther M. Friesner was another new author to me in this anthology. This was an interesting short story as a first reading from this author.

As I first started reading, I had no idea what to expect from this story. The language used—including the dialogue—was a bit wordy for my tastes. The story was written in the first-person (which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing), but the vocabulary was unnecessarily elaborate. I liked the plot twists and it was a cute story, but I may or may not read more of Friesner in the future.

“Charmed by the Moon: Lori Handeland”

I’ve read Lori Handeland before, in another anthology, and it was good to read her again. Her writing is fun; her characters are interesting; and her plots move very well. I don’t have much more to say about this short story because it’s all pretty straightforward and to-the-point, but it was all good nonetheless.

“Tacky: Charlaine Harris”

I don’t believe that I’ve read Charlaine Harris before, but this was a cute story. The plot was refreshing and interesting. There were refreshing bits to it that made the story unique and cute. The characters were fun and made me want to read more.

Overall, it was a nice short story and I may even read more works by Harris in the future.

“A Hard Day’s Night-Searcher: Sherrilyn Kenyon”

And here we are with Sherrilyn Kenyon again. Need I say how much I love her writing?

Anyway, once more, Kenyon has that unique ability to make her readers care about her characters in the span of only a few pages. It’s amazing! However, this was not one of my favorite works of hers, but it was still very cute and a fun read. The characters were interesting and it was cool to read more about a Dark-Hunter that I’d only barely seen before. Plus, I LOVED the fact that Rafael’s Squire, Jeff, wrote about the world of the Dark-Hunters and made it his own. It was hilarious and really dragged me into the story. Can’t wait to read more of Kenyon’s work!!!

“ “…Or Forever Hold Your Peace”: Susan Krinard”

This is the first work by Susan Krinard that I’ve read and I liked it more than I expected to. It was very unique and I instantly liked the characters. I know for certain that I wouldn’t have been able to understand what the heck was going on if Krinard hadn’t supplied background information, so I REALLY appreciate that. I actually really liked this short story and—though it isn’t my usual taste in reading materials—I think I may seek out other books by Krinard that are like this one.

***YAY!!! So, this is my 100th post for my book-review blog! I’m actually really excited about it! I wish I’d posted the books that I’d read in that gap between my first and second posts, but oh well…I will just end up making them my next few blog postings :) Anyhow, I LOVE doing this blog and would really appreciate some feedback. Just a “hey, what’s up”, let me know what you think of the books I review—whether you loved them or hated them, or even tell me that you think what I’m doing is stupid. I can take it! I know people read this and I would LOVE to hear from them! Peace out!***

*Just a note, my label for this post does not contain all of the authors of this anthology because I can only have 200 characters...sorry!*

My Wicked Pirate: Rona Sharon

***I read this book on my Kindle, so I don’t have the exact wording on the back of the book, so this is the one from Rona Sharon’s site. I will try to fix it as soon as I can!***

“First he gave her a wicked kiss…

“Azure-eyed Alanis was by far the most exquisite treasure ever claimed by the black pirate known as the Viper, but his motives went deeper than his silken promise to ravish the feisty Yorkshire heiress. Commanding the waters of the Caribbean was his mean to an end: reclaiming his birthright—and his blood debt against those who had betrayed him.

“Then he gave her nights of wicked pleasure…

“Comfortably betrothed to a nobleman, Alanis never imagined the heady emotions in the true games of seduction—games this blackguard seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing with her. Swept up into an adventure that soon revealed a gentleman and a kindred spirit beneath the ruthless veneer of a privateer, Alanis began to soften towards her enigmatic captor, as her pride and her heart fell under his erotic spell…”

This is the second of Rona Sharon’s books that I have read and—once again—I LOVED it!!! Her books may seem long and daunting to the casual reader, but I assure you, every single page is required. Sharon is a gifted and absolutely amazing writer. When other authors write historical fiction, they may include some facts that help verify the time period and nothing more. Sharon on the other hand has a TREMENDOUS amount of facts and includes well-known wars and generals, Emperors, Popes, monarchs…and it is not tedious in the least. She dares to make her time period completely authentic and I applaud her for that.

Also, her characters are amazing. They are SO real! (And I know I tend to say that, but in this case I REALLY mean it!) There are so many facets to them that they seem like they could have been actual human beings. It’s really, truly a talent.

This book was wonderful and I HIGHLY recommend reading any of Rona Sharon’s works. I never want them to end!!! She has a new book coming out in April and I am SO excited! Look for Rona Sharon's Royal Blood.

The Pirate Lord (The Lord Trilogy, Book One): Sabrina Jeffries

“A Splendid Opportunity

“A shipload of women—theirs for the taking! Pirate captain Gideon Horn couldn’t be more delighted. His men are tired of wandering the high seas and want to settle down with wives on the uncharted island paradise they’re discovered. And the women are bound to be grateful to be rescued from the life of drudgery awaiting them in New South Wales…Lord, he’s so clever!

“A Splendid Passion

“Married? To pirates? Sara Willis couldn’t be more appalled. First she demands proper courting—at least a month. The darkly handsome pirate lord gives them two weeks. Then Sara insists the men vacate their huts for the women—Gideon demands her kisses in return. As the demands heat up, so do their passions—and soon Sara can’t remember just why she’d fighting the devilishly seductive captain so hard…”

This was the first book by Sabrina Jefferies that I’ve read and I really loved it!!! Her characters were fun and fascinating to follow. The plot was so captivating that I just COULD NOT put the book down! I devoured it!

The storyline flowed so well that I just didn’t want it to stop. It was creative, witty, and funny. I found myself laughing and smiling and feeling for the characters. This book genuinely made me happy. Sara had so much fire, but it wasn’t to the point of being obnoxious; while Gideon was a powerful, masculine character with secrets of his own.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am genuinely looking forward to read more of Jefferies’ works in the future!!!

Only With Your Love (Vallerands Series, Book Two): Lisa Kleypas

“Celia Vallerand fears for her life as she stares into the deep, arresting eyes of the dashing man who purchased her from the brigands who abducted her. But it soon becomes clear that it’s her virtue, not her life, that’s in danger. The rugged, powerful renegade known only as “Grifin” arouses desires in Celia as dangerous as they are forbidden. And though she knows she must resist him, she fears she may be unable to do so.

“But the magnificent adventurer is a man trapped in a perilous deception. And the shocking secrets he guards could deny him the love of the fair captive lady who enslaved his reckless heart.”

This book was the perfect conclusion to the Vallerand series! Lisa Kleypas did an amazing job of developing her characters in the first book--even though they were children. I could see a lot of their personalities early on and it added SO much more depth to this book. Justin was just as hot-headed as ever and the readers got to see different sides to both twins. I found myself smiling on numerous occasions and nearly getting choked up at other times. The action was beautifully written and I wanted to read more! All in all, I really loved this book and I'm almost sad that the Vallerand saga came to an end...