Review: The Taming of a Rake, by Kasey Michaels

The Taming of a Rake

Author: Kasey Michaels

Historical Romance

Published: HQN Books

Official Blurb:

MEET THE BLACKTHORN BROTHERS—
THREE UNREPENTANT SCOUNDRELS INFAMOUS FOR BEING MAD, BAD AND PERILOUS TO LOVE

Charming, wealthy and wickedly handsome, Oliver “Beau” Blackthorn has it all…except revenge on the enemy he can’t forget. Now the opportunity for retribution has fallen into his hands. But his success hinges on Lady Chelsea Mills-Beckman—the one woman with the power to distract him from his quest.

Desperate to escape her family’s control, Lady Chelsea seizes the chance to run off with the notorious eldest Blackthorn brother, knowing she’s only a pawn in his game. But as Beau draws her deep into a world of intrigue, danger and explosive passion, does she dare hope he’ll choose love over vengeance?

What I thought:

Okay...I don’t like to dwell on the negative so I will get this out of the way first.  I don’t like this book cover.  It does nothing to represent the wonderful characters in the story.  Being a reader who is very cover oriented I just had to put that out there.  However, I’m also very title oriented too and I happen to love The Taming of the Shrew, so this title definitely caught my eye.  (I do like the title font on the cover though! Very pretty!)

Now as much as I loved the title, I did find it to be misleading.  Beau was not a rake by any stretch of the imagination, though I found him to be quite an enjoyable character.  Okay, yeah...I thought he was hot—all tall, tan, and muscular with his blond sun-streaked hair, and a nice guy to boot.  Not to mention he was completely loaded...as in richer than most of the ton.  And of course he can kiss like the devil, so what’s not to love? Beau was born into less-than-favorable circumstances, in his opinion, and has spent his life trying to “change his colors” so he can be accepted into society.  I personally would have ditched the rest of society and gone with him.  He was certainly the better choice.

The heroine, Chelsea, was bold, demanding, and opinionated and I liked her.  She didn’t like the hand life was dealing her so she set out to change it and make it her own.  I found her outspoken ways to be humorous and unexpected.   I loved that she didn’t beat around the bush.  If she had something to say, she said it.  If she had something to do, she did it.  And that was that.  No weeping, weak, woe-is-me type girl here! Yay for that!

I also enjoyed the character chemistry.  Because of the way they storyline developed you knew the characters were headed for marriage from the beginning of the book.  But it was nice to see a marriage of convenience start turning to love—especially when one party involved has sworn off love for good.  But that wonderful sneaky love always manages to creep its way in somehow! (Happy sigh...)

The story was fast paced and kept my interest easily, though it may have slowed slightly at the end.  Nothing bad by any means, it just seemed to drag a little for me there for some reason. Perhaps because the big build up that everything was leading to changed and went off in a different direction.  Once again...not bad, just different from what I expected. 

There were a couple of extra subplots as well that helped add to the story and set things up for future books that will feature Beau’s two brothers, Puck, and Jack.  I will definitely be watching for their stories because this one was a lot of fun!

My Rating:

Reviewed by:



Lacey Weatherford
Author - Reviewer



The Trove Of The Passion Room by Marica McClure

The Trove Of The Passion Room

Marcia McClure
Contemporary Romance

“The Trove of the Passion Room is not simply a story. Nor is it only a fable, a legend or mere nonsensical superstition. It exists. There is a trove hidden in The Passion Room…a trove that has never before in its fullness been found—for it is hidden by the spell of passion that lingers within the room itself. The passion inspired of the room cannot be denied. It cannot be controlled or resisted. And as the influence of The Passion Room cannot be evaded, neither can the trove be revealed without absolute and consummate surrender to...” She paused as her eyes widened. “What?” she breathed. “No way!”

Review: One Night in London, by Caroline Linden

One Night in London

Author: Caroline Linden

Historical Romance

Publisher: HarperCollins (available Aug 30th)

Official Blurb:

A bargain that was all business . . . and pure passion.

Neither wealth nor beauty will help Lady Francesca Gordon win custody of her young niece Georgina, saving the girl from a cruel stepmother; she needs London’s top solicitor for that. But when Edward de Lacey, son of the powerful Duke of Durham, hires away the one man who can do the job, Francesca decides Edward himself must champion her case . . . if only she can melt the dashing lord’s stony heart.

Edward has reason to be guarded, though. London’s tabloids have just exposed a secret that could ruin his entire family. When Francesca offers a unique chance to undo the damage, Edward is forced to agree to a partnership . . . and now, each moment together feeds the flames of his scandalous longing for the passionate widow. But when Georgina disappears, fate will test them both . . . and leave their love hanging in the balance.

What I thought:

*I received this book from Netgalley for review.

I love historical romances and I will say this book captured me straight away when a down on her luck Francesca finds her much needed solicitor ripped from her grasp by a wealthy family.  Instead of sulking she finds out who the mystery client is and barges in to demand his help.

Edward De Lacey has no hope of thwarting the young widow.  He’s attracted by her almost immediately, but does everything possible to bury those feelings, especially since he’s just been thrown over by his fiancée who he thought himself love with.  But fate continues to throw them together and Edward does the unthinkable.  When he has the chance to finally be rid of her...he keeps orchestrating their meetings together. They two continue on their search and soon find there is loads of chemistry between them.

My favorite line in the book comes from Edward when he say he thought he had everything he wanted, only to discover he was missing what he really needed. (Insert deep swoon here.)

I was exactly halfway through this book before there was any “coming together” of the characters, but once they came together there was hardly any separating of them!  I have a thing for hot make out sessions up against the wall and let me tell you the one in this book was SMOKING! Once these two ignited they burned like a fire out of control.

The ending of the story had an unexpected twist which was nice, and the light mystery thread through the book continues on into the books to follow. I have to say I pretty much enjoyed every second of this and look forward to reading the rest of them!

My Rating:

Reviewed by:

Lacey Weatherford
Author - Reviewer

Review: The Juliet Spell, by Douglas Rees

The Juliet Spell, by Douglas Rees

Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance

Publisher: Harper Teen

Available: September 27^th

Blurb:

I’m Juliet.
At least, I wanted to be.
So I did something stupid to make it happen.
Well, stupid and wonderful.

I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.

I didn’t get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren’t any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I’d cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?

Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William’s younger brother.

Good thing he’s sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he’s from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.

Still, there’s something about him that’s making my eyes go star-crossed....

Will Romeo steal her heart before time steals him away?

What I thought:

I found this story on NetGalley and I have to say the title was what caught my eye on this book, which is saying something since I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a cover girl.  I read the blurb for this story and thought it sounded really good.

I found this book to be entertaining for the most part—a nice escape from reality for a leisurely time of reading.  There were some pacing issues that irritated me a couple of times, place where some things needed more explanation and others that had too much.  I tried to just brush through these parts and accept them as they were written, even if at time the character reactions seemed a bit odd for what was going on around them.

Overall I liked the characters and felt each suited their role appropriately in the story.  It was a little disheartening to see the lead male in the story, Edmund, waste most of his time involved in pursuits with another girl, thus making his time with Miranda, a.k.a. Juliet, rushed and anticlimactic.

The ending of the book fit the style of the story, but was way too hurried for my taste.  It was like the reader had been going along with all of this big build up, only to have it be over in the blink of an eye.  I wish there could have been some more tender moments in there.

I loved the parts of the story surrounding the putting on of the play, and I loved how everyone came together to make it this awesome event for the community.  That part of the book seemed magical to me, and for a moment I felt I was part of the audience enjoying a riveting show.

This story was at the very least entertaining and I enjoyed myself while I read it.

My Rating: Three Stars - Enjoyable!



Lacey Weatherford
Author - Reviewer



Review: Vanish, by Sophie Jordan

Vanish (Firelight Book 2)

Author: Sophie Jordan

Published: HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Romance

Blurb:

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

What I thought:

I loved book one in this series, Firelight, and so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review the second one from NetGalley.  I admit I was a little afraid to read it, since I knew from the end of the previous story that my favorite characters, Will and Jacinda, were going to be separated.

True to that ending the book began with Jacinda being forced back into her dragon pride, one she hadn’t been anxious to escape before, but now has no desire to go back to.  Life is hard enough for her as she tries to assimilate back into life with her peers after being branded as a trouble maker by them, not to mention that her heart is breaking after being seperated from the love of her life.

Enter Cassian, the tall, dark, brooding draki that has long intended to be bonded with Jacinda.  I, much like Jacinda, never cared much for him since it was common knowledge that he was only after Jacinda’s more desirable fire breathing traits and adding her to his families bloodline.  Well, leave it Sophie Jordan to go and blow all those theories out of the water as she peals back the layers to reveal Cassian and the true emotions that lie beneath his surface.

Jacinda fights falling under his spell in her attempt to remain loyal to her Will, whom she loves so much.  But she is lonely too, and finds herself struggling to keep from crumbling.  I have to say there were some HOT things going on in this part of the book.  Of course, just about the time I was starting to cheer for Cassian, you guessed it...Will showed up...and I spent the rest of this book being one conflicted mess after another.  ACK!!   I love them both, and they both love her!!   What is it with these authors and their twisted love triangles?

I devoured this book, my heart pounding, twisted, wrenched and bleeding.  Sacrifices we made, bonds strengthened, threats made, friendships lost, betrayals happened, and I was completely torn in two by the end.  There was never a dull moment as this story progressed, taking me on the emotional journey with it.

Now I sit here, wondering desperately when the next book will be out and I have to remind myself that this one hasn’t been release yet!  I will definitely be in line for the next book in this awesome YA fantasy series.

My Rating:

Reviewed by

Lacey Weatherford
Author ~ Reviewer

His Magick Touch by Kimberly Killion

His Magick Touch

Kimberly Killion
Historical Romance / Highlanders
Originally published in Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance

Scotland, Inner Hebrides – 1587

Sorcha’s husband is easily the meanest cur alive. He blamed her for every misfortune that befell his clan since he took her to wife four years past. And now the bastard is determined to kill her. If she were half the witch he accused her of being, then she might possess the power to save herself, but Da had ousted her grandmum from the clan before she taught Sorcha the Pagan ways. She is certain of only one thing—if she lives long enough to become a widow, she will never take another husband.

Keiran, the Falconer of Barra, knew he and Sorcha were worlds apart in station—he, the son of a crofter, and she, the eldest daughter of the chieftain—but he’d spent the past seven years of his life trying to change his stars. Everything he’d done had been for her. He’d fought and killed for the clan and learned the Pagan ways, for her. And now that he’d saved her life and took her pain away, the foolish wench accused him of doing it all for the chieftainship.

Will Keiran’s gentle touch crush the last of her resistance? Or will Sorcha’s husband hunt her down and kill her before she discovers the depth of Keiran’s love?

Dance With The Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dance With The Devil

Book #4 in Dark Hunters series
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal Romance

Zarek's Point of View:

Dark-Hunter: A soulless guardian who stands between mankind and those who would see mankind destroyed. Yeah, right. The only part of that Code of Honor I got was eternity and solitude.

Insanity: A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don't suffer from my insanity-I enjoy every minute of it.

Trust: I can't trust anyone...not even myself. The only thing I trust in is my ability to do the wrong thing in any situation and to hurt anyone who gets in my way.

Truth: I endured a lifetime as a Roman slave, and 900 years as an exiled Dark-Hunter. Now I'm tired of enduring. I want the truth about what happened the night I was exiled-I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Astrid (Greek, meaning star): An exceptional woman who can see straight to the truth. Brave and strong, she is a point of light in the darkness. She touches me and I tremble. She smiles and my cold heart shatters.
Zarek: They say even the most damned man can be forgiven. I never believed that until the night Astrid opened her door to me and made this feral beast want to be human again. Made me want to love and be loved. But how can an ex-slave whose soul is owned by a Greek goddess ever dream of touching, let alone holding, a fiery star?

Becoming sage by Kasi Alexander

Becoming sage

Kasi Alexander
BDSM/ Polyamory
With a failed marriage behind her, Jill Marten was looking to start a new chapter in her life. She had no idea that running into her old friend, Jessie, would unlock a whole new world. When she accepts Jessie's invitation to a party, in order to "try something completely different," it awakens a need to discover her place in a new community. Jessie, also known as sunni, is a submissive slave who is in a loving relationship with her Master, Sir Rune. When Rune and sunni ask Jill to be a part of their family, Jill begins her journey into submission, bondage, and polyamory, even as she questions everything that she has been taught about love and relationships. She begins to face her own desires and fears as she struggles with feelings of jealousy, inadequacy, and self-worth. Once she opens the door to a life she never imagined, a peek through the keyhole is no longer enough, and she must learn what it means to become sage.

Review: The Iron Knight, by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4)
YA Fantasy Romance
Official Blurb:
Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

What I thought:
Wow!!! I don't even know where to begin with this book!  I have to say, first of all, I was really excited to read it because it's in Ash's voice.  He's by far and away my favorite character in this series, so that had me getting giddy right there!  Then I read the blurb and I was terrified-quaking in fear of the trials I knew that must be coming.  So when the earc arrived from Netgalley my love of Ash won out and I dove in immediately.

I think I loved this book from the first word.  To be inside Ash's head was a real treat.  He's often a hard one to get speaking about what is on his mind, so getting to live there for a full books was heaven to me.  But heaven didn't come without a price.  On more occasions than I could count I found myself holding my breath or letting out little groans of agony as I had to watch the things he endured.  He was truly tried and tested in every way and it was heart wrenching!  Toward the end of the book I found myself sobbing uncontrollably over the sacrifices he made.  It was pure, exquisite torture, and I LOVED every minute of it.

I also enjoyed all of the secondary characters in this book too.  Thank heavens for Puck and his comic relief or I may have drown completely in Ash's emotion. (Not entirely a bad thing) There were some new characters introduce and old ones that took center stage too.  All of them worked together to make a very nice ensemble.

I was curious how Julie would work her way around the love story in this book since I knew Ash and Megan would be seperated for most of the story.  I had an idea come to me and it turned out that the author did indeed chose to go in that direction, and I thought it was very well done.  Once again, ripping the heart of the reader right out of their chest and then feeding it back to them in little snatches and pieces.

This series will go down as one of my all time YA favorites for sure!  Get it, read it, love it, swoon over it!! Yep! It's that good!

My Rating:

(AND THEN SOME!!!)

and for the award....well I couldn't decide so Prince Ash get them ALL!!!

Reviewed by:

Lacey Weatherford
Author ~ Reviewer

The Iron Queen, by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen
YA Fantasy/Romance
Official Blurb:
My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
This time, there will be no turning back.

What I thought:
I don't even know where to start with book except to say, "Oh my holy heck....if Ash gets any hotter I might lose my mind!!"

I was thrilled to read this book and find myself in one of my favorite places, "Ash-land," once again!  I was really afraid to read this because the second book ended up with "my" beloved prince getting his girl and I was happy with that.  I worried that storyline would fall apart in book three, and well, you will just have to read it for yourself to find out what happens.

This book didn't let me down though, and I was on a swoon fest roller coaster from the get go! Iron-ically, (bad pun I know) I read this book at the same time as my BFF and we read at the same speed, so it was massive doses of swooning and sighing times two...think Ash Fest in stereo!!

We devoured this book in one sitting and now find ourselves waiting with baited breath for the final installment in this series, The Iron Knight.  Oh...did I mention that book will be in Ash's voice? Oh HECK YEAH!  So don't be calling, messaging, or dropping by that day because I will be behind closed book covers with a certain unseelie prince, hopefully having the time of my life!

Read this series!! It's full of great characters, love triangles, snarkily delivered lines, and terrific battles!! I for one can't wait to see how it all ends!! :D

My Rating:

Review by:

Lacey Weatherford
Author ~ Reviewer

The Light of the Lover's Moon, by Marcia McClure

Adult Historical Romance
Official Blurb:
Violet Fynne was haunted-haunted by memory. It had been nearly ten years since her father had moved the family from the tiny town of Rattler Rock to the city of Albany, New York. Yet the pain and guilt in Violet's heart were as fresh and as haunting as ever they had been. It was true Violet had been only a child when her family moved. Still-though she had been unwillingly pulled away from Rattler Rock-pulled away from him she held most dear-her heart had never left-and her mind had never forgotten the promise she had made-a promise to a boy-to a boy she had loved-a boy she had vowed to return to. Yet the world changes-and people move beyond pain and regret. Thus, when Violet Fynne returned to Rattler Rock, it was to find that death had touched those she had known before-that the world had indeed changed-that unfamiliar faces now intruded on beloved memories. Had she returned too late? Had Violet Fynne lost her chance for peace-and happiness? Would she be forever haunted by the memory of the boy she had loved nearly ten years before?

What I Thought:
I'm getting afraid to write reviews for Marcia's books because I'm afraid they will sound repetitive.  I'm thinking of just starting to have a standard stamp that says something like, "GUSH, SWOON, (insert hero name here) PANTING, DROOL WORTHY, (oh and the heroine was nice too) HOT ABS, PASSIONATE KISSING, NEEDED RESUSITATION AFTERWARD, (and then a sign to hang on blog that says...GONE SPARKIN' with my Hubby...I WON'T be back soon!!!)

Yeah, I'm a Marcia fan for sure!  I haven't met a book of hers I didn't like yet!  I love all the romance and coming together of her characters, whether historical or contemporary...they all rock!!

This book gave me another few hours of blessed relief as I enjoyed the mysterious story behind the "light" of the lover's moon.  It was sweet to see childhood sweethearts reunited and how they find their way back to one another.  I loved this story, both the conflicts and the tender moments between Violet and Stoney.  I sighed my way through this historical story, enjoying every moment of the hot steamy kisses that Marcia is so famous for.

My Rating:

Reviewed by:



Lacey Weatherford
Author ~ Reviewer