Saturday, May 31, 2008

970. The Riddle of the Third Mile (Colin Dexter)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Inspector Morse isn't sure what to make of the truncated body found dumped in the Oxford Canal, but he suspects it may be all that's left of an elderly Oxford don last seen boarding the London train several days before. Whatever the truth, the inspector knows it won't be simple--it never is. As he retraces Professor Browne-Smith's route through a London netherworld of topless bars and fancy bordellos, his forebodings are fulfilled. The evidence mounts; so do the bodies. So Morse downs another pint, unleashes his pit bull instincts, and solves a mystery that defies all logic.

My rating: 3 stars

969. Soul Deep (Lora Leigh)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Mother Nature has a way of making the most unlikely couples 'fit'. And what could be more unlikely than a sassy, independent President's daughter who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut and a loner Coyote Breed with a hunger for a cute rosebud mouth that he's determined to still. The vote for Breed Law is coming down the pike. Kiowa's job is to watch Amanda, the President's daughter look, but not touch. Just make sure the Goof Troop, the Secret Service detail assigned to protect her, do their job until the law is passed. But when they don't and the bad guys move in to take her out, Kiowa reluctantly slips in to the rescue, snatching her away to safety. But she isn't going to come easy and it takes more than smooth talking to make her see his point of view. For a man who's had nothing, Amanda Marion is food for the hunger that has tortured him, the reality to every dream Kiowa never dared believe in. What he feels for her is more than heat, more than love. She breathes life into his hardened heart, melting the icy chill that has protected him all his life, and touches a part of him that he thought had died his soul. And now he'll kill anyone who tries to take her away from him. But the one person he can't fight is Amanda, and when she wants to leave...

My rating: 4 stars

Saturday, May 24, 2008

968. My Pleasure (Connie Brockway)

Synopsis:
After their family's fall in fortune sends the three Nash sisters in different directions, Helena Nash becomes a companion to Lady Alfreda Tilpot. Working for one of the ton's most demanding harridans is a constant exercise in maintaining her composure, but Helena stays the course to play cupid between Lady Tilpot's sweet niece, Flora, and the love-struck but feckless Oswald Goodwin. While delivering a message between the young lovers, Helena encounters rakish, sexy-as-sin Ramsey Munro. Four years earlier, Ramsey, now one of London's most celebrated swordsmen, had been one of three young gentlemen who promised to come to the aid of the Nash sisters. At first Helena tries to pretend to be someone else, but when her fears that she is being stalked become a reality, she must turn to the one man she knows can keep her safe.

My rating: 4 stars

967. Resurrection Row (Anne Perry)

Synopsis from Amazon:
It is bad enough that the recently deceased Lord Fitzroy-Hammond has been removed from his grave, but when it happens a second time and then other buried corpses start popping up, the normally unflappable Pitt is puzzled indeed. Is the perpetrator trying to hide a murder or call attention to one? The answer lies in a convoluted but perfectly logical merging of art, blackmail, politics, pornography, and prostitution.

My rating: 3 stars

966. Forbidden (Anastasia Black)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Elisa's determined to have her son back at any cost. Even if it means marrying a vicious stoat of a man like Rufus Wardell. But her plans, and her life, are turned upside down by the sudden reappearance of Rufus' son, Vaughn. Lured by the contrast her sweet beauty makes with the rumors of her wanton past, Vaughn embarks on a seduction as scorching as it is daring. What he finds is not at all what he sought: Elisa is an innocent, but with a sensuality so raw, that he cannot resist her. It doesn't matter to him that their passion is forbidden.

My rating: 2 stars

965. Dangerous Deisres (Julia Templeton)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Rochford Manor, outside London, 1810: When her dying father entrusts her to the care of Dominic Santrell, one of London's most infamous rakes, Arlie Whitman is thrust into a world of elegance and privilege she had never imagined. But her initiation into society is nowhere near as frightening as the powerful desire she feels for Dominic himself. The dark and dashing earl claims that she needs a husband, but Arlie knows she needs only Dominic. Dominic had vowed never to marry. In his experience, love was, at best, an evening's pleasure. Yet the parade of young men courting his ward is unbearable. Arlie's innocent beauty haunts his dreams. The passion they share cannot be denied... But desire can be dangerous.

My rating: 3 stars

964. Mistress of the Night (Charlotte Featherstone)

Synopsis from Amazon:
The Earl of Hardcastle is used to living his life shrouded in darkness, preferring to spend his days and nights in his gloomy townhouse than amongst the glittering ton in order to shield himself from a shameful secret he keeps carefully hidden. But his way of life is suddenly threatened when he finds himself longing for, and fantasizing about, Madeline Brydges, Society's resident do-gooder. Love will find a way where wolves fear to prey. Madeline Brydges needs to get married, and she has her sights set on the handsome and mysterious Earl of Hardcastle. But the elusive earl is proving most difficult where marriage is concerned. After years of saving those in need, Madeline is able to spot the signs, and she sees that inside Hardcastle lurks a painful secret. Madeline must risk all if she is to save the man she loves from his demons.

My rating: 2 stars

963. Naughty Neighbor (Janet Evanovich)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Louisa Brannigan is a no-nonsense, hardworking press secretary, fighting her way to the top of Capitol Hill, with no help from her annoying neighbor, Pete Streeter. He receives phone calls all night long, he steals her morning paper, he thinks jeans are formal wear, and worst of all he's involved Louisa in the disappearance of a pig. So this is the story of a pig in Witness Protection and love being found by a workaholic woman and a fun-loving man who makes terrible pots of coffee.

My rating: 3 stars

My review: A quick and pleasant read.

962. Show Me (Celia May Hart)

Synopsis:
Portia Carew has discovered a forbidden erotic book in the library of the handsome Mark Knightson and though she doesn't know it, she's also been discovered. Mark knows Portia is ready to experience real pleasure and he's the one to show her how.

My rating: 4 stars

961. Fairyville (Emma Holly)

Synopsis:
Zoe Clare is a medium who has no trouble communicating with the dead-or with real live fairies, for that matter! But she can't seem to get her feelings across to her landlord-slash-manager- Magnus Monroe, Fairyville, Arizona's most eligible bachelor. She's tired of his erotic antics with every woman in town but her. So when her high school flame returns to town, Zoe is more than a little vulnerable to his charms. How Alex broke herheart is a scandal no one in Fairyville has forgotten. But even if Zoe isn't ready to forget, she's willing to forgive. The rules they're about to break will bring out the jealousy in Magnus-and the astounding truth.

My rating: 4 stars

Monday, May 19, 2008

960. If You Dare (Kresley Cole)

Synopsis:
High in the Pyrenees, a band of mercenaries led by Courtland MacCarrick wages war for General Reynaldo Pascal. When Court turns on the evil general, Pascal orders him killed but Court narrowly escapes and exacts revenge by kidnapping Pascal's exquisite Castilian fiancée. Lady Annalía Tristán Llorente despises her towering, barbaric captor almost as much as she does Pascal. Her inexplicable attraction to the Highlander only fuels her fury. But nothing will stop her from returning to Pascal -- for if she doesn't wed him, she signs her brother's death warrant, as well as her own. From the moment Court discovers that Anna's prim façade masks a fiery, brave lass, his heart's ensnared, and he dares to defy the curse that has shadowed his life -- to walk with death or walk alone. But Pascal vows that he'll hunt the two, never stopping until he's destroyed them both.

My rating: 4 stars

959. Jigsaw (Kathleen Nance)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Daniel Champlain is hot on the trail of terror suspects in his job for the National Security Agency when he runs across a familiar name in a porn chat room linked with cyberterrorist Bella Quintera and her father. Bella now has a teaching job in the frozen Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Daniel suspects that her father is working with the Cyber Soldiers, who hack into computers to show their flaws, but now may be playing a treasonous game. Daniel heads north and discovers that Bella is being threatened by a mysterious nemesis called Lokus. Meanwhile, Bella has created an Artificial Intelligence that she believes will redeem her credibility with the academic community, and tries to shield her creation from Daniel, who she knows will take it for national-security purposes. As they compete to unravel the puzzle, Daniel and Bella discover that they are still attracted to one another.

My rating: 2 stars

958. Bewitching (Jill Barnett)

Synopsis:
She had bewitched the most serious, snobbish, and handsome Duke in England. Joyous MacQuarrie...the pixie-like, green-eyed beauty had appeared from nowhere and fell unashamedly into his arms. And all that his society friends knew of the mysterious lady was that she was Scottish and that her grandmother had been a Locksley. Even her fine bloodline didn't make Joy quite proper enough to be a Duchess, but a proud nobleman like Alec, Duke of Belmore, did as he pleased...and he wanted to marry the beautiful girl who aroused his desire.
But Alec soon discovered he could not do what he pleased with Joy Fiona MacQuarrie. Bubbling with laughter, filled with spirit, she turned stately Belmore Park upside down with merriment and strange occurrences. She might even have gotten Alec to laugh -- and to cherish her -- if it had not been for the truth she hid. Though he turned to fire when he tasted her petal-soft lips, he turned to ice when he discovered that this winsome lady was, in fact, a witch. A witch whose powers of white magic were not always perfectly under control....Too late, Joy knew she was desperately in love and that nothing could stop the course of their destiny -- the scandal threatening to destroy her and the passion that held them both spellbound in a forbidden, irresistible match of two enchanted hearts.

My rating: 4 stars

957. Good Girl Gone Bad (Karin Tabke)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Straight-laced, by-the-book police officer Philamina Zorn has always lived by the letter of the law -- that is, until she is assigned to work with Lieutenant Ty Jamerson, a tough-as-nails, arrogantly handsome cop who knows exactly how to press her buttons. Staking out Klub Kashmir, the Bay Area's hottest gentleman's club, Phil and Ty go undercover to bait the kidnapper of three young women -- including two strippers from the club -- while trying to keep their clashing personalities at bay. Baring more than just her inhibitions, Phil dons a barely there ensemble, straps on stilettos, and reveals her feisty side as Kat, a seductively sexy cocktail waitress who lets her luscious curves do the talking. Not only is she determined to expose a criminal but she has vowed to show her hot-headed lieutenant, a.k.a. floor manager of Klub Kashmir, that she's no shrinking violet.

As Phil and Ty become more deeply entrenched in the sordid underground world of exotic dancing, where money means everything and passions run wild, flaring tension becomes uncontrollable lust. It's all they can do not to surrender to desire -- a hunger that intensifies with each playful encounter. Meanwhile, a cold-blooded criminal is hiding in the shadows -- and a devastating secret that, if revealed, could shake Phil to her core.

My rating: 4 stars

Excerpt:

Phil couldn’t regulate her breathing and her body thrummed with tension. Her nipples were as hard as the stainless-steel chairs around her and her pussy throbbed with the same driving tempo of the music. Ty’s reaction to her surprised her, but hers to him stunned her.

She glanced anxiously around the brightly lit club. The stirring sound of a sleazy sax wafted through the sound system, setting the tone for the evening to come. What was it about this place that set her libido into overdrive? She’d never felt desire flood her as she had that moment she held Ty hot and hard in her hand. More astonishing, for the first time in her life, she felt no guilt associated with the desire.

Clenching her thighs, she suppressed a low moan. What the hell was happening to her?

“Bud? Can you excuse me for a minute?”

“Make it quick, the line’s getting antsy.”

Phil hurried to the ladies’ room and locked herself in a stall. She leaned back against the smooth metal door and closed her eyes. Her entire body hummed. A live conduit. She touched her breast and gasped. A painful pleasure lit her nerve endings, the tension intense. Her pussy constricted and she had the incredible urge to slip a finger into herself. The thought shocked her. While there had been nights as a teenager when her body begged for stimulation, Phil had been too embarrassed to touch herself.

Her mother, the daughter of a Baptist minister, and her father, a born-again Christian, had made it clear to her from her early years. Masturbation was dirty and only nasty girls who had no self-control did it.

She wasn’t nasty. She was good and clean and wholesome. And her father had drilled into her head the virtues of self-control. That hadn’t stopped her from allowing Kyle Thompson, the high school quarterback, from putting his hands on her. Her skin shivered and the sudden heat spell Ty induced chilled. She didn’t like to think of Kyle. She swallowed hard, grabbed a wad of toilet paper, and wiped the slick moisture from between her legs. Breathing deeply, she opened the stall door, quickly washed and dried her hands, and hurried out to Bud, who greeted her with a scowl.

“You’re not starting out on a good foot.”

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

She steeled herself and listened intently to what Bud told her. She followed his directions to the letter, all the while repeating her new mantra in her head: I will not respond to Ty Jamerson. I will not respond to Ty Jamerson.

For one who prided herself on such hard-ass self-control, Phil couldn’t ignore the repeated twinge in her nether regions every time she heard Ty’s deep voice.

As she counted out change for her book, Phil smiled. Her only satisfaction thus far was remembering Ty’s massive erection. He couldn’t hide that or the fact that it was she who had instigated it. It pleased her to know she had that effect on him, but even better was Ty’s ignorance of what he did to her. Her cheeks warmed at the thought. She’d die of shame.

The music changed to a low, driving jungle beat, the lights dimmed around the bar, and the floor lights softly illuminated the polished chrome furniture.

Ty’s deep voice grabbed her attention. “Okay, ladies and gents, we’re open for business.”

The set of double doors swung open and regulars and newcomers alike entered the club, stampeding for the prime seats at the wraparound bar encircling the stage. One or two men slowed enough to ogle her and paid for it by getting pushed aside.

“Hang on to your hat, honey. The moon’s full and it looks like we got us some winners,” Bud called from behind the bar.

She looked across the flood of bodies and met Ty’s eyes. The intensity of his gaze stilled her beating heart and the magnitude of the operation hit her hard. There were lives at stake, including hers. She nodded in understanding, silently vowing not to fail.

956. Come and Get Me (Alyssa Brooks)

Synopsis from Amazon:
Dylan is perfect husband material: a lawyer, an unselfish lover, and totally hot in a three-piece suit. So why did it freak Sadie out when he proposed? Because she isn't ready to be a lawyer's wife? Or maybe because first, she'd like to take their sex life to another level-like in her fantasies. That's when Sadie said You want me? Come and get me. From the beaches of Kauai to the sands of Egypt, the pursuit is on between the slippery prey and a hunter determined to take it-wherever and however. But when Sadie meets two strangers who fulfill one of her naughtiest fantasies, she hasn't a clue that Dylan is playing a game of his own.

My review: 3 stars

My rating: This book would have been so much better if Sadie wasn't a complete and utter brat. It's amazing that Dylan keeps running after her. I think most self-respecting guys would have dumped Sadie after she ran away for the third time.

955. Red Hot Reunion (Bella Andre)

Synopsis from Amazon:
The last time Jason saw Emma Holden, she crushed his heart. As college students, they were opposites in every way except for their thrilling, unpredictable passion. But deep down Emma was very proper, and in their senior year she blindsided Jason by dumping him for a wealthy jock and a dull, safe life.

Now it's ten years later, and if living well is the best revenge, Jason has done so in spades--he's a hunky celebrity chef with a hit TV show and all the women he wants. But he's interested in only one woman--Emma. And at their college reunion, he cooks up a wicked payback for her betrayal: teasing her with desperate desire, taunting her with the best sex of her life, just to see her fall.

Yet Emma has an agenda of her own, and teasing and temptation are just what she's hungry for. The "good girl" is now a daring, sensual woman eager to raise the sexual stakes, and she's hot for the most wildly erotic adventures he can dish out. Now who's turning the tables on whom?

My rating: 2 stars

954. Berlin Game (Len Deighton)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
The first novel of the trilogy introducing Bernard Samson and the rest of the bickering, in-fighting intelligence community in which he is a much put-upon member. After five years of desk work, Bernie finds himself ordered back into the field.

My rating: 4 stars

953. Raine (Elizabeth Amber)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
The middle brother, Raine, is both sensual and stoic. Scarred by once taking a wife who could not accept his carnal needs, he wants no part in another marriage. But duty commands that he fulfil his promise to wed King Feydon's second daughter, Jordan .... The loyal satyr begins a search that leads him from Tuscany to romantic Venice, where his beautiful bride awaits, unaware of what passionate delights fate has planned for her. Raine is careful not to reveal his powerful satyr sexuality, for fear of driving yet another woman away. But unbeknownst to him, Jordan is no ordinary woman and was born with an insatiable appetite for love. And as Raine's heart begins to melt for her, how long will he be able to hide his true nature when Jordan seems to want him so fiercely?

My rating: 4 stars

Excerpt:

R aine stared at her. At those dark eyes that were too large for her face and that pointed chin and slender throat. At those round, wine-tipped breasts that would scarcely fill his palms yet were perfectly shaped. The rest of her body was lost to him, obscured by the cloak bunched at her waist. But he remembered exactly what was hidden beneath its velvet folds.

Under her hand, his taut cock thickened, lengthened. Bacchus, yes, he wanted her to pleasure him.

“I want to taste you,” she whispered.

His eyes went to her mouth. It was plump. Moist. The same color as the tips of her breasts. The same color as finest rosé he’d ever concocted from the sacred juice of Satyr grapes.

Without conscious volition, he felt himself nod.

What the hell was he doing? She hadn’t even touched his flesh yet and he was on the verge of losing control.

Was she Faerie or whore? he wondered again. More than likely the latter. He shouldn’t let her work her wiles on him, regardless. Wouldn’t let her. He should tell her he only wanted her company, nothing more. He should tell her so. Now.

But he desperately wanted the warmth of a Human woman against him as he found his release tonight. So he hesitated.

He studied the top of her head as her hands searched and found the opening of his trousers. She struggled over the fastenings for long moments and then let out a huff of air.

“It appears to be stuck on your c—Um, I mean your phallus,” she told him.

His lips quirked at her use of such a formal term. His hands preempted hers, finding and making quick work of the fastenings. He opened the front of his trousers wide and pulled his cock free of their stranglehold.

Her blue-black witch’s hair hung in loose waves ending just short of her shoulders. It wasn’t as long as most women wore theirs. Nevertheless, it was shiny, lush, and beautiful, as was she. He smoothed it back, his fingers catching on the string of the bauta.

“Take off the mask,” he said.

Without hesitation, she slipped it off and flung it away on the seat behind her, then dipped her head before he had a chance to make out her features. The tips of her raven hair dusted his inner thighs as she leaned over him.

He closed his eyes, waiting. Wanting. Imagining the feel of her wet mouth sucking at him.

He felt her warm breath first. Then those luscious, pillowy lips descended on him like the kiss of heaven. The O of them slicked over his crown, firm yet soft. She enveloped him to the ridge of his head and then tugged ever so slightly. The firm point of her tongue found and pressed at his cumslit as her thumb massaged the plinth where it was notched.

Bacchus! Where the fuck had she learned to do that?

He braced his palms flat against the felze walls on either side of him to keep from touching her. To keep from holding her head and ramming himself in and out of her the embarrassingly few times it would take for him to spill.

Slowly, her mouth slid lower over him, taking more of his length. And more. And still more.

His head fell back. Bacchus, she was good at this! She knew exactly how to hold him on the flat of her tongue, curling the sides of it around him, using every inch of its moist sandpapery warmth to stroke him.

She took him deeper. He felt his tip squeeze into her throat. And tunnel deeper still. She was small—how in the hell was she taking so much of him? There was no reflexive gagging. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she truly wanted this, relished it in fact.

Ridiculous. No woman wanted this. It was an act only whores offered, in exchange for payment. She had no doubt done it in just this way for many other patrons before him and had thereby polished her performance. That was all.

“San Lazzaro Degli Armeni,” the boatman’s mournful voice announced. They were nearing the Armenian monastery on an island just this side of the Lido. They were getting close.

He was getting close.

Cum gathered, hardening his balls to boulders. Raine gritted his teeth. His hands fisted, straining against the side walls of the felze. He wanted this rare pleasure to last. Dammit. He would control it. Make it las—”

Milky semen surged its way up his cock, fighting its way free of him. “Gods!”

It shot from him, hurtling into her throat. She jerked back from him and a second blast hit her mouth and cheek. She put her fingers to her lips, smearing the glossy substance as though surprised to find it there. Yet another spurt of cum spattered her chin. She swirled her tongue over it and then took him back in her mouth. Her hands clenched in the fabric of the trousers bunched tight across his hips. Her throat worked as she accepted and swallowed the rest of what he pumped. His slick desire flooded her, drowning her in his solitary pleasure.

Slowly, slowly the tension in his body subsided. Her mouth began to release him. Her hands massaged him gently in the wake of her retreating lips. Attuned to his mood, her touch grew ever softer, lazier. When her tongue grazed his crown, he flinched and cupped her chin with his hand, drawing her away.

“Sensitive?” she asked, lifting her gaze to his.

His eyes sharpened but couldn’t permeate the darkness well enough to make out her features. He nodded, brushing a thumb over her cheek. He wanted to tell her how good it had been. How unusually good. He wanted to tell her.

But he couldn’t find the words and the moment passed. Reason returned and he straightened, glad he’d kept his feelings bottled in his throat. He didn’t like to remember how much he’d wanted her just moments ago. How much he’d needed her. The loss of control seemed like a failure.

He found himself hoping she would prove to be the one he sought. That would mean he could have those lips on him again and again for all of his days. His cock reinvigorated at the thought.

Still, he reminded himself—if she proved not to be Faerie, his only duty to her would be the payment of coin at the end of the night. If she wasn’t the second daughter of King Feydon, he would let her go. And forget her.

“Arbruzzi Palazzo,” the gondolier announced distantly. They’d arrived at their destination, the Lido, a strip of land that protected the lagoon from the ravages of the Adriatic Sea.

She picked up her bauta from the seat behind her where she’d placed it, preparing to put it on.

Raine gathered himself and refastened his trousers.

“You’ll come to my hotel?” he asked. If she refused, he’d have to take her there by force, then bespell her to wipe her memory of it later. He couldn’t let her out of his sight until he’d regained his olfactory abilities and could test whether she truly was Faerie.

Her fingers stilled on the mask, then she put it on and raised her face to his. “For how long?”

“The night, possibly longer.” Depending on how long this cold fouled his nose.

“You want to lie with me.”

Bacchus! He’d never wanted anything more in his life. He nodded curtly.

“And you plan to pay me?”

“Name your price. It doesn’t matter.”

“You’re wealthy then?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Very wealthy?”

“Yes.”

“But not Venetian. I’ve not seen you before.”

“No. From Tuscany.”

Sunday, May 18, 2008

952. Desperately Seeking a Duke (Celeste Bradley)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
The only way for vicar's daughter Phoebe Millbury to inherit a family fortune is to find herself a duke-just as her late grandfather demanded in his will. But Phoebe, who's stilltrying to make good after a romantic scandal, also has her two cousins to contend with. They're all competing for the same money, maybe even the same men. ..until Phoebe meets her match in the terribly handsome and charming Rafe Marbrook.When she receives a marriage proposal from the Marquis of Brookhaven, Phoebe is thrilled to learn that Rafe is headed for dukedom...and accepts his offer. There's only one problem: It's from Rafe's older, less captivating brother, Calder. Now Phoebe finds herself on the verge of yet another scandal as she faces a desperate choice: Marry Calder for his money-or follow her own heart? Each way can only lead to trouble...

My rating: 3 stars

951. London's Perfect Scoundrel (Suzanne Enoch)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
The ton gossips call him "Saint" -- but the Marquis of St. Aubyn has well earned his reputation as London's perfect scoundrel. Evelyn Ruddick knows she should avoid him at all costs -- but the strikingly beautiful lady wants to aid the children of the Heart of Hope Orphanage, and he heads the board of trustees. Evie is determined to teach the charming, arrogant man a lesson in compassion, but it won't be so easy -- especially since his touch is setting her desire aflame, making Evie yearn to submit to his passionate instruction ... The idea of joining in her "project" is unthinkable, but this enchantress refuses to give up! So what else is there for a self-respecting rake to do but seduce the lady? Yet soon it is he who is being seduced by Evie's tender heart and fiery blushes. Could the temptation of long, passionate nights in her arms bring about the impossible? Could the disreputable Saint at long last be reformed?

My rating: 2 stars

Friday, May 9, 2008

950. Insatiable (Beverly Havlir)

Synopsis from Amazon:
The Abduction of Emma: Abducted on the eve of her engagement, Emma comes face to face with the man who'd cruelly rejected her four years ago. He offers her ten days to re-ignite the searing passion between them before she committed herself to another man. Ten days in which he will be her pleasure master. Torn between desire and loyalty, Emma must choose to either sate her unabated desire for Luke or go back to her safe, predictable, and boring fiancé. He demands complete surrender, total submission. To give in to Luke would mean letting go of all her inhibitions and fulfilling his every erotic wish.

Taming Alex: All Alex Sheridan wanted was to have a hot, no-strings-attached affair with Ethan Fairchild. Single-minded in her pursuit, she wasn't prepared for what happened next. Ethan doesn't want an affair, he wants forever. To get it, he needs to conquer her fears, harness her wildness.

My rating: 4 stars

Excerpt:

Dark, hot eyes roamed over every curve displayed by the brief bikini she wore, lingering on her breasts. He’d managed to arouse her for the first time. A deep flush had spread over her body. She watched as he avidly followed tiny water drops as the rolled down her front.

Emma bit her lip, aching yet not understanding. She endured his hot gaze for as long as she could before running up to her room. Why the hell was she so jumpy? It was just Luke.

Stripping off her bikini, she examined herself in the full length mirror. She was trying to see what he’d found so fascinating, or figure out what he’d seen.

Her tender body was starting to fill out.

Cupping her breast, she grasped the hard tip and gently squeezed, closing her eyes at the sharp pleasure she felt. Her other hand drifted over her abdomen, past the light curls down to her vagina.

Filled with curiosity, she slowly inserted her finger in the slit and found that it was creamy with sticky fluid. She moved to her bed, lay down and spread her legs, exploring her body. She discovered her sensitive clitoris; found out that rubbing it around and around gave her pleasure. She wasn’t completely naïve—she knew about sex—but nobody had ever touched her there.

That afternoon, she learned to pleasure herself while thinking of Luke. Emma imagined it was him touching her, kissing her. She fantasized it was him rubbing her breasts, kneading her ass.

Would he perform oral sex on her? Would he tongue her clit and her pussy? She blushed deeply. The words sounded dirty, but felt appropriate somehow.

949. Take a Chance on Me (Susan Donovan)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
For animal behaviourist Emma, romance has been at the bottom of her daily "to do" list since making it through a messy divorce. But everything changes the day gorgeous Thomas Tobin walks into her office with a quivering Chinese Crested canine - and that charming smile of his.

My rating: 2 stars

My review: Stupid. Stupid writing. Stupid characters. Stupid plot.

948. My Seduction (Connie Brockway)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Desperate to save her family from the poorhouse, Kate Nash Blackburn journeys to northern Scotland to enlist the aid of a wealthy marquis, only to run afoul of some ruffians, from whom she is rescued by Highland warrior Kit MacNeill.

My rating: 2 stars

My review: The whole brooding Highlander thing is overdone.

947. Made for Sin (Celia May Hart)

Synopsis from Amazon UK:
Two very different sisters are with one thing in common - the good fortune to find men who'll show them how heavenly sin can be...Lucy Waverton's wild escapades are the talk of the town. Fleeing the notorious Earl of Radbourne's carriage after a delicious seduction, she meets a soldier whose hard body and rebellious streak stir her newly awakened desires. Sergeant Michael Hall may be lowborn, but his every caress takes Lucy higher and higher, into a realm of pure carnal ecstasy...Searching the country for her reckless younger sister, Caroline Waverton instead finds herself in the company of the rogue who reputedly ruined Lucy. Alex Radbourne is decadent, depraved, and devilishly skilled at uncovering Caroline's secret, forbidden desires. The refined Miss Caroline has a thoroughly wanton side, and though each knows the affair is wrong, nothing could feel more right than surrendering to sinfully erotic abandon...

My rating: 4 stars

946. Perfect Kiss (Anne Gracie)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Before she sets out to see the world, Grace Merridew must first help her timid friend, who is being forced to marry Dominic Wolfe, boorish heir to a huge estate. To that end, Grace disguises herself as a plain and mousy chaperone. But when they arrive at the estate, Grace finds herself being pursued by a big bad Wolfe.

My rating: 2 stars

My review: This book makes no sense. For example, it starts with Grace and her friend being involved in a carriage accident. Grace manages to get out of the overturned carriage and races to Wolfe's house looking for help. When she gets there, she sees Wolfe and asks for help. He, then, promptly kisses her. WHAT?!?!?!? Why would he kiss a random woman, much less one who is frantic about an accident?!?!?!? It just gets worse from there.

945. Simply Love (Mary Balogh)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Twenty-nine-year-old beauty Anne Jewell is an independent woman: an unwed mother who has found contentment, if not happiness, in her life as a teacher at a girls' school. Sydnam Butler, an aristocrat who lost his eye and right arm in the Peninsula Wars, has achieved a similar peace as the reclusive steward for the Duke of Bewcastle. Through her son's father, Anne is related to the Bewcastle family, which includes her friend Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, who wants to acknowledge her and her nine-year-old son, David, as kin, despite her stubborn independence. Joshua invites Anne and David to spend the summer at the Bewcastle estate in Wales, where she meets Sydnam. The kindly Bewcastle clan have matchmaking in mind, but with scars both surface and deep, will Anne and Sydnam be able to open up to each other? And if so, can they hope for any real happiness?

My rating: 2 stars

My review: Typical Balogh which is becoming rather formulaic and boring now that I've read like a dozen of her books.

944. Secrets of a Proper Lady (Victoria Alexander)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Lady Cordelia Bannister, Lord Marsham's youngest daughter, is a self-assured Victorian woman who writes articles about her extensive travels for ladies' magazines. Still single at 25, even Cordelia admits that too much independence isn't a good thing, but when her father engages Cordelia to a wealthy American, Daniel Sinclair, a man she's never met, Cordelia is furious. Determined to do what is best for her family, Cordelia sets out with her cousin to learn more about Daniel. When she comes upon a man in the park claiming to be Daniel's secretary, she assumes a false name to gather information, not realizing he's actually Daniel. Cordelia quickly finds herself falling for the handsome American, and he with her.

My rating: 2 stars

943. Edge of Danger (Cherry Adair)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
As an anti-terrorism operative in T-FLAC’s classified paranormal unit, the intrepid, ruggedly handsome Gabriel Edge protects the world from the forces of evil. So when an ingenious and extremely volatile invention is stolen from a covert lab in Arizona, Gabriel zeroes in on the brilliant young scientist who helped to create the device. From Gabriel’s first contact, Eden Cahill leaves an indelible impression.

Using a mysterious telepathic power as ancient as his Scottish heritage, as well as his seductive physical charms, Gabriel must infiltrate Eden’s mind to uncover the secrets she so desperately protects. But Gabriel is in a bind–for the only way to penetrate Eden’s memories is through one shared intimate encounter that will trigger revelations, shatter lives, and just might save humanity–all at a terribly steep price.

My rating: 2 stars

942. Deep, Dark & Dangerous (Jaid Black)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Sick of the superficiality of Tinsel Town, Hollywood starlet Madalyn Simon escapes to a remote village in Alaska. All is idyllic in her new environs until she and her visiting sister Drake are taken hostage by a medieval underworld society of Vikings called New Sweden. Separated from her sister, and forced to marry her captor, Otar Thordsson, Madalyn soon finds herself with serious Stockholm syndrome, wishing to escape, and yet falling inexplicably in love with her captor.

My rating: 3 stars

941. Dinah's Dark Desire (Mechele Armstrong)

Synopsis from Amazon Canada:
Dinah's two hunky best friends, Ian and Taylor, are there for her during any trauma that comes her way. After her boyfriend abuses her, they take her home with them so she can heal. Their relationship changes forever when they decide they want her between them forever and in all ways possible. Granted, they arouse her beyond anything she'd ever dreamed possible and give her a new sense of completion. She'd just never imagined the American dream with Dick and Jane ... and Robert. Odd things soon start happening -- ugly things that make her doubt who she's becoming. In reaction, she resists her desires, ignoring her gut feelings. Will she give in to her family's and society's pressures? Or will she find a way to give in to her darkest desire, to be the woman in the middle?

My rating: 2 stars