1020. Wedding Bell Blues (Heather Graham)

Synopsis:
If Kaitlin O'Herlihy got one more wedding invitation, she was going to scream. Suddenly everyone—including her grandmother—was getting married. It was making a shambles of her well-ordered existence. It had also brought a certain Brendan O'Herlihy back into her life, as the best man. That troublesome ex-husband of hers seemed to be everywhere, making a perfect nuisance of himself. He was as maddening and exciting as ever, and she could certainly do without any pesky reminders that he might be the best man for her.

My rating: 2 stars

1019. Sentimental Journey (Jill Barnett)

Synopsis:
Bestselling romance novelist Barnett (Wicked) has seen her books translated into 14 languages, and she finally makes her hardcover debut with this title-says-it-all saga about five individuals caught up in the hyperbolic WWII era, when men were fearlessly daring flyboys and women had to be both smart cookies and virgins at the same time. Despite good intentions and considerable research, however, the result is as ungainly as Bay and Bruckheimer's Pearl Harbor. Rugged, handsome J.R. Cassidy is sent to North Africa to save beautiful damsel in distress Kitty Kincaid (who is not only plucky but blind) from the Nazis. Red Walker, longing to depart his small Texas town, begins flying after he takes a shine to Charlotte "Charley" Morrison, a flygirl who in turn finds herself falling for RAF ace George "Skip" Inskip. Skip is mourning the death of his wife and child during the bombing of London by flying his missions like a man possessed. More like a costume party with a '40s theme or a heroic cartoon, the novel overflows with clich‚s, although Barnett does a creditable job of maintaining a consistent tone throughout, especially when it comes to the macho vernacular of the military types. Of the principals, the pairing of J.R. and Kitty has the most appeal, but it takes nearly the whole book before the stories of all five main characters finally intersect. As the story jets around from North Africa to America to Europe, diehard Barnett fans will follow with pleasure; others would do well to seek out their nostalgic fulfillment elsewhere.

My rating: 2 stars

My review: I agree with the above review on Amazon.

1018. Promise Me Heaven (Connie Brockway)

Synopsis:
To help her impoverished family, Lady Catherine "Cat" Sinclair must wed a wealthy man. So naturally, she seeks out a rake of mythic notoriety, Thomas Montrose, to instruct her in the fine art of seduction. Cat is stunned to discover that the man once known as the king of London rakes is now "retired" to the English countryside. Offended yet amused by Cat's arrogant assumption that he's "over the hill," the master seducer agrees to teach her all he knows. Little does he imagine how quickly she'll learn...or how soon she'll be teaching him!

My rating: 3 stars

1017. Too Great a Temptation (Alexandra Benedict)

Synopsis:
Damian Westmore, known as "The Duke of Rogues," is a debauched sensualist who delights only in the pleasures of the flesh; Mirabelle Hawkins, a fiery young sailor, is determined to become a pirate like her brothers. Damian is the newest crew member aboard the Hawkins brothers' ship, the Bonny Meg, where he's to serve as the navigator, much to Mirabelle's consternation. What Mirabelle and the rest of the crew don't know is that Damian's brother, Adam, was killed at sea by pirates, and Damian has concealed his identity and learned sailcraft in order to find the murderous villains. While aboard, however, Damian finds himself falling in love with Mirabelle, distracting him from his plan for revenge. Soon he discovers that the Hawkinses may in fact be the very pirates responsible for his brother's death.

My rating: 2 stars

1016. The Price of Pleasure (Kresley Cole)

Synopsis:
A man noted for his courage and integrity, Captain Grant Sutherland journeys to Oceania to find Victoria Dearbourne, an English girl lost at sea a decade before. He's given her ailing grandfather his word -- as a gentleman -- to find and protect her. But one look at a grown Victoria and Grant has never felt less like one.

Tori relishes freedom, untamed passion, and spontaneity above stifling order. Even more so when a proud, cold British captain arrives to rescue her, though she has no wish to be. As Grant tries to convince her to leave her island home, she begins to see in him a man hungering for more. A man who once laughed. A man who desires her but won't take what she offers.

Grant struggles to control his own savage passions -- and fails, Tori must decide what she wants more -- her unfettered independence or the only man who could tame her wild heart ....

My rating: 2 stars

My review: I ended up being more interested in Cammy's story as well as Ian's by the end.

1015. Love is a Many Trousered Thing (Louise Rennison)

Synopsis:
Georgia thought her heartbreak-osity troubles were over when Masimo announced that he wanted to be her one and only. But just as she hits Swoon City, Robbie, the original Sex God, shows up. How in the world has Georgia accidentally acquired two Sex Gods?

Before Georgia can decide what to do next, she must figure out what Robbie's intentions are—and if his sudden re-appearance changes her mind about Masimo. And as much as she wants to turn to Dave the Laugh for help, he's another romantic thorn (and prospective snoggee) in her side. Will Georgia ever get off the rack of love once and for all?

My rating: 4 stars

1014. The Bridal Quest (Candace Camp)

Synopsis:
Lady Irene Wyngate has sworn she'll never marry, keeping suitors at bay with her caustic tongue. But there is one man she can't scare: Gideon, long-lost heir to the Earl of Radbourne. He was kidnapped as a child and grew up tough on the London streets. And though he's been restored to his family, he is still more at home in gambling dens than stately ballrooms.

Irene isn't attracted to Gideon, or so she says when matchmaker Francesca Haughston asks for her help to civilize him for marriage. After all, he is a true rogue with a dubious past—a handsome rogue, she has to admit. But as she reluctantly begins to yield to love, wicked family secrets come to light…with devastating consequences for the reluctant lovers.

My rating: 2 stars

1013. In Bed With the Devil (Lorraine Heath)

Synopsis:
They call him the Devil Earl—a scoundrel and accused murderer who grew up on the violent London streets. A proper young lady risks more than her reputation when consorting with the roguishly handsome Lucian Langdon, but Lady Catherine Mabry believes she has no choice. To protect those she loves, she would do anything—even strike a bargain with the devil himself.

Lucian desires respectability and a wife above all else, but the woman of his choosing lacks the social graces to be accepted by the aristocracy. Catherine can help Lucian gain everything he wants. But what she asks for in exchange will put their very lives in jeopardy. When danger closes in, Catherine discovers a man of immense passion and he discovers a woman of immeasurable courage. As secrets from his dark past are revealed, Lucian begins to question everything he knows to be true, including the yearnings of his own heart.

My rating: 3 stars

1012. Private Party (Jami Alden)

Synopsis:
Finding her brand-new husband in flagrante delicto with another woman wasn't part of Julie Driscoll's plan for her lavish wedding reception. Now she's a bride without a groom--but she's determined to have a wedding night with someone. Her cheating husband's gorgeous brother will do just fine. Chris Dennison is everything his brother isn't, and his hard body is the stuff the steamiest sexual fantasies are made of ....

My rating: 3 stars

1011. Seven Nights of Sin (Lacey Alexander)

Synopsis:
Brenna Cayton doesn't need a man. At least that's what she keeps telling herself. Then her boss sends her on a business trip to Vegas to make sure Damon Andros-the sexiest man in the entire music industry-doesn't live up to his bad boy image. But before she knows it, business turns to extreme pleasure as Damon brings out her naughty side, fulfilling every one of her wildest fantasies. Now, she has just seven sultry nights to commit every sin in the book. Because once Damon discovers her dirty little secret, he'll surely never indulge their lust again ....

My rating: 4 stars

1010. Mesmerized (Candace Camp)

Synopsis:
All her life, Olivia Moreland has denied her clairvoyant abilities, working instead to disprove the mediums that flock to London. But when Stephen, Lord St Leger, requests her help in investigating an alleged psychic, she can't ignore the ominous presence she feels within the walls of his ancient estate. Nor can she ignore the intimate connection she feels to Stephen, as if she has somehow known him before...The last time he'd lived in Blackhope Hall, Stephen had watched as his elder brother claimed both the family title and the woman he loved. Now, following his brother's death, Stephen reluctantly returns home and finds his family ensconced is scandal. Who is behind his brother's murder? And what is it about psychic investigator Olivia Moreland that awakens his long-dormant passion?

My rating: 2 stars

1009. All Shook Up (Susan Andersen)

Synopsis:
J.D. Carver learned life's tough lessons on the streets, so when an unexpected inheritance sends him to the Star Lake Lodge to claim his half, he's expecting trouble. Being greeted with open arms by the whole Lawrence gang—feisty Aunt Sophy and calm Uncle Ben, clearly off-limits Dru and her young son, Tate—just convinces him they're working an angle, and he's determined to uncover it. Even though a tiny part of him longs for the home-and-hearth life they have ....

My rating: 2 stars

1008. Queens' Warriors (Mari Byrne)

Synopsis:
Shan Lin and Vincent Rayan (whom we met briefly in STEPHANIE'S MENAGE) embark on a dangerous journey filled with intrigue and duplicity. Fed up with a Queen determined to destroy their Realm, the twin warriors are prepared to sacrifice all for the love of their Queendom. Queen Sara has become more explosive in her sexual escapades. She refuses to surrender the Realm to the Queendom's new and rightful ruler. She will do anything, including sacrificing the remaining members of her family, to ensure her right to the throne of Aranak. Add to the mix a feisty young Earth woman struggling to find her own independence. Shari White never expected to be dragged into the middle of a fight for an entire Realm. Unsure in what direction her life was supposed to turn, it shocks her to no end to find herself in a different universe altogether. She also never expected that same path to lead her to love. What starts out as an undercover sham of a marriage soon becomes more real than either man can begin to imagine as one tiny woman brings both of these strong-willed Warriors to their knees.

My rating: 2 stars

1007. The Valley of Fear (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Dust jacket illustration -- not sure if this is for the first edition

Synopsis:
The Valley of Fear is the final Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The story was first published in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915. The first book edition was published in New York on February 27, 1915.

The plot of the novel is based very loosely on the real-life activities of the Molly Maguires and, particularly, of Pinkerton agent James McParland. The novel is divided into two parts: in the first, Holmes investigates an apparent murder and discovers that the body belongs to another man; and in the second, the story of the man originally thought to have been the victim is told.

My rating: 4 stars

Publication information:

• Publisher: George H. Doran Company (UK)
  
• Publication date: 1915

1006. Wicked Pleasure (Lora Leigh)

Synopsis:

Jaci Wright has been running from the Falladay twins, Chase and Cam, for seven years now. Fears of the desires they arouse in her, and the knowledge of the relationship they wanted with her, spurred her to run, to find a life that kept her traveling the globe and out of their reach.

But now life has come full circle. A new job has placed Jaci in the Sinclair mansion with Chase and Cam. And they're tired of waiting. It's hard enough to face accepting a relationship with two men rather than just one, but gossip and the tattered tales of juicy secrets fill the society she now moves within. Can Jaci face the world knowing she's a lover to both men, or will her hesitancy and her fears destroy her chance of happiness forver?

My rating: 4 stars

1005. Seducing the Spy (Celeste Bradley)

Synopsis:
Lady Alicia Lawrence was cast out of polite society and branded a liar for a youthful mistake. When she overhears details of a conspiracy that could affect her country's fate, she turns to the one person who might believe her -- Stanton Horne, Lord Wyndham. Posing as Wyndham's mistress in order to root out the enemy, Alicia is drawn into an uneasy partnership...and a wildly seductive liaison. Lord Wyndham's uncanny ability to detect lies has made him a valuable member of the Royal Four, but in matters of romance it has proven a distinct liability. Alicia is the only woman whose thoughts he cannot read...and the only one whose sensual touch quenches every secret desire. As the mission grows more dangerous and more personal, and each encounter with Alicia more fiery than the last, this daring spy must face his greatest challenge yet-learn to trust the passion in his heart...

My rating: 4 stars

My review: The best yet of the books I've read of this series. It would have been even better if the previous Royal Four characters were not involved -- they seem to get in the way and don't really move the plot along in any meaningful way.

1004. The Lost Duke of Wyndham (Julia Quinn)

Synopsis:
Jack Audley has been a highwayman.

A soldier. And he has always been a rogue. What he is not, and never wanted to be, is a peer of the realm, responsible for an ancient heritage and the livelihood of hundreds. But when he is recognized as the long-lost son of the House of Wyndham, his carefree life is over. And if his birth proves to be legitimate, then he will find himself with the one title he never wanted: Duke of Wyndham.

Grace Eversleigh has spent the last five years toiling as the companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. It is a thankless job, with very little break from the routine ... until Jack Audley lands in her life, all rakish smiles and debonair charm. He is not a man who takes no for an answer, and when she is in his arms, she's not a woman who wants to say no. But if he is the true duke, then he is the one man she can never have ....

My rating: 2 stars

My review: Very disappointing. Boring and unoriginal.

1003. Let Sleeping Rogues Lie (Sabrina Jeffries)

Synopsis:
When Madeline Prescott took a teaching position at Mrs. Harris's School for Young Ladies, it was to help restore her father's reputation. Instead, she's in danger of ruining her own. The devilishly handsome Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, has agreed to provide "rake lessons" to Mrs. Harris's pupils so they can learn how to avoid unscrupulous gentlemen, and Madeline is to oversee his classes. She has always believed that attraction is a scientific matter, easily classified and controlled -- until she's swept into the passionate desire that fiercely burns between her and Anthony. Nothing could be more illogical than risking everything for a dalliance with a rake -- even one who's trying to behave himself. Yet nothing could be more tempting....

My rating: 3 stars

1002. Duke Most Wanted (Celeste Bradley)

Synopsis:
Sophie Blake’s grandfather willed his fortune to the first of his granddaughters to marry a duke. Since her cousin, Deirdre, will seal the deal any day now, the quiet, bookish Sophie can sit back and enjoy her time with the only man she truly adores: Graham. No matter that the part charmer, part scoundrel has absolutely no designs on her! Sophie is content to engage Graham in lively conversation, beat him at cards ... and probe at the darkness hiding behind his rakish smile.

Then Graham unexpectedly gains a title, an estate in near ruins and a mountain of debt. If there is any chance of survival he must find a rich wife—quickly. As his hunt for a bride begins, Sophie realizes that she isn’t even in the running. Suddenly no longer content to be a wallflower, Sophie gets a stunning make-over and becomes the belle of the ball. Lots of heads are turning…including Graham’s. But this beauty has secrets of her own. Will she be his salvation or seal his fate?

My rating: 4 stars

1001. Sizzling (Susan Mallery)

Synopsis:
A spiteful article about the former pitcher and current playboy questions his talent in the bedroom. And the newspaper's just the first bad news. Reid's grandmother Gloria's broken hip means she needs constant care--but Reid hired Nurses 1 and 2 for their bedside manner with him. So for Number 3 he chooses Lori Johnson, the first candidate who seems immune to his brand of charm.

Lori's never wasted her time with amoebas like Reid Buchanan. So why are her well-fortified defenses starting to crumble under the force of his sexy smile--and the kindness he shows her at every turn? There's only one explanation for the feelings flaring between them--chemistry. Chemistry so hot, it's sizzling!

My rating: 3 stars

1000(!). The Duke Next Door (Celeste Bradley)

Synopsis:
The dangerously beautiful Deirdre Cantor is determined to inherit her grandfather’s vast fortune. All she needs is to marry a duke ... and be the first granddaughter to walk down the aisle. After all, she has always dreamed of becoming a member of the haute ton. So when the proper Calder Marbrook, the Marquis of Brookhaven and future Duke of Brookmoor, is abandoned at the altar, Deirdre makes it her business to become his wife—in spite of the whispers about his past. Soon Deirdre’s visions of a lavish existence with the handsome Calder are shattered when she learns his shocking secret. Feeling betrayed, Deirdre seeks revenge by playing a perilous and seductive game of cat and mouse with her husband that threatens to drive them both to the heights of passion. She will not surrender to him, no matter how great her desire. But at what cost? Calder is determined to keep his secret under lock and key—and to make his stunning wife his in every way that matters. Even if it means winning her heart all over again ....

My rating: 4 stars

999. Binding Krista (Jory Strong)

Synopsis:
For Adan d'Amato and Lyan d'Vesti, only a shared bond-mate will ensure the continuance of their race. The Council scientists have found a match in Krista Thomas a genetically compatible human. By Council rules Krista must be willing and the binding must be done immediately before she is brought back to their world, because once she accepts the bond, she will know that Adan and Lyan are not natives of Earth. For the warriors, it's a simple quest go to Earth, bind their mate to them, then return home. There's only one catch Krista is on the run and she's afraid to involve anyone else in her life.

My rating: 3 stars

998. Awaken, My Love (Robin Schone)

Synopsis:
Stuck in a marriage that lacks passion, thirty-nine year old Elaine Metcliffe wakes up one morning in a different country, a different time and a different body. At first, she assumes she must be dreaming, but when she awakens the next morning in the same place, she realizes something terrible has happened. She is in the body of Morrigan, wife of Charles Mortimer, Lord Arlcotte. Elaine is afraid to speak and give away her true identity, but after being bullied by both an abusive maid and her own husband, Elaine fights back. Where is she? And what has happened to her own body in the twentieth century? Elaine can only wonder why the pious young Morrigan remained a virgin through her first year of marriage to Charles. She desperately needs time alone to find a way back to her own body, but Charles is determined to awaken the passion in his young bride. For Charles, the change in Morrigan is nothing less than a miracle. Convinced he is married to a cold and frigid woman, he is delighted when Morrigan responds to his amorous advances. He dreams of exploring the limits of sensuality with her-- and is not going to let her revert back to her old ways! As he slowly seduces his own wife, Charles begins to forget the torment she has put him through. Perhaps they will finally be man and wife in every sense. Here in the nineteenth century, Elaine finds her own passion being awakened in a way she has only fantasized about in her old life. It may be the Victorian age, but Charles has studied the ways of the Tantric traditions and shows her that true happiness is in the complete fulfillment of all her earthly desires. She is falling in love with him-- in both heart and body. But when the real Morrigan pops up again in a different body and threatens to expose her as a mad woman, Elaine fears for the happiness-- and sensual pleasure-- she is only just beginning to discover with Charles.

My rating: 4 stars