Saturday, August 30, 2008

1034. Long Hard Ride (Lorelei James)

Synopsis:
Channing Kinkaid itches for a wild western adventure with an untamed man. Enter Colby McKaybull rider, saddle bronc buster and calf roper. He knows hes found a woman whos up to the challenge of cutting loose. Intrigued by Channings bold proposition to "horse around" on the road, Colby proposes sexual escapades not only in his bed, but in those of his two rodeo traveling partners. Can Channing give up total control? Especially when not all is as it seems with the sexy trio?

My rating: 4 stars

1033. Not Another Bad Date (Rachel Gibson)

Synopsis:
At 35, successful Idaho SFF novelist Adele Harris has had it with losers who make fun of her big fat ass. She feels cursed—and she was, by old rival Devon Hamilton-Zemaitis, who stole Adele's first love, football star Zach Zemaitis. When Devon dies following an accident, she must remove the curse that's prevented Adele's happiness so she can go to heaven. Meanwhile, Adele gets a frantic call from older sister Sherilyn, who's divorcing her husband and has moved back to their old hometown of Cedar Creek, Tex.—where Zach now coaches high school football, and where Sherilyn needs help with her 13-year-old.

My rating: 4 stars

1032. The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount (Julia London)

Synopsis:
Lady Phoebe Fairchild is a talented seamstress who sews dresses for an exclusive London Bond Street shop, but knows that if her job is revealed, it will expose her family's financial woes to the ton and ruin their reputation—not to mention Phoebe's marriage prospects. Knowing this, her employer threatens to expose Phoebe if she refuses to travel to rural Bedfordshire to sew gowns at the home of William Darby, Viscount Summerfield. Phoebe reluctantly agrees, and posing as widowed dressmaker Madame Dupree, she travels to Summerfield's estate to create gowns for his wild, untamed sisters. Soon, Phoebe and Will are involved in an intense affair that's very likely doomed, as Will must wed a noblewoman—which Phoebe is, but Madame Dupree is not. Should she reveal her deceit, making her a worthy bride for Summerfield? Or should she keep up the charade, lest he despise her for her duplicity?

My rating: 2 stars

1031. To Taste Temptation (Elizabeth Hoyt)

Synopsis:
Samuel Hartley, raised in North America's colonial wilderness but now a wealthy Boston businessman, arrives in London seeking the traitor who betrayed the 28th Regiment into massacre by the Indians at Spinner's Falls. One of the men killed was Captain Reynaud, beloved brother of widowed Lady Emeline Gordon. Since this respected society matron also chaperones society's young maidens, Samuel contrives to meet her by asking her help in preparing his sister Rebecca to enter London society. The very model of propriety, and engaged to the titled Lord Vale whom she has known since childhood (and who also fought in the ill-fated battle) Lady Emeline is drawn to Samuel's rough vigor, not realizing the demons possessing him.

My rating: 2 stars

Sunday, August 17, 2008

1030. Sweet Surrender (Maya Banks)

Synopsis:
Dallas cop Gray Montgomery is on a mission to find the guy who killed his partner. So far, he's found a link between the killer and Faith, a beautiful stranger-and if Gray has to get close to her to catch the killer, so be it. And closer still when the killer makes his own moves on the vulnerable young woman.

My rating: 3 stars

1029. Wife for Hire (Janet Evanovich)

Synopsis:
Hoping to improve his rogue's reputation in order to get a bank loan for his business, Hank Mallone hires Maggie Toone to pose as his wife, but the deal soon changes from "strictly business" to "no holds barred."

My rating: 3 stars

1028. Smiley's People (John Le Carre)

Cover of first edition

Synopsis:
Into a shadowy, violent and intricate world steeped in moral ambivalences steps George Smiley, sometime acting Chief of the Circus, as the Secret Service is known. His brief is to bury crime, not solve it, as he fights his own private battle from London to Paris and to Hamburg for his last duel with his Russian opposite number, codenamed Karla.

My rating: 4 stars

1027. Mac's Law (Sarah McCarty)

Synopsis:
Jessica Sterns has always been a good girl, doing right, dating right, following all the right rules. Now, at twenty nine, thanks to a life change, she's got a whole lot of catching up to do, and a whole lot of bad girl to let loose. It's just a question of finding the right man. At first glance, Mac Hollister would appear to be just that man. The tall rugged rancher practically oozes testosterone, while his indolent posture, easy confidence and raw masculinity just scream "bad boy". He's the kind of man women spin dark fantasies around. The kind of man she's looking for. The minute the honey-blonde sets her dainty foot on the sidewalk in Round The Bend, Mac knows he's in trouble. From the top of her head with its long French braid, to the tips of her toes with their delicate pink polish, this woman defines elegance. Not the kind of woman he prefers, but no amount of logic can dissuade his interest once he sees Jessie's smile. He's always been a sucker for a sense of humor. Especially when it comes packaged with a killer body and an equally killer wit. Mac expects their affair to be short, sweet and safe, but he soon discovers that beneath that delicate image lurks a woman who can handle all the "bad boy" he can throw at her. She's everything he never expected to find, and what started out short-term soon becomes a relationship that will demand a compromise he's not sure he can make in order to keep the one woman he can't imagine living without.

My rating: 4 stars

1026. The Raven Prince (Elizabeth Hoyt)

Synopsis:
After reviewing her somewhat precarious financial situation, Anna Wren comes to the conclusion that she needs a job. When she discovers that Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, requires a new secretary, it seems like the perfect solution to her employment problem. Having already lost two secretaries because of his temper, Edward reluctantly agrees to give Anna a chance. Much to Anna's surprise, she finds she likes working for the often stubborn but unexpectedly kind Edward, and Edward soon realizes that Anna is not only an excellent secretary but also an extraordinarily intriguing woman.

My rating: 2 stars

1025. Duchess by Night (Eloisa James)

Synopsis:
Harriet, Duchess of Berrow, is tired of her title and the responsibilities that come along with it. Enough with proper tea parties and elegant balls; what Harriet really wants is to attend an outrageous soiree where she can unleash her wildest whims and desires. But to attend such an event—especially if the event in question is Lord Justinian Strange's rollicking fete, filled with noble rogues and rotters, risqué ladies and illicit lovers—would be certain scandal. That's why she must disguise herself ....

Looking forward to a night of uninhibited pleasure, Lord Strange is shocked to discover that beneath the clothes of a no-good rake is the most beautiful woman in the room. Why is a woman like her risking her reputation at his notorious affair? And can he possibly entice her to stay ... forever?

My rating: 2 stars

1024. The Marriage Bed (Laura Lee Guhrke)

Synopsis:
Lady Viola Courtland was a romantic and impulsive young girl when she fell instantly in love with the handsome and dashing Viscount Hammond. Unbeknownst to Viola, John Hammond had already given his heart to the only woman he would ever love—his cousin's wife—but he was in dire financial straits and desperately needed to marry a wealthy heiress. In Viola, he thought he had found the perfect woman—beautiful and rich with a sweet nature. But Viola was neither practical nor sensible when it came to marriage, for she fully expected her husband to love her and was determined to settle for nothing less. Soon, however, John's secret was unwittingly revealed, but by then they were married and it was too late. Until one day, John finally came to his senses and prayed it wasn't too late to win back the love of his very own wife.

My rating: 4 stars

1023. Her Only Desire (Gaelen Foley)

Synopsis:
Ian Prescott, the Marquess of Griffith, had come to India to stop the Maratha Empire from going to war with Britain. Ian was counting on the help of Gabriel and Derek Knight, British cavalry officers serving in India, but Ian never expected that their sister, Georgiana, would also want to play a part in the diplomatic negotiations. Just like her aunt and namesake, the infamous "Hawkscliffe Harlot," Georgiana refuses to let any man tell her what to do. But when the diplomatic mission turns dangerous, Georgiana finds herself leaving India for England, where her life becomes even more entangled with the one man who just might be her match.

My rating: 2 stars

1022. Lady Rogue (Suzanne Enoch)

Synopsis:
When a ragamuffin boy arrives at his doorstep and is later discovered to be a young woman in disguise, Alexander Cale suspects that Kit Brantley is one of Napoleon's spies, but he is soon swept away by her outrageous charms.

My rating: 4 stars

1021. To Seduce a Bride (Nicole Jordan)

Synopsis:
Spirited beauty Lilian Loring believes that love is too risky a venture and that marriage is best avoided entirely–even if her unwanted suitor comes as deliciously packaged as Heath Griffin, the Marquess of Claybourne. The charismatic rogue has never met a woman who can discourage his advances, and after a show of resolve Lily too melts under Heath’s sensuous kisses. Perhaps that is why she decides to hide out in the last place a gentleman would look for a lady: a house of scandalous repute.

In bold pursuit, Heath discovers his enchanting spitfire cheerfully instructing the demimonde in the art of deportment. Now the thrill of the chase is exceeded only by his powerful need to possess Lily as his bride. For Heath, victory in their game of passion means nothing less than winning Lily’s elusive heart ....

My rating: 2 stars