1230. Every Night I'm Yours (Christie Kelley)

Synopsis:

At twenty-six, aspiring novelist Avis Copley intends to wear spinsterhood as a badge of honour. But when she discovers a volume of erotica that ignites a searing fire within her, Avis realizes just how much she doesn't know about the actual pleasures of the flesh. Determined to learn more, she devises a daring plan...Avis chooses Emory Billingsworth, a fellow novelist - not to mention a beautiful specimen of manhood - to instruct her in carnal pleasure. But when the brash earl of Selby, Banning Talbot, a man she has known for years, unearths Avis' true intentions, he claims she's made a dangerously bad choice. Volunteering his services for one wicked night of reckless, abandoned passion, Banning promises he will satisfy all of her deepest longings. Yet, Banning cannot begin to imagine the effect his wilful, voluptuous, and very eager student will have on him - or how far an innocent lesson in desire can go.

My rating: 3 stars

1229. Seducing the Heiress (Olivia Drake)

Synopsis:
Her wealth and beauty have made Miss Portia Crompton the catch of the season. Secretly determined to wed the maharajah's son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons. But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous--and wickedly tempting.

Colin has no delusions about romance. He's a rogue, a womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes as easily to him as breathing. Portia's fortune is an irresistible lure until Colin's mercenary scheme hits a snag. Winning her dowry is no longer enough--he wants her heart and her passion. The more adamant she is in her refusal, the more determined he is to seduce her...

My rating: 4 stars

1228. Seduce Me (Dahlia Schweitzer)

Synopsis:

Raw and honest, provocative and titillating, Dahlia Schweitzer's Seduce Me lays bare the secrets of desire in stories of sensuous encounters, illicit affairs, forbidden passions-and obsessive hungers that must be satisfied, no matter where or when they arise. In these vivid tales of lust without limits, the lines are blurred between fantasy and reality, propriety and necessity. There are no boundaries or taboos, only needs to be fulfilled. Here women and men risk everything in pursuit of sexual satisfaction-and business always mixes with pleasure.

My rating: 3 stars

1227. Lessons Fro a Scarlet Lady (Emma Wildes)

Synopsis:
The Duke of Rolthven's new wife, Brianna, is the perfect aristocratic bride. So what would society say if they saw her with a copy of Lady Rothburg's Advice--a courtesan's lessons for the boudoir? When his innocent wife suddenly becomes a vixen in the bedroom, the proper Duke is truly astounded by her seductive powers. Following a courtesan's advice might lead to trouble-but will it lead to Brianna's ultimate desire: winning her husband's love?

My rating: 4 stars

1226. Tucker's Claim (Sarah McCarty)

Synopsis:

Tucker McCade has known violence his whole life: orphaned in a massacre, abused as a "half-breed" child, trained as a ruthless Texas Ranger, he's learned the hard way that might makes right.

So even he is shocked when he falls for Sallie Mae Reynolds, a Quaker nurse. Unable to resist Tucker's charm, character and chiseled body, she throws herself into their torrid affair, indulging every one of her wildest sexual fantasies. Tucker's occupation, however, is the one thing about him she can't embrace. A staunch pacifist, Sallie Mae can't understand how his strong, caressing hand can clench in fury or pull a trigger to take a life. In this lawless land, Tucker knows you have to fight to survive. But when Sallie Mae becomes pregnant, he's willing to do whatever it takes to have his family - including hanging up his guns.

Every night they spend together exploring new heights of ecstasy binds them ever closer, slowly erasing their differences.until the day Tucker's past comes calling, precipitating an explosive showdown between her faith, his promise and the need for revenge..

My rating: 4 stars

1225. A Bride for His Convenience (Edith Layton)

Synopsis:

Devilishly handsome Lord Ian Sutcombe, the new Marquess Sutcombe, has inherited debt and a bankrupt ancestral Hall thanks to poor management made from his late father and an avaricious step-mother. He has no choice but to seek a marriage of convenience and sets his sight on Hannah Leeds, a newly wealthy merchant's daughter. The ambitious merchant is quite eager for his two other daughters to find titled husbands, and ensure his name will be forever linked with the nobility. Hannah, a very pretty country girl has no desire for the excessively pampered and cloistered lifestyle led by the aristocracy but was recently mysteriously jilted by the commoner she loved. Numbed by the rejection and pressured by her father, she resignedly agrees to marry Ian. They wed, and soon learn that passion and desire and a commonality of interests force them to know each other, yet their pride may prevent them from discovering a once-in-a-lifetime love.

My rating: 2 stars

1224. Ashenden: Or the British Agent (W. Somerset Maugham)

Synopsis:

Inspired by Maughams's own experiences as a British secret agent in World War I, this series of stories features a fictional spy, John Ashenden, whose dangerous assignments entangle him with traitors, assassins and beautiful but treacherous women.

My rating: 5 stars

My review: One of my favorite spy novels. Sadly, it is rare to find a copy.

1223. Riding Temptation (Jaci Burton)

Synopsis:
He's a biker working undercover for the Feds. She has reasons of her own for joining the Wild Riders. Together, they're burning up the asphalt and tearing headlong into danger and passion.

The guys always thought of Jessie as their kid sister, except Diaz Delgado. The past few years he's been watching her - and Jessie's glad somebody is. Delgado's dark good looks and killer body have tempted her since day one. Diaz's unbrotherly urges have been hard to fight but the last thing he wants is to hurt Jessie. But when they both go undercover with killer survivalists, he knows it'll be hard to keep his distance - especially when the mission takes a risky turn. Now Diaz has no choice but to open himself up to the one woman strong enough to take him on.

My rating: 3 stars

1222. Lisa's Gift (Mackenzie McKade)

Synopsis:

Friendship crosses boundaries and love becomes a triangle. Can Jana learn to trust through submission?

My rating: 4 stars

1221. Key West (Lacey Alexander)

Synopsis:

Carrie Marsh is on her honeymoon in Key West - alone. After the devastation of discovering her fiancé with another woman on her wedding day, she thought the trip might relax her. She has no idea she'll be swept off her feet by sexy beach boy Chris McCann. Combine Chris's searing seductiveness with the island's legendary free-spirited debauchery, and before her vacation is through, Carrie will experience a stunning sexual awakening she's not ready to leave behind when the trip is over.

My rating: 4 stars

1220. An Insatiable Passion (Lynne Graham)

Synopsis:
Kitty thought things would have changed

Eight years ago she had fled from her home, away from the heartbreak Jake had caused her.

Now, returning to the small town for her grandmother's funeral, she was determined to lay the ghosts of the past to rest. After all, she'd made a good life for herself as a well-known actress.

So why was it that all her poise deserted her when she saw Jake again? He was as attractive as before, but was it because she sensed he was infinitely more dangerous?

My rating: 3 stars

1219. The Salvatore Marriage (Michelle Reid)

Synopsis:

When Luca presses Shannon to marry him, she knows he's not asking because of love. Shannon's sister was married to Luca's brother and now both are dead, leaving behind them a baby girl just a few days old.

My rating: 3 stars

1218. Your Bed or Mine? (Kate Hoffmann)

Synopsis:
Caley Lambert didn't expect that a few nights at the family cottage for her sister Emma's wedding would turn her life upside down. But that was before she got lost in the dark, was propositioned by a cop and ended up in the wrong bed with the brother of the groom.

When she and Jake Burton were teenagers, Jake had been the perfect boy next door--and the object of Caley's most daring fantasies. But that was back when she was a kid. Caley's definitely over him now. Or so she thinks…

Because the perfect boy is all man now. Not to mention an endlessly inventive lover…

My rating: 3 stars

1217. The Venetian Betrayal (Steve Berry)

Synopsis:

In 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place - unknown to this day - remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone - former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer - will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game.

After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength.

And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history's ultimate conqueror.
Backed by a secret cabal of powerbrokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great - in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years.

Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and outthink the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people - depending on who finds the lost tomb first.

My rating: 2 stars

1216. Jack With a Twist (Brenda Janowitz)

Synopsis:

Planning a wedding can be a trying experience.

A little prewedding anxiety is normal for every bride, and Manhattan attorney Brooke Miller isn't worried. She's got the loving support of the world's greatest guy, so planning her nuptials should be a piece of cake.

But that was yesterday.

Today, Brooke's landed her fi rst big case and has just discovered that the opposing attorney is none other than her fi ancé, Jack. But that's okay. These two professionals aren't going to let a little courtroom sparring get their legal briefs in a bunch.. Right? Wrong! Now Jack's pulling every dirty trick in the law books, and Brooke's starting to suspect that maybe he isn't the man she thought he was. Warring with her fi ancé at work and at home, Brooke realizes that she'll have to choose between the case of her life, or actually having a life.

My rating: 4 stars

1215. Private Places (Anthology)

Synopsis:
USA Today bestselling author Robin Schone shares a tale of a man and a woman in a notorious club, who learn how very dangerous desires of the flesh can be. Claudia Dain heats up this collection with the story of two voyeuristic young courtesans who might just take part in a very public seduction at the theatre. Allyson James has a card-playing, cunning widower and a desperate young widow learn that passion is the ultimate wild card. And finally, Shiloh Walker introduces a short story of a woman saved by a shapeshifter. Now, if only she could think of a way to repay him...

My rating: 2 stars

1214. Lost in Love (Michelle Reid)

Synopsis:
Four years ago, Guy Frabosa had hurt Marnie so deeply that she vowed never to set eyes on him again and had divorced him in a blaze of pain and anger. He fought her, but she'd had a trump card and had been desperate enough to use it.

Now Guy held all the cards--Marnie needed his financial help and had little choice but to play by her ex-husband's rules. He demanded her body and soul, but the thought of returning to his side as his wife filled her with a raging hatred---made all the more consuming by her utterly wanton desire for his lovemaking.

My rating: 3 stars

1213. Master of Torment (Karin Tabke)

Synopsis:

Wulfson of Trevelyn, trusted knight of William the Conqueror, has never met a man he could not master. But in the tempestuous young widow Tarian of Trent, known as the Lady Warrior, Wulf may finally have met his match. Ordered by the king to curb an armed dispute between Tarian and her dead husband's uncle, Wulf captures the lady but falls captive himself to her seductive dark beauty.

To Lady Tarian's dismay, however, neither her fighting spirit nor her wiles are sufficient to bend Wulfson to her will. She vows she will not be the loser in their passionate battle, but her own desire for this overpowering stranger threatens her body, her life, and her very heart.

My rating: 2 stars

1212. Texas Destiny (Lorraine Heath)

Synopsis:
Amelia Carson is a mail-order bride. She has come to Texas to marry Dallas, the ranch owner she has corresponded with for a year. But a broken leg (and fate) requires Dallas to send his brother, Houston, to meet Amelia in his place. Physically and emotionally scarred by the war, Houston doesn't believe he will ever find love. When he falls in love with his brother's betrothed, he never expects her to return his feelings. Together they discover that without honor, love is meaningless.

My rating: 3 stars

1211. Hidden Fires (Sandra Brown)

Synopsis:
When innocent, raven-haired Lauren Holbrook left her home for a promising life in Texas she found heartbreak, not happiness, forced into a loveless marriage of convenience to playboy-rancher, Jared Lockett. Now a victim of Jared's scheming mother whose hunger for power and wealth defied the boundaries of human greed, Lauren was unjustly accused of betrayal... threatened by an ambitious investor's savage lust ... and rejected in love by her rebellious husband. But nevertheless Lauren's love for Jared grew. She bravely challenged the hate that surrounded Jared's heart, and offered instead a rapturous passion--a shimmering new dream they could share--if only they could conquer the treachery that ruled their lives.

My rating: 3 stars

1210. Just Imagine (Susan Elizabeth Phillips)

Synopsis:

In the ashes of war, they were bitter enemies, bound by fate, fortune, and sweet desire. Spirited, schooled to trust no one, Kit Weston came to New York with a pistol in her pocket and murder in her heart, sworn to kill her mysterious guardian, her Yankee stepbrother and reclaim the South Carolina plantation that was her heritage, her home. But Baron Cain inspired far more than vengeful fury. Darkly handsome, undaunted by danger, he awakened in the wild girl a worman's ardor. Kit would shed her boy's disguise to dazzle society with her bold beauty.she would tantalize Baron even as she schemed to destroy him. Torn between burning desire and an impassioned dream of the South reborn, she would be forced to choose: to fulfill love's longing or risk everything.

My rating: 3 stars

1209. Simply Love (Catherine Anderson)

Synopsis:

Luke Taggart, owner of a mining empire, has seen and done it all. But he feels a restlessness--for what, he doesn't know. Until he meets a woman as fresh and pure as a spring morning--and vows to possess her at any cost. Lovely Cassandra Zarek has a charming naivete that seems to blind her to Luke's seductive schemes and a belief in the ability of love to transform this rogue into the man of her dreams.

My rating: 3 stars

1208. The Greek's Forced Bride (Michelle Reid)

Synopsis:

Greek billionaire Leo Christakis is convinced the drab, shapeless suits worn by Natasha are simply a cover for the gold-digging harlot who lies beneath.

Mistakenly thinking Natasha's been stealing from his company, Leo commands her to be at his beck and call - in and out of the bedroom. Natasha is thrown into his world of unimaginable luxury. Then Leo discovers she's innocent - in every sense! Now she has no choice - she must become the Christakis bride!

My rating: 4 stars

1207. No Way to Begin (Michelle Reid)

Synopsis:
Taking over the business was just the first step

Anton Lakitos wanted Nina Lovell, too. But she despised him.

She was convinced that it was the arrogant Greek property developer who'd ruined her father's health because of his desire to add Lovell's to his list of conquests.

When she discovered he was hell-bent on buying her, too, Nina faced the kind of dilemma every loyal daughter dreaded--should she watch Anton ruthlessly break her father's heart, or should she attempt to keep the company in the family. . . by marrying the man she hated?

My rating: 3 stars

1206. The Tycoon's Bride (Michelle Reid)

Synopsis:

Claire was trying to look after her baby sister alone. She was on the verge of taking drastic action when she met Andreas Markopoulou, a sexy Greek tycoon. Andreas offered to marry Claire and adopt Melanie. His adored grandmother longed to hold her great grandchild before she died. It seemed Andreas would go to any lengths to grant his grandmother's wish, even if that meant deceiving everybody -- including his new bride.

My rating: 4 stars

1205. Another Dawn (Sandra Brown)

Synopsis:
Betrayal had ruined Banner Coleman's wedding day, and on her wedding night she found herself a jilted bride. Now the seeds of greed and desire are harvesting a scandal - and Banner's affair with an old family friend could shatter both a friendship and a family.

My rating: 3 stars

1204. A Tall Dark Cowboy (Mackenzie McKade)

Synopsis:

Just looking for a good time...

Waiting tables in a bar full of no-good cowboys isn't Lacy Mason's idea of fun. But between her daughter's illness, endless doctor bills, and her college tuition, she needs the money. What she could really use is a night of no-holds-barred passion and no-strings-attached sex. Too bad she has sworn off cowboys for life...

A guy walks into a bar...

Full-time executive and retired cowboy Wyatt Anderson is drawn to Lacy from the moment he sees her. But she's an enigma. Daring and assured one moment and hesitant the next, it's as if something haunts her. Only willing to give him one night, Lacy clings tightly to her secrets. Unfortunately for her, what Wyatt wants, Wyatt gets. And he definitely wants...

My rating: 2 stars

1203. Deadly Promise (Brenda Joyce)

Synopsis:
It is March of 1902, and Francesca Cahill-Fifth Avenue heiress, undaunted political activist and intrepid amateur sleuth-has just learned of a grave new danger haunting the streets of New York. A beautiful teenage girl named Emily O'Hare is missing and Francesca fears that the girl has been abducted. Only one person can help her learn the child's fate-but Police Commissioner Rick Bragg may not want to get involved because Francesca has just stunned Rick by accepting a proposal of marriage...from none other than his own rival.

Francesca still questions her decision to marry the powerful and notorious Calder Hart. But Rick Bragg is wed to another...and his dazzling wife has just returned after four years abroad to reclaim their marriage. Francesca remains torn between the two very different men-but she desperately tries to set aside the affairs of her heart when she discovers that Emily isn't the first girl to vanish in recent weeks. And when Francesca discovers a trail of deception and lies, when someone very close to her investigation is murdered, Francesca realizes that the evil force behind the girls' abductions may try to find a way to silence her too-if she dares to uncover the truth...

My rating: 3 stars

1202. Deadly Kisses (Brenda Joyce)

Synopsis:
Called to the home of her fiancé Calder Hart's former mistress late one night, amateur sleuth Francesca Cahill's curiosity is piqued. But upon arrival, she is shocked to find Daisy Jones's bloodied body -- and even more devastated when the evidence points to one suspect: Calder.

Francesca cannot -- will not -- believe that Calder is capable of such an act. Still, she is unable to shake her instinctive sense that Calder is lying about something. The police are far less inclined to believe his innocence, and Calder is arrested for Daisy's murder. But Francesca's heart is not easily swayed . . . until a life-altering secret is exposed that could destroy their future together.

My rating: 3 stars

1201. Deadly Desire (Brenda Joyce)

Synopsis:
New York City's Police Commissioner Rick Bragg has been called upon to investigate a shocking crime. Reluctant to pull Francesca into a case that could be very dangerous, Rick also knows the beautiful and brilliant heiress has a natural ability for sleuthing that could aid him-even if it means working side by side with a woman who tempts him like no other. And so Francesca and Rick begin a harrowing journey through the squalid underworld of the city that plunges them deeper and deeper into a peril neither could have imagined-and a desire that only continues to grow...

My rating: 3 stars

1200. Deadly Illusions (Brenda Joyce)

Synopsis:
Despite the misgivings of her fiancee, Calder Hart, Francesca cannot turn away from a threat that is terrorizing the tenement neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. A madman has attacked three women, but while the first two victims survived, the third is dead, raising the stakes. All the victims are impoverished but beautiful Irishwomen--and Francesca fears that Maggie Kennedy and Gwen O'Neil, two friends who live nearby, could be next.

Soon she is working with her former love, police commisioner Rick Bragg--Calder's half brother and worst rival. But even as Calder's jealous passions leave his relationship with Francesca teetering on the brink, Francesca is frantically on the killer's trail, certain The Slasher will strike again--afraid she will be too late. . .

My rating: 3 stars

1199. Wicked (Susan Johnson)

Synopsis:
Serena Blythe's plan to escape a life of servitude had gone terribly awry. So she took the only course left to her. She sneaked aboard a sleek yacht about to set sail-and found herself face-to-face with a dangerous, sensual stranger. Beau St. Jules, the Earl of Rochefort, had long surpassed his father's notoriety as a libertine. Less well known was his role as intelligence-gatherer for England. Yet even on a mission to seek vital war information, he couldn't resist practicing his well-polished seduction on the beautiful, disarmingly innocent stowaway. And in the weeks to come, with battles breaking out on the continent and Serena's life in peril, St. Jules would risk everything to rescue the one woman who'd finally captured his heart.

My rating: 2 stars

1198. Some Like It Wicked (Teresa Medeiros)

Synopsis:
Some like it dangerous . . .

Highland beauty Catriona Kincaid cares nothing for propriety - or even her own safety - when she storms the grounds of Newgate Prison. Determined to return to Scotland and restore her clan's honor, she seeks the help of Sir Simon Wescott, a disgraced nobleman and notorious rogue. She is prepared to offer him both wealth and freedom, but she never dreams the wicked rake will be bold enough to demand a far more sensual prize.

Some like it seductive . . .

Simon is shocked to discover the tomboy he met long ago has blossomed into a headstrong temptress. Although he's sworn off his dreams of becoming a hero, he can't resist playing knight errant to Catriona's damsel in distress. Both adventure and peril await them at her Highland home, where they will risk their lives to vanquish her enemies . . . and risk their hearts to discover a passion beyond their wildest dreams.

My rating: 3 stars

1197. Hotly Bedded, Conveniently Wedded (Kate Hardy)

Synopsis:
From best friends...
Isobel's friend Alex Ricahrdson has the ultimate playboy lifestyle, flitting from one long-legged woman to the next - why would he want short, curvaceous Bel?

To red-hot lovers!
Now, though, Alex needs a convenient wife - and Bel is his first-choice bride! Shocked at his proposal, Bel has doubts about his crazy plan. Then Alex gives her a taste of just how hot they can be together, leaving Bel begging him to finish what he started - on their wedding night!

My rating: 2 stars

1196. Tempted All Night (Liz Carlyle)

Synopsis:
Lady Phaedra Northampton and Lady Zoe Armstrong are best friends who couldn't be more different from each other. Phaedra is a good girl, always doing what she's told and being the perfect lady, while Zoe is the bad girl, continually getting into trouble and acting like a hoyden. Even though they are polar opposites, they are also best friends. The pair decides to help each other with their "faults" and stop behaving so predictably. When Phaedra gets involved in solving a mystery with the irresistible rake Tristan Talbot, Lord Avoncliff, sparks fly...and for the first time she behaves completely opposite of the perfect lady she has always been.

My rating: 3 stars

1195. Married to the Viscount (Sabrina Jeffries)

Synopsis:
Abigail Mercer was breathless with anticipation at being reunited with Spencer Law, whom she met once and later married by proxy. But now the dashing Viscount Ravenswood denies all knowledge of their union! Far too many witnesses have made it impossible for the secretive Spencer to reject his "bride" without causing a scandal. So he has proposed a marriage in-name-only until they can locate his mysteriously absent younger brother - who is responsible for everything! - and untangle this messy affair.

Abigail is incensed, irate...and irresistibly attracted to this handsome, infuriating man who hides his smoldering passion behind a proper exterior. So the lady will agree to his terms on one condition: Spencer must seal their bargain with a kiss. But he finds that one deep, lingering, unforgettable kiss isn't nearly enough. And keeping his hands off his pretty wife is going to be much harder than he thought...

My rating: 4 stars

1194. Viscount Vagabond (Loretta Chase)

Synopsis:
Catherine Pelliston simply would not abide by her father's wishes and marry the slovenly Lord Browdie. But her escape through the streets of London only seemed to lead her from bad to worse. First, she was robbed. And then, her supposed "rescue" by a kindly old woman stranded Catherine in a bordello -- where the handsome Viscount Rand was intent on sampling her wares! A dire predicament indeed-especially when the dashing aristocrat decided to assume full responsibility for the ravishing runaway by taking her, quite against her will, into his home. But little did Catherine know that her struggle to preserve her virtue had inflamed the debauched gadabout's heart ... and might well net her a husband worth desiring!

My rating: 2 stars

1193. The Fortune Hunter (Jasmine Haynes)

Synopsis:
It appears that insecure heiress Faith Castle's dreams of having a baby are close to coming true. She's finally been proposed to! But Connor Kingston happens to be as honest as he is handsome, making plain that his offer is purely a career move. A marriage of convenience is far from romantic, but Faith agrees-after all, she's getting what she wants as well. She has only one caveat: she requires his absolute fidelity. But her randy fiance wants to be free to come and go. What transpires is the sexiest and most unpredictable love story of the season.

My rating: 3 stars

1192. Simply Wicked (Kate Pearce)

Synopsis:
Anthony Sokorvsky's only rule in life is not to have any, especially when pleasures of the flesh are involved. But his dark sexual pursuits have led him down a treacherous path that may cost him his fortune if he doesn't end his recklessness and wed. His salvation comes in the form of Marguerite Lockwood. Just one day in Marguerite's presence leaves Anthony lusting after her and fantasizing about all the ways he can bring her to new heights of delirious, scorching ecstasy...When Anthony Sokorvsky offers to escort Marguerite around London, she's not sure what to make of the intriguing - yet very sensual - man. And when he wastes no time in seducing her, she finds herself thoroughly aroused. No man before has managed to ignite the wild desire she now feels deep within her. Surrendering completely to Anthony's expert caresses, Marguerite is ready to finally have her erotic needs met - and to fulfil her lover's most wicked longings.

My rating: 3 stars

1191. Mistress (Leda Swann)

Synopsis:
The very thought of an innocent young woman—a teacher at a fusty finishing school—modeling for a series of titillating photographs to be sold at London's bookstalls is scandalous. But orphaned Emily Clemens's destitute circumstances have left her little choice. It is all part of her plan to capture the attention of some well-heeled roué who will then make her his pampered mistress. So the untouched beauty sheds her outer garments—and her inhibitions—to strike provocative poses before the lens of handsome photographer Eric Twyford.

But each seductive attitude she assumes is stoking a fire within that Emily never knew existed—and the heat is spurring her on to ever-greater heights of sensuous abandon. Still, the devilishly desirable Eric, a consummate professional, remains unmoved by her erotic display. If Emily cannot arouse a man in the flesh, what hope does she have as a black-and-white postcard?

She has already gone far beyond the boundaries of propriety. Now Emily's brazenly determined to go even farther—to seduce Eric, letting him take her to intoxicating places she has never been. But once she has reached ecstasy, will she ever be able to leave?

My rating: 4 stars

1190. Monday's Child (Georgeanne Hayes)

Synopsis:
The night Garrett 'rescued' Demi from the clutches of Rev. Flemming should have ranked as one of the highlights of her life. Unfortunately, it turns out to be no more than a brief reprieve. From that moment, Flemming resolves to claim her as his wife, and her aunt is determined to support him, thus removing the 'threat' to her own daughter's happiness. Demi is in no position to fight either of them, but their determination brings out her rebellious streak and leads her straight into the waiting arms, and bed, of one of England's more notorious rakes, Lord Garrett Wyndham.

My rating: 3 stars

1189. The Defector (Daniel Silva)

Synopsis:
Six months after the blood-soaked conclusion of Moscow Rules, Allon is in Umbria, trying to resume his honeymoon with his new wife, Chiara, when a colleague pays him a shocking visit. The man who saved Allon's life in Moscow and was then resettled in England has vanished without a trace. British intelligence is sure he was a double agent all along, and they blame Allon for planting him. To discover the truth and clear his name, Allon must go immediately to London - a decision that will prove to be the most fateful of his career.

In the British capital, he finds himself once more on the front lines of the secret war between East and West, where Russian spies and dissidents engage in the old game of cat and mouse. There, Allon uncovers a much greater conspiracy, a plot by an old enemy to resurrect a network of death, to bring the world to the precipice of a new confrontation, and in order to stop it, he must risk everything: his ties to an organization he has served since his youth, his new marriage . . . even his life.

My rating: 3 stars

My review: The character of Gabriel Allon is getting tiresome -- the brooding assassin thing is played out. Silva should start a new series starting Mikhail (but not with his annoying girlfriend Sarah).

1188. The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown)

Synopsis:
As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

My rating: 2 stars

My review:

Dear Dan Brown,

Please get over yourself and your inferiority complex from not having been accepted to Harvard.

Sincerely,

The Literate Public

1187. How to Tame a Lady (Kasey Michaels)

Synopsis:
Lady Nicole Daughtry has vowed never to be vulnerable to any man. Despite the many suitors vying for the dazzling beauty's hand, she has seen the damage love can inflict and wants no part of it. Until she meets Lucas Paine, Marquess of Basingstoke, whose aura of danger and mystery draws her like no other..

Lucas is a man with a mission - and a powerful thirst for revenge. The last thing he can afford is the distraction of a pretty face. But a scandalous affair with Nicole could be just the cover he needs to outwit his enemies. With treachery everywhere, and Nicole's very life in his hands, Lucas will face his greatest challenge yet - to keep the lady safe from harm. and his heart safe from her.

My rating: 2 stars

1186. Wicked All Day (Liz Carlyle)

Synopsis:
The beautiful Miss Zoe Armstrong is rich, spoiled, impulsive and desperately illegitimate. Though Zoe burns bright as the most vibrant diamonds, all the money in the world won't buy her what she secretly desires, to be loved for who she is. But when a night of passion leads to Zoe's betrothal to her distant cousin, her perfect world is turned upside down and shattered before her very eyes. Lord Robert Rowland has been Zoe's partner in crime since childhood. When he sees his cousin in tears at a ball, what else can he do but console her by doing what Robin always does best. But a rogue's chivalry can have unexpected consequences, not the least of which is the loss of his one true love. Suddenly, Zoe finds herself on the verge of marrying a broken man and the only solace she can find is in the arms of Lord Robert's older brother, the stern and powerful Marquess of Mercer.

My rating: 5 stars

My review: The three main characters (Zoe, Robert, and Mercer) are deeply flawed, with lots of personal issues, and that's what makes this book so good -- they are aware of their problems and they try to be better, despite themselves, but they don't become "good" overnight, unlike characters in other romance novels, and the reader (me) can't help but be sympathetic.

1185. To Desire a Devil (Elizabeth Hoyt)

Synopsis:
NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING

Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl's heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

OR DANGEROUS

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle's home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh-and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud's savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice's love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title-even if it means sacrificing her innocence?

My rating: 2 stars

My review: There are some authors whom I don't like, no matter how good the reviews for their books are. I think Elizabeth Hoyt might be one.

1184. The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife (Jillian Hunter)

Synopsis:
Lord Griffin Boscastle has no intention of ending his glorious career as a rakehell now that he has inherited a dukedom. Still, there are responsibilities he must discharge before his pleasures resume, including finding a bride, and depositing his incorrigible niece at a relative's academy outside London. It is at this so-very-proper finishing school that flame-haired instructress Harriet Gardner awakens in Griffin emotions so dangerously intoxicating that he must avoid her at all cost. Yet when Harriet finds work in the townhouse where Griffin resides, her presence tempts him at every turn.

Harriet has survived London's streets far too long to let an arrogant duke woo a bride he doesn't want when she desires him for herself, and she has seen too much of life not to recognize a man ripe for redemption. But just as Harriet finds the perfect cure for His Lordship's devilish ways, a vindictive enemy intervenes, and the duke whom Harriet has plotted to save suddenly becomes her devoted protector.

My rating: 2 stars

1183. Captive (Leda Swann)

Synopsis:
A proper British governess, Louisa Clemens knows her place - and it certainly is not with the wild and exotic stranger she meets in Naples. Still, this commanding, mesmerizing man inflames her imagination in a most improper manner. When the magnificent Khair Bey steals into her bedroom, Louisa is transported to a breathtaking realm of sensual pleasure she had only previously imagined. And now she must flee his kisses and hot, demanding touch or she will be lost forever.

But on her journey home, Louisa is captured by pirates and spirited away to be auctioned off to the highest bidder - a bitter fate that turns shockingly sweet when she is purchased by the very man who has awakened her slumbering desires. Now she belongs to Khair Bey, body and soul - his mistress, his concubine, the most favored beauty in his harem. But as he initiates her into the art of lovemaking, Khair is enchanted by the powerful erotic charms and indomitable will of his captive English rose. And soon it will be the prisoner who possesses the master, passionately and completely . . .

My rating: 3 stars

1182. Endangered (Kathleen Dante)

Synopsis:

Homicide detective Cyn Malva found a compatible lover in special-ops sniper Rio Rafael. Their no strings- attached relationship had been ideal, but now Rio is ready to change the rules in favor of a commitment he knows Cyn can't handle. Then Cyn becomes the target of a serial killer, and soon she and Rio are bound by something stronger than animal attraction, and love could be the only thing to save them.

My rating: 2 stars

My review: He wears jorts.

1181. The Bargain Bride (Barbara Metzger)

Synopsis:

It was a match not made in heaven, but in pound notes - an arranged engagement between a girl of thirteen and a lord's younger son. Since then, thirteen years have passed, and as her betrothed has been sowing his wild oats, Penny has grown up, grown impatient, and grown resentful. In fact, she's vowed never to marry the man who blighted her life and destroyed her dreams.

Viscount Westfield is happy enough to return the bridal dowry. But one look at Penny and Westfield knows he can never, ever let her go.

My rating: 3 stars

My review: It starts off well but the "plot twists" at the end ruin it.