Bridesmaid Lotto, McMaster the Disaster, Book 1 By Rachel Astor

Review by Amber

Josephine McMaster is pretty and smart, but very much a klutzy mess. Finally, at 26, she may have actually lost the dreaded ‘McMaster the Disaster’ nickname that has followed her around her whole life.

Josie’s quite content to be single, much to her mother’s disappointment. So when a bizarre contest is announced where a socialite is holding a lottery to pick her bridesmaids (and rake in a little extra cash), she can’t roll her eyes fast enough, even if it does mean meeting Jake Hall, her one and only movie star crush.

Obviously, Josie doesn’t enter the bridesmaid lottery, so you can imagine her surprise when her picture pops up among the winners, thanks to Mom. With a little prodding — okay bribing — Josie agrees to participate.

The wedding turns into the event of the year, and Josie finds herself in the middle of a paparazzi feeding frenzy, which gets even crazier after Jake Hall takes a special interest in her.

Can Josie handle the pressure in the spotlight? Is it possible she might really have a chance with Jake Hall? And if she’s busy worrying about all that, how in the heck is she going to keep ‘McMaster the Disaster’ from showing up in front of the entire world?

Bridesmaid Lotto is the story of Josephine McMaster, otherwise known as McMaster the Disaster by her classmates in school.  This book was a fun chick-lit style romp.  The voice is extremely easy to read and many parts of the book were laugh out loud funny.  This is definitely for people who enjoy the chick-lit style.  Though there’s a romance it’s not the focus of the story.  Instead, it’s the journey of Josie, McMaster the Disaster, as she navigates the world of the super rich after winning a contest to be the bridesmaid of one of New York’s glitterati. 

There’s a lot to charm in this book, if you like the style.  A lot of people say that chick-lit is dead, but I still love to laugh while reading which makes chick-lit still a favorite for me. 

That being said, there’s some things that didn’t work for me in this book either.  One of my major issues, I can’t explain without giving a major spoiler.  But I’ll just say that one of the characters behaves in a way that makes no sense to me given this person’s long standing relationship with the heroine.  It bothered me.  The justification just wasn’t there.

The romance in this book actually didn’t work for me.  But that isn’t the fault of the author.  It’s my own issue.  During Josephine’s process of acting as bridesmaid she starts a relationship with an actor, a Hollywood heartthrob who happens to be the brother of the groom.  I’m not sure why I just can’t fall in with this kind of relationship.  It might be that I just can’t suspend that much disbelief.  And it’s pretty unbelievable.  Especially to consider that it might be successful.  I think I’m just too much of a pragmatist.  Or it might be that the idea of being with a famous person of any kind just leaves me cold.  Since it isn’t my fantasy, the opposite of my fantasy, more like a nightmare, the fiction doesn’t work for me. 

Either way, I enjoyed the book, was pretty much unmoved by the romance, and would definitely read another.  As an added bonus, this book is free on Amazon right now or was when this review was written. 4 out of 5 stars for Bridesmaid Lotto.

Find out more about Rachel Astor on her website www.rachelastor.net

Guest book review: Demon Hunting in the Deep South by Lexi George

Review by Sarah Jordan

Back of the Book Blurb:  Evie Douglass doesn’t know what’s worse—the demons secretly infesting her small Alabama hometown…or human belle-from-hell Meredith Starr Peterson, who’s made her life miserable since high school. But when the “Death Starr” is brutally murdered and Evie is the number-one suspect, she’s suddenly besieged by the evil-not-dead-enough and Meredith’s furious specter. The only way she can clear her name is to get out from under demon hunter Ansgar’s grim protection. He’s blond, breathtaking, and the most lethal of all his kin, but after years of teasing, Evie is wary of anyone who swears her plus-size self is beautiful. However, having Ansgar all over her is sparking outrageous powers Evie didn’t know she had. And she’ll face any ultimate evil to keep this sexy slayer in this dimension and in her bed for all eternity… 

Review:


Warning:  This is one of those books that keep you reading while you should be helping your kids with their homework, working, finding out what the new puppy is destroying, or listening to your husband talking about...something.  Too bad!  Because this is one of the funniest, wackiest and most romantic books I have read in a very long time.  Lexi George has one of the strongest, and clearest voices writing today.  Her writing is chock full of laugh-out-loud expressions and turns of phrase that add such personality and humor to every paragraph. 
Evie is a smart, sexy, curvy (uh, what happened to that scrawny cover model?) woman who is also shy and quiet by nature.  She has a fiercely loyal and fabulously outspoken best friend named Addy who is married to a demon hunter, and a mysterious recent past that has left her confused and lost.  Evie has been verbally abused by her bitchy former classmate, Meredith "Death Starr" Peterson, and her minions since they were children, and when Evie finds Meredith hacked to death at work, things don't look good for Evie.  Pretty soon mysterious things start happening (teleportation, fairies, sexy guys coming in to her) , and Evie thinks she might be losing her mind.  Before the book even gets to page 50, Evie has a hunky demon-hunting bodyguard who's crazy in love with her, an oddly perceptive (and hot!) sheriff investigating her for the murder of the Death Starr, a demon-possessed chihuahua and his nutty human mama, both on the run from a doggie serial killer, and the ghost of the rotten Meredith in her life.  Whew!  And then things really get going, so hold on tight.
One of the best things about this book besides the zany humor and fun, is the humanity of the characters.  Rather than cardboard-thin stereotypes, George has created people with foibles and talents, who try their best but frequently make stupid and hysterical mistakes.  There's a lot of love and a lot of heart in this book.  Add in hunky demon-hunters, violence, mayhem, deliciously hot sex, and baked goods, and you've got one delightful story.

Published in August 2012, this is the second book in Lexi George's funny, romantic series, following Demon Hunting in Dixie.  There is also a related short story in the book So I Married A Demon Slayer(reviewed on this blog).



For more information visit the author's website at www.lexigeorge.com

Hot Cover Monday! Rocky Mountain Angel Six Pack Ranch, Book 4 (Digital) by Vivian Arend

Rocky Mountain Angel
Six Pack Ranch, Book 4

Sometimes even Angels must learn to fly…

Allison Parker needs a convincing excuse to come home to Rocky Mountain House. A hopelessly romantic reason that won’t let her mother suspect the truth—that Allison has discovered Mom is keeping a terrible secret from the family.

Gabe Coleman is struggling with two of the roughest parts of ranching: dealing with his bull-headed mule of a father, and making enough to pay the bills. When his old friend Allison offers to help him develop his ideas for organic ranching—in trade for pretending to be her fiancé—it sounds like the perfect set-up.

Yet the deception leads them in an unexpected direction, where their shared daily hells are erased by nights of heavenly distraction. It’s not supposed to be real, but once the gates are opened, there’s no denying they’ve found in each other a little bit of Paradise.

To break free of the past and face the future, though, will take more than temporary pleasures. It’ll take putting their hearts on the line.

Warning: Tortured hero with a guardian-angel complex, grief-stricken heroine willing to sacrifice everything for family. Break out the tissues, this trip to the ranch is a heartbreaker on the way to the HEA.

Read chapter one on Vivian Arend's website here www.vivianarend.com

Pre-order now everywhere. Available in digital format only on November 20th 2012

Sneak Peek! Forbidden (World of Night walkers) Jacquelyn Frank

Forbidden (World of the Nightwalkers) by Jacquelyn Frank


Find out more about Jacquelyn Frank here on her website www.jacquelynfrank.com

Releases Oct 30th!! Pre-order now.

Sneak Peek! Release Me by Julie Kenner

 Release Me by J. Kenner (an excerpt)

 the real substitute for Fifty Shades of Grey – releasing on 1/1/2013 – Release Me by Julie Kenner –
Note her website says it will release on 12/26/2012 

Find out more about Julie Kenner and this book on her website here www.juliekenner.com

Hot Cover Monday! Offside (The Barker Triplets) by Juliana Stone

Available now!

When hockey phenom Billie-Jo Barker returns home and decides to play in the local Friday night hockey league, all hell breaks loose. Not because Billie’s talent is in question, but because Billie is a woman. And though these are modern times, some of the local guys still have a problem letting a girl into their ‘men’s club.’

Soon, Billie is at the center of a small town battle of the sexes, with everyone choosing sides. Her sisters. The townsfolk. Her friends. And yet, the only person whose opinion she cares about doesn’t seem to care much at all. Logan Forest, the man who broke her heart when she was eighteen and the man she now shares the bench with ever Friday night.

She’s got a lot to prove and though Billie Jo Barker scores on the ice, will this girl ever score with the man of her dreams?

Find out more about this book including a excerpt on Juliana Stone's website here www.julianastone.com

Free ebook Friday! Marked (Book 1 Eternal Guardians) by Elisabeth Naughton

THERON – Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn’t exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendent of Hercules, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

For a limited time get Marked for free from Amazon. Get it here www.amazon.com/MARKED-Eternal-Guardians

Find out more about this book and read a excerpt on Elisabeth Naughton's website here www.elisabethnaughton.com  The get ready for the release of the next book in the Eternal Guardians series Enslaved. Which releases in 18 days!  It's all on the website. 

Sneak Peek! Iced ( A Dani O'Malley novel)Fever series by Karen Marie Moning

Iced: A Dani O'Malley Novel (Fever Series) by Karen Marie Moning

Releases October 30th. Pre-order now!

Find out more about the book and The author on Karen Marie Moning's website here www.karenmoning.com

Pre-order from Random house here www.randomhouse.com/ICED

Book review: The Reckoning (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1380) by Jana Deleon

Guest reviewer Sarah Jordan





Back of the Book Blurb:

In a tiny bayou town with far too many wicked secrets, the sudden disappearance of a six-year-old girl is a mystery Sheriff Holt Chamberlain is determined to solve. But teaming up with Alexandria Bastin is a complication he didn't expect. Nor is he prepared to collide with the dark side of Cajun culture—and his own troubled past.

The frantic search leads them to a place said to hold magic, an eerie island where Alex is also working her charm on him. At one time, he'd been forced to leave her brokenhearted. And now , dangerously close to the truth, he'll do anything to protect her from the evil that surrounds them—an evil that might hold the key to sending a little girl home.…

Review:

Released October 1, 2012, The Reckoning is the first of a three book series by Deleon being released by Harlequin Intrigue featuring the citizens of the creepy Mystere Parish in the steamy bayous of Louisiana.  Jana Deleon is one of my favorite authors, and her new series has a great start, establishing Mystere Parish as a place of dark secrets, danger, and strange happenings.  
The book starts with a bang, when Alex is called home from New Orleans by her cousin Sarah, whose daughter has been kidnapped.  The police in their small hometown think Sarah's estranged husband has taken his daughter, but Alex believes  that a stranger has taken her.  As a psychiatrist Alex quickly prescribes something for Sarah, believing she needs help to stay calm and deal with the situation.  I thought that was a little  arrogant on Alex's part, and it took me longer to warm up to her than I would have liked.  The acting sheriff soon arrives, and it turns out he is none other than Holt Chamberlin, the man who broke Alex's heart ten years ago when he left her and joined the military.  Seeing each other again after all those years gives both Alex and Holt a shock, triggering feelings both thought long gone.  But their focus is on finding the little girl, and they soon realize that not only did her father not take her, but the kidnapper is someone local, someone they know.
They find evidence pointing to a spooky island inhabited by an old woman believed to be a witch, who was implicated in the disappearance of three little girls over thirty years ago.  When Alex was a little girl she and Sarah went to the island on a dare, and saw something so horrifying that as an adult Alex is still terrified of the place.  Adding to the creepy atmosphere is the strange, watchful presence of crows, and the sinister appearance of dolls. 
Alex is a strong, capable heroine, who is focused on supporting her cousin Sarah and finding her little girl.  She is determined not to let her feelings for Holt show, believing that he has not changed much over the years.  But Holt is no longer the same boy who ran away from both Alex and his father's legacy, and as they work together their feelings are rekindled.  Getting to know one another as adults, while dealing with their still-present feelings, all under the pressure cooker of looking for a missing child created a really compelling story that had me reading way past my bedtime.

Jana Deleon is great at blending mystery, romance, and a touch of the paranormal.  Her stories have well-developed characters who have complicated histories.  Her settings are like an additional character, because they are so vivid and real.  When I read her books I feel like I can see, smell and hear the sounds of the swamps and the small towns.

The Reckoning is primarily a mystery with some romance, and the single sex scene is not graphic.  The Vanishing (#1386) will be released on October 30, 2012, and The Awakening (#1393) will be released on November 27, 2012.

4 out of 5 Modokker Stars for The Reckoning by Jana Deleon.

Find out more about Jana Deleon on her website here www.janadeleon.com

Book review: Lean on Me (Holloway) by HelenKay Dimon

LEAN ON ME
Carina Press
October 2012

Cassidy Clarke once climbed the world’s highest mountains, but after an unexpected illness ends her career she’s back in her hometown, broke and hoping for a little luck. But the townsfolk aren’t exactly putting out a welcome mat for the woman who once snubbed them in the media, despite her apologies now.

Mitch Anders knows someone has set up camp on the grounds of his plant nursery, and he’s surprised to find his sexy high school crush ducking questions about where she’s staying. Though he’s sworn to stop cleaning up other people’s messes, Mitch offers Cassidy a job and a place to stay—his place. Bedsharing optional, but definitely welcome.

Out of options and too attracted to Mitch to keep things platonic, Cassidy says yes to his offer. She wants to get back on her feet financially and start a new career. She never expects to suffer a different kind of fall, one that has her believing Mitch just might bring her something bigger and better than luck.

This is book 2 in the Holloway series which Helen Kay describes on her website.

"A small-town contemporary romance series. The books focus on the men and woman of Thomas Nurseries, a landscape company in Holloway, West Virginia, and provide an emotional and sexy story in a novella format."

Book 1 was a Christmas story from 2011 called "It's not Christmas without you". I read it last year and really enjoyed it so i was happy to see another installment in this novella series. Cassidy Clark was shy in school. Quiet and kept to herself. The one thing she concentrated on was climbing. As a adult she turned herself into a world class climber. She made a big name for herself. So big in fact she had sponsors and a team that she needed so she could do the big climbs. She had everything she could ever want out of life. It all fell part over a short period of time. Sick from a illness caused from the high climbs she gave a interview where she bad mouthed her hometown. Delirious at the time she didn't realize until later what she said and the reporter didn't care. Now everyone in her hometown hates her. Top it off after finding she couldn't do the climbs anymore the guy handling her money wasn't taking care of it so much as stealing it. She's broke. Then her beloved mother dies. The people in town all have ideas about Cassidy but no one knows the real truth.  Mitch had a crush on Cassidy in high school but thought she hated him. She's back now and all the rumors about her don't bother him at all. The old feelings are still there but now their both older and more mature. Problem is there are some red flags about Cassidy that Mitch is curious about. He decides one way or another he's going to find out what's going on. Mitch always wants to help but has his own problems with opening his heart. Question is can either of them open up enough to make a relationship work? This story has a serious as well as a fun side and they are nicely meshed together by HelenKay Dimon. You might laugh and you might cry but in the end you just feel good when your done. 5 out 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Lean on Me by HelenKay Dimon

Find out more about Lean on Me and HelenKay Dimon's website here www.helenkaydimon.com

Preorder Lean on Me Available Oct. 22nd here www.amazon.com/Lean-on-Me

Then get ready for the next installment in this novella series in December with "We'll be home for Christmas" Pre-order now here www.amazon.com/Well-Be-Home-Christmas-ebook

Hot Cover Monday! All He ever Desired (Kowalski series)

Ryan Kowalski release date for ebook is November 19th 2012 paperback February 1013.


Find out more about Shannon Stacey and her work here on her website www.shannonstacey.com/

Free ebook Friday! Jennifer's Garden by Dianne Venetta

JENNIFER’S GARDEN epitomizes the showdown between a career woman’s criteria for the perfect husband and what true love means. 

In a race against time, cardiologist Jennifer Hamilton is caught between her mother’s dying wish and taking the risk of a lifetime with Jackson Montgomery. He’s the man hired to complete the landscaping for her new home; the venue for her upcoming wedding. Jackson’s everything she neverwanted in a man, but as the job progresses, his lure pulls strong. It’s an attraction she cannot deny.

And one that puts her career on the line.

Get it for free from Amazon right now here www.amazon.com/Jennifers-Garden

Find out more about Dianne Venetta on her website here www.diannevenetta.com

Book review: Hunk for the Holidays by Katie Lane

Hunk for the Holidays

As vice president of her family’s construction company, Cassie McPherson always puts business before pleasure. That might explain why she doesn’t have a date for the company Christmas party. But it doesn’t quite explain why she’s crazy enough to hire an escort for the event or—crazier still—why she’s dying to unwrap him like a present . . .

With whiskey-colored eyes and a killer smile, James is one gorgeous hunk who really knows how to fill out a tuxedo. He charms everyone—including Cassie. And when the night ends, the party doesn’t stop. As Cassie falls, literally, into his bed, James falls head over heels in love. Now he has to figure out a way to tell her the truth: he’s not an escort. He’s her family’s fiercest business rival. But all he wants for Christmas is her . . .

This is actually my first Katie Lane book. The blurb sounded fun and i have heard good things about Katie Lane books so i was excited to read this.The McPherson's have a big construction company in which all the family work. Cassie is the Vice President but really a glorified account by her own words. It's not what she wants to do but as the only girl in the family her overprotective dad wants her in a safe place so she's stuck. James Sutton is the the McPherson's biggest rival right now so he's basically public enemy number one where they are concerned. Cassie is a workaholic and doesn't even really want to take time off for the company Christmas party which means she has no time for dating either. Usually she hires a escort to go to social events. This way she doesn't have to show up alone and well meaning family and friends can't try to set her up with a really great guy that they know. This time though it's James who shows up at her door. Cassie's dad is the one who invites him to the office and then they are supposed to do to the company Christmas party.His chance to size him up. He can't make it though. Unfortunately Cassie doesn't know this nor does she know what James looks like. She mistakes him for her escort and he doesn't correct her and this is where the fun begins. This was a really fun book. There are a lot of really great funny lines that will make you laugh out loud. Both James and Cassie have relationship hang ups but fall for each other anyway. The book was a little long for me though at 352 pages. Here and there it drags just a little bit. I loved all the characters though. Cassie and her brothers are fun even though sometimes Cassie seems a bit clueless. James is great though. I liked him the best. Nice romance that just happens to be at Christmas time. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Hunk for the Holiday's by Katie Lane.


Find out more about Katie Lane, this book and her other work here on her website www.katielanebooks.com

Book review: An Outlaw's Christmas (McKettricks) By Linda Lael Miller

Available Now!
With his wild heart, Sawyer McKettrick isn’t ready to settle down on the Triple M family ranch in Arizona. So he heads to Blue River, Texas, to seek a job as marshal. But in a blinding snowstorm he’s injured—and collapses into the arms of a prim and proper lady in calico.

The shirtless, bandaged stranger recuperating in teacher Piper St. James’s room behind the schoolhouse says he’s a McKettrick, but he looks like an outlaw. As they wait out the storm, the handsome loner has Piper remembering long-ago dreams of marriage and motherhood. But for how long is Sawyer willing to call Blue River home?

As the gray skies clear, Piper’s one holiday wish just might bring two lonely hearts together forever.

I'm a big fan of Linda Lael Miller's McKettrick series. The original books are probably still my favorites. This one is more in that time frame than her latest books in the series. Set in in 1915 the main two McKettricks in this book are Sawyer McKettrick and Clay McKettrick(A Lawman's Christmas) sons of Jeb and Kade McKettrick from the original books in this series. It was fun to go back and kind of visit those books. There are some surprise appearances at the end of the book that i was so happy to see. 

Poor Piper like all books set in what i call way back when she as a school teacher was compromised by doing a good deed and saving Sawyer's life. If she was a man i wouldn't have mattered but back then apparently if you stayed in the same house ( even if it's a school house) with a man who wasn't your husband you were a fallen woman. Never mind the man was half dead from a gun shot wound and had no idea what was going on for hours. Piper had been a orphan and raised with her cousin Dara who was married to Clay McKettrick and convinced Piper to move out to where they lived in Blue River Texas. She took on the job of school teacher but had decided to save her every penny and move back where she came from. All that ends when she finds Sawyer in the snow and drags him in the school house in a blinding snowstorm. Her reputation is ruined the minute she does this but she could not possibly leave him there to die. Sawyer was a body guard of shorts and got tangled up with his boss's wife.  He left before things got complicated but the his boss wants him dead. That's why he finds himself shot 5 minutes after getting into town.Which perpetuates the idea he might be a outlaw to Piper when she find him and he's also carrying a gun. I enjoyed this book. You have some danger from the shooter but you have your romance between Sawyer and Piper as they get to know each other. Piper struggles to find herself and her purpose and her place as a married woman. Loved the characters and like i said the surprise at the end. Well worth reading if you love a good western romance but more so if your a fan of the original books in the McKettricks series. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Picks for An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller.

Find out more about Linda Lael Miller here on her website www.lindalaelmiller.com

Book review: A Fool's Gold Christmas ( Fools Gold series book 10) by Susan Mallery

A FOOL’S GOLD CHRISTMAS (Fool’s Gold #10)
October 2012


The unrelenting cheer in Fool's Gold, California, is bringing out the humbug in dancer Evie Stryker. She learned early on that Christmas miracles don't happen, at least not for her. And this year seems like no exception. An injury has forced her to return to the family fold, no matter that they're estranged. She won't add to the awkward scenario by being seduced by the bad-boy charms of her brother's best friend, the last man she should ever want to date. Even when she's recruited to stage Fool's Gold's winter festival, she vows to do as promised, then move forward with her life anywhere but here. 

Jaded lawyer Dante Jefferson is getting used to the backwater town he now reluctantly calls home, but the pounding of little dancers' feet above his temporary office is more than any man should have to take! When he confronts their gorgeous teacher, he's unprepared for the attraction that sears him down to the soul. Evie is his best friend's sister-off-limits unless he's willing to risk his heart. Dante has always believed that love is the most dangerous force in the universe, but that was before he had to reckon with the magic of a certain small town, where miracles do seem to happen....

For some people it might be a little early for Christmas stories but they are always fun to read. This is the first of several i will be reviewing this year.  I've been reading the Fools Gold series by Susan Mallery since it started and this one is book 10. I've pretty much enjoyed each one. A Fool's Gold Christmas involves two characters who so far have been only secondary Characters. Dante Jefferson is Rafe Stryker's business partner. He's always been a bit a bah humbug kind of guy. Although we've never known much about him. Evie Stryker is the only girl in the family and the result of a one night stand her mother had in a time of grief. She grew up feeling shunned by her family and to her seen as a mistake her mother regretted. In Rafe's book you see him try to get close to her. Little to late for Evie. She's a grown woman now. Unfortunately a terrible injury gets her brought to Fools Gold for her recovery and she's stuck with a family who she feels never wanted her and her dream of a professional dancer long gone. 

I really enjoyed this book. You finally get a look into what makes Dante tick. Previously i could never decide if i liked him or not but felt there was probably more to him that you could see. He made some poor choices in his younger years and it cost him big time. He learned not to fall in love. Evie had a similar issue in never trusting anyone. Not with the way her family treated her growing up. Dante and Evie end up living next door to each other and Dante realizes he's attracted to Evie. Big no no since her brother is his partner but he can't help himself. What starts out as a casual no strings attached affair to get past the holidays turns into something more. Only one of the two can't quite handle the truth when it finally hits. I love how you get a glimpse of some of the characters from previous books. Little check ins i guess. It doesn't take away from Dante and Evie story but enhances it cause it's natural in Fools Gold with holidays to see these people. Evie finally gets to see her family really does care and they regret the way they treated her. Perfect for a Christmas story. Totally enjoyable! 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery.

Find out more about Susan Mallery and her work on her website www.susanmallery.com

Hot Cover Monday! A Low Down Dirty Shane (Misfits and Mayhem series book 1) by Sierra Dean

A Low Down Dirty Shane
Coming December 25, 2012

Thick-skinned vampire assassin meets smart-mouthed druid archer. Run, Cupid, run.

Shane Hewitt has been many things—failed husband, supernatural punching bag, and now a bitch to the vampire council of New York City. He thought killing rogue vampires was the hardest thing he’d ever do. Until a hot redhead smashes into him, shouts orders and announces she’s saving his life.

The sole female warrior in a family of druids, Siobhan O’Malley knows how to take care of herself and protect the big city from beasties who breach gateways from the fae realm. The last thing she needs is a misguided, leather-clad hottie’s help to get the job done.

Except maybe he’s exactly what she needs. Siobhan is expected to be a willing, virginal sacrifice on her twenty-fifth birthday. Sex with Shane to stay alive? If he can pull his foot out of his mouth long enough and stop driving her crazy, no problem.

Now if only the bad guys would leave them alone long enough to get the deed done.

Warning: Contains a wee red-headed archer with deadly aim; a leather-jacket-wearing vampire hunter with a habit for saying all the wrong things; and a life-saving ritual that will leave them both panting.

Find out more about the fabulous Sierra Dean on her website here www.sierradean.com

Sneak Peek! The first historical Original Loveswept – The Devil’s Thief by Samantha Kane

The Devil's Thief by Samantha Kane, Excerpt

Releases November 12th
Find out more about Samantha Kane here on her website www.samanthakane.us

Book review: Never Seduce a Scot ( Montgomery's and Armstrong's book 1) By Maya Banks

September 25th 2012

Never Seduce a Scot

This sinfully sweet new romance from Maya Banks features a remarkable woman whose rare gift teaches a gruff Scottish warrior how to listen with his heart.

Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but considered “touched” to outsiders. Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Eveline taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world view her as daft, content to stay with her family. But when an arranged marriage with a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, she accepts her duty—unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful she can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled he awakens her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by his new bride, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation, whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love.

This is book one in a new historical series for Maya Banks. It's also the first ever historical written by her for me to read. I wasn't sure what to expect but i heard really good things about her other historicals so i was hopeful. I'm kind of particular about my historicals too. This one starts out with The Montgomery's and Armstrong's as bitter enemies. They are also the largest of the clans in the area and the king wants to make them behave and get along. He makes Graeme Montgomery marry Eveline Armstrong. Eveline is thought to be daft or touch in the head. Truth of the matter is she is just deaf. She can read lips if the person is facing her.  She suffered a terrible accident 3 years prior when she was thrown from her horse into a ravine and was badly injured and not found for 3 days. They wasn't sure she would even live. She was also keeping up the ruse she was daft to protect herself from someone. Graeme hates the Armstrong's so much but one look at Eveline and he's pretty much lost right on the spot. lol The majority of the story is spent on them getting to know each other and her trying to get his clan to like and respect her but there is also a threat hovering that comes to haunt them. I love how Graeme treats her with respect right from the start. Takes a while for the others to come around and i like that that wasn't rushed. My favorite part i think is when Graeme finally figures out she's deaf and not daft as the rumors were going around. It's was great to see him get excited about the fact that he can communicate with her and he never treats her as anything below him. Instead he elevates her. I fell in love with the characters and look forward to more in the future from this series. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars for Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks.

Find out more about Maya Banks and this book as well as her other work here on her website www.mayabanks.com

Book review: Shades of Temptation (Book 2 Special Investigations series) by Virna DePaul

WILL HE HELP PROTECT HER...
Carrie Ward understands dangerous men, and she's got the scars to prove it.
These days, the Special Investigations Group detective saves her risk taking for
the job. But when she's asked to pursue a high-profile serial killer, she'll
have to join forces with the last man she wants to depend on-Jase Tyler, an ace
senior detective who's as reckless as she is cautious. And despite her best
intentions, the sparks begin to fly.


OR DRAW A KILLER FROM THE SHADOWS?
As Carrie and Jase race to try to save the next victim, the passion that
simmers between them ignites. But a cunning killer at the top of his game is
challenging Carrie to play to the very end. Now all she can count on are her
instincts-and Jase, the one man daring enough to keep her safe....

Shades of Temptation is the follow up to Shades of Desire in the Special Investigations group series by Virna DePaul. I read book one and enjoyed it. It was a bit more intense than what i usually read for romantic suspense but i liked it. Shades of Temptation is book two and for me a whole lot more intense than book one. Jase and Carrie are on the same team, both are attracted to each other but have never acted on it. They each have their own internal problems with their pasts and their family lives growing up. Carrie is the most messed up in that area though. There are trust issues that the two have to work through. The romance portion of this book is small compared to the suspense part but for me it was part thriller as well. There is more violence that what i would expect in a romantic suspense.The writing was excellent and well done and i was surprised by the twists and turns throughout the story. Several things surprised me but i think that as i said already it's part thriller too and so the violence was a bit for me but true to the story being told. By the end i was stunned by some of how the story wound itself up. I was pretty torn up on how i felt about it. 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Picks starts for Shades of Temptation by Virna DePaul.

Find out more about Virna DePaul on her website here www.virnadepaul.com

Hot Cover Monday!! Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney book 4 series) by Julie James

HE’S USED TO GETTING WHAT HE WANTS…

A former football star and one of Chicago’s top prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cade Morgan will do anything to nail a corrupt state senator, which means he needs Brooke Parker’s help. As general counsel for a restaurant company, she can get a bug to the senator’s table at one of her five-star restaurants so the FBI can eavesdrop on him. All Cade has to do is convince Brooke to cooperate—and he’s not afraid to use a little charm, or the power of his office, to do just that.

AND WHAT HE WANTS IS HER.

A savvy businesswoman, Brooke knows she needs to play ball with the U.S. Attorney’s office—even if it means working with Cade. No doubt there’s a sizzling attraction beneath all their sarcastic quips, but Brooke is determined to keep things casual. Cade agrees—until a surprising turn of events throws his life into turmoil, and he realizes that he wants more than just a good time from the one woman with whom he could fall terrifyingly, irresistibly in love . . .

Read more about this book on Julie James website here www.juliejames.com