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July 11th, 2011
 The Last Siren by Lizzie Lynn Lee
Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing
Genre: Erotic, Paranormal Romance
Length: 115 pages
Summary:
Major Garth Rand al’Noor is a disposable hero, bitter and well on his way to a path of self-destruction. But when an eccentric admiral sends him on a fool’s errand, he remains pessimistic, unable to believe that a mystical winged-nymph, a siren, has crashed into a navy ship. Until he sees her with his own eyes and is claimed by the ravishing beauty within moments of their meeting.
When the news about the siren leaks to the media, the situation escalates into a full-blown manhunt, the Cercius government sending their finest headhunters to terminate the magical creature. Garth has found his purpose in life and refuses to let anyone get between him and the woman he has fallen in love with.
But Garth doesn’t know that she carries a dangerous secret, one that could threaten the existence of one and all. The secret that has made her the last of her kind…
Claudette’s Review:
I would have rated The Last Siren by Lizzie Lynn Lee higher if it had read less like a male sexual fantasy.
In the beginning of the story, we are presented with an army officer who is pretty fed up of army life, and is still recovering from being dumped by his last girlfriend for another officer. In addition, he’s sent on a mission to meet a mythical creature, which he assumes is a fool’s errand.
The stunningly, beautiful ‘creature’ is a lovely winged woman that he names Lara, who instantly claims him as her mate. Unfortunately, there are also shadowy figures who are willing to kill to get their hands on her.
Even though Garth can take care of himself, Lara’s submissiveness presents itself full-fold; thereby, making her extremely dependent on Garth. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it also left the impression that her personality was transparent, which made it difficult for me to feel any real empathy for her.
 In addition, the story being told in the first person, from Garth’s point of view, reduced not only the depth of the story, but also the characters. Am I being sexist if I say that I don’t have a problem with a romance where the reader is told the story from both the hero and heroine’s points of views, or purely from the heroine’s point of view? Maybe, maybe not. However, I found it difficult as the reader to hear the story only from the male’s point of view? I must confess however that I did find Garth’s voice amusing and I certainly wanted to know what happened next.
I just wish Ms. Lee would have given more thought to how female readers would react to a main female character who in my opinion was portrayed to some extent as merely a helpless, submissive. Of course once Garth’s protective instincts are aroused, he quickly falls in love with her.
Rated 3 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 Divas, Claudette, Erotic, Lizzie Lynn Lee, Paranormal, Summerhouse Publishing, The Last Siren | No Comments »
July 7th, 2011
 Mac’s Mate by Kitty DuCane
Publisher: Loose-ID
Genre: BBW Shape-shifter, Paranormal, Erotic Romance
Length: 114 pages
Summary:
DEA Special Agent Mac McNamara knew this mission was doomed when his crippled helicopter crash landed in the suspect’s front yard. The mission was simple. Gather intel on suspect Callie Johnson and make an arrest. A tip said that a large shipment of drugs was coming from Mexico to Texas via her 500 acres, but Ms. Johnson wasn’t your typical drug smuggler. She’s Mac’s mate.
Callie Johnson has two transactions to complete in the upcoming days or people will die. Mac and his mercenaries have invaded her property and they’re putting a kink in her well run operation. Mac tells her she’s sexy, but that can’t be because she’s a full figured girl with a cane. Does he want her land like everyone else and will he seduce her to get it? She doesn’t trust Mac, but she can’t resist him when he lures her into nights filled with erotic pleasure.
When Callie disappears, Mac wonders if she fled or if something bad has happened to her. Either way, Mac’s torn between doing his job and claiming Callie. He’s just got to find her first.
Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable.
Claudette’s Review:
I enjoy a good shifter romance and Mac’s Mate by Kitty DuCane was a good one. Although it’s not just a simplistic werewolf meeting his mate story, Mac’s Mate did raise the question in my mind, of whether government agencies really spend huge sums of money sending out teams on covert missions with such scanty intel, but “Hey, what do I know?”
I also liked the fact that Callie isn’t twenty-two and a knockout looks-wise. Callie’s shortcomings with regards to her looks were over emphasized, to the point where I felt that the author might as well as informed the reader that Callie had been nigh beaten to death with the ugly stick. Not something a reader wants to see in a romance. I wanted to know for certain that Mac found her attractive not because she is his mate but despite it.
I liked how Callie stood up to Mac and his team invading her property. In addition, there are some nice touches of humor in Callie and Mac’s interactions. Callie is a strong independent woman with a lot of admirable qualities. She has to be strong, as a wealthy woman with so many two legged parasites hovering around her. And to be honest, one thing that didn’t ring true was that you would expect few men, no matter how simpleminded, would assume that they could put one over on such a forthright woman. I was certainly in Callie’s cheering squad. I also wanted to know more about Mac and his team, and how Callie met her friend T-Bone which I suspect is a story in itself. Mac’s Mate by Kitty DuCae was a great read, very entertaining.
Rated 3.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 1/2 divas, Claudette, Erotic, Kitty DuCane, Loose Id, Mac's Mate, Paranormal | No Comments »
July 5th, 2011
 The Kiss by Emma C Shortt
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: 154 pages
Summary:
When Eva Diakou is offered a job on the Winterwood estate, she expects nothing but four months of back breaking work. Jobless and lonely, she has little choice but to accept. But things on the Winterwood estate are nothing like Eva was led to believe. Why has she been given one of the plushest rooms? Why is there nothing to do? And why is she so captivated by the strange statues adorning the estate?
Adam Winterwood is paying for a crime he never committed. Trapped for so many years, he is waiting for the one person who can keep him alive…or set him free.
When Adam and Eva meet, sparks fly. Yet, neither realizes the sacrifice they will both have to make, a sacrifice that will bring an end to a centuries old curse, or to one of them.
And it will all be decided by The Kiss.
Claudette’s Review:
Starving artist Eva, finds that the job offer that had to have a catch, was too good to be true. Grace her prospective manager was offering her a very highly paid job doing a little light cleaning on a large estate for four months.
An unsuspecting Eva has no idea exactly what is in store for her.
For two hundred years like a fairy tale prince, Adam Winterton has been cursed and is waiting impatiently for the end of his torment. Over the course of the story the reader can see how Adam changes from a spoiled and selfish young man and becomes in turn the man who Eva comes to love. It is clearly Eva’s innate decency and strength of character which make Adam fall for her. This is a lovely fairy tale romance,for grown ups, as it has seriously sinister undertones.
I enjoyed reading this story and found this unpredictable romance a delight.
Rated 3.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 1/2 divas, Claudette, Emma C Shortt, Evernight Publishing, Paranormal, The Kiss | 1 Comment »
July 5th, 2011
 RetroCog (A Power Up! Story) by Marie Harte
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Erotic, Paranormal, BDSM, Contempoary
Length: Novel
Summary:
A casualty of funding wars and an overzealous Defense Department trying to clean up its reputation after several failed experimental programs, the Psychic Warfare Program (PWP) is scrapped in the throes of its infancy. Its participants are transferred to other defense agencies, but a few decide to leave the government behind, knowing full well their freedom hinges on keeping a low profile and living under the radar.
Ex-PWP agent Noah First is grudgingly settling into life as a civilian when his boss assigns him one of those cases, like the ones he used to do for the government. Given the job of tracking down a stolen painting, Noah finds more than he bargained for when murder is involved. It’s his power to see the past in places where emotions run high, and when he tracks the painting down to a touristy mining town, he lands in serious trouble.
Not only does the town’s history shout at him with his every step, but he learns firsthand the room he’s renting used to be in a bordello, and the inn’s manager is the spitting image of the sexy woman in the painting. Noah is increasingly drawn to her, and to the dark needs he normally keeps buried. But are his intense feelings for Lara real, or just an echo of the past? And when he finds the painting, can he take it back to its rightful owner when someone in town will do whatever it takes to keep it, including murder?
Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: some light bondage and D/s, and violence.
Claudette’s Review:
Noah First’s gift is to see the past, but his friends are becoming worried that his gift keeps him so tied to the past, that he doesn’t have enough emotional connection to the present. His boss expresses his concern about him when he informs him of his next job; to recover a valuable stolen painting. Noah gift points him in the direction of a former mining town, which is using its past to draw in the tourists. When Noah checks into the Lady Fine Inn, he is struck by the manager Lara Graham’s resemblance to the subject of the stolen painting. During the town’s heyday the Inn was a brothel, owned by a madam called Cecilia Fine. According to local legend, Fine was murdered by her lover, an outlaw and bank robber named Finegan Fury.
Everywhere Noah looks, he can see evidence of the past playing out in full Technicolor. In rooms that to any one else’s eyes would be empty; Noah can see the working girls interacting with their clients. Noah witnesses the fascinating and seductive Cecilia Fine with her lover, Fury. It’s small wonder that Noah has sex on the brain. Lara intends to move from managing the Inn to owning it. Unfortunately the person, who stole the painting, is determined to own Lara. Dead bodies start turning up, the murdered women all bearing a strong resemblance to Lara. Lara and Noah team up to find the killer, and their closeness enrages the killer.
Noah becomes convinced that the painting is tied to the long time mystery regarding the deaths of Fine and Fury. Suddenly Noah realizes that finding the killer and keeping Lara safe is more than a job, he is emotionally committed. He is worried that Lara will have trouble accepting that he is psychic but Lara has secrets of her own. This is an enthralling and suspenseful romance and I loved it. The sex does have distinct BDSM elements but this wasn’t an overwhelming part of the plot.
Rated 4.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 4 1/2 Divas, BDSM, Claudette, contemporary, Erotic, Loose Id, Marie Harte | No Comments »
June 27th, 2011
 Full Frontal Fantasy by Lyla Sinclair
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance, Older Woman/Younger Man.
Length: 82 pages
Summary:
When Murray Training V.P. Celeste Phillips realizes she’s drained every drop of excitement from her sex life with her own anti-sexual harassment trainings, she decides to visit a fantasy-fulfillment center for a night of anonymous sex. Finally she’s living her lewdest, most politically incorrect dream—with a younger man, no less—and no one will ever know.
Until “The Warden” from her fantasy shows up at her office…as her new coworker.
Ryan Marshall is more than just a coworker, a fact he’s sworn not to reveal. His unusual situation makes it even more difficult to gain Celeste’s trust, but she seems to be staying as far away from him as possible anyway. However, Ryan knows her darkest secrets…her deepest desires…and he’s more than willing to use his knowledge to lure Celeste back into his life.
Claudette’s Review:
I loved the very original premise of Full Frontal Fantasy by Lyla Sinclair, and the execution of it wasn’t too shabby either.
Living out a hot sexual fantasy is one thing, being forced to reconcile it with your work life is another thing and Celeste’s dismay is understandable. The gorgeous younger man, Ryan Marshall has to fight to get Celeste to take him seriously and to get her to stand still long enough to talk with him about anything non work related.
Ryan is a man with a mission and it’s to claim the woman he feels more for than merely lust. I do like to see a man do all the running, which makes Full Frontal Fantasy by Lydia Sinclair a lot of fun to read.
Rated 3.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 1/2 divas, Claudette, contemporary, ellora's cave, Erotic, Full Frontal Fantasy, Lyla Sinclair | No Comments »
June 26th, 2011
 Obsessed by Lisa Sanchez
Publisher: Loose-ID
Genre: Erotic, Suspense
Length: 174 pages
Summary:
The victim of both a brutal attempted rape and now a serial stalking, Halley Davis is broken, and desperate to glue the shattered pieces of her life back together. Tormented by a psychopath and battling a heavy dose of anxiety, sex and dating are the last things on Halley’s anxiety-ridden mind. That is, until she meets the man who rescued her from the hands of a would-be rapist. With a body made for sin, a wicked, sexy tattoo and an aura that screams “badass,” her rescuer not only calms the storm of terror raging inside her mind, he ignites a passion within her she’s never known before.
Tired of using meaningless sex to drown out the horrors of his past, Nick Ackart has sworn off women. In fact, if women were classified as meat, his ass is Vegan. Despite his determination to remain unattached, Nick is unable to stay away from the emerald-eyed beauty he rescued from a sadistic pervert. Immersed in a tangled web of sexual desire and deep emotion he was certain was long dead, he vows to protect Halley from the monster hounding her, even though he stands to lose his heart in the process.
Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Violence.
Claudette’s Review:
Halley Davis is a survivor, but not a broken one. In spite of her crippling panic attacks, she is determined to be more than a mere victim and reclaim her life.
I loved her courage and I couldn’t help but love Nick too. He has good reason to want to steer clear of emotional entanglements, but all his protective instincts are aroused by Halley. Though Nick is physically intimidating, he is the only man, who doesn’t trigger Halley’s fight or flight reflex. She instinctively trusts him and reacts to him as any woman would when confronted by a sexy male who she doesn’t have to fear, and wants to get up close and personal with.
Obsessed by Lisa Sanchez is a suspenseful and engrossing novel. My only gripe is that it is completely unrealistic for Halley to attract so many violent and mentally unstable men. Apart from that I enjoyed Obsessed and its great characters.
Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Claudette!.
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Posted in 4 Divas, Claudette, contemporary, Erotic, Lisa Sanchez, Loose Id, Obsessed, Suspense | No Comments »
June 25th, 2011
 Bequeathed by Linda G. Mooney
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Genre: Erotic, Fantasy
Length: 19 pages
Summary:
Homeless and destitute, Claire Stines has no choice but to move into the log house bequeathed to her out in the Minnesota wilderness. Although she has little else to sustain her other than a few dollars and even fewer seeds of hope, she believes she can make a fresh start for herself, and if she’s lucky, maybe find a little romance.
But first she has to overcome the rumors of the house’s supposedly dark past. More importantly, who is that young man she’s seen in the woods, and why has he been watching her from a distance ever since she arrived?
And why does he both fascinate and terrify her?
Claudette’s Review:
First, I have to take issue with the false promise that this is an ‘erotic’ romance. There is barely any sex in this novel. This paranormal book mainly covers the mystery of why the new home that seemed like such a godsend to Claire when she inherited it was so creepy.
Given that the cabin’s location is fairly isolated, Claire is shaken up to find a strange man watching her. One who keeps turning up every time she steps outside. Claire’s enigmatic stranger claims to be a neighbour, calling himself Horne. Disturbed by him and yet strangely drawn, Claire cannot put her finger on what it is about him that makes her trust him.
I really enjoyed the fact that Claire is not at all cringing or timid. She is not only curious, but also compassionate in regards to wanting to help Horne. I enjoyed both the mystery itself and the revealing of it. I don’t think Claire got to know Horne nearly well enough to take the step she makes at the end of the novel though. I would have preferred it if Claire and Horne had spent more time talking and the author had allowed the reader to see that they really gelled, before the ending.
Bequeathed by Linda G. Mooney is a very original story with a strong, bold heroine. Her sidekick cat was a great character too.
Rated 3.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 1/2 divas, Bequeathed, Claudette, Erotic, Fantasy, Linda G. Mooney, red rose publishing | No Comments »
June 25th, 2011
 Before The Night Is Over by Sandy Sullivan
(Montana Cowboys 2)
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary, Western Romance
Summary:
Small town America. Laurel Hayes, Homicide Detective from Los Angeles. What the hell was she doing in Red Rock, Montana?
Trying to convince her sister Elizabeth it wasn’t normal for a husband to beat the shit out of her until bruises and welts formed, she decides to take matters into her own hands and lay the man out flat in the middle of the local honky-tonk. What she wasn’t prepared for was for devilishly handsome Kale Dunn to step into the fray.
The mass of red hair and big blue eyes stopped Kale in his tracks as he watched the gorgeous woman deck one of his ranch hands. When he heard her accuse the guy of abusing his wife, he couldn’t help but admire her grit.
Thoughts of harboring all her fiery passion in bed, keeps him in a constant state of arousal every time he runs into her.
Laurel is harboring her own wounds and he must decide whether he wants to attempt to overcome her mistrust of men and she has to decide whether she can put his past ménage with Cade and Natalie behind her.
Claudette’s Review:
The romance between Kale a rancher and architect and Lauren a homicide officer and single mother from L.A. is fun. Kale is funny, sexy and very sweet with both Laurel’s three year old daughter and Lauren herself. Kale is a wonderful guy who has it all, looks, humor, and a caring and unselfish personality. He’s getting to a stage in his life where he would like to settle down, but he’s not interested in a permanent relationship with any of the local girls.
Laurel has still not gotten over her child’s father, and isn’t looking to get tied down in small town life. Laurel is only in Red Rock to convince her sister to leave her abusive husband. Then she meets Kale and keeps telling both him and her heart that she has no reason to stay. Kale’s first wife never appreciated country living, so he thinks that there is no use in getting attached to Laurel who is another city girl, but it doesn’t stop him from being open to whatever Laurel is willing to offer him.
The serial killer aspect of the story didn’t work for me; it seemed tacked on and didn’t mesh with the romance at all. The bodies kept piling up too quickly. I got the firm impression that everyone in town was tripping over poorly concealed dead bodies. The author had townsfolk gossiping about Kale’s rumored ménage relationship, but no one found murder an interesting topic of conversation? The only reason I didn’t guess the killer’s identity was because I thought that the killer’s identity couldn’t be that obvious. I would have liked for the author to have given more thought into plotting out and interweaving some suspense into the novel; thereby giving the reader plenty of choices as to who the murderer could be and their possible motive. As a homicide detective, Laurel never had the case on her mind at all unless she was at work, which I found somewhat strange.
If you like cowboys, then Kale is certainly drool worthy. In addition, Laurel’s has an enjoyably feisty personality. The characters were well developed and the story works purely as a romance. Ms. Sullivan should have been talked out of turning this book into a romantic suspense novel.
Rated 3 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 Divas, Before The Night Is Over, Claudette, contemporary, Erotic, Sandy Sullivan, Secret Craving Publishing, Western/Cowboys | No Comments »
June 25th, 2011
 Blood Moon by Ellen Keener
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary, Paranormal Romance
Length: 147 pages
Summary:
Fugitive shifter, Aria Legreve, is always on the run. With her own life at risk, she helps a badly beaten shifter to his Pack, knowing the danger her meddling entails. Hoping to use her status as an Outcast and be set free, her world changes when she meets head on with no other than her Mate—who is dead.
Alpha Lukas MacLeod has been searching for his wife for the past year, until Aria walks straight into his lair. Fate intervenes and gives them a second chance. Caught up in an intricate web of lies and prophecies in the making for generations, Aria and Lukas must discover a way to balance the darkness in their world, but will their love be strong enough to save their pack and each other?
Claudette’s Review:
Blood Moon by Ellen Keener has a really good plot, and a strong heroine. Aria Legreve has been on the run since her father was determined to marry his pure blooded daughter to an equally pure blooded male, Haemon. Unfortunately, Aria didn’t appreciate marrying on demand and Haemon seems to be the victim of in breeding, insanity running alongside his pure blood. You would think that sanity was a general requirement when selecting candidates in an arranged marriage, but clearly her father was also not playing with a full deck.
Aria still carries the scars from Haemon’s torture and has relied on her quick wits, fighting skills and never staying too long in the same place; to stay ahead of her enemy and his henchmen. After a year on the run, and grieving her murdered mate, Aria comes upon a young shifter being set upon by members of her old pack. She risks being captured, scares them off and returns the youngster to his pack.
With laughable ease, Aria is tricked into revealing more about herself than she intended for the members of pack to know, especially when she discovers that the alpha of the pack is her lost mate who is many things, but dead isn’t one of them.Do they fall into each others arms? Er no, feeling that the pack security is far more important, Lukas subjects his mate to an interrogation and allows his beta to threaten her and warn her against bringing harm to their alpha. Thereafter Lucas is supposed to be possessive and very protective of his mate. I wasn’t really convinced about this.
In addition, I could have done without the majority of the humor since most of it fell flat. The most annoying were the male pack members who kept passing each other bank notes, laying bets predicting Lukas and Aria’s actions, which was repetitive instead of funny.
I did find Haemon a believably evil character. I also found myself drawn into the threat to Lukas and Aria being together, and how they overcame those obstacles. Though I didn’t think that Blood Moon fully lived up to its initial promise, this is an entertaining novel.
Rated 3 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 Divas, Blood Moon, Claudette, contemporary, Decadent Publishing, Ellen Keener, Erotic, Paranormal, Uncategorized | No Comments »
June 7th, 2011
 Liking It Ruff by Mina Carter
Publisher: Summerhouse Publishing house
Genre: Erotic, Paranormal Romance
Length: 34 pages
Summary:
Some girls don’t play nice…
Licensed Bounty Hunter and mercenary, Naz, has always been a wild one.After all, chasing criminals across the known galaxy is bound to knock a few cogs loose. No crew, no partner, she works hard and plays hard.
Tannick Ruff, Alpha weredog and all round SOB, can see the potential in Naz as a hunter. She might just be tough enough, and crazy enough, to join his crew. The fact that he’s been itching to get inside her for months has absolutely nothing to do with it
Claudette’s Review:
I had no idea what this book was about, apart from a suspicion that one of the main characters was a shifter. Once I saw Ms. Carter’s name, I had to read it.
Ms. Carter throws us straight into the action, and never lets up. Bounty hunters Naz and Tannick Ruff are posing as courtesans at a high class space brothel in order to rescue a young woman kidnapped by sex traders. Part of their cover is to perform for the abducted woman’s new owner.
The quips were flying like bullets and I was alternately fanning myself over the sheer eroticism of the writing and laughing as I read Liking It Ruff. Ms. Carter never fails to entertain. A great novella.
Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 4 Divas, Claudette, Erotic, Liking It Ruff, Mina Carter, Paranormal, Summerhouse Publishing | No Comments »
June 7th, 2011
 The Covenant by Evangeline Anderson
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Genre: Erotic, Paranormal, Vampire
Length: 185 pages
Summary:
Kaitlyn Richards is a witch with powers beyond the norm. Her unique abilities make her one of the few people in the state of Florida qualified to be an S.E., or Supernatural Enforcer. As part of her duties she uses her home as a magical holding cell for creatures too strong to be contained in normal human jails.
Holden Sumner is a three-hundred-year-old vampire on a mission—he’s been stalking a serial-killing demon for centuries and he needs Kaitlyn’s help to kill it. The problem is, she won’t give him the time of night. But Sumner is determined to get under her skin.
Though Kaitlyn is reluctant to get involved with a vampire, she agrees to help Sumner search for the killer. But in order to drive the demon back to hell and stop the slaughter of innocents, she will have to bind herself more tightly than she ever thought possible to a man she doesn’t want to love.
She and Sumner must form a blood covenant…or die trying.
Claudette’s Review:
Ms. Anderson has a way of handling humor, great characterization and hot sexuality in her novels that I never get tired of.
Kaitlyn was raised by her grandmother who is also a witch and rabidly anti-vamp. So Kaitlyn having a job that entails dealing with rogue vampires, amongst various other supernatural criminals has reinforced her grandmother’s view.
Although Kaitlyn is determined to resist her attraction to Sumner at all costs, she finally allows him to tell her just why he has been so determined to get her to listen to him.
Conflicted, Kaitlyn is drawn to him and regards having to form any kind of bond with him especially a blood covenant, which is a permanent bond; as something to be avoided at all costs. Which does seem very much like cutting off her nose to spite her face.
Kaitlyn is incredibly strong willed and a great character. Sumner is perfect for her as he wants the bond not just out of necessity, but because he wants to be tied to her in every way possible. He’s also a charmer.
The one thing that I always think when I read about mortal women hooking up permanently with vamps is, don’t they ever regret not having children? Most authors never mention it and it’s glossed over here too, except for a brief mention of Kaitlyn’s grandmother possibly being upset at not having great grandkids, which is too important to not rate a mention.
Rated 3.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 1/2 divas, Claudette, ellora's cave, Erotic, Evangeline Anderson, Paranormal, The Covenant | No Comments »
May 30th, 2011
 The Canuck Werewolf by Marisa Chenery
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Genre: Erotic, Paranormal Romance
Length: 69 pages
Summary:
Rylee doesn’t have high hopes for the Victoria Day weekend camping trip, seeing as she’s been roped into taking her brother and his juvenile friends. But her mind is changed when she spots a gorgeous man on a hiking trail. She’d like to be zipped in a sleeping bag with him, no doubt about it.
Atticus came to Elora Gorge to get away from his father and his demands that his son find a mate. Like yesterday. Atticus needs time away from being groomed to be the pack leader and the endless stream of “suitable” mates thrown his way in hopes of stirring his mating urge. No luck yet. But then he spots a shy mortal who draws him like no other.
The tent heats up quickly, but before Atticus can tell Rylee what he is, he discovers a member of his pack has followed him with the intention of claiming him for her own. Not only does he have to convince Rylee she is his mate, he must also prove she can trust him.
Claudette’s Review:
The Canuck Werewolf by Marisa Chenery is a delightful shifter romance and I loved the story of Atticus and his human mate. I did think that Rylee was more than a little too trusting.
I mean, you meet a man who is clearly out of your league in the looks department and he comes on to you pretty darn strongly. Do you think about the possibility that he might be an axe murderer on the hunt for his next victim? Call me pessimistic, but I would have thought that there had to be a catch somewhere and I certainly wouldn’t have taken a stranger back to my tent to make out.
However, I must admit that I loved how devoted Attticus is to Rylee. We certainly get to see just why Rylee can put her trust in him. Atticus’ father’s antipathy towards humans is dealt with too quickly and efficiently for me. I wanted to know more about the pack’s dynamics and find out exactly why Atticus’s father was so unaccepting of his son’s human mate. We get that before Rylee no pack member had had a human mate, but as Atticus’ father is himself mated, surely he could understand that his son couldn’t reject his mate once he’d found her, no matter her species.
Ms. Chenery has a real knack of creating hot sexy shifter men that we’d all like to meet, and after reading the excerpt, I really wanted to read The Canuk Werewolf, and I’m glad I did.
Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 4 Divas, Claudette, ellora's cave, Erotic, Marisa Chenery, Paranormal, The Canuck Werewolf | No Comments »
May 30th, 2011
 Centurion’s Vow by Nadia Aidan
Publisher: Elloras Cave
Genre: Historical, BDSM
Length: 130 pages
Summary:
Book two in the Imperial Desires series.
Nivea has suffered once through a loveless, passionless marriage and refuses to do so again. Set to wed in two months time, she overhears Gaius Ovidius joking with his comrades how she shall never please her intended, who is well known for possessing unique desires. Nivea forms an idea… If Gaius knows so much about the pleasures to be had in her marriage bed, then she shall have the handsome centurion instruct her accordingly.
Initially set against her plan, Gaius eventually agrees. After all, how difficult could this be? Nivea has offered him a substantial sum in exchange for his lessons, and she is quite comely. Not an arduous task to bed a beautiful, lonely widow. It should have been a simple business transaction, a mutually pleasing but brief affair. Yet Gaius never wagered Nivea would steal his heart.
Now just days before her wedding, Nivea will be forced to choose—abandon a life of security with her intended for a lifetime of happiness with Gaius…a man who can offer her nothing except his love.
Reader Advisory: This book contains a hot m/m love scene prior to the hero finding the woman he yearns for.
Claudette’s Review:
I found it hard to understand why the hero was able to have sexual relationships with men, but couldn’t give his heart to one. Instead he protected himself emotionally by only having physical relationships where he didn’t have to take the risk of being hurt. It was very obvious that his first love affair was nothing more than a youthful infatuation. As a grown man Gaius should have been able to see that with hindsight. The whole point of Centurion’s Vow is that he is an experienced mature man, which is why he is able to school Nivea in sensual pleasure, and help her to make the decision about whether or not to marry Cicero. At the beginning of the novel he knows her only by reputation; so how does he know that she isn’t sexually compatible with her betrothed?
Gaius’ bisexuality doesn’t work for me. It doesn’t add to the plot in anyway. It means that he selfishly ignores the fact that his inability to love his male lovers in anyway except physically means that he could very well end up breaking their hearts. The romance between Nivea and Gaius quickly becomes something other that of teacher and pupil. It’s more than a simple business arrangement when they both find themselves breathlessly awaiting their next meeting. Gaius finds that he is unable to keep emotionally detached and maintain the upper hand sexually.
I’m not sure why Nadia Aidan has Nivea decide to have Gaius tutor her, especially so close to her actual wedding date, except for the purpose of adding tension to the story. It doesn’t work. All I kept thinking was that if she was going to call the wedding off, that she shouldn’t wait until the last minute and cause further complications by humiliating her betrothed. The romance between Gaius and Nivea is intense, but it isn’t just Nivea who learns from their affair. Loving Nivea teaches Gaius things about himself, and opens him up emotionally in ways that he has never experienced.
Rated 3.5 Delightful Divas by Claudette!
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Posted in 3 1/2 divas, BDSM, Centurion's Vow, Claudette, ellora's cave, Erotic, Historical, Nadia Aidan | No Comments »
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