Unspeakable

by Laura Griffin

This was one of the best romances I’ve read in a long long time. I finished it last week and I’m still thinking about it. It’s the perfect combination of mystery, forensics, romance, action, great plot and fabulous characters. Troy and Elaina are the perfect couple who set off sparks that will keep you reading. Loved it!

Elaina McCord is a newbie FBI agent sent to the worst place after graduation, a remote town in Texas near the Mexican border. Here she catches her first case, a string of murders, victims all young women. Shut out by the locals, all men, Troy Stockton, true crime writer, is willing and able to help out the sexy Agent.

I loved these characters, separately and together. Elaina is the girl who always did the right thing and wants to impress afraid to mess up. She wants to be taken seriously by her male co-workers. I identified on a lot of levels with Elaina. I loved her. I think we could be friend. Troy is the redeemed bad boy who genuinely wants to help the newbie solve the case. Laura Griffin has created a palpable tension between these two characters before they even kiss. Being let in on their smart dialogue as they methodically work the case is a thrilling and engrossing as you’re pulling for them to get together.

Their relationship isn’t easy but it’s real and taut with the undercurrents of trust and distrust and passion and sex and danger. Theirs is a romance with red hot and delicious sex. Troy is smart and sexy, with a strong work ethic and a penchant for fast cars or slower trucks when need be. He’s not intimidated by strong women and he likes to give…and take. Elaina could take care of herself but Troy was there for support.

As the clues come together and the DNA tests are being conducted and bodies are piling up…you’re in for great storytelling with a great ending. How could he kill…why did he kill…is there a future for Elaina and Troy because they deserve one.

Out of the Storm

by JoAnn Ross

I think it’s time for me to move on from JoAnn Ross for a bit. I'm a bit bored with her stories right now. This book is part of the Stewart Sisters trilogy but this is the first book from the series I’ve read. I enjoyed it but I didn’t think it was anything that I haven’t read from Ross before.

White House correspondent Laurel Stewart is drawn to Somersett, South Carolina, after she discovers her roommate and friend has gone missing while on a business trip. She has some psychic abilities but they come out of nowhere and as a reader I was a bit lost while Laurel is detailing the intimate details of another murder in Somersett.

Joe Gannon is the homicide cop who meets Laurel at the station while she’s giving trying to find her friend. And damn, he just loves sexy Laurel. Because there are no hotel rooms available Laurel has to stay in the extra bedroom of Gannon. Together they must solve a mystery and give in to the passion. Which they do.

The mystery is a good read. It stalls a little bit in the middle but it’s enjoyable. Great if you’re looking for something light and fun and easy to read.

Evermore

by Alyson Noel

I was in the mood for something a bit different and light-hearted. And teen novel, Evermore definitely fit the bill. Evermore is the first novel in Noel’s The Immortals series.  And I totally loved it!

Ever Bloom, 16, student in high school in Laguna, CA, lives with her aunt Sabine after her family dies in a tragic car accident. Ever has a variety of psychic abilities since the accident including hearing people’s thoughts, flashes of images through touch and the ability to see people’s auras. She’s become the outcast of school because of the way she dresses which shields her from the torment that her abilities bring her. Until Damen Auguste shows up in English.

Damen is the hottest new guy in school. He drives a BMW with tinted windows, long dark hair, high sculpted cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, long lashes and perfect lips. Dreamy! And best of all he doesn’t have an aura that Ever can detect. He’s mysterious and skips school, typical bad boy. Drawback: it seems he’s entangled with a gorgeous red-head.

Evermore is a satisfying read about first love with an engaging story that focuses on grief and moving on and being happy. Damen’s attention on Ever is the kind that might bring back memories of your first boyfriend when you sat next to each other in class, kissed a lot hugged and hung out until you realize that you are helplessly in love with this man.

If you’ve read Twilight then this book might seem a bit familiar in the way it’s structured and the boy who tries to do the right thing by staying away and the girl who’s wondering why. But I’m over vampires and more intrigued about psychic phenomenon and immortals.

I read this book in 24 hours. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to read the second book, Blue Moon. I’m in love with The Immortals. If you love teen romance Evermore won’t disappoint.

Superstition

by Karen Robards

The last time I read a Karen Robards novel was about a year ago. I thought it was OK, I don’t even remember the name of it. So I was ho-hum about Superstition. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was a thriller that I couldn’t put down with a nice love story.
Nichole is from Chicago looking for a big break in TV journalism that will get her to her dream job. All she needs is the help of the local psychic to solve the murders of two young women 15 years ago.

Chief of Police, Joe Franconi, instantly attracted to Nicky, must work with her to solve the recent murder of one of Nicky’s friends which, seems to be connected to the murders 15 years ago.

The story is good although I think the suspects were limited and therefore easy to guess. But I truly enjoyed the relationship between Joe and Nicky. She is the ambitious career woman who at the same time can be attracted to a man. Why deny herself the ability to engage in a fling, even in the middle of a killing rampage targeted at her. After all Joe is hunky with black hair, bronzed, broad shouldered, chiseled features with muscles. And he’s got an attitude to match. What’s even better is that as their relationship progresses Joe becomes Nicky’s fulltime bodyguard. HOT! The love scenes are warm but you’ll enjoy.

Shattered

by JoAnn Ross

Shattered is part of Ross’s high risk series which continues the stories of ex-Nay Seals and Special Forces. I liked hunky shane, ex-special forces, but the story had so many holes in it I found it unbelievable.


Shane Garrett worked with Zach Tremayne in Afghanistan. He’s tough as nails and owes his life to Zach and Dr. Kirby Campbell after he’s seriously wounded in battle.

Shane returns to the States to begin life as a civilian who has sex with women but hasn’t found the one. He’s stuck on the memories of Kirby and hot steamy sex in the deserts of Iraq between missions. Kirby is off in the jungles of South America where government is teetering on revolt and the poor need medical care.

Through a crafty bit of storytelling Kirby’s co-worker, Rachel, is kidnapped in the South American jungle, Zach Tremayne knows a Senator who is related to Rachel, who asks for help in locating her at the same time Kirby is in DC meeting the Senator about drugs and developing countries, which leads to South Carolina where Shane knows Zach, who’s brought Kirby with him tfrom DC too concoct a plan to help rescue Rachel.  Also, Rachel's true love happens to be involved in the rescue and knows Zach and Shane and everyone else.  

Needless to say, the story was too convoluted for me to believe. I didn’t care if Rachel was rescued or not. I liked Shane and I liked Kirby I liked them together. I am a sucker for military characters and that was probably the saving grace for me in reading Shattered.

If you’re a fan of Ross then you’ll probably enjoy the book. If not, move on.

West Hollywood Book Fair

If you live in the Los Angeles area the West Hollywood Book Fair happens this Sunday, September 26, all day.  300 authors and artists, 150 exhibitors and tons of people.  It should be a great day.  There's nothing specific to Romance but if you love books this should be a fun day to get out and discover something new.  Have a great weekend.  Happy Reading!

http://www.westhollywoodbookfair.org/

Killer Dreams

by Iris Johansen

I’d never read a book by this author before. No specific reason. Just with all that is available Iris Johansen never appealed to me. But my mom had it lying around her house so I picked it up and started reading.

The first 4 pages hooked me. An elderly grandfather on a fishing trip for no apparent reason shoots his wife, his grandson, his daughter and himself. Why?

I learned the answer is convoluted and makes absolutely no sense. An experiment to help has gone all wrong creating a group of assassins and politicians who want those assassins at their disposal. And Sophie Dunston and rogue Matt Royd are the only ones who can stop it.

I felt that Ms. Johansen put together a lot of ludicrous plot mechanisms just to get to the end. When Sophie and Matt need to get to Scotland, suddenly Matt knows how to fly a jet across the Atlantic Ocean. It was just out of the blue. The bad guy’s have never ending resources at their disposal to end Sophie’s life. And I didn’t really think the reason was all that substantive. I snoozed during this book and skipped a lot of it.

Matt is a rogue killer who was part of the experiments and wants revenge. His only redeeming quality is his killer bod and apparently that is enough for Sophie. I didn’t think Johansen did anything to make him endearing in any way to the reader or to Sophie or to anyone else in the book. Their “love” connection was a real dud. Bored with it.

I wanted to like it…the first four pages had me and then it went downhill. All in all I don’t recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something hot, steamy and exciting.