Fallen

by Lauren Kate

I am on the hunt for the perfect teen romance. I’m not even sure if it exists. Something with love and anger and sex and school and parents. A good ol’ fashioned bad boy thrown into the mix. After reading Evermore and loving it I decided to try another darker piece of teen romance. However, Fallen wasn’t it.

A young teen, Luce Price, is shipped off to boarding school in Savannah, her last chance at redemption for the sins of her past. Allowed to mix with other degenerates and outcasts, Luce’s chance at a new and improved path in life doesn’t seem within grasp anytime soon. But, Cam and the ultra bad boy, Daniel, definitely provide some distraction from the prison she’s in. But of course the one she wants doesn’t want her. Or does he?

Daniel is the ultimate mystery man. One minute he is giving her the bird and the next he is rescuing her. And the nice guy, Cam, showering her with attention and baubles isn’t enough to distract Luce from her thoughts of Daniel. Soon it seems that everyone is acting strange and the only sane ones are the readers trying to figure out what is going on.

I liked Daniel. I liked Luce. Didn’t like them together. I don’t understand why Luce had a pull to a boy who acted like a jerk. And there was nothing endearing about Daniel. Maybe his leather jacket. By the time Daniel’s secret was revealed I didn’t care. And there wasn’t enough back story to understand why he felt he had to act the way he did. I thought the ending was rushed and too many questions were left unanswered. But I guess that’s what Book 2 is for.

The ending left me disappointed and there wasn’t enough romance or love or interest to want me to recommend this book. I wish I had enough curiosity to read the sequel, Torment, but I don’t. I hoped Fallen would be darker and more lurid.

Rendezvous

by Amanda Quick

This is Amanda Quick at her best. A fast paced love story with a witty heroine and her restrained paramour. Augusta Ballinger and Earl of Graystone are enticing and their world of exclusive clubs and country estates is the perfect backdrop for these unlikely lovers.

Earl of Graystone has a wicked reputation. One that is haughty and aloof and on the prowl for the perfect bride with all of the necessary propriety expected of a woman. Augusta Ballinger is anything but. She is tenacious, has a sense of humor, and doesn’t conform to the rules of propriety in anyway. Which of course any respectable lady would do. But she is of the Northumberland Ballinger’s. She has a habit of not thinking rationally and getting herself into heaps of trouble and sticky situations. Luckily, for Augusta, Graystone is always one step ahead of her and there for the rescue.

Graystone surprisingly falls for Augusta, after all opposites do attract. Augusta and Graystone have hot chemistry from the moment they meet, with her on her knees and him making fun. Not looking for love but rather a companion and mother to his daughter it is charming to witness the relationship of these two develop amidst bumbles and ridiculously perilous situations. She is just the one to show the Earl how fun it can be to love without regard for rules and regulations. However, I was a bit stunned at the way he finally had her. Not the most romantic evening but it definitely steamed up the carriage.

The secondary characters of Sally, Scruggs, Peter and Claudia are equally as charming. I enjoyed reading about them all. The backdrop of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo and the web of spies that existed during that time make Rendezvous a pleasure to read. It’s fun, witty with a bit of mystery thrown in. If you find this don’t let it pass you by.

Romantic Musings

Just the other day I was speaking to a friend of mine about men, what else. The infuriation and stupidity on their part, that comes with them.  I’m not ready to marry one but I need one to alleviate the tension. Just one night a week or maybe every other week. It’s something that I miss. And going to the gym just isn’t the same.


But I live with my mother and sister, in a small town where I don’t know anyone. And from what I can tell there are no sexy available men. Trust me I’ve looked. However, there is a hot doctor at the hospital. About 6’1, blue eyes, salt and pepper hair, slim build but has muscles, dash of lines around the eyes. He really is scrumptious. I got a look at him while my grandmother was in the ER. But although he looked at me and I looked at him I really didn’t think the middle of the ER was an appropriate place to introduce myself. No matter how many episodes of Grey’s Anatomy I’ve seen.

Late for the Wedding

by Amanda Quick
Tobias march and Lavinia Lake are back again as London’s 19th century PI’s. If you’ve ever wanted to know about the connection between crime and wig making in 19th century England then this book is for you. Also, if you’re an Amanda Quick fan this won’t disappoint.


I liked the pairing of Tobias and Lavinia in Slightly Shady. Two complete opposites who don’t quite get along but they are the only ones for each other. Her antics and his stoicism were great to read.

In Late for the Wedding, Tobias’s and Lavinia’s romantic weekend is disturbed by the murder of a guest where they are staying. Naturally, they are obliged to find the killer without killing each other.

The story doesn’t advance the story of these two except to anticipate when they will get married. It’s rather formulaic with an interesting recounting of wig-making and wig fashion in England with a bit of mystery thrown in. There aren’t two many hot love scenes between the two. They should be having a lot more sex.

If you love Amanda Quick or love Tobias and Lavinia and their private inquiry business then this is a must read. If not I’d say skip it unless you don’t have anything else to read.

Running Hot

by Jayne Ann Krentz

I was recently at the bookstore and the 75% sign beckoned me over. Running Hot was on the shelf. Knowing that I can’t turn down a JAK book I bought it. The bookstore has to be one of my happiest places on earth.

Running Hot is an Arcane Society novel and is filled with paranormal mystery and hot romance. The dialogue is smart, funny and sarcastic. Luther and Grace are a definitely a dynamic twosome that I loved to read about. I haven’t read other Arcane Society novels but I hope she continues the story of these two.

The Arcane Society is a secret organization dedicated to the preservation of those who have paranormal abilities. In the world JAK has created those are sensitives range in level of ability and Luther and Grace are at the high end of the spectrum. They are both aura readers, which doesn’t sound sexy but it is.

Luther is an ex-cop with a nice physique. His one drawback is he must use a cane because of an injury he got on duty (yes, another ex-cop).  I just think of the guy on the cover.  Tight T-shirt and sunglasses.  To forget the demons of his past he’s escaped to Hawaii where he does freelance work for the Arcane Society. Grace is a middling librarian for the Society and is sent to Hawaii on an easy assignment: to identify, using her paranormal abilities, a rogue member of the Arcane Society. Luther will be her bodyguard for the mission. And they must pose as honeymooners. So of course they must shack up in a hotel room together and hold hands and act in love before they actually are in love.

JAK brings on the sexual tension fast and furious. Luther and Grace give in to their lust for each other rather quickly. And I loved it. I think it must be a reaction to the lack of passion in Morning Light. Their attraction for each other combined with a fast paced story filled with mystery and suspense made this a must read for me. I am fascinated by paranormal abilities and I thought JAK did a great job of incorporating that aspect into this story. My only problem was JAK trying to introduce too many different types of abilities instead on focusing on just a few. But Running Hot is definitely worth a read!

Slightly Shady

by Amanda Quick

I’ve come to look at Amanda Quick novels as comfort food. Something that’s easily found, you’re never disappointed and it makes you feel good. Slightly Shady is just like that.


Lavinia Lake and Tobias March are an unlikely couple. I didn’t get the impression that they particularly liked each other but wham bam they kiss have sex and are in love. From their first meeting in Rome Lavinia and Tobias distrust each other, annoy each other, can’t stand each other yet each finds the other attractive. From experience this mix does not lend itself to a great romance. It’s doomed. Yet Amanda Quick must think it’s charming.

Tobias is continually running after Lavinia who is always interfering with his plans. He spends a lot of time angry and frustrated at Lavinia as evidenced by his repetition of “Damnation” after one of her exploits. I found Tobias charming and sexy but definitely in a relationship with the wrong woman.

The missing diary of an important spy network is missing and Tobias and Lavinia must pool their resources to prevent its secrets from getting into the wrong hands. Involving life like wax works of murder and death threats. If you like you’re romances a bit quirky with a happy ending then Slightly Shady won’t disappoint.

Morning Light

by Catherine Anderson

There are three main characters in this story: Lori, Clint and God. The underlying message is sex without the bonds of marriage isn’t what God wants, God is the source behind all things, Catholicism isn’t that bad.

The reason I like to read romances is to have sex that’s carefree and fun with a bit of love on the side. I’ve never been married but I’ve had sex with men, some I loved and some I didn't, and liked it just fine.

Lori is a thirty-one year old psychic virgin. She doesn’t want to have sex without marriage. She has Catholic guilt over her psychic powers. The church believes they are from the Devil. She has seen Clint in her dreams throughout her entire life and is stunned when she sees him in the real world.  She's feeling things she's never felt before. Is it wrong? Maybe.

Clint is a cowboy who doesn’t believe in psychics or having sex with a woman for the rest of his life. The last time he had sex without marriage the woman was so devastated she tried to kill herself.  The second half of a duo with a lot of Catholic guilt. And their conversations drone on about it.

Clint immediately doubts Lori’s psychic powers but he has to trust them to save a lost little boy. Though Lori has never ridden a horse they embark on a journey through the mountains to save Trevor. And fall in love. And discuss God and his power and the Ten Commandments. They have sex once in the book and feel guilty afterwards. And don’t have sex again. Though he’s described as handsome I imagine Clint as a middle-aged man whose balding (that’s why he wears a Stetson all the time) with a slight paunch and dirty feet. Definitely not my idea of a romantic hero.

Lori and Clint’s interaction with each other reminded me of the neighbors who are always trying to get me to go to church but I always decline. Been there done that when I was younger.

It’s a heartwarming story with some sensual kisses. I just want my romances to be hot with hot men who have hot sex. This one just didn’t satisfy.