Review: Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye

This book falls into my New Author Reading Challenge.

I had seen a few reviews around for Ms. Kaye's latest book, Breakfast in Bed, and I thought it looked pretty good. Of course, if you know me at all, you know I couldn't just jump in and read that one, I had to start with the beginning of the series! Romeo, Romeo is the first book and Ms. Kaye's debut novel. I loved it!

Rosalie Ronaldi is a young executive who works for a turnaround company. She's got a boyfriend whom she's not serious about - it's more that she dates him to keep her mother off her back about why she doesn't have any marriage prospects. Then he proposes to her - and it's one of the most insulting (and comical) proposals I've ever read. Needless to say she drops him like a hot potato.

Nick Romeo is super sexy....and super rich. But when Rosalie meets him she thinks he's a mechanic, not the owner of several car dealerships. She ends up agreeing to date him after he tows her car, and the chase is on. Nick isn't looking for love, just a good time.

Rosalie tells him up front she wants no commitment and will never, ever get married. Nick is sort of taken aback because he's usually giving this line, not receiving it! They start dating and things are going well, they're both busy professionals and therefore only see each other occasionally, which keeps things from getting predictable and boring. Then, when Rosalie doesn't show for a date, Nick goes to check on her and ends up taking her to the ER - she's got pneumonia. Then he brings her home and takes care of her....and while he's there he gradually makes himself at home. (I liked how it was gradual so neither of them didn't really recognize what was going on!)

The thing is, he never told Rosalie who he really is, or that he's been trying to buy the auto dealership she's currently working on turning around. AND, he's got another secret from his past so he's afraid to meet her family. When her brother calls to tell her he's coming to visit, Nick knows it's now or never...but fate and circumstances have other plans.

This book was great! Ms. Kaye writes believeable characters who I'd love to hang out with in real life. I liked Rosalie and Nick and wanted them to be together. I probably need a dental check up for all the times I ground my teeth together in frustration with Nick for not coming clean with the truth. The secondary characters were well-written and showcased the fears of the h/h in an entertaining way.

Here's my one complaint: The characters were of Italian descent, and there were a couple of words and phrases in Italian that I didn't know what they meant. I blogged about this earlier - couldn't they put an index at the back of the book? I mean, I got the general idea, but I wanted to know. And I was reading this book in the waiting rooom at the hospital so I couldn't run off and look it up.

Aside from that one criticism, I thought this book was great. I can't wait to run out and get the 2nd book in this series, Too Hot to Handle, in which Rosalie's sister Annabelle is the heroine.

I give Romeo, Romeo 4 1/2 stars!

Review: Can't Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards

This book falls into my New Author Reading Challenge.

The cover of this book caught my eye - I don't know why but I think it's really sexy. I think it's the bare feet and long jeans (sorry, Hannah, I know how you are about feet!). Maybe it's that the model looks tall - you know how I am about tall men.

Miranda Wake is a food critic. She's apparently very good at what she does, and has a reputation as a tough cookie. Adam Temple is a chef who's finally opened his own restaurant. At the press soire a few nights before the grand opening, Miranda has a few too many drinks and starts to insult Adam, who replies with a challenge to come into his kitchen to see what it's like from the other side of the table. He doesn't expect her to accept, but she does. The PR people for both Miranda and Adam love it - all the free publicity - and the challenge turns into Miranda spending a month in Adam's kitchen. Miranda plans on writing a tell-all book about her experiences in the kitchen, using the proceeds from the book to finance her younger brother Jess's college tuition.

After a very prickly start, Adam and Miranda realize they're attracted to each other. The scene where he takes her to his home to teach her to cook was soooo sexy! I really liked Adam's character and didn't want Miranda to publish her book. Every time she started having second thoughts, I thought to myself "Don't do it! Don't do it!".

This book had an unexpected secondary romance that I absolutely loved - Miranda's younger brother Jess. He's 19 (I think) and comes home from college due to an unexplained difficulty. As it is revealed that Jess is gay, the romance that blooms between Jess and Frankie, Adam's very good friend/manager, was a delight to read. Miranda's reaction to the relationship was realistic and the events that followed had me rivited. I think I liked the Jess/Frankie storyline as much as I liked Miranda/Adam's!

I thought the very end of the book was a *teensy* bit over the top in a spectacular way, but other than that I really, really enjoyed this book - I give Can't Stand the Heat 4 1/2 stars.

Her next book, On the Steamy Side, just released and I plan to read it very soon.

Review: Loves Me, Loves Me Knot by Heidi Betts

This book falls into my New Author Reading Challenge.

I picked up Loves Me, Loves Me Knot because I liked the cover. That guy looks like a tall drink of water and very sexy in his pajamas...and I'm a sucker for a good set of shoulders. Sue me.

The story opens with a woman named Charlotte pushing an old family spinning wheel up into the attic. She's convinced it's magic and brings true love to the person she's thinking about when she weaves the yarn. She's just made some yarn for her neice, Jenna, who's been divorced from her husband Gage over a year ago. Jenna still loves Gage and didn't want a divorce.

Right after we meet Jenna, the story set me off for the rest of the book. Jenna is house-sitting for her aunt Charlotte, and Jenna's two best friends come over for drinks and get drunk. The subject of kids comes up, and Jenna is melancholy because she wanted kids with Gage and can't imagine having kids with anyone else. They hatch a plan to invite him over, add drugs to his beer, and then Jenna will tie him up and have sex with him to try to get pregnant. Now, I know this is supposed to be a lighthearted romance, but I really had a problem with that scenario. If the sexes would have been reversed he'd go to jail for that. I couldn't let that go and it marred my enjoyment of the rest of the book.

Gage is upset when he realizes Jenna tried to get pregnant, as the reason they got divorced was because he didn't want kids and she did. He decides he's got to keep an eye on her until she knows if she's pregnant, so he stays with her while she's house sitting. There are some tense moments, but they do talk about where things went wrong and revisit their relationship, including the reasons why he suddenly decided he didn't want kids after they were already married.

If it wouldn't have been for the involuntary stud service scene I might have enjoyed this book, but to the end I just couldn't get past it. I give Loves Me, Loves Me Knot 2 stars.

Review: Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis

This book falls into my New Author Reading Challenge.


I wasn't sure if I'd like this book, as I'm not a baseball fan (although I do know more about baseball than hockey), but it had gotten great reviews and I was looking for a good contemporary read when this arrived on my doorstep. This is apparently the 2nd book in a series. I did not read the first (I think it's Double Play?)

Samantha McNead (Sam) is a PR whiz who works for a Major League Baseball team, the Santa Barbara Heat. Sam was born into baseball - her father was one of the owners of the team and her uncle was part owner of their sister team. Apparently her brother was also a PR rep but there was a scandal and he was forced to leave.

Wade O'Riley is the team's catcher. He's got a bit of a reputation as a playboy, and there's been a scandal involving a woman with a false claim that she's pregnant with his child. The Heat's Powers That Be have decided Wade needs some good PR and Sam is enlisted to pose as his girlfriend for a month. What they don't know is Sam and Wade had one drunk night together that neither of them has forgotten.

This story was fun. Wade was a easy-going, hungry guy who really seemed to be down-to-earth despite his fame. He was a very likeable hero. Sam was a bit more uptight, but you could tell she genuinely liked her job and cared about all the players. Her reasons for fighting a relationship with Wade were valid, but he sure was pesistent! I enjoyed Sam and Wade's interaction together - lots of sexual tension going on,, but there were some tender spots too that brougth out the "awww". I was frustrated with their misunderstandings about the nature of their relationship but I think that's what it's like in real life, so I got it. There were several laugh out loud moments.

There were a few surprises for the main characters down the line that shook things up a bit; I liked Sam's nephew Tag, but didn't really see the point of Wade's father's storyline. I still don't get why he had to come see Wade - I don't think I'm giving up any big plotlines when I say it was weird he insisted he needed to be with Wade but ended up leaving anyway.

Slow Heat was a fun, sexy read that kept me turning the pages; I really enjoyed it. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I won this book from Pearl at Quick 'n' Dirty Romance Reviews. Thanks Pearl!

Review: Rule's Bride by Kat Martin

This book falls into my New Author Reading Challenge.

Rule's Bride is the third book in Ms. Martin's Bride trilogy, I have not read the previous two books, Royal's Bride and Reese's Bride. When the book opens, Rule is employed in a weapons factory in Boston, and his boss calls him into his office and offers him a deal that could change his life. His boss, Howard Griffin, is dying, and he's concerned for the welfare of his 16-year-old daughter, Violet. Howard wants Rule to marry Violet, in name only until she turns 18, at which time he can exercise his husbandly rights. At that time he will also become half owner of Griffin Manufacturing, the company Violet will inherit at her father's death. Rule is hesitant at first but ends up accepting the arrangement.

Fast forward three years, and Rule is a year late coming to claim Violet. He's living back in England, got a well-earned reputation as something of a lady's man, and no one, not even his family, has any inkling that he's married. When Violet shows up on his doorstep he is shocked - not only did he not expect to see her, but he's noticing that she went from a gawky tomboy at age 16 to a knockout at age 19 and he likes what he sees. The problem is, Violet is in love with someone back in Boston, Jeffrey, and she's come to England to ask Rule for an annullment so she can marry Jeffrey. He doesn't want to disolve their marriage, he thinks she's beautiful and he wants her to stay. He convinces her to stay for one month, but she makes it clear she'll not be bedding him.

Things are moving along slowly, when Rule takes Violet to the theatre and a fire erupts. They barely escape with their lives and in the rush of adrenaline and thankfulness to be alive they consumate their marriage. Violet is devastated, she'll have to get a divorce now instead of an annullment, and she's not even sure Jeffrey will still want her after this. Little does she know Jeffrey has a secret: he's in cahoots with a gentleman who wants to buy Violet's company - and use it to arm the Southern States before war in the United States breaks out. Jeffrey knows Violet is anti-slavery but thinks he can change her mind after they're married. When Jeffrey arrives and Violet tells him she's consumated her marriage to Rule, he is disappointed but doesn't give up.

As Rule and Violet are trying to sell their company, there are a few buyers, but Violet makes it clear whomever buys the company may not use it to arm the Southern States. Then one of the buyers is killed and Rule is caught on the scene and thrown in jail. While trying to find the real killer, she discovers children working in horrible conditions and endeavors to save them while also trying to free her husband.

This book really didn't do it for me. The romance was flat and I found it difficult to work up any feelings for Violet or Rule. I was not impressed by the fact that Rule was supposed to go back for Violet after two years but by the time she came to him he was already year late. Then he decides he wants her? His reputation didn't bode well as far as a lasting relationship; he sounds like a serial seducer - he sticks with one lover for awhile and then moves on to the next when he's done. No wonder Violet was paranoid he'd eventually leave her.

I also thought the love triangle was weak - Jeffrey was such a wet noodle. He seemed to be such a pushover and he claimed he loved Violet while working with another man against her to get control of her company.

I did like the angle about the Southern states trying to buy the armament to outfit the Southern States with weapons on the eve of the Civil War, and the lengths some men would go to in order to preserve their way of life. As a whole, though, I found this book could not keep my interest and I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Sold to a Laird by Karen Ranney

Ms. Ranney is a new-to-me author and so this book falls under my New Author Reading Challenge.

Sold to a Laird is the story of Lady Sarah Baines, daughter of the Duke of Herridge. The Duke is a cold, hard man who apparently has no love or use for his daughter. When the story opens, the duke is meeting with Douglas Eston in his office when Sarah barges in and demands that he not send her mother off to Scotland. She is very ill and the trip could kill her. The Duke takes one look at Sarah and offers her to Mr. Eston instead of cash to buy himself partnership in Mr. Eston's venture. For reasons unknown even to himself, Mr. Eston accepts the offer and they are married two days later.

This book seemed to me to be divided into three parts; the first part centered on Sarah and Douglas marrying and moving into Sarah's country home, Chavensworth, and caring for her ailing mother and the aftereffects of her illness. During this time Douglas shows himself to be a true gentleman and supports Sarah when she needs him even though she hasn't given him much reason to be kind to her. I really liked him.

The middle of the book surrounds Sarah and Douglas' trip to Scotland to visit Sarah's maternal grandfather. Sarah's mother left her family to marry the Duke and never had any communication with them after that. Some family secrets were hinted at and Sarah and Douglas grew into their marriage a bit more comfortably at this point.

The last third of the book takes place after their return to Chavensworth. The Duke was impatient for Douglas to show results in their joint venture; then there was an accident and Douglas had to start over from scratch so the Duke threatened to dissolve Sarah and Douglas' marriage and kidnapped him to force him to fulfill their deal.

I enjoyed this story, and I liked Douglas very much. I didn't like Sarah as much, she kind of got on my nerves at times- she was very prim and proper (which I guess I realize was normal for the time) and she spent a lot of time ignoring Douglas and then worrying that he didn't want to be married to her anymore. I liked the side characters but wish Ms. Ranney would have fleshed them out a bit more; there was some interesting romance happening on the sidelines.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars, it was an enjoyable read.

Disclaimer: I won this book at Yankee Romance Reviewers.