Category: Kimberly’s Review

Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank

TITLE: Forbidden
AUTHOR: Jacquelyn Frank
PUBLICATION DATE:  10/30/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Frank comes this first book in The World of the Nightwalkers—an exciting and sensual new spin-off series in which the Bodywalkers, an ancient race of the night, battles the evil forces who prey on them.

The unexpected happens in an instant. On her way to work, secretary Docia Waverley hurtles into a crashing crossroads, and she quickly begins to suspect that things will never be the same. Then, when a tall, blond, muscular stranger intervenes on her behalf, telling her it is his duty to protect her at all cost, what is just a feeling turns to proof positive. That is, as long as Docia’s savior doesn’t turn out to be a crazed kidnapper.

When Ram finds Docia, he has no doubt that she is his queen. But as this golden warrior sweeps in to protect her, he feels something more than body heat every time they touch. He is overwhelmed by a searing connection that goes deep into the twin souls inside him. A desire rises in him that is forbidden—this woman is his queen, the mate of his king, his leader, his best friend. And yet Docia is so vulnerable and attractive that she awakens a hunger in Ram that is undeniable, a carnal craving he cannot yield to . . . not without risking the very survival of the Bodywalkers.

REVIEW:
This is a new series about Nightwalkers branching off from the older one about Bodywalkers and I have to say I was confused. I have not read the other series and I just had no idea who these characters were and why they were doing what they were doing.

That being said it was an interesting story if not a bit too far fetched for me. I guess I should have realized that this was about a reincarnation from long ago using another body to come back to the world and should have stayed away but I didn’t so I have to say I am just not interested in that type of storyline. As I said it is an interesting story and I can see why so many people would be fans of it but it is just not the genre that I am interested in.

I gave it 3 stars because while I would say I was not a fan of it at the same time I feel I am influenced by the fact that it is not my cup of tea. If you are a fan of Frank’s and have read the other in the previous series I am sure you will enjoy this one just as much.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Lean On Me by HelenKay Dimon

TITLE: Lean On Me
AUTHOR: HelenKay Dimon
PUBLICATION DATE:   10/22/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
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.

REVIEW:
This was a very cute read. While I am not sure that the story was any different than so many other short stories out there it was written very well and the characters were immediately relatable. Cassidy was written really strong, independent and in such a low point in her life that you feel so sad for her yet proud of her for surviving. Mitch suffers from white knight syndrome which is common in short romance stories. I enjoyed this read. I read it between larger novels just to read something short and move beyond one story to the other and it worked better than I thought. It only took a couple hours to read and would have enjoyed it to be a little longer.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Planning For Love by Christi Barth

TITLE: Planning For Love
AUTHOR: Christi Barth
PUBLICATION DATE:   08/01/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Hopeless romantic Ivy Rhodes and anti-Cupid Bennett Westcott request the pleasure of your company for their disaster of a courtship.

Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she’s not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she’s asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love, it doesn’t matter that the show’s videographer happens to be a recent—and heartbreaking—one-night stand.

Bennett Westcott admits he didn’t handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile—and great body—through a camera lens every day? He can’t be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.

The more time they spend together, the more Ben realizes Ivy isn’t the wedding-crazed bridezilla he’d imagined. But if he doesn’t trust himself to make a relationship last, how can he convince Ivy to give him another chance?

REVIEW:
Have you ever heard the line “Chase him until he catches you”? Well that is the best way to describe this storyline. While some of the story could be a bit cliche’ it was really a good story. Ivy is the typical wedding planner who believes in romance, love and forever. Ben is the typical cynical man who believes in reality, lust and for now. But there is something about Ivy that he can not ignore.

What I enjoyed about this book was the characters were very real and relatable. Both Ivy’s romantic heart and Ben’s scared one are something people can relate to. The background stories are interesting and some of the scenes are very sweet between these two characters. I thought they were written very well together and enjoyed watching Ben do romantic things without even knowing he was being romantic. We have all met people like these two people. The woman who falls in love with every man she has one date with and the man who is afraid of commitment. They are the perfect characters to write a love story about.

However, they are also the same “couple” we read about in a lot of books. While they were enjoyable and it was a good version of the story it was the same story I have read before. Her the hopeless romantic woman and him the commitment-phobic man. There did not seem to be much difference in so many other books as far as storyline goes. I wanted something different, just any part of the book to be different, but it never happened.

I did enjoy the background characters. I would have loved to read more about the guys getting together. I loved the poker game and would have loved a couple more scenes of that throughout the book. Daphne is an interesting character and I hope the next book is about her. She is egotistical (when it comes to work), loyal (when it comes to friends) and funny (ok maybe snide is a better word). While I am sure her story is already written I would love to see Daphne with a man who is color-blind and can not view her floral “masterpieces” the way she does (just a hint to Barth in case her book is not written).

If you love the romance genre, as I do, then you will enjoy this book. Yes, it is something we have all read before but it is beautifully written and enjoyable. I look forward to Barth’s next book.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Avenging Angel by Anne Marie Becker

TITLE: Avenging Angel
AUTHOR: Anne Marie Becker
PUBLICATION DATE:   07/30/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Grains of sand glistened in the moonlight, bright against the backdrop of her wet hair. Her blue lips were parted slightly, as if she could take in that last breath she’d been gasping for. She was, in a word, perfection.
When his friend’s niece is murdered, Detective Noah Crandall vows to track down the killer. Since the victim worked in an art gallery with the well-connected and well-heeled Vanessa Knight, Noah questions her first. Despite the chemistry between them, Noah tells himself a relationship would be impossible. He’s a loner and their backgrounds are worlds apart.
Drawn to Noah and horrified by the death of her intern, Vanessa shares her insights into the New York City art world. As they work together on the case, she’s tempted to explore the possibility of a real relationship with the sexy outsider who ignites her desire. But what Vanessa doesn’t realize is that in order to complete his gruesome series of paintings, the killer has targeted her to become his next victim…

REVIEW:
This is the second in the “Mindhunters” series which I did not read the first one but having gone back and read the synopsis for the first in the series I do not think they are connected except the SSAM institute mentioned in the book. This book certainly stands alone.

Honestly I am not sure why I liked this book but I did. It is filled with more cliche’ than believable, it has Noah being the perfect, protective and handsome cop who had a terrible childhood, Vanessa being the heiress that wants to make her own way in the art world even without her parents approval, the fact that she is dumb enough to not believe she is in danger and even down to the walking out of the ocean scene but this really was a good book.  It is fast moving and filled with suspense. I enjoyed this couple when they were together but I have to say while I realize it was done for background in the story the fact that Vanessa can not tell her, in her mind, ex boyfriend they are really through just grated on me. She just did that whole “there will be a better time than now” thing and it drove me nuts. Then the fact that she feels the need to run after this man and he thinks he doesn’t deserve love was again so cliche’ but the story is very interesting and a fun read. I enjoyed the camaraderie with Noah and Diego a lot.

I wish there had been a slightly different ending. It just didn’t seem to give the “correct” finale to me and a epilogue was really needed. I know it should be that I did not enjoy this book with all the complaints I am writing but I really did enjoy it and I think if you enjoy romantic suspense then you will too.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Lip Service by M.J. Rose

TITLE: Lip Service
AUTHOR: M.J. Rose
PUBLICATION DATE:   08/21/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Lip Service is the prequel to M.J. Rose’s Bestselling Butterfield Institute Series which includes three novels – The Halo Effect, The Delilah Complex, The Venus Fix – and the short story collection In Session.

Lip Service probes the secret world of phone sex and one woman who becomes empowered by what she discovers there. Not since Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying has a novel so masterfully examined the relationship between sexuality and identity. On the surface, Julia Sterling’s life seems blessed. Married to a renowned psychiatrist, living on Manhattan’s tony Upper East Side, Julia deeply loves her stepson, and is forging a career as a journalist.

When a writing job at The Butterfield Institute – a sex therapy clinic – exposes her to the world of phone sex, Julia glimpses a world that stirs her erotic fantasies but threatens her carefully constructed reality. As she explores her emotional and sexual connections to the men she knows and several she will never meet, she confronts evil, perversity, and her own passions.

Tracing the currents of desire, illusion, and psychological manipulation,Lip Service is an astonishingly vivid glimpse into one woman’s inner life. At the same time, this electrifying thriller grips the reader as it builds toward a battering climax.

REVIEW:
This is a re-release of a book from 1999 and the first thing the reader will notice is some of the dated references (sitting next to JFK Jr., debating banning cigarette tv ads, etc). I found myself forcing myself to read this book and I think it has something to do with the time line. While 1999 was not all that long ago the era was so different. Phone sex was a huge thing before the internet and the references to some many now not so current subjects was distracting. I can see how maybe at the time this was erotic and sensual but not much anymore.

The story has to do with Julia and her psychiatrist husband and the power he holds over her. In this day in age we would have claimed she was emotionally abused. This is also a coming into your own story and while I can appreciate that this story is written as if the character is sitting on the shrink’s couch.This is the first book by M.J. Rose and she has gone on to write many books but I think re-releasing this book was not a wise decision.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione

TITLE: Lethal Rider
AUTHOR: Larissa Ione
PUBLICATION DATE:   05/22/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he’s about to become a father.
Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he’s ever wanted- a family.

REVIEW:
This is the third in the Lords of Deliverance series. This story wraps around Thanatos (Death) and Regan. The beginning of this book was actually in Immortal Rider (#2) when Regan seduced Than and took his five thousand year old virginity and now Regan is pregnant with Than’s child. When this book starts Than has been held captive and Regan is 8 months pregnant. Now Than has learned about their baby and will do anything to keep his son safe and Regan’s as well.

As with all Ione’s books this book proves yet again that she is the queen of paranormal romance. No one can write this genre like Ione can. It is amazing how she can make demons so human and humans act so monstrous. When we first met Regan her acts were just unbelievable and we actually felt angered on behalf of Than but with this book we read about her redemption. We get to know her past and why she was so easily swayed to do anything she had to do to get pregnant by Than. Regan really becomes someone we understand and have compassion for. Than is just so delightful. Yes he is the Horseman of Death and has a side to him that should be turned away from but his actions with Regan and the unborn child are so gentle and loving that it is hard not to fall for him.

This is the third in the L of D series but also continues from the Demonica series. I would suggest starting at the beginning of the Demonica series but at the minimum start with book one of the L of D series. This whole series is about the coming of the apocalypse and without reading the first and continuing from there the background of this story will not make as much sense. Ione is a great author and you will not regret reading this entire series if you enjoy paranormal romance.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
Posted on

Kimberly’s review of The Perfect Impostor by Wendy Soliman

TITLE: The Perfect Impostor
AUTHOR: Wendy Soliman
PUBLICATION DATE:   04/02/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Struggling to escape her past and make ends meet as a modiste, Katrina Sinclair hopes the daring new wardrobe she’s designed for her childhood friend Julia—now a marchioness—will attract the business she desperately needs. But Julia’s help comes at a price: Katrina must take her place at a house party. They look enough alike for the ruse to work…until Julia’s handsome former fiancé arrives.

Leo Kincade has been tasked with catching a traitor who steals from house parties to fund Napoleon’s armies. Three women are suspected—including Julia. But when Leo intercepts her at the party, he finds an impostor who stirs an attraction stronger than anything he felt for Julia.

The mysterious woman shares Leo’s interest, even if she won’t trust him with her true identity. He should expose her at once, but he’s too tempted to play along and see where her deception—and their passion—will lead.

REVIEW:
Honestly I am not even sure what I liked about this book but I seemed to have wanted to finish it. The premise has a lot of potential but I was so confused to understand how a woman can take the
place of another woman and no one notice the change not even those closest to her (ex-lover, husband, etc). Katrina spends so much time worrying she will get found out that it is distracting. Julia is just obnoxious and selfish. I found it hard to read the pages with her in it.

I was also unsatisfied with the ending. I expected some of the characters to “get what they deserve” but they didn’t. It seemed like everyone just ended up with a happy ending and that did not sit well with me.

I think the author did one of two things: either she was rushed to write this book and it lost some of the potential it had OR she had too long to write it and the more she fiddled with it the more out of control she wrote it. I can see how someone might enjoy this story but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Santerra’s Sin by Donna Kauffman

TITLE: Santerra’s Sin
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE:   09/10/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
HE LIKES HIS SALSA HOT, AND HIS WOMAN HOTTER… — When she answered his knock with “Enter at your own risk,” Diego Santerra realized he’d have his hands full protecting Blue Delgado without her knowledge. He’d taken more than a little pleasure keeping an eye on her the past three weeks, but now he had to get closer — and that meant getting a job in her cantina. Blue could feel the danger he exuded, and yearned for the excitement he aroused in her passionate soul. But could surrendering to this mystery man be a sin?

At her best when a story sizzles and peril lurks in every corner, Donna Kauffman burns up the pages with a hero just born for trouble, and a lady strong enough to handle him! She provoked him, tempted him, made him hunger for what he could never have, but if he managed to keep her alive, would he ever be able to let her go?

REVIEW:
This is a reprint from 1996. While it is a good story it mostly certainly gives you the feel of the LoveSwept stories. What is a LoveSwept? It was put out as a short paperback novel to be carried with you wherever you went. In other words the equivalent of a novella. This story is fast moving and direct to the point of getting the couple together. It has some suspense and romance mixed in. The character of Blue is a little too hard shelled for me. I like a woman who can take care of herself but the man is also able to make her feel like she wants to be taken care of and I never really got that feeling from Blue and Diego was just not “alpha” enough for me. I did enjoy the story though and I think if you are looking for some quick reads to have on your e-reader this is one you will enjoy.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Not This Time by Vicki Hinze

TITLE: Not This Time
AUTHOR: Vicki Hinze
PUBLICATION DATE:   02/21/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Small town scandal. International terrorist attack. Who among them is the traitor?

Sara and Beth have built a multi-million dollar business together, but their once solid friendship is now strained. Beth is leery of Sara’s husband, and when he is kidnapped, authorities consider Beth their prime suspect.

Then, their small town of Seagrove Village is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn’t know who to trust. Someone she knows is linked to the attack, but who? Is there a connection to Crossroads Crisis Center? In the midst of the confusion and fear, Beth finds herself attracted to a man from her past. She knows she shouldn’t fall in love with him, but she can’t resist or even explain their bond. As her world unravels around her, she wonders, is it possible to be beyond redemption?

 

REVIEW:
This is the third in this series and I have not read the first two so I have to say I was really confused especially in the beginning (really through the whole thing on some people). You can tell that some of the characters have been mentioned in the other books before this one and were the backstory so coming into this book not knowing these characters was a little hard. Especially since there are so many characters mentioned just in the first three chapters. I had only read the Seascape series from this author and this book is completely different. The Seascape were these extremely romantic movie-esque books set at a magical seaside inn. This book is about terrorism and scandal. Way different.

I really liked the story of Joe and Beth. They have an adorable relationship and Joe is written as a really great guy. Beth is an interesting character as well. She is strong and caring. The problem is that it is hard to believe all of these things are happening in this small little town and nobody knows about it. And while some seems far fetched the rest seems to not have any merit. Because I did not read the first two books I did not have the whole backstory on NINA and why I would care who in the small town was the bad guy.

I think if you read all the books in order it would make sense but reading only this one was hard to do.


Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Can’t Hurry Love by Molly O’Keefe

TITLE: Can’t Hurry Love
AUTHOR: Molly O’Keefe
PUBLICATION DATE:   07/31/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Victoria Baker, the penniless widow of a disgraced financier, is ready to stand up, be counted, and make a new life for herself and her beloved son in Texas. She’s taking over Crooked Creek ranch, her birthright, and turning it into something special. All that stands in her way is Eli Turnbull, a rugged, too-handsome cowboy who wants the land just as badly. If Victoria wants a fight, Eli will give her one. He’s devoted his life to Crooked Creek, and he’s not about to let some pampered city girl-even one as brave and beautiful as Victoria-turn it into some silly spa. But Victoria’s and Eli’s burning anger and frustration only fuel heat of another kind: uncontrollable passion. And soon they each realize that the person standing in their way is the one they can never do without.

REVIEW:
There is a thin line between love and hate best describes this book. This is the second in the Crooked Creek Ranch series. And I will admit that I have not read the first one and based on this book I will not be picking it up anytime soon. I was very disappointed in this book. The characters are mean, hostile and dark. While I can handle the fighting in the beginning I expected the characters to have a change of heart that never happened. They fought on a constant basis. The characters never connected even during the “love” scenes.

I do not read a book to live vicariously in a dysfunctional situation and that is what this story was. Having never read this author before I am not sure if this is how she normally writes but I will say this series is just too dark for a fan of the romance genre.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Ghostwriter by Lissa Bryan

TITLE: Ghostwriter
AUTHOR: Lissa Bryan
PUBLICATION DATE:   10/11/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
After being laid off from the newspaper where she worked as a journalist, and losing her boyfriend in rapid succession, Sara Howell is looking to downsize before her dwindling savings run out. Things are finally starting to look up when she lands a job ghostwriting the biography of a popular politician and rents an isolated island house which turns out to have once been the home of her favorite author, Seth Fortner, who mysteriously disappeared in 1925.

But when strange things start happening, as objects break, or go missing, and terrifying visions appear, Sara begins to wonder if Seth ever left, or if she is losing her mind.

What happened to Seth is a secret closely guarded by the family to this day, a family that seems to exist under a terrible curse. Through an old trunk of letters she discovers in the attic, Sara unravels the mystery and becomes caught up in a tale of greed, lost love and the horrors of WWI.

When Sara realizes she is not going crazy and that Seth Fortner’s spirit still haunts her new home on the isolated island, she begins to draw him out of his shell bit by bit. She will discover what happened to the idealistic young writer who went to the battlefields of France to save lives, and to his beautiful bride to destroy the love between them, and what led Seth to make a terrible choice which would have consequences that would echo for generations.

They gradually fall in love in their world of dreams, dreams which swiftly become more attractive than reality, as Sara learns from a ghost how to truly live. Will she be the one to break the “Fortner Curse” by helping Seth conquer his demons, and heal both of their hearts in the process?

REVIEW:
This is a beautiful story with a lovely concept but I had a really difficult time getting interested in it in the beginning. While written wonderfully it was very slow in the beginning. I kept waiting for something to happen and when it did I just didn’t find myself interested for some time. I thought the relationship between Sara and Seth was beautiful as far as the love of characters go but didn’t understand how they could “fall in love” I wish the book had brought in an actual character that Sara could have found herself drawn to instead. That being said it was a beautiful love story and any fan of ghost stories will enjoy it. The time spent getting to know Seth was very intriguing and the dream life of Sara and Seth is very sweet and endearing. I found Sara to be an almost sad yet caring person and found enjoyed her character. Stepping back into the time of WWII was also interesting since I do not know a lot about that time period.

This truly is a love story in every sense of the word and one that will stick with you for a while.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
Posted on

Kimberly’s review of Cosmo’s Fifty-One Shades of Blonde by Jessica Knoll

TITLE: Cosmo’s Fifty-One Shades of Blonde
AUTHOR: Jessica Knoll
PUBLICATION DATE:   08/28/12
ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The sexy story that first burned up the pages of Cosmopolitan is here-with three new chapters that are so hot they may steam up your screen. Christopher Reiss is the handsome and extremely intimidating CEO of a major financial firm. Megan’s nothing but a lowly assistant. But when she stumbles upon some incriminating evidence that could threaten Christopher’s career, she finds herself on his radar . . . and eventually his desk, his kitchen counter, his bed . . . you get where this is going, right? Jessica Knoll is a senior editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about relationships, sex, career, and health. According to her colorist, her hair is only three shades of blonde.

REVIEW:
This short story first appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine and is only about 30 pages. It is a sexy erotic story which I would have been happy with if it had been a little longer. There was such a jump from Megan seeing Christoper to having sex that it just felt rushed. A chapter in between would have been better. But for a short sexy story this one fits the bill.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.