Connected, by Kathryn Gayle

Format: Kindle Edition

Published: July 27, 2011

Publisher: The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House

Back cover blurb:

The last thing Delilah Preston wanted to do was be a hero, but her conscience wouldn’t let her walk away, and now she’s caught up in an FBI investigation and the media spotlight. The problem? She’s not who she claims to be. Special Agent Dominic Santiago discovers her true identity and realizes she’s his ticket to taking down major Underworld crime boss Cap Grimaldi. But Cap is not about to go quietly and devises a plan to not only get his revenge on the Agent, but also get back his errant wife…dead or alive.

My review:

This debut novel reads like a screenplay, and I could totally see it as a Hollywood blockbuster with someone really hunky playing Agent Nick Santiago. Rawr!

There’s action from the first page as Dee bumps into – almost literally – a hitman who used to work for her Mob boss husband. To prevent him from asassinating a senator, Dee must use her martial arts training, and in doing so becomes embroiled in more than she bargained for. She left Cap Grimaldi years before after witnessing the murder of her sister-in-law, and took some of his ill-gotten gains to set herself and her mother up in a new life. Appearing on the news as the senator’s good samaritan alerts Cap that she is still alive, and thus ensues a game of cat and mouse with Cap hunting for Dee and Agent Santiago as they run across the country. To complicate matters further, along the way Nick and Dee fall in love.

There are plenty of twists and turns to satisfy any thriller enthusiast, and the romances (there are more than one!) are nicely done. I was a little annoyed with Dee’s attitude near the end, but thankfully the HEA arrived as expected.

My rating: 4/5

Slave, by Sherri Hayes

Format: ebook

Published: July 28, 2011

Publisher: The Writers’ Coffee Shop Publishing House

Back cover blurb:

Stephan has lived the lifestyle of a Dominant for five years. After several rebellious teenage years, it gave him the stability and control he had been seeking after his parent’s death.

As president of a not-for-profit foundation, he knows what his future holds and what he wants out of life. All that changes when a simple lunch with his college friend and Mentor, Darren, leads him to buying a slave.

Thrust into a situation he never thought he’d be in, Stephan can’t walk away. He is compelled to help this girl in the only way he knows how.

Brianna knows only one thing, she is a slave. She has nothing. She is nothing.

Can Stephan help Brianna realize that she is much more than just a Slave?

My review:

What would you do if you found a girl who was being held as a sex slave against her will? Stephan Coleman does the only thing he can think of: he buys her off the sadistic creep who has been abusing her for the past ten months. But Brianna is broken and confused about her new Master’s motives. He bought her – so he must be just like her old Master… right?

Don’t be put off by the title or the cover image – Slave by Sherri Hayes is a book about the BDSM world without too many of the graphic images one might expect with this subject matter. We uncover details of Brianna’s life with the evil Ian as she gradually warms to Stephan and tells him about her past, but the sadism isn’t dwelled upon in detail. The story instead focuses on her recovery and her blossoming relationship with Stephan.

Hayes writes in alternating points of view so the reader can see how each of the two protagonists feel about the other, feelings neither of them believe they can communicate openly. Brianna’s mistrust and fear slowly diminish, and Stephan realizes his friends may be right about him after all.

Slave leaves the reader with many questions about what will happen next in their relationship. What about Brianna’s father? And who is Anna?

I read an advanced copy of this and really enjoyed it. I liked Stephan, but was a bit disappointed he didn’t explain things to Brianna sooner and kind of wished he’d stopped her from all the bowing and scraping on her knees. Still, we have yet to see what he’s like as a dominant – maybe he likes his women like that.

This is an interesting concept – not usually my kind of subject matter – but an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to the next book to find out more about Brianna and see whether she will return Stephan’s love.

My rating: 4/5

Update: The Bronze Horseman film

So, things aren’t sounding too good about the likelihood of a movie version of The Bronze Horseman, by Paullina Simons, as we reported here last year.

Ms. Simons has posted this on her blog:

Dear Friends,

And now for some news about the film option of The Bronze Horseman. Things have not worked out quite as I hoped, but that’s only because I can’t see the future and don’t know what’s still ahead. 

At the moment, though, the 18-month option with Andy Tennant’s production company has unfortunately come to an end. After months of no activity at all, we tried to extend the option at deadline time (plus 30 days grace), but we could not resolve the most important issue, and that is whose script to use, mine or Ross’s. I strongly felt and continue to feel that Ross’s vision for the story and adaptation of the book were diametrically opposed to my own. So reluctantly we parted ways, and the rights to the book have reverted back to me. The difference between 2009 and now is that now I have a finished script. Which means that we can now seek and find someone else who gets the story, loves the characters, and perhaps can put his/her passion behind the project to get the film off the ground, so to speak, and onto the big screen, but this time with my script as a condition of development.

I know you are disappointed by this and let down, as you can imagine I am, but don’t be disheartened. Because I remain hopeful and optimistic that great things are just around the corner for our two crazy kids. We have a couple of intriguing prospects we are working on and I will keep you posted as soon as I know something more concrete. In the meantime, you know that Tania and Shura live on inside my heart, especially these days, as I immerse myself in the young doomed life of the two people who once loved each other and who made Alexander.

IMDB still has it listed in the development stage and scheduled for release in 2012, but obviously that’s unlikely now. It had been an interesting proposal with Andy Tennant (Sweet Home Alabama, Hitch, The Bounty Hunter) directing.

As we said before, Henry Cavill (The Tudors) has a lot of support for the role of Alexander Barrington Belov, but is busy at the moment being Superman. I’ve also seen people suggesting Joe Manganiello (True Blood) – he seems too old to me – and, of course, the Facebook page is still up in support of my pick, Robert Pattinson, here. 

Remember, whoever plays Alexander has to live up to this quote: “He was more beautiful than that morning sun.”

For my Tatiana, I’ve been thinking maybe Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland)?

And so we must wait and hope. Keep track of developments with me on IMDB and on Paullina Simons’ website.