The Duchess of Love, by Sally MacKenzie

Format: Kindle Edition, 106 pages

Published: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Zebra

Back cover blurb:

A Duke In Disguise…

The day was as hot as the pond was inviting. It’s not as if anyone in Little Huffington was going to happen upon a secluded vale on the Duke of Greycliffe’s lands. And Venus Collingswood didn’t want to get her shift all wet. It was the perfect setting in which to plan her lovely bookworm of a sister’s betrothal to the mysterious new duke arriving seven days hence. If only she had a suitable accomplice…

Andrew Valentine, Duke of Greycliffe, never thought arriving at his own household a week early would cause so much trouble. The housekeeper thinks he’s his own cousin. Actually, the chance to not be the duke for a while is a pleasant opportunity indeed. It might even help him interrogate the delectable little nymph he’s discovered swimming in his pond—if he can manage to get a word in edgewise…

My review:

It is quite clear MacKenzie is a fan of Colin Firth diving in the pond at Pemberley… so it’s a good thing I am as well As I read this novella, I could just picture all the events of the story happening on the set of Pride and Prej – in fact, the beginning few lines had me expecting someone to cry “Netherfield Park is let at last!”.

P&P aside, I enjoyed the story, although things progressed incredibly quickly for them to be credible, particularly for the period. The cover is pretty, too, but isn’t how I imagined Venus would look. This is the prequel to a series about Venus and Drew’s sons, and I’d quite like to know what becomes of Aphrodite and Nicholas, so I may have to continue with this series.

My rating: 4/5

Kamikaze, by Moira Rogers

Format: Kindle edition, 36 pages

Published: August 15, 2008

Publisher: Changeling Press LLC

Back cover blurb:

Zoe Bennett is an inexperienced werewolf in the grip of her mating cycle. With no pack and no mate, Zoe must brave the supernatural crowds of Last Call, the bar where your drink order tells everyone what you need. Kamikaze: Werewolf in heat, looking for a temporary mate. The chase is on, and security specialist Connor O’Malley intends to win, if only because the sweet young woman at the bar looks unprepared for what the night might bring, in and out of the bedroom. Little does he know that, when he catches her, he may not be satisfied being just a temporary mate.

My review:

Wowzer! Hot, hot, hot, and an intriguing start to a new series based at a bar for supernaturals, where they can meet and fulfil their desires. While not normally a werewolf girl – I know I’ve said this before, lol – I really enjoyed this and felt the connection between Zoe and Connor. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of this series. The next book is about a witch

My review: 4/5

Natural Evil, By Thea Harrison

Format: Kindle edition

Published: March 20, 2012

Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd

Back cover blurb:

Claudia Hunter is on a road trip through the Nevada desert when she sees the body of a dog on the side of the highway. Pulling over to investigate, she quickly determines that the enormous animal is clinging to life. While working to save him with the help of the local vet, Claudia realizes there’s something about the creature that seems more. Other. Wyr. Which makes this case of animal cruelty attempted murder.

Too injured to shape shift, Luis Alvaraz is reluctant to tell Claudia what he knows about his attack, afraid it will only make her a target. But the sheriff is corrupt, and his attackers know Luis is alive and vulnerable. To make matters worse, a sandstorm is sweeping into town, and if they’re going to survive the night, Luis will have to place all his trust in Claudia.

Warning: Take a gorgeous man temporarily stuck in the dog house, add a strong, take-no-prisoners woman, mix in encroaching enemies and a raging sandstorm and stir to combine. Enjoy with a freshly opened can of whoop-ass.

My review:

Short story from the Elder Races world, but not part of the main storyline. It started off great, and I formed an instant attraction to the characters of ex-Green Beret Claudia and “Precious”, aka Luis, the smart and sexy Wyr investigator.

However, the action came to a head far too quickly for my liking, almost from a distance, and then the latter part of the book seemed tacked on, forcing the pair of them to stay in town to contrive a romance. I love Thea Harrison’s world, and have thoroughly enjoyed the other full-length books, but the end was a bit of a disappointment.

My rating: 3/5

Sheltering Hearts, by Robyn Carr

Format: Kindle edition

Published: May 1, 2010

Publisher: Harlequin

Back cover blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr takes readers back to her beloved Virgin River country in this heartwarming tribute to Rhonda Clemons, founder of Zoe Institute and a winner of a Harlequin More Than Words award.

By discovering a seed of compassion and nurturing it to effect real change, the dedicated women selected as Harlequin More Than Words award recipients make our world a better place. To celebrate their accomplishments, bestselling authors have honored the winners by writing short stories inspired by their lives and work.

This special eBook is yours at no charge because Harlequin is committed to celebrating women’s efforts and supporting the causes that are meaningful to them. By sharing Rhonda Clemons’ story, we hope to turn awareness into action and mobilize others to make a difference.

 

My review:

Okay, but a bit too preachy for me. It read like an advertisement for the women’s shelter – which was kind of what it was intended to be – but Dory wasn’t very likeable and Clay was way too patient with her.

My rating: 2/5

Eternity Embraced, by Larissa Ione

Format: Kindle Edition, 44 pages

Published: January 20, 2011

Publisher: Larissa Ione

Back cover blurb:

Desire…
Demon slayer Andrea Cole has always taken down the demons and vampires she hunts without mercy. But when a fellow slayer is captured and turned into a vampire by a sadistic monster, she must choose between loyalty to her family and the man she loves.

Versus Instinct…
Kaden Quinn has dedicated his life to slaying vampires, so when he is turned into one, his greatest nightmare comes to life. And when the woman he loves is thrown into a dungeon with him — as food — he must battle new instincts and old desires, and choose between his life, and hers.

My review:

Nice story, typical of Ione, but not long enough to really invest you enough in the two main characters. Tayla and Eidolon appear briefly, but they are my least favourite Demonica characters. Hot in places but too short.

My rating: 3/5

Break Out, by Nina Croft

Format: ebook, 140 pages

Published: July 1, 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Back cover blurb:

Irreverent. Irresponsible. Insatiable. Who says immortals can’t have any fun?

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

My review:

This novella read a bit like an episode of Firefly, with a David Gandy-like hunk playing Rico, the 1600-year-old vampire pilot of a pirate spaceship. So far it ticks all the boxes, right? I loved him and his snarky ways, and the sweet way his backstory came out through evenings playing cards with the crew. The UST between him and Skylar was hawt, but she had so many secrets she was a little hard to like at first. Still, she kicked ass when it counted, and that probably moved this from a three star to a four star read for me.

The rest of the crew were fun, too, especially tough alien Tannis and Al, who appears to have more of a story to come. I’m intrigued to find out what they will do with their cargo now they have him, and how the Collective will try to reclaim him and Skylar. Luckily, this appears to be the start of a new series – yay! I’d also like to give a big thumbs up for the cover – it’s very cool.

My rating: 4/5

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale, by Christine Bell

Format: ebook, 25,900 words

Published: April 25, 2011 (first published March 16, 2011)

Publisher: Carina Press

Back cover blurb:

I’m a time pirate—born in 1810, now a 21st-century woman. I travel through time trying to right wrongs without disrupting the fragile balance between what is and what can never be.That’s why it’s vital that I go to 1836 and find the man who conned my brother out of his Time Travel Mechanism as quickly as possible. If the technology falls into the wrong hands, it could change the world as we know it. The notorious Duke of Leister definitely qualifies as the wrong hands. An amateur scientist of the slightly mad variety, he’s bound to figure out how to use the TTM sooner rather than later.

I knew this wouldn’t be easy. But I wasn’t counting on him being as sexy as hell. Or winding up chained to his bed…

 

My review:

This novella was a quick read, free from Carina Press during their promotional week last month. I hadn’t read any steampunk before, and the idea of time pirates was an interesting one.

Dorothy “Stormy” Gale and her brother, Bacon – note to self: never let kids pick their own names – travel back from 2010 to the early 1800s to retrieve Bacon’s time travelling machine which he has lost in a game of cards. Little do the pair know the man who won it off him is someone from their past, someone Stormy wants to be part of her future, too.

The adventure is fun and the romance very sexy, but the bits I enjoyed the most were the out-of-time references – Stormy’s 21st century lingerie confounding her beau, her trying to teach him to moonwalk, etc – and Stormy’s wonderfully colourful language. The story also had a lovely message about helping the less fortunate, and I was glad to see the time pirates kept up their looting so they could help abandoned kids. A fun, light read.

My rating: 3/5