REVIEW: Bare it All by Lori Foster

Bare it All by Lori Foster

Series:Love Undercover, #2

Publication Date:April 30th 2013

Publisher:HQN

Paperback, 480 pages

Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

"A cop's craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal in the steamy new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster"

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it...until the sexy cop next door comes knocking.

Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice's secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire-and into the line of fire....

Review first published at Book Lovers Inc

Lori Foster is a huge name in the romantic suspense genre, and after reading a couple of books of hers I can definitely understand why! This author knows how to write great romance and even greater characters! Bare it All is her newest book and the second in her Love Undercover series and follows the story of Reese and Alice who had also made an appearance in the author's Men who Walk the Edge of Honor series.

One thing that I really like in Lori Foster's stories is the way she builds her characters and how they feel real and solid. I remember while reading A Perfect Storm, how much I liked Arizona's character and how deeply I cared for her. Much like then, Alice just stole my heart in this story. She's one of those characters who are really beautiful, not only on the outside but on the inside too. She's one of those characters who's deeply wounded but still finds a joy in life and is strong and generous. All in all, she's a character I can't help but care for. And I honestly believe that the best thing in Bare it All is Alice. She's the reason I enjoyed a story I found not so memorable otherwise.

Bare it All has a really slow beginning. I mean really slow. Nothing crucial happens for the best part of the book and when things finally pick up they are wrapped up quite easily and quickly. So as far as the suspense or action department goes, Bare it All, wasn't something special. Now let's talk about the romantic department which also wasn't something really special I'm afraid. I mean I loved Alice, the main heroine, and thought that Reese was an interesting character too but the romance between them fell just flat for me. There were no sparks. Maybe because one of the things I really enjoy in a romantic story is the building of a relationship, to read about the way the main couple becomes something more than friends or strangers, to witness their growing attraction but in Bare it All, all I got was a couple who was already halfway in becoming something more. Now here, I have to add that both Reese and Alice made an appearance in the previous novel of the series, so that is maybe the reason why things were a bit progressed between them, but even though I read the first book in the series, I remember little of it I'm afraid and even less about a secondary romance in it... But since those books are meant to be read as stand alones too, I think that things should progress on a slower pace nevertheless.

Anyway, despite Bare it All being a rather typical romantic suspense book, I still managed to enjoy myself while reading it and that is mostly because of Lori Foster's writing style. I mean this author is simply amazing, so it's not a wonder how every single one of her stories is a success! The way she builds her characters, main ones and secondary alike, is simply incredible. She has the ability to make her readers care for all her characters and feel their emotions or understand their action and their motives.

All in all, Bare it All, isn't the best book I have read by the author, but it is still a good read and it is definitely better than the first one in the series. Maybe I feel that way because of Alice, I don't know, all I know is that I enjoyed reading it a lot more than I did the first book of the series!

*This title was provided for review from MediaMuscle

EARLY REVIEW: Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

Series:Wildefire, #1

Publication Date:April 30th 2013

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

For fans of Maya Banks, Allison Brennan, and Lori Foster, a thrilling new romantic suspense novel from Ella Grace

AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT, THE HEAT BEGINS

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.

What a pleasant surprise Midnight Secrets was for me! I mean all I seem to pick lately in the romantic suspense genre are mediocre to bad books but Midnight Secrets is the kind of book that finally reminded me why I like this genre so much! Ella Grace is on my radar from now on!

I loved pretty much everything about this book! From the small town setting and the great characters to the deadly secrets that were well hidden up to the end, Midnight Secrets is a book I found very hard to put down. Even if the start was very slow, with the first 3 or 4 chapters taking place 18 and 10 years ago, I found myself drinking in every small detail. Even if the beginning was slower than what I usually prefer, I think that it was essential for the building of the story and to understand the characters better. Getting to know more about an 18 year old Savannah and a 20 y.o. Zack not only added to the whole story but helped me understand them better and added to them a more than solid past.

The writing style is simply exquisite! The pace of the story is even, with not a single moment where I felt bored or tired even when nothing happened. Because granted, the whole uncovering the past mission started quite late in the story but still, I was more than occupied wondering what happened between Savvy and Zach and drove them apart and then all I wanted was to see them back together as soon as possible. The sexual tension between them was delicious and the sparks were all over the place. And that is partially because of those few flashback first chapters.

There wasn't much action in Midnight Secrets I'm afraid, but the mystery was well written and uncovered in an even pace, with small clues given every other chapter making me wondering for quite some time. Yeah I found the villain soon enough but I wasn't 100% certain of the identity until the ending. Maybe it wasn't that difficult to put everything together but at least there was some well delivered mystery to the whole story plus the motive was also not easy to figure out.

The character development is also great and both main and secondary characters are well explored and have a voice of their own. Maybe because most of those characters will re-appear in the next books but still, Ella Grace did a splendid job with all of them. I could watch how both Savvy and Zack matured through all the difficult things they had to survive, how all of those things affected them and shaped them as adults. And that is my favorite part of the story I think.

All in all, Midnight Secrets was a very pleasant surprise for me and I just can't wait for the next book in the series to be published! Ella Grace (a.k.a. Christy Reece) is an author to watch out for!

*This title was provided for review via Edelweiss

REVIEW: A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce by Jillian Stone

A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce by Jillian Stone

Series:The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard, #2.5

Publication Date:November 6th 2012

Publisher:Pocket Star

ebook, 100 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website

A force of attraction...too tempting to resist.

As readers of The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series already know, Archibald “Archie” Bruce heads up the crime laboratory for Special Branch. Undervalued and overworked, the brilliant young man has no time for a social life—that is, until the heroine's father, a noted chemist in his own right, offers Archie a deal. He will modify a secret latex compound that will transfer fingerprints from the crime scene to the lab. In exchange, Archie must agree to tutor his charming but exasperating daughter, Miss Fiona A. Rose, for the major pharmacy exam.

But as Archie and Fiona attempt to study for the major, they can't help but get involved in a bit of sleuthing. Was the fire in the opium den accidental or deliberately set? Who was behind the lab explosion? Not to mention the strange and haunting memory of a masquerade ball and a very seductive kiss...

Amidst the pop quizzes and danger, Fiona and Archie ultimately find the force of attraction too tempting to resist.

A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce is part of the very successful Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series, written by Jillian Stone. And if you read my reviews of the previous two books in this series, then you know that I'm in love with both Jillian Stone's writing style and her stories. So, it comes as no big surprise, that A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce, didn't fail to impress me!

I'm usually not a big fan of novellas, because in most cases, the story and the plot are pretty basic, and the character development is non existent. Not that I haven't been impressed or really liked novellas, but in most cases, they fail me. So, I'm more than happy to admit that even with a novella, Jillian Stone manages to retain the same quality in her writing, that makes her stories truly stand out!

A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce may be smaller than her full novels, but it's just as good as the previous two books in the series!

This story is about Inspector Bruce and Fiona, who fall in love during some seriously hot chemistry lessons and amidst a very dangerous setting! What's there not to love!

Inspector Bruce is as hot and smart and courageous as the rest of the Scotland Yard gentlemen, while Fiona is as independent as the previous two ladies we got to know in the previous books. One might believe that meeting characters that share the same qualities in each book in this series might be a little bit boring, but let me warn you here, that even though all the characters share some qualities, they are not alike, not by a long shot. You have enough reason to remember each and everyone of them for very different reasons :)

The story is again action packed, even if the resolution comes quicker due to the length of the story and probably for that very same reason, it was way to easy for me to guess the traitor. But even so, A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce was a highly enjoyable read!

All in all, Jillian Stone manages to make me love her work more book by book! And with all those tempting glances at Agent Gunn, I just can't wait to read his story!

*This ARC was provided for a review from Edelweiss

REVIEW: A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis by Jillian Stone

A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis by Jillian Stone

Series:The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard, #2

Publication Date: August 28th 2012

Publisher:Pocket

Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

The fates had been perversely mischievous of late—case in point, Raphael Lewis. . .

When Fanny Greyville-Nugent’s father suffers a gruesome death in the clutches of his own machine, mourning his loss is not the beautiful heiress’s only heartbreak. Scotland Yard is convinced he was targeted in a plot to halt the rise of industry, and Fanny’s former fiancé, dashing and dubious detective Raphael “Rafe” Lewis, has been assigned to the case.

For the estranged ex-lovers, bringing the notorious assassins to justice proves as tumultuous as quelling pent-up desires. Fighting peril and passion at every turn of a dangerous journey from Edinburgh to London, they are pursued by an anarchist group hell-bent on destroying her father’s mysterious entry into the London Industrial Exposition.

When an astonishing discovery about the couple’s failed engagement surfaces, the sleuthing duo realize they can trust no one. Rafe confesses new details about his infidelity and Fanny risks all to avenge her father’s murder. But will Rafe and Fanny triumph over the pain of their past?

I'm in love with Jillian Stone's writing style! Simple as that! A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis might be only the second book I read written by this author, but let me tell you, I'm pretty certain that she can't disappoint me, no matter what. There's just something unbelievably fresh in this author's style of writing that I simply can't get enough!

The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard is currently among my favorite historical romance and romantic suspense series for a number of reasons! Excellent writing style, a plot that makes it impossible to put those books down and heroes that you simply wish that they were real! In this second book in this series, we follow the adventures of Raphael and Fanny, who get reacquainted under the most difficult and dangerous situations and fall back in love, or to phrase it more correctly, manage to speak of their emotions to each other, because they never fell out of love!

Among the things that I love most in Jillian Stone's stories is the way she portrays her heroines. They are strong and independent in a time period that wanted women to stay in the shadows. I love how both Fanny, as well as Cassie in An Affair with Mister Kennedy, are women who speak their mind and don't just stay behind a strong male. Because let's face it, Stone knows how to write her heroes as alpha as one could hope! So, in the character department, no complains whatsoever from me!

Well, to be honest, I have no complains about anything in A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis! The plot is fast paced and action packed, with Fanny and Raphael being chased constantly, throughout the whole book, until the very end. The bad guys are also good and their cause believable whereas the writing style like I said at the beginning is just perfect! At least for me and my taste! From the moment I picked this book up, I just couldn't put it down!

All in all, Jillian Stone is among the most promising authors whose work I met last year and her stories simply addictive! If you love your Historical Romances from a fresh point of view and full of action, then just pick this series. You won't be disappointed!

EARLY REVIEW: Killing Time by Cindy Gerard

Killing Time by Cindy Gerard

Series:One Eyed Jacks, #1

Publication Date:January 22nd 2013

Publisher:Pocket Books

Paperback, 416 pages
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

“We can do this easy,” she whispered close to his ear as he groaned in agony, “or it can go real hard on you.” Well, of course he wasn’t going to go easy.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cindy Gerard plunges readers into the heart of a seductive contest of wills between a hard-living hero and a beautiful rogue operative who is on a mission to dig up the secrets of his past. Tension sizzles in this pulse-pounding first adventure in Gerard’s action-packed new series as Eva Salinas lures Mike Brown from the sultry streets of Lima, Peru, to the desolate Idaho wilderness on the hunt for the cold-blooded traitor behind a fatal military operation that haunts them both.

Killing Time is the second book I read written by Cindy Gerard, the first one being To The Edge. And although I didn’t really like that book, I decided to give this author another chance and read something else of hers. But unfortunately, Killing Time wasn’t the right book for me either.

Before I say anything else, I need to clarify that Killing Time is a really well written story. Throughout the whole book, Cindy Gerard’s experience and the fact that she is a best seller author was quite evident. You could see that in the way the story progressed, in the way she built her characters, in everything. Having said that, from the very first chapters and right until the end of this book, I couldn’t really get into the story or really care about the characters and their happily ever after. And I tried really hard to, believe me. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t bring myself to really care about this story, which brings me to the conclusion, that since technically, Killing Time is a pretty good book, the fact that I didn’t like it, is purely a matter of taste.

I found the story a little bit slow moving at times, especially at the beginning, with way too many military details that confused me. As confusing were the many changes in the POV. And in this point I have to say that maybe that was because of the way the e-arc was structured that didn’t really help matters. So probably, if I had read the final version of the book and not the arc, my opinion on this matter would be completely different. As it was, I had a hard time getting into each POV.

Other than that, Killing Time, is an action packed novel, with some well written action scenes, a good romantic subplot, but still, all that couldn’t hold my interest, even if there wasn’t any insta love (which I always seem to hate), but there was lots of insta lust (which I usually don’t mind). The bad guys as well as the traitor were as predictable as one could get, making my interest on the story, which already was lost, sink into new depths.

All in all, I can’t really say if Killing Time is worth your time or not. It’s purely a matter of taste. Because even though as a book it didn’t work for me, it was quite well written and with a good set of both main and secondary characters.

* This title was provided for review through Edelweiss

REVIEW: Midnight Rescue by Elle Kennedy

Midnight Rescue by Elle Kennedy

Series:Killer Instincts, #1

Publication Date:May 1st 2012

Publisher:Signet Eclipse

Mass Market Paperback, 354 pages

Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

Dangerous. Ruthless. Savage. And she's the good guy.

Abby Sinclair had a desperate childhood until she was rescued and adopted by a retired army ranger who molded her into a master of self-defense. Now, she's a cunning and fearless assassin thrust into assignment after dangerous assignment, using everything she has-nerve, resilience, strength, sex-to come out on top. Her only rule: trust no one.
Abby's latest assignment is in Columbia: go undercover and snuff out a dangerous arms dealer active in the underground sex trade. But when Abby purposely blows her cover in a last-ditch attempt to free the helpless victims, deadly mercenary Kane Woodland is recruited as back-up. His mission: get Abby out of that hell hole.

The last thing Kane expects is to feel a primal attraction for Abby. But when she convinces him to join her on her perilous mission, their newfound passion could put the lives of their whole team at risk.

Midnight Rescue was a surprise for me! Not because I wasn't expecting it to be good, but because I was afraid to pick a romantic suspense book after all my mediocre choices within this genre over the past months. And I'm glad to say, that finally, I got a book that warmed me up to the genre again :)

Midnight Rescue is the story of Abby, a strong and deeply wounded both physically and emotionally assassin, member of an elite team of female assassins run by the elusive Noelle (whose story I so want to read by the way) and Kane, member of an elite team himself, who has his own set of scars and fears.

Reading their story, was fascinating! I always like my heroes to be a little tortured, not because I'm some kind of sadist but because those characters, present certain challenges and have more interest in seeing them overcome their personal problems and pursue their HEA. And Abby is certainly one of those characters with her past. The nightmare she had to live through has deeply affected her in the present, the way she perceives human interaction and sexual relationships. Seeing her overcome all those issues and getting close to Kane was beyond interesting. And Kennedy did an excellent job in describing and building her character. Abby is one of the strongest female characters I have ever encountered.

Kane on the other hand, is your typical alpha hero to drool all over, I enjoyed reading about him, but his character development wasn't so great as Abby's. Sure, Kennedy did a splendid job building not only her main characters, but the secondary ones as well, but I think that Kane needed a little bit more work.

And now that I mentioned the secondary characters, I just have to say it. One of the best things about Midnight Rescue is how along with the main story, Kennedy explored, more than I expected, the story of some of the secondary characters making me feel at times that I was reading not only Abby and Kane's story but Isabel and Trevor's as well. Their story was a great addition in an already great story, spicing things up even more and wetting my appetite for the future installments in this series. I mean Isabel and Trevor intrigued me. And I want to read their story like right now :)

The plot was full of action and twists, the villain was a psychopath like many others out there, but the whole setting, the description of the "final battle" and how they saved those girls at the end was genius and kept me at the edge of my seat.

All in all, Midnight Rescue is a great military romance title that I devoured in one sitting and I can't wait to get my hands on the next books in this series. Totally recommend it.

Blog Tour: Q & A with Lori Foster + Giveaway!

Today I'm really excited to welcome author Lori Foster in celebration of her latest release Run the Risk, book 1 in her brand new romantic suspense series Love Undercover.
Today we're the next stop in the Blog Tour for Run the Risk, and Lori stops by to answer a few questions about herself and as a bonus, there's a giveaway at the end of the post. Please check the full tour schedule here for more chances to win your own copy of Run the Risk and to learn as much as possible about this new exciting series :)

Please, welcome Lori!

1.Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Lori: Thank you! Where would authors be without readers? I love hearing from readers, sharing their interests and their lives, chatting online at Facebook and Twitter. Seeing their book reviews on Goodreads. Stealing their pins on Pinterest. J I am eternally grateful for their enthusiasm, dedication, and caring.

2.What’s your guilty pleasure?
Lori: I don’t really feel guilty about it, but I LOVE horror movies and action movies. I go to the theater at least once a week, often twice if there are movies I want to see. A bad horror movie is more entertaining to me that a perfect drama. And there are very few chic flicks I enjoy. Popcorn, cola, violence and blood – right up my alley. And if they throw in a sexy Alpha guy, I’m there.

3.If you weren’t a writer, what would be your career?

Lori: I doubt I’d have a career. Before publishing, I spent much of my time as a stay at home mom. I did babysitting, and I cleaned apartment buildings and other people’s houses. Now that my kids are all grown, maybe I’d have found something intriguing to do. But I have no way of knowing that now.

4.What do you do when you are not writing?
Lori: I go to the movies. Read in the evening. Spend the day on the lake, swimming, sunning, skiing, boating. I love the outdoors, so when I have enough time between books, we usually try to do something with nature – Hocking Hills, The Natural Bridge, parks, etc... I enjoy my large, extended family a lot, so we hold a lot of afternoon parties where everyone gathers, chats, eats... we have fun.

The thing is, I’m rarely not writing. My Muse tends to give me fits if I go too long between storylines. So I fit in the non-writing activities by force of will – and otherwise I just give my Muse free rein.

About Lori:

Lori Foster first published with Harlequin in January 1996. Her second book launched Temptation Blaze and her 25th book launched Temptation Heat. Since those early days, Lori has routinely had 6 to 10 releases a year. She's a Waldenbooks, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly and New York Times bestselling author with over 50 titles published through a variety of houses, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martins, Harlequin and Silhouette. 

Visit Lori Foster:

Goodreads ~ Website ~  Twitter

 


About Run the Risk:

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer's crosshairs?

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MediaMuscle has generously offered a paperback copy of Run the Risk to one lucky winner.The contest is open US/Can only, sorry :)

Good Luck to all!

Guidelines

~ The contest is open US/Can only.

~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.

~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org

~ The prize is submitted by the author/publisher and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.

~ The contest will be open until October 31st.

~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 24 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Run the Risk by Lori Foster

Run the Risk by Lori Foster

Series:Love Undercover, #1

Publication Date:September 25th 2012

Publisher:Harlequin HQN

Paperback, 379 pages

Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer's crosshairs?

Review first published at Book Lovers Inc

It saddens me to say so, but Run the Risk disappointed me in many levels. It's not the fact that it is a bad book, or anything as simple as that, but for a Lori Foster book, it is nothing close to what I expect from this author.

I haven't read much from this author, granted, but I have heard so many great things about her writing and her stories, and from the one book I have read of hers, my expectations were pretty high. And having high expectations from a book or an author, never works in my advantage. Never.

Run the Risk is the first book in Lori Foster's new romantic suspense series, Love Undercover, and it's the story of Logan, an undercover detective who will stop at nothing to uncover his best friend's murder and Pepper, sister of the sole witness in the murder case Logan tries to solve. Intriguing enough? I know I was intrigued to no ends as soon as I read that blurb and I just had to read this book immediately. Now that I actually read it, maybe I shouldn't have rushed to it so quickly. Run the Risk was a typical romantic suspense story, with nothing fresh to add to the genre and with a romantic plot that could have been so much better. As it is, neither the plot, nor the romantic part of the story holds something memorable or remarkable. We get an alpha male, a heroine that from an ugly and sitting duck transforms into a swan and an independent woman everyone lusts after and a mystery that is pretty predictable and easy to solve.

My first problem with this book was the main hero, Logan. Granted, from the blurb I knew that he would try to seduce Pepper to serve his own means. That fact on itself is something I don't usually enjoy reading, but if done correctly, I end up loving it. But, Logan and his attitude didn't help matters. He was much too arrogant for my taste, much too certain for his sexual prowess and at times, ruthless. At least that's how I saw him. Pepper on the other hand was an easy victim, who didn't think twice on acting at the exact same way when Logan's betrayal revealed and use him in turn to satisfy her sexual needs. At least Logan had an ulterior motive. Pepper's revenge on him was purely mean. And how could she ever sleep with a man she felt betrayed from is beyond me. So, one could safely assume that the romantic department of the story was a total failure for me. I didn't care neither for Logan nor for Pepper and their happily ever after left me deeply untouched. I couldn't connect with neither of them, almost from the first chapters of the story.

The plot is typical for the genre. Some mystery, some hot scenes, and like I said before, nothing memorable... Especially the first half of the book was boring. The second half was way better and the reason my overall rating of Run the Risk isn't lower. It possessed a certain spark and things finally picked up a bit. Contrary to the first half where all we got to read was how much Logan and Pepper lusted after each other, even if they shouldn't, for their own reasons. And talking about lust and sex between those two, I still can't understand why Pepper was against the whole touching thing. An explanation is given, but from the way she reacted to every touch I assumed something greater was behind her attitude. But now. Nothing great or exciting...

The writing style is good. We are talking about a Lori Foster story here. The writing is expected to be good. As good and sexy are the sex scenes as well, but for a sex scene to work for me and to enjoy it I have to care for the protagonists. If I don't, then even the best written and sexiest scene fells flat for me. And that was the case with every sex scene in this book. I couldn't connect with the heroes, so the spark between them eluded me. It almost felt as if they didn't care for each other and all they wanted was to blow off some steam, and that wasn't the case, believe me, but it surely felt that way at some points.

All in all, Run the Risk is just a good book for me, nothing special, with a set of characters I could feel no real connection and a mystery that was far too predictable. Still, I read it pretty quickly, so that counts for something, right?

Blog Tour: The Russian Seduction by Nikki Navarre + Giveaway!

Today I'm really happy to be the next stop in Nikki Navarre's Blog Tour for her newest release The Russian Seduction, a romantic suspense story that sounds really exciting! Nikki stops by today with an excerpt of her brand new story you don't want to miss :)

For your chance to win your own copy of The Russian Seduction check the end of the post for the details and don't forget to visit all the other bloggers participating in this tour, to multiply your chances :) You can find a full schedule of the tour here.

The Russian Seduction by Nikki Navarre Teaser

Victor Kostenko was the golden boy of the Russian Navy, a submarine captain with a maverick image, until he lost his command for an act of treason he didn't commit. Arrogant, aggressive, and super-smart, the captain pairs his daunting reputation with an appetite for adventure. And he's never met a rule he won't break. Now it's rumored he'll do anything to get back in his government's good graces.

Political Counselor Alexis Castle is one of the highest-ranked diplomats at the U.S. Embassy, a rising star who yearns to live up to her father's legacy as a legendary ambassador. Brilliant and driven, she's always played by the rules. She'll torpedo her career for sure if she falls for one of the world's most dangerous men—a bad-boy Russian sub captain who breaks every rule in the book.

In this teaser from The Russian Seduction, my debut romantic suspense release set in the glittering cosmopolitan world of modern-day Russia, Victor and Alexis have just made contact in a private box at the Bolshoi Ballet. It’s an unconventional choice of locale for political negotiation, set up by Victor, that has Alexis pretty unsettled. Her career rests on establishing a dialogue with the renegade captain, but each of them suspects the other of being an intelligence agent with a hidden agenda. Given the risk that Victor is under orders to compromise her—not to mention the virtual certainty that they’re under surveillance—the sizzling chemistry between them is an itch she can’t afford to scratch.

                                                                          # # #

“What else can you tell me?” Alexis was all business.

“I can tell you that the government of the Russian Federation wishes to maintain unofficial and informal channels of communication with yours on this issue—at my level.” Kostenko’s voice altered, deepened. “So as you see, Ms. Castle, I have now an unimpeachable excuse to entertain you from the most elegant to the most risqué locales in Moscow, on a weekly or even nightly basis…if one were to wish for that.”

Her breath snared in her throat, heart stuttering like a novice Third Secretary fielding orders from the President. Outbluffed and outgunned—damn it, she was better than this. Kostenko had to be mocking her, trying to disconcert her. Or maybe he simply viewed her as another chance to flaunt the rules by implying that some sort of inappropriate attraction sizzled between them.

“Would one wish for such a thing, captain?” She raised a skeptical brow to show him she wouldn’t rise to his bait, but found herself retreating before he could pounce. “Naturally, I can do nothing and commit to nothing without instructions from my capital.”

“Naturally.” A diabolical gleam flickered in those diamond-hard eyes as he shrugged, probably for the benefit of their viewing audience. “Do what you must, Ms. Castle.”

Behind the concealment of the low barrier before them, he leaned in and captured her hand. Alexis lost any semblance of professional detachment when she fumbled and dropped her pen.

Taking advantage of that flicker of hesitation, he tightened his warm calloused grip. The rugged hand of a laborer or an extreme sports enthusiast, exactly the type of rough-edged adventurer that always turned her on. But he was escalating their encounter to the physical for purely strategic reasons, so why the hell was she thinking about guys who’d turned her on?

He turned her hand upward, traced the lines of her palm, feather light. An unexpected shiver of pleasure zinged up her arm, making her entire body tingle.

“Tell them in Washington whatever you wish,” he murmured in a liquid torrent of Russian that arrested her, head bowed over her hand. The hot brush of his breath on her palm made her shudder as his cobalt eyes seared into her. “Tell them, why don’t you, that the first time I saw you at the German Ambassador’s residence, I burned to discover how you would look and feel and taste in my bed.”

Whoa. The raw physical shock of those words surged through her. He’d probably said it to disconcert her, throw her off-stride. Did he guess it’d been years since any man pursued her sexually—all too intimidated, she supposed, by her crisp diplomatic persona and her famous last name?

But Kostenko’s underhanded tactics appeared to be working, because she couldn’t seem to get enough breath into her lungs to challenge him. Consequently, that current of low-voiced Russian kept rolling right over her.

“Tell them in Washington that I’ve thought of nothing else.” His eyes riveted hers like lasers, tracking her every reaction. “Tell them your knees go weak and you get goosebumps when I touch you. Tell them everything—if you require instructions from your capital to know how to respond.”

She sucked in oxygen to roast him for his arrogance—and to rebuff him, that went without saying. She needed to regain control with an unequivocal rejection, for the sake of her career, and for so many other reasons she couldn’t even count them.

“I hardly require instructions from Washington, captain, to know how to deal with a man like you. A woman in my position gets hit on all the time, unfortunately, so your antics barely stir my interest.”

“But you’ll report the conquest to your capital nonetheless, won’t you?” He froze her with an icy smile, shocking after his heated words. “I’m fairly certain they’ll tell you ‘well done hooking him,’ and to reel me in. Or should I consider it mere coincidence that the government of the United States has appointed you to become my counterpart—the woman they calculated I’d be least able to resist?”

OK, he was definitely playing her, plucking her strings like a maestro with a violin. And she’d better not let him think his ploy was working.

“Sorry, but I’m still unmoved by your charms,” she said blandly. “If you want to disconcert me, I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that.”

“Is that a request or an instruction?” His mouth nuzzled her palm, shredding every pretense of indifference she’d projected. A deep throb of response rolled through her, shocking her.

Low in her throat, a sound shivered out before she could swallow it. And despite the murmur of half-a-dozen languages rising from the parterre, she prayed he hadn’t detected it—he, whose life had hung on listening and reacting in the ocean’s dark depths.

He shot her an upward look from eyes that flickered with electric heat. “How am I doing now, Ms. Castle?”

DOSSIER FOR NIKKI NAVARRE
DECLASSIFIED

Subject: Nikki Navarre
Assignment: Double Agent
Cover: Diplomat. Playgirl. Author of The Russian Seduction.

Nikki Navarre is the sinister twin of unsuspecting historical romance author Laura Navarre. In her other life, Nikki is a diplomat who’s lived in Russia and works on weapons of mass destruction issues. In the line of duty, she’s been trapped in an elevator in a nuclear power plant and has stalked the corridors of facilities churning out nerve agent and other apocalyptic weapons. In this capacity, she meets many of the world’s most dangerous men.

Inspired by the perilous realities of her real life, Nikki writes romantic suspense set in glamorous international locales and laced with political intrigue. Her literary credentials are suspiciously similar to those of her innocent twin. A member of Romance Writers of America’s Published Author Network (PAN), winner of the 2012 Pacific Northwest Writers Association award for romance and a 2009 Golden Heart finalist, she has won the Emily Award for Excellence, the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Award, the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award, the Golden Pen, Hearts through History’s Romance through the Ages, and other awards.

Nikki holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from the University of Southern Maine, an M.A. in National Security Policy from The George Washington University, and other alarming credentials. Based in Seattle with her screenwriter accomplice and two Siberian cats, she divides her time between her writing career and other adventures for U.S. government clients. Her notorious adventures in the world of diplomacy will get her in trouble one of these days.

The Russian Seduction (October 2012) may be the last mistake she ever makes.
 

Nikki’s Coordinates:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

 
About the Russian Seduction:
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Foreign Affairs, #1
Tone: Dramatic, action
Heat Level: Hot
Tags/elements: Romantic suspense, international intrigue, political romance, contemporary romance, Russia, diplomacy, espionage, sex, glamor, mystery, suspense
Publisher: Affluent Press
Publishing Date: October 1, 2012
Word Count: 258 pages
Format: Digital and Print
Purchase Info: Amazon, All Romance ebook Digital

State secrets have never been this sexy.

Victor Kostenko was the golden boy of the Russian Navy, a submarine captain with a maverick image, until he lost his command for an act of treason he didn’t commit. Arrogant, aggressive, and super-smart, the captain pairs his daunting reputation with an appetite for adventure. And he’s never met a rule he won’t break. Now it’s rumored he’ll do anything to get back in his government’s good graces.

Political Counselor Alexis Castle is one of the highest-ranked diplomats at the U.S. Embassy, a rising star who yearns to live up to her father’s legacy as a legendary ambassador. Brilliant and driven, she’s always played by the rules. She’ll torpedo her career for sure if she falls for one of the world’s most dangerous men – a bad-boy Russian sub captain who breaks every rule in the book.

When a hard-line Russian leader invades a country the U.S. promised to protect, war can only be avoided by a risky undercover liaison between one man who has everything to gain…and a woman who has everything to lose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lit Connect has generously offered an e-copy of The Russian Seduction to one lucky winner. There will be one randomly drawn commenter from each tour stop that will win one digital copy of THE RUSSIAN SEDUCTION via All Romance ebooks. (The winner must have an ARe account to accept the 'gift').Open Internationally. 

Good Luck to all!

Guidelines

~ The contest is open to all.

~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.

~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org

~ The prize is submitted by the author/publisher and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.

~ The contest will be open until October 12th.

~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 24 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Guarding Jess by Shannon Curtis

Guarding Jess by Shannon Curtis

Publication Date:May 14th 2012

Publisher:Carina Press

ebook
Useful Info: Goodreads, Author's Website

Jessica Pennington's work as an etiquette coach requires her to be polite and proper at all times, especially now that she has a book coming out. The only thing that rattles her reserve is the increasingly violent emails and texts from her persistent stalker. With the book launch in jeopardy, she reluctantly hires a bodyguard.

Noah Samuels hates stuck-up, prim people like Jessica. He's more the blunt, straightforward type. But to advance up the ranks at McCormack Security, he has to take the high-profile assignment. After a near miss on his first day on the job, Noah realizes that the stalker isn't just hype cooked up to sell books-the threat is real.

As the stalker escalates from letters to letter bombs, Noah sees a vulnerable side of Jessica that rouses more than just his protective instincts. But can she let down her guard long enough to trust Noah before it's too late?

Review originally posted at Book Lovers Inc

Guarding Jess is yet another quite entertaining but not at all unique or memorable romance title I read this year... There was absolutely nothing wrong with Guarding Jess but I'm afraid it lacked most of those elements that would make it a story that could stand out among all the other romantic stories that one can choose from. On the other hand it was fun and quick and in its entirety an enjoyable read.

Let's face it, I'm a sucker for romantic suspense stories, especially those that have a sexy and hot bodyguard in them. Granted, I like my heroines strong and not a damsel in distress in need of a knight in shining armour, but once in a while, I crave for a good alpha male that saves the heroine a couple of times. And Guarding Jess, had exactly what I was looking for: a delicious alpha male who was more than able to save the heroine, Jess. And Jess in turn, may have been a damsel in distress but she wasn't weak at all. And I really liked that about her. Even when she was scared and her life was in danger, she was strong, she tried to mask her fear in a veil of stubbornness and didn't run and hide when facing a dangerous situation. All those things made me really enjoy this story.

But, as I said in the beginning, there was nothing quite memorable about anything in Guarding Jess. Even if the story was well executed and interesting, the recipe is well known and even more well used. I can't even count how many similar stories there are out there, and even if Shannon Curtis did a good job with her writing, in the end of day, I'm quite certain that I will forget everything about this book sooner rather than later.

I can't pinpoint exactly where those feelings come from. Maybe because both Jess and Noah didn't possess that certain quality to make me really feel them and invest on them. They were nice characters but nothing extraordinary. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't really love them, I couldn't care for them. I just read their story, which might have been interesting, but that's it. As soon as the book was finished, I moved on, forgetting all about them.

The clipped sentences, didn't help matters either. They just made the narration seem forced. All those short sentences just distracted me a bit I guess.

And Noah and Jess I'm afraid weren't the definition of a hot couple. I couldn't feel the spark between them and in cases, I felt that the way they were brought together was a bit forced once more. I couldn't feel their connection, their feelings towards each other. And the sex scenes lastly, were just okay. Or maybe I felt they were just okay because I just couldn't invest in the main couple. Don't know exactly what to blame for this one.

All in all, Guarding Jess is a cute and quick read that you will have a good time while reading it, but other than that there is nothing special about it. But it is not a bad book, not by a long shot.

*The title was reviewed via NetGalley

Love is Murder Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Today I'm really excited to be the next stop in the Blog Tour for Love is Murder, an all new and exciting anthology edited by Sandra Brown with so many great romantic suspense stories written by so many great authors, that believe me you'll love it!

For this Blog Tour I'm happy to host Sherrilyn Kenyon with an excerpt of B.A.D. Mission, her story included in Love is Murder. You can get more info about the Blog Tour along with all the bloggers who participate  here. And don't forget to check at the end of the post for a giveaway :)

Sherrilyn Kenyon – B.A.D. Mission

There were only two reasons the man on that Ducati motorcycle had just rolled up Sam Garrett’s gravel driveway this morning—he wanted Sam to interrogate or terminate a target.


Or door number three…both.


Sam didn’t do extractions.


He lifted a rag off the engine of his ’78 IROC Camaro and wiped his hands. Had to be serious for Joe Q. Public, Director of Bureau of American Defense, to ride all the way from Nashville to South Texas through a scorching heat wave.


And after Sam had retired his black ops equipment two months ago.


He and Joe had reached an agreement. He’d thought.

BIO

In the past three years, New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon has claimed the number-one spot sixteen times. This extraordinary bestseller continues to top every genre she writes. With more than twenty-five million copies of  her books in print in over one hundred countries, her current series include: The Dark-Hunters, The League, Chronicles of Nick, and Belador. Since 2004, she has placed more than fifty novels on the New York Times list in all formats including manga. The preeminent voice in paranormal fiction, with more than twenty years of publishing credits in all genres, Kenyon not only helped to pioneer, but define the current paranormal trend that has captivated the world. For more on Sherrilyn visit www.SherrilynKenyon.com

Visit Sherrilyn Here:

Goodreads~Website~Twitter

~~~~~~~~~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prepare for heart-racing suspense in this original collection by thirty of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing romance suspense today.

Go on vacation with Allison Brennan's Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire's "bullet catcher"—bodyguard Donovan Rush—who may have met his match in the sexually charged "Diamond Drop." Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child's pitch-perfect "I Heard a Romantic Story" puts a whole new spin on Love Is Murder.

Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers—these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

MediaMuscle has generously offered a copy of Love is Murder to one lucky winner. (US/Can only, sorry.)

Guidelines

~ The contest is open US/Can only.

~ You must be 13 years old or over to participate.

~ The winner will be chosen via Random.org

~ The prize is submitted by the author and I have no responsibility whatsoever over it.

~ The contest will be open until June 23rd

~ The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to confirm his/her e-mail address before a new winner is selected.

~Fill the form below to enter ~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: Thriller 3: Love is Murder by Sandra Brown (editor)

Thriller 3: Love is Murder by Sandra Brown (editor)

Publication Date:May 29th 2012

Publisher:Mira

Hardcover, 608 pages

Book & Purchase Info: Goodreads, Author's Website, Book Depository

Prepare for heart-racing suspense in this original collection by thirty of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing romance suspense today.

Go on vacation with Allison Brennan's Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire's "bullet catcher"—bodyguard Donovan Rush—who may have met his match in the sexually charged "Diamond Drop." Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child's pitch-perfect "I Heard a Romantic Story" puts a whole new spin on Love Is Murder.

Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers—these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

This is a really good anthology! I'm not a really huge fan of anthologies, cause in most cases the weak stories are far more than the good ones but Thriller is a really good collection of short stories, especially if you take into consideration the fact that we are talking about something like 30 authors whose work is featured in this collection. That's really impressive to say the least!

Sandra Brown picked the authors and the stories that are featured in Thriller with great care and she presents a really unique anthology, with authors that represent many different genres and a collection of stories that cover a wide range within the romantic suspense genre.

We have mercenaries, bodyguards, cops, thieves, humans or paranormal creatures, everything one might want to find in a romantic suspense title is here. So, you are bound to find at least one story that you will like. But believe me, there are more!

Granted, I didn't like all the stories, neither were all 5 star. But there are some really great ones and all in one book! My favorite were by far those written by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Roxanne St Claire, Laura Griffin and William Simon. There were others I really liked as well and some I didn't really care but as far as anthologies go, Thriller is a well thought one.

I have to note here, that some stories were part of a series of books I wasn't acquainted with and I had some difficulty following them that resulted to not liking them in the end. But, on the other hand, I was introduced to a set of authors whose work I wasn't familiar with and I will definitely check them out from now on!

All in all, Thriller, is a well planed and impressive anthology that fans of romantic suspense should not miss.

*Thank you to MediaMuscle for providing me with a review copy of this title