Frog by Mary Calmes

4 STARS

I don't know why I put off reading this, it's been in the 'to read' shelf of my ereader since it came out last year, but put it off, I did. And then was up until 3AM this morning reading it. I could not put it down!

Weber Yates is the idea romantic cowboy lead and seriously, we should all hate him for being so perfect, but dammit, you just don't. You love him. You love him for all the reasons everyone else he comes into contact with loves him. And it's not like the love you have for someone like J.D. Robb's Roarke, who is perfect too. The love you feel for Weber is just... comforting? Hell, I don't know, it's just different. :) Mary Calmes does a masterful job in her creation of Weber, saving his perfection from being too stellar by making him a wee bit stubborn and a wee bit slow on the uptake about emotions. 

The love of Weber's life, Cy, was also a perfect mix of frustration, patience, understanding and hot sexy. Yeah, the sex scenes were incredibly hot. :) Looking for a comfort read that will leave you with a definite case of the warm fuzzies? Then this is your book. Get it, read it and sigh happily.

Dark Soul Vol 5 by Aleksandr Voinov

5 STARS

Dark Soul Vol 5 - Books 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15

So my power went off this morning due to a tree breaking in half and dropping over the hydro wires just down the street. I had a fully charged e-reader and time to spare, so, I decided to finish up the Dark Soul series. 

OH MY! I don't give out 5 stars easily, but this volume definitely merits them for many reasons. 

There were touching moments that grabbed my heart, not the least being the puppy. There was tension and not only sexual. There were moments of introspection on both Stefano's and Silvio's parts that I found myself nodding along to. I loved Dangerous!Silvio in Dark Frost. And Donata. Oh, my LORD that woman is sexy and hot and tender and well, let's just say that she fulfilled the promise from the first volume of the series. That moment in the kitchen... STELLAR. As well as what followed. 

This is a terrific series. Not easy to read. It's tough, gritty, bloody and violent; but it's also sweet, warm and tender on occasion, the right occasions. :) 

And I know that the quote is... "The saga comes to an end...", but I can't help but want more of Stefano, Silvio and Donata.

Dark Soul Vol 4 by Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Dark Soul Vol 4 - Books 8, 9 & 10

They fascinate me. All these characters just fascinate me. Stefano and Silvio, of course, but Donata and Franco too. This is one thing that the author does well, I think. Create memorable and layered characters - no cardboard cutouts here!

A purely shallow moment - I must say that the image of Silvio in his leathers, on his bike... OMG, so damned hot. :) 

What also has totally hooked me is the evolution of Stefano. Up until Dark Temptation I was thinking of him being in his early 40s, but he's younger. early 30s. and NOW I understand him a lot better. *LOL* Or I think I do. 

I love Aleksandr's writing and I love this series. I HIGHLY recommend it.

The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

4 STARS

Inn Boonsboro Trilogy - Book 3

And thus ends the trilogy. And I loved it. :) I think I love everything Nora writes to some degree. 

I have to admit that I wasn't as fond of Hope, this book's heroine as I was of Claire and Avery. Even when she was puzzled by or even upset about what was going on in her personal life, she had this cool, almost detached way about her that didn't endear her to me. 

Ryder, on the other hand, was a perfect Nora hero. And I ADORED that he didn't change by the end of the book. He didn't find it easier to talk about things, he still was puzzled by women, he was still wonderfully grumbly. I love how Nora writes men and that her books are as much about them as they are the heroines and in some cases even more about them. (One of my fondest dreams is that Nora write a M/M romance, but I know it will never happen.)

The Lizzy plotline wound up as I had suspected it would way back in #1, but you know what? I bawled my way through it. *LOL* And I also loved Justine SO much in this book. Coolest mom EVER!

So yes, I totally recommend the whole trilogy!

Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford

4 STARS

The Cole McGinnis Mysteries - Book 1

I enjoyed this! Good book. Good characters. Definitely the beginning of the series. This really could have been a great book if only the editing had been a little tighter. Not that there were huge, glaring errors, but little things, details, repetition of words, things that made my eyebrows knit together and slightly pull me out of the story. 

That being said, I totally love the unfolding of Cole and Jae's relationship. There's physical chemistry from the get-go, and it gets acted upon, but there's still so much emotional chemistry to be explored and the author takes that nice and slow. I also love Cole and Neko, the cat. :) 

The story is written in the first person POV, which is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is well-done in that respect. The mystery is good - I didn't have it figured out after 2 chapters which happens far too often. The supporting characters, Cole's brother and his secretary/conscience keeper are great. And I'm wondering if the lady detective is going to be a recurring character. 

I am very comfortable in recommending this book and am looking forward to reading #2 myself! :)

Priceless by Cat Grant

4 STARS

Irresistible Attraction - Book 1

I really enjoyed this and again, found it way too short. :) I want to know more about Connor and Wes, especially Connor because this is really Wes' story. 

I have discovered that while I quite enjoy novellas, I'm really a novel girl. I like to sink my teeth into good characters and good stories. BOTH of which this is, just... I want more. I know... I'm greedy. :) 

Read this one, it's good.

The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts

4 STARS

Inn Boonsboro Trilogy - Book 2

Another fun Nora comfort read. :) The dialogue is delightful, especially between the brothers. They talk like men and I love it! :)

The Flesh Cartel - Choices by Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau

5 STARS

The Flesh Cartel - Episode 3

And it continues. Episode 3 kept up everything that was great about episodes 1 & 2. We finally get to really meet Nikolai Petrovic and watch the man go to work. It's horrifyingly fascinating.

Mat and Dougie continue to break my heart but I can't help feeling that they are in a better place with Nikolai than they ever were back at the processing centre. At least, at first look, it's not as inhumanely brutal. I may be in for a rude awakening at some point, though. *LOL* 

If you have the wherewithal to tackle this series, I highly recommend it. The writing is wonderful, Heidi and Rachel are totally on their game. And while the premise might be out there, the looks we get into the minds of our main characters are utterly fascinating. And real, I think. And now I must wait with impatience for the next installment. February 4th... it's not THAT far away! *LOL*

Quid Pro Quo by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

4 STARS

Market Garden - Book 1

Loved this! I just wish there was MORE of the adventures of Jared and Tristan. I can't wait for more tales from Market Garden. I think Riptide and Aleksandr and L.A. have a hit on their hands. (And the cover art is terrific!)