The Last Bride in Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly

When Michael Kilbride, a handsome man with a dark past, arrives in the Irish village of Ballymuir, rumors begin to fly. While many turn against him, one woman steps forward—the village's beloved schoolteacher, Kylie O'Shea. Kylie's friends have long believed that proper Kylie is bound to fulfill the local legend of being the last bride in Ballymuir. But sparks soon ignite between Michael and Kylie. Will Kylie, who also hides secrets, find the courage to confront her past and claim passion as her own?
~~

I've got to admit I'm a sucker for a tortured hero and a go getter heroine. Both with scars, scared to move on and make a new life for themselves - it's the perfect amount of drama from me, and when combined with a well written supporting cast, I've got to say that this was a very pleasant surprise. I picked it up for free from Amazon after a Dear Author tip and didn't know what to expect - Irish romances have been a favorite of mine forever  (*cough* Nora Roberts *cough*) but me and new authors don't always get along. Kelly's written a romance centered on the emotional journey and the small town setting was perfect in that it allowed Michael and Kylie to shine at the center of it all. 

This is truly a romance where Michael and Kylie are the focus; they're drawn to each other but scared to subject the other to their own personal baggage. Switching view points from Kyle to Michael, Kelly draws the reader in, and makes their eventual happy ending that much more poignant. Neither of them believe they deserve or are going to get that forever love. It's a slow build up to trust, each having to prove to themselves and the other that they can withstand gossip, threats of violence, and family drama. I was very satisfied by the time I reached the end and am very interested in picking up the next two stories in this trilogy.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - 1) The Last Bride in Ballymuir 2) The Boldest Man in Ballymuir 3) The Brightest Flame in Ballymuir

(And it's still free on Amazon!) 

Men of Smithfield: Seth and David by L.B. Gregg

He’s everything I’ve never wanted—too young, too weird, too wild.

I wasn’t impressed that I had to get my weekly massage from a guy with a toe ring. But when I discovered David Cooke’s skills as a masseur were literally orgasmic, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and his amazing hands, day and night. Especially at night.

He’s full of surprises. And despite my bad behavior, David’s just as eager to explore this chemistry between
us. Turns out, there’s a lot more to him than hemp pants and tattoos. If he’s so wrong for me, why does being with him feel so right?
~~

I was a roller coaster of emotions reading this novella. Up - I'm glad David called Seth on his reaction during the first time they met. Down - why the heck was he on board for stranger danger sex outside? Those are just a couple of examples but I think you get the general idea. Seth's a complicated character emotionally; very closed off, confused with how to raise his niece now that his sister has passed. I hate giving an 'it's ok card' to people behaving like assholes but I'm willing to grant that he has a lot going on in his life. 

But that confusion they have about their individual futures is part of why I'm not completely happy with the rapid fire progression to sex. Things between Seth and David gradually become more even keeled as they learn about each other but just like I'm not ok with early sudden hookups in heterosexual romances, I'm not totally a fan of it here. Yes the sexual tension is just itching to be broken but when people are being mean/jerky I tend not to want to reward them for that. 

Still Gregg doesn't let Seth or David rest on what appear to be their personalities in the beginning. Both of them have some pretty crappy events in their past and it makes it that much harder to trust each other in those initial stages. That eventual coming together is what makes this romance a winner for me, even if the beginning of it wasn't totally my style. Combined with a realistic and logical approach to solving both blackmail threats and custody battles and I'm overall a happy camper.

Overall Feeling - B-

Series - 1) Mark and Tony 2) Max and Finn 3) Seth and David 4) Holden and Adam

**Title requested from NetGalley**

Mini Me: Laid Open by Lauren Dane

This is a digital only novella featuring Ben, Todd and Erin from LAID BARE. It takes place during some of the events in TART… It is NOT a standalone.

All she needed to pack was a few bikinis, a toothbrush and some sunscreen. This is what Ben told Erin when he presented her and Todd with tickets to Fiji and the promise of ten days of nothing but sleeping until whenever they wanted, sex without having to lock the door and lots of alone time.

And that’s what they have. Long days and nights filled with pleasure. Long enough that the stress and exhaustion drops away and the three can simply enjoy each other.

They’ve got heat. More than ever before. Recharging their batteries has also brought new levels of intimacy and connection. But when Erin stumbles over the pain of her past, both men band together to not only help her through, but to help each other as well.
~~

I think this novella is a great representation of what makes the Brown family series so wonderful - family, love, romance, sex, and a whirlwind of complicated emotions.

What you would think is going to be a quick romp in the sun, a vacation for Todd, Ben, and Erin, doesn't stay that way for very long. These are complicated characters who've suffered pain and that pain doesn't just go away. Now I don't sat this to take away from the sexy times - Dane is one of the few authors I think does a realistic representation of a menage pairing in a contemporary setting - but this isn't just about sex. All three love each other and count family as #1; being protective of one another and the spots that make them hurt is part and parcel with that.

Ultimately this isn't a stand alone, as Dane herself says. It works as a glimpse in to the lives of characters we've come to love already and I love having it in my collection.

Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara

Usually disaster doesn’t strike quite so close to home…

It has been a busy few weeks for Private Kaylin Neya. In between angling for a promotion, sharing her room with the last living female Dragon and dealing with more refugees than anyone knew what to do with, the unusual egg she’d been given began to hatch. Actually, that turned out to be lucky, because it absorbed the energy from the bomb that went off in her quarters…

So now might be the perfect time to leave Elantra and journey to the West March with the Barrani. If not for the disap­pear­ances of citizens in the fief of Tiamaris – disap­pear­ances traced to the very Barrani Kaylin is about to be trav­eling with…
~~

This is just a damn good fantasy series, ok? Even eight books in Sagara continues to write intricate but believable characters, races, and personal histories. Where in some series you might get bogged down by just how many characters share the scene with the hero, in these it never feels like that. Each book might not work so great as a stand alone, especially at this point as the story arc stretches pretty far, but you get to know the players so well. Men and women remain distinct entities and as the reader you want to know how their story ends - or at least where it drifts off into them doing their own thing.

I guess after finishing this particular book my only complaint is that there wasn't more of it! There's kind of a cliff hanger ending, though the most immediate battle does reach a conclusion. I'm an impatient reader and when you've spent 90% of the book setting up this one event, suddenly being hit with a big battle that, while cool, slows down everything else....it makes me a little sad. I want to know what's going to happen between Nightside and Kaylin during the recitation. I want to know how the reading/telling/comprehension of this particular story is going to change what we've already become so familiar with. I won't say this felt like it was dragging, or even so much like a filler book, but it is definitely a step to something grander and having to wait for the next part is hard as hell.

Overall Feeling - A-

Series - ... 6) Cast in Chaos 7) Cast in Ruin 8) Cast in Peril

September in Review

September was such a wild month! 1) I have no idea how it's already October 2) I can't believe I survived it. DC finally succumbed to Fall (even if things are still a bit up and down) so I've actually been able to pull out a cardigan a time or two without dying. Cuddling up in my comfy chair with cool air coming in through my balcony doors? Awesome, I'm telling you. 

I also think it's funny that I actually spent more times with authors and getting things signed after Dragon*Con. Usually that's my mecca but hey, if the writers I love want to come to DC, more power to them! The biggie was the 2012 National Book Festival where I got listen to such greats as R.L. Stine and Eloisa James. It was also the place where I stood in line for 2hrs to get some books signed by Charlaine Harris! Woot! 

After that, last Thursday in fact, I got to hang out after work with Megan Hart! I've read books by her and the past and heard Mandi from Smexy Books rave about her, but this was my first time meeting her. The crowds were low and the whole thing was super chill so thanks Barnes and Noble for hosting a spiffy author! 

And finally, after all that babbling, onto the books!

Burning Wild by Christine Feehan
Howl For It by Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden
Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston
The Mane Attraction by Shelly Laurenston
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire (A)
The Lost Night by Jayne Castle (Mini Me)
Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle
About Last Night by Ruthie Knox (B+)
Run the Risk by Lori Foster (B)
The Search by Nora Roberts
In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz
How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken (B+/A-)
Hunter's Season by Thea Harrison (A-) 

Looking at the list though I'd have to say Ashes of Honor wins as the best book of the month. If you are not reading this series you are missing out!!

 

Teaser Tuesdays (10/2)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"He decided there was no point in telling her he'd looked in the fridge and seen none of those things. There'd just be some variation of his mother's standard crack about Male Refrigerator Blindness Syndrome."

--pg 393, The Search by Nora Roberts

Hunter's Season by Thea Harrison

As a palace guard and assassin for the Dark Fae, Xanthe always wore a mask, hiding her emotions to do her duty. But when her identity is compromised, she trades undercover work for guarding Queen Niniane—a position that often brings her in contact with Chancellor Aubrey Riordan.

Aubrey’s trust is shattered. A year ago his wife tried to assassinate their new queen in his name, a betrayal of everything he believes in. And now an attack on his life is proof the dark conspiracy is not yet over. Although injured and weak, Aubrey can’t help but be drawn to this shy assassin and loyal protector. Xanthe is everything Naida wasn’t, and the passion she stirs in him is something he thought had long passed him by.
~~

As someone who loves and owns all of the books in the series but doesn't feel the same way about the novellas, I absolutely loved Hunter's Season. Even though for some reason I'd made Aubrey into an older looking man in my head (maybe I was distracted? I got nothing) the evolving relationship between him and Xanthe was both romantic and wonderfully drama-free. I'm sure someone out there is gonna say things were too easy but you know what? I don't need an epic battle every time supporting characters find their own HEA. 

After a brutal attack Aubrey and Xanthe are thrown together as patient and nurse, and for a woman who already has 'non-guardy' feelings for her charge this is a more difficult task for Xanthe than usual. She sees the honorable man Aubrey is, in spite of all the hardships he's had to endure and the personality he could have developed as a noble Dark Fae. She has less steps to take as her feelings evolve into love thus probably the best part of the story is reading about how Aubrey gets to know - and eventually love - Xanthe. She's so shielded in her normal life that as he gets to know her, to 'see' her, he has to learn what to do with all the new emotions. It makes for a wonderful fairytale :).

Highly recommended, though I can see how someone who hasn't read the books or the other novellas might not love it quite so much.

Overall Feeling - A-

Series - (Elder Races Novellas) 1) True Colors 2) Natural Evil 3) Devil's Gate 4) Hunter's Season