Review: Desire's Edge by Eve Berlin

Desire's Edge by Eve Berlin
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Source: Received ARC from author

As a lawyer, Kara Crawford knows how to keep a secret, especially after being spurned by an ex for revealing her sexual needs. Kara doesn’t expect to find anyone who can fulfill her more extreme desires—bondage and spanking–until she experiences one of the most incredible nights of her life with a man she’s always admired from afar.p>

…can set you free…

Sexual dominant Dante De Matteo knew Kara back in high school, and he never imagined her darkest fantasies would align so perfectly with his. The lovers don’t expect their passion to last more than a night, but when Dante’s new job turns out to be at Kara’s law firm, they find themselves confronted daily with the sparks of their blistering chemistry.p>

…but only if you give yourself completely.

As intense desire draws them closer, deep-rooted fears threaten to pull them apart—unless they can learn to embrace both the pain and pleasure of love.

Review: A Rose in Amber by Roberta CM DeCaprio

A Rose in Amber by Roberta CM DeCaprio
Series: Between The Rifle And The Spear (#3)
Release Date: July 8, 2011
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Page Count: 358
Source: ebook received from the publisher

True love, like a rose in amber, lasts forever...Sunny Eagle is sent to Brighton, England to live with her great aunt. After growing up on a reservation with her White mother and Apache father, Sunny must adhere to Britain's protocol and rules while coping with an overbearing aunt and a missing sibling.

Captain Rafe Cavendish vowed never to fall in love, again. Yet twice, when Sunny finds herself in danger, he comes to her rescue and saves her life. Can he keep his distance from this beautiful, caring woman, or will he lose his heart and have it broken a second time?

Review: A Ghostly Charm by M J Frederick

A Ghostly Charm by M J Frederick
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Release Date: August 10, 2011
Source: ebook provided by publisher

An isolated island off the coast of South Carolina, a cursed Celtic symbol, a ghost tour led by a handsome charlatan, and a reporter determined to debunk anything supernatural come together in A Ghostly Charm.

Maddy Saunders has come to McDavid Island on assignment for a new magazine, wondering how she’ll ever rebuild her ruined reputation by writing about ghosts.

Mal Sheridan leads a ghost tour to bring business to the island for his sister’s New Age shop. Business is good as long as no one is looking too closely. When his creative stories start to come true, he has to figure out why there are ghosts where there weren’t before.

Maddy decides to help Mal figure out why this is happening, while fighting her attraction for this inappropriate man. She has to put her faith in Mal, in something she never thought she could believe, to break a curse.

Review: Something Spooky This Way Comes anthology

Something Spooky This Way Comes anthology
Release Date: October 22, 2010
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Page Count: 111
Source: ebook provided by publisher

Halloween Anthology, 2010. A collection of eerie short stories, for Halloween or not! Exclusively from Turquoise Morning Press authors.
An Unhaunted House by Lozi Hart, A Trick for a Treat by Keri Ford, Dracula's Bath and Fireside by J.W. Keleher, Masked Souls by Tonya Kappes, A Witcherly Challenge by Maddie James, The Dragon Keeper by Janet Eaves, A Piece of her Soul by Magdalena Scott, and Finders Seekers by Jennifer Johnson.

Review: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Series: Medusa Girls (#1)
Release Date: Sept 6, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: ARC from Big Honcho

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Review: Best Reception by Ann Jacobs

Best Reception by Ann Jacobs
Series: Necessary Roughness (#3)
Release Date: May 2011
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Source: e-book provided by publisher for review

Wide receiver Sid Conyers is hot, dominant, an expert in rope bondage and almost any woman’s dream. He’s played in BDSM dungeons for years, with many women, but none he ever truly cared for. Now he finally has the woman he’s coveted…by default. He wants to be her lover as well as her Master.

Talia survived physical and emotional abuse from her former Master that has left her emotionally scarred and insecure. A true submissive, she yearns for Sid to master her despite her fear that she can’t win his heart…doesn’t deserve his love.

Sid is determined to mend Talia’s battered psyche. He will bind her with rope, but he’ll convince her with tenderness that she deserves all the love he has to give.

Review: Out on a Limb by Dana Stevenson

Out on a Limb by Dana Stevenson
Release Date: June 2011
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Source: ebook provided by publisher

When Ellie Addison, an event planner with a timid heart and tenacious spirit, finds herself getting the kiss of her life from an incredibly sexy stranger, she can't help thinking something's finally gone right in her life. That is, until she finds out the stranger is actually her new boss, Josh Degon, and it wasn't Ellie he'd planned on kissing. Now, if Ellie wants to keep her job, she'll have to keep her hot boss at a safe distance. She stands to lose it all if she doesn't get her life together. She's already misplaced her widowed dad. Oh yeah, and her keys too. And that timid heart she's fought to keep safe? If sexy Josh keeps going out of his way to seduce her, chances are damned good she's going to lose that too.

Review: Sizzle At Sea by Wynter Daniels

Sizzle At Sea by Wynter Daniels
Series: Long and Hard (#1)
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Release Date: August 2011
Source: ebook provided by publisher

All incognito heiress Kara Mikos wants is a vacation cruise and a hot shipboard fling. When her father phones to say there’s a plot to kidnap her, she brushes it off as another of his many attempts to control her life.

Private security expert Harper Long doesn’t mean to fall for his client’s sexy daughter but what better way to keep her close enough to protect? Granting his libido free rein comes with a price, though—a treasure he’s not willing to lose.

Guest Post & Contest: Robyn Carr

Real Love and Other Mysteries
by Robyn Carr

As a romance writer, I'm always examining the ingredients for true love. Real Love. The components that rock our romantic world. Some obvious things always spring to mind -- physical attraction, mastery in the bedroom, romantic gestures like flowers or small gifts that required thought rather than just a big credit card.

I will gloat, my life is not without some of those things. I get flowers. If they're not given to me, I give them to myself. I got a nice book contract a while back and gave myself a little something from Tiffany's, reasoning that my beloved can get a little sloppy about knowing when he should gift me. Of course we have attraction, my husband and I can clean up pretty good. We have our areas of expertise.

Review: The Sweet Letting Go by Mary O’Dell

The Sweet Letting Go by Mary O’Dell
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Publication Date: October 30th 2010
Source: ebook provided by publisher for review

When Reynolds Ernst, cynical and damaged of heart, returns to the little community of his birth after thirty years' knocking about, little does he know that he's about to rediscover the love of his life - only to be faced with the prospect of losing her forever. This is the story of how two people search for, and find, healing and peace in the midst of loss. How they come to believe with all their hearts that love and family are worth the risk.

Review: Captive Legacy by Theresa Scott

Captive Legacy by Theresa Scott
Release Date: June 10, 2011
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Page Count: 308
Source: ebook provided by the publisher

Heading west to the Oregon Territory and an arranged marriage, Miss Dorie Primfield never dreamed a virile stranger would kidnap her. Dorie's abductor is everything she's ever desired in a man, yet she's not about to submit to his white-hot passion without a fight.

Zander Durban's Indian mother was only a country wife -- rejected after his white father married a woman like Miss Dorie Primfield. The whole practice irks him, white men taking Indian women as temporary, country wives only to put them aside when an "acceptable" bride comes out west. Zander refuses to watch one more Indian woman suffer and decides intervention is needed. He kidnaps the proper Miss Primfield and takes her as his country wife.

But Dorie isn't like the woman who married his father and by a twist of fate he finds himself falling for her. Can they turn a captive legacy into an endless love?

Review: Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl
Series: Donovan Brothers Brewery (# 1)
Release Date: August 30,2011
Publisher: HQN
Pages: 384
Source: NetGalley

Too much of a good thing…

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman—or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break–in at her family's brewery. He's got his own problems—starting with the fact that his partner, Simone, is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother's playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension could tear her tight–knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their "baby" sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath. He's not who people think he is—and neither is she.

Interview & Contest: Ashley March

Jen: Please help us welcome Ashley March to Romancing the Book.  Ashley, will you please share a short bio with us?

Ashley: Thanks so much for having me here today, Jen!

After spending countless hours memorizing both traditional and simplified Chinese characters, perfecting her tones, and practicing her speaking with any Chinese native she could find, Ashley successfully graduated with a degree in Mandarin Chinese. She was determined to be the next best Chinese translator in the world. Then she discovered writing romances was as much fun as reading them, and her Chinese capabilities have never been the same. When she isn't writing, Ashley stays busy chasing around her two young daughters, attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado.

Jen: Tell us about ROMANCING THE COUNTESS and where it can be purchased.

Ashley: ROMANCING THE COUNTESS is about an earl and his best friend’s wife who are drawn together after their spouses—who were having an affair—die in a carriage accident. Here’s the official blurb:

Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, thought he'd married the perfect woman-until a fatal accident revealed her betrayal with his best friend. After their deaths, Sebastian is determined to avoid a scandal for the sake of his son. But his best friend's widow is just as determined to cast her mourning veil aside by hosting a party that will surely destroy both their reputations and expose all of his carefully kept secrets...

Leah George has carried the painful knowledge of her husband's affair for almost a year. All she wants now is to enjoy her independence and make a new life for herself-even if that means being ostracized by the Society whose rules she was raised to obey. Now that the rumors are flying, there's only one thing left for Sebastian to do: silence the scandal by enticing the improper widow into becoming a proper wife. But when it comes to matters of the heart, neither Sebastian nor Leah is prepared for the passion they discover in each other's arms....

Excerpt: Romancing the Countess by Ashley March

Chapter One

London, April 1849
 As on most every other night, Leah lay in the center of the bed and watched the shadows cast from the firelight flicker across the canopy. The steady lash of rain and wind rattled the windows in their cases, a buffer against the usual silence.

Lightning flashed through the room, and her breath caught as she stared at the illumination of silver-threaded flowers overhead. Even if the bedchamber had been suffused in darkness, she still could have recited each detail of the bed’s rococo-style construction. The fluted mahogany posts with their serpentine cornices. The shallow frieze of interwoven palmettes and draperies of lush, midnight velvet. The feet fashioned as lion heads below and the domed canopy above. When the lightning came again, Leah measured her breath, anticipating the accompanying growl of thunder.

Review: Rippler by Cidney Swanson

Rippler by Cidney Swanson
Series: Ripple Series (#1)
Publisher: Williams Press
Release Date: June, 2011
Pages: 180
Source: ebook won at Library Thing

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love. Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments. The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

Review: One Good Man by Nona Raines

One Good Man by Nona Raines
Release Date: August 5, 2011

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Page Count: 185
Source: received from the publisher for review

Just one touch...that’s all Andie Benedetto wants when she glimpses her father’s sexy neighbor. Images of deep, long kisses and down and dirty sex heat up her fantasies. When he catches her watching him, she’s embarrassed but undeniably turned on.

Just one weekend...that’s all Matthew Vostek can offer Andie. He recognizes her shyness, but also senses her desire, the same desire he feels. Maybe they can fulfill each other’s hottest fantasies.

Just an adventure...that’s what Andie tells herself. Tired of playing the good girl, she’s ready to accept Matthew’s challenge and enjoy the most exciting sexual escapade of her life. But when the weekend is over, will Andie finally take what she wants instead of settling for second best?

Review: 1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber

1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber
Series: Cedar Cove (#12)
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: Sept 27, 2011
Source: NetGalley

The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise.

But…someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, puppies she's determined to place in good homes. That's complication number one. And number two is that her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth's ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas. The girls have visions of a mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads.

As always in life—and in Cedar Cove—there are surprises, too. More than one family's going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending!

Book Tour Review: Moonlight Rises by Vincent Zandri

Moonlight Rises by Vincent Zandri
Series: Dick Moonlight Thriller
Publisher: StoneGate Ink
Release Date: August 13, 2011
Page Count: 201
Source: Partners In Crime Tours

“Life sucks. Then you die. Or, if you’re Dick Moonlight, first you die and then you live.”

Dick Moonlight is dead.

Really dead this time, now that three President Obama-masked thugs dressed all in black and communicating only with hand-held voice synthesizers pressed up against their voice boxes have beat the life right out of him inside a dark, downtown Albany alley. What are the thugs after? A box. Size, weight, description unknown. They also want him to stay away from his newest and only client: a handicapped nuclear engineer of dubious Russian heritage by the same of Peter Czech.

But then, now that they’ve killed him, Moonlight’s problems seem to be over. In fact, as he undergoes an out of body experience, his soul floating above his train-wreck of a corpse inside the Albany Medical Center I.C.U., he feels pretty damned good. Great in fact. To make death all the more sweeter, his one true love, Lola, is standing by his bedside. With her long dark hair draping her chiseled face and big round Jackie O sunglasses hiding tear-filled eyes, she appears every bit the grieving sig other. Nothing could make the dead-and-gone Moonlight prouder.

But then something happens. Something bad. A man enters into the I.C.U. Some young guy. He takes hold of Lola’s hand, and pulls her into him. Together, the two share a loving embrace over Moonlight’s dead body. Now, what seemed like a peaceful death is anything but. Moonlight wants back inside his body so he can face-off Some Young Guy and find out if his true love has in fact been cheating on him. At the same time, he wants to find out the true identity of those thugs who killed him so he can exact his revenge. No doubt about it, Moonlight needs to live if he’s going to uncover some pretty painful answers and take care of business.

Like a little kid dropping down a playground slide, Moonlight slides right back inside his bruised and broken body. Opening his eyes the white light blinds him. He feels the pain of his wounds and the pain of his breaking heart.

Life sucks, then you die.

But Moonlight rises.

Excerpt & Contest: The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wolff

From the author of the internationally bestselling 'A Vintage Affair' comes 'The Very Picture of You'. The novel is about a portrait painter, Ella and the extraordinary things that her sitters reveal about themselves to her in the special space that is a studio sitting. From an elderly widow, to a handsome politician, and a beautiful French woman, to Ella's own, very complicated mother, her subjects all have stories to confide, secrets to reveal - and lies to tell...

PROLOGUE

'Ella...? El-la?' My mother's voice floats up the stairs as I sit hunched over my sketchpad, my hand moving rapidly across the cartridge paper. 'Where are you?' Gripping the pencil I make the nose a little more defined then shade in the eyebrows. 'Could you answer me?' Now for the hair. Fringe? Swept back? I can't remember. 'Gabri-el-la?' And I know I can't ask. 'Are you in your room, darling?' As I hear my mother's light, ascending tread I stroke a soft fringe across the forehead, smudge it to add thickness, then swiftly darken the jaw. As I appraise the drawing I tell myself that it's a good likeness. At least I think it is. How can I know? His face is now so indistinct that perhaps I only ever saw it in a dream. I close my eyes, and it isn't a dream. I can see him. It's a bright day and I'm walking along and I can feel the warmth rising from the pavement and the sun on my face, and his big, dry-feeling hand enclosing mine. I can hear the slap of my sandals and the click-clack of my mother's heels and I can see her white skirt with its sprigs of red flowers.

Review: Broken by David H. Burton

Broken by David H. Burton
Release date: June 15, 2011
Publisher: Stonehenge Press
Pages: 246 pages
Source: Received from publisher for review

Three days before her twenty-fourth birthday, Katherine Gregory receives a letter from her deceased mother. It details a faery curse in which the eldest child in each generation will die in their twenty-fifth year. Three days before her twenty-fourth birthday, a new love interest comes knocking, and her first love has returned – neither men are what they seem, and Katherine may have to choose between them. Three days before her twenty-fourth birthday, Katherine must decide if this is all real, or if the strange visions she’s been having are just a figment of her imagination. The race to unravel the mystery begins, and Katherine must solve it – for any day after her birthday could be her last.

Review: The Lily and the Falcon by Jannine Corti-Petska

The Lily and the Falcon by Jannine Corti-Petska
Release Date: Sept. 9, 2011
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Source: ebook provided by publisher

Bianca degli Albizzi is outraged when sworn enemy Cristiano de'Medici asks for her hand in marriage. With her father's blessing, she weds the handsome warrior to end the war between Florence's two powerful families. But headstrong Bianca vows to teach her husband that loyalty cannot be bought...not even by seduction. Cristiano, a well-known warrior with the wealth of a king, could have any woman he desires. But for the sake of peace he ends up with a defiant bride who awakens his deepest passion. Her vengeful scheming puts them both in peril, but is he prepared to sacrifice his life to safeguard the woman who has stolen his heart?

Review: Not His Type by Shanna Hatfield

Not His Type by Shanna Hatfield
Series: The Women of Tenacity (#3)
Release: June 18, 2011
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Source: eBook from BookRooster

Anna Zimmerman has spent her entire life hiding in the shadows and perfecting her status of wallflower. She is a self-declared old maid. Washed up and doomed at the ripe old age of 24 to live alone in a tiny apartment full of cats. And she really isn’t all that fond of cats.

Jake Chandler, a cowboy too handsome for his own good, likes his women petite, blond and outgoing. When a chance encounter brings him nose to nose with the tall librarian across the street, he discovers his type of girl might be expanding to include statuesque brunettes.

First, he has to convince Anna to come out of her shell before he can prove she is the perfect woman for him.

Interview & Contest: Shayla Black

Jen: We are excited to have Shayla Black as our guest today. Shayla, will you please share a short bio with us?

Shayla: Since I have a hard time talking about myself, here is what I have on my website: Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the New York Times bestselling author of over 30 sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print and electronic publishers. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her "free" time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Review: Watcher by Dorothy Cox

Watcher by Dorothy Cox
Publication Date: October 15, 2010
Publisher: Class Act Books
Page Count: 324
Source: ebook provided by author

I am the man on the park bench, the one behind you in line, and the one you pass on the street. I am everyone and I am no one. I am nothing to anyone, and if you have ever seen me you wouldn’t remember. Having never known my name, they simply call me Simon.

Lilly wasn’t supposed to notice me. She wasn’t supposed to remember me. She wasn’t supposed to talk to me--or fall in love with me. I wasn’t supposed to notice her ethereal beauty, or care what she thought of me, or want to see her again, or wonder what it would be like to…to…hug… her. I definitely was not supposed to fall in love with her.

What would the Counsel do to us if they ever found out?

Review: The Vampire, The Witch and The Werewolf by Louisa Bacio

The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome by Louisa Bacio
Release Date: April 6, 2011
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Source: ebook provided by author

Haunted by paranormal abilities that she can’t control, and plagued by nightmares about a demon that seeks her soul, Lily Anima travels to New Orleans in search of salvation.

In the French Quarter, Lily dives into the paranormal world and enlists the help of an unlikely couple: a vampire, Lawrence Justice, and a werewolf, Trevor Pack. As the trio encounters ghosts, voodoo and unspeakable evil, will Trevor and Lawrence be able to help Lily turn her powers into a gift rather than a curse? And when Lily discovers that she needs to lose her virginity in order to embrace her powers and get the demon off her back, will the twosome be able to survive as a threesome?

Review: Serendipity by Carly Phillips

Serendipity by Carly Phillips
Series: Serendipity (#1)
Publication Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 304
Source: NetGalley

New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips presents the first in a delightful new series about a quaint upstate New York town where love, fate and fortune are intertwined...

Faith Harrington was the classic girl of privilege--until her father was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme and then her marriage crashed and burned.

Now Faith is back in her hometown, hoping for a fresh start. But her father's betrayal has rocked Serendipity - and not everyone is ready to welcome her with open arms. Then she runs into her teenage crush -- the dark, brooding Ethan Barron. Ethan, no stranger to scandal himself, never imagined he'd own the mansion on the hill, much less ever again come face to face with Faith--the princess he once kissed senseless. The chance meeting reignites the electric charge between them.

Still, when Ethan hires her to redecorate what was once her childhood home, Faith is sure that getting involved with the town's notorious bad boy will only lead to trouble. But her heart has other ideas. And so do the townspeople of Serendipity ...

Review: Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards

Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards
Series: Hot trilogy (#1)
Publication Date: August 2, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's
Source: Nancy Berland Public Relations

Welcome to the Rising Star Chef competition, where today’s hottest chefs battle it out on national TV for a chance at fame, fortune and culinary supremacy. Every contestant hungers to win, but only one will take the prize…

HE’S GOT THE SIZZLE

When it comes to competitive cooking, Max Lunden is no stranger to winning…though he’s never been great at working with a team. A master chef—and major hunk—he’s traveled the world, picking up new cooking techniques as well as beautiful women. But when the prodigal chef returns home to his family’s Greenwich Village restaurant, he discovers one too many cooks in the kitchen—and she’s every bit as passionate as he is…

SHE’S GOT THE FIRE

Juliet Cavanaugh used to have a crush on Max when she was just a teenager, hanging out at Lunden & Sons Tavern, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner’s oldest, and hottest, son. Now a chef herself—competing in the biggest culinary contest in the country—Juliet will be cooking side by side with the one man she’s always admired…and desired. But despite their simmering attraction, Juliet is determined to keep her cool—no matter how hot it gets…

Contest winners

Hope everyone had a great week.  I spent a couple days in Las Vegas to celebrate my birthday with my best friend.  It was a blast... but now I'm back trying to catch up with the blog.  :)

And since y'all are reading this post, you really want to know how won books this week... so here we go with the list.  All winners have been contacted via email.

Belle Whittington contest -- Winnie
Susan McCorkindale contest -- Becky, Chris, and Angel
Francine Howard Thomas contest -- Poisnivyred
J'adore New York contest -- Karen C

Jambrea Jo Jones contest -- Brandi
Damon Suede contest -- Fedora

Playlist: Summer's Indiscretion

Summer Heston is ready to give up on men and has sworn off blind dates permanently. A chance text message and phone conversation with two mysterious friends of Grace’s changes her mind. A dangerous situation literally thrusts her into their powerful arms as the attacks on her ladies’ adults-only boutique escalate and the tone of the Divine Morality blog grows more blatantly hateful.

Ace and Kemp work diligently to protect the women of Discretion while simultaneously striving to win Summer’s heart. A minor mistake on Kemp’s part has big repercussions for their budding romance as their ability to withstand their growing attraction for Summer crumbles. When their passion finally flares out of control their intimate tryst becomes much more than a minor indiscretion.

When an old flame knocks at the door, Summer must face her doubts and make a decision. Can she trust her instincts?

Review: My Wild Highlander by Vonda Sinclair

My Wild Highlander by Vonda Sinclair
Series: Highland Adventure (#2)
Release Date: August 25, 2011
Publisher: self published
Source: ebook provided by author

Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she's in dire need of his protection.

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him--Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?

Review: My Fierce Highlander by Vonda Sinclair

My Fierce Highlander by Vonda Sinclair
Series: Highland Adventure (#1)
Release Date: July 2011
Publisher: self published

Source: ebook provided by author

Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans--her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.

October RAK

Here's a wrap up of September's RAK

I sent a copy of Riptide by Cherry Adair to Marquetta at Love to Read For Fun.
Wither by Lauren DeStefano to Gwyneth of Rants~N~Scribbles

I received Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke from Anna at Anna's Book Blog 
And Changing the Game by Jaci Burton from Marquetta at Love to Read For Fun

It was a great month and I'm participating again this month.  My wishlist can be found here at Amazon and I'm number 59 on the signup spreadsheet.

Review: Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead
Series: Georgina Kincaid (#6)
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: September 1, 2011
Page Count: 277
Source: Shannon's Blog

In Georgina Kincaid, succubus and she-demon, #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead has created one of her most enticing characters. But with a shot at love, and maybe even redemption, is the ultimate seductress finally going soft? Like hell she is. . .

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations. . .to Las Vegas.

The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . .

Review: Rawhide and Roses by Maddie James

Rawhide and Roses by Maddie James
Release Date: April 2011
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Page Count: 238
Source: ebook provided by publisher

She's all roses...

Playing good sport to appease her best friend was one thing, but sophisticated Kim Martin was hardly equipped for a Colorado camping trip. Especially when their mountain guide was a rough-edged cowboy who was as untamed as the wilderness. His outdoors style might jump-start some women but a strictly indoors woman like Kim found him - almost resistible.

He's rough-and-ready rawhide...

Thad Winchester's patience for city women was wearing as thin as the seat of his jeans. But there was something about Kim that was putting his hard-and-fast don't-touch rule to the test. The plucky blonde was just the woman to share his Flying W. Ranch. All Thad had to do was bring out the wildflower in the refined beauty, and convince her that he was her man. Bar nothing.

Review: Teed Up for Love by Barbara A. Weitz

Teed Up for Love by Barbara A. Weitz
Release Date: April 28, 2011
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Page Count: 254
Source: ebook provided by publisher

A WORKING GIRL JUST HAS TO BLOW HER LID... Using her quick wit and take-charge attitude, Miranda Stiltgaard lands a marketing job for Stuart Golf Enterprises in Chicago determined to prove a well-educated girl raised in a small Alaskan town can succeed in a big city.

WHEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME SHE DIDN'T DO... Embezzlement of company funds sends aloof London bachelor, Keegan Stuart, roaring into Chicago to ferret out a thief and protect the family business.

THEN RISKS HEARTBREAK TO BOOT... Miranda hates that this unreadable Brit sees her as a backwoods frontierswoman dragging bear home for dinner. Or that she's capable of a crime. But if it's a fight he wants, she'll show him how it's done. Never does Keegan expect a woman of fortitude to rock his resolve and steal his heart...a heart he doesn't intend to lose

Review: Blown Away by Stormy Knight

Blown Away by Stormy Knight
Release Date: April 1, 2011
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Page Count: 17
Source: ebook provided by publisher

Ace McAllister used to be what Greer Patrick lived for. Now ten years later, he’s how she stays alive. Caught together outside during an F-3 tornado, they shield each other from the wrath of the storm. But, with their sizzling reunion, is Ace’s truck the only thing that’s blown away?

Review: Never Enough by Lauren Dane

Never Enough by Lauren Dane
Series: Brown Siblings (#4)
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Release Date: September 6, 2011

Source: Shannon's Blog

ALL THE RIGHT NOTES…

Gillian Forrester spent most of her life running from who and what she came from. Until Miles came along. From the moment she held the tiny newborn her older sister didn't want, Gillian stopped running and began to build a life for herself and her adopted son. Now, thirteen years later, as Gillian's sister lay dying, she reveals the father's identity and makes Gillian promise to find him.

Adrian Brown is the epitome of the successful rock star. He's seen and done it all, with few regrets. It takes a lot to shock him but the bombshell that he has a thirteen-year-old son rocks his world. And Adrian is even more surprised when the buttoned-up, elegant woman who's raising Miles snags his erotic and romantic attention.

The last thing Gillian expected was to find herself getting hot and heavy with a person like Adrian. But as much as she wants to open up and give herself fully to this amazing man, she's afraid the secrets of her past and Adrian's problems with trusting people may keep them apart for good. If love isn't enough can they find the trust they need?

Review: A Werewolf at the Falls by Marissa Chenery

A Werewolf at the Falls by Marissa Chenery
Publisher: Elloras Cave
Release Date: June 3,2011
Page Count: 65
Source: ebook provided by publisher

As a cocktail waitress at Fallsview Casino Resort, Jorja has been witness to some brow- raising moments. But she’s never been part of one until a hot-as hell patron in her section pulls her into his lap and kisses her senseless. Talk about a generous tipper. Lady luck has smiled on her indeed.

What was supposed to be a weekend of harmless gambling takes a dramatic turn when Kian’s wolf scents his would-be mate. Consuming her lips as if his life depends on it in the middle of a crowded casino is bad enough—but giving in to his mating urge and claiming her before she knows his true nature is nothing short of a disaster. And when a fellow pack member shows up and lets the wolf out of the bag, Kian is forced to admit not only who and what he is, but what he did. He may need more than luck to pull this one off.

Review: Black Jack by Mari Carr

Black Jack by Mari Carr
Release Date: May 20, 2011
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Source: ebook provided by publisher

When pirate Black Jack captures a ship at sea, he considers the territorial governor’s haughty daughter part of the spoils of war. Tying the fiery beauty to his bed, Jack claims Emma as his…over and over again.Jack has a secret. One he’s kept hidden from his best friend Emma… When she calls in a favor, asking Jack to perform in a pirate fetish fantasy at the nightclub she manages, Emma inadvertently opens Pandora’s box—for both of them. As portraying a dominant pirate forces more of Jack’s secret desires to light, Emma finds herself enmeshed in sensual explorations of BDSM, wax play, bondage and sex in public that leave her questioning her vanilla existence. When a second heated interlude on the stage finds her submitting to Jack, Emma suspects she’ll never find her way back to her simple missionary lifestyle. But with Jack in control…she’s not sure she wants to.

Review: Lie for Me by Karen Young

Lie for Me by Karen Young
Release Date: August 2, 2011
Publisher: Howard Books
Page Count: 349
Source: ARC provided by Nancy Berland Public Relations

Lauren Holloway's ex-fiance, Tucker Kane, is without an alibi when his ex-wife is murdered. Tucker claims to have been alone at a job site at the time, but he needs Lauren to lie for him so that he won't become a suspect in the murder. She refuses; now as a prime suspect, Tucker disappears without a trace. Years later, she sees him at an antique fair, and worried that Lauren will reveal his carefully constructed life, he forces his into her hotel room and tells her that he's trying to find evidence to clear his name. As Lauren tries to help Tucker, she questions her ability to judge character as she uncovers a labyrinth of deceit, putting her very life in danger.

Review: Paramour by Margaret Ethridge

Paramour by Margaret Ethridge
Release Date: December 31, 2010
Publisher: Turquosie Morning Press
Page Count: 178
Source: ebook provided by publisher

Two men: one living, one dead, and both vying for her love. Camellia Stafford has never been alone in her room. For twenty years, she’s been engaged in a fierce power struggle with her bedroom’s previous tenant, Frank DeLuca, the ghost trapped in the light fixture above her bed. Caustic and cranky, Frank has one soft spot—Cam. Over the years, their feelings for one another have evolved from grudging friendship to an enduring love that burns white-hot until Frank puts his feelings for Cam on ice. When she suffers the loss of her beloved father, Cam returns home to say good-bye, and confront her feelings for Frank. She finds an unexpected shoulder to lean on in neighbor, Bradley Mitchum. Cam falls hard and fast for the handsome ad man’s charming smile and passion-ate nature, but Brad’s easy-going exterior masks a steely backbone tempered by adversity. Now Cam must choose— Is her heart strong enough to determine which dream could lead to a love that will last a lifetime?

Review: The Heartbreaker by Maddie James

The Heartbreaker by Maddie James
Release Date: June 5, 2010
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Page Count: 196
Source: ebook provided publisher

The Heartbreaker is back in town. But whose heart will get broken this time?

As athletic director for the Parks Department, Lucki Stevenson spends most of her time coaching unruly teenagers instead of giving her heart a much-needed pep talk. And when all-grown-up, boy-next-door, Dr. Sam Kirk moves back to town, Lucki wants to forfeit the game of love completely! Sam broke her heart once before, and she won't give him a chance to do it again...

Returning home to care for his younger brother J.J., after his mother's death, Sam is happy to accept Lucki's expert advice about kids-and even happier that the tomboy he remembers is now a beautiful woman. When Lucki agrees to help him with J.J., Sam is sure he's on the road to success as an instant parent, and possibly as a husband-but first he's got to convince Lucki that he's not the heartbreaker he once was, and that good guys do finish first...

Review: Waiting So Long by Kaenar Langford

Waiting So Long by Kaenar Langford
Release Date: May 18,2011
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing
Page Count: 111
Source: ebook provided by publisher

Growing up, Vayle’s best friend’s younger brother Daniel was a pain in the ass. When Daniel shows up on Vayle’s doorstep, expecting to stay with him for a few days, Vayle discovers the last twelve years have transformed Daniel from a gangly, awkward pain in the ass into a confident, smoking-hot stud.

Daniel’s only too happy to see Vayle again, but the prospect of being roommates with his first love has his stomach in knots…and his cock throbbing. This time around, Daniel’s determined to win Vayle over—even if it means getting down on his knees to beg properly.

Review: Icing on The Cake by Becky Moore

Icing on The Cake by Becky Moore
Release Date: 2011
Publisher: XOXO Publishing
Page Count: 59
Source: ebook provided by author

Sometimes, being the charismatic ‘Mister Popular’ of hockey just isn’t enough. For Quinn Dawson, star right winger for the Carolina Oak Leaves national hockey team, there was no truer statement. Caught in the middle of a sex scandal involving the owner of his team’s wife, Quinn soon finds himself public enemy number one. Guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time more than actually being a bad guy, he bears the brunt of public humiliation.

Journalist Hellon Masters is also a fan favorite, both in the medium market that broadcasts her weekly magazine program, and in the national market that broadcasts her monthly road trip series on CBS Sunday Morning. When she fills in for her station’s sports reporter one morning on her way to the Governor’s Mansion, where she’s set to cover the State’s annual financial summit meeting, Hellon discovers  that the Mighty Quinn is harmless when he’s out of his pads. He’s dreamy, and sweet and gentle.

But in the face of adversity, it seems the budding romance between Quinn and Hellon is doomed before it can ever take root. She’s got a choice to make, and it’s now compounded by the fact that Quinn is reaching out to her, soul to soul, heart to heart. Their introduction may have provided an instant connection, burning hot enough to melt the ice on any surface, but their geographical distance is hell on a sketchy relationship.

Quinn’s exile is not only making Hellon cranky and unbearable, but it’s wreaking havoc on his psyche, affecting his time on the ice, and killing his charismatic openness that legions of fans found so compelling. Taking a leap of faith, Hellon accepts Quinn’s challenge to close the continental divide and finds her efforts to be the icing on the cake.

Review: Cursed Laird by Tara Nina

Cursed Laird by Tara Nina
Series: Cursed MacKinnons (#3)
Publisher: Ellora's Cave
Release Date: August 24, 2011

Source: ebook provided by publisher

Book three in the Cursed MacKinnons series.While diving for treasure, Caledonia uncovers a statue of a hot Scottish laird. When a lovelorn ghost appears with a sad tale and anti-curse, Caledonia’s life takes a spin toward the implausible. Especially when nightfall comes and the statue transforms into a gorgeous hunk right before her eyes. Her need to help turns into uncontrollable lust that a one-time, mind-blowing sexual adventure in his arms cannot sate.Struan MacKinnon wakes to learn over two hundred years have passed. He lands in the arms of a lass with a sexual drive that matches, if not surpasses, his own. The little wildcat ignites his lust and warms his heart in a way he has never experienced. But he is not free to love her.Imprisoned by a curse, he’s man by night, stone by day. Caledonia has her work cut out for her. She must win his heart in order to save his soul.

Review: A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day

A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day
Series: Renegade Angels #1
Publisher: Signet Books
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Page Count: 368
Source: Shannon's Blog

Adrian Mitchell is a powerful angel leading an elite Special Ops unit of Seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen-angels who have become vampires-and command a restless pack of indentured lycans. But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals- losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her-Shadoe-her soul once more inhabiting a new body, with no memory of him. And this time, he won't let her go.

Review: Burning Touch by Wynter Daniels

Burning Touch by Wynter Daniels
Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Page Count: 132
Source: ebook provided by the author for review

When Devon Wise’s massage clients start turning up dead, she reluctantly leans on the sexy guy next door to help her clear her name. Having lost her parents at an early age, she doesn’t trust that anyone she cares about will stick around. Devon never lets her feelings get involved, keeping everyone at arm’s length. But after their first sizzling night, she can’t get enough.

Real estate investor Ben Stafford can’t keep his mind—or his hands—off the earthy beauty who happens to be his new neighbor. When the bodies begin piling up, he wonders if she’s as innocent as she claims or if he’s been spending all those lust-filled nights with a killer.