Saturday, August 2, 2008

Sweet and Sinful-Jodi Lynn Copeland

Sweet and Sinful
Jodi Lynn Copeland
Kensington Aphrodisia, Aug 2008, $12.95
ISBN: 0758227116

"Just Like Candy". Shy Courtney Baxter wants to be as seductive and desired as her cubicle teammate fun loving Candy Masterson. So the country bumpkin undergoes a total remake that has men in heat especially hunk Blaine Baxter, who shows his meddle when someone stalks the new look Courtney.

"Hard Candy". Candy is as shook as Courtney was with the stalking. She decides to redo her image into a less seductive style, but not give up the sex she loves. After recovering from a health scare, she meets Ty Louis in her apartment complex and soon realizes she wants more than just a tryst or three. He does too, but his vocation is also calling.

These two interrelated erotic novellas are entertaining tales starring two pairs of fully developed lead characters. The stalker adds a suspense element to “Just Like Candy” whereas “Hard Candy” feeds off of the scare and the title character’s health issue.

Harriet Klausner

The Hell-Raiser-Rhonda Nelson

The Hell-Raiser
Rhonda Nelson
Harlequin Blaze, Aug 2008, $4.99
ISBN: 0373794169

Chastity Walker hires the Ranger Security firm to insure that building salvage expert Sarah Jane Walker does not steal her inheritance. The women hate each other since they attended high school together, but more so as adults when Chastity conned Sarah Jane’s widow dad into marrying her. Chastity further insists since there is no will, as the legal wife she owns everything. Ranger Security sends Nick “Hell-raiser” Chivers to keep a watchful eye on Sarah Jane.

Nick knows to keep his distance from Sarah Jane as he keeps her under surveillance. However, he cannot heed his own advice as the former Army Ranger finds he wants his client’s enemy like he has never wanted anyone ever before. He soon joins the enemy seeking the will that Sarah Jane is positive her dad would have signed.

The latest Men Out of Uniform romantic suspense (see THE PLAYER) is an engaging tale as Nick finds himself caught between his heart and his contract. He knows who is client is but his heart and another male body organ tells him differently. Although the conflict between Nick and Sarah Jane ironically seems to lack depth as all the quarreling resides inside Hell-Raiser, series fans will appreciate this fun story.

Harriet Klausner

Lie with Me-Cara Summers

Lie with Me
Cara Summers
Harlequin Blaze, Aug 2008, $4.99
ISBN: 0373794177

Animal psychic Philly Angelis has loved her brother’s best friend Roman Oliver for years, but he does not reciprocate. As he recovered at Saint Jude’s Trauma Center from a near fatal fall, she made her intentions clear to him; Roman shoots her down insisting he sees her as a little sister. He not only considers her off limits, Roman refuses to have a wife and children. He fear he will be just like his dad neglecting his family.

Roman displaces any desires for family by totally focusing on the family business. He dashes Philly’s dream when he bluntly tells her she is a kid sister to him and no more. Needing to repair her damaged ego and move on, Philly travels to Corfu seeking a fling. Shaking his head in denial that he is not in love, Roman flies after her. However, Philly's psychic skills lead the pair to danger shocking Roman with how frightened he is for Philly.

This is an excellent paranormal romantic suspense thriller starring a fascinating heroine who concludes she understands animals much better than people especially that strange other gender and a man who fears he is a chip off the old block so avoids entanglements. The story line is fast-paced especially in the Caribbean. Readers will enjoy running from danger alongside Philly and Roman while wanting to shake him for not seeing the obvious.

Harriet Klausner

Lord Of The Dark-Dawn Thompson

Lord Of The Dark
Dawn Thompson
Kensington Aphrodisia, Aug 2008, $12.95
ISBN: 0758221800

Gideon the fallen Guardian of the Principalities of Arcus thought he knew suffering when the slightest touch of his wings turns him into an animal in heat, but he will soon learn how wrong his belief is. He believes he deserves his punishment of eternal exile to the Dark Isle for angels are forbidden to lust after mortals, but he will soon learn how unfair his punishment is.

He has survived for eons but now comes a crisis that rips his soul. The most beautiful female he has ever seen, Rhiannon washes up on his beach surviving the Pegasus shipwreck. He knows he must not tamper with her innocence, but his desire for her is way beyond the wind caressing his wings. He thinks of her and turns hot and bothered. Making matters worse, Rhiannon reciprocates heat for heat. As they fall in love, Gideon’s biggest fear is the Gods will punish him by punishing her.

LORD OF THE DARK is a deep erotic romantic fantasy with a different overall spin than Dawn Thompson’s previous tales (see THE RAVENCLIFF BRIDE, THE WATERLORD, THE FALCON’S BRIDE, AND BLOOD MOON); this story line is much more fantasy with the romance serving as a critical but support subplot. Fans of the late great Ms. Thompson will relish this superb thriller as the lead couple struggles with outside interference, his eternal sentence, and their love (in that order) with no hope for the future.

Harriet Klausner

Vision of Seduction-Cassie Ryan

Vision of Seduction
Cassie Ryan
Kensington Aphrodisia, Aug 2008, $12.95
ISBN: 0758220669

Seer Katelyn Hunt cannot help but notice the strange hunk who has been spending time at her New Age store recently; the handsome stranger seems out of place even in her weird shop, but like her partner Rita says no mind-blowing sex without first saying hi. Katelyn she feels like a stalker when she goes to introduce herself to Grayson de Klatch. An elderly pushy woman gets between them followed not long after by an army invading her premises.

In the scuffle, Katelyn is knocked out. When she awakens she knows she is on another planet that for some weird reason feels familiar; a sort of déjà vu. Meanwhile her last new customer, Prince Grayson de Klatch believes she is the seer he has searched for to save his world Tador. The planet is dying unless sexual energy rejuvenates it. Grayson also believes like he did on earth, he has found at last his lifemate, but fears how his beloved Katelyn will react when he tells her the truth

This is a terrific erotic romantic science fiction thriller with some paranormal elements enhancing the exciting story line. The lead couple is a delightful pairing in and out of the boudoir as they feed off of each other. However it is his people and planet that brings depth to a superb outer space tale.

Harriet Klausner

Lyon-Elizabeth Amber

Lyon
Elizabeth Amber
Kensington Aphrodisia, Aug 2008, $12.95
ISBN: 0758220413

In 1823 Lyon is the last Satyr sibling standing since his brothers married (see NICHOLAS and RAINE) two of the daughters of the Faery King. He would prefer to remain single, but like his brothers know he has no choice but to obey his monarch and wed his offspring.

Thus Lyon leaves his beloved Tuscany wine fields to head to Paris to marry Juliette Rabelais, the city’s most infamous courtesan renowned for her cuisine and carnality skills that when combined is heaven. As the full moon is coming, he needs to return home, but he is unsure who seduced whom.

The third Lords of Satyr romantic historical urban fantasy with a bit of a mystery is much darker in tone than the previous two tales, but contains the same fast-paced excitement with strong characterizations. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the relocating Lyon travels to Paris to meet his new wife, a fallen woman with a murder charge hanging over her in his beloved Tuscany from three years ago. Fans of the mini series will know what that means to the couple. Elizabeth Amber provides a strong finish to a powerful saga.

Harriet Klausner