It is 1897Lucy Bragg, heiress to the Brag Empire, has always managed to get herself in trouble despite her best intentions ever since she was old enough to walk. Now an adult, she never thinks before she acts, where she decides to take an adventure with her best friend, to Paradise, Texas. So on their way, she rents a autmobile. , deciding to drive herself to Paradise, however they have car trouble and are somewhat rescued by a half breed indian, tall dark and handsome but his disposition is much to be desired, despite the chemistry between Lucy and Shoz, and after sharing a passionate encounter Lucy knows she will never be the same. However Shoz considers her to be spoiled rotten brat of a woman despite that she is as sexy as hell no matter how dirty or clean she is, and knows he could be in deep trouble if he starts thinking tenderly toward her. But when his past comes back to haunt him and he is forced to take desperate measure to kidnap Lucy, a fiery love will emerge and Shoz knows he can never let her go and must keep her with him at all costs...The Fires Of Paradise is the fifth installment in the Bragg Saga written by Brenda Joyce. This is the first book that I have read from this series, and from the first to last page I was enthralled and could barely set the book down for food and bathroom breaks. LOL This story was very stimluating and the characters were full of life, and the plot kept me on my toes and I felt like I was on such a thrilling adventure I could barely keep up with it. Such a blistering romance that singed me from my head to my toes and had me on such a rollercoaster of a ride...and I just loved every moment of it. The beginning of the story was a bit slow to get into, but once it picked up the pace a bit I could barely put this one down....A winner for Brenda Joyce!!!

Favorite quote
Lucy had never opened a can in her life. She wasn't about to start now. His attitude was irritating. She threw the can at him. " I refuse to cater to you," she retorted " For your information, woman are equal to men-in every way. So you can cook yourself,"
"Women are equal to men, huh?"He laughed " In every way? Really?"
"In every way. But I don't expect a backwoods person like yourself to be familar with liberal thinking"
"Oh, I'm real liberal," he said, still laughing " If you come on over here, I'll show you how liberal I am--and we can test out your theories of equality. "

There is a legend among the town of Twilight, Texas, that if you sleep with kismet cookies and dream of your true love, then he will be your future. Sarah Collier, as a teenager, had known that Travis was her one true love. But when she hears that he is to married, she tries to stop the wedding, only to be rejected, now all grown up, an adult, a scrooge, but yet a author for children's books, and is well known among children everywhere. She then receives a letter, from a sick girl, who begs to meet her, that is her Christmas wish, thinking she is going to die. So Sarah reluctantly agrees, to stay in her hometown, but what she is surprised to discover is the girl's father is none other than Travis Walker himself. Now she knows that she is in trouble, because he is her weakness. For years Sarah has prided herself on moving on from that embarrassing moment as a teenager, and now doesn't believe in fated love...but a building trust like her parents. But as her hearts gets wrapped up in Jazzy's dilemma, with her suffering from what appears to be a fatal illness with no cure in sight. Will Sarah and Travis find their happy ending?

There is so much emotion that is riding on this story. I knew going into it, it would be a winner, since every book I have read from this author has been phenomenal and I have come to really admire this author's talent in weaving a sweet and poignant romance...and lets just say that she has done it again...only this story has one more positive note...it has a holiday kick to it, with the heroine being the scrooge of the story. Now that usually doesn't happen too often, so it was fun seeing the building up of Sarah as one of the main characters. Now in the beginning of the story, it starts us off with that teenage embarrassing moment, which I am sure that we can all relate to, however my heart just went out to Sarah. Then we skip ahead to the present, and we see Sarah all grown up, hates Christmas, and almost refuses to return to twilight until she reads Jazzy's letter...which just about broke my heart. From the first moment we see this little girl enter the story, you just cave. You just want Jasmine to get a happy ending, and find a way to beat this illness.

The romance section of the story was pretty emotionally driven for the most part. It doesn't really kick in for a while, it more of a dancing around each other for a while. Sarah has a lot of issues and most of them revolving around Travis, and boy does she make him work for it, and he so deserve it!! LOL I loved Travis, I really did, but there was some moments, where I wanted to just shake him and throw him out...but in a very loving way. Then there were others, where I just wanted to give him a hug, he is such a great father, and I loved the way his character was with his daughter, it was so precious and it just made me want to cry. I enjoyed seeing Travis and Sarah really come together, and work on past issues together, and it isn't easy for either one of them, but they definitely persevere, and it was such fun seeing these two work out all the kinks.

I could tell from the beginning, that this story wouldn't be a easy to relax into one. It would definitely be the type to put my emotions through the ringer, pull out your tissues ladies, and a pom pom and be ready to cheer this couple on, cry in those tender and heart wrenching moments, and just dance when something good happens to this darling little family. A story that is guaranteed to magically weave its way into your heart, with the magic of the season to warm you on a cold winter's night!! SPECTACULAR!!

Denise MacGregor has learned all too well how dangerous the creatures of the night can be. Her best friend, Cat, is half vampire and married to one. Denise lost her husband to vampires and ever since has steered clear of them including Cat, her closest friend. But now she has been branded by a demon and witnessed her cousin being killed right in front of her. No for her survival and that of everyone else in her family, she must rely on Spade, who is a very powerful vampire and she knows he is the perfect solution to help her. Spade is the only one she feels that she can turn to. But as they embark together to unravel the mystery and present danger surrounding them, a intense passion between them skyrockets, and a deep love is found when they least expect it...First Drop of Crimson is the first installment in the Night Huntress World Series by Jeaniene Frost. I have read the second one first, and I fell in love with the book, and the same thing happened here. I have waited months and months to read Shade's story. From the first chapter, I was enthralled by the story. This a a thrilling story that will have you on the edge of your seat with every gripping moment. I was charmed by the characters and the romance that builds between them. It was also good to see Cat and Bones enter the story too. I truly loved reading this one, and I have a feeling I will be reading it again in the future, A FANTASTIC STORY!!!!!! I LOVED IT

My Favorite Quote
His arm shot out,bracing against the wall unit and blocking her path.
"Spade--" She didn't get the rest of the sentence out because suddenly his mouth was on her neck, lips and tongue probing her pulse to send a luscious shiver through her.

This review was originally posted on Addicted To RomanceWelcome to Sourcebooks Casablanca exclusive Tour which includes a special excerpt and a giveaway. Now this giveaway is offering of a hard copy of the first book in the series: Just in Time For A Highlander. As long as you leave a comment with your email, you will be entered into the giveaway. Then the winner will receive a email and be mailed the copy right away. The one stipulation from the publisher is you need to be a U.S. Resident. So what do you have to lose right?



First Time With A Highlander is the second book in this series, and this is also my first time reading this author and for the most part I really liked this one. I tend to be a bit picky on time travel themed romances, but I really loved the setting for this one. The story is quite entertaining and the characters are what make it so fun for the reader. We have a hero, that works in marketing and advertising. Our heroine is a Scottish lass looking to get her property and cargo back from her ex fiancee. And through a series of unfortunate decisions, Gerard is brought to the 1700's. Gerard though, he was fun and quite a lovely hero. He takes everything in stride, even going back in time doesn't seem to alter him much. What was most fun about this book, is the ways he goes about helping others in the town with their businesses. It shows how much he loves what he does and he loves helping people along the way too.

Our heroine is a bit of a mischief maker, she can be a bit spirited and proud. She isn't shy about anything. I loved the way these two come together, because its so unexpected for both of them but they just click from the beginning they have spark. This was a lovely romance and I really enjoyed the tone of the story. I did have trouble with the flow of it. I had a difficult time keeping my focus on the story, and my mind kept wandering. I don't know if that was just me or the writing itself. But for the most part I really had a ball of fun and giggles with this one. I am interested in trying out some of her other titles. I definitely want to try out the first book, especially since the main couple from that story, play a role in this book. So I am definitely wanting to read their story after seeing them in action and involved in this book so much. This is a story that is packed with adventure, magic and mystery.



My poor heroine. Writers love to put their characters in uncomfortable situations. This scene takes place near the beginning of the book, immediately after Serafina, the down-on-her-heels eighteenth-century owner of a small shipping concern, and Gerard, a twenty-first century ad man playboy, have awakened to find themselves in bed together, much to their mutual surprise. Serafina is not quite as surprised as Gerard, given that she knows she, er, borrowed some magic herbs from her spell-casting friend to summon a man to help her regain her fortune, but she doesn’t clearly remember all that has happened between them, especially the ring she’s found on her finger, and she must explain how she happened to have a naked man coming out of her room to Duncan, the hero of the first book in the Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series, Just in Time for a Highlander, who has become a de facto older brother to her.

***

Nearly deafened by the blood roaring in her ears, Serafina stilled the hand in her pocket and fought to remain calm.

“What is it?” Duncan eyed her suspiciously.

“I bit my tongue.”

He cocked his head farther.

“It’s fine now.”

The other man had seen something, though what, she wasn’t sure. He looked at her as if she were a Highland ox whose horns had sprouted thistles. All she remembered clearly about the night before was that he had appeared to her sometime after she’d first sipped the adulterated whiskey, though he’d been no more than a shade, his translucent image waxing and waning like mist on a loch. Wide jaw, the shoulders of a smith, hair as gold as a wagtail’s breast—the man was no trouble on the eyes. The more she drank, the clearer his image had become—though the foggier her apprehension of it—until at last she’d slipped into a thick, hibernating sleep, like a child after a summer fair, floating through hazy, happy dreams filled with random glints of remem­bered pleasure.

But the waking glints, beginning to arrive with increased regularity, were stirring an emotion closer to concern than pleasure. The man’s hand, running lightly down her back. A hurried run down a dark dock. Tugging the waist of a man’s breeks—beautiful wool breeks, whose rich, gray fabric caressed her fingers, as soft as the fur of a baby rabbit.

She couldn’t stop herself. Her eyes flew to the man’s breeks. Oh, God! Gray wool!

When she looked up, he was looking right at her. Her cheeks exploded in flames.

How could any of this have happened without her remembering it? The answer, she told herself, is because it didn’t.

But the ring…

She wriggled her fingers in her pocket, desper­ately hoping the solid, immutable gold was gone. But it wasn’t.

 

Heather Simmons once lived in London with her father, wearing nice clothes and always have plenty food to eat. But her father was deep in his grief for his late Irish wife, Heather's mother. Now two years later, after losing him and being forced to come to live with her aunt and uncle, she now is their servant. All her belongings sold, except for one nice dress she isn't allowed to wear unless her aunt deems it necessary. An aunt who has no friends and is very bitter and a shrew of a woman. But then circumstances change, and she heads to London with her aunt and her brother, whom tries to force himself on her, and so she defends herself, thinking that she has killed him, flees from the scene, and finds herself taken onto Captain Brandon Birmingham's ship.
The Flame and the Flower is the first in the first in the Birmingham series. I think it was back in High School since I have read this one, so it was wonderful to read such a story such as this once again. There were many things that I had forgotten about it, and bit and pieces that left me surprised and delighted at the same time. This is a story of two people that seem complete opposite from the very beginning, however throughout the story we see how love can heal and build a trust. I truly loved both of these characters, however what I didn;t like was Brandon's character at the beginning of the book. But his edges got smoothed out throughout the rest of the book, so it was wonderful to see a change in this character. I found The Flame and the Flower to be a Sensational Romance which swept me off of my feet from beginning to end!!

Hit The Spot is a book I have been wanting the "goods" on ever since I picked up the first book "Four Letter Word" and it's a story that is exactly what I was in the mood for. I was able to listen to it on a long drive, and it was sweet perfect. These narrators really are a great balance together. Both Kate Russell and Sebastian York are special favorites of mine, and they brought the best qualities of this book: front and center in a most brilliant way.

Hit The Spot begins with our heroine, Tori, who is a waitress at a local restaurant and has a passion for her work. But when she first meets our hero, Jamie, she is torn between sexual attention and disdain for his. He is a typical playboy and she refuses to be like all the other women that fall at his feet. But Jamie is stubborn in his pursuit of Tori, and for months he doesn't give up on winning her over. But then a moment happens between Jamie and Tori, and the stakes between them only go higher. And the chemistry that has been boiling just beneath the surface is about to come up to the top of the focus. But Tori can't resist what she feels for Jamie, and somehow through all these months, has slowly been winning her attention and heart. But their relationship will hit spots of damage and it will take time and focus to work through the spots to their HEA.

Hit The Spot is a fantastic read and I couldn't get enough of it. Honestly, this was the best medicine that I never knew that I needed. It was packed with all the light and laughter I was sorely in the need of while also delivering on a steamy romance that won me over pretty quickly. I always get drawn to the playboy heroes, and seeing them fall head over heels for their women and Jamie does exactly that here. I found it so entertaining seeing how he had to prove himself to Tori. He isn't the easiest of men to be with, but Tori knows exactly how to handle him in ways that work best for their relationship. While on the surface it may seem like a simple romance, it is anything but. And I really admired how J Daniels really added depths to this story in all the right places.

Hit The Spot is a story that you won't be able to put down, its a story that swept me easily off my feet and entertained me from beginning to end and I didn't want to let this pair go. Their story is packed with laughs, jaunts, delights and adventures. Buckle your seat belt, because this ride was a wild one!

*This review contains spoilers, so be warned before reading this review*

Devil In Disguise is the newest installment in the Ravenels series and I will say that I was SO nervous for this book but I also kept my expectations lower on this one. When it comes to this series, it seems like the lower my expectation the better I tend to enjoy the read. I honestly never know what I will get with this series, since quite a few have been a hit or miss for me, but there was also a sense of eagerness with this one. And no I didn't receive the ARC on this one. This book actually is on the shelf of Barnes and Noble way early, so I recommend going out and grabbing it up. And after seeing some other romance readers I trust just cling in love to this book, I knew I had to read it and I honestly read this one in one sitting, it just drew me in so completely and loved the ride that Kleypas takes us on.

Devil In Disguise starts off with our hero, Keir MacRae, who storms into the office of Merritt Sterling, who is a whiskey distiller, and has major issues with his shipment. Merritt is the type of woman that is the solver and calms tensions, having taking care of her siblings, she knows how to cool a hot temper but Keir is a man she hasn't ever been faced with. He has the Scottish blood that fire hot, but Merritt is drawn to Keir in a way that she has never experience, not even with her late husband. She wants to explore the chemistry between herself and Keir, but eyes are on her and her family just waiting for a scandal to happen. But when Keir's life is put in danger, Merritt is determined to stand by his side, no matter the rumor or scandal. But when Keir suffers and Merritt is put in a certain position, she will have to be crafty to make sure that she and Keir have their chance, but fate may have other plans for them, including reveals from Keir's past that could change their dynamic completely...

Devil In Disguise is a story that truly packed a punch and there were some elements that I just wasn't expecting to happen at all. I was really excited for Merritt's book, but this book especially really ties the Ravenel series to the Wallflower series, and its all tied around Keir. Now I don't want to spoil too much, but lets just say that our delicious hero is the KEY to tying all the bonds together. I actually found Keir and Merrit's relationship to be sweet perfection. At first, you wonder, but honestly, their instant connection is breathtaking, and only Kleypas can write such sweet sexy chemistry you want more of. Normally instant connections such as these don't always work for me, but Kleypas really worked her magic in this book. From the beginning, you know that Keir and Merritt will have a battle, but their bond is strong enough to stand the tide ahead. And boy does Kleypas really throw some mountains in their journey. My heart just broke for these two, but most especially Merritt who is put in such a position but her strength and courage is truly admirable and she had my heart from beginning to end. She deserved to find her happy ever after, and even though she finds it, it will take perseverance on her part to find it. Keir was such a delightful hero, he definitely is the type of alpha hero that was so beautifully written. I loved his protectiveness of Merritt, his fighting for what he believed in, and his standing for his culture and background. He definitely has a spine and will fight for those he loves. I love how he is always watchful for Merritt, even in the most confusing moments of the plot. His attention and focus is solely on her and his character is steady and strong all the way through. And seeing his background come to light, and seeing his connection to the others was a journey I was all the way in for.

This is a story I didn't know what to expect at all, but it's a romance that captivated me all the way through. Surprisingly I couldn't be this book down, and I was swept away by their beautiful story. Its a story that while it capture the sweet perfection of intimacy, also builds in its depths of secrets that become clear, shines truth into the darkness and stuns you into silence with its powerful emotion. I won't say that this is the best book this author has ever written, or that its the most perfect one, but it worked for me in every way. The only downside to this book is the lack of stepback ....yep SO SAD. I am not sure why Avon didn't include it in this one when they have done the whole series, and I was looking forward to it all YEAR.

Overall I found Devil In Disguise to be a captivating read that stuns me in retrospect, a tale that offers depths of intimacy, secrecy revealed and connections unsuspected, a romance that is utterly enriching in his concepts, and a story you will cheer on from beginning to end.