Dirk & Steele

In anticipation of the release book 11 of the Dirk & Steele novels Within the Flames by Marjorie M. Liu I am re-reading the series to date. 

Dirk & Steele

Book 1 - Tiger Eye

Book 2 - Shadow Touch

Book 3 - The Red Heart of Jade

Book 4 - Dark Dreamers

Book 5 - Eye of Heaven

Book 6 - Soul Song

Book 7 - The Last Twilight

Book 8 - The Wild Road

Book 9 - The Fire King

Book 10—In the Dark of Dreams

Yellow Ribbons by Caitlyn Willows

Romantic suspense.  This is a love story and murder mystery all rolled up into one.  Captain Lani Hollister is having an illegal affair with subordinate Master Gunnery Sergeant Greg Landess.  In the bedroom the power dynamic shifts.  Meanwhile someone is killing folks with yellow ribbons in their yards and Lani and Greg in their roles in the Provost Marshalls Office are dragged into the investigation.  This is a well crafted mystery with the occasional erotic scene thrown in.  I’ve read and enjoyed several books by Ms. Willows but I think this may be my new favorite.  

Beauty Dates the Beast (Midnight Liaisons #1) by Jessica Sims

This book was an impulse buy for me.  From reading the back cover I expected something along the lines of Dakota Cassidy’s snarky, sexy, laugh out loud Accidental series. NOT.  This is a light paranormal romance.  It has the potential to become more and I will read the next offering.

Christmas in Lucky Harbor and Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

Christmas in Lucky Harbor is an omnibus containing the first two “Lucky Harbor” stories Simply Irresistible and The Sweetest Thing.  These books tell the story of three estranged half-sisters that are brought together after their mothers’ death to figure out what to do with the inn that she left to the three of them.

Simply Irresistible is the story of the middle sister Maddie aka the Mouse.  Maddie comes to Lucky Harbor after being fired for spilling hot coffee in the lap of her abusive ex.   She hopes to make a new start in Lucky Harbor and with her sisters Tara aka the Steel Magnolia and Chloe aka the Wild Child.  She meets and falls for Jax the town mayor and master renovation contractor.

The Sweetest Thing is Tara aka the Steel Magnolia and oldest sisters story.  Once upon a time about seventeen years earlier Tara had visited her mother at the Lucky Harbor Inn.  She met and fell in lust with a bad boy named Ford.  She lost her virginity and got pregnant.  She had the child but gave it up for adoption.  Coming back to Lucky Harbor she is a very different person and so is Ford.  Tara is now divorced from a NASCAR driver and Ford has made a name for himself in the boat racing world.  Tara and Ford get to meet the daughter they created together and have to come to terms with what they feel for each other now.

Head Over Heels is Chloe aka the Wild Child’s story.  As the youngest and with the Wild Child nickname Chloe has a lot to overcome if she wants be accepted as an adult by her sisters and the oh so sexy sheriff. 

I liked these stories.  They were funny and poignant and sweet.  I think my favorite has to be Head Over Heels.  Jax in Simply Irresistible is too perfect.  Smart, sexy, sweet, patient, kind, and oh comfortably well off.  I loved how Ford and Tara grew in The Sweetest Thing and that Ford could be as big an ass as the next guy (testosterone wise) but he too is smart, sexy, sweet, patient, kind, and oh comfortably well off.  In Head Over Heels Sawyer is smart, sexy, sweet, very patient, and kind, but a regular working stiff. I think I could relate to him more.

Fans of Susan Mallery will love these books too.

Infatuation: A Little Military Harmless Romance by Melissa Schroeder

This is a spin-off of Melissa Schroeder’s A Little Harmless series.  I went into this thinking it was going to be just like the A Little Harmless series only with soldiers and sailors etc.  I was both right and wrong.  This story was sweet and spicy.  It has all the heat of the A Little Harmless series but with a bit more romance and the understanding of what it is like to be involved with a military man that can only come from experience. 

A definite must read for Melissa Schroeder fans.

The Psy/Changeling series

 I haven’t been blogging because I got a wild hair up my butt to re-read Nalini Singh’s entire (to date) Psy/Changeling series.  I couldn’t put them down and managed to give myself a bad case of eye strain which meant I couldn’t read anything else for a bit. 

You can read these stand alone but it really makes more sense and has a greater impact if you read them in order.  I LOVE this series.

The Psy/Changeling series

1. Slave to Sensation
1.5 "The Cannibal Princess" - free short story
2. Visions of Heat
3. Caressed By Ice 
4. Mine to Possess
5. Hostage to Pleasure
5.5 "A Gift for Kit" ~ free short story
6. Branded By Fire
7. Blaze of Memory
8. Bonds of Justice 
9. Play of Passion
10. Kiss of Snow

Noble Intentions by Katie MacAlister

Katie Mac makes historical hysterical.  This is a rib rocking, milk snorting, laugh out loud funny romance.   

Tied with a Bow by Virginia Kantra, Kimberly Frost, Eileen Wilks, Lora Leigh

Upon A Midnight Clear by Virginia Kantra – Unfortunately I was unable to get through this offering.  I guess I just wasn’t in the mood for a historical.

First Light by Kimberly Frost – I was impressed by this offering by Kimberly Frost.  It was much darker than her Southern Witch series.  I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing where she goes with this.

Human Error by Eileen Wilks – I love Ms. Wilks World of the Lupi and Benedict has long been one of my favorite characters.  It was good to revisit him.  Also I could totally relate to the situation of being introduced to family traditions so different than mine. 

An Inconvenient Mate by Lora Leigh – This is a Breeds world short that has nothing to do with the holidays.  Not a bad story just wondering what it was doing in this anthology.

Toys-4-Us seven stand-alone book series.

Toys-4-Us is a seven stand-alone book series.  It felt, to me, like seven of todays hottest erotic authors got together and said let’s do an exercise.  Imagine we are at a sex toy party.  Each of us take a character and go…  These are the smokin’ hot short stories they came up with. 

A Long Time Comin’ by Cerise Deland - Long-time pal and Delta Force hunk comes home and is seduced with a little help from Toys-4-Us.

Bound and Determined by Desiree Holt – Uptight lawyer, hunky next door neighbor Toys-4-Us.

Good Vibrations by Nicole Austin – Asshat ex, Friends turn lovers with a little help from Toys-4-Us.

Private Showing by Brenna Zinn – Woman with a dream, sexy Scottish computer geek fireworks with a little help from Toys-4-Us.

Slippery When Wet by Allie Standifer – Another asshat ex, Friends turn lovers with a little help from Toys-4-Us.

Wet Ride by Samantha Cayto - Uptight business exec, hunky contractor Toys-4-Us.

Whiz Bang by Regina Carlysle – Bored woman, sexy bar owner friend, exotic local and Toys-4-Us.

I enjoyed each of these stories for different reasons.  I found however that in some the Toys-4-Us device was a detriment rather than a help.  Needing to fit it in disrupted the flow.  Conversely sometimes it made for a wonderful moment in the story.  

The Guardian (Dream-Hunter #5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Guardian (Dream-Hunter #5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Nobody writes emotionally and physically scarred alpha males redeemed by love like Sherrilyn Kenyon.  In this latest installment of the Dream-Hunter series we meet demi-god Seth who has been tortured by Noir and Azura for 4500 years before he is saved by dream-hunter katagaria mix Lydia. 

If you like Sherrilyn Kenyon you will love this.

Death Magic (World of the Lupi #8) by Eileen Wilks

There are authors and series that you consider auto-buy.  This is one of them for me.  I always look forward with great anticipation to the next World of the Lupi book.  Eileen Wilks has created a fantastic world of fantasy and drama.

In this latest installment Lily Yu and Rule Turner are in Washington D.C. to testify in front of a couple of subcommittees.  As per normal for them nothing is ever quite that easy or straight forward.  The “Humans First” senator that was on each of the subcommittees that Lily and Rule were to appear in front of is killed and Ruben Brooks (Lily’s boss) is accused of the murder.  With the help of Lupi sorcerer Cullen and various friends and allies Lily and Rule run through a gauntlet of trials to help establish Rubens innocence.

Death Magic is filled with incredibly exciting twists and turns.  I am eagerly awaiting the next adventure.