Cecelia Burns finally has the life she's always wanted. She's a cardiologist in a thriving practice. She's engaged to a stable and reliable man. And she's completely abandoned her gypsy past of small-time cons and psychic powers. But at her engagement party, Cecelia's little sister bursts in and tips her perfectly organized world upside down.

Amy has one psychic power - the ability to read the name of a person's one true love. Even though Amy swore she'd never tell Cecelia her named, she reveals its Finn Franklin Concord. And that certainly isn't Cecelia's fiancee's name. But even worse, Amy swears Finn's name is fading which means he's dying. Cecelia couldn't care less about finding her true love, but she doesn't want a dead man on her conscience. So she sends a letter to every single Finn Concord...then runs into most gorgeous man she's ever seen. 

Finn Concord has his own problems. His daughter Maya has insisted they come to Baltimore so she can meet her adopt-a-grandmother and he just doesn't have the heart to say no. But when a beautiful cardiologist tells him to go to a doctor now, he's intrigued...and a bit smitten. As worlds collide and people are crossed and double-crossed, love blossoms and passion burns between Finn and Cecelia. But is this Finn her one true love?

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It took me a while to get into this book and I suppose that should have been some indication of the story as a whole. It wasn't hard to finish but I felt little to no emotional connection with the stories or the characters.

I wanted to like Cecelia but she was a little uptight and mean, especially to her sister. I know she was supposed to be like that and loosen up as the novel progressed but she was just very hard to like at times. I also didn't think her reactions rang true and I wondered if Finn would be better off without her. Finn was a little more likeable as a rugged construction worker but I felt he wasn't strong enough to handle Cecelia and he was obviously so hung up on his first wife that I didn't think he was ready to move on.

The psychic stuff and the storyline overall was fine and handled well it was just that everything was too convenient and too bizarre to make it believable, even with the magic.

I finished this book and was rooting for the characters but in the end it just didn't do much for me. A good read if it's on your bookshelf but nothing I would run out and recommend. 3 stars.

This book is followed by Jasmine's story in Sexiest Man Alive and Amy's story in Hungry for More.

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368 pages

Click to see other books by Diana Holquist

COOL.  CALM.  COLLECTED…

Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom, she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her—not even her cheating ex-fiancé. So when she’s assigned to coach People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” for his next big legal drama, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob’s charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

CONFIDENT. FAMOUS. IRRESISTIBLE…

Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he’s thrown for a loop. She’s unlike any other woman he’s ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She’s the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize she may just be his perfect match…

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This is the first book by Julie James I've read and I was hooked from the first page.

Taylor was a sassy and no-nonsense kind of girl but with a soft side that made her realistic and definitely not a stereotypical ball-busting lawyer.

Jason, the world famous movie star, started off as arrogant and spoiled but as the book and his relationship with Taylor progressed you saw his attitude shift to become a man you couldn't help but want for yourself.

The pair had amazing chemistry and although there were no graphic sex scenes, there was more sexual tension and chemistry in this book an in many erotic novels I've read. The romance and the will-they, won't they storyline gave me butterflies in my stomach and the conclusion had me sighing in romantic delight!

Overall, I adored this novel and more especially the relationship between Jason and Taylor. I will definitely be looking out for Julie James' other novels and would recommend this to anyone who likes a fun, sweet and intelligent romance. 5 stars.

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307 pages

Click to see other books by Julie James

Every instinct is telling Lily Lambert to run from Penworth Hall as fast as she can, but there is something about handsome, daunting John Middleton, Earl of Penworth, that keeps her in his employ. It certainly isn't his twin wards, evil little vixens who will do anything in their power to have Lily fired as their chaperone. 

And the love potion isn't helping.

Lily bought it in desperation, hoping to marry so she could escape her lot in life as governess and companion to the spoiled offspring of the nobility. On a voyage to John's Scottish estate, Lily sips the potion while gazing at the ship's captain, only to come face-to-face with John, who seems to be instantly smitten. Now, in the locked rooms and dark alcoves of his Scottish castle, John traps Lily in moment of impropriety, bringing a flush to her fair cheeks and igniting an indecent longing in her body. Only time will tell if the potion's impossible promise will ruin Lily — or set her free...

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This is the final book in the Spinster's Cure trilogy (which I've only just realised is also nauseatingly called the Novels of Sensual Destiny series - *rolls eyes*) after Promise of Pleasure and Taste of Temptation but each stands completely alone so there's no need to read them in order.

Lily, like most of Holt's heroines, is described as an independent, spirited female and I was delighted to find she actually was written as such. She had spirit and wasn't afraid to stand up to John - and not just as a token gesture. Sure he was authoritative and demanding and she sometimes was led by him but on the whole she was feistier than most. John was Holt's usual alpha male and arrogant to boot but I liked his interactions with Lily and liked their story.

Unfortunately, Lily and John's story took up so little of the actual page count that it was hard to really get behind them or into their story. Other stories included step-mother Esther and half brother Edward and their desire to lay claim to the Earldom. There was John's fiancé, Violet and her secret love for Edward. Then there was John's mother, Barbara's return from the continent and her subsequent affair with Philip. And finally there were the pointless evil twins and first their desire to get rid of Lily and second their dominatrix and twisted sexual desires. I cared little for any of the supporting characters and felt they wasted time away from the main story.

There were, as always, the usual Americanisms, modern slang and talk and general research errors which not only galled but pull you away from the story.

I think I'm going to have to give Cheryl Holt a miss for a wee while from now on. This book was an improvement on the last of hers I read however I feel that they're all getting a bit similar and I'm now looking for something a little bit more special when I spend my money on a romance novel. This book wasn't terrible but if I'm honest, I feel that I can't recommend it. 3 stars.

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352 pages

Spinster's Cure trilogy:

       

Click to see other books by Cheryl Holt

Helen Hamilton is a twenty-five-year old spinster, with no income and no prospects, who struggles to care for her two orphaned sisters. Destitute and only a heartbeat away from the streets, Helen applies for a position as a governess to the younger siblings of Captain Tristan Odell, the oldest and illegitimate son of the notorious philanderer, Earl of Hastings. But when Tristan turns Helen away, her future seems as desperate as her options. 

Determined to do whatever it takes to support her sisters, Helen ends up at a brothel, where she agrees to sell herself as a mistress to a client of wealth and prestige. She even drinks a potion to make men desire her — and is shocked when the man who buys her is none other than Tristan. He too is shocked — and aroused by the possibilities. He hires Helen, but offers her more than a position as governess. Enmeshed in an affair of unrestrained desire, their passion quickly grows, as does an unexpected danger that could soon destroy them both... 

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I am usually a fan of Cheryl Holt although I'll admit that she does like to stick to her formula of rich, arrogant man and down-on-her-luck lady mixed with plenty of evil relatives thrown in to keep the couple apart. However, in this novel it seemed far too formulaic which resulted in a dull story that I struggled to get into.

I can't really say much about Helen as a character that's positive. She was supposed to be a strong survivor while she actually came across as weak and pathetic. Tristan was your usual arrogant hero but without much depth. His actions didn't seem to match his words and he was too quick to jump from one extreme to the other with his emotions for them to be believable. I'd like to say the pair had chemistry but to be honest they had so little interaction in the book that you practically forgot they were even there.

The reason for the lack of interaction was the secondary characters who seemed to take up all the pages. There was the "romance" between the immature, randy earl who was hard to like and Jane, the teenager who clearly knew what she was doing in trying to trap herself an aristocrat. That we were supposed to root for these two was beyond me.

Overall, as I said, I realty struggled with this story. It's the second in the Spinster's Cure series (after Promise of Pleasure and before Dreams of Desire) and I'll read the next book but really can't recommend this one. 2 stars and even then I feel I'm being generous!

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371 pages

Spinster's Cure trilogy:

       

Click to see other books by Cheryl Holt

For years, the Marquis of Vane has hungered for Lady Sarah from afar, watching the beauty brave a disastrous marriage. Then Sarah's wastrel husband makes Vane an indecent offer—one night with Sarah for ten thousand pounds—and the temptation is almost too great.

When Sarah comes to him, Vane can't resist making love to her—on his own terms. Nor can Sarah refuse a night of exquisite pleasure with the devastating man who haunts her dreams.

By morning, Sarah's desire turns to shame and a deep fear of Vane's power to bind her. Desperate, she does the one thing that will stop him from claiming her as his own—leaving him shattered by her betrayal. But neither she nor Vane dreamed their passionate encounter would set the stage for murder and that a deadly twist of fate could spell a lifetime of regret—or a love to last all time.

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This is the first book I've read by Christine Wells and I was gripped from the first page by the intensity and richness of the characters and the storyline.

Despite her seemingly cold nature, Sarah is a character well worth rooting for and one that you can really understand and like. And what's not to like about Vane? A strong, sexy, brooding man who can't help but love the woman of his dreams. Together the pair worked well even though the depth of their emotions often had them at odds with one another.

I intensely dislike any infidelity in my romances but in this book it was handled in such away that not only was it not tawdry but you also cheered for Vane and Sarah. And the pair had such guilt over what had occurred that it didn't feel sordid at all.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's the kind of story that you can't bear to put down and find yourself promising just one more chapter before you go to bed and waking up early just to read before you start the day. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a deep, interesting romance and personally I can't wait to read more books by Christine Wells, even hopefully some for Vane's brothers.

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309 pages

Click to see other books by Christine Wells

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered...and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control - especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

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This is the second book in the Lucky Harbour series (after Jax and Maddie's book, Simply Irresistible and before Sawyer and Chloe's book, Head Over Heels). While I suppose you could probably read this book as a stand alone, I really think that you'd get a better grip on the characters and their previous interactions if you read the books in order.

Tara is the grumpy, bossy sister and although we know and understand why, I was worried that I wasn't going to like her or root for her. That turned out not to be a problem as yes, Tara was bossy, but she was also self-deprecating and only ever wanted the best for people - I ended up really liking her. Not only that but Ford's laid back nature really complemented Tara and it was a case of opposites attract. The pair had sizzling chemistry and although there was no huge conflict, peril or drama - I was really rooting for the pair.

The cast of supporting characters were really rich but never overpowered the main characters or love story. As well as Maddie, Jax, Chloe and Sawyer there's the meddling townsfolk who aren't nearly as overpowering or stereotypical as in other novels I've read. There's also Tara's ex-husband, Logan. He's not a bad guy but clearly not the right guy for Tara but I loved his interactions/battles with Ford. Like another reviewer said, it would be nice if Logan gets his own story in the future. There's also the adopted daughter storyline which was more sweet than heavy and added a little extra to Tara and Ford's story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was part of a series that I'm really enjoying and I can't wait until Chloe and Sawyer's story comes out in December. If you like fun and sexy romances with characters you'll love then I would recommend this book, and the rest of the Lucky Harbour series, to you. 5 stars.

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384 pages

Lucky Harbor series:

           

 

           

           

Click to see other books by Jill Shalvis

When matchmaker Margot Roth is hired to find a date for the mother of a playboy millionaire, an erotic fling is the last thing on her mind.

Well, maybe not the last thing. Clint Hilton is the sexiest man she's ever met, and she has to admit naughty things go through her mind when he looks at her with his sultry eyes. But now that Clint is there to turn her fantasies into reality, Margot isn't sure if giving in to temptation is the best idea-even if he's determined to share his bed with her. . . or something more.

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Although it's a tried and tested plot, I still quite like a story where a couple pretend to be together only to find out neither are actually pretending. While this book didn't follow any formula, I feel that perhaps in order to avoid any clichés, no storyline was truly developed - it was all a bit bitty!

Clint was a likeable enough character as a ladies' man although I didn't really believe he was as suave or hot as he was supposed to be. On the other hand Margot wasn't likeable at all. She was whiney, annoying and deluded - especially when it came to dating in which she was supposed to be an expert. While there was enough heat in the novel, it was all a little bland as the pair didn't have much chemistry.

Overall, this isn't the worst book that I've read and if you have it on your shelf then it's still worth a go. However, it was a little bland and certainly not what I was looking for when I picked up a Blaze romance. 2 stars.

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224 pages

Click to see other books by Lori Borrill

Bad boy Callum Fraser is head over heels for the first time in his life.

Only his beloved, the Lady Alys, is keeping him out of her bed until their wedding Christmas morning. It's enough to drive a man crazy! Still, he intends to make up for his restraint. There are many ways to seduce, and Callum's a master at all of them. His goal?

To leave Alys shivering in desire, anticipating the many delicious ways he'll bring her pleasure on their wedding night and throughout the twelve days of Christmas. At least that's the plan. . . until Alys's dead first husband shows up, very much alive!

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This book follows on from Bound to Please, another Harlequin Blaze Historical that focuses on Callum's twin brother, Ewan. All the characters appear to have featured in the first novel and make an appearance in this one but you don't have to have read the first to totally understand the story or characters in this.

I'll start off with the good... Both Alys and Callum were likeable and realistic characters. Callum was strong but with a real weakness for Alys and Alys, a girl with a past, was still relatable and someone to root for. The pair had good chemistry and a very real love for each other even if the sex scenes weren't particularly hot or plentiful.

The plot was interesting and kept me interested and I really did enjoy Father Fearghas's journey and the things he encountered.

Now onto the bad... This book is set in Scotland in the 1400s but I was constantly thumping my head against the table while reading the book as the language, spelling and context of the words used was abominable. The characters "spoke" in an accent I've never heard anyone of the islands (or anywhere else in Scotland) speak and with words that I've never heard of and it was cringeworthy in the extreme. It's like the author thought to throw in a few "ochs", "ayes" and "the noos" and she's got herself a Scottish novel. I'm not expecting complete historical accuracy but a little research really wouldn't go amiss. Just because people say a word differently doesn't mean you have to spell them all differently! And some actually have proper spellings which the author completely disregards. Add to that the smattering of Americanisms and I was constantly jarred from the novel as I was reading.

I feel like I'm being extremely generous in giving this book 3 stars when I had so many bad things to say about it. However, I have to say that I liked the story, had no problem finishing it and that's despite all the flaws which is saying something! I'll admit that perhaps I shouldn't read novels set in Scotland as something invariably annoys me. If you're like me then perhaps I would pass on this book but if you're not bothered by things like that then I would recommend this book to you. The story's good and you can escape for a couple of hours.

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224 pages

Click to see other books by Hope Tarr

Amber Smithson just had mind-blowing sex with a totally hot stranger. In an elevator! Ditching her high-powered medical career to become a homeopathic doctor sure didn't prep her for this kind of hands-on therapy.

Corporate lawyer Roger Martell leads a high-pressure lifestyle that's given him money and power…and, unfortunately, high blood pressure. His solution? Ask the deliciously soothing doc to help him out with a few alternative treatments…and plenty more steam-up-the-yoga-studio sex!
The results leave them both healthy and very, very happy.

Still, a few nights of great sex won't bring down Roger's blood pressure indefinitely. Amber's in his bed now, but that doesn't mean she'll stay there.

Unless, of course, Roger can talk Amber into making those house calls a permanent thing….

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This is the follow on book from Taking Care of Business - Roger was the hero's best friend from that book. Having said that both book stands completely alone so you don't need to have read that one before reading this one.

Unfortunately, while I really enjoyed Taking Care of Business, this book was completely the opposite. Amber wasn't just unsympathetic but also completely unlikeable. Added to that she was preachy, stereotypical and annoying - not the ideal heroine. Roger was fine although a little blah all round. While there were plenty of sex scenes, without any connection or chemistry they all fell a little flat. In the end I couldn't help but feel that Roger deserved someone a whole lot nicer than Amber.

On top of this I felt the story was weak and at times bordered on ridiculous. It was a real struggle not only to finish this book but also to even remember what the book was about once I'd put it down.

For a Blaze this was a real disappointment. I like to be swept away by the romance, lifestyles, characters and sex and this book didn't deliver on any. 1 star.

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224 pages

Click to see other books by Kathy Lyons

It begins with some sexy action in the lift. Julie Thompson is living out her naughtiest fantasies… at work. Who knew she’d find a secret fling right in her own office building?

Sam Finn can’t believe his luck. The undercover multi-millionaire has been watching Julie via the security cameras… and now he has her in his arms any time he wants!

But he’s just learned that Julie will be leaving for good in three weeks. He needs to make her an offer she won’t want to refuse…

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This was an enjoyable story and it really kept me hooked. With such an obvious source of conflict between the pair it could easily have been quite a predictable book but I never got bored and didn't once anticipate exactly what would happen next.

I liked Julie - strong and confident yet still likeable and relatable. Sam was an ideal hero - a little geeky but still strong and sexy (although I couldn't really enjoy the image of lycra cycling shorts!). He had flaws and was unsure and worried at times but he made the perfect partner for Julie. Together they had great chemistry and the sex was plentiful, hot and at times a little kinky. Just as you would expect from a Blaze novel.

Following on from this book is In Good Hands which is Roger's story and I'm hoping we get a little more of Sam and Julie in there, too.

Overall this was an enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours and I liked it a lot. 4 stars.

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220 pages

Click to see other books by Kathy Lyons