REVIEW: Flyboy by Karen Foley

ISBN 9780373793570

Genre: Contemporary Romance

(c) October 2007, Harlequin Blaze

Karen Foley's website

Rating: 4 stars

Available at Book Depository (print).

"Hot and sexy! Love your hero in uniform? This is the book for you!"

Sedona Stewart was flabbergasted when she learned through a quirk of fate that sexual prowess is the basis of promotion at her company. For that, she has to join an exclusive men's sex club. No wonder she hadn't been promoted in the five years she's worked there, despite overtimes and being careful not to mix business with pleasure on out-of-town trips.

I have to admit. The back summary cover intrigued me enough to pick up this book and I wasn't disappointed. True, not much titillating club goings-on can be found here, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the heroine was a highly principled individual who wouldn't think of being promoted through such sordid means. But lest I give you the impression that she's a starched and stiff goody-goody, let me assure you that she's not. Moreover, though she was rightfully scared, she was able to pluck up the guts to help the FBI bring down the club. I have to admire Sedona for going after the guy she's been hankering for all along--luscious hunk Lieutenant Commander Angel Torres, the pilot assigned to test fly the jets.

Okay, I don't quite like the name Angel for the hero, but that's a personal bias. From his first appearance, Angel left me in no doubt that he's a man (though I still don't like the name by the end of the story). I love his fits of jealousy (not the last one, though), and he does have issues of trust, due to not knowing the heroine as much as he should and being blinded by his own feelings of betrayal and hurt. But he's a pilot! The last points makes him very irresistible (what is it about men in uniforms?), not to mention I like my heroes with flaws and vulnerabilities. Oh and must care for the heroine and forsake all other women since meeting her, of course.

There's a suspense part that's interwoven into the storyline and I have to say it's nicely done without overshadowing the romance. Although the part where the villain's identity was revealed was awkward and not realistic at all. The way he acted in that last scene, insisting on talking to Sedona and all, jarred me out of a nice suspension of disbelief that I've been maintaining. It's almost as if he wants to be found out, which is kinda weird, because a villain's greatest thrill is to create the most havoc while achieving what he wants and getting away with it.

That said, these are merely minor flaws/irritants and didn't hamper my enjoyment of the story.

Available at Book Depository (print).

REVIEW: Sex by the Numbers by Marie Donovan

ISBN 9780373794072

Genre: Contemporary Romance

(c) June 2008, Harlequin Blaze

Marie Donovan's website

Rating:  5 stars






Available in Book Depository (print).

"Very romantic and a joy to read!"

I'm currently on a Harlequin Blaze craze, so here's my next one.

Former stripper turned accountant, Keeley Davis was hired to conduct a fraud examination at a friend's company, but in order not to sound the alarm to the culprit, who might know her, she sexed up her image in her position as the personal secretary to Dane Weiss, who was hired for the same purpose. From the start, when Dane first saw her in her frumpy attire, the two had the hots for each other and working closely as they did only made sure they could do nothing but give in to their attraction.

This book is a joy to read, being well-written, and Ms. Donovan's voice is engaging and fun and sexy, with humor appearing in several places in the book. The same can be described for her characters and their attitudes toward sex and life. No sexually repressed/falsely modest heroine here. Hey, it's a Blaze after all, and moreover, Keeley was a former stripper.

Oh, regarding that Blaze comment. It's been my impression that Blaze stories are hot, well, way hotter than a Presents or Superromance, for example. But I guess I've made the mistake of thinking the story's not so much romantic as sexy. Well, this book is both romantic and sexy.

Back to Keeley, she wormed her way into my heart and you can really feel her chemistry with Dane. Their relationship is how I imagined a true love relationship is like--lovers taking joy in each other's presence.

Dane is also one sweet and romantic hero. Many times during the story, I find myself wishing I was in Keeley's shoes! The things he said...wow, guaranteed to make a woman feel cherished and wanted. How could you not love a guy who said something like this to you: "You've haunted my dreams since we met, and I wake up to find reality even better."

I also love her cast of supporting characters, notably Lacey and Dane's mom. Lacey, Keeley's sister, is down-to-earth and sensible. I especially like the scene wherein she talked some sense into Keeley. However, I like Dane's mom even better. Though she only had two lines in the entire story and appeared only toward the ending, I love her warmth and ready acceptance of the girls. Wish I have a mother-in-law like that!

Harlequin category romances had always been a hit or miss with me. Blaze romances are more often than not, misses than hits. So I'm very happy to have discovered three Blaze authors whose romances--the characters, the plot, the sexiness, oh I should say the entire package--resonate with me. You all know about my Sarah Mayberry craze and now there's Marie Donovan. There's also Karen Foley, whose story, Flyboy, I also enjoyed a lot (review coming). I don't have auto-buy authors, but these three certainly made it to my "authors whose backlist I have to glom while waiting for new releases". LOL

Available in Book Depository (print).

REVIEW: Below the Belt by Sarah Mayberry

ISBN 9780373794089
Genre: Contemporary Romance

(c) June 2008, Harlequin Blaze

Sarah Mayberry's website

Rating: 4 stars

Buy Link: Book Depository

"Intense, heat-ratcheting romance with a dash of humor"

Jamie Sawyer wanted to erase the shame that her father had brought upon their family name, and to do that, she wanted to train under the best boxing trainer: Cooper Fitzgerald. However, Cooper wasn't in the market for women boxers and he wouldn't take her on. She had proved to him that she got talent and power. But most of all, he was drawn to her because of something else that sizzled between them...

Jamie is strong, determined and stubborn, and she needs a man like Cooper to handle her. Cooper knows his stuff and he also knows when to pick his battles, especially against a stubborn woman like Jamie. I love watching their interaction--it's fascinating and the chemistry fairly sizzled between them. Ms. Mayberry certainly knew how to write and depict the sexual tension between the characters and there were lots of it. Needless to say, their sex scenes, when they happened, were hot. Scorching. Needs ice.

I also love the characters' internal monologue, which was interspersed with humor. For example, when Cooper found himself inappropriately sporting a hard-on: Maybe if he got a really good muscle burn going (he was doing some tricep pushdowns), he could stop behaving like a life support system for a hard-on.

As boxing is a fairly unfamiliar sport to me, I also love reading about it. No info bashing, for which I'm very thankful. I still cannot understand why people would be fascinated by it (my brother is, for example), but I can appreciate that as boxers, the characters had the drive and the passion for it. You can tell that they really love the sport.

I like the way the stakes were upped for Jamie each step of the way. I like that she's smart and determined and she knows what she wants (I believe I've said that some paragraphs ago), however, there was one part where she behaves irrationally (for me) and which some readers might say is TSTL. In fact, I don't quite understand still why she did it, and the explanation offered by Cooper later on didn't quite cut it for me. Basically, Jamie took on a fight with someone who is way more experienced than she, the fight offer made by a publicist who was banking on her famous name (due to her father) to draw the crowds (and which made Cooper thought the fight would become a media circus). She also didn't want to listen to Cooper or her grandfather or her friend, who made reasonable suggestions. If it weren't for Cooper coming through for her at the end, she would've lost that fight. I don't just believe that, but I know that.

I realized why Ms. Mayberry had that publicist made the fight offer, which in my opinion is realistic. She had to move the story forward to its conclusion. I just don't quite agree with Jamie's decision. Yes, I know she's set her heart on being the title champion and redeeming their name, but I thought she's also more sensible than her actions made her seem.

Despite that, this is a good read, if you're looking for a category romance.

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

REVIEW: The Defender by Cara Summers

ISBN 978-0-263-86212-6

Series: The Angelis brothers, Book 3

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

(c) 2007, Harlequin Blaze

Cara Summers' website

Rating: 2.5 stars

Buy Link: Book Depository

"Fell a little short in romance and suspense"

When Sadie Oliver's sister disappeared and her brother, heavily injured, became a suspect in a murder, she had no choice but to turn to Theo Angelis for help, whom she'd been attracted to for some time. Sparks fly between them as Sadie disguised herself as one of Theo's interns and she worked with him to solve the mysteries surrounding her family.

It was only when I read the author's note that I realized this book was part of a trilogy and it's the third book! I think it's clever of the author to spin out three stories from one single event, though it's been done by other authors as well. For those who want to know, it's not necessary to read the other books to get the whole story on this one, though it may help to keep the storyline and the characters clear.

The story started out with promise for me (I love Aunt Cass's prologue, which I think is aimed at setting up the atmosphere--suspense with the hope of making you care for what's gonna happen to the hero), but sad to say, the story spiraled downward as I read on.

I get the feeling that the author was aiming the sex scenes to be hot, but it fell a little short, especially when I didn't get the characters' urgency for it that first time. It's not like they've been pining for each other or teasing the other for so long. Maybe the sex was brought forward because well, after all, it's Blaze? Also, I think the story would've been more enjoyable if the sexual tension could be ramped higher. As it was, I think there's not much tension before the characters got down and dirty.

The mystery was also rather confusing, with the lack of names and accurate descriptions (coz Sadie didn't see the faces in the dim light) and going only by the number of shots fired. If I'd wanted to really be clear about this, I would've read it twice (or maybe thrice), but I didn't want to bother. After all, it's a Blaze book, not Intrigue. But if you're finicky about this type of thing, you may be a little bit frustrated. And it didn't get better.

Some things would've been better if it had been showed rather than told, such as the car chase with Theo's passenger car ending up wrecked. I thought that'd be good for a suspense moment from Theo's POV and his extreme relief that Sadie didn't go with him, but since he was only helping out, perhaps this scene was featured in one of the other books.

I also thought the moment when Sadie was taken hostage up on the roof would be full of tension, but the writing was rather flat. So, don't read this for the suspense and maybe I was wrong to expect it, since, as I've said, this isn't Intrigue but Blaze.

Buy Link: Book Depository

REVIEW: Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

ISBN 978-0-425-22420-5

Genre: Contemporary Romance
(c) October 2008, Berkley Sensation, Berkley Publishing Group

Julie James' website 

Rating: 4 stars

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

"Sly humor and witty conversation abound! Not to be missed!"

I've already read Practice Makes Perfect, so I have high expectations for this book. Which may be unfair, since each book should be judged according to its own merit.

Julie James delivered the same sly humor and witty conversation in this book, together with a gorgeous, sexy hero and a strong heroine with baggage of her own. For those who absolutely hated head-hopping, I'm sorry to say there are some of it here, but it wasn't a problem for me, as I wasn't confused by the sudden shifts. (Because I do hate head-hopping only when I become confused as to who did/said what.)

Taylor Donovan was sent to Los Angeles (from the Chicago office) to work on a certain case, and while she was there, she was asked by her boss to coach Jason Andrews who acted the part of a lawyer in his next film. The firm decided to grant Jason this favor because they hope to get his business, and because Taylor is angling for a partnership in the firm, she had no choice but to agree.

Jason Andrews is a sexy, highly-sought after actor, and because of this, he's arrogant and doesn't give a shit about anyone. Which is why, he callously disregarded the appointment his assistant had made with Taylor, for the reason that he wanted to go to Vegas with his friend. It was hard to like Jason at first because of his attitude, although he's probably not acting that much different from anyone who's in his position. When he finally deigned to make a visit to the courtroom where he heard his "trainer" was, he was captivated by her because she didn't grovel at his feet. She was refreshingly different from the other women in his life.

Taylor who lives by her brain and believes in being logical, has to take quite a leap of faith in love, given her past. She thought her ex-fiance had changed his womanizing ways, only to learn that he'd been cheating on her all along. She has the same fear with Jason, who is even a bigger womanizer than her ex-fiance. So, toward the end, though she made a leap of faith, it was a leap made on sustainable proof and evidence, as one would expect of a lawyer. Though she's likeable as a heroine, she didn't make that much an impression on me like Payton (Practice Makes Perfect).

I didn't like Jason at first, but this sentiment shifted as he showed a willingness to change his attitude and behavior due to his feelings for Taylor. I also like the moments of vulnerability that Jason exhibited toward the end, his uncertainty and hurt. Underneath all the glitter and flashy wealth, he is like any other man faced with the possibility of losing the only woman he ever loved.

Overall, the whole concept of a gorgeous, sexy, wealthy actor falling in love with a nobody lawyer (who's beautiful and hot!) from Chicago is thrilling and every woman's fantasy. I'm not a lawyer and I've never worked in a law firm, yet it took a lot of suspension of disbelief for me to believe that a senior associate the caliber of Taylor (who's up in line for a partnership) would be called on to coach Jason through his movie scenes for realism when she's in the middle of an important case, even if the firm is angling to get Jason's business, and when there could be other associates who could be called upon for the job. But once you get past that, the book's an enjoyable read.

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

REVIEW: How To Score by Robin Wells

ISBN 978-0-446-61842-7
(c) June 2009, Forever, Grand Central Publishing
Robin Wells' website

Rating: 4.5 stars

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

"Laugh-out-loud funny! You definitely want to read this in the privacy of your home for the pleasure of laughing with no holds barred."

Ms. Wells writes stories that are laugh-out-loud funny, definitely books you'd want to read in the privacy of your home for the pleasure of laughing with no holds barred. She opened How To Score with a funny conversation between Chase Jones and Horace, the man he was coaching for his brother, that also serves to acquaint readers with the situation without info dumping.

Chase was filling in for his brother Luke as life coach because he was the reason Luke was in the Witness Protection Program, for which he felt guilty about. Just as he was thinking how much more he could endure talking to the losers that his brother has for clients, a woman named Sammi Matthews called, whose voice intrigued him and before he knew it, he was meeting up with her and dating her.

Sammi Matthews needed a life coach to help boost her self-confidence and to teach her how not to injure her future dates. Thus far, she had given one a black eye and cracked another's ribs. She puts the lessons her coach taught her into her dates with Chase, and before she knew it, she was falling for him. Although mishaps did occur when she was with Chase, he didn't seem put off by them...

Though Sammi's self-confidence is low when it comes to men, she is stubborn in her love for art deco architecture and goes all out to preserve it. However, with Chase's help (both as her life coach and as her date), she becomes more confident of herself. She is also a pushover, especially when it comes to her sister Chloe, and she is kind-hearted and really just can't say "no" to a friend who needs help. I expect she's the kind of woman everyone wants to be friends with, but she also needs someone to pick up after her messes. Her antics as her dog bites into Chase's jogging shorts and as she spills hot coffee into his lap are priceless.

Okay, normally, I don't like such type of comedic antics, coz they remind me of The Three Stooges, but I love it in this book because I think they're just right to portray the sort of person Sammi is and the situations she normally finds herself in. Of course, a lot of the troubles are actually caused by the dog, but if she weren't so soft-hearted, she wouldn't have agreed to take on the dog in the first place.

Chase, on the other hand, is also attracted to Sammi and soon, he finds himself in a quandary. Thus far, he has been talking to Sammi as her life coach (whom she thought was Luke) and dating her as himself. As such, he came to know her secrets, even what she felt regarding Chase. Time and again, he wanted to tell her the truth, but something or the other prevented it until he realized just how much Sammi meant to him and he was afraid that the truth might cause him to lose her.

And Horace is such an unbelievable character. Read the book and you'll know just how unbelievable he is. Does such a person really exist in the world? Still, it is his responses to Chase's questions and statements that sometimes has me laughing out loud. It's nice to see him closing the book as well, since it was his conversation with Chase that opened it.

I will be picking up Between The Sheets and see if it will also have me in stitches while I wait for Ms. Wells' next offering.

Buy Link (paper): Book Depository

REVIEW: Love, Unexpectedly by Susan Fox

ISBN 978-0-7582-3826-9

Series: Wild Ride to Love series, Book 2

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
(c) April 2010, Kensington Brava
Susan Fox's website 

Rating: 4.5 stars




Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble 
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook 

"Wonderful characterization, magnificent story. A great read!"

Susan Fox did it again! In Love, Unexpectedly, she takes us on an exhilarating ride on the train of love. Her compelling love stories will tug at your heartstrings and make you root for an HEA for the characters. In case nobody knows, Susan Fox is also Susan Lyons, who wrote Sex Drive, book 1 of this series.

Kat Fallon is the second child in the family, insecure and overshadowed by her brainy sister. To find a niche for herself, she became Ms. Sociability, cultivating lots of friendships, only to find out later on that her friendships were all shallow and she never let anyone gets too close to her. In her relationships with men, she ran at the first sight of trouble, not staying long enough to work things out with the guy. The longest relationship she has is her friendship with Nav Bharani, her neighbor, and consequently, she treasured their friendship very much and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

Nav, on the other hand, had slowly been falling in love with Kat over the two-year period of their friendship, yet each time he mentioned them dating, Kat brushed him off. When Kat asked him to stand in as her boyfriend at her sister's wedding, Nav was hit by an idea so crazy that if he could pull it off, he just might get his heart's desire.

Ms. Fox excels in characterization and character development. As I read, I could see that Kat is so different from Theresa (the heroine in Sex Drive), and I like how we learn to know about Kat at the same time that she discovers things about herself and her family. Kat and her sisters are close as siblings could be, with the usual squabbles, and it was fun to see this family dynamic in their interactions and even better to see them move past their misconceptions about each other and develop a more mature relationship.

(It reminds me of me and my own siblings, and coincidentally [perhaps not?] the middle sibling is also Mr. Sociability, the one with the most number of friends among the three of us.)

As for Nav, I love the hope that burns bright in his heart and the persistence with which he pursued Kat, never giving up despite the numerous brush-offs she'd given him. I like that in a man, one who knows what he wants and goes after it, but of course, he shouldn't bulldoze her into accepting him. Which Nav doesn't. He just opens her eyes and mind to possibilities and waits for her to come to her own conclusions. Sexy traits in a man, and even sexier is his confidence, especially when there was no encouragement or whatever from Kat. Nav, end of Chapter 1: 

"Token good guy? Screw that.
He was going to be the sexy guy on the train." 

Their encounters as Nav flowed from one alter-ego to the other are exciting and stimulating. Nav is certainly unpredictable and one never knows what one would get when with him. I'm sure that was now Kat came to see him--exciting, stimulating yet safe. I don't believe for one moment that Kat failed to remember that he was Nav, in whatever guise he put on. And we can see this in the way she sometimes lapsed into thinking of him as Nav and the desperate way she convinced herself that he was Pritam or Dhiraj. I think she recognized subconsciously that he was giving her a reason to indulge in their attraction and she seized upon it, because she wanted it as well.

The set up disturbed me a bit, because Kat comes across as someone who wants to have her cake and eat it and not have to own up to the responsiblity. A bit cowardly and not as likeable as Theresa (Sex Drive).

However, I like the way we get to see what happens after the end of events in Sex Drive and how Kat's family interacted with Nav. Love, Unexpectedly is a great read in itself and as part of the series. I anxiously await the third in the series, flaky sister Jenna's story. I know I've labeled her as flaky, and may I say I "borrowed" the term from the books, but we all know that things aren't always what they seem. Plus, as I've said, Susan Fox aka Susan Lyons, is great at character development and characterization. Thus, it would be interesting to see Jenna as seen from Jenna's eyes.

As with Sex Drive, this book is written in alternate points of view per chapter, with Nav in third person POV and Kat in first person POV. Like I said, it didn't bother me, however, I find myself being more interested to read Nav's chapters than Kat. What can I say? I'm a girl. Of course, I'm more fascinated by the sexy hunk.

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble 

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

*Note: The review copy was provided by the author.

REVIEW: Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

ISBN 978-0-425-22674-2

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Lawyer Romance

(c) March 2009, Berkley Publishing Group

Julie James's website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Witty and laugh-out-loud funny! Not to be missed!"

Julie James pens a novel that is witty and laugh-out-loud funny with engaging characters who battle out the ongoing war of the sexes in the courtroom and elsewhere.

Payton Kendall works hard and wins every case as she tries to make partner in the firm. However, she has a good competitor in the person of J.D. Jameson, the man who has his office across the hall from her and with whom she could barely exchange a civilized word. For the last eight years, it has been thus with him, as each tries to get one over the other. When they were asked to work together on a certain case, they discover nice things about each other and their relationship was on the first step toward changing for a different one. But all bets are off when they learned only one of them will make partner.

Payton is a competitor to the core. She never backs down, thinking that she's only a woman or some such nonsense. She believes her capabilities are equal to that of J.D. and that she deserves to be made partner. Yet, she is at the same, feminine. She's an irresistible heroine for women everywhere.

For his part, J.D. believes in the saying "one good turn deserves another". As a competitor for the position of partner, J.D. is no slouch. He's a formidable lawyer who's won every case, and he works very hard, even staying into the night in the office. And because of his overflowing work schedule, he does date occasionally, but he's not the playboy or rakish hero that we read about in every other book. It's a refreshing change.

Though the story plot (and the resolution of their dilemma) is an old one, Ms. James was able to write it in a way that felt new and unique. I find myself laughing out loud (I did already say that, huh?) at their antics several places in the book, and their internal monologue is just priceless.

Ms. James presents opposing views about a woman's position in the employment opportunities aspect in the two characters. I never saw it before from J.D.'s point of view, that because an applicant is a woman and because the employer wanted to be politically correct, she may get the job even if there's a man who's as equally qualified. As J.D. said, "Men have to be twice as good at what they do to remain competitive in the workplace. Women just have to stay in the race." Not that I agree, but it did make me look at things from another perspective.

There is one thing I did find exception to. Aside from the fact that we never did find out what J.D. stands for, J.D. has this ongoing issue with his father. And it's to prove himself to his father that he could make it on his own that J.D. wanted to be made partner on his own merit (his father's a judge). However, after the first half of the book, we didn't find mention of his father again, not in J.D.'s internal monologue nor did his father make an appearance. I don't know if I read too much into it or maybe it's just the usual parents-will-always-disapprove-of-what-their-children-do, because I kept expecting a resolution with his father toward the end that never came. Despite that, I enjoyed Practice Makes Perfect so much Ms. James is on my auto-buy list. In the meantime, while waiting for Something About You (which I pre-ordered!), I can amuse myself with Just The Sexiest Man Alive.

Rating: 5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble

Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

SNEAK PEEK: Breaking Daylight by M.J. Fredrick

ISBN 978-1-60504-869-7

(c) January 2010, Samhain Publishing 

M.J. Fredrick's website

Buy Links (ebook): Samhain Publishing, Fictionwise

Blurb from Publisher's Website: 

Touching her crosses the line…and shoots his code of honor all to hell. 

Sergeant Alex Shepard is all about getting the job done. That single-minded purpose helps him forget the fact he hates the jungle as he leads his Special Forces team in search of Honduran drug lord Santiago Saldana. His quarry eludes him, but the woman left behind in the compound is the next best thing. Saldana’s mistress—an American woman who clearly puts her own pleasure over right and wrong.

Isabella Canales has been Saldana’s prisoner for four long years. Worse, he’s taken away her most precious possession. Except Alex doesn’t believe a word of it. The clock is ticking, and she’s frantic to do anything to convince him to take her home. Even agree to serve as bait to draw Saldana out.

As they push through the tangled jungle dodging bullets and ambushes, Alex fights his growing respect for Isabella’s determination—and an attraction that’s impossible to resist, whatever she’s done. But Saldana never lets go of what’s his. And betrayal is his deadliest weapon…

Exclusive Excerpt (provided by the author):

“Where did you get these boots?” He motioned to the footwear that was out of proportion to her body. 

“I borrowed them.” She swiped the back of her wrist over her forehead. “I didn’t have clothes for this." 

“Who did you borrow them from?” 

He inspected a fallen tree, looking for snakes or anything else that might be using the log as a hiding place. Tossing his pack down, he motioned her to sit. She looked at him warily, then did. He reached for the laces, but she drew her feet back, the quickest he’d seen her move in hours. For the first time he saw that her pants were too big as well, rolled at the hem and at the waist. She was tiny, and these were men’s clothes. 

“Saldana’s clothes?” He squinted up at her. 

“No.” She folded her arms over the loose waist and dipped her head. “No, if he knew they were missing—” 

“Someone you trusted?” 

She shook her head. “If he found out someone helped me, it would be terrible for them. I couldn’t ask anyone for help.” 

“Well, you’re not asking me.” He gripped the heel of her boot in one hand and untied it with the other. 

She sucked in her breath when he tugged the boot, and he looked up at her. She was in real pain. This wasn’t going to be good. 

Blood had soaked through the thick white socks—three pairs, she’d had sense enough for that. 

“Jesus.” He peeled the socks gently, one at a time, feeling her tense with each layer. If there was this much damage after only walking this morning—the outer sock was little more than a rag—what were her feet going to look like? Hell, he knew. What he didn’t know was how he was going to deal with an injured woman in the middle of the jungle with no transportation. 

He peeled down the third sock. Her ankle was so small he could wrap his fingers around it. It was ripped to hell, the skin over her Achilles tendon shredded and the flesh over her anklebone where the heel of the boot had rubbed. The tops of her toes—tipped with red nail polish—were raw. 

He rested her heel on his thigh, then gave the same attention to the other foot. Only after he dragged his pack over did he look at her face. She had braced her weight on her hands behind her, her whole body tense as she stared at her feet. 

“I thought nothing could hurt as bad as stilettos.” 

That comment surprised a grin out of him. “Yeah, you wouldn’t look too great in them now.” He pulled out the peroxide, gauze and antibiotic lotion. “You’re going to have a hell of a time walking and we’ve got a long way to go.” 

She stilled. “You can’t leave me here.” 

He sat back on his heels and sighed. The objective had changed on the mountain—get her back to the States. But how was he going to make that happen when her feet were in this shape and he was on his own? He couldn’t protect her and get her out of here. He’d have to stash her until he could do both. “They won’t hurt you. We’ll get you to the road, they’ll find you, take you back.” 

“To Santiago.” Her voice rose in panic. “If he knows I left on my own—” 

He dragged a hand over his hair. “You tell him we took you.” 

She shook her head violently. “He’ll know. There’s no way you could get in, and I’m forbidden to leave.” 

“Ever?” He opened a new bottle of water, splashed a bit over each foot, soaking the thigh of his BDUs, and he passed the bottle to her. 

She took it but didn’t drink. “In four years. I even—” She stopped herself, pressing her lips together. 

“Even what?” 

She shook her head, her gaze following a trail of ants on the jungle floor. He cut a strip of gauze, cleaned her wounds with gentle swipes and dabs, applied the antibiotic and started wrapping her foot. “If you give it an extra layer or whatever I could make it,” she said. “It already feels a lot better.” 

“Your socks are bloody rags.” He looked up. “I have to send you back.” 

“You can’t!” 

She shot forward and grasped his wrist. Her dark eyes were pleading. The kind of eyes that could make a man do anything. He turned his gaze down. 

“You don’t know what he’ll do to me.” 

He pulled his wrist away. “Your choice. You went with him.” 

She reached for her pack and dragged it close as he wrapped her other foot with less gentleness than the first, needing to get her away from him. But God, how could he make her walk on these feet? 

“You’re not going to leave me all by myself?” 

Damn, she was about to cry. “We’ll find a village. I’m not going to leave you in the middle of the jungle. But even that won’t be easy.” He held out his hand. “Give me that.” 

She pulled her pack closer, protective, wary. 

“I need to stuff the toes or something so your feet won’t have room to slide around.” 

"I don’t have anything.”  

He tugged the pack free, frowning at her determination to hang on to it. What was she hiding? “I already saw the vibrator. Not that you’re likely to be embarrassed by something like that.” He unzipped the pack and pulled out a brightly colored silk dress, something fine and expensive, something Rebecca would never wear. No, she liked soft colors and cotton, and had probably never paid more than fifty dollars for a dress. This garment was probably worth four times that, at least. 

The goddess whimpered, her gaze focused on it. 

He grabbed the garment by the shoulders, took just a moment to imagine how the fabric would mold to her body, and ripped it in two. 

You would have thought he’d stabbed her in the heart, the way she cried out and reached for it, trying to pull it from his grasp, too late. 

“What the hell?” he demanded, holding it away. “It’s a dress.” 

But the woman who’d refused to cry when she was in a truck on fire, or hanging off the side of a mountain, was sobbing over a dress. Jesus. 

He snatched up her boots, one at a time, and shoved the fabric inside, wadding it in the toes. Then he held out each boot expectantly. Lower lip trembling, she took them, eased her sore feet inside and laced them up. 

He stood, backing away and grabbing his pack, not taking his gaze off her. Goddamn, he’d never understand women.

Buy Links (ebook): Samhain Publishing, Fictionwise

SNEAK PEEK: Sex On The Beach by Susan Lyons

ISBN 978-0425232163

(c) January 2010, Berkley Trade

Susan Lyons' website 

Sex On The Beach is Susan's newest release! It's an erotic contemporary romance featuring three couples who were brought together by a wedding in Belize. I haven't read it yet, but from the excerpts I've read, it's sure to be hot!

THE STORY

 
An exotic wedding turns into an erotic escapade for three unlikely couples who find lust—and maybe even love—on the white sands of Belize. Get ready to get wet!

"War of the Sexes" 
When wedding planner Sarah McCann learns that the groom's best friend, Free Lafontaine, intends to save his pal from the mistake of marriage, it's an all-out war between the sexes. Turns out, the prize could be much more than either of them expected, and this war just may have two winners.

"Sex With the Proper Stranger"
Model Tamiko Sato comes to the wedding as arm-candy for the groom's deep-in-the-closet uncle. What's she to do when resort manager Ric Nuñez proves far too tempting? Ric just might be the man who can help her heal the wounds left by past abuse, and open her heart to love.

"Sexy Exes"
Giovanna Moncrieff and her ex, James, mix as well as Italian olive oil and English tonic water. How embarrassing—and exciting!—to find that their passion for each other still burns hot and heavy. Is it possible to find true love the second time around?

Excerpt:

This is from the second story, "Sex With The Proper Stranger." Tamiko, a gorgeous New York model, has a history of abuse and is very surprised to find herself attracted to Ric, the owner of the resort in Belize. 

She sank down on the towel on the moonlit beach, sitting with her legs curled to one side.

Ric sprawled beside her, a man at ease with his body. He held up the bottle he'd brought. "I'd have brought a picnic basket, proper glasses, but if anyone had seen me, it would have looked suspicious."

"What's in the bottle?"

White teeth flashed. "Sex on the beach."

"Seriously?"

"Is it too cliché?" He unscrewed the lid and handed her the bottle.

Not cliché, but it didn't help her nerves. Of course he was expecting sex, even though he'd said he would go slow.

She took a sip, hoping the alcohol would loosen her up.

When she handed him the bottle, he drank, too. She liked the intimacy of his lips covering the place where hers had been, liked the way he threw his head back, and his throat rippled as he swallowed. He was so physical compared to the men she knew in Manhattan, so outdoorsy and natural, yet just as intelligent and successful.

"I like your style, Ricardo," she said shyly.

"I like yours." He touched the flower she'd tucked behind her ear. "You're wearing a hibiscus again. It suits you." His fingers plucked it from her hair and brushed its petals across her cheek.

She'd worn it because it made her think of him. And in hopes it would make her feel new and fresh, sensual and free.

He drifted the blossom across her lips then down her neck, and she arched, shivering with pleasure at the gentle, sensuous touch. The hibiscus traced the neckline of her sundress, lingered in the cleft between her small breasts. He tucked it there, like a decoration, and the tight top of her dress held it in place.

His touch made her body hum, her nipples tighten, but she tensed. Would he reach under her dress, fondle her breasts? Did she want him to?

Instead, he used both hands to smooth her long hair behind her ears, running his fingers through it again and again. "Like silk," he said. "A waterfall of black silk."

She'd wanted to touch his hair since she'd first seen him, and now she did. It might be the same color as hers, but the texture was the opposite. It was so thick and almost wiry, she couldn't weave her fingers through it. She chuckled. "How do you comb it?"

"Fro pick," he said. "My dad was African American. When I was in my teens, I had dreads."

"I like it like this." The conventional choice for a businessman would have been to cut it short, but she was glad he hadn't. "It's sexy." Wasn't there supposed to be a tie between a man's hair and his virility?

"You're sexy." He leaned toward her and touched his lips to hers, light as a butterfly wing or hibiscus petal.

Nice. Not the least bit threatening, just tantalizing.

"More," she whispered against his mouth.

He began to kiss her the way he had in his office, teasing her flesh until she opened her lips and begged him to come inside.

The times she'd had sex, nothing had felt natural to her, not even the kissing and foreplay. She'd felt pressured and anxious. Inhibited, scared.

But with Ric, kissing was wonderful. He took things so slowly, she could savor, enjoy the heady pulse of growing arousal.

And she did the same things back to him, not because she had to but because she wanted to.

He clasped her shoulders and tipped her backward until she was lying on the towel with him leaning over her, and for a moment she felt the familiar, instinctive panic. But he didn't quicken the pace, just nibbled her lips and explored her mouth with his tongue, and soon her tongue was slow dancing with his again.

Her arms circled his back, and his soft T-shirt brushed her chest. Last night his torso had been bare, and she wanted that again. She wanted to see him, to feel his firm, warm brownness. She tugged on the shirt, pulling it upward.

He broke the kiss, peeled the shirt over his head, tossed it aside, then waited for her to decide what to do next.

What she did was stare. Ric could have been a model. Put him in an ad for expensive cars, watches, or cologne, and buyers would flock to the stores.

But that would never be his world. Taking him to New York and sticking him in front of cameras and lights would be like caging one of those soaring black frigate birds.
 
She stroked his skin wonderingly. Her fingers weren't used to touching people in anything but the most superficial way, and now they lingered.

His skin quivered under her touch, but other than that, he didn't move, as if he sensed she needed to be in control.

Muscles, strength. And yet he didn't scare her. Power and gentleness were a potent combination, one that made a hungry pulse beat between her legs, a throb of arousal that was so rare, so welcome.

His skin was smooth, rich chocolate. She raised her head and licked his shoulder, almost surprised to find the taste of salt on her tongue rather than chocolate. "You taste good," she whispered. "You feel good."

Leaning on one arm, he lifted the hair that fell over her shoulder and kissed the skin he'd revealed: the cap of her shoulder, her neck, the vulnerable hollow at the base of her throat where her pulse fluttered.

He reached behind her and touched the top of the zipper that ran down the back of her sundress. "Yes?"

She wanted those kisses to move lower, wanted his tongue to lave her aching nipples. "Yes."

He drew the zipper down slowly, fingers brushing the knobs of her spine with soft deliberation.

As the dress loosened, the blossom it had held in place tumbled free, drifting down between her breasts.

When he'd lowered the zipper fully, he circled the base of her spine with his thumb, brushing the upper curves of her buttocks, the cleft between.

As he slowly drew her dress straps over her shoulders and began to ease the top of her dress over her breasts, she had a nervous impulse to cross her arms over her chest and stop him.

Yes, she wanted his touch, but she had a fashion model's body: skinny, with barely there hips, butt, and breasts. The camera loved her, but was she woman enough to please a vital man like Ric?

Time to find out.

As he stared at the body he was revealing inch by inch, she watched his face. She saw the glitter of his eyes, the flare of his nostrils, the way his lips parted.
 
The dress cleared her breasts, the cotton whispered across her ribs, her flat stomach. The hibiscus flower tumbled to the towel beside her.

She lifted up so he could keep going. Now her lower body, clad only in a tiny flesh-colored thong, was exposed, and then he was pulling her dress off.

"You lying there in the moonlight . . ." His voice was husky. "Someone should paint that picture. You're so lovely. A moon goddess."

"Not a goddess. Just a woman." A woman who had never, before coming to Belize, felt the breath of a tropical night on her naked skin or yearned for a man's touch the way she craved Ric's.


Interested to read more?

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble 
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

Enter for the chance to win an autographed copy of Sex On The Beach!

How to Enter:  You can do any or all of the following:
1. Comment on any of the posts on January 13 and 14.
2. Ask questions. Susan will be dropping by the blog from time to time and will answer any questions you might have.
3. Answer any one or both questions below: ("stolen" from Susan's book discussion questions in Sex On The Beach. More on her website.)

From "War of the Sexes": Sarah believes that pheromones are a product of evolution, of centuries of Darwinian fine-tuning, honing the mating instinct. What do you think?

From "Sexy Eyes": What is the opposite of love: hatred or indifference?

Who Can Enter: Anybody on this planet.

Contest Deadline:  11:59pm EST on January 14, 2010

Winner Announcement:  The name of the winner will be posted on the blog on January 15, 2010. Instructions will be given then on how to claim the prize.

* Check out our review of Sex Drive and Interview with Susan Lyons!

REVIEW: Sex Drive by Susan Lyons

ISBN 9780758238252

Series: Wild Ride to Love, Book 1

(c) December 2009, Aphrodisia, Kensington

Susan Lyons' website

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

"Characters that wrap around your heart, sizzling passion, a true romance. What's not to love?"

Sex Drive truly is one Wild Ride to Love! The title alone tells me this book is gonna be one yummy read.

As I understand it, the four books in the series will feature a particular type of transportation wherein the characters will meet and mayhem--delicious ones, that is--ensues. In Sex Drive, the characters are seatmates on the long flight to Honolulu and our sexy hero initiates the heroine into the mile-high club.

Damien Black makes a sexy hero because he doesn't have any angst. Although angsty heroes make for tortured, conflicted, compelling characters, it's very refreshing to read a hero who doesn't have much baggage. He's easy-going and fun and I love his banter with Theresa, how he makes her feel at ease and how he appreciates her. Truthfully, Damien is a very easy man to fall in love with, not to mention that he possessed the requisite gorgeous hero looks. He said and did all the right things to make a girl's heart melt, and the best is that he's sincere about it. To top that, he's voted one of the top 10 sexiest bachelors in Australia (reminds me of Hugh Jackman). Theresa is one lucky woman indeed!

On the other hand, Dr. Theresa Fallon is a genius who got her PhD when she was twenty-two! (gulp) All work and no play, she's a control freak, likes to do things by herself as other people's work standards aren't up to hers, and Damien is just what she needs to loosen up. It's fun seeing her have fun and gaining confidence in herself with everything Damien does and says. And did I mention that Damien is such a sexy guy?

Though the intimate scenes were hot and plenty, the author takes us through the characters' progressing feelings about himself/herself and with each other in every scene such that the intimate acts don't come across as gratuitous. For me, the first few pages started out as slow with Theresa (in the first POV) in a monologue explaining how she came to be at the airport looking through bridal magazines, but once she's on the plane and found out that Damien's her seatmate, the book takes off.

And it's one wild ride, for both the characters and the reader. I like the way the Damien and Theresa gradually developed feelings for one another, fraught with all the highs and joys, doubts and uncertainties of a new romance. Like how Damien found himself floundering, wanting to say the right words at the right time, because it mattered now in the way it didn't before. I also like the way they helped each other to grow and expand beyond what they already are into better persons.

Susan Lyons is an amazing storyteller, creating characters that wrap around your heart. She really set Theresa up for the "big fall" (you have to read it and see), but I'm glad to see the issue resolved without employing the "big misunderstanding" trope and move on to the next. It made for an action-packed, tension-filled read. A true fairy tale for the romantic at heart. The next book in the series is Love, Unexpectedly and I can't wait to get it in April!

A note for readers: The book is written partly from the first person point of view (Theresa's) and third person point of view (Damien's) in alternating chapters, except for the grand finale/conclusion, which is all Theresa's. Though I was disconcerted at first by this format, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Rating: 5 stars

Buy Links (paper): Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes and Noble
Buy Link (ebook): Barnes and Noble Ebook

* Note: The review copy is supplied by the author.

More fun stuff here, including a copy of Damien's Aussie barbecue recipe!

Want to win an autographed copy of Sex On The Beach?

How to Enter in the Drawing:  You can do any or all of the following:
1. Comment on any of the posts on January 13 and 14.
2. Ask questions. Susan will be dropping by the blog from time to time and will answer any questions you might have.

3. Answer this question: ("stolen" from Susan's book discussion questions)

Damien and Theresa met while on a flight to Honolulu. It’s a different world on an airplane, particularly on a very long flight. What’s been your experience on airplanes? Do you keep to yourself or chat to the person beside you, or even flirt? Is your behavior different on a plane than anywhere else? Why? 

Who Can Enter: Anybody on this planet.

Contest Deadline:  11:59pm EST on January 14, 2010

Winner Announcement:  The name of the winner will be posted on the blog on January 15, 2010. Instructions will be given then on how to claim the prize.

* Update: Check out the Sneak Peek of Sex On The Beach and an Interview with Susan Lyons!