The Guardian by Margaret Mallory

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory was a great book. I read this in one day- I had so much trouble putting it down that I skipped time with my husband to settle in and read.

This book has everything I ask for in a Highlander story- a strong heroine, a very naughty villain, and of course- a sexy hunk of man in a kilt.

Admittedly, Ian was not a hero in the beginning. He was forced to marry his childhood friend after they were caught in a compromising situation. He was not happy about this and left her for five years. Not exactly the actions of a hero. I have to give him some credit on this count, because he left because the girl was 13. Yes, that's right. He didn't want to bed a child, so he was considered a terrible husband. I can't really blame him for this one.

Sileas grew up loving Ian, and took care of his family while he was away. She is a strong, beautiful woman who refuses to live with anything less than affection in her marriage. She doesn't let Ian get away with claiming his husbandly "rights" simply because he changed his mind. She demands returned affection. Good for her!

The only thing keeping this from being a five-star book was the fact that Ian seemed to only change his mind about his wife after seeing how beautiful she grew up to be. There was nothing in his mind about their friendship and childhood affection before he saw her all grown up.

I will read more Margaret Mallory- she is a great writer.

Book image retrieved from www.goodreads.com. Shopping link to Amazon.com

Tame a Wild Bride by Cynthia Woolf

 

Tame a Wild Bride is Cynthia Woolf’s third in the Tame series. These novels take place in the Old West, specifically, Colorado. This novel is set in Creede, where a man needs a wife to help him run his ranch and raise his two kids.

Tom Harris lost his wife when she left him for another man, then promptly died, leaving him to raise their two children, Ben and Suzie. He realizes he cannot do this alone, so he does what any sensible man would do. He puts an ad in the newspaper for a wife. He chooses Rosie, a sweet woman whose letters and picture intrigued him in a way no other woman has since his late wife.

Rosemary Stanton needs to leave Philadelphia, where her brother is newly married and his wife wants her out. She could be a governess, but she wants children of her own to raise, so she travels to Colorado to answer an ad for a wife and mother.  She did not realize her new husband would be so handsome… and so bent on not having any more children.

Generally, I am not a fan of Wild West-era romance novels. I know that the people who survived the trip and climate were resilient folk, but I find it hard to believe that they were all as heroic as they are in every single novel. A woman does not always need to be galloping her horse, hair blown askew and fire in her eyes as she rescues herself from trouble that always comes knocking. That is not the type of heroine Rosie is. She is sweet and accommodating and an incredibly hard worker. I promise there is NO WAY you can dislike Rosie Harris. Tom Harris is as chivalrous and romantic as he should be- it just takes him some time to get there because he is well, a little dumb when it comes to emotions. As were a good majority of the male population.

Ms. Woolf created two very real characters in this sweet western. The story is great, but the characters are the real shining star in this book. I am looking forward to reading the other stories in this series.

Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday

I just finished reading Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday, which I received as a free download for Kindle. Maddie Springer is a fashion designer stuck designing kids' shoes, and she is in trouble. Not only is she late, the boyfriend who may have made her that way is missing. Her search results in her getting in way over her head when people start turning up dead.

The story itself was on the good side of fair, but the cast is top-notch. What is missing in the story-telling is made up for with the introduction of cast extras. Jasmine, aka Ms. PP, is a venomous idiot whose only enjoyment is keeping people waiting in lobby-limbo. Dana is an actress, waiting for her big break. To prevent herself from being an LA stereotype, she is not a waitress- she is an aerobics instructor.

If you see this book as a free Kindle download, it is definitely worth a look. There are more books in this series, so if you like the first one, you have several more available for purchase.

Purchasing link and free Kindle download from www.amazon.com.

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary is one of the most emotionally-entangling books I've read in a while. I have read literally hundreds of books, and few have ever moved me to tears (yes, the final Harry Potter book had me "ugly-crying" on the couch, wiping my eyes every five seconds so I could continue to read.) Ms. Geary has a knack for not only describing a family, she went so far as to bring me into this family and feel the love and warmth emanating from the entire cast. Granted, I may have been hit by more than a few hormones thanks to my newest addition, but the cast of this book was entirely believable despite the fact they were witches. I went into reading expecting a sweet romantic paranormal romp, but Ms. Geary's twist on that romance threw me for a delicious loop.

This story follows a highly-successful Chicago real estate agent, Lauren, who discovers she is actually a natural witch. After 28 years of having no idea, it comes as quite a shock when she is pulled into a witch chat room by a magical spell while doing some online shopping. The witches there promise to send a handsome witch her way to test her powers. Enter: handsome witch, a.k.a. Jamie. While the relationship between the two of them may be the typical romantic entanglement, I was in for a nice surprise in this. Jamie whisks Lauren away to Berkeley to learn to harness her powers, she is introduced to a kind and quirky family that I easily fell in love with. You have the wise Aunt Moira, the caring Aunt Jennie, and my personal favorite, the adorable precocious Aervyn, a witch so powerful that you almost forget he's only four years old.

After reading just two of her books, Debora Geary has earned a spot on my "favorite authors" shelf. I can't wait to read everything else she has out.

Cover art and purchasing link obtained from www.amazon.com. I received a copy of this book from its author via amazon.com for my Kindle.

The Centauri Series, by Cynthia Woolf

This is a review of the trilogy, The Centauri Series, by Cynthia Woolf. This series starts off with Centauri Dawn, followed by Centauri Twilight, and concluding with Centauri Midnight.

Centauri Dawn begins on Earth, with Audra Cantwell having a beautiful dream about a beautiful man, only to wake up to find him standing over her bed! He tells her that she is actually Princess Dayanara of Centauri and he has come to whisk her away to her home world so she can be crowned queen. Obviously, this is a little hard for Audra to swallow, so she turns to her mother. Her parents only have enough time to confirm that this man- Darius Coridian- is telling the truth before they're attacked and Audra is transported to a starship orbiting the planet.

Audra learns that she must take the throne-and marry Darius's brother Anton- in order to save her planet from the tyrannical rule of her Uncle Slavarian. With the fate of an entire planet full of people in her hands, Audra is torn. She is duty-bound to marry Anton Coridian, but she is falling in love with his brother Darius. When Audra finds out that her nightmare could actually be a prophecy, she is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her family safe and claim the throne.

Darius Coridian has the power to know his lifemate the second he lays eyes on her, and unfortunately for him, she is betrothed to his brother. He sets course to Centauri and concentrates on teaching Audra about the planet she knows nothing about. No matter how much it hurts, he cannot have his lifemate. He must get her to Centauri to marry his brother before it is too late.

The further I got into the story, the more I liked Audra- her strength and sarcastic wit are traits I can see in my best friends. She is a very believable and likeable character. Darius is a hunk of deliciousness, which is what we all read these books for, but he has a depth that many Man-Hunks don't always have. Slaverian, the bad guy, was everything a sadistic tyrant should be. His sick and twisted mind was always working to further his goal. I loved the relationship between Audra and Darius. Slavarian has everything I love in a villain. Secondary characters are a big part of why I love books, and Centauri Dawn delivers. Ms. Woolf introduces Captain Garrick, Kitari, and of course Maggie and Ray.

Centauri Twilight follows directly after the events of Centauri Dawn. Anton is physically recovered from his life-threatening injuries and he needs to complete the mission his new sister-in-law and queen has requested of him. Once he finds her twin, Princess Jondalara, he can retire into dark solitude and regret. Slavarian took so much from him, but he still lives while so many others died. He meets with the rebels on Delaz, hoping they know where he can find the missing princess, but he finds far more than he bargained for.

Lara shed the hope that her family would come for her when she shed the rest of her name. She was sold as a slave to Zelton Slavarian when she was just a young girl and built up her defenses accordingly. It didn't matter how attractive this scarred man was, there was no way she would give him her trust. All she wants is revenge against the men who hurt her, and Anton seems to have the means to help her make this happen. In her head, she knew that men only know how to cause pain. In her heart, she hoped this man was different.

This book was much more visceral than its predecessor. The images of what was done to Lara show exactly how strong this heroine really is, because despite her past she still has hope. Lara is someone a person can really look up to, and Anton is a perfect fit for her. His scars, both physical and invisible, allow him to understand the person Lara is. The Slavarian in this book is a great villain for this tortured couple, because he is even more depraved than his brother. He is exactly the kind of person I love seeing brought to justice.

Centauri Midnight is the third and final Centauri story. Kiti is a headstrong woman seeking justice for her brother's murder. Raised together by their grandmother, they were all the family each other had left. Accompanying Captain Garrick on his mission to pursue the guilty party, Lord Tybold, is the only way she can get vengeance. She is not on this mission to find anything but justice, but finds love and so much more that she never expected.

Garrick Marcus has been in love with Kiti for years- ever since he met her. He may not have the ability to KNOW his lifemate, as his friends Darius and Anton do, but he knows there is nobody else for him. He only has a few weeks to convince her that they are meant to be together, and he'll need every minute to woo her and show her how he feels. When they land on Gregara, they expect to find several very primitive cultures, and are shocked to discover something entirely different. Garrick knows that he'll stand beside Kiti, no matter what challenges she faces.

Centauri Midnight is a great ending to the Centauri trilogy. It is not necessarily a stand-alone book, but it is the perfect dessert to the first two "courses." If you read just this one, you may miss out on some background knowledge of the characters. There is a constant underlying tension between Garrick and Kiti that doesn't go away even after they consummate their relationship. Kiti plays a believable role in bringing justice to her brother's killer. The supporting cast of this story is full of quirk and fun. The very masculine characters, Peligro and Sunev completely balance the strong femininity of Melana. While one would expect the male villain, Lord Tybold, to be the main evil of the story, Zia takes the reins as my most-hated antagonist. She is vile and manipulative and I almost cheered when karma took her out.

If you're looking for some wonderful science fiction romance, the Centauri series by Cynthia Woolf is the way to go. I went into this series expecting love, sex, intrigue, action, and hunky hunky men. I was not disappointed, and you won't be either! I don't recommend getting just one. This is a series that makes you wonder what happened next. I'm so glad I didn't have to wait to find out!

I received a free copy of these books from the author. Cover art and purchasing links are directly from www.amazon.com.

To Love A Witch by Debora Geary

To Love A Witch by Debora Geary is a sweet story about a couple of magical folks finding that "spark" of true love.

Jake is a monitor for the Witch Sentinel System, a social worker of the magical sort. His job is to find young witches, just coming into their power, and ensure they are in a safe environment where they can learn to harness their special abilities. When he gets an alert about a fire witch in a Youth Detention Center, he feels for the unfortunately misunderstood witch. He finds her in the back of a musical production of West Side Story and whisks her out... only to discover that she is not a juvenile at all- she is the teacher!

Romy grew up in a bad situation. After her grandmother-of-the-heart died, she was forced into a system that did not take well to young girls who start fires at night. Her defenses are up when she meets this highly attractive witch, and she does not trust his offer to help her control her powers. When another fire witch steps in to share her wisdom, Romy realizes she's no longer running from her powers- she is running from love.

This is a sweet story between Jake and Romy, but it's the secondary characters that add that "laugh out loud" flavor to the mix. Carla is a fiery Italian fire witch. She is the perfect combination of wisdom and sass that helps Romy discover what fire is really good for.

Skate is a juvenile delinquent trying to make things right with his life. He's a quick-witted punk who knows how lucky he is to have met Romy. Any man who wants a minute alone with her will have to pass his test first.

Add in a reference or two to Star Trek: TNG and I was hooked. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a great, light-hearted read.

I received a free e-copy of this book, as well as the pictured cover art and purchasing link from www.amazon.com.

The Hot Girl's Friend

I received The Hot Girl's Friend, by Lisa Scott as a free download the other day and decided to read it today. I did not go in expecting much, but it delivered exactly what I wanted- a fun, light-hearted read.

Jane follows her hot, blond friend around to bars and helps her keep the men from flocking to her. During one of these nights out, she meets Brady the bartender. They take turns making up hilarious excuses as to why the hot blond can't go out with one guy after another, and a great friendship blossoms. Jane sees herself in Miranda's shadow so often that she doesn't know how attractive she really is. Brady sets out to show her, but doesn't expect the growing feelings he has for her.

If you're looking for a light beach read, a short distraction from the dreariness of your work day, or just a fun story, pick up this little gem today. At just under a dollar, you can't lose!


Cover image and purchasing link retrieved from www.amazon.com.