A Man Worth Fighting For by Sara Daniel

A Man Worth Fighting For
By:  Sara Daniel
Publisher:  Musa Publishing
Published:  March 23, 2012
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Erotic Romance, Fantasy
Length:  Novella
Heat Level:  Spicy
Reviewer:  Toni
Date:  May 17, 2012

He has nothing left to offer. She's determined to show him just how much he's worth.

Shot by a member of his military team, Justin Lawson retreats to the Wiccan Haus. Holly Walters refuses to accept her boyfriend's out-of-the-blue rejection without an explanation, even if getting the answers forces her to be trapped on a bizarre island for an entire week. She's going to use every minute to work Justin out of her system once and for all. Justin's body and spirit begin to heal under Holly's loving ministrations. As she talks about never seeing each other again, he realizes he never wants to let her go. But the rogue assassin who had gone after Justin before is after him again. Before he can fight to make Holly believe in their love, he'll have to fight for both their lives.

Let’s see, what qualities did A Man Worth Fighting For have…stupid man logic, magic, angst, sex, paranormals, suspense, action, more sex and surprisingly humans?!?!

A Man Worth Fighting For is book two in the Wiccan Haus collection. These are great short stories revolving around the Wiccan Haus Resort and Spa located off the coast of Maine. It is a special place for paranormals and humans alike; a place to go for spiritual and emotional healing.

This I just the kind of place that Justin needs after being shot and almost killed by one of his own team members. His career is over. His knee is permanently damaged and he now has to give up being a soldier. It was all he had and ever wanted. Since his career is over, he also decides to kill his relationship with his girlfriend Holly. He doesn’t want to burden her with having to take care of him. He has nothing to offer her, so he cuts her lose one of the most cowardly ways possible.

Holly can’t believe it…Justin is a coward! She can’t accept his breakup and is determined to hunt him down and have him explain his lame actions. She never expected to find him at a spa. Justin is a big strong manly military man and he is at a spa for spiritual and emotional healing, WHAT? Well by her calculations their conversation won’t take long, so off she goes to close this chapter of her life.

Neither expected the circumstances of their meeting. Justin was shocked and immediately went into protective mode and Holly was reminded just how much she cared about this frustrating man. They have a week to determine what they are going to do. Each must work through their inner problems and discover what is best for them. It’s really too bad that the interfering staff of Wiccan Haus won’t leave well enough alone.

Can you believe it? A Man Worth Fighting For is set at a primarily paranormal resort, ran by paranormals and the story is about two humans. I LOVED IT!! What a different twist. Yes, Justin knows about paranormals. In fact, he protects the rest of us by taking out paranormal rogues, but at the end of the day he is human and a damaged one at that. I never saw this twist coming…oops…I hope I didn’t ruin it for you.

Oh don’t let my little slip stop you from enjoying this great little treat. The couple is fun to read about, they have some great hot (and wet) sex and even the meddlesome staff is entertaining. You even get a little suspense and action thrown in. Ms. Daniels packaged this plot well and I immediately loved both Justin and Holly. There was just the right amount of everything in this book. It was all well balanced and believable. Editing was spot on, continuity was solid and the whole short story was just wonderful. What more could you want from a mini vacation?

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About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

About Last Night
By:  Ruthie Knox
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published:  June 11, 2012
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, 
Length:  Novel
Heat Level:  Spicy
Reviewer:  Toni
Date:  May 16, 2012

Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from RITA finalist and USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

What a fun read! It was a refreshing change from the mass influx of Alpha men stories out there. I could see myself falling head over heels for Nev. Ms. Knox wrote an enchanting love story of opposites attracting and why the adventure of falling in love can be so much fun!

I loved Nev’s patience, devotion and love. He went into this relationship knowing it was going to be hard to win Cath over and he never gave up. While he may not have made good choices here and there, in the end he came through with flying colors.

Cath is one tough cookie. I have to give her credit for making the most of her hard life and not allowing it to consume her. She was at times relentless in her perseverance to NOT to fall for Nev, but I think in the end it made the story all the more endearing and sweet.

Ms. Knox has a knack of creating characters that are different from the norm. From cross country cycler to banker/painter, you never know what type of man you are going to get. I LOVE IT!! So far I have been in love with every male she has developed and I look forward to her next. Her books are engaging, well written and such a pleasure to read.

Fantastic characters, hot sex and a great story, all combine to make up About Last Night. This is a wonderful feel good novel and shouldn’t be missed. Another hit for Ruthie Knox!!

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Shifting Hearts by Dominique Eastwick

Shifting Hearts
By:  Dominique Eastwick
Publisher:  Musa Publishing
Published:  November 11, 2011
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy
Length:  Novella
Heat Level:  Spicy
Reviewer:  Toni
Date:  April 25, 2012

The last of his kind…

Rekkus is the last of the great Black Tiger weres and he is happy to stay that way. Working as security for the Wiccan Haus, a magical spa for inner healing, he has enough danger – and women – to keep him busy. Unfortunately, the Fates are not content with him being comfortable.

Alone and discouraged…

Dana has walked away from all she has known, her fiancé, family, apartment, and job. Now, having a ticket to the Wiccan Haus may be the only way she can move on. But what she finds isn’t what she expects, nor is it what she thought she was looking for.

Meet the unusual residents of the Wiccan Haus. The staff can get a little hairy and not all of the guests eat what’s served in the dining hall. But the proprietors always do what they can to make the resort into a place of healing and peace, using all of their years of practice. At the Haus, where humans and Paras reside side-by-side, everyone in need of the Rowan siblings’ services are welcome.

WELCOME TO THE WICCAN HAUS.

I have read quite a few books that combine resorts, paranormals and finding love. So far so good and I have enjoyed them all and love the idea. I really like the idea of the Wiccan Haus series. Welcome to a new form of healing and peace. Shifting Hearts is the first in the series and has set the bar high for rest of the series.

Dana has probably just made the hardest decision of her life. While it was a mutual decision to not get married, she feels lost because she left her friend of many years and her family has disowned her because of the broken marriage. She also gave up her job and apartment to start a new life with him. Now she has nowhere to go and no one to be with. Jessie, her best friend, takes her away to the healing resort of Wiccan Haus. Dana needs time to lick her wounds and Jessie believes she just needs a good tumble in bed. She may just find both on the island.

Rekkus is the last of his kind. Though he has lost his family he has gained a new one with the Rowan siblings. His main focus is as bodyguard to Cyrus, but he is also head of security for the island. From the moment he meets Dana he knows what she is to him. Problem is that his past has left many scars he may not be able to get past. Fate has given him a gift, now all he needs is to be able to accept it.

Be warned. This is a no nonsense read. Ms. Eastwick gets right to the matter and gets things done. This is a short story, so the love and passion is instant and sizzling right from the beginning. The details are vivid, but not drawn out and the characters have depth, but she doesn’t mince words. Rekkus and Dana are meant to be together…period. I personally find nothing wrong with fast paced instant romance. They are a wonderful change of pace and a treasure to me. Sometimes I need a quick fix and this one delivers exactly what I needed. This series is going to be fun and engaging with an eclectic mix of characters and countless romantic possibilities.

I plan on enjoying this series from the beginning all the way to the end. I hope you join me. Come take a relaxing short vacation with me to the Wiccan Haus; where you will find inner peace, breathtaking magic and explosive romance.

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Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston

Bear Meets Girl
By: Shelly Laurenston
Publisher: Brava
Published:  March 27, 2012
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Romance
Length:  Novel
Heat Level:  Spicy
Reviewer:  Toni
Date:  March 31, 2012

  

He's big, burly, and way smarter than your average shapeshifting bear. He's also about to get trapped by own his game. . .

Lou Crushek is a reasonable, mellow, easygoing kind of guy. But once someone starts killing the scumbags he works so hard to bust, that really gets under his fur. Especially when that someone is a curvy she-tiger with a skill set that's turning Crush's lone-bear world upside down--and bringing his passion out of hibernation. . .

As a member of an elite feline protection unit, Marcella Malone has no problem body-dropping anyone who hunts her kind. But Crush is proving one major pain in her gorgeous tail. The only reason she's joined forces with him is to track down the wealthy human who's got her entire species in his ruthless sights. It sure isn't because Crush's stubborn and contrary attitude is rubbing Cella in all the right ways.

It had been awhile since I discovered Shelly Laurenston, so I had to do a bit of catching up and reacquainting myself to the storylines again. I did a quick reread of the series and enjoyed every single morsel. By the time I cracked this baby open, I was raring to go with a great big smile on my face.

There is just something about Ms. Laurenston’s humor. Sometimes when you read a book the snarkiness or humor can grate on you, but I have never gotten tired of her writing style. That really says something considering I had to read six books back to back and I still wanted and craved more, more, more. I was practically gitty when I started Bear Meets Girl, number seven in her Pride series.

While I was reading this series, I had a girlfriend having a really bad day. I didn’t waste one second contemplating if I should share a little Shelly lovin’. I gathered up my books to share with her so she could turn her frown upside down. Ms. Laurenston does that for me every time with oodles of grins, giggles and lots of laugh out loud moments.

Someone is killing off their kind. Hunting them down for sport and practically bragging about it. All shifters need to band together to take this person down. Not everyone likes to play nicely and tempers are easily flared. From one problem to the next, Marcella and Lou’s attraction become apparent. Their bond is forming no matter what they do, but together they are unstoppable. Add in several of my other favorite characters from prior books and this book is a whirlwind of adventure and hilarity.

Bear Meets Girl is a wonderful story of opposites attracts. Lou is your quiet loner, who is being forced to make a change he is very unhappy about and Marcella is an independent hellfire of a woman who would rather shot you than take you prisoner. She is fun loving and loyal and not afraid to show it. These two are combustible from the very beginning. Marcella is merciless in her pursuit to bring Lou out of his mancave and Lou fought her the whole way.

Ms. Laurenston writes hot steamy romance, fun filled dialog, side-splitting scenes and kick butt characters. With her strong wonderful females and masculine secure males, she keeps me coming back for more. The action is intense and packed; the romance is sweltering and hot; and the plot is solid and adventurous. She has a natural ability to write serious scenes right along with hilarious ones; her flow is smooth, funny and simply ingenious at times.

Bear Meets Girl is a blast from the very first line to the last. Ms. Laurenston has done it again. She left me wanting more and loving every moment of it. This is a wonderful addition to the series.

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