Review: Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler

Hungry Like the Wolf 
by Paige Tyler
Series:  SWAT #1
Pub. Date:  Jan. 6, 2015
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages:  352
Format:  eBook
Source:  Purchased


My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

The Dallas SWAT team is hiding one helluva secret . . . they're a pack of wolf shifters.

The team of elite sharpshooters is ultra-secretive—and also the darlings of Dallas. This doesn't sit well with investigative journalist Mackenzie Stone. They must be hiding something . . . and she's determined to find out what.

Keeping Mac at a distance proves impossible for SWAT team commander Gage Dixon. She's smart, sexy, and makes him feel alive for the first time in years. But she's getting dangerously close to the truth—and perilously close to his heart...

It's been a little while since I have read a werewolf book,  so I was looking forward to this series full of alpha male wolf law enforcement officers.  I was not disappointed. Paige Tyler writes romantic suspense well while also giving us paranormal fans a bit of fangs and fur to make us happy. The paranormal aspect does not overshadow the story, so I think even people who tend to shy away from the paranormal genre will enjoy this series. 

I loved loved loved Gage. He was the perfect mix of alpha male caveman and protector of his pack. Given that this pack of wolves are big muscular men certainly adds some spice to my visual imagery while reading. While I never chase a man, if one of these guys was around, I just might powerwalk!  

The team dynamics and relationships between the SWAT members was well done. I am glad that Tyler allowed the guys to be real, in that sometimes they were serious, and others their immaturity showed in their teasing or petty fights. But when push came to shove,  the pack was most important.

The only part of the book that I did not enjoy was the journalistic heroine. This had nothing to do with the writing, MacKenzie was just one of those heroines that I did not get along with. I did not like how far she was willing to go to get her story. Her methods seemed underhanded at times, and I wasn't down with that. The relationship between Mackenzie and Gage was intense and steamy from the beginning, so I couldn't believe she was willing to risk that for a headline. 

Overall this is a good start to the series. The secondary characters here were great and I will enjoy seeing each of them find their fated mate as the series continues.

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SWAT Series

My Review	My Review	TBR Dec. 2015

Review: A Radical Arrangement by Jane Ashford

A Radical Arrangement 
by Jane Ashford
Pub. Date: Aug. 4, 2015 (re-release)
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages:  288
Format:  eARC
Source:  Netgalley



My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

A MATCHLESS DILEMMA

Sir Justin Keighley was everything that repelled Margaret Mayfield in a man. He was shocking in his opinions, arrogant in his manner, rude in his actions, and completely without respect for the common decencies of civilized society.

Margaret was everything that Sir Justin detested in a woman. She was shy, retiring, obedient to her parents, almost embarrassed by her own beauty, and ignorant of virtually every phase of real life in the real world.

Needless to say, they both did everything in their power to escape being matched with each other. Somehow everything was not enough.... 

A Radical Arrangement is a re-release from Jane Ashford, having originally been published in 1983. It looks like Ms. Ashford is releasing a good number of her books with new covers - though I am not sure if any re-writing is being done. I do like the new cover - its much more visually appealing than the first edition. And while Ms. Ashford has been writing for a long time, she is a new-to-me author.

I enjoyed this book, but it dragged for me and felt much longer than its 288-ish pages. I just couldn't connect with the characters for some reason. I think its because I am so unlike Margaret Mayfield, the heroine. Margaret starts off the story as a painfully naive and uninformed dishwater miss - she has no opinions of her own and believes everything her parents tell her. I never connect with this type of heroine, so from the beginning I found myself wanting to thump Margaret in the head in the hopes that her brain would wake up.

Margaret's mother, who does not agree with Sir Justin Keighley's radical political views, has instilled the ridiculous opinion on Margaret that a radical is a evil blackguard. This causes Margaret to act like an utter fool by running away from Justin like he was going to ravish her - and when she trips over her feet and knocks herself unconscious, it looks like he has done just that. So of course the ridiculous Mayfields try to force a marriage on the pair.

When Margaret runs away, Justin feels he must go after her and this leads to the main story plot. I won't discuss that part here so I don't give any spoilers. But, over the course of the adventure, away from the stifling influence of her parents, Margaret does come into her own and becomes a more tolerable heroine.

As for our hero, I liked Justin but I would have liked to know more about him. The only aspect we learn of his nature/character is that he has what were consider radical political views by his contemporaries in London. These views were the underlying premise or moral of the book, and involved the plight of the poor and laborers who were seeking a voice/vote in the government. While we are made aware of the issue, we don't see either Margaret or Justin doing anything about it. So it's just kind of floating out there with no attempt at resolution. I would have liked to see either of them take a more active role in the social issues.

I received an free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I recommend it to fans of clean and sweet historical romance. 

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About the Author

Nancy Jane LeCompte was born in 20 August 1948 in Eaton, Ohio, USA. She discovered Georgette Heyer in junior high school and was entranced by the glittering world and witty language of Regency England. That delight was part of what led her to study English literature and travel widely in Britain and Europe. She has lived in New York, Boston and LA, her writing life punctuated by breaks where the fates intervened and swept her off in different directions. Today, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jane has written historical and contemporary romances as Jane Ashford and Jane LeCompte. Her books have been published in England, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, and Latvia, as well as the U.S. She is a two-time nominee for a Career Achievement Award by Romantic Times Magazine. Away from romance writing for several years, she recently completed a new historical.

Review: Debt of Honor by Ann Clement

Debt of Honor 
by Ann Clement
Pub. Date:  Aug. 4, 2015
Publisher:  Samhain Publishing
Pages:  302
Format:  eARC
Source:  Netgalley
   

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

A white marriage is no match for dark desires.

Sir Percival Hanbury is prepared to pay almost any price to regain his family’s ancestral seat. Yet the demand of its current owner, the Earl of Stanville, sets his teeth on edge.

Wycombe Oaks can be his—if he agrees to marry the earl’s disgraced daughter. With memories of his first marriage still tormenting him, Percy never intended to marry again. But if he refuses, the castle will be razed.

Lady Letitia’s beauty and fortune proved no match for scandal, costing her a fiancé and her reputation. The last thing she wants is to instead marry a boorish country squire, but the alternative is even worse.

In spite of himself, Percy finds his resistance melting in the face of Letitia, an accomplished artist who takes deep interest in his family pile. Until all that’s left is sizzling desire. And while the broad-shouldered, handsome baronet far exceeds Letitia’s grim expectations, he’s a harder challenge than his half-ruined castle.

But to trust a woman again, Percy must face dark secrets from the past…and learn to trust himself, as well.

Warning: Contains English country gossip, vengeful plots, a brooding, tormented baronet, and a feisty lady who refuses to let anything break her spirit. 

Debt of Honor is a debut novel from Ann Clement, and I would have never known that if I didn't look it up after I finished reading. This story was very well written, engaging and kept me turning the page until 2:30 this morning.

Letitia and Percy were not a love match by any stretch of the imagination. Letitia is the daughter of an earl, somewhat of an heiress, with an extremely egotistic and self-centered father. As was common in the ton, Letitia was the victim of vile gossip which created a scandal and ruined her reputation. I really felt sorry for Lettie - it must have been extremely hard to live during a time period where your life could be ruined by an offhand comment re: your response to anchovies!!! (Yes, really. Read and find out.) She is at the mercy of a cruel father and is pawned off in marriage to a stranger who was interested in the property in her dowry.

Percy had never planned to marry again, and when we learn about his late wife, I totally understand why he felt that way. However he would do anything to get his family's ancestral seat returned to his possession. He is determined to have a "white" marriage - which I learned meant a marriage of convenience that is never consummated. Luckily, the draw between Percy and Lettie is strong and they end up falling in love. Percy was a perfect historical hero. He was handsome, sympathetic and honorable. I adored his character.

Of course the past comes back to haunt the couple in the present, and there are some trials and tribulations for them to get past. The earl is not the only villain in this story, we also have a husband-hungry vindictive female that you know is bad news from the get go. This historical was somewhat typical of the genre, but it was very well written and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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Review: Lady Emily's Exotic Journey by Lillian Marke

Lady Emily's Exotic Journey 
by Lillian Marek
Series:  Victorian Adventures #2
Pub. Date:  Aug. 4, 2015
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages:  352
Format:  eARC
Source:  Netgalley
   

My Rating:  
Sultry Scale:

From sensible, sheltered girl...

Safe in the embrace of her loving family, Lady Emily Tremaine longs to feel more intensely alive. Surely the magic and mystery of Assyria and the fabled ruins of Nineveh will bring about the transformation she seeks.

To the woman his heart desires...

Scarred by his past and estranged from his noble grandfather, French adventurer Lucien Chambertin desires neither a home nor the chains of emotional attachment. He seeks only to explore the far reaches of the world. But he did not know the world contained the likes of Lady Emily - whose curiosity and sense of wonder match his own.

I have been reading a lot of historicals lately, and this book was a nice departure from the typical historical romance. Although this is technically a Victorian romance, We get out of the ton and the ballrooms and the marriage mart, and have an exciting adventure through Mesopotamia! I have not read the first book of the series - but I did not feel like I was lost at all, so no worries if you are starting out of order like me.

The family dynamic among the Penworth family was very close-knit and loving. Lord and Lady Penworth were very much in love, and they were equal partners in the marriage. This set a wonderful example for their children. In this story, Lady Penworth has convinced her husband to allow herself, Lady Emily and Lady Julia to accompany him on the trip to investigate whether a railroad should be built along the Tigris River. The ladies are all very self-sufficient and mature - they were not dishwater misses acting totally helpless in the face of harsh travel conditions. They even donned the traditional dress of the Turks, Kurds and Arabs so as not to offend or stand out in the foreign society.

It was somewhat kismet that two eligible men ended up traveling with the English party, and the gentlemen both clicked with Emily and Julia. So we got two romances for the price of one! I really enjoyed the romance that slowly and silently built between Julia and Oliphant. They were both such serious creatures, worried about their family and gossip, so it was nice to see them connect with one another. Emily is drawn to Lucien for just the opposite reason, he is playful and full of life and nothing like the boring boys of the ton that Emily is used to courting her. My favorite part of the book was when Julia employed some Arabic curses that Lucien had taught the girls during the journey.

The world building and costume description in this book were very well done. I loved the descriptions of the colors, houses and environments. It was such a nice diversion from flouncy dresses and ballrooms and society scandals. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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Friday Follow Numero Uno!

Hola bambinas!

I am going to try to start something new on Fridays and participate in the Feature and Follow with Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  This Friday Follow is a meme hosted weekly by the aforementioned bloggers that is designed to find new blogs, followers and friends.  And face it, the more bambinas the better!  So join me on  Bambi's innaugural Friday Follow and let's get to know each other a little better.

Please follow via one or more of the following methods:

This Week’s Question

If you could get an ARC of any book, already published, or not yet, what would it be? 

 – via Words I Write Crazy

Answer

Man, this is a tough one.  There are several books that I have seen lately that I would like to get ARCs of.  However, one book immediately popped to mind, so I'm going with this one.  I have heard great things about this book lately, and the cover is so different and unique that it stands out when you are scrolling through the half-naked covers typical of other books in this subgenre.  Has anyone read it?  If so, what did you think?

Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!

Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-headed heart is she willing to risk?

Series Description:
Everyone in Green Valley, Tennessee knows that the six bearded Winston brothers have been imbued with an unfair share of charm and charisma… and are prone to mischief.

Truth or Beard is book #1 in the Winston Brother’s series. Each book is a standalone, full length (120k words), contemporary romantic comedy novel, and follows the romantic exploits and adventures of one of the six Winston Brothers.