Book Review: Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Book Review: Chasing Cassandra (Book 6 in the Ravenels Series) 

By: Lisa Kleypas

Publisher: Avon 

Release Date: 2/18/2020

ISBN: 978-0062371942

Genre: Historial Romance

Rating: 4 Heart Review
This book was self-purchased for review

Book Blurb:

Everything has a price . . .

Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything—or anyone—is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife—and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined to have her. But the beautiful and quick-witted Cassandra is equally determined to marry for love—the one thing he can’t give.

Everything except her . . .

Severin is the most compelling and attractive man Cassandra has ever met, even if his heart is frozen. But she has no interest in living in the fast-paced world of a ruthless man who always plays to win.

When a newfound enemy nearly destroys Cassandra’s reputation, Severin seizes the opportunity he’s been waiting for. As always, he gets what he wants—or does he? There’s one lesson Tom Severin has yet to learn from his new bride:

Never underestimate a Ravenel.

The chase for Cassandra’s hand may be over. But the chase for her heart has only just begun . . .

Cheeky Review:
Can we please talk about the way Kleypas writes descriptive prose? I've thought about this over and over since reading and then listening to this audiobook (which I also highly recommend!). Enjoying food and delicacies is something the heroine Cassandra loves but is constantly told to abstain from. Throughout the story, Kleypas proves her mastery at not just characterization but of writing readers into her world to experience it as the characters do with her descriptions of food.  She describes the food in a way that directly reflects how Cassandra herself experiences it. Each meal or dessert is layered into the story in way that showcases not only how much the heroine savors the act of eating said food, but also its importance to her identity and her joy in life. 

From the moment Severin declares "I'll be your oyster," I was hooked. Throughout the story, Kleypas shows us Severin feeding Cassandra treats he knows she will love and without judgement or admonishment. This is feeding the soul. Food as metaphor. Food as love. The body positivity in this book was a joyful inclusion and I loved that it was a key part of showing that Severin did indeed have feelings, even if he wasn't consciously aware of them.  

I've seen some reviewers mention that there wasn't enough conflict in this story for their taste. While I would agree that it is light on conflict, I didn't find myself missing it at all. Maybe it's because I was greatly in need of an angst-free read at the time, or maybe I just wanted to enjoy seeing two people falling in love easily and without drama. I relished this story and its characters! 

This might very well be my favorite in the Kleypas Ravenels series, but I know Tom Severin was my absolute favorite hero of the bunch and that's saying a lot. I ADORE West Ravenel, but Severin still managed to get a leg up here. His forthright honesty, self-owning nature and unconscious love of those he surrounds himself with won me over big time. 

If you are looking for a beautifully written story with low angst and a general warm and cozy read, then I cannot recommend this book highly enough! 

Review: Tempest in the Tea Leaves By Kari Lee Townsend

Tempest in the Tea Leaves (A Fortune Teller Mystery)
By Kari Lee Townsend 
Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
3 Heart Review

Leaving the Big Apple for the quaint town of Divinity, New York, Sunny is determined to make it on her own as a psychic. With an ancient Victorian house as her place of business, Sunny uses various psychic methods to aid the town's residents. But when she uses tea leaves to give a reading for a frazzled librarian, what she finds at the bottom of the cup is anything but helpful.

Sunny informs the police of her deadly vision, but her warning is too late. And with hard-nosed, ruggedly handsome Detective Mitch Stone denying her abilities and name her prime suspect, the situation is dire. Now Sunny has to use her visions to clear her name, before the killer can put an end to the psychic's future...

I picked this book up at the library because I'm always up for a cozy mystery - especially one that hints at a romance - and this one plainly stated on it's cover that it was the first book in a new series. Win! I wish more publishers would play that up on covers since I like trying out a new series before there are 5 books more to read...

I really enjoyed the author's voice and that this was a cozy with a slightly younger - 29 years old - heroine. As much as I want to shout that there should be older characters in romance, cozies can sometimes take the age thing in the other direction too much. Beyond the age, the heroine Sunny Meadows is also unique and refreshing for a cozy. She still has that "outsider who never really fit in" thing going for her that most cozy heroines do, but she feels fresher. My issues with the book didn't have anything to do with Sunny.

I did have slight problems with the hero Mitch Stone because I found him to be a little wooden and not necessarily because his character is supposed to be guarded and stoic. He just doesn't feel entirely fleshed out and his dialog seems slightly off. He has potential though and I hope that Mrs. Townsend will develop him further in the next book.

The biggest issue I had was with a plot point in the book. From the back cover blurb you know that Sunny has to work to clear her name and I can't go into too many details or I'll be spoiling part of the plot, but how she gets involved in the investigation was really not believe. It took a giant leap of faith for a reader to believe and unfortunately I didn't think it was done in a way that allowed me to take that leap.

Tempest in the Tea Leaves is a solid and fun cozy mystery and I liked the premise and the characters enough that I'll be picking up the next in the series to see if some of my issues get worked out. I do think Kari Lee Townsend has a fresh, sweet voice I really found pleasing to read. I'll be looking for more books by her in the future.

Please Welcome The Newest Additions To Cheeky Reads!

Recently I posted that I was looking for a few good reviewers to add to the team here at Cheeky Reads. The blog had been a one-woman show since it started 2 years ago, and to be honest I was starting to feel completely overwhelmed.

I was so lucky to be receiving book review submissions from publishers and authors but as they kept coming I felt like my reviews were getting more and more behind as I struggled to keep up all by myself. That also meant that I didn't have time to make enhancements to the site, create community chats or write non-review posts for our readers. Now, I can say all of that will be coming soon!

I'm excited to say that I had a wonderful response to my help wanted post and I'd love to introduce you to the newest Cheeky Girls who'll be reviewing and posting here soon!  I asked them to write just a few sentences telling you a little about themselves and what they love to read:

Kerrie - I am constantly reading so my partner calls himself a book widower! I mainly read supernatural fiction and classics, but I'm am really looking forward to branching out into different genres. My fav authors are Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine and Jane Austin. I hope you like my ramblings!

Lauren - I've had my nose in a book since before I can remember, which motivated me to obtain my Bachelor's degree in English.  I remember my first romance novel - Christina Skye's Overboard - and I still have the battered copy on a bookshelf that I read every summer.  I also love Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Regency Romance.  Some of my favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Joanna Lindsey, and Kim Harrison...and unfortunately for anyone who has ever helped me move, I buy and keep almost every book I read.  I hope you enjoy my insights into the little worlds we call books. 

Meagan - I love to read and will read almost anything! My favorite genres are: romance, fantasy/sci-fi, young adult, paranormal, and I do read contemporary/literary fiction as well. I am the type of reader that reads just about anything you put in front of me. And I generally like it. Some of my favorite authors are: J.D. Robb, Anne Bishop and Laurell K. Hamilton. These are the ones I can think of right now, and only because I follow their series religiously!

Sharon - I have always loved to read, romance books in particular, any kind of romance, historical, modern, fantasy and everything in-between. Kathleen Woodiwiss is my all time favorite author and I really miss her. I think e-books are incredible because I like having a whole library with me at all times rather than just a single book.

Vicky - I love to read paranormal romance but I also really enjoy contemporary romances, UF and cowboys! I'm a big fan of a series as I enjoy getting to know all the characters as the series goes on. My favourite authors are Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lauren Dane and Dana Marie Bell to name just a few! 

Welcome Ladies - I'm so glad to have you as part of the team!

You'll start seeing reviews and posts from these ladies very soon and I hope you'll give them a warm welcome and chat with us!

Reviewer Wanted: Love to Read & Want Free Books?

It's finally happened. I can no longer manage to read and review (with the amount of time and detail I'd LIKE to be giving to reviews) all the books that I'm contacted about. I've thought off and on about adding a reviewer or two to Cheeky Reads, but it's a hard decision.

When you start a blog, let's be honest, it's all about you. Your opinion on something. The kind of books you love, what you want to talk about and of course in the voice you want to use.

So adding a reviewer is a hard choice for someone who's always done it alone. But I feel like adding a reviewer would bring so much to Cheeky Reads that I feel it's been missing and I want to offer readers more reviews. The only way to get more reviews (and I don't mean lately since you can tell from my DIY post I haven't been on my regular schedule) is to bring in some fresh voices.

So, for now I'm looking for someone who would be interested in reviewing here at Cheeky Reads on a regular basis. The only compensation I can offer are free review books and the ability to have your reviews as clips of your writing. I wish it was more than that, but right now that's all I can offer.

I'm looking for an ebook reviewer for now, but this could turn into print books in the future. UPDATE: This will be for print books too!

If you're interested, please email me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com and let me know what genres you enjoy reading the most and how often you think you could write reviews. We'll take it from there. :)

Happy Reading!
Sabrina

Audio Lovin: Audio Book Review of Falling For Gracie by Susan Mallery

Audio Lovin: Audio Book Review of Falling for Gracie
Written by Susan Mallery
Narrated by Savannah Richards
Brilliance Audio – Unabridged – 10 hours, 6 Minutes
Story – 4 Heart Review
Audio Narration – 4 Heart Review

First comes love, then comes marriage...

At least, that was Gracie's plan at the ripe old age of fourteen. She loved eighteen-year-old heartthrob Riley with a desperation that made her a town legend. Even now that she's all grown up, the locals in sleepy Los Lobos won't let her forget her youthful crush.

And how can she, when she's face to face with Riley at every turn? The onetime bad boy has come back to town seeking respectability – but the sparks that fly between them are anything but respectable! Gracie's determined to keep her distance, but when someone sets out to ruin both their reputations, the two discover that first love is sometimes better the second time around.

This story is so cute that it almost gave me a cavity! And I mean that in the best possible way. Susan Mallery really is a small-town romance goddess. She creates amazingly funny, sweet and sexy stories based in quirky, but lovable small towns. Falling for Gracie was a great example of everything there is to love about Susan Mallery romances.

The heroine Gracie is so much fun to delve into. Having an insider's view into her thoughts and life made me literally smile, get upset, be sad and laugh with happiness. There's more emotion packed into this story than just a fun, happy read. Particularly, Gracie's family issues are more than just surface level problems that might be easily handled. Instead, Mallery does an excellent job of building the layers of family dynamic and childhood issues to add to this cute romance.

There was a point or two where I wanted to yell at Gracie for being so trusting or for not standing up to her family, but these were only small story blips and really did fit the character. In fact, even though they frustrated me they added to the story and again stayed true to the character.

The narrator Savannah Richards really does an awesome job giving this story exactly the pep, angst and laughs this book deserved. She's animated, sometimes over the top so, but that's exactly what this sometimes zany romance needed!

She embodies Gracie so perfectly and really brings her and the story to life. Likewise, she does a fun job of creating voices for a cast of silly small town characters as well.

This is a great audio book for anyone wanting to give one a try for the first time or for fans of Susan Mallery who want to listen to what one of her books sounds like. It's also a great recommendation of a book or audio book for someone who reads women's fiction or chick-lit and would like to give romance a go. :)

Read An Excerpt Here

Listen to An Audio Clip Here

Have you read or listened to a Susan Mallery book? Did you love it? Anyone heard Savannah Richards narrate other books? If so, what did you hink? Come share with us!

Still Worth Finding: A Book Review of The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgans

Book Review: The Next Best Thing
By Kristan Higgins
HQN
4 Heart Review

Lucy Lang isn't looking for fireworks.

She's looking for a nice, decent man. Someone who'll mow the lawn, flip chicken on the barbecue, teach their future children to play soccer, But most important: someone who won't inspire the slightest stirring in her heart...or anywhere else. A young widow, Lucy can't risk that kind of loss again. But sharing her life with a cat named Fat Mikey and the Black Widows at the family bakery isn't enough either. So it's goodbye to Ethan, her hot but entirely inappropriate “friend with privileges ” and hello to a man she can marry.

Too bad Ethan Mirabelli isn't going anywhere. As far as he's concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing can really be forever?

Cheeky Summary: CRIED! LAUGHED! ADORED! Seriously, there are too many good things about this book to sum up except to say that Kristin Higgins continues to win over my reader heart with each and every book I read. She's a master at funny, emotional books that stay with you long after you close the book. I'm not kidding – I apparently talked about this book so much that my husband came in when I was writing the review and asked, “Is that the book you talked about and cried over on our vacation?” Yes my dear husband, this is that book.

I've had this book on my TBR shelf for a VERY long time. And even though it's from early 2010, I knew I just had to write a review on it still so that anyone else who missed it the 1st time around could add it to their list of books to check out!

What initially caught my attention about this book was the cat on the cover. If you don't know, all of Mrs. Higgins books usually have a dog on the cover – this was the very first cat and it really stuck with me and helped me remember this book.

Sitting here trying to figure out what to say to help you understand what I thought about this book, and all I can think of to say is READ THIS BOOK. Seriously, this book is a wonderful story that has everything a good book should – likable leads, emotional twists and turns, real laughs and complications that will have you rushing through the pages.

There's nothing else to say that will do this book justice in my eyes. It's Kristan Higgins at her best - funny, sassy, emotional, deep, etc. etc. and so much more!

Read An Excerpt Here

Romance Book Review: The Inherited Bride By Maisey Yates

Book Review: The Inherited Bride

By Maisey Yates

Harlequin Presents Extra - May 2011

3 Heart Review (It could have been 4!)

Princess Isabella was cetain of three things...

She desperately didn't want to marry the sheikh to whom she was betrothed...

There was more to the darkly handsome, dark-hearted stranger escourting her back to the alter than met the eye...

And, having kissed that stranger once, she was never going to be the same again...

 Cheeky Summary: What I really enjoyed about this book was the glimpse of insight author Maisey Yates gave us into what it could be like growing up in royalty or anywhere were a person was heavily protected. The heroine Isabella's desire to find out who she is would have seemed like a very small thing except for how expertly the author goes about explaining the kind of life Isabella had grown up living. This book has definitely made Mrs. Yates an auto-buy for me in spite of the fact that Harlequin Presents aren't usually my go-to Harlequins.

The story is very well written and as I mentioned, I really enjoyed this heroine. The hero Adham was well done as well and more likable than some of the alpha Presents heros one ususally reads. What kept this book as a 3 heart review was that the love scene between them just didn't feel right to me. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but I felt the hero went against his moral code and did so seemily without fighting against it too much.

I mean you kind of knew reading the book what would have to happen, but when it did I just expected something BIGGER to have pushed the two of them past their own control. Something about the scene just didn't feel like they resisted that much and it let me down.

Even with that let-down, this was a really enjoyable read and I really loved this heroine. I actually thought that the end of the book was immensly satisfying as it let the heroine shine and not be just some witless woman who falls at a man's feet. I know some readers who don't read Presents stories very often might at first believe that all the heroines are pushovers, but I think that you would really be happy to meet the heroine in this book.

Mrs. Yates has a writing style that I greatly enjoyed and I cannot wait to see if that comes through in her other Presents stories or if it was just the heroine who won me over so much in this book. Either way, I’m reading more of her Harlequin Presents books!

Have you read a Harlequin Presents by Maisey Yates yet? If so, what did you think? HA - I guess I should ask: Do you read Harlequin Presents books? Why or why not? What appeals or doesn't appeal to you about the line?

4 Heart Book Review: Caught on Camera by Meg Maguire

Caught on Camera
by Meg Maguire
Harlequin Blaze April 2011
4 Heart Review

How to Survive the Night with the Hottest Guy on Camera

Wilderness survival television star Dominic Tyler (TY) and his assistant Kate Somersby are stranded in a remote cabin during a freak winter storm. Things look pretty bleak – until they make a fire and strip off their wet clothes...

Act 1 – Set Up
Survive This! Is Kate's life...as are the unscripted fantasies about Ty, her boss and best friend. But when Kate is suddenly injured, Ty decides filming is too dangerous for her. This will be Kate's last adventure for a while.

Act II- Plot Point
Kate is furious and threatens to quit. But Ty needs her. So what can he do? Keep her occupied by filming every minute of their intense and definitely unrehearsed sex!

Act III – Cliff-Hanger It's Kate's choice now: Her hard-won career? Or end credits featuring dangerously wild sex with Ty? Ha. Some choice. But either way, the final cut is guaranteed to be a thrilling ride!

The Cheeky Nutshell:
Meg Maguire is an exciting new Harlequin Blaze author who'll be on my auto-buy list for her emotionally complicated but totally realistic characters that I loved from page one. Caught on Camera was a tightly structured book that kept the entire focus on the emotional struggles of the hero and heroine. The intense focus on the internal conflicts in this story raised it above the average Blaze, which with how much I love Blazes says quite a lot.

I liked the fun tone of the back cover copy on this book and actually feel like the book is both slightly different than the blurb describes, and also much better. The blurb doesn't give the reader even a hint of the deep emotions these two characters have for each other from before the story even begins.

That was something else about this story that I loved, that the love fully existed on page one and the reader got to spend the entire book wrapped in those emotions.

This was happily a nicely hot and steamy book and I enjoyed the interaction between Kate and Ty. Both their verbal sparring and hot and heavy moments. Ms. Maguire can sure write a kick-ass love scene. :)

One thing that pulled me out of the story slightly was this thing Ty did about almost kissing Kate. Maybe it was something in the description. Maybe it was that it was from Kate's point of view and our understanding of it was muddled up with her not understanding it. It just seemed slightly off. Made me go "What?" You'd have to read the story to fully get it, I'm just not able to fully explain why it threw me off.

Lastly, there were a few points in this book where I thought "Oh no, it's going to be predictable. I know exactly what is going to happen." And guess what? It totally didn't go there. It surprised me and that was great.

I definitely recommend this book to any reader who's ever watched those adventure survival shows and caught yourself thinking about those men. You'll love Ty! I also think Blaze lovers are going to eat up this new author addition to the line and I think we'll see many more books from Ms. Maguire.

You can check out more info on Caught on Camera here

3 Heart Book Review: Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy

Buffalo West Wing: A White House Chef Mystery
By Julie Hyzy
Berkley Prime Crime
3 Heart Review


With a new First Family, White House executive chef Olivia Paras can't afford to make any mistakes. But when a box of take-out chicken mysteriously shows up for the First Kids, she soon finds herself in a "no-wing" situation. After Olivia refuses to serve the chicken, the First Lady gives her the cold shoulder. But when it turns out to be poisoned poultry, Olivia realizes the kids are true targets.

First off I must admit I'm jumping into this series mid-steam. This is book four and I could really tell when reading it that I wish I'd was more familiar with the characters and their storyline before picking this up. Even though you can read and enjoy this story all on it's own, I kinda of do feel like the 3 Heart rating might be influenced by my not having read books 1-3.

Having read and enjoyed the 1st book in Julie other mystery series, The Manor House Mysteries, I was excited to read one of her White House Chef Mysteries and was really happy with it. Again, I wish that I'd had more background knowledge - especially when it came to the two men in Olivia's life. Her Ex in this book still works with her and seems to be...well...an ASS. It was so hard to picture Olivia ever having been with him - and that made me question her as a character. If I'd read the prior books maybe it would have made more sense because maybe he was a more likable character in those.

It was nice to find a cozy mystery with a hint of romance, but I did find myself wishing this had more. I really didn't want the book to end where it did because I wanted a little more of the romance - hey sue me I'm a romance chick!

This was a really fun read and I will be checking out the first 3 books - I just wish I didn't already know what was going to happen with the crappy Ex. :)

If you enjoy mysteries, and cozies in particular, you'll really like Julie's writing but it is my recommendation that you start with the 1st book in the series. I would have had so much more fun and felt more connected to the book if I'd read them, and this might have been a 4 Heart Review instead.

Happy Reading!
Sabrina

5 Heart Book Review: No One Lives Twice by Julie Moffett

No One Lives Twice - A Lexi Carmichael Mystery
by Julie Moffett
Carina Press
Mystery/Comedy/Adventure
5 Heart Review

Blurb:
I'm Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire. I spend my days stopping computer hackers at the National Security Agency. My nights? Those I spend avoiding my mother and eating cereal for dinner. Even though I work for a top-secret agency, I've never been in an exciting car chase, sipped a stirred (not shaken) martini, or shot a poison dart from an umbrella.

Until today, that is, when two gun-toting thugs popped up in my life and my best friend disappeared. So, I've enlisted the help of the Zimmerman twins—the reclusive architects of America's most sensitive electronic networks—to help me navigate a bewildering maze of leads to find her.

Along the way, my path collides with a sexy government agent and a rich, handsome lawyer, both of whom seem to have the hots for me. Hacking, espionage, sexy spy-men—it's a geek girl's dream come true. If it weren't for those gun-toting thugs...

Review:
I read this book at the end of 2010, and if you follow me on twitter you already know that I raved about it for days. For my first review in 2011, I thought I would start off with a bang and say I LOVE THIS BOOK! It's not a romance - romance, but instead a mystery/comedy with the perfect mix of possible love interests. Seriously, there are two main men vying for Lexi's attention but without spoiling a thing I can say I'm TEAM ELVIS all the way!

The writing in this book was exactly what I love - witty heroine who's slightly awkward but all sass and full of awesome mixed with a wicked sense of humor and without that whole "I'm a girl and can't help myself" thing I hate so much. The wit and humor really made this book for me and I adored the character of Lexi and also the fabulous Zimmerman Twins.

The mystery was both a fresh idea and one that wasn't obvious from the start. I also loved that Julie keeps you guessing about if the two male leads are who they really say they are. Very fresh writing and an expertly crafted mystery!

Julie Moffett was a new to me writer and after reading this book I had to check out if she'd written anything else. Now, Lexi is definitely a new direction for her but I was blown away by the writing awards that she has won for her other books. They've been added to my TBR pile, but I really cannot wait for another Lexi mystery.

I cannot say enough about how much I really enjoyed this book and want more. I've actually already read it again over the holiday - I just couldn't help myself. Awesome read and an awesome new-to-me author. Check this one out if you like quirky, witty heroines who can take care of themselves with some serious brain power.

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Sabrina

Book Review: Backstage Pass: Sinners on Tour by Olivia Cunning

Book Review: Backstage Pass: Sinners on Tour
By: Olivia Cunning
Sourcebooks Casablanca
2 Heart Review
HEAT LEVEL: EROTIC ROMANCE
Five Stunning Guys, One Hot Woman and a Feverish Romance...

For him, life is all music and no play...

When Brian Sinclair, lead songwriter and guitarist of the hottest metal band on the scene, loses his creative spark, it will take nights of downright sinful passion to release his pent-up genius...

She's the one to call the tune...

When sexy psychologist Myrna Evans goes on tour with the Sinners, every boy tries to seduce her. But Brian is the only one she wants to get her hands on...

Then the two lovers' wildly shocking behavior sparks the whole band to new heights of glory...and sin...

Right off the bat, I want to say that I've never been a huge fan of musicians as heroes. It's not that I particularly dislike them, but I usually find that they tend to act like assholes. Knowing that, I was really hoping for a book that would present a musician I could cheer for. Backstage Pass wasn't totally it, but it was an entertaining read even if it's not something I would read again. If you are a fan of heroes who rock out, then this book might be much better for you than it was for me.

My main issues with the book were that I just couldn't get into a group of men with groupies and that I found the sexual music trance the hero goes into a little too hard to believe. I'm not an artist by any stretch of the word so I can't know for sure, but I did find it hard to believe that musicians write music while getting it on.

There were also a few sex scenes that I felt were thrown in as extras to make the book go more to the erotic side of romance and I felt the book would have been better without those.

The Sinners are an interesting group of men and since this is the first book in a series we'll see all the men find their true love. The author did do a good job of creating five very different guys that you do wonder how they will turn out and what kind of woman (or man) will be the one to make them change their ways. (Groupies, circle blow-jobs, etc. They really do act like an 80's rock band on tour)

I don't think I'll be reading any more books in the series, but not because it wasn't an interesting read, but because I don't think I would do the author justice to talk about her books when I already know I would have a hard time with the hero.

What about you...Do you enjoy a musicians as a hero? If so, what is it about them you love? If not, what is your favorite hero type or occupation?

Book Review: A Tarnished Heart by Leslie Dicken

Book Review: A Tarnished Heart
By: Leslie Dicken
Samhain Publishing
3 Heart Review

She can save him—or bring him to ultimate ruin.


The Earl of Markham’s life is unraveling before his eyes. The harder he tries to pick up the frayed ends, the quicker his carefully guarded control slips from his iron grasp. Five years after the death of his wife, the threat of blackmail hangs over his son’s inheritance.

His only hope to quell the gossip before it begins lies in a headstrong young commoner as wild and free as the English countryside she loves. She is wrong for him in every way. Yet she brings life to his colorless world—and warms his heart with a fire that threatens to shatter the wall around his heart.

Lizzie Parker is content with her garden, her village and caring for her aging father. She wants no part of the glittering London Season, but her father will not be denied his wish to see to her future. Still, she plans to do everything in her power to vex the man charged with taking her away from her beloved home. The man who once broke her heart. Markham.

She never expected his kisses to tame her resistance. With each touch he rouses her senses, until suddenly she’s not at all sure where she belongs...

I'm a big fan of Leslie Dicken and truly believe that she's an under the radar author that more readers of historical romance should check out. Her book Beauty Tempts the Beast was one of my top books of 2010 and a 5 Heart Review here at Cheeky Reads. Seriously, you are missing out if you haven't read it yet.

All of that leads me to point out that my expectations for Leslie's latest book were very high and I do think that's part of the reason why I gave A Tarnished Heart 3 Hearts. Beauty Tempts The Beast is a hard act to follow! In fact, I finished reading this book weeks ago and was having the hardest time trying to figure out exactly what it was that it was missing for me.

It's not that A Tarnished Heart isn't a great story - it is. I loved how strong-willed the heroine was and how willing she is to do anything to stay with her father and take care of him. She's also a smart, tough lady who is willing to fight for her freedom even if it jeopardizes her own reputation and potential future.

One thing I felt was missing for me was for the villains in this tale to get theirs. Lady Fallston and the man who helps her (name withheld to avoid spoilers) needed to have something bad happen to them or at least for the reader to feel like they had to pay for their transgressions. I'm a big fan of making sure that the people who have caused harm pay for it. This was a problem I had with Jennifer Haymore's A Touch of Scandal. The ending with the mother really threw me out of that story and kept it from being a 5 Heart Review for me. I had the same issue with A Tarnished Heart.

**Both of the following plot points are revealed very early in the story so I didn't feel that they counted as spoilers, but wanted to warn you before reading on.**

The other thing that stuck out to me as not quite feeling right to the story was Lizzie's blaming of Markham for her sister's death and how badly she took his reaction to her declaration of future marriage. The blame for the death seemed off and there is an answer to that later, but it took me out of the story every time it was mentioned. As for the declaration of love, all I could think was that she was still a child and no man in his right mind would have reacted positively to that. Let alone a random child coming upon a carriage on a country road and declaring this to the man inside.

What I did really enjoy was the romance between Lizzie and Markham and the sexual tension between them, which I think Leslie writes so well. Both characters were strong and you really wanted them to come to their senses and love each other. It's a solid romance story with two characters you will enjoy and cheer for. The only major thing this book suffers from is not being Beauty Tempts the Beast, which I've said before was one of my favorite books of 2009 and maybe even of the past 3-5 years.

If you haven't read Leslie, please check out her books. I sing her praises on twitter all the time for good reason! Have you read Beauty Tempts the Beast or A Tarnished Heart? If so, what did you think?

Late Review: September Harlequin Blaze Quickie Reviews

I read two Harlequin Blaze books this month and even though I know new ones are already out on the shelves, I wanted to do a quick review since you can still get your hands on these books at http://www.eharlequin.com/.

September Harlequin Blaze Reviews:

Hot Island Nights by Sarah Mayberry – 4 Heart Review

Sweet Surrender (3 Encounters) by Lori Wilde – 4 Heart Review Overall
Night Whispers – 4 Hearts
Never Enough – 3 Hearts
No Turning Back – 4 Hearts

Hot Island Nights:

Elizabeth Morgan didn't intend to abandon her very proper life. But that's the best way to find her true – and less proper – self. So here she is in Australia, standing in front of a man who's clad only in a towel. Nathan Jones is so tempting he could be the ideal candidate to help this good girl be very bad!

Sure enough, thanks to Nathan's talented hands, Elizabeth is living all her sensual fantasies. And while the sex is great, something more is developing. She trusts him, and wants to share her secrets with him, and... Suddenly this feels more like a real relationship than some fun in the sun. Luckily, there's a cure for too much commitment – more wickedness!

The back cover blurb for this book did absolutely nothing to prepare the reader for the amazing story within. This is not a light and carefree Blaze of “wickedness”. There are some major issues handled in this book and in a very deep and fulfilling way. The blurb gets the general idea of teh couple right, but doesn't hint at all at the wonderful story inside.

This was a book that I read quite a few people discussing on twitter so I had to read it. They were not wrong. It's packs way more emotional punch than I normally expect from a Blaze and I thought it was exceptionally well done.

Sweet Surrender:

The Dilemma: How to get over a man-summer gone bad? Ban males next time out.

The Bet: No sex this summer vacation. So who will not hold out the longest?

First there was Bianca: Bianca St. James is desperately pretending her billionaire playboy client isn't fiendishly hot. Self-control...not a chance!

Then Madison: Safely away from temptation, Madison Garrett's confident she'll win the wager...until she sees her travel companion. Will all bets – and clothes – be off?

And Finally Emma: Emma Jacobs was set up. Now she's alone in the wilderness with her achingly hot former high school sweetie...surely no one will notice if she's a little bad, will they?

May the best woman win!

Night Whispers: This was a fun little story that I liked because for once, time passes in this book as the couple learns about each other and falls in love. It was very nice to see an alpha male who nurtures the heronine and helps her learn about herself and her heritage. I did wonder how in the world this woman wears the same undies every day (as all the heronines in the story do)?

Never Enough: A well written story, I gave this one 3 hearts because I didn't buy the 1-2 day fall in love timeline. I don't care if you talk to someone for 24 hours straight, it's asking too much to suspend my disbelief that they fell in love that quickly.

No Turning Back: I LOVED that this was a reunion story and how easy it felt - and how right. Very well done and even though this could easily have been a full-lenth story of its own, the author did a great job leaving you satisfied with the shorter length.

Audio Book Review: Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Audio Book Review: Wicked Appetite
By: Janet Evanovich
Read by: Lorelei King
Macmillan Audio
Unabridged CD - Run time 7 hours 
3 Heart Review

Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, until Diesel arrives. Rumor has it that a collection of priceless ancient relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins have made their way to Boston’s North Shore. Partnered with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker, Diesel bullies and charms his way through historic Salem to track them down—and his criminal mastermind cousin Gerewulf Grimorie. The black-haired, black-hearted Wulf is on the hunt for the relic representing gluttony. Caught in a race against time, Diesel and Lizzie soon find out that more isn’t always better, as they battle Wulf and the first of the deadly sins.

I've had the hardest time ever writing this review. Please know that right off the bat. A fan of the Stephanie Plum series, I was super excited to learn that Janet had a new series coming out and was excited to see something different from her. Don't get me wrong, I love the Plum series, but after so many books I was looking to something refreshingly different but with the fun I knew would always be in Janet's writing.

What I personally felt about Wicked Appetite was that it felt too much like the Plum series. That was not helped by keeping the same narrator from the Plum series for this series. I love Lorelei King as a narrator and think she has made the Plum series come alive in audio, but in order for Wicked Appetite to really have it's own "voice" they should have chosen a new narrator.

Having Lorelei narrate this book only served to highlight how much of it mirrored the exact type of situtations, humor, jokes, etc that a reader would have in the Plum series. Yes, the Plum series is awesome but with a new series it SHOULD feel different and this just didn't for me.

Yes, Diesel is a cross-over character readers are already familiar with but I felt like Lizzie was a Stephanie clone. Add in Carl the Monkey and too many scenes where you forgot this is Lizzie instead of Stephanie and I just couldn't get into it.

It is a very fun story and maybe it would have been better this time for me to read the book. Not having Stephanie's exact "voice" might have helped me seperate the stories more. As it was, Lorelei King is Stephanie to me and I couldn't hear her reading this story and not be thinking Plum the whole time.

If you haven't done the Plum series by audio that might not be an issue for you or if you read the print book. If you love Evanovich then you will probably really enjoy this new book and series, but if you are looking for something new from her this isn't it. Yes, I wanted fun and zany but this was too similiar. It felt like when a favorite author's book has been re-released with a new title and cover and you buy it only to get a few pages in and realize you've read it before - it's still a great story, but it's not that something new you were hoping for.   

Book Review: All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

Romance Book Review: All I Ever Wanted

By: Kristan Higgins
HQN
4 Heart Review

One happily-ever-after rocking chair…

And no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol’ Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company’s new Miss Perfect. If that isn’t bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a 3-0 birthday bash in the family funeral home.

Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a relationship with the town’s most eligible — yet not so warm and fuzzy — veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark’s attention. So Ian’s more comfortable with animals… So he’s formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it’s time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But, dang — if he doesn’t shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont’s unlikeliest eligible bachelor…

I cried. Really, there's a point toward the end of this book that had literal tears going down my face. The hubby was sitting next to me on the couch and looked at me and said "Are you serious?" Me in my warble-est voice ever said, "I can't help it. There this (insert plot point) and then this (more plot) happens and it's just so sad!" Yep. It's a good book. A really good book and a wonderful read that I think you'll really enjoy.

Kristan Higgins writes wonderfully original, yet relatable, contemporary stories that have me coming back again and again because she creates stories and characters that I see myself in and that's half the battle to finding a good romance.

This book was no different, but the only reason this wasn't a 5 Heart Review for me was that I wanted to know more and get a deeper understanding of the hero. The heroine Callie is wonderfully fleshed out and we learn so much about her and where she's been and what her motivations are. With our hero Ian, that's a little harder to discern. Now, part of that is because his character is reserved and mysterious, but I wanted to see him bloom a little with Callie. More so than he did at least.

The above back cover copy does help explain the premise of the book, but I was very happy to find that the plot of the engagement of Callie's boss takes a backseat to the romance between Callie and Ian. I wouldn't have liked the book as much if the focus on that initial incident had been played up too much. There was a very nice balance of Callie being hurt by Mark's engagement, and in seeing her grow past it.

It's so hard to say exactly why I loved this book, expect to say that I just did. It all worked for me, even without further insight into Ian, and it was all I could do to not go back and read the one book by Kristan that I have on my TBR pile but hadn't gotten to yet. Sometimes needing to read the latest books to review is hard! I want to throw a tantrum and say "No, I will read what I want!" LOL - alas I have resisted the temptation, but it was hard. Kristan Higgins pulls me in and I'm sure it won't be long until I give in to temptation and read that missed book (The Next Best Thing).

Book Review: The Heat Is On by Jill Shalvis

Romance Book Review: The Heat Is On
By: Jill Shalvis
Harlequin Blaze August 2010
4 Heart Review

Oh, dear. Bella Manchelli is so not having a good day. First, she's deliciously exhausted from last night's sizzling one-night stand. Second, there's a (gulp) dead body at her back door. Third…um, that scrumptious one-nighter is at her front door… and he's wearing a badge!

Police Officer Jacob Madden is all about duty. Until he shows up looking for a homicide…and runs right into last night's slice of sexy heaven! Damn, he just can't think straight when he's around Bella. All he wants to do is lick her up one side and down the other….

Can duty and smoking-hot sex blend for a while? Definitely! Until Jacob discovers that several of the guys Bella's dated have turned up dead. Jacob loves being around Bella. But is he ready to be used as target practice?

This book is what a Harlequin Blaze is all about - sexy, fun and with the kind of heroine you'd love to have as one of your girlfriends. Jill Shalvis is a damn good author and I really enjoyed this story that started with a bang, literally, and never let up.

You'll root for both the hero and heroine and I couldn't find a thing I didn't like about them. I loved how realistic Police Officer Jacob Madden was and Bella was like the embodiment of a lot of modern women today - feeling restless, wanting to travel the world, and scared of settling for life.

The suspense in this story mixes well with the love story and did contribute to the central story very well instead of taking away from it. In fact, the suspense was written so well that it helped showcase who the characters really where and why they belonged together.

A really solid book with something a little extra that will make you smile and keep you reading straight through, The Heat Is On is an excellent book and I really recommend it for lovers of contemporary and romantic suspense.

Happy Reading!

New Release Tuesday...

So today instead of featuring books that are releasing this week only, I wanted to show a couple of recent books that really caught my attention and are in my TBR pile. I hope you'll let me know what you think of my list and tell us what books in your TBR pile you are most looking forward to!

"I'm Lexi Carmichael, geek extraordinaire. I spend my days stopping computer hackers at the National Security Agency. My nights? Those I spend avoiding my mother and eating cereal for dinner. Even though I work for a top-secret agency, I've never been in an exciting car chase, sipped a stirred (not shaken) martini, or shot a poison dart from an umbrella.

Until today, that is..."

I first noticed this book on the Carina Press website and I MUST read it. From the blurbs, I'm hoping this is a slam dunk 5 Hearter for me. It's exactly the kind of story I love - I'm all about the Geektastic. Give me a geeky hero or heroine and I'm all over it. Click here to go read the full blurb, an excerpt from the book and for info on where to buy No One Lives Twice.

"One happily-ever-after rocking chair…

And no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol’ Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track, because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company’s new Miss Perfect. If that isn’t bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a 3-0 birthday bash in the family funeral home."

I seriously love Kristan Higgins' books, and that's why I cannot wait to read All I Ever Wanted. Not only have reviews been great for this book, but I had my copy personally signed by Kristin at the RWA Conference so somehow that must translate into a super special awesome read right? Right? :) Check out this link to see more details and to read an excerpt.

"After the death of his wife and father, the Earl of Markham has spent the last five years fiercely guarding his emotions from involvement, including getting too close to his son. Then a blackmail threat shatters his impassive world..."

Leslie Dicken is a writer I'm keeping my eye on becuase I just know she's going to explode soon. Her book Beauty Tempts the Beast was one of my favorite reads of all of last year. A seriously awesome book that if you haven't read you should. Her newest release is A Tarnished Heart and I'm hoping it's every bit as good as BTTB was. Here's a link to Leslie's site and includes an excerpt.

Those are just a few from my pile - what about you? What book are you itching to read? Are there any upcoming releases you'll be stopping by the bookstore for on release day?

Book Review: Risk No Secrets by Cindy Gerard

Risk No Secrets - A Black Ops, Inc. Novel
By Cindy Gerard
Pocket Books Romance
4 Heart Review

A Red-Hot Attraction...

Twelve years of chasing bad guys didn't erase beautiful Sophie Baylor from Wyatt Savage's memory. If he had another chance, he'd never let her leave. So when she tracks him down from El Salvador and begs for help, he doesn't ask questions - he just goes. 

Starts With A Terrifying Threat...

Sophie is grateful her daughter survived a kidnapping attempt, but she won't forgive herself until the girl who was mistakenly abducted is safe. Wyatt is the only man brave enough to take on the mysterious terrorists behind the crime - and the one irresistible man she wishes she had never let go. 

...And Unleashes An Unforgettable Adventure.

Sophie knows Central America's steamy jungles and sticky politics better than anyone. Yet she refuses to hide in fear. Then she becomes the enemy's number one target. Wyatt lost her once, and he won't lose her again - even if he has to fight, kill or die to save her.

That sound you just heard? That was me sighing in satisfaction after finishing this book. There is something so satisfying about really good Romantic Suspense and Cindy Gerard does it very, very well. Her Black Ops, Inc. books are so much fun to read and I love reading the mix of steam and suspense in a well-paced book.

The absolute only issue I had with this book was that I had a hard time understanding and connecting with why Sophie had chosen Hugh over Wyatt those 12 years before. That was the only thing keeping this from being a 5 Heart Review for me. I guess I needed some more depth to that back story in order to understand Sophie's choice. Instead, I felt like she just married Hugh because he was the one who asked.

Both Sophie and Wyatt were engaging characters and I absolutely loved seeing a little bit into the other Black Ops, Inc. members falling in love or seeing them happy after their own books HEA.

I love this series and if you are a fan of romantic suspense, or want to add some suspense to your life, give Cindy's books a try. You can easily pick up anywhere in the series without missing anything. Each book stands on it's own completely, but with visits from past and future characters.

Book Review: The Sexy Devil by Kate Hoffman

Book Review: The Sexy Devil
By Kate Hoffman
Harlequin Blaze June 2010
3 Heart Review


He's her ultimate challenge...


Meet Max Morgan. Unrepentantly sexy. Impossible to resist. He's broken countless hearts across the country - including Angela Weatherby's...


When Angela first met Max, she'd been young, sweet and impressionable. But time and experience have changed that. Now she can see what kind of man he really is. 


Unfortunately, he's still the man she wants more than her next breath. 


And she finally gets him! Angela's night with Max is magical. He knows just what to do, where to touch, how to make her feel. He's the perfect man for her. 


Too bad she's not the first woman to believe that. But will she be the last?

I'm a Blaze Girl - Harlequin Blaze that is. If you have never tried a Harlequin category book before, I would suggest starting with the Blaze line. These are sexy, modern stories for today's woman and in a length that works so well with your busy life. I can't tell you how much I love the freedom this shorter length of book gives me - I know I can start the book and finish it within 1-2 sittings. It takes the pressure off having to set aside so much time to get into a longer length romance. The size also fits so well into any purse! :)

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I'm constantly looking for new or different covers adn this one caught my eye becuase the hero on the cover is not your typical short-haired white guy with a set of guns (i.e muscles). Instead, it's an olive skinned man with dark, slightly longer hair and a sophisticated look. I love that the front cover blurb says "Trouble never looked so good!"

I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid read that althougth there were a few small things I felt slightly off about, there were no issues that drew me out of the story. In fact, I quite liked the hero and the heroine and enjoyed reading them come together.

One thing that I wished hadn't featured so much, was the back story of Angela following Max to college. Yes, I know that young girls do things like this but it made it hard for me to picture Angela as an adult woman ready for sex, real love and happily ever after. I found myself feeling like she was much to young for this story. Likewise, I wished that Max had a little more age on him as well.

I did highly enjoy Max proving Angela wrong both about himself and his supposed playboy ways, and about how attractive Angela is. Angela's rate-a-man website is also a very fun part of the story and I was happy to see what Angela decides about that in the end of the book. That decision helped give her maturity in my eyes and made the story feel more compelte.

Again, a solid book but nothing about it went above and beyond to me. Very fun, easy to get through and refreshing to have a light-weight conflict I would recommend this for a nice, quick read.

Audio Book Review: Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Audio Book Review: Married by Morning

Written By: Lisa Kleypas
Performed by: Rosalyn Landor
Brilliance Audio Unabridged
9 Hours 52 Minutes
Writing: 5 Heart Review
Audio Performance: 5 Heart Review

He is everything she wants to avoid...

For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters – a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges' older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat can hardly believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. But when one quarrel ends in a sudden kiss, Cat is shocked at her powerful response – and even more so when Leo proposes a dangerous liaison.

She is not at all what she seems...

Leo must marry and produce an heir within a year to save his family home. Catherine's respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her. But to Leo, Cat is intriguing and infernally tempting, even to a man resolved never to love again. The danger Cat tried to outrun is about to separate them forever – unless two wary lovers can find a way to banish the shadows and give in to their desires...

I'm a big fan of Kleypas. I mean who isn't? But I've always read her contemporaries and had sort of purposefully ignored her historicals. Why? Because I think I could very well find myself reading her entire backlist of books to the exclusion of many other writers. Since I know Kleypas is a big name in romance and doesn't need a review here for people to know she has a book out, I narrowed my reading of her to comtemps because I feel there aren't enough of us singing the praises of the straight-up contemporary and how great they are.

When I received Married by Morning to review I decided to try out a Kleypas historical – and holy crap, what I have been missing! Married by Morning is now seriously in my all-time top books. One reason? LEO! Kleypas might have officially ruined me for all other romance heros. All that come after might see themselves compared to Leo and found lacking. My PERFECT HERO.

I loved almost every single thing about this book – pure perfection for me! Believe it or not, I loved it even more than I have many of her contemporary titles. The ending was slightly off from what I had expected, but not bad or anything that would have ruined the story at all. In fact, I thought there were many parts of the ending that brought the trust and relationship between Cat and Leo full circle.

Now, with all the Leo talk you might think that the heroine Catherine was only so-so or average. She was not at all. In fact, she was an amazingly relatable character that I found loving easy to do. Her quirky nature and imperfect looks – she wears glasses back when I imagine it was not at all fashionable for a women or man – made me root for her to match wits with Leo again and again.

As for the audio book performer Rosalyn Landor? One word: fantastic! Her changes in voice are slight, but you never question who is speaking as she inhabits each character completely. I loved how easily she was able to get across Leo’s cheeky tone when he’s trying to annoy Cat. Rosalyn’s performance really added to my love of both Leo and Catherine.

If you’ve been on the fence about trying audio books, this is one I can 100% say to try. It’s a great one to hear audio books at their best and with a great story to boot.

Again, I can’t say enough about how much I loved this book and now I’m doomed to reading Kleypas’ entire backlist of historicals. I’ve already gotten Love in the Afternoon that I can’t wait to start!

Happy Reading!