BookWenches

The following works were reviewed for February:

Dark Angel by Natasha Moore
Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon
Betrayals by Janet Quinn
Wanted by Megan Ziese
Binding Gillian by Melinda Barron
Photo Play by Pam McKenna
Falling for You by Barbara Elsborg
Grace on Fire by Elle Amery
Jane's Wild Weekend by Delilah Devlin
Wait Til Your Vampire Gets Home by Michele Bardsley
Here Be Dragons by T. A. Chase
Because Your Vampire Said So by Michele Bardsley
Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire by Michele Bardsley
I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley
The Consolation Prize by Barbara Elsborg
Year of the Cat by Selah March
Sex. Lies, and Wedding Bells by E. M. Lynley

Title: Dark Angel

Author: Natasha Moore
Author’s website: www.natashamoore.com
Publisher: Red Sage Publishing
Release Date: 2009
ISBN: 9781603102667
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 3.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Title: Snowball in Hell

Author: Josh Lanyon
Author’s website: http://www.joshlanyon.com/
Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press
Release Date: December 2007
ISBN: 9781601680761
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Historical – Mystery – GBLT
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney
 

In the Los Angeles of the early 1940s, most people are preoccupied with the war effort. Healthy and whole young men are heading off to war and returning injured and shell-shocked…if they return at all. Crime doesn’t take a break during the war, however, so it is business as usual for the police. When a body pulled from the La Brea Tar Pit turns out to be the son of a prominent family, it opens up a complex maze of kidnapping, blackmail, and murder that will add a bit of tarnish to the glitter of Tinseltown.

The investigating officer in the case is Lieutenant Matt Spain of the LAPD, an ex marine who is dealing with his grief over the death of his wife as well as his own return from war. His investigation collides with that of reporter Nathan Doyle. Although Nathan professes to be investigating the crime for a story, it is apparent to Matt that he is hiding something from the police. Something that gives him a good motive for murder – as good a motive as anybody might have. It doesn’t take Matt long to discover Nathan’s secret, though, because he shares the same sexual tendencies: Matt can’t help but be attracted to the man, and Nathan finds him equally fascinating. Such relationships are illegal, however, and the men know that they can only yearn for what could be. Anything other than that would be dangerous for both of them.

It is in Nathan’s best interest to find out the identity of the killer before his secret is revealed or he is accused of the crime. As he pursues his investigation, it turns dangerous for Nathan, who may very well have survived being shot by Nazis just to find himself once again on the wrong end of a gun barrel.

Josh Lanyon’s Snowball in Hell is a murder mystery that will pull the reader back to the final years of World War II. This story has just a nuance of the hard-boiled detective novel from that era but is much more charming than pulp fiction. Mr. Lanyon has recreated the period with satisfying detail, and characters, even minor ones, are described in such a way as to bring them alive and make them memorable.

The point of view in this novel is split equally between the two main characters, which gives the reader a glimpse into the psyche of each of them. However, the time spent with each is not quite enough to offer much more than that glimpse, and I didn’t feel as if I knew either man all that well by the end of the story. Regardless, the heroes are both vivid and sympathetic. Matt may be a tough-guy ex marine, but that toughness does not go all the way through. His thoughts drift to his late wife constantly, and it is evident that his is struggling with his grief over losing her as well as his innate homosexuality. Nathan is not only conflicted with his own sexuality, but he is struggling with both PTSD and depression.

The murder mystery that this story revolves around is suspenseful and intriguing. The narration flows smoothly, and the plot is full of satisfying twists as the investigation proceeds and even hits the occasional dead end or two. Although the story of the relationship between Matt and Nathan is integral to the story, the mystery is well executed enough to stand alone. I’m a sucker for a love story, however, so I definitely prefer the story as is. Mr. Lanyon has deft touch with a mystery and writes stories that are consistently high in quality, and Snowball in Hell is no exception. It is a very enjoyable read.

--BD Whitney

When a mild earthquake causes a building currently under construction to disintegrate, it is apparent that something is wrong. Add to that the fact that a security guard is killed in the accident, and not only do you have a case of shoddy construction to deal with but you have criminal negligence as well. Not only do the building’s investors stand to lose a lot of money, but the owner of the construction company may face financial ruin, loss of his business, and prison time as well.

Kayla Hampton is a CPA who has been hired to look into who might be responsible for the building not being constructed to code. She knows that she will have to sift through a mountain of information in order to discover the truth, although currently all signs point squarely at the owner of the construction company – Logan Lambert. She might be blind, but she is tough and capable, and after her initial meeting with Logan, she has a feeling that he might not be as culpable as her client believes him to be. Logan Lambert knows that he has a lot to lose, and he is determined to cooperate with Kayla’s investigation. Someone within his company has substituted substandard materials, pocketing the profits and setting him up to be the fall guy in the investigation, and he is determined to find out who this is and to regain his reputation. Almost worse than financial ruin is the knowledge that he has been betrayed by a person or persons that he believed to be friends he could trust.

As Logan and Kayla work together to find out the truth behind the disaster, the person responsible is scrambling to cover his tracks and to ensure that Logan takes the blame. Although the initial crime is fraud, it becomes apparent that the culprit is willing to result to both kidnapping and murder to protect himself and retrieve incriminating evidence. Kayla and Logan must work to stay alive and to stay a step ahead of a criminal who seems to know Logan almost as well as he knows himself. To further complicate issues, they are beginning to develop feelings for each other. But will these feelings survive after investigation is over? Also, they might be working together to the same end, but how much do they really trust each other, anyway?

Janet Quinn’s Betrayals is a fast-paced blend of romance, action, and suspense that should appeal to lovers of thrillers and love stories alike. This is a smooth-flowing and pleasurable read that is exciting enough to keep the reader turning the pages, wondering what situation the heroes would find themselves into next. The characters are appealing enough to make you care about them, and enough time is spent with the villain to develop him into a hateful character but not to give his identity away. In Logan and Kayla, Ms. Quinn has given us a couple of strong and interesting individuals who are flawed just enough to make them sympathetic. Logan is attractively strong and take-charge, but he is also somewhat stubborn. He is haunted by the fact that he has been betrayed by a friend but absolutely refuses to consider that two such close friends may be involved. When it comes to stubbornness, however, he and Kayla are equally matched. Kayla may be blind, but she is not “the poor little blind girl.” She has a backbone of steel and is almost too fiercely independent. I found it fascinating how Kayla described her blindness as being a world entirely of color, because I had never imagined blindness to be anything other than complete blackness. This was definitely food for thought and an interesting detailed touch.

The suspense in Betrayals teases the reader a bit, hinting strongly at who the culprit in the crime might be but never actually revealing the truth until the end. As I read this novel, there were several instances where I was absolutely convinced that I knew the answer to whodunit. I was wrong, but I was not at all disappointed to be wrong. My only complaint is that the reveal scene felt just a little too “Scooby Doo,” as in “I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for you meddling kids.” However, I did appreciate the recap of the crime, and it did tie the mystery up pretty cleanly.

In all, I feel that Betrayals is well-executed and entertaining. It provides a pretty decent romance with an interesting mystery, which in my opinion makes for an enjoyable reading experience.

--BD Whitney

 
Title: Wanted
Author: Megan Ziese
Author’s website: N/A
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Release Date: December 2008
ISBN: N/A
Length: Short Story
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: Teagan

Lillian never thought when she did her thesis, Women Who Love Men That Kill, that she would be meeting one of those men in person at her front door. How easy it was to write to a death row inmate that would never see freedom, even though she wasn’t exactly honest and the letters started to get downright naughty. The last thing she ever thought was that Jack Colton, convicted murderer, would show up and want to take up where the letters left off. Jack is the epitome of hot and sexy, and Lillian’s brain just can’t seem to work or her mouth . . . shouldn’t she be screaming? Where are the police?

Ms. Ziese has packed a big punch into a small package. She has succeeded in coming up with a unique story that will surprise the reader at every turn. The descriptiveness in the story makes it easy to imagine exactly what is happening. The humor in Lillian’s thoughts kept a smile on my face. The sexual interplay was racy, and I was never sure what to expect. I don’t want to give away any of the story, so all I will say about Jack is this: readers, have a fan available, because this character is hot.  I enjoyed this decidedly unusual story, and I can’t wait to read more by this talented author.

--Teagan

Title: Binding Gillian

Author: Melinda Barron
Author’s website: www.melindabarron.com
Publisher: Resplendence Publishing, LLC
Release Date: December 2008
ISBN: N/A
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 4

Reviewed by: Teagan

Writer Gillian York, has not seen Brad Claymore for ten years. Imagine her surprise when the interviewer she is meeting is no other than Brad himself. Ten years earlier they were inseparable and considered each other soul mates, until trust became an issue and Gillian left. Gillian has never felt the way she felt with Brad; only he could tie her in knots . . . literally. She is afraid too much time has passed for them to make a go of it.

Brad has never given up on the idea of being with Gillian. The sex was amazing and he still feels she is his soul mate. The time is right to let her know that he intends for her to his. Brad will do anything to get Gillian to come around to his way of thinking. Setting up an interview with her is just the beginning.

Binding Gillian is a fast paced, naughty, and sensual. The interaction of the main characters is edgy. I think the uncertainties on Gillian’s part and the assuredness on Brad’s make the story potent. Even though years have passed, the duo still has a connection that is undeniably more than sex. Gillian has the same reservations I would have if I was in her place, which brings reality to her character. I especially liked how the author had the main character be a writer that wrote erotic fiction in the beginning of her career and wasn’t afraid to admit it. This added a depth to the character that I appreciated as a fan of erotic fiction. Ms. Barron has an addictive talent; she is capable of writing believable characters with very spicy stories that will have this reader coming back for more.

–Teagan

Reviewed by: Teagan

Darla is trying to put some heat into her sexual relationship with her fiancé and thinks gifting him with some sexy pictures of her might just do the trick. She has hired a renowned photographer, Konrad Drummond, to take the pictures. Tasteful, sensual, and dignified are what she is expecting, not a rough around the edges bitter photographer that is intent on making fun of her. She is stunned by his tactics and even more stunned when she sees herself the way he sees her through the camera.

Kon is not interested in women for anything but sex. Numerous ex-wives, barely enough money to make ends meet, and taking pictures of lonely housewives has about pushed him over the edge. Then Darla walks through his door, and he realizes that she needs her buttons pushed and he is the one to do it, but only this once. He wants to make her see that a little bondage never hurt anyone if it’s done right.

Photo Play is an erotic journey of sexually kinky awakenings. Darla is unaware of her desire to be dominated, and her ability to let her guard down and go with her feelings feels like an awakening for the reader. Her character blossoms throughout the story. She starts out unsure of herself and progresses towards a certain amount of confidence. I enjoy a story with underlying conflict, and Photo Play lends the exact amount of this to the storyline. Kon is sexy, antagonistic, and creative. He has a wonderful depth and has realistic qualities. Though the story is short in length, I found that the author is talented enough to keep the reader guessing right up until the end. Ms. McKenna has penned a wonderfully erotic story.

--Teagan

Jo Carter is having a bit of trouble. Lately, all she can think of is sex. Lots and lots of sex with anyone sporting a Y chromosome – young, old, fat, thin, homely, or handsome, she really doesn’t care. It’s embarrassing, it’s distracting, and it’s seriously interfering with her life. To make things worse, she also seems to have attracted the attention of every male dog in the neighborhood. She likes dogs, but being followed around by them is creepy, and she’s probably not supposed to have pets in the office anyway. Jo has found that the only way that she can keep her carnal urges under control is to run for miles and exhaust herself. That works – for a few minutes, anyway. It is on one such occasion of long-distance running that Jo finds herself tumbling headlong and painfully into a deep pit in the ground and coming face to face with a beautiful man covered in blood and needing a pint or two of her own to survive.

Alek Kavan is having his own difficulties. Attacked and stabbed through the heart, he is slowly to bleeding to death in his cave. That is, if the dead can bleed to death, because Alek is a vampire. If the sexy blonde who just fell into his lap will just give him a meal or two to keep him from perishing, he would be happy to scratch this itch that she seems to have. Hey, vampires are famous for having incredible sexual stamina, and he is a fine example of the species, if he may say so himself.

It is indeed fortunate for both Jo and Alek that they can meet each others’ needs. Jo is thrilled to have found a lover who can keep up with her in every way and with whom she can make an immediate and emotional bond. Alek is likewise bowled away at having found someone special after over three hundred years of searching. She might even be his life-mate. Their haze of bliss is interrupted, however, when they find out that not only is the person who tried to kill Alek still on the prowl for him, but Jo appears to be a target as well. Because Jo is not human like she believed she was…she is a werewolf. And the local pack has plans for her. Plans that certainly don’t include happily ever after with the vampire of her dreams.

Falling for You is the second novel in Barbara Elsborg’s Truebloods series. While the two stories interact with each other somewhat, it is not necessary to have read the previous story – The Consolation Prize – to enjoy Alek and Jo’s tale.

After having read Luka’s story in The Consolation Prize, I was looking forward to reading about his older brother Alek. Falling for You did not disappoint me at all. This is an engrossing, entertaining, and completely delightful story that sucked me in from the very first sentence and held me captive until the final line. Am I babbling? Perhaps. I loved it. I think you will love it. I seriously suggest that you grab your own copy and get started on it right away.

This story is sexy and funny and exciting and even frightening for a moment or two, appealing to just about every emotion. In addition, Ms. Elsborg has populated it with characters who are clever and intelligent even though they have their foibles. They feel real for all that they are actually paranormal beings. The love scenes are at the same time incredibly sensual and hysterically funny. These two are perfectly attuned to each other both sexually and emotionally: there is a lot of laughing, a lot of wrestling, a lot of play. Jo’s struggle to contain her out-of-control libido and Alek’s attempts to keep from constantly biting her neck also provide many comic moments that make this tale memorable.

For all that much of this book is lighthearted and fun, there is also violence and bloodshed. The conflict scenes are well-executed and graphic, and I found myself utterly drawn into them. Ms. Elsborg does not try to pretty up the scenes of threatened rape and murder – the tension and suspense are very real, and the sense of danger is imminent.

All of these elements – love, sex, danger, laughter – roll up together in Falling for You and make a novel that is worth every second of the time spent reading it. This is truly a keeper.

--BD Whitney

Title: Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home (Broken Heart, OK #4)

Author: Michele Bardsley
Author’s website: http://blog.michelebardsley.net/
Publisher: Penguin Group, Signet Eclipse
Release Date: November 2008
ISBN: 978-0-451-22550-4
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Contemporary Vampire Humor
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: Teagan

Libby Monroe is on a paranormal investigation in the town of Broken Heart, OK, looking for Bigfoot, but she is in for a big disappointment. There’s no Bigfoot in Broken Heart...yet, but there sure are a lot of other paranormal beings hanging around. She finds vampires, zombies, shapeshifters, not to mention the newly arrived flying menaces. Libby thought she was ready anything, though becoming one of the paranormals was not quite what she had in mind. Super hottie vampire dad, Ralph Genessa, has her flame lit, and she can’t help but want to jump his bones every time she is near him.

This is yet another wonderful installment of the Broken Heart Vampire series by the immensely popular author Michele Bardsley. I found myself immediately drawn into the bond that quickly formed between Libby and Ralph. The intense feelings between them gave me the warm fuzzies. Libby’s character was interesting though hysterical at first, although she quickly shows her true colors as being level-headed in the face of danger. The secondary characters add great dimension. The humor doesn’t abate. I was laughing or had a smile on my face throughout the novel. I do recommend that the reader read the books in order, or you may be lost deciphering who and what everyone is. Ms. Bardsley has created a town like no other, and I thankfully see endless possibilities. I am impatiently waiting for the next book!

--Teagan

Title: Here Be Dragons

Author: T. A. Chase
Author’s website: http://tachase.blogspot.com    
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC
Release Date: September, 2006
ISBN: 978-59632-285-1
Length: Novel
Format: Electronic
Genre: Fantasy - LGBT - Urban
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 4.5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Elves. Mermaids. Knights on horseback. Dragons. We all grew up surrounded by the folklore of such mystical beings, but what happens when the fantasy becomes reality? Dr. Kael Hammerson is a herpetologist stationed at a research laboratory in rural Ireland. It’s not the best place for an expert in snakes to be, but his main goal moving there was to get as far away from his abusive ex-lover as possible. He has a lot of healing to do, but just when he is beginning to acknowledge his feelings for his boss, Dr. Hugh Price, and to realize that Dr. Price is attracted to him as well, Kael’s world is tipped on edge. What was once thought to be folklore becomes grounded in truth, and suddenly the world is being threatened by creatures that previously existed only in mythical form.

When a report comes in that an oil exploring ship has brought up what appears to be a sea serpent, Kael is the right man to examine the creature. He figures it to be an eel, but no eel ever had scales that are impervious to penetration or saliva that drips poison. And besides, the military wouldn’t be as interested in an eel as they are in this creature. When a giant sea serpent attacks an oil freighter and a gigantic lizard decimates several farms, it becomes obvious to Kael and Hugh that what they are dealing with is the return of that most fearsome of creatures – the dragon.

Working against time, Kael and Hugh desperately attempt to find a way to breech the dragons’ seemingly impenetrable exterior. At the same time, they are dealing with their growing feelings towards each other. Kael has been hurt horribly in the past and has difficulties getting beyond that abuse. Hugh would love nothing more than to spend time learning to love Kael, but they are dealing with an angry and impatient military as well as a panicked public and dragons appearing out of thin air. Before they can deal with slaying Kael’s personal dragons, they have some very real and very fearsome magical creatures to vanquish. Where’s a knight in shining armor when you need one?

T. A. Chase’s Here Be Dragons is an urban fantasy novel that drops the reader right in the middle of a world gone haywire. If you love fantasy, and if you ever wondered what would happen if dragons really existed, then this story will knock your socks off. Mr. Chase has done a wonderful job mixing fantasy with reality and then tossing in a sensual love story to make things even more interesting. This book can definitely be called a “page turner.” From the moment that I picked Here Be Dragons up until I read the final word, I was utterly captivated. The characters are appealing and well-developed, the love story is both sensual and emotional, and the suspense is constant and tense with bursts of action that will get your blood flowing and your imagination kicking into overdrive.

--BD Whitney 

Title: Because Your Vampire Said So (Broken Heart, OK, Book 3)

Author: Michele Bardsley
Author’s website: http://blog.michelebardsley.net/
Publisher: Penguin Group, Signet Eclipse
Release Date: May 2008
ISBN: 978-0451223861
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Contemporary Vampire
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: Teagan

Being a vampire is nothing compared to dealing with your teenage son skipping school and smoking pot, right? If life was only that easy! Broken Heart, Oklahoma’s only hair salon is going to the dogs...er... werewolves. Stylist Patsy Donohue has lost all her non-vamp clients due to the town becoming a paranormal haven, but the local shapeshifters have become avid clients. A new rogue shapeshifter has her in sexual overdrive. Uncertain of his affiliation, but feeling the pull of attraction, Pasty isn’t sure what to do. Between her troubled teen and the extremely sexy shifter, Patsy’s life as the supposed chosen one isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The third installment of the Broken Heart Vampire series, is wonderfully humorous. I enjoyed the addition of the shapeshifters to the main storyline. It adds a new dimension and whole new set of rules . Patsy is hilarious, yet the author makes her character completely believable and easy to identify with. She combines the trials of being a mom and the unknown future of the paranormal and comes up with a character that could easily be real. Gabriel is a mystery. One that any red-blooded woman, or vampire, would like to get her hands on. He is pure alpha male and sexy as hell. Patsy and Gabriel together are dynamite, and the sexual encounters singe the pages of the book. I can’t get enough of this Michele Bardsley series. Give me more! She has a winner here, and I hope it never ends!

--Teagan

Reviewed by: Teagan

Becoming a vampire without your consent might bother some people, but single mom Eva LeRoy figures things could be worse. Well, maybe like falling for the infected vampire that turned her into a creature of the night. Lorcan may be “cured” now, but he is carrying a ton of baggage and plays the role of wounded dark soul pretty convincingly. Eva isn’t one to hold a grudge, especially when said dark soul vampire is one heck of a hottie. If things aren’t strange enough in the new vampire-friendly Broken Heart, Oklahoma, now there is a renegade group of assassins trying to kill her and her teenage daughter. What’s a PTA vampire mom to do?

Michele Bardsley has another hit on her hands. This second installment of the Broken Heart Vampire Series is just as entertaining as the first book. I am addicted! Eva is so easy for me to identify with. She loves books, seems like your typical PTA mom, and is pretty darn down to earth. I love the relationship she had with her daughter, teenage angst and all. Lorcan is deliciously dark and sorrowful. His character development is superb, and I felt myself being drawn into his self-made loneliness. I would be willing to let him bite me any time he wanted. The relationship between Eva and Lorcan is complex yet sweet, and I couldn’t wait to find out how things would work out between them. Michele Bardsely is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her work is funny, witty, and sexy.

--Teagan

 
Title: I’m the Vampire, That’s Why
Author: Michele Bardsley
Author Website: http://blog.michelebardsley.net/
Publisher: Penguin Group, Signet Eclipse
Release Date: September 2006
ISBN: 9780451219376
Length: Novel
Format: Print
Genre: Contemporary Vampire
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 5

Reviewed by: Teagan

Strange things are happening in Broken Heart, Oklahoma. Divorce isn’t the only thing that is prevalent in Broken Heart, and vampires are coming out of the woodwork. Single mom, Jessica Matthews, was taking out the garbage when she is attacked and wakes up a little long in the tooth, craving blood. Life hasn’t been easy for Jessica, and waking up a vampire and having to explain that to her children isn’t exactly a piece of cake. On the upside? Hottie, super vamp Patrick O’Halloran has her seriously contemplating a way to sink her teeth into any sexy part of his body. Learning all the vampire rules while attempting to find the beast that attacked her has Jessica more than a little confused. Can a single vampire let her guard down and surrender to a love that’s supposedly destined to be? 

 If I was a vampire, I would want to be Jessica! I found myself completely immersed in this book and wishing like crazy I was a vampire sucking on Patrick O’Halloran’s thigh. Jessica has quickly become a favorite character of mine. She is strong yet has the typical reservations about her feelings that most women have, which makes her believable. Her character is comical, edgy, yet confused about her newfound affliction and how she is going to deal with being a vampire and parenthood. Patrick is a tall, dark drink of pure yummy. His interaction with Jessica is pure magic, pun totally intended! Patrick is mysterious, magically talented, and alarmingly male. Jessica and Patrick have a special chemistry that has both of them panting for each other, yet neither want to push the other into something they don’t want. Especially when the vampire rules state that once you mate, you are mated for one hundred years. Jessica has mixed feelings about that commitment, especially when she is unsure of Patrick’s true feelings.

Michele Bardsley has an undeniable knack for telling a humorous, in-depth story that keeps her readers buried in her books. I didn’t want to come up for air. This is the first installment of Ms. Bardsley’s Broken Heart Vampire series. Stay tuned for more!

--Teagan 

When Chloe Lord is passed over for a much-deserved promotion at work, she is given a consolation prize: a four-day all-expense-paid trip to the Sunset Spa. She is tempted to tear the gift certificate up in disgust, but when she finds out that the spa is located in the manor house she grew up in – the very same house that most of her family died in when she was twelve – she feels compelled to go. She is not sure what she is expecting, but it is certainly not to find an incredibly handsome and very naked man chained in the basement while she is exploring her old home. She is in for another shock when she finds out that he is a vampire and that the entire spa caters to the undead.

Luka Varek is a descendant of the oldest line of vampires, and as such he is one of a very few vampires who can sire children. He has been kidnapped in order to act like some sort of stud service at the spa for vampires wanting offspring, and he is imprisoned in painful silver chains, tortured, and humiliated. The human female who finds him in this predicament may say that she wants to help him, but she could also be acting as an agent for his jailers. Her touch is sweet, though, and she doesn’t give up trying to free him from the chains that bind him.

After time spent with Chloe and hours of passionate lovemaking, Luka is convinced that this human is his life-mate – his one true love for a lifetime. But once he finds out that the vampire who kidnapped him is Chloe’s step-grandmother, it blows all his tender feelings away. Anger and betrayal replace love, and despite Chloe’s protestations of innocence, he abandons her to what could possibly be an ugly fate in the vampire-filled mansion.

If you are a lover of vampire romances, then Barbara Elsborg’s The Consolation Prize should be on your “must read” list. This is a smooth-flowing and clever story that is both humorous and emotional, and it features two main characters that will capture your heart and your attention right away. Each has wry wit that is directed upon themselves as frequently as it is targeted toward the world, and they are made even more appealing by the fact that they have as many quirks as they have virtues. Luka tends to lisp terribly when his fangs come out, and Chloe hears voices in her head. Unfortunately, the voices rarely help her with anything useful and frequently drive her to distraction. These two are definitely made for each other – they mesh beautifully and have fun even while making love or in mortal danger.

For all the fun and games, this story does have its serious moments. This is a vampire story, so of course there will be blood and violence, and those scenes are not especially pretty. The feelings of betrayal and hurt that both Luka and Chloe feel are so emotionally powerful that they are almost tangible to the reader.  I can honestly say that I was glued to this story the entire time I read it, and it was very difficult to put down for even a moment. Ms. Elsborg has a very entertaining writing style that appeals to the reader’s humor and the emotion, and I look forward to reading the subsequent story that features Luka’s older brother Alek.

--BD Whitney

Title: Year of the Cat

Author: Selah March
Author’s website:  http://selahmarch.com/
Publisher: Amber Quill Press – Amber Allure
Release Date: January 2009
ISBN: 9781602724600
Format: Electronic
Length: Novella
Genre: Fantasy - GLBT - BDSM
Sensuality Level: 4
Rating: 4 out of 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

As the youngest son of a wealthy landowner, the delicate Etienne LeFevre is considered worthless, stupid, and spoiled by his brutish older brothers. When the old man dies, Etienne knows that his brothers would rather kill him than keep him around, so he packs a few nonessentials and flees to the woods to hide. Following in his footsteps is a large housecat who is enchanted by Etienne’s beauty and who is determined to keep the young man safe.

This cat is not really an animal but is a man suffering from the enchantment of a witch – by day a cat; by night a man named Jacques. Over the years, his soul has been subsumed by the nature of the cat, and he has not a vestige of kindness in his body. He only has a calculating and selfish cruelty and anger. In exchange for keeping Etienne safe from his brothers and from his own foolish self (because the young man is beautiful to look at but not particularly intelligent), Jacques demands absolute submission and obedience. Over time, he teaches Etienne the joys of sexual humiliation and pain, and their relationship develops into one of love and fear.

Jacques cannot stand guard during the daytime, however, and eventually the older brothers track the young man down. Anxious for Etienne’s safety and determined to keep him alive at any cost, Jacques will need to make a decision that may devastate himself and betray his young lover. And so it is that the amoral cat and the weak-willed young man find themselves transformed by love.

Selah March’s Year of the Cat takes the fairytale Puss and Boots and stands it on its ear. This is not the children’s story that many of us grew up loving; this is a much darker tale filled with anger and violence. “Puss” is not a jolly housecat but is sadistic and feral and self-serving. He takes what he wants and only finds pleasure by inflicting pain and suffering. Etienne, who Jacques sets up to be the Marquis de Carabas, may be pretty, but he is also weak-willed and somewhat cowardly.

For all its dark overtones and BDSM theme, this is a very well-done and enjoyable story about love and the transforming nature of sacrifice made in the name of love. Ms. March has done a fantastic and clever job of weaving a fairytale out of Year of the Cat. The tone is very matter-of-fact and “once upon a time,” even though the subject matter is a little startling. This has a distinct feeling of being the dark counterpart to the Puss in Boots tale, and I was thrilled to be able to pick out similarities in plot between the two stories.

Throughout the story, Ms. March reminds us that Jacques, for all that he looks like a man, is actually a cat. This makes his cruelty and odd behavior acceptable, because it is simply in a cat’s nature to act this way. He can be summed up in this one line, which so tickled me that I have to quote it here: “Gentle reader, I give you our hero--a cursed, nameless soul with no purpose in life save the torment of unlucky songbirds and the regurgitation of the odd hairball.”

If you are a fan of the fairytale, I recommend that you give Year of the Cat a shot. It will give you a whole new outlook on Puss in Boots that has nothing to do with cartoon tabby cats who sound suspiciously like Antonio Banderas. Well done, Ms. March. I look forward to your next offering!

--BD Whitney   

Title: Sex, Lies, and Wedding Bells
Author: E. M. Lynley
Author’s website:  http://www.emlynley.com/
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Release Date: February 2009
ISBN: 9781607770947
Length: Novella
Format: Electronic
Genre: Contemporary - GLBT
Sensuality Level: 3
Rating: 4 out of 5

Reviewed by: BD Whitney

Kieran Quinn is a columnist for a slick New York literary weekly who makes a good living writing catty and condescending articles that amuse his sophisticated readers. He lives a self-indulgent lifestyle, picking up male models in bars for one-night stands, sleeping late, keeping his own schedule, but he is actually pretty lonely and would like to have a real relationship for a change. His latest assignment is sending him to the tiny town of Buckwheat in his native Texas to write an article about a “runaway bride” – a woman who has left three men at the alter already and who is now planning to tie the knot for the fourth time. Kieran’s assignment: find out what is going on and what makes groom number four different from all the others.

Groom number four is Jaxon Lang, the principal of the local high school. When Kieran first sees Jaxon, he is floored – this is without a doubt the most beautiful man Kieran has ever met. However, while Kieran is strongly attracted to him, Jaxon is completely in love with his fiancée and is determined that he will not be another groom left at the alter. Over the course of the week before the wedding, the men form a bond of friendship, and it is with dismay that Kieran realizes that he is falling in love with a man who is as straight as Kieran himself is gay. When Kieran uncovers the truth behind the bride’s past behavior, will Jaxon maintain his resolve to get married? And just as important, how will this affect Jaxon’s feelings toward Kieran? Kieran may have yearned for a soul mate in the past, but he had no idea that love could be so unexpected or so complicated.

Sex, Lies, and Wedding Bells by E. M. Lynley is a story of love and self-discovery that pairs up two completely disparate individuals: a smart-mouthed gay journalist and an arrow-straight small-town educator. Besides finding completely unexpected love together, these two affect a change in each other: Kieran has his eyes opened to the hurtful potential of the words he writes, and Jaxon realizes that perhaps the gender of the one you love is not as important as who that person is.

This is a well-written story that is populated with interesting and well-developed characters and that contains enough suspense to hook a reader in. Kieran is perhaps not an immediately sympathetic individual, but it is not long before we see that his veneer of self-confident charm hides a sympathetic core. We don’t get to know Jaxon quite as well, but his confusion over his developing attachment to Kieran renders him agreeable. Along with the interpersonal dynamics between these two, we are also drawn in to the story by the mystery that surrounds the bride. What is it about her that keeps her exes from feeling ill-will towards her? And when Kieran finds the truth, how much of it will he put into his article for his employer? He’s down in Texas to write a derisive story about the situation, not to try to shield anyone’s feelings.

Watching these two fall in love is incredibly sweet, and when Kieran and Jaxon finally have sex, the scenes are very sensual, and their mutual exploration is tender and caring. There is no doubt that these two are meant for each other and that they deserve a happy ending.

Readers looking for a love story that is not quite traditional but is nevertheless sweet may wish to give Sex, Lies, and Wedding Bells a shot. This might not be Pulizer Prize material, but reading it is a very pleasant use of time.

--BD Whitney