Archive for Contemporary Romance
Stuck with You by Trish Jensen
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Title: Stuck with You
Author: Trish Jensen
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Paige Hart lives in Macon, Georgia. She’s the only lawyer in her large family, and the only one who they can trust when they have legal troubles… she’s had to help out quite a few relatives already. When her cousin asks for her help in handling a messy divorce, Paige just can’t say no – even if she’s actually a tax attorney. She finds herself pitted against Ross Bennett. He’s one of the best divorce attorneys in Macon, and Paige has heard he’s ruthless and slick, and she nicknames him “the Snake”. In reality, he’s not such a bad guy, doing lots of pro bono work. The two lawyers find themselves pitted against each other in the divorce case, but before you can say “alimony”, they’re caught in an explosion at the courthouse. Paige and Ross are transported to the hospital in an ambulance that was carrying a virus (nicknamed “the love bug”) and end up having to be quarantined in the hospital for two weeks while the doctors figure out if they’ve been infected and affected by “the love bug”. The feelings between the two heat up over their fourteen days together, but they put it down to the virus… how long will it take until they realize it’s true love?
Nicholas Sparks’ The Lucky One in Cinemas This Week!
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The Lucky One, a movie based on Nicholas Sparks’ book of the same name, will be hitting theaters tomorrow. Starring a grown-up Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling, the movie (like the book) is a sweet love story that will have you tearing up as the couple move inevitably toward their happy ever after.
US Marine First Sergeant Logan Thibault is an experienced veteran who’s survived three tours of duty in Iraq. He credits a photo he found one morning as the lucky charm that keeps him safe during his time in the Middle East. The photo is of a woman he doesn’t know, and he makes a promise to himself that when he returns Stateside, he’ll find the woman in the photo and thank her for saving his life. Logan does make it home, and when he does, he embarks on a new mission, one that involves him walking from Colorado to Hampton, North Carolina, with his trusty dog, Zeus. Logan is determined to find the woman in the photo.
By coincidence, he takes a job at a dog training facility where he finds that the mystery woman is none other than single mother Beth Green, the granddaughter of the facility’s owner. Naturally a romance develops between the two, and after overcoming a number of obstacles (including the big reveal when Logan finally tells Beth why he really came to Hampton) and Beth’s difficult ex, everything slides into place for a sweet and satisfying ending.
The Lucky One is the seventh Nicholas Sparks book to be made into a film. Other books that have been made into a film include:
Message in a Bottle
A Walk to Remember
The Notebook
Nights in Rodanthe
Dear John
The Last Song
All have been successful, and The Lucky One too, is likely to do amazingly well, thanks in part to its stars, as well as the innate popularity of Sparks’ books. Indeed movies based on Sparks’ books have launched the careers of a number of young actors, including Ryan Gosling, Channing Tatum and Liam Hemsworth. It should boost Efron’s career as well.
Fans of the books may not think that Efron makes a believable Marine. If that’s the case, it won’t be for want of Efron’s trying. The Efron in The Lucky One is far removed from the boy we’re familiar with from High School Musical. Efron buzzed off his gorgeous locks of hair, grew out some stubble, and worked out 2 to 4 hours a day with a retired Marine, put on 20 pounds of muscle. The result is a believable reserved young Marine who’s seen action in a hot zone.
The Lucky One opens on April 20. Check out the movie trailer, or better yet, get the book before you see the movie:
The Witness: Nora Roberts’ 200th Novel!
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Now available!
If you’re a lover of romance novels, then you must know Eleanor Marie Robertson. What’s that? Never heard of her? Oh silly me. You’ll probably know her better as Nora Roberts, or as J.D. Robb, the pen-name that she uses for her “In Death” series.
Nora Roberts was the first author to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. Her first book was published some 31 years ago in 1980, and her latest book, The Witness, is her 200th. (For trivia lovers out there, her 100th book was Montana Sky.) 200 is an amazing number… I’m reliably told that James Patterson has only written 93 (and there’ve been complaints about the quality of the more recent books at that) and Danielle Steele only 84.
Let’s do the Math. Assuming that she’s been writing for 31 years, that works out to just under 7 books a year. Clearly Roberts has to be extremely disciplined to be so prolific… and in fact she is. According to reports, Roberts labors over one book at a time, and writes eight hours a day, every day, even while on vacation. And it’s not as if Roberts books are cookie-cutter replicas of each other. Roberts’ books remain consistently high-quality, with plots and characters that are unique and original.
Nora Roberts and Dogs (www.noraroberts.com)
Roberts wasn’t always a writer, but at the age of 29, while stuck at home with her two young sons in the middle of a snowstorm, Roberts suddenly realized that writing was her calling. The next year, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred came out. Today, Roberts’ books are a shoo-in for the bestsellers lists, and there are more than 400 million copies of her books in print. Some of her most popular books have been made in movies for the Lifetime channel, and all over the world, fans gush about her latest works.
Speaking of her latest work, The Witness (now available for purchase) is a contemporary romantic suspense. The heroine, Abigail Lowery, lives just outside a small town in the Ozards. She’s a freelance programmer who designs security systems, and who’s strangely wary of people around her. In fact, Brooks Gleason town’s police chief is intrigued by the unusual amount of attention she pays to her personal security – she has a dog who’ll protect her, and firearms for those who aren’t scared off by the dog. He’s even further intrigued by how little she reveals about herself, and how cynical she is about love. He’s convinced she needs protection – even if he doesn’t know what she needs to be protected from. Whatever it is, Brooks thinks that he’s clearly the one for the job.
No doubt, The Witness will be yet winner for the legions of Nora Roberts fans, who’ll continue to support her until she puts out her 300th novel. The energetic 61-year-old Roberts continues to churn out books at an amazing rate. Based on her current rate of output, that should happen sometime around 2032, when Roberts is in her 80s.
Lady Luck: My First Kristen Ashley Romance
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Title: Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain Series)
Author: Kristen Ashley
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Romantic Suspense
I’ve been getting lots of recommendations to read something by Kristen Ashley. Last evening, I finally caved, and tried Lady Luck. So what did I think? I know there are lots of fans out there, but to be honest, I thought it was kind of meh.
Lady Luck brings together Ty Walker and Lexie Berry. Ty’s been in prison for the last five years, sent down for a crime that he didn’t commit. In the five years inside, he’s thought only of vengeance against the men who framed him. When the book opens, Lexie’s waiting outside prison to pick up Ty. She’s there because a sleazy friend of her dead boyfriend called in a marker, and doesn’t know the first thing about Ty, or that his plan involves the two of them getting married and living as man and wife. Ty can’t believe his eyes when he see classy, sexy Lexie… but he doesn’t want to drag her down in his thirst for revenge, so he tries to keep it purely professional between them. Lexie’s had a tough life, but things seem to be looking up when she meets Ty, and they fall in love – in spite of themselves. But the couple will have to learn to trust each other so that they can battle corrupt cops and scheming cons before they have a chance at love and a happy life.
I can’t say that I was blown away by the plot, characters, or writing in this book. The plot wasn’t bad, even if it was somewhat predictable. Corrupt cops frame innocent man? Definitely seen that in a other romances. The writing was acceptable, though the detailed descriptions became a bit tedious after a while. I mean, I really don’t need to know every piece of furniture in Ty’s house, or be told exactly what Lexie’s wearing every day. Perhaps the redeeming quality was the characters, who were richly sketched, and nicely three-dimensional – even the supporting characters. One thing that really startled me was the dialogue. I’m no prude, but the language in all the conversations were very heavily (and in my view, unnecessarily) laden with expletives.
Perhaps it’s because it’s the third book in the Colorado Mountain Series, but I thought I was missing a lot of backstory, and therefore found the book somewhat disjointed and convoluted. Still, after a rough start, I confess I found myself drawn into Lexie and Ty’s story, and rooting for the hero and heroine. I can’t say that I loved the book… but I am willing to give another Kristen Ashley book a try. Maybe this time I’ll start with the first book in a series… and skip some of the descriptions.
About that Night: Charming Contemporary Romance
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Title: About that Night
Author: Julie James
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Romance
If you read my earlier blog post There’s Something About “Something About You”, you’ll already know that I’m a big fan of Julie James. About that Night is James’ third and latest addition to her FBI/US Attorney series, and it is, if anything, even better than Something About You and its successor A Lot Like Love.
If you’ve read A Lot Like Love, you won’t be a stranger to Kyle “The Twitter Terrorist” Rhodes, who made an appearance as a supporting character in that book. Kyle gets his own book with About that Night. Kyle and our heroine, Rylann Pierce, first met nine years ago at a college bar. Sparks flew, and there was some harmless flirtation and scintillating conversation. Kyle ended up walking Rylann home, and asking her out on a date the next day. Unfortunately, the date doesn’t take place due to a tragedy in Kyle’s family, and although Rylann is disappointed, she understands… but she’s never forgotten Kyle.
Nine years later, Kyle and Rylann meet again under somewhat inauspicious circumstances. Rylann’s moving home to Chicago to escape a failed relationship, and to take up a position as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA). Rylann’s boss (Cameron Lynde, see Something About You) decides to give her a nice easy case to get her feet wet, and sends her to deal with the Twitter Terrorist (a.k.a. Kyle). Kyle, the son of a billionaire, and a top executive at his father’s IT firm, had it all going for him, until he was dumped on Twitter by his model girlfriend… which led to the chain of events that gave him his unfortunate moniker. In one night of drunken stupidity, Kyle hacked into Twitter and took the site down for two days – earning the ire of Twitter users around the world, and worse still, the FBI. Once Kyle sobered up, he turned himself in, and was sentenced to 18 months at a maximum security prison. It’s a harsh sentence, but then the previous US Attorney wanted to make an example of Kyle. Fortunately, Kyle’s twin sister Jordan negotiated a reduction of his sentence to time served (see A Lot Like Love), and all Rylann has to do is to make sure the arrangement is approved by a Judge.
Of course Kyle is sucker punched when Rylann shows up in court – he’s never forgotten her. And when Rylann approaches for help on another case where he could be the star witness in a case against a corrupt law enforcement officer, Kyle finds it hard to say no, despite the antipathy he feels for Rylann’s office. More time together equals more sparks than nine years ago, but Rylann’s fighting the attraction tooth and nail – because well, Kyle’s her witness… and an ex-con bad boy!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading About that Night. It was full of awesome witty dialogue (why don’t I ever think of such clever things to say) and funny scenes. (Look out for the line about the cactus in Tijuana!) James has a real talent for writing laugh-out-loud lines, and I found myself smiling all evening and giggling uncontrollably periodically. James has also created a wonderful hero in Kyle. It would have been easy to portray him as a two-dimensional rich kid who accidentally falls foul of the law. But James instead creates a complex hero. Kyle is a brilliant IT geek, wealthy but down-to-earth, and willing to take responsibility for his actions. He’s also a good son and brother, a charismatic CEO and successful executive… and definitely a romantic and accomplished lover. (Kyle’s idea for his and Rylann’s first date… swoon.) Oh and did I mention that he looks like Sawyer from Lost?
If you’ve read any of James’ books, run out and get About that Night – it’s the best one she’s written. If you haven’t read any of James’ books, you don’t know what you’re missing out on… Give About that Night a try and I know you’ll fall in love with her writing!
Destiny by Carly Phillips
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Title: Destiny (Serendipity Book 2)
Author: Carly Phillips
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Destiny is Book 2 in Carly Phillips series about the town of Serendipity and the Barron brothers. (See my earlier review of the first book, titled Serendipity.) Against the odds, Ethan Barron and Faith Harrington have fallen in love, and are getting married. Nash, Ethan’s brother, still hasn’t forgiven Ethan from running away ten years ago and abandoning Nash and Dare to foster care. Still, Ethan’s done his best to mend fences, and the least Nash can do is attend the wedding… even if it means seeing Kelly Moss. Kelly’s mother had an affair with Nash’s father years ago, and Tess was the result. Kelly had been trying her best to care for Tess, but with Tess becoming increasingly fractious, she decided that some male influence (in the form of the Barron brothers) was needed. Kelly’s always put Tess’ needs before her own, moving to Serendipity for Tess. Kelly’s attracted to strait-laced lawyer Nash, but won’t act on it because that could cause problems for Tess – and needless to say, Nash is also fighting his attraction to Kelly. Will the two be able to bridge their differences to fulfill their destiny?
In the Spotlight: Masters of the Shadowlands Series by Cherise Sinclair
Posted by: | CommentsWith the success of the Fifty Shades of Grey series, I’m hoping that romance books with a dash of erotica will become a lot more mainstream, and that some really fabulous authors will start to get more exposure. One of my favorite erotica writers (like E.L. James), who also writes romance books with a BDSM flavor, is Cherise Sinclair. Cherise’s “Masters of the Shadowlands” series boast books with the perfect mix of romance, bondage, steamy love scenes, and some suspense. And yes, the heroes are pretty darn perfect too! Check out the books in the Masters in the Shadowlands books below!
Book 1: Club Shadowlands
When Jessica Randall’s car breaks down on an isolated road, she trudges out into the tropical storm, and stops at the closest house to seek shelter and assistance. Little does she know that she’s stumbled upon Club Shadowlands, a private members-only bondage club. Completely new to bondage and BDSM, she’s initially appalled that any woman (or man) would wants to submit to a Dom. But she’s also unexpectedly turned on by what she sees, and starts to wonder if she — an intelligent professional with an excellent career as an accountant — might be a submissive. When Jessica meets Master Z, the owner of the Shadowlands, he can tell at a glance that she’s intrigued by what she’s seeing, and fascinated by the prospect of submitting to him… and the sparks between the two fly.
Book 2: Dark Citadel
School teacher Kari has always been intrigued by bondage, but has an awful experience with her date at Beginner’s Night at Club Shadowlands. After a rough start, she’s more than ready to throw in the towel, but is given a second chance to continue learning more under Master Dan, a Dominant with many years of experience. Kari only wanted to observe, but under Dan’s firm hand, she realizes the joys of BDSM, and finds herself falling for him. But Dan’s still recovering from the death of his wife, and isn’t ready for a relationship. He plays with subs at the Club, but never spends more than a night with each… until he meets Kari, and she helps him to start loving again.
Book 3: Breaking Free
Beth’s hiding from a sadistic husband who left her scarred and broken. She’s always known she’s a submissive, and can only really feel pleasure when she’s with a powerful Dom – and it’s for that reason that she joined Club Shadowlands. But her past experience makes her fearful of powerful Masters, and after several failed sessions at Club Shadowlands with inexperienced Doms, Master Z gives her an ultimatum – submit to the Dom that he chooses for her, or leave the club forever. When Master Nolan takes Beth on, he empathizes with her fear, but won’t let her get away with not submitting. The experienced Dominant begins to teach her that not all men are like her husband, and that her submission can bring pleasure, and not pain.. until their budding relationship is interrupted when Beth’s husband finally manages to find her.
Book 4: Lean on Me
Andrea is a strong, physically-imposing woman who’s wants to submit – she won’t submit to just any Dom. It has to be someone who’s tough – even tougher than the guys in the slums where she grew up. When a friend manages to get her a spot as a trainee at Club Shadowlands, Andrea is at once terrified and excited. Master Cullen is none too pleased with being arm-twisted into accepting Andrea on his training program. She dresses like a Domme, and is pricklier than cactus. But as Cullen glimpses the vulnerable woman beneath Andrea’s tough exterior, Cullen begins to fall in love with her. But when Andrea discovers that Cullen is a cop, she believes that their relationship is doomed to failure because of her murky past – and that’s before Andrea’s accused of stealing from a fellow Shadowlands trainee!
Book 5: Make Me, Sir
Bratty subs are being kidnapped at BDSM clubs across the country. When Gaby’s friend falls victim to the kidnappers, the FBI victim specialist volunteers to go undercover at Club Shadowlands to act as bait. All she has to do is act bratty… and sass stuffy Master Marcus, who oversees the trainees at the Club. Marcus is none too pleased at having Gaby foisted on him. He can’t stand disobedient submissives – they remind him of his ex-wife. But as he gets to know Gaby, he’s intrigued by her… and puzzled by her odd behavior. He can’t figure out why she’s sweetly submissive when she’s alone with im, then deliberately bratty in public. He finally realizes that Gaby’s bait, but it’s too late and Marcus and Gaby get caught up in the murky world of human trafficking.
Book 6: To Command and Collar
You can also view the entire Masters of the Shadowlands erotica book series at Amazon.
For your convenience I put them in a list
