Archive for New Romance Books
Last Man Standing: Sweet End to a Great Series
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Title: Last Man Standing (Black Ops Inc.)
Author: Cindy Gerard
Pages: 368
Genre: Romantic Suspense
With Last Man Standing, Cindy Gerard brings to a close her beloved Black Ops Inc. (BOI) series that has spanned seven books, and started with Show No Mercy in 2008. It seems strangely appropriate to end the BOI series with “Mean” Joe Green’s story. Joe’s been a side character in many of the books, and the quietly enigmatic man has caught the attention of many fans.
Since early in the series, we’ve been working up to finding out who was responsible for Bryan’s death, and it’s great that all the loose ends are tied up in Last Man Standing. A team-mate to the BOI guys, a close friend of Joe’s, and Stephanie’s brother, Bryan was killed in Sierra Leone years ago, but it’s only in this book that that mystery is finally solved.
Joe finally has a lead on who the culprit is, and decides to go off to Sierra Leone on his own to investigate. Not wanting to drag his team-mates down, he goes rogue from BOI. He then breaks up with Stephanie just before he leaves, in a bid to protect her. But alas, the best laid plans will go awry, and Joe is captured and imprisoned for a murder that he did not commit. A month after Joe’s imprisonment, Stephanie catches wind of Joe’s predicament. Unfortunately, none of the BOI team are available to mount a rescue, so the NSA analyst with little field experience throw caution to the wind, and flies out to Africa, where she’s able (with a little help from some friends) to mount an escape and rescue the much-diminished Joe and bring him back home.
It’s very clear from the beginning of the book who the villain is, so the suspense is mostly in seeing Joe and Stephanie stay ahead of his evil machinations. The villain’s ultimate aim is to assume a very important post in the Administration in order to protect is financial interests in Sierra Leone, and he’ll stop at nothing to achieve his goal. When he discovers that gunning for Joe and Stephanie didn’t work, he turns his attention to Stephanie’s parents, and it’s up to our hero and heroine to save the day, as well as prevent the villain from becoming a powerful player in national security.
For someone who’s been following the BOI series for years, this was a very satisfying book. I loved that we finally get to see so much more of Joe, who is the quintessential strong and silent hero who is gentled by the right woman. (I did however think he was a bit too hard-headed when it came to wanting to go off and save the world all by himself…)
I particularly liked that Stephanie was such a kick-ass heroine – despite her lack of experience. It’s so rare to see the heroine come riding to the rescue – and she really does do that for Joe, since during the escape from Sierra Leone, he can hardly move, and it’s all down to her. The way she handled his ego at not being able to care for himself was truly precious.
I suppose I might have enjoyed it a little more if the other guys and gals from BOI had been a little bit more involved in the story, but it was enough that everyone turned up at the end, full of glad tidings, and many offspring – a sweet ending to a riveting series.
It’s sad to see the series end, but all is not lost for Gerard fans. We’re introduced to Mike and Ty, two extremely charming pilots, and I have it on good authority that these two will be starring in their own spin-off series. I can’t wait!
In the Spotlight: The Men of Defiance Series by Elaine Levine
Posted by: | CommentsIn Part 2 in our series on Elaine Levine, our romance book author of the month for March, we’re turning the spotlight on the books in Elaine’s Men of Defiance series.
Elaine’s fourth and latest book in the Men of Defiance series, Logan’s Outlaw, came out on March 6, and is an exceedingly worthy addition. If you’re a fan of western romances, you’re bound to love Elaine’s books and the Men of Defiance series! To find out more about Elaine, check out her website, or come back next week to read our exclusive interview with Elaine, where she talks more about Logan’s Outlaw, and shares her views on why Colorado’s such a wonderful place to live.
Book 1: Rachel and the Hired Gun
When Rachel Douglas left her aunt’s house in Virginia for the wilds of the Dakota Territory, she knew the journey would be long and arduous. But she didn’t realize that she had been summoned west to be used as a pawn in a ranch war with her father’s neighbor–or that her fierce, sudden attraction to Sager, her father’s hired gun, would put her heart and her life in jeopardy.
Seducing Rachel and feeding a bitter feud between the two ranches was Sager’s plan of vengeance against those who slaughtered his Shoshone family. Instead, Rachel’s guileless mix of courage and vulnerability touches the conscience he thought he’d buried long ago, and draws them both into a passion without rules, without limits–one that will change their destinies forever…
Book 2: Audrey and the Maverick
Virginia financier Julian McCaid has put his troubled past behind him. His plans for the future don’t include Audrey Sheridan, the extraordinary frontier woman he met just once. But it’s because of her that he’s come to the Dakota Territory to investigate problems at his ranch. And it’s all the more surprising when he discovers she isn’t the innocent he believed. Now nothing but her complete surrender will purge her from his soul.
If it weren’t for the children she cares for in her makeshift orphanage, Audrey would have left Defiance long ago. Now the sheriff is blackmailing her to distract the man who might derail his corrupt schemes–a man who can offer Audrey not just protection, but a passion bold enough to make them claim their place in this harsh and beautiful land. . .
Book 3: Leah and the Bounty Hunter
To Leah Morgan’s mind, the last thing her hometown of Defiance needs is another gunman stalking its dusty streets-especially one as sweet-talking and fine-looking as Jace Gage. Despite her warnings, the infuriating man seems determined to meddle in her life and risk his own, all for a town that can’t be saved and a heart she locked away long ago.
Professional bounty hunter Jace Gage has cleaned up plenty of corrupt towns in his lifetime, and he knows he can handle whatever Defiance’s thugs have to offer. But the town’s most lawful citizen is another story. Beautiful, willful and exasperating at every turn, Leah is the one person capable of bringing the ruthless gunslinger to his knees-and capturing his desire with a single kiss…
Book 4: Logan’s Outlaw
Sarah Hawkins survived capture by the Sioux, but after her escape she faced public scorn. Now, she’ll do anything to start over, and the dusty town of Defiance promises the anonymity and security she needs. Before she melts into the shadows, though, it’s her mission to put a great injustice to rights, and that means jeopardizing her safety once more.
But this time, she’s not alone. Without meaning to, Sarah has fallen under the protection of Logan Taggert, a rough-and-tumble trader unused to caring for others–and yet unable to ignore the tempting, tenacious woman’s plight. Though she refuses to trust him, Logan won’t leave her side, keeping her one step ahead of danger. . .even as she takes hold of the very thing he never thought he’d risk: his heart.
A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing by Terry Spear
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Title: A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing
Author: Terry Spear
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Terry Spear mixes two of the hottest categories of hero in her latest book to good effect. Our hero, Finn Emerson, is not just a Navy SEAL, but also an alpha wolf. When Finn’s team-mate, Hunter, also an alpha wolf, goes off on his honeymoon, he leaves his sister Meara in charge of the pack. Meara’s thrilled – two weeks away from her overprotective brother is just the time she needs to find a mate of her own. But she doesn’t expect Finn to show up with the news that she’s in danger from a mysterious assassin… and she certainly doesn’t expect Finn to entrench himself in her life as her personal bodyguard, thereby upsetting her plans to find a mate. It doesn’t help that Finn’s ridiculously attractive. Meara knows what she doesn’t want in a mate – and that’s a SEAL. Even if he’s a SEAL as hot as Finn. Finn too is resisting his attraction to Meara – he knows Hunter doesn’t want her mating a SEAL, and he’s never mess things up with his team-mate. It’s not long before Finn and Meara have to go on the run from the mysterious assassins that are out to get them, and the two have to struggle to keep their hands off each other
Run from Fear: Not Quite as Good as the Earlier Books
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Title: Run from Fear
Author: Jami Alden
Pages: 464
Genre: Romantic Suspense
I wrote just last week about Beg for Mercy, and how much I was looking forward to Run from Fear. Now that I’ve read, it, I thought I’d share my thoughts about it with you here on Best Romance Stories.
There’s no real easy way for me to say this, so I’ll just come straight out with it. I was disappointed with Run from Fear. It wasn’t a bad book – in fact, it was a better book than many I’ve read. But it just didn’t have the dash and pizazz of Beg for Mercy andHide from Evil, the first two books in the series.
Run from Fear is about Talia Vega, who first made an appearance in Beg for Mercy. At the end of that book, she’s in a bad way. She was tortured to within an inch of her life by a serial killer, but was saved by Jack Brooks, who at the time was the Head of Security at the club where she worked. When Run from Fear opens some two years afterward, she’s finally recovered (at least physically). She’s moved from Seattle to Palo Alto with her younger sister where she’s working as a bartender while her sister attends Stanford. She hasn’t seen Jack for years, but not long after he turns up, she starts to receive little gifts that bring back horrible memories of her old life in Seattle, and her earlier horrific attack by the serial killer. It takes the rest of the book for us to discover who is stalking her, and for Jack to repeatedly come to Talia’s rescue (despite her best efforts to push him away).
The plot was pretty generic to romantic suspense novels. It was fine, but felt a bit flat and failed to hold my interest – probably because it was fairly clear right from the start who the villain was. Despite my best efforts to like her, I was also constantly annoyed by Talia. She’s strong, she’s rebuilding her life, and she’s determined. All good qualities, but she takes things to the extreme, pushing people away, and acting incredibly paranoid. Yes, – she’s had a bad experience in the past, and wants to assert her independence. I get that. But there’s a point when the need to assert independence becomes foolhardy, and she crossed that line several times, thereby necessitating last-minute interventions by the very put-upon Jack. Speaking of Jack, I thought he was the saving grace of this book. The long-suffering former Green Beret has mad fighting skills, has been pining for Talia for two years, and is willing to put everything on the line for Talia. Incidentally, Jack works for Gemini Security, which allows Alden to tie this trilogy up with The Gemini Men, another series of books that she’s written.
If you’ve read the first two books in the series, you’ll want to read this one to see what happens. Who knows, you might like it more than I did. If you haven’t read the first two books, I’d suggest starting with those instead. Alden really is an excellent writer who knows how to do romantic suspense, and Run from Fear just isn’t her at her best.
King of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab
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Title: King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn, Book 1)
Author: Elisabeth Staab
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal Romance
King of Darkness is the first book in a new paranormal series by Elisabeth Staab called the Chronicles of Yavn. The vampire series starts with the story of the new King of Vampires, Thad Morgan. He’s got his work cut out for him. He needs to find his mate so he can unlock his powers, all while beating off enemies, and challenges to his authority. It doesn’t help that his mate, Isabel Anthony, is something of a party girl. She loves the nightlife, and hangs out in clubs, happy to pretend to be a human – even if she is a vampire, albeit one with very weak powers. She’s much rather carry on partying, than rule at Thad’s side. Thad has his work cut out for him trying to convince Isabel that they’re meant to be together, all while the vampires sworn enemies (wizards who kill vampires in order to steal their powers) swirl around. Staab also has multiple plots and couples featured in the book, introducing characters for future installments in the series. This can be distracting, and will take a bit of concentration – hopefully this will settle down in the next few books
Excerpt from “Blame it on Bath” – Plus Giveaway!
Posted by: | CommentsAs you know, o
ur Romance Author of the Month for February is none other than the lovely Caroline Linden. If you’ve read our interview with Caroline, and our article spotlighting her The Truth About the Duke series, you’ll know that Caroline has a new book out today, Feb 28!
Blame it on Bath, the third book in The Truth About the Duke series features Gerard, the youngest de Lacey brother. He’s a military man with a penchant for acting quickly and directly. He’s got his mind set on finding the man who’s blackmailing his family, but he’s also hedging his bets. With his inheritance and noble status in the balance, Gerard is covering all his bases, and knows that marrying a wealthy bride will make sure he lands on his feet – even if the worst happens in his quest to hunt down the scoundrel who unearthed the skeleton’s in the de Lacey closet. Gerard has hardly put his plan to find a suitable wife into action, when he’s surprised by an unsolicited offer of marriage from a wealthy widow.
Katherine Howe is determined not to have a repeat of her first dreary marriage. Pressured to marry her late husband’s heir, Katherine decides to take matters into her own hands, and find a suitable husband of her own. The handsome and charming Gerard is a perfect match, and with scandal looming over the horizon for the prospective groom, she knows it’s an offer that he can’t refuse. After all, she needs a husband, and he needs her money. Add in the little detail that Kathrine’s had a crush on Gerard, and it’s the perfect start for a marriage!
Here at Best Romance Stories,we’re delighted to be able to share an excerpt from Blame it on Bath specially chosen for you by Caroline herself. It’s a wonderful scene where Gerard and Katherine meet for the first time.
Like what you’re reading? Purchase your copy of the book today… or scroll down to find out how you can get a free copy of Blame it on Bath in our special giveaway!
He must have passed inspection. More amused than anything else, he decided to stay and see what she had to ask of him. He took the seat she gestured to, in front of the fire, and she finally came forward to take the opposite chair. The old woman fluttered around the back of the room before bringing two glasses of wine. Gerard waved her off, and she shot him a disapproving look but set the glass on the table beside him. His companion took a small sip of her wine and handed it back to her servant—he couldn’t believe the old woman was anything else from the way she hovered so solicitously at the younger lady’s elbow—who retired to the back of the room.
“Your maid wouldn’t tell me your name, yet she made certain of who I was,” Gerard said. “I don’t like being toyed with, so let’s dispense with the mystery, shall we?”
“My name is Katherine Howe,” she said. “I don’t expect you to know it.”
“Or remember it after tonight, apparently.”
She looked at him oddly, almost as if she didn’t understand what he said. “I know of your family—I was raised near Lastings in Sussex. Then I was Katherine Hollenbrook. My father was Mr. Edgar Hollenbrook of Henfield. He was a wool merchant.”
He tilted his head and studied her more minutely. She had the air of a judge contemplating sentencing him to hard labor, grave and reserved and so very stiff in her chair. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize the name. I’ve not been in Henfield these last five years or more.”
“I don’t expect you to recognize it. I tell you merely to assure you that I’m familiar with your situation and am not acting capriciously. My family knew of yours—your father in particular. I decided to approach you when I heard the recent rumors in London.”
Gerard’s temper stirred. “Well, if you’ve come to stir up trouble in that regard, you’ll have to join the queue,” he drawled. “And I think that ends our conversation.” He started to get to his feet.
“Wait.” She held up her hand. “I haven’t finished.”
“Yes, I think you have.” He started walking toward the door.
“I came to make you a proposition,” she said in a rush as his hand closed on the doorknob. “One that will suit both our needs.”
He turned and flashed a disdainful smirk at her. How dare she come try to take advantage of his family’s troubles? “Unless you want to come upstairs and warm my bed for the night, I can’t think of anything you could offer me to suit my needs.”
Her jaw firmed. Her glare was withering. If she’d had a switch, she probably would have blistered his palm with it. “I came to propose a marriage, Captain,” she said coldly.
Giveaway!
Here’s a chance to win a copy of Caroline’s newest book, Blame it on Bath. Caroline’s giving away a copy of her book to one lucky commenter on this post. To enter, simply comment on this guest post and let us know what you love most about Regency romances (like those in The Truth About the Duke series).
The contest ends Tuesday, March 6, at midnight (EST) and the winner will be randomly chosen the next day using the Random Integer Generator software program, and the winner announced soon after.
Open to: US residents only please.
Good luck!
Locked and Loaded: Needs More Romance, Less Suspense
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Title: Locked and Loaded (The Men of Delta Force Series)
Author: Alexis Grant
Pages: 288
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Locked and Loaded is the second book in Grant’s The Men of Delta Force series. (Alexis Grant is the nom de plume of late author L.A. Banks.) I’m usually a sucker for military romances. I was captivated by the blurb, and and had this book on my Wishlist for a few months. When I finally read it though, I was a tad disappointed.
Sage Warner is a plucky DEA agent who’s gone deep undercover as the mistress of Roberto Salazar, a major Miami drug lord. She’s got a personal vendetta against Salazar, and she’s willing to do just about anything to bring him down. But there’s an inter-agency mix-up, and a team of soldiers from Delta led by Captain Anthony Davis raid Salazar’s home, jeopardizing Sage’s mission. Sage is incensed at Davis, and at having to work with other agencies, but finds herself attracted to the military officer. Davis, who initially has no idea that Sage is an undercover officer, also finds himself drawn to his erstwhile partner. The two work together to come up with a plan that allows Sage to retain her cover, while also allowing Davis to get into the Salazar organization.
Perhaps one of the difficulties with the book is that I found it very difficult to relate to either Sage or Davis, and I really didn’t feel convinced that they made a good couple. Both seem to be very closed off – possibly because of the nature of their jobs – and both seem always to be running around trying to do their jobs. That’s probably more realistic than having them run around with each other, but hey, this is a romance right? As it was, there were are really very few scenes in which the two of them interact, and those are mostly steamy physical encounters.
Without much in terms of relationship development, most of the book had to be carried by the suspense plot, which I found overly convoluted involving two drug dealers, some terrorists, a Russian arms dealer, possible nuclear weapons. I got lost along the way, and didn’t care enough to go back and re-read sections to see if I got it right.I wanted to like this book. I really did. But for some strange reason, this book just didn’t work for me, and I found my interest flagging a few chapters into the book. I made it to the end because I was stuck on a plane and I’d read all the other books on my Kindle, but it was a long hard slog.
