Tis The Season to be Sinful-Adrienne Basso

Tis The Season to be Sinful

Adrienne Basso

Zebra, Oct 4 2011, $6.99

ISBN: 9781420111910

 

In 1858 England, American businessman Richard Harper arrives at Highgrove Manor to buy the place.  He explains to widow Juliet Wentworth, mother of three young children he needs it for a short time.  He offers her a deal she cannot refuse since this enable her and her family to no longer remain impoverished as they are now since her brother-in-law Hastings gives them very little money.  Juliet tells her sons she sold the estate.  Hastings yells at Juliet that as co-guardian he will not allow the sale to occur.  Richard tells Juliet her joking comment when they met is the answer.  Thus they agree to a marriage of convenience with Richard’s stipulation being no future kids and her point that the estate belongs to Edgar. 

 

He meets the kids and knows Edgar is hostile; James is curious; and Lizzie is guileless.  After they marry, they make love.  He asks her to redesign the house as he leaves on extended business.  While he is away they exchange letters in which he begins to open up and trust her opinion.  As the married couple falls in love and his new sons prank him, he wins over the children when he defends them at the cost of a business deal.

 

The lead male is a refreshing character as he is all business even in marriage until he falls in love.  His stand re his stepsons vs. a business partner is terrific.  The secondary cast including the nice late first husband enhances the story line.  Although the odious brother-in-law is the negative matchmaker, he vanishes from the story line.  Still in spite of no major villain and muted conflict, this is an entertaining Victorian romance.

 

Harriet Klausner

Knight Everlasting-Jackie Ivie

Knight Everlasting

Jackie Ivie

Zebra, Oct 4 2011, $6.99

ISBN: 9781420108859

 

In 1297, during combat, Highlander laird Aidan MacKetryck rescues English Lady Juliana D’Aubenville from the battlefield.  She conceals her identity from her savior out of fear because her family is under a deadly assault from an unknown vicious adversary.  Instead Juliana asks Aidan to let her go, but he refuses to comply with her request.

 

Aidan, who was cursed at birth, vows to uncovers her secret and make the enigmatic female his.  She has escaped captivity before and plots to do so again.  However, she unprepared for his need to keep her safe while she also feels a necessity to cover his back as he has traitors within his clan plotting to replace their laird as leader.

 

The latest Knight medieval romance (see Tender Is the Knight and Lady of the Knight) is a wonderful late thirteenth century tale.  She is the Houdini of the era while his superstitions enhance the entertaining story line with a refreshing lead.  Although the tale starts slowly after the first encounter in which the couple arguing over whether he saved her life or nearly killed her, the pace accelerates as readers will enjoy the gender war between two cursed souls.

 

Harriet Klausner

Seduced by Grace-Jennifer Blake

Seduced by Grace

Jennifer Blake

Mira, Sep 27 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780778312659

 

In 1497 King Henry VII of England arranges for Lady Marguerite Milton, the youngest of the Three Graces of Graydon sisters (see By Grace Possessed and By His majesty’s Grace), to marry Lord Halliwell.  As her fiancé’s man Sir John and his paltry guard escort her, the Golden Knight abducts her.

 

Ten years ago, Marguerite’s beloved David left her vowing to return one day to marry her.  He is her abductee who in spite of his love and attraction remains steadfast to his pledge of abstinence to her chagrin and frustration.  However, they soon learn they are expendable pawns in the monarchs plot to expose York conspirators.

 

The final Graces medieval romance is an engaging historical that combines love, honor and intrigue into an exhilarating thriller.  The lead couple is a delightful second chance if they survive the machinations of the king and his rivals.  Jennifer Blake is three for three as she provides another charming fascinating late fifteenth century tale.

 

Harriet Klausner

If I Die-Rachel Vincent

If I Die

Rachel Vincent

Harlequin Teen, Sep 27 2011, $9.99

ISBN: 9780373210329

 

Following the sudden death of math teacher Mr. Wesner, Eastlake hires Mr. Beck to replace him.  He is gorgeous and even his handwriting on the board is gorgeous.  All the girls are attracted to the hunk with many coming to school early and staying late just to see him.  The only two females not attracted to Mr. Beck are rivals for the heart of Nash the banshee, Kaylee the banshee screamer of death and Sabine the Mara bringer of nightmares. 

 

They realize why Mr. Beck is the fantasy of their female classmates; as he is an incubus whose sustenance is absorbing the desires of humans.  Kaylee and Mara believe that if Mr. Beck learns they know his secret, he will come after them.  As her current life span draws closer to her final soul scream for herself, Kaylee teams up with her adversary Mara to rescue the females of Eastlake from the handsomest male at school.  However, the incubus is more diabolical than Kaylee imagined as he forces her to do his bidding even if it means harming her relationship with Nash to save her friends’ souls.

 

The latest Soul Screamers urban teen fantasy (see My Soul to Keep and My Soul to Save) is an entertaining entry as Kaylee struggles to balance her teen life at school and at home with saving the lives of her schoolmates from the clever incubus.  Young adult readers will enjoy Kaylee’s exploits as she ponders not If I Die but when I die soon in an exciting twisting (perhaps too many spins) thriller.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Darkest Surrender-Gena Showalter

The Darkest Surrender

Gena Showalter

Harlequin HQN, Sep 27 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373775811

 

Fifteen centuries ago, fourteen years old Kaia Skyhawk wants to be known as the strongest harpy.  Her only rival at the Harpy Games is Juliette the Eradicator.  Juliet captured a male but her new consort remains defiant.  Thinking she can make this warrior obey, Kaia, ignoring her mother’s admonition about men, frees him.  He goes on a rampage killing many harpies. It is fifteen hundred years later and everyone especially her mother blames Kaia the Disappointment for the massacre; she and her sister Bianka have been banned from participating in the games ever since.

 

For the first time since the disaster, the Skyhawks sisters are invited to the games.  Bianka and Kaia know someone is setting them up for something though it could be Juliette or even their mom, but each agrees they must attend.  She also tells Bianka that she believes Strider is her soulmate, but he and his demon Defeat refuse to accept their attraction to the notorious harpy.  However, he reconsiders his position of keeping his distance when he learns first prize at the games is the dangerous ancient Paring Rod that could kill him and his Dark Lord peers.

 

The latest Lords of the Underworld romantic fantasy (see The Darkest Secret) is a terrific refreshing entry due to the macabrely humorous yet lunatic Harpy culture.  The story line is fast-paced from the opening fiasco and never slows down as Kaia who tasted defeat refuses to accept it again except as the demon accompanying her Strider.  Madcap, the zany Harpy Games is fun to attend.

 

Harriet Klausner

How Firm a Foundation-David Weber

How Firm a Foundation

David Weber

Tor, Sep 13 2011, $27.99

ISBN: 9780765315052

 

The leaders of the five year old Charisian Empire has won many battles at sea against the much bigger Church of God Awaiting that declared Emperor Cayleb, Empress Sharleyan and their supporters as heretics.  The hero of the naval warfare, Cayleb understands the impact of the enemy’s religious terrorism and the diabolical isolation scheme, but is unsure what his small nation can do to end the reign of terror.

 

Besides an insidious propaganda campaign that excommunicates critics, the Church deploys assassins to kill the empire’s leaders and anyone on the Safehold mainland supporting Charisian.  The Inquisitors torture anyone to send the message to those who consider allying with Charisian.  In that scenario as the cruel foe tightens the knot around the island, the cybernetic avatar of long dead Merlin believes the answer lies dormant underneath Zion’s Temple in the heart of the Church of God Awaiting.

 

The fifth Safehold science fiction thriller (see By Heresies Distressed and A Mighty Fortress) contains the usual military warfare but at much smaller scale due to the reign of terror campaign.  The story line also focuses on the social and political issues facing those in opposition to the Church.  Safehold focuses on a theocracy that brutally stomps on individual rights.  The fear of freedom that Charisian represents is violently opposed by religious dogma that what the Church does is Godly even sacrificing the innocent.  Cayleb remains a strong hero though still somewhat Harrington-light as he is more confortable at war than at running a country.  Readers will relish David Weber’s latest powerful condemnation of those who equate their church is the state; or oligopoly dictating society.

 

Harriet Klausner

 

The Kingdom of Childhood-Rebecca Coleman

The Kingdom of Childhood

Rebecca Coleman

Mira, Sep 27 2011, $15.95

ISBN: 9780778312789

 

In 1998 in Sylvania, Maryland, fortyish Bavarian expatriate Judy McFarland diligently teaches kindergarten as she has for nineteen years at the Waldorf School.  Judy misses her childhood in Germany though she tries to ignore her mom’s health and her dad’s womanizing; she also hates her husband an ancient A-hole who possesses less intellect than her students.  Her light in her dark existence is son who is a high school senior.

 

This year she mentors sixteen years old Zach Patterson as he completes his required service hours.  Although she knows she should not as she understands the consequences of an illegal tryst with her student including being a social pariah as a sex offender, Judy seduces Zach.  They begin an affair but with each clandestine meeting, her fears of exposure grows until they become crippling; yet even with her peers cautioning her to put more distance between her and Zach she cannot end her self and family destruction.  Zach begins to realize the cost of the actual fulfillment of his sexual fantasies is the loss of teen innocence but he too cannot say no to his teacher.

 

The Kingdom of Childhood is a stark psychological thriller that rotates the perspective between the sex partners as each transition from the pre-tryst to the climax.  Zach goes from clumsy innocence to gilded adulthood too quickly; Judy is more fascinating as she goes from sex predator to insane predator.  Although her childhood traumas that apparently made the adult lack development so are tenuous, readers will want to follow the devoted teacher’s obsessively driven descent into hell.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Pub Across The Pond-Mary Carter

The Pub Across The Pond

Mary Carter

Kensington, Sep 27 2011, $15.00

ISBN: 9780758253361

 

In Ballybeog, Ireland Ronan McBride, his six sisters known as the half dozen and his widowed mom own Uncle Jimmy’s.  Next door to their pub is their Uncle Joe’s market.  During a poker game, Joe tosses in his store while Ronan does likewise with the pub.  The players agree to a fall back position for the loser to buy back their establishment.  Though he has four of a kind, Ronan loses the pub to Joe’s royal flush.  Ronan informs the ladies he lost the pub.  The Half Dozen host a raffle in America with the winner owning the pub.  In Ohio, Carlene Rivers wins the raffle.  She leaves her agoraphobic father and the fight gym he owns for Ireland.

 

Ronen meets Carlene at Galway, but takes her to the racetrack instead of the pub as he says she is lucky.  She wins the first race but loses the rest.  Everyone welcomes the “Fecking Yank” with a party.  She gets drunk and Ronan takes her to bed.  Joe offers to buy the pub but Carlene says no.  Though attracted to Ronan, Carlene assumes he is fickle.  Meanwhile someone wants the Yankee Doodle Dandy to go home and with Ronan’s rejection as wells as the townsfolk divided about her, she thinks it is time to return to Ohio.

 

Mindful of a cross between Irish Jam and Leap Year. the American in Ireland is a strong character who keeps the story line focused.  The secondary cast, almost all Irish, immensely enhance the story line.  Putting aside the poker hands, this is a warm contemporary as Ronen meets his match in the Feckin Yank but may fail to recognize how he feels before she re-crosses the Great Pond.

 

Harriet Klausner

A Texas Christmas-Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda and DeWanna Pace

A Texas Christmas

 

Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda and DeWanna Pace

Zebra, Oct 4 2011, $6.99

ISBN: 9781420119664

 

“One Wish: A Christmas Story” by Jodi Thomas.  In December 1887 in Kasota Springs, Texas, Sam the farmer wants to go home but waits in a cold alley watching the mercantile across the street as he fears for the life of Maggie who he has cherished since they met as little kids.  He knows his bloodline is not good enough, but she persuades him otherwise when he recues her from robbers.

 

“Naughty or Nice?” By DeWanna Pace.  In December 1887 tired of the scorn by the townsfolk of Kasota Springs, saloon owner Anna Ross returns from a supply run as a snowstorm assaults the Texas Panhandle.  There she saves the life of greenhorn James Elliot III caught in the blizzard.

 

“The Christmas Bell” by Linda Broday.  In December 1887 the blizzard strands the train on the Texas Panhandle as it headed to Kasota Springs.  On board is spoiled Tess Whitgrove the banker’s daughter coming home from Boston.  Sloan Sullivan, who she disliked when they were children, arrives with a sled to rescue the stranded passengers and workers.

 

“Away in the Manger“ by Phyliss Miranda.  In 1887 on the Texas Panhandle Randall Humphrey looks forward to solitude during the Christmas season.  Instead the Kasota Springs blacksmith finds Edwinna Dewey yelling at him over his half brother failing to arrive with her family.  Her niece Sarah Callahan arrives with three years old twins Damon and Addie Claire at the blacksmith shop.  

 

The latest western romance anthology by this quartet (see Give Me A Texas Outlaw) is a terrific somewhat interwoven but mostly separate tales of couples trapped by a snowstorm falling miraculously in love.

 

Harriet Klausner

A Father’s Name-Holly Jacobs

A Father’s Name

Holly Jacobs

Harlequin SuperRomance, Sep 6 2011, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373717330

 

In Whedon, Pennsylvania her beloved Pops informs his daughter single mom of teenage Bart, Angelina Tucker that he is retiring after his recent health scare.  She wants to run the family business, but Pops stuns Rucker when he introduces their garage’s newest employee Tyler Martinez.  The former banker was sent to County for six months and remains on probation.  He had been a big customer taking his cars to Tucker Garage for years but is back to his youth making his own repairs on a clinker.  Pops explains that Tyler is a top rate mechanic who can also be the prime voice with customers.

 

Tyler becomes guardian of an infant, who ties back to his nolo contendere conviction.  Meanwhile the new mechanic and his boss emit sparks between them, but she refuses to consider a fling with an employee as Bart comes first.  As they fall in love, he has to prove to his beloved he is in for the long term.

 

Nobody does Pennsylvania contemporary romance better than Holly Jacobs consistently writes.  Tucker who has appeared in support roles in other tales like Unexpected Gifts proves she handle the lead.  Her relationships with her son, pops and the mechanics seem real.  Tyler’s fall from grace hits home as genuine also.  Together they grease their way to love at the garage.

 

Harriet Klausner