Review: Charmed by Beth Ciotta

Title: Charmed
Series: Friends and Lovers
Author: Beth Ciotta
Read copy: Mass Market Paperback
Published: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Medallion Press
ISBN: 193281504X
ISBN-13: 9781932815047

The Princess is in danger...

Beloved storyteller, Lulu Ross champions non-violence. Just her luck, she's tiara over glass slippers for a man who carries a gun. Professional bodyguard Colin Murphy is s-e-x-y. Too bad he's delusional. Who would want to hurt Princess Charming—a low-profile, goody-two-shoes who performs as a storybook character at children's birthday parties? Surely the sexy gifts from a secret admirer are meant for her sister, a bombshell wannabe action-star. Or are they?

Murphy is determined to protect Lulu whether she likes it or not. Perpetually cheerful and absurdly trusting, the locally famous kiddy-heroine refuses to believe she's in danger. Tipped off by the FBI, Murphy knows otherwise, but convincing Lulu that she's the fantasy target of a mobster's fixation is like trying to hang shades on the sun. Contending with a woman who favors bubblegum lip gloss and a pink poodle purse becomes an exercise in fascination and frustration for the world-weary protection specialist; almost as frustrating as resisting her whimsical charm.

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Review: Understood by Maya Banks

Title: Understood
Series: Unspoken
Author: Maya Banks
Read copy: eBook
Published: December 19, 2006
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1599983028
ISBN-13: 9781599983028

When she breaks free from the bondage of her past, he’ll be waiting.

Jake Turner committed the ultimate mistake of falling in love with his best friend’s wife. The distance he puts between them costs both him and Ellie Matthews dearly. Jake will never forgive himself for not seeing what a bastard his friend was. Now that Ellie is free from her nightmare, Jake waits, needing and wanting. He’ll be there when Ellie is ready to spread her wings.

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Review: The Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts

Title: The Return of Rafe MacKade
Series: The MacKade Brothers
Author: Nora Roberts
Read copy: eBook
Published: June 20, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 1459213238
ISBN-13: 9781459213234

Ten years after disappearing from Antietam, Maryland, the bad boy has returned. Cleaned up and successful now—and still dangerously good-looking—Rafe MacKade sets the town on fire, and tongues wagging.

Lovely newcomer Regan Jones is intrigued—what kind of man could cause this sort of talk? She's just about to find out....

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Review: Hide in Plain Sight by Michele Albert

Title: Hide in Plain Sight
Series: Avalon Prequel
Author: Michele Albert
Read copy: eBook
Published: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing
ISBN: 1416523073
ISBN-13: 9781416523079

APPEARANCES ARE DECEIVING

Fiona Kennedy can tell a forgery from the genuine article in a snap. Drop-dead-sexy Grif Laughton, however, is not so easy to read. He's clearly a masterpiece of the male variety — and the attraction he sparks is definitely the real thing. But Grif is a man of secrets, and the potentially priceless manuscript he's asked her to appraise is just one of them.

PASSIONS ARE DEADLY

But someone is willing to kill for the manuscript, and Grif reveals that he's a mercenary, hired to protect Fiona. Is he really who he seems, or is he just using her as bait? On the run from an unknown enemy, Fiona gives in to her all-consuming need for the man who may be her one chance for survival — or her final chapter.

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Review: My Hero by Marianna Jameson

Title: My Hero
Author: Marianna Jameson

Read copy: Mass Market Paperback
Published: June 7, 2005
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 0451215656
ISBN-13: 9780451215659

Southern romance writer Miranda Lane may be famous for her sensitive heroes, but her new editor wants a brooding, sexy cop that female readers will die for. Unfortunately, cops leave Miranda cold, so she turns to the arrestingly handsome Detective Chas Casey. The commitment-shy Chas is the perfect role model for her book. Soon enough she realizes that she's losing her heart to a man who specializes in drive-by romance. Now she's writing her own personal love story with a hero like no other-and a happy ending all her own.

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Review: Skin on Skin (anthology) by Jami Alden, Sunny, Valerie Martinez

Title: Skin on Skin
Author: Jami Alden, Sunny, Valerie Martinez

Read copy: eBook
Published: July 1, 2007
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
ISBN: 0758226306
ISBN-13: 9780758226303

Mouth to mouth, body to body. When it comes to sex, nothing should get in the way of unbridled carnal pleasure. And this summer three of erotic romance's boldest new voices show you exactly why barer is better in three novellas that will take you to the heights of naked desire...

"China Doll" by Sunny

When Rand and Anna meet in the lush heat of an Indonesian hotel, it's strictly one night only for two strangers looking to banish the ghosts in their pasts. But more than their skin is bared when they come together in the tropical heat, and before long they're aching for more.

"Tempted" by Jami Alden

Friends as well as coworkers, Lauren and Tony have maintained a strict hands—off policy with each other—until an out—of—town party gives them an excuse to share a hotel room. And when they do, their clothes come off—and the new rule is definitely hands on.

"Hot Wired" by Valerie Martinez

Spending a summer in San Francisco before starting her career, Lola is looking for fun. And when she meets the driver of a fire—engine red pickup—a guy with plenty of muscle under his own hood—she finds herself in for the hottest, hardest ride of her life.

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Review: Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Title: Smart and Sexy
Series: Sky High Air
Author: Jill Shalvis
Read copy: eBook
Published: April 1, 2007
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
ISBN: 0758224419
ISBN-13: 9780758224415

Noah Fisher has worked for months to make Sky High the most prestigious charter airline in California. He's long overdue for a break—something involving ski slopes, cold beers, and hot ski bunny babes. The itinerary doesn't include being hijacked by Bailey Sinclair, gorgeous widow of one of Sky High's wealthiest (ex-) clients. But here they are, and being crammed in a cockpit with the scared, stubborn, unbelievably sexy former model he's been fantasizing about invokes Superman tendencies that could get Noah in serious trouble.

Bailey is desperate to find the stash of money hidden by her conniving, thieving late husband—before the bad guys he owed find her. It's a long shot, but nothing compared to the gamble she's taking by being so close to Noah. Every minute in his company has Bailey thinking about doing crazy, reckless things like touching, grabbing, kissing...and oh wow, being kissed right back...

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