~THE ROYAL WEDDING EFFECT~

Today I'm suffering the effects of watching the royal wedding in its entirety from western Canada. This means of course that I stayed up all night (it started at 3a.m) and drank several too many gin and tonics. I hadn't planned on watching all of it, and surprised myself by how moved I became when I first saw William
and Harry in the car heading towards Westminster Abby. I guess because I'm old enough to remember Charles and Di's wedding I felt nostalgic having watched William grow up.

Highlights for me included; David Beckham (come on!), the parade of ridiculous hats (fascinators), Peter Mansbridge's CBC commentary, the priest with the huge eyebrows, the crowd swarming the palace, the carriage ride and of course the anticipated... kiss.

thud

fascinator extreme

The man with the eyebrows

sigh...

                                                      

And then...

~REVIEW of Megan Hart's PRECIOUS AND FRAGILE THINGS~




HART LEAVES THE EROTICA BEHIND IN A DARK AND INTRICATE KIDNAPPING TALE

   Star read

 Opening Line: "This was the life she'd made."

I am rapidly reaching the point with Megan Hart that if she were to write a phone book I’m pretty sure I would read it because she’s just that good at making words beautiful. She also manages to put those words into exactly the emotions and private thoughts I assumed I was alone in having while weaving and layering together an achingly thoughtful story. And here with Precious And Fragile Things I’ve learned that she can hold my attention without the erotica too. Because this was so not erotic, it wasn’t even in any way a romance, in fact it was kind of disturbing. Yet in the end I would have to say that it was also amazing, because its lingered with me for days now.

I’ve never read anything like this before, (which I seem to say with each of Hart’s books) 99% of this takes place within a secluded, snowed in, mountain cabin and its here within those 4 walls, in a simple character study that we watch two very different yet equally damaged souls bounce off each other. By all rights this should have been boring and tedious read yet because of Hart’s gifts as a writer I was left utterly entranced.

Gilly Solomon is exhausted. Mentally and physically burnt out from the endless cycle of looking after her house, her husband, and her two young children. All she dreams about is a couple of hour’s peace, a break from the constant crying children, menial tasks, and endless demands to her time, someone to look after her for a change. Gilly’s at a breaking point the night a man jumps into her Suburban, holds a knife to her throat and tells her to drive. She isn’t thinking clearly when she manages to get the children out and she’s definitely lost it when they stop for gas and Gilly doesn’t run….

Now she’s stranded in a remote cabin with a dangerous knife wielding stranger who can’t release her because he fears going back to prison and she’s only got herself to blame. Time however forges a bond of sorts between the captor and the captive and as the snow piles up around them and the days turn into months she learns that her kidnapper -Todd is not the lunatic she first believed. He’s but a man shaped by his horrific past much in the same way Gilly is.

The tension throughout this is palpable by the end though the suspense was killing me because I had absolutely no idea how this was going to play out, and I knew there couldn’t really be any kind of conventional HEA. All I will say about “that” is I was VERY surprised by what did happen and my only disappointment in this book lies here as well, as I would have liked more details on the …afterwards.
Cheers people.

~REVIEW of Jo Davis' UNDER FIRE~

RETURN TO THE MEN OF STATION 5

 

Under Fire (Firefighters of Station Five, #2)  Stars

Opening Line: "The back end of the SUV filled Zack Knight's windshield before his exhusted brain jolted to awareness, screaming the belated message to slam on his brakes." 

Zack Knight loves to save lives and fight fires along with the other members of his `family' at Station Five yet outside the firehouse his private life has hit rock bottom. In trying to pay off his ailing fathers gambling debts he's managed to lose his house, his life savings and with this latest instalment he's also going to lose his baby, a 1967 silver Mustang. Its while pondering the loan sharks increasingly hostile demands that Zack rear ends Cori Shannon in what will become the first of many accidents he suffers throughout this book. The beautiful exotic dancer wants nothing to do with Zack or his crumpled Mustang and succeeds in destroying what's left of his pride before she leaves too.

With Zack's job on the line for being late, A shift's first call takes them to an MVA on Sugarland bridge. A car is teetering on the guard rail, precariously close to falling into the violent waters below. A car that contains one terrified and somewhat familiar exotic dancer. Zack makes it his personal mission to rescue Cori, climbing into the back and urging her forward to safety just as the car topples over the edge taking Zack with it.

The opening of UNDER FIRE is super exciting and I can't remember ever reading a romance where the author actually kills the hero within the first few chapters. (Okay it was only for a few minutes but still) Jo Davis just loves to torture her men and by the end I truly felt sorry for Zack; he drowns, gets pneumonia, is shot, drugged, stabbed, tortured and hit in the head with a 2x4. It's exhausting. Through it all Zack maintains his nice guy persona and between hospital visits even manages to lose his virginity (I know sweet right, he was saving himself for the right girl)

               

 His `right girl' is very likable, feisty, and independent plus she made me laugh with her sassy comments. Cori is also older than Zack and no virgin which was an interesting dynamic. Together they both have a ton of secrets and I kept waiting for the inevitable explosion of truths, particularly after Cori's crazed stalker entered the scene.

This is a great read full of action, suspense and hard-bodied men. Although the love scenes here aren't as scorching hot as (TRIAL BY FIRE) Zack makes up for it in sweetness, solo shower scenes and role playing games, yeah he's a keeper.

Thankfully there are still several hot team members waiting to have their stories told, (HIDDEN FIRE) is the next instalment. Cheers!

                                         

~Last Movie I Watched- VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA~

Woody Allen’s film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, is a sexy flick about a ménage-à-trois between Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson. Need I say more?

This is also the first Woody Allen movie that I have made it through in its entirety!! Not sure what that says about me?? However this was sexy, clever and interesting. It was fun to see shots of Barcelona again and I'm also pretty sure I would sleep with any of the 3 people in this love triangle.

 

IMDB synopsis: Sexually adventurous Cristina and her friend Vicky, who is bright but cautious, holiday in Barcelona where they meet the celebrated and wholly seductive painter, Juan Antonio. Vicky is not about to dive into a sexual adventure being committed to her forthcoming marriage. But Cristina is immediately captivated by Juan Antonio's free spirit and his romantic allure is enhanced when she hears the delicious details of his divorce from fellow artist, the tempestuous Maria Elena.  

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's DARK LOVER~

                                                  DARK LOVER is simply AWESOME!

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1)

Opening Line: "Darius looked around the club, taking in the teeming, half-naked bodies on the dance floor."

This is a beautifully done romance. Wrath is a sexy, tormented, to die for hero and Beth is simply perfect as his Queen. JR Ward has created a fantastic paranormal world with this series which I like to think of as Twilight for adults and I can guarantee you'll enjoy your time spent with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. DARK LOVER is ultimately addicting, sexy, erotic, funny and brash with an entertaining yet menacing cast of seriously alpha-male secondary characters who will all leave you wanting more.

Wrath is the only purebred vampire left on the planet he is also a King who refuses to lead his people. Almost blind and with a mean temper he prefers to be alone avenging the murder of his parents as he fights an endless battle against the `Lessers'  (The antagonists here are a truly evil group of sickly sweet smelling undead who will stop at nothing to eliminate the vampire race) Wrath's only true companions are the members of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. A dangerous gang of eclectic characters each with their own set of issues (and each getting their own upcoming book as well) The Brothers have sworn their loyalties to the King and fight alongside him to protect the vampire race from the `Lessoning Society' awaiting the day when Wrath will ascend to the throne.

As we begin the Brother Darius asks Wrath to help his half human daughter through the `change' -an unstoppable transition that will turn her from human to Vampire. This is a very dangerous time and Darius's hope is that the blind King's almost pure blood will guarantee her survival. Wrath initially declines because he doesn't like humans but when Darius is killed Wrath has no choice but to honour his Brothers last wishes.

Beth hasn't been feeling like herself lately and having been raised in foster care is completely unaware of her vampire heritage. Her job as a reporter for a local newspaper sees her unknowingly reporting on her own fathers murder. Along the way we are introduced to Butch, a burnt out cop who's in love with Beth. One night Beth awakens to find a gorgeous but heavily armed man dressed in head to toe leather standing in her apartment. She is of course frightened but can't deny the instant attraction even though he appears to have fangs. Beth and Wrath's initial encounter is hot and the sparks never stop flying as Wrath takes on the position of her protector guiding her through the change. When Butch witnesses the two of them together he's horrified because Wrath has been fingered as the prime suspect in a string of unsolved murders. The killings have in fact been committed by the Lessers and in trying to keep Wrath away from Beth, Butch will only succeed in bringing the evil closer to home.

You may be initially put off by the author's odd choice of names for the Brothers. I know I definitely had trouble keeping track of who's who. Their names are weird and there are a lot of them to keep track of, each with their own set of issues and gifts, but stick with it. The language (doggen, lesser, shellan etc) was also a bit of an issue at first but thankfully Ward has included a glossary of terms which by the end of the book I found I no longer needed.

If you're a fan of paranormal romance then I can't recommend this enough and if this is a re-read for you too I discovered that the forthcoming John Mathew's identity is positively verified in a little scene with the Scribe Virgin near the end. Cheers.

My choices for Wrath

\\

                    

~REVIEW of Laura Bambach & Josh Lanyon's MEXICAN HEAT~

                  Breathtaking suspense gives way to a heart warming romance.

 Star read

 Opening Line: "He sauntered past the two shirtless, muscle-bound bouncers, the C-note he slipped the man on his right earning his passage through Club Madrone's front door--and a quick grope over his ass."

This was some damn fine M/M romantic suspense, however I’d have to admit that I struggled a bit with the first 'part' of Mexican Heat, being more of a romantic and not really into the whole Scarface gangster aspect. (Yeah I kept picturing Tony Montana’s world) This is a great action adventure though and the second 'part' which I absolutely adored more then made up for (my) shaky beginnings.

As well as a fantastic story the love scenes here are very, very good, with an intriguing balance set between dominance and submission. That first encounter in the nightclub office… Wow, now there’s a definite multiple read scene.

I also loved Antonio’s sweetness; his understanding and unwavering love of Gabriel and the slow removal of his ‘Gatito’s’ walls will just break your heart. There were a couple of things I didn’t “see” coming and one predictable reveal, although that didn’t bother me as it just made sense to the overall story. All in all a worthy read from the M/M genre with action, romance, suspense, tequila drinking (games), undercover cops, drug lords, mob boss’s, gun play, explosions, misguided vixen’s, sweet love makin and more twists and turns then the worm in the bottom of the bottle.

Police Detective Gabriel Sandalini is deep undercover for Italian mob boss Ricco Botelli, willing to do almost anything at this point to bring the shark down. When he randomly hooks up with a sexy and dominant stranger at a night club Gabriel never expects to see the man again, and that’s just the way he likes it. However when his boss Botelli teams up with the Mexican mob Gabriel’s sultry nightclub stranger -Antonio Sanchez, makes a reappearance, as the drug lords lieutenant.

Now it looks like Gabriel is going to have to take down his lover too. That is if he can make it through the next couple of days. Because his boss’s fiancée Gina can’t keep her hands off him, Sanchez is watching his every move (and making a few of his own) and if that weren’t enough of a distraction he may have just been made by the cartel. Then here’s the whole man love issue and I don’t imagine that’s taken too lightly in the lawless gangster world either. Yes Gabriel has his hands full and while part 1 of this book maintains a level of breathtaking suspense part 2 gives us a heart warming romance. And that’s just how I like it. Salud

~Last Movie I Watched- CHAPTER 27~

Official IMDB Synopsis: A film about Mark David Chapman in the days leading up to the infamous murder of Beatle John Lennon.

Damn Jared Leto was just amazing in this, its just too bad the movie sucked. Did he win any awards?? Because he should have, his transformation is amazing.

And whats up with the actor in the credits who played John lennon having the same name as Mark Chapman, the guy who really killed him (their middle name is different)
Is that just supposed to mess with our minds?

-The real deals: Lennon exiting The Dakota hotel, autographing a copy of Double Fantantasy belonging to Chapman as Chapman looks on several hours before the shooting

~REVIEW of Justine Davis' THE MORNING SIDE OF DAWN~

                                    ONE OF MY TOP TORTURED HEROES OF ALL TIME

1/2 Star read
-Shame about these older Harlequin covers, they sure don't age very well.

Opening line: "She was the most beautful thing he'd ever seen."

I have no idea where I picked this book up but what a fabulous find especially if you’re anything like me and have a soft spot for the wounded heroes. Written in 96 and the last in a trilogy (which I’m now actively searching for) TMSOD contains one of the most seriously shut-off and tortured heroes I’ve come across since JR Ward’s Zsadist.

Dar Cordell is bitter, standoffish, intimidating and often just downright mean. Allowing precious few into his inner circle, and even those he manages to keep at arms length. Dar is also impossibly handsome, a superior athlete and a double leg amputee, preferring a wheelchair to his seldom used prosthetics. This is one hero with a serious chip on his shoulder, belittling and biting out at everyone while using his missing legs as an excuse to shut himself off from the world.

Still, Dar would have to be up there with my top tortured heroes of all time because given the right circumstances (as is the case here) this unlikely romantic lead quickly gains your sympathy. So that despite his attitude he becomes desirable as you gain understanding as to why he is the way he is. And as it turns out Dar’s issues have very little to do with his legs.

The actual story here is pretty standard Harlequin romance; following supermodel Cassie “Cassandra” Cameron as she grows tired of the superficial world of modeling and escapes to her brothers for a much needed vacation. Of course then we have her stalker, and when he catches up with Cassie the only place she has left to turn is to her brother’s friend Dar. Forcing this reluctant couple together while the police investigate.



This is how I pictured our hero Dar

I really liked Cassie, despite her supermodel status she reads like a real person, managing to call Dar on his crap, which is just what he needs. As it turns out she‘s just as stubborn as he is and faces some of the same issues too, with the public just assuming she’s nothing more then her looks.
The sparks really fly between this couple with a palpable level of sexual tension throughout, despite the fact that Dar continually pushes Cassie away because he just can’t believe she would ‘want’ him. However when they finally make it into bed lookout, its smoking hot and sweetly intimate.

You can definitely tell that Davis has done her research here as we learn about the different types of wheelchairs (Dar designs racing chairs) hand controlled driving, and what it feels like to be looked down on or just looked through. And because Cassie moves in with Dar we also learn about modified kitchens and bathrooms, wheelchair ramps and accessibility issues in general.

All in all I loved this story and if it wasn’t for the authors annoying overuse of the word “Chagrin” this would have been a 5 star read. Cheers people!

Okay this is Rick Hanson, bit of a different situation but I've had a crush on him since 1986 when he did his Man In Motion tour.



 Oh yeah our hero is an athlete too