Renegade

Feeling a bit risque? Lora Leigh is an author known for steamy novels, alpha hero's, and strong love stories. I don't like when I don't read a series from book #1 til the end, but for whatever reason Leigh's Elite Ops series and I cant seem to get on the same page. This is the third book in the series that I have read (completely out of order) and I loved it. Nik Steele is a 6'5" golden god of danger, death, and sex. A member of the Elite Ops Nik is hired to help clear the name of a high powered business man when he is accused of murder by Mikayla Martin, a petite bridal shop owner.  One thing that I really like about this couple is their height difference - she's described as being 5'4" if that.  Ok, so I'm partial to short heroines - sue me, I'm 5' tall, I like short chicks who get the guy.

While I do enjoy Lora Leigh's writing style, I have to admit that her contemporary books don't blow me away. I actually blame Shannon McKenna for this for she is my all time favorite suspense/contemporary/borderline erotic author. That woman can write a sex scene that literally lasts for an entire chapter and its not the kind you want to skim over. Hate when I read a book that has scenes I want to skim. Lora Leigh thankfully is not that kind of author - hers you read - but Shannon McKenna, in my eyes, shes not. So if were to give a rating on this book I would say 3.25 out of 5 stars. A definite read for those of you who like big bad ass heros, tiny sexy strong heroines, a bit of gun fire, a who done it theme, and of course great sex.

Summary from Lora Leigh's website: As a bridal shop owner, Mikayla Martin helps make women's wedding dreams come true. Her own life, however, has become a nightmare since she witnessed a murder--and got an up-close-and-personal look at the killer. What's worse: She knows she knows him. But the police, after doing an alibi check, don't believe her. It's up to Mikayla to prove them wrong...and do whatever it takes to solve the murder by herself.

Elite Ops agent Nikolai Steele, code name Renegade, is asked to pay an old comrade a favor. This friend swears he's no killer--and Nik believes him--even though he's been mistaken as one by Mikayla. So Nik goes to set her straight...but the moment he lays eyes on the fiery and determined beauty, he knows he's in too deep. A woman this irresistible can only mean trouble and, sure enough, after sticking her nose in one too many places, someone wants Mikayla dead. Now Nik must find a way to keep her safe, clear his friend's name, and find the real killer, who remains on the loose...

The Darkest Night

I do believe that I did say I was going to start reading this series after thoroughly enjoying The Darkest Kiss (Lucien's story), so I'm starting from the beginning and working my way through (thankfully DK was only the second book in the series so I didn't throw myself off too much).

The Darkest Night is the story of Maddox - half immortal warrior, half demon of Violence. As condemnation for the role he played in the opening of Pandora's Box, Maddox has lived the last thousand years of his life being viciously murdered by his friends only to wake up the next day (after spending an agonizing night in hell) and do it all over.  Ashlyn Darrow is a human with the ability to hear conversations from years upon years ago - a talent that not only drives her mad but also is being used by Hunters (humans who know of the Lords existence and want them dead) though unbeknown  to her.

Again, love the tortured hero that Maddox is. While his looks are dashing the physical torment he endures definitely qualifies him. A typical girl meets demon, falls in lust, then falls in love, and then saves the day story. Im already reading book # 3.

Summary from genashowalter.com:
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.
Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

The Crossroads Cafe

This was a freebie via kindle, and after sitting in my to be read pile for quite some time I decided to give it a shot. Now, I do not have a kindle but I do have an iphone 4 with a kindle app, which means that while reading a downloaded book isn't impossible or unpleasant, it is not my favorite way to go about consuming words of another. So, it took me a while to read this as I usually only read on my phone when I have a few minutes in between showings, or when I'm waiting for my daughter to get out of school.

This book is written in 2 first persons - Thomas and Catherine. Tom is a architect who lost is wife and son on 9/11 and has since become an alcoholic hillbilly residing in the mountains of NC. Catherine is a famous movie star known pretty much only for her beauty. Catherine has a car accident where she actually catches on fire in amidst those flames she loses her career, her beauty, her husband, and her sanity. Catherine retreats to her grandmothers cottage in the mountains of NC upon the insistance of her cousin Delta (who runs the Crossroad Cafe).

I loved the wholesomness of this book. Wholesome so often comes off as boring and slow, and while there were some parts that were slow moving, the overall book was not. There were no quick answers, magical cures, and love conquers all type of situation. It was real life, real pain, real progress and setbacks. At the end of the book you know everyones going to be okay though you also know that youre not leaving them in some magical fairyland place. I like realism every now and then and this gave me that along with a HEA - not always an easy thing to accomplish but Debroah Smith did just that.

WARNING: be prepared to crave biscuits! Biscuits are the over all theme of this book. Yes, biscuits. Thankfully Ms Smith includes biscuit recipes at the end of this book to help with your cravings. I have not tried to make them yet as Im quite sure they would have about 40 WW points in one and bathing suit season is right around the corner, but one day I will. 

From Booklist Review: Cathy is on top of the world--beautiful, rich, a top movie star about to launch a new career as a cosmetics queen--when an unscrupulous photographer in search of a story causes her car to crash and burn, destroying her perfect body as well as her career and sending her scurrying for a place to hide her scars. Thomas, on the other hand, is still mourning the deaths of his wife and young son in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and is slowly drinking himself to death while sleeping in the bed of his truck in an isolated hamlet in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. Together, however, they find they are stronger and better people, and they begin to take an active interest in the mountain community that has taken them both into their hearts, and into their kitchens. Once again, Smith has created an unforgettably poignant story in the best tradition of contemporary southern romantic women's fiction.

The Darkest Kiss

Theres just something about books like this, The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, The Highlander series, and other similar books that I just love. I know Ive mentioned before that I love a scarred hero - both physically and emotionally, and this book had them both, all wrapped up in a nice non vampire (always a plus but not necessarily a needed) yet demon package. Other than one anthology a few years ago this is actually the first Gena Showalter book I have ever read. How on earth could that have happened?!" you may exclaim, well quite honestly, the novella I read by Showalter wasnt anything that I'd write home about so I didnt bother to pursue her any further. This book however makes me change my thinking about her. In it contains good guys who are in essence bad guys, a rather awesome heroine who isnt too hardcore to be vulnerable, sex, tension, sexual tension, all set within a paranormal realm of existence. Definitely an "everyone wins" type of thing in my book.

Anya, goddess of anarchy is smitten with Lucien - warrior with the demon of death trapped inside of him. After a few adventures, lots of lust, ancient curses, Medusa like creatures, and eventually true love, this story gets the thumbs up from me.

I swung by Borders today and picked up the first one in the series The Darkest Night - going to start that tonight while Im DJing. How will I read and DJ at the same time? After about 11:30pm on a Wednesday night in south central PA, things tend to die down rather drastically. So all i need to do is put in a CD and let it play. It will still be a loooong night regardless, but Im hoping that The Lords Of the Underworld will be able to help dull the pain of staying out until 2am on a weekday when I know I have to be up at 6:45am the following morning in order to make it to the bus stop on time.

Amazon's Product Description:

She has tempted many men… but never found her equal. Until now.
 
Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death—a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.
 
But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining.…