Review: THE DETECTIVE’S ACCIDENTAL BABY by Jacqueline Diamond

February 9, 2012 in Harlequin American Romance, January 2012, Reviews by Donna Zapf

Safe Harbor’s new fertility wing is up and running with no-nonsense Nurse Erica Benford assisting department head Dr. Tartikoff.  Despite the constant prater about babies, Erica is not interested in starting a family of her own.

Private Investigator Lock Vaughn’s latest client has charged him with discovering if Erica Benford is really a woman of loose morals like her ex-husband accuses.  The client is a very rich woman herself and plans to wed Erica’s ex but his claims don’t ring true.  Lock does an exhaustive background check including interviewing the hospital gossip but his final stunt, trying to pick Erica up, tells the tale; Erica is not a promiscuous alcoholic like her ex would have his fiancée believe.  After sending his report to the client, Lock fortuitously runs into Erica again, saving her from a near disastrous accident.  Erica is really shaken up and Lock escorts her home, where they end up spending  a passionate night together.

Regardless of  their attraction to each other, Erica and Lock have some huge hurdles to cross.  Their one night together results in an unwanted pregnancy for Erica who also discovers that Lock investigated her, proving once again that she shouldn’t trust men.  Lock has some issues himself as he struggles with wanting to raise his baby and trying to find his own biological mother who gave him up for adoption.

Veteran romance author Jacqueline Diamond writes an intriguing romance filled with complexities that lead to the simple truth of love in this seventh book in her Safe Harbor series, THE DETECTIVE’S ACCIDENTAL BABY.  Reuniting with favorite characters from this popular series is a plus as Diamond’s latest romantic tale unfolds.  Smooth flowing plot, realistic likeable characters and lasting love, all hallmarks of a Jacqueline Diamond romance.

by juliemt

Review: Captured for the Captain’s Pleasure – Ann Lethbridge

February 9, 2012 in Harlequin Historical, January 2012, Reviews, USA by juliemt

Captain Michael Hawkhurst has waited a very long time for the day where he can wreak his revenge upon the man who had destroyed his life: Alex Fulton. Fulton’s shocking lack of judgment and careless disregard for others had set in motion a dreadful chain of events that had left Michael alone, embittered and vowing vengeance upon the man who had turned his entire world upside down. Ruining Alex Fulton has been at the forefront of Michael’s mind for an age, and after years of waiting patiently, he has finally found the perfect way of making his arch nemesis suffer: taking his spirited daughter Alice as his captive…

The burden of responsibility weighs heavily upon Alice Fulton’s shoulders. Alice is well aware that her father’s once prosperous shipping business has run into financial difficulties – due largely to her father’s addiction to the gaming tables. With the family business to rescue from the ruthless clutches of insolvency and the persistent worries about her father’s out of control gambling compulsion, Alice has certainly got enough to contend with. But little does the strong-willed young lady realize that fate – in the shape of the brooding Captain Michael Hawkhurst- is about to make matters even more complicated for her…

Michael thinks that he’s finally going to achieve his goal and make Fulton pay for his past transgression. With Alice as his prisoner, Michael thinks that victory is within his reach, but the saturnine captain hadn’t counted on finding himself attracted to his enemy’s daughter! Alice has captured his heart with her quiet beauty and determined spirit, but is Michael too blinded by his desire for revenge to realize that the only way he can vanquish his demons is by spending the rest of his life with Alice?

Michael’s breathless kisses and seductive caresses have reawakened feelings deep within Alice which she had thought she would never feel again. Alice has fallen madly in love with her captor, but will she still feel the same way when she finds out the shocking secret that Michael’s been keeping from her?

Captured for the Captain’s Pleasure is a spellbinding Regency romance written with flair, style and verve. A heart-wrenching, engrossing and poignantly romantic tale of secrets, betrayal, redemption and the ties that bind, Captured for the Captain’s Pleasure is an outstanding historical romance featuring a wonderful heroine readers will relate to and a dashing privateer hero who gives Captain Jack Sparrow a run for his money!

Sensuous, atmospheric and absorbing from beginning to end, Captured for the Captain’s Pleasure is a superbly written Regency romance from Ann Lethbridge!

1 person likes this post.

by juliemt

Review: In Bed with a Stranger – India Grey

February 9, 2012 in Harlequin Presents, January 2012, Reviews, USA by juliemt

When Sophie had agreed to act as her best friend Jasper’s girlfriend, the last thing she had expected was to fall madly in love with his brother, Kit. Having always recoiled from the idea of marriage and long-term commitment, Sophie had been shocked when she had found herself falling under Kit’s spell. Despite the many obstacles that had come their way, Kit and Sophie’s love had triumphed against the strongest of odds, and the two had quickly declared their love for one another and got engaged. Sophie had never believed that she could be so happy and she is waiting with baited breath until Kit returns from his latest tour on the frontline so that they can be a couple again. Their reunion is raw, intoxicating and passionate, however, Sophie cannot shake off this feeling that the man she is hoping to spend the rest of her life with now seems like a total stranger…

Falling in love had not been on Kit Fitzroy’s agenda, but when he’d clapped eyes on Sophie, the jaded and dejected soldier had quickly realized that he couldn’t bear to spend another moment without the woman who had come to mean the world to him. But the shadows of Kit’s past continue to haunt him – and to come between him and Sophie. As Kit begins to get more and more distant, Sophie hopes that a trip to Morocco could help her breach the wall that Kit has built around himself and help to bring them close together again. However, unbeknownst to Sophie, Kit is being persistently dogged and persecuted by an enemy he might not be able to defeat – an enemy who could jeopardize his future with Sophie and their happiness.

As explosive secrets are exposed in Morocco, Kit finds himself seeking sanctuary in Sophie’s bed. Under the exotic Moroccan skies, Kit and Sophie’s passionate attraction and red-hot desire for one another continues to sizzle, but despite nights entangled in each other’s arms, in the cold light of day Sophie cannot help but feel that Kit is pushing her away…

Will Sophie’s love manage to vanquish Kit’s demons once and for all? Or is there no way back for them?

In Bed with a Stranger is a remarkable work of romantic fiction. Sublimely written, intensely emotional and powerfully told, In Bed with a Stranger is a splendid tale of yearning, longing and passion that will leave readers breathless. Kit and Sophie’s epic romance beautifully plumbs the depths of the human heart and will take readers on an emotional journey they will never forget.

A dramatic, heart-wrenching but ultimately uplifting romantic tale by one of contemporary romance’s most skillful writers, In Bed with a Stranger ranks as one of the best romances I have ever read!

1 person likes this post.

CATAROMANCE INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA WHITE DAILLE

February 8, 2012 in Interviews by Donna Zapf

Barbara, we are thrilled to have you visit CataRomance.

Thanks so much!  I’m happy to stop in and chat with you and your readers.

Please give us a little background about yourself.

I’m a former Easterner now transplanted to the sunny Southwest.  It was a big culture shock to go from a small town surrounded by big cities to a small town where we find lizards in the front yard and scorpions in the bathroom.  (smile)

My books are short contemporary, category romances from Harlequin American Romance.  I hope readers enjoy my characters—including the quirky ones.  And I hope the stories give them a heartwarming, emotionally satisfying feeling.

We must hear more about your newest book, THE RODEO MAN’S DAUGHTER.

This book is set in Flagman’s Folly, New Mexico, the same small town as in my previous book, A RANCHER’S PRIDE.

THE RODEO MAN’S DAUGHTER tells the story of ex-rodeo star Caleb Cantrell. After growing up dirt-poor and looked down upon by folks in town, Caleb took off while he was still a teen, headed for fame and fortune.  A near-fatal injury destroys his rodeo dreams, and he returns to his hometown.  His goals is to settle scores with the folks who’d done him wrong—and then leave them all behind for good.  Despite his rocky reunion with his high-school sweetheart, he finds his interest in her still going strong.  And all of a sudden, he’s got a hankering to hang around.

What other projects do you have coming up?

Next is another book set in Flagman’s Folly.

HONORABLE RANCHER (August 2012) tells the story of Ben Sawyer, a man whose best friend died an Army hero.  Ben’s fighting to keep the promise he made to take care of his friend’s family.  He’s also struggling to keep his hands off the woman he’s loved from afar since kindergarten—his best friend’s widow.

What is a typical writing day like for you?

The day starts off with e-mail—checking for messages from my editor, business contacts, friends, and fans.  I’m trying to touch base at Facebook and Twitter more regularly, too.  Then I get going on the latest book.

Once I have the computer file open, I really buckle down and make great progress.

When you are not writing, what are your hobbies or interests?

With writing full-time and a part-time second job, I don’t have a lot of room in my schedule right now for hobbies.  Number one, of course, is reading!

Other than that, to name a few interests, I like baking, eating chocolate (smile), attending the theatre, and doing crossword and other types of puzzles.  When I lived back East, my mom and I used to do the Sunday Times puzzle together every weekend.  I’m also into square-dancing and indoor gardening—though I’ve become deadly to houseplants since I moved to the dry Southwest.

What authors inspire you?

There are too many to name!  And since I know so many authors personally, I’d be afraid of leaving someone out.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Never give up.  If you have the desire and the drive to write, persistence is key.  Keep working and improving.  Hang in there, and good luck!

You began your writing career writing Harlequin American Romance, have you thought of writing other category lines or possibly single title fiction?

I’m thrilled to be writing for Harlequin American Romance, since I think it’s a great match for me, and I hope to have a home there for a very long time.

As a writer always looking to grow and to improve my craft, I constantly have book ideas percolating in my brain.  The great thing is, my publisher has a line or imprint for almost any kind of book I’d like to write.

Is there anything you would like your readers to know about you?

Yes.  I’d like to refer to a clip from my bio, because this absolutely says it all:

From the time she was a toddler, Barbara found herself fascinated by those things her mom called “books.”  Once she learned the words between the covers held the magic of storytelling, she wanted to see her words in print so she could weave that spell for others.

Barbara hopes you will enjoy reading her stories and will find your own storytelling magic in them!

How can your readers find out more about you and your books?

They can visit my website:  www.barbarawhitedaille.com

And if they’re on Facebook and Twitter, they can find me there, too:  www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille and twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

Thank you so much, Barbara, for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us at CataRomance.

My pleasure!  I appreciate your time, too, and hope your readers enjoyed our interview.

I look forward to comments and questions from them and will stop in a few times over the next few days to respond.

Barbara White Daille’s latest release THE RODEO MAN’S DAUGHTER is available now.

3 people like this post.

by juliemt

Review: Craving the Forbidden – India Grey

February 1, 2012 in December 2011, Harlequin Presents, Reviews, UK by juliemt

Sophie Greenham doesn’t usually spend her time ticket-dodging in a first-class train carriage, but having spent the past few days fending off the advances of an infatuated French painter and filming a vampire film that’s got box office turkey written all over it, the bubbly actress just wants some peace and quiet where she can recharge her batteries and prepare herself for her next role: as her best friend Jasper’s girlfriend for a gathering of the Fitzroy family at their ancestral home in Northumberland, Alnburgh Castle. Having managed to evade the ticket inspector, Sophie begins to make herself comfortable in first class unaware that she’s managed to capture the eye of a weary traveller who is also heading to Alnburgh Castle: Jasper’s elder brother, Kit Fitzroy…

Kit Fitzroy would rather be back on the frontline fighting the cruelest of enemies than heading back to Alnburgh Castle. The magnificent ancestral mansion might be his childhood home, but its corridors reverberate with the horrors of his boyhood. Kit is well aware that at Alnburgh Castle, he will once again have to face demons from his past, but the courageous soldier has never walked away from a fight in his life – and he is not about to start now. Kit is ready to do battle and to fight for his birthright, however, he is ill prepared for the powerful desire which Sophie Greenham unleashes deep within him…

Sophie is well aware that she’s not exactly made a good first impression on Kit. Brusque, taciturn and intense, Kit Fitzroy is one of the most infuriating, aggravating – and most desirable men Sophie’s ever clapped eyes on. Although she knows that she must resist Kit at all costs, Sophie quickly finds herself falling under the valiant soldier’s spell. But will she ever be able to breach the impenetrable defenses which Kit has built around his heart?

Falling in love with his brother’s girlfriend was not part of Kit’s plan, but will he choose duty over desire and risk losing Sophie? Or will he manage to conquer his demons and claim the woman he loves more than anything else in the world?

India Grey is a phenomenally talented writer who has written a passionate, heart-wrenching, tempestuous and wholly mesmerizing tale of torrid desire, destructive truths and intensely powerful emotion. India Grey never fails to create beautifully drawn characters that leap off the pages and linger in the reader’s mind long after the last page is turned and Kit and Sophie are wonderfully nuanced characters readers will love, cheer for and care about.

The literary equivalent of a glass of the finest and most expensive champagne, Craving the Forbidden is a stunning emotional tour de force from a writer who is at the top of her game: India Grey.

1 person likes this post.
Related Posts with Thumbnails