Garden Of The Moon-Elizabeth Sinclair

Garden Of The Moon

Elizabeth Sinclair

Medallion, Dec 1 2009, $7.95

ISBN: 9781933836980

 

Her mother believes her paranormal skill is an embarrassing curse; her father does not understand her skill, but cares what happens to his daughter.  Sara Wade sees ghosts.

 

Although their motives differ, her parents concur with Sara moving onto Harrogate, an estate she recently inherited from her late grandmother.  She wants to renovate the old house that she realizes she shares with two ghosts.  Jonathan Bradford claims she is his beloved Maddie Grayson who is in an old diary Sara found.  She believes Jonathan, who sends her back to his era to the year he died 1805.  The other spirit in her present wants Jonathan dead while Sara prays she can save the life of her beloved.

 

Garden of the Moon is an engaging reincarnation romance starring an intrepid heroine willing to risk her soul to go back to save that of her beloved, Jonathan who has waited two centuries for her return while sharing hell on earth with his enemy.  Although the moving back and forth between the present and the early nineteenth century feels jarring, fans will enjoy this fine paranormal romantic suspense due to the brave Maddie.

 

Harriet Klausner

A Storm Of Passion-Terri Brisbin

A Storm Of Passion

Terri Brisbin

Kensington Brava, Nov 24 2009, $14.00

ISBN: 9780758235169

 

The seer sent killers to murder her and her family.  The only survivor of the massacre, Moira swore vengeance and six years later her quest takes her to the camp of the Lord of the Isles Diarmid.  His Counselor guiding the lord, Connor has visions that disturb him as he sees himself jailed in a luxurious prison yet also spending nights with an unknown beautiful female.

 

Moira plans to sleep with the seer before killing him.  However, the night proves incredible and she fumbles her attempt to kill the seer.  Instead only wounded Connor enslaves Moira.  Over time she learns the secret price her capturer pays for visions and begins to feel for Connor, but is it enough to overcome her loathing in order to forgive him and help him.

 

This is a super paranormal romance that grips the audience the moment Connor sees the beautiful Moira for the first time and makes a bad assumption that his liege sent her.  The story line is fast-paced as she uses him but fails to kill him so she becomes his prisoner instead.  As their relationship changes the key remains constant throughout the exhilarating story line: readers and the hero wonder whether Moira can leave her hatred behind for her love of him.

 

Harriet Klausner

Untamed-Crystal Jordan

Untamed

Crystal Jordan

Kensington Aphrodisia, Nov 2009, $13.95

ISBN: 9780758238290

 

“Stolen Temptation”.  The Great Third World War was fought with biological weapons that devastated much of the planet.  To survive, humanity adjusted on a cellular level.  In New Chicago, hybrid human-lynx, Delilah Chase is a jewel thief.   However, her current robbery of a valuable ruby goes wrong when half-human-half-hawk Hunter Avery catches her.  He offers her a Faustian deal of going to jail or spending a week in his bed.

 

“Deadly Temptation”.  In New Chicago, Delilah’s human-mink shifter sister Lorelei Chase owns The Tail techno brothel that handles any fantasy a client might request.  She refuses to sample what her employees offer or her customers want but her worker jaguar-shifter Nolan Angelo and Fed wolf-shifter Pierce Vaughn have her ready to break her golden rule.

These two interrelated erotic urban romantic fantasies are fun to read as the cast heats up the Windy City from the moment the Avery flies to his penthouse and never slow down until Lorelei brings out the shivers in her two mates.  The novella format limits the background even with two entries; this especially makes it difficult for fans to understand the true differences between the diverse hybrids (to include the villain Tarak the viper who gets the short straw) besides the obvious physical beastly attributes.  Still fans will relish Crystal Jordon’s erotic take on half breed shapeshifters.

Harriet Klausner

Instinctive-Cathryn Fox

Instinctive

Cathryn Fox

NAL Heat, Oct 2009, $14.00

ISBN: 9780451227942

Jaclyn Vasenty knows in thirty five hours her true inner self will be dead.  She no longer run the wild side of life having sex with Brian and Kane who make her want to forget the obligation she owes her adopted parents Ben and Marie Vasenty who rescued her from Chicago transit and foster care.  She would do anything for the her parents so if she is to become head of her family’s company Vasenty Cosmetics as they want, she must change her image from bad girl to corporate exec starting by saving one of the failing stores in aptly named Serene, New Hampshire,.

However, her thought of boring serene rustication proves false when night falls on the gated community.  The wild come out in the dark as all types of paranormal walk the streets.  However, Jaclyn can indulge her Instinctive wild side impulse with shapeshifting panther Slyck as he takes her on runs to a nirvana she never tasted before.  As her libido goes stratospheric with the troposphere next, the paranormals are having intra species issues and Kane arrives to claim her.

This erotic romantic fantasy heats up New Hampshire with a variety of sexual trysts including the incredible sexcapades between the panther and his “Impulsive” feral female, a ménage a trois and FF.  However, the key to the torrid tale is the belief that the variety of paranormal species exists because the in-fighting seems genuine mirroring real life.  Still it is the torrid sex scenes that will arouse sub-genre fans to want more Eternal Pleasure in the erotic realm of the Fox.

Harriet Klausner

Soul Magic-Jennifer Lyon

Soul Magic

Jennifer Lyon

Ballantine, Oct 27 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780345506351

Wing Slayer Sutton West has vowed to follow his father’s lead if the moment he can no longer control his blood lust begins.  When the curse began to overwhelm his sire chose suicide rather than harm an innocent witch.

Rogue witch slayers killed Keri Fisk.  Two years have passed and her twin sister psychiatrist Dr. Carla Fisk still mourns her loss.  Sutton finds he is attracted to Carla, who runs a clinic, but he fears that desire might be the first step in the curse.  However, he saves her life when rogues attack, but both realize a shocker; the rogue Styx and the demon Asmodeus have teamed up and trapped Keri’s soul in a knife used by the witch slayer to provide his partner with the souls of witches she kills.  As they try to save Keri’s soul, Sutton and Carla wonder which twin is his soul mate.

The second Magic romantic fantasy (see Blood Magic) is a super saga as readers learn more about the plight of Keri and the soul mirrors through the lead couple.  The fun in the tale is observing Sutton and Carla forging a loving relationship in spite of the curse placing them in opposite hostile camps in which their attraction means death.  Filled with danger Soul Magic is a terrific tale that stands alone, but reading the previous entry enhances the knowledge of the Lyon world of Magic.

Harriet Klausner

Hex in High Heels-Linda Wisdom

Hex in High Heels

Linda Wisdom

Sourcebook, Oct 2009, $6.99

ISBN: 9781402218194

Blair Fitzpatrick is young, independent and pretty who is a boda fide powerful witch, whose specialty is creating hexes.  Carpenter Jake Harrison appeals to Blair on many levels, but the loner took a long time before telling her he was a Were.  He never mentions his former pack and always keeps his distance from people.  Bair knows he is interested in her as she is with him.

Jake’s former pack comes to town looking to buy land from Blair; this would let them be in his backyard with his brother Roan as the alpha.  She refuses to sell even as she sees Jake’s mom Vera and Roan despise him.  They are irate that he changes into a mere canine while everyone else becomes a wolf.  Vera wants her son dead, but Jake has allies including Blair who have his back from the alpha female leader of the pack.

The latest hexing romantic urban fantasy (see 50 WAYS TO HEX YOUR LOVER and HEX APPEAL) is a fabulous entry with a wonderfully ironic twist as Vera seeks to purchase a reverse spell from Blair to use against her son.  There is plenty of action as mother and son confront one another, but HEX IN HIGH HEELS is character driven as the audience sees deep inside the pack and their thoughts and musing, know how Jake feels with his brood in town, and of course there is the bewitching heroine who will put a hex on those who fail to read her escapades.

Harriet Klausner

The Best Gift-Wendy Markham

The Best Gift

Wendy Markham

Signet, Nov 2009, $6.99

ISBN: 9780451228444

On Christmas morning 2009 in the San Francisco Bay area, Clara thinks her life is finally perfect after her disastrous time in 1941 when she learned she has breast cancer and fell in love knowing her GI Jed Landy was going to die at Normandy; he pledged to always find her no matter what (see If Only in My Dreams).  Now in 2009 she loves her husband Drew and is seven weeks pregnant.

An earthquake hammers the Bay area.  Clara keeps moving back and forth between 2009 and 2012.  However what she observes in 2012 frightens her as she pregnant and alone except for boxes; Drew is nowhere and neither is the baby she was carrying in 2009.  She begins flickering back and forth to Christmas 2012. She can’t figure out what’s going on with her future self. She’s alone, hugely pregnant and the house is full of boxes.  However, she keeps thinking back to 1941 and her eternal soul mate’s pledge.

This is a terrific thought provoking tale that deftly combines time travel and reincarnation with the underlying theme that true love is forever.  The beleaguered Clara is confused as she struggles between 2012 and 2009 but finds solace with her thoughts of 1941.  Complicated and nonlinear, Wendy Markham continues her strong saga of love for all time.

Harriet Klausner

Home In Time For Christmas-Heather Graham

Home In Time For Christmas

Heather Graham

Mira, Oct 27 2009, $16.95

ISBN: 9780778326878

Shortly before Christmas, Melody Tarleton drives carefully on icy roads to spend part of the holidays with her parents.  However, in spite of her caution, she almost runs over a man who appears out nowhere on the slick road.  She helps confused Jake Mallory into her vehicle.  He is wearing eighteenth century garb while insisting he never seen anything like the vehicle she is driving them in.

Although she believes he is either severely injured to the head or a con artist, Melody takes Jake to her family home.  He eventually persuades his hosts that he really is a Revolutionary War patriot fighting for the colonies who was about to be hung in New York City in 1776.  As they fall in love, she tries to help him return to his present back in the late 1770s though he prefers to stay with her.

The fun in this entertaining often amusing time travel romance is the bewildered Jake who is confused about everything starting with the blood-red caress, but remains calm except for his feelings for the doubting Thomasina and his concerns re his “sister”.  Fans will enjoy this charmer as a Revolutionary War hero goes from red petals and the noose to red petals and love in time for Christmas.

Harriet Klausner

Draycott Everlasting-Christina Skye

Draycott Everlasting

Christina Skye

Harlequin HQN, Nov 2009, $7.99

ISBN: 9780373774159

“Christmas Knight”.  Although she has not seen Glenbrae, Hope O’Hara purchases the Highlands Manor with plans to convert the house into a bed and breakfast.  The Wishwell sisters think Hope is perfect for Ronan McLeod, the thirteen century first owner of Glenbrae. Although they live seven centuries apart, the siblings use magic to bring Hope and Ronan together; believing love will do the rest.

“Moonrise”.  Former Crusader Knight, Navarre the Wolf plans to kill his former friend Adrian the ghost guardian of Draycott Abbey for betraying him.  Collateral damage is acceptable to Adrian who casts a spell that will kill everyone inside by moonrise.  The lone human resident is FBI agent Sara Nightingale seeking clues to a missing treasure, but instead meets Navarre and Adrian.

These are two entertaining Draycott romantic fantasies with Christmas Knight being a 1998 reprint and Moonrise a novella.  Fast-paced and filled with strong characters especially lead protagonists in conflict and love Christina Skye casts a spell on her audience with the coupling of the new and the old.

Harriet Klausner

Chosen by Desire-Kate Perry

Chosen by Desire

Kate Perry

Forever, Oct 2009, $6.99

ISBN: 9780446541015

Carrie Wood went from San Francisco to China in order to finish her thesis that claims the Scrolls of Destiny exist.  Her goal to teach at Berkley foster her ambitions so she sneaks inside a monastery to take pictures serendipitously but quickly realizes the gig is up.  Instead of fleeing gently into the night, she rationalizes that she borrows with plans to return what she takes; she steals the Book of Water.

Carrie misunderstands what she purloined as the scrolls make her a target for those greedy with the need for power even as she gains some from the Book she possesses.  Meanwhile Metal Guardian Max Prescott is sent to retrieves the stolen artifacts.  He hires the thief to translate selections of Chinese text from his personal collection.  However, he is angry at himself and her because he has no time for his deep attraction to a burglar.

The Guardians of Destiny urban romantic fantasy (see MARKED BY PASSION) is a fast-paced action thriller from the moment that Carrie questions why she is stealing the scrolls and never slows down as a mutual enemy craves what she took.  Max is a fun to watch his agony of falling in love with a person he considers a lowlife academic crook.  The return of the stars from the previous entry enhances an entertaining often amusing taut thriller.

Harriet Klausner