Aidan, Loyal Cowboy-Cathy McDavid

Aidan, Loyal Cowboy


Cathy McDavid

Harlequin American Romance, Jul 3 2012, $5.25

ISBN: 9780373754137



Aidan, Loyal Cowboy. Following the death of his father, veterinarian Aidan “Ace” Hart hopes to save his family’s Running Thunder Ranch while continuing his medical practice and work with Midnight the rodeo champion. A second order effect is that Ace has no time for socializing though he enjoyed his one night stand with Flynn McKinney. However, when he learns Flynn is pregnant from their tryst, he wants to be in her life and that of their child. She refuses though she loves him as she rejects being his latest responsibility project.



The Family Plan. After almost a decade away, Jolyn Sutherland returns to Blue Ridge to start a construction company. Her first customer is veterinarian Chase Raintree who wants his clinic expanded. As they muse over what could have been if not for SherryAnne and her daughter Mandy, they fall in love.



These are two warm second chance cowboy romances starring solid protagonists with offspring issues complicating the relationships though the wariness of the leads to take a chance on love can get frustrating. Note that The Family Plan is a bonus reprint.



Harriet Klausner

Claiming The Heart-Sara Luck

Claiming The Heart


Sara Luck

Pocket, April 24 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9781451652246



A few years after the Civil War ended, workaholic track supervisor Gabe Corrigan lives to see the expansion of the Texas and Pacific (T&P) Railroad across Texas as the deadline of reaching Fort Worth looms. His Louisiana Southern belle wife Marthalee complains that he pays no attention to her she insists his only love is the rails. Disgusted, Marthalee heads home while filing for an annulment.



Gabe does not blink with his spouse leaving him. Instead he finds himself attracted to hotel-shop owner Josie Laclede who loves his dream of rails across Texas. They fall in love and soon travel to DC where they meet the President and First Lady and other dignitaries. Marthalee comes back into his life claiming they remain married; as she wants part of the wealth he earned with his T&P investment and to be part of the DC upper crust society. Her father influential General Galloway offers Gabe a chance to reconcile with his family and to begin a political career; while foundling Josie knows she cannot compete, so she leaves.



This Reconstruction Era romance is a terrific Texas tale starring two fabulous protagonists. The mystery of Josie’s birth enhances this strong historical with a fabulous late spin that emphasizes the limited degrees of separation between slaves and the highest social elite. Character driven Sara Luck provides an enjoyable nineteenth century Americana tale.



Harriet Klausner

Great-Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells-Lisa Cach

Great-Aunt Sophia's Lessons for Bombshells


Lisa Cach

Gallery/Pocket, June 19 2012, $15.00

ISBN: 9781416513315



Grace Cavanaugh is a Ph.D. candidate in Women’s Studies whose thesis hypothesis is beauty leads to misery. Her octogenarian Great Aunt Sophia, a retired movie star, asks her to spend the summer with her as she heals from surgery. Though her aunt hurt her badly when she was a little girl, Grace agrees as Aunt Sophia is the anecdotal poster child of her thesis.



Grace assumes Aunt Sophia is alone in Pebble beach so she reached out desperately to her great niece. Instead Aunt Sophia may suffer from arthritis and have ancient skin, but remains a dynamite queen of her mansion and beyond as it’s the attitude that makes a bombshell a bombshell even at eighty-five. Her aunt mentors her into letting out her inner bombshell and soon Grace has two different men Declan and Andrew enthralled by her beauty.



This is an amusing lighthearted chick lit tale in which the triangle participants are overshadowed by the geriatric actress. Sub-genre fans will enjoy Grace gets her groove but seemingly at the cost of her dissertation as Great Aunt Sophia’s Lessons for Bombshells is based on the hypothesis that beauty is more than skin deep with the right attitude.



Harriet Klausner

Hot In Handcuffs-Shayla Black, Shiloh Walker, Sylvia Day

Hot In Handcuffs


Shayla Black, Shiloh Walker, Sylvia Day

Berkley, Jul 3 2012, $15.00

ISBN: 9780425247693



Arresting Desire by Shayla Black. FBI Agent Jon Bocelli and Professor Lucia DiStefano share the same desire that he be her first lover. Her work on her late father’s encrypted message becomes life threatening.



On Fire by Sylvia Day. Fire inspector Darcy Michaels asks Deputy U.S. Marshal Jared Cameron to help her investigate serial arsons. As they work together on the fires, they heat the sheets too until her past places her in peril.



The Unwilling by Shiloh Walker. Mica Greer and former FBI agent Colby Mathis were once lovers bound by psychic skills. They are back together investigating bizarre serial killings and a second chance at love.



These are three heated police procedural erotica though none of the lead protagonists are fully developed except the lower male heads.



Harriet Klausner

How To Be A Proper Lady-Katharine Ashe

How To Be A Proper Lady


Katharine Ashe

Avon, June 26 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 978-0062031761



In 1803 Devonshire, the smugglers abducted brazen child Viola Carlyle who was with her sister Serena. She was raised by a pirate.



In 1818, the April Storm privateers led by Massachusetts Captain Violet Laveel sink the Cavalier owned by Jin “The Pharaoh” Seton. He is stunned as he has searched for Viola Carlyle for two years as homage to his mentor Captain Alex Savege and the man’s wife Serena (see Captured by a Rogue Lord) and now he has found her. She takes him to a constable, but he buys his freedom and comes after her. Jin escorts Viola back to Serena. Though she loves her sibling, Viola feels like a fish out of water amongst the Ton and their inane rules of behavior while longing for Jin to kiss her again; a notion he loves and fears just like her.



The latest Falcon Club Regency romance (see When A Scot Loves A Lady) is a fun swashbuckling historical as two pirates fall. Though over the top of the Tower, fans will appreciate this exciting gender war as at sea, at port and at the ballroom, Captains Laveel and Seton fight, fuss and kiss.



Harriet Klausner

Defiant-Pamela Clare

Defiant


Pamela Clare

Berkley, July 3 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425246115



In 1760, her family banished Lady Sarah Woodville to the colonies after a scandal ruined her in London. She was sailing up the Hudson from New York to Albany to plead with her Uncle British army commander William Wentworth to help her, but the ship ran aground due to ice floes. Shawnee attack them scalping all except Sarah, her maid Jane and a young boy Thomas Wilkins. The Indians grab Sarah to take with them; she prays Jane and Thomas follow though she fears otherwise as unlike her they were not given moccasins to wear.



Lord William orders Scottish Major Connor MacKinnon to rescue his niece. Connor loathes his arrogant superior officer and assumes Lady Sarah shares his blood and his despicable loftiness. When he catches up the small band of Shawnee, Connor realizes the only way he can liberate Sarah is to claim she is his spouse and therefore has the right to fight her capturer for her. When he escorts her back to Albany, their roles reverse as she must save her beloved from her uncle.



The latest MacKinnon’s Rangers Colonial America romance (see Surrender and Untamed) is a delightful historical as the Scotsman and the Englishwoman fall in love; feelings neither want and sure to anger her uncle. Fast-paced, fans will believe Pamela Clare transported them to the upstate New York colony during the French and Indian War as Defiant is a vivid action-packed thriller.



Harriet Klausner

Echoes At Dawn-Maya Banks

Echoes At Dawn


Maya Banks

Berkley, July 3 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425250860



Affluent billionaire Gordon Farnsworth would do anything to save his beloved dying daughter Elizabeth. His last hope rests with alleged healer Grace Patterson. However, his crack team fails to bring her in as a fluke explosion allowed her to escape. Desperate he warns his operative he will die horribly if Elizabeth dies and then contacts Titan to retrieve the healer.



The Kelly Group International led by Rio mount a rescue. When he reaches her, he is taken aback as they telepathically communicate just like her sister does with KGI operative Nathan Kelly (see Whispers In The Dark). As he and his team escort Grace hopefully to safety, a mercury militia group and Titan pursue. Rio realizes his gut-need to keep Grace safe is more than just another mission as he willingly would die for this woman he loves; she feels the same and acts likewise.



The latest KGI romantic suspense (see Hidden Away) is a tense thriller starring an operative who like his teammates works missions outside of the government scope, but this time the task turns personal. Fast-paced time is running out on Elizabeth and subsequently anyone who her father believes allows her to die. Sub-genre fans will enjoy the healer and the operative as they fall in love struggling to stay alive.



Harriet Klausner