Tempting the Bride-Sherry Thomas

Tempting the Bride


Sherry Thomas

Berkley, Oct 2 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425251027



In 1896, the Ton believes that David Hillsborough, Viscount Hastings, has never been in love. However, David suspects that a few people who truly know him realize he loves Helena Fitzhugh; but she hates him ever since he was a teenage snot and besides she loves a married man. When a tryst goes wrong, David intercedes to keep Helena out of a life ruining scandal. They elope.



A carriage accident leaves Helena suffering from amnesia. Seeing a chance at happiness David persuades his wife they are in love. As they become friends and lovers, the moment David dreads yet wants occurs; his beloved’s memory returns.



The latest Fitzhugh Victorian romance (see Ravishing the Heiress) is an engaging historical starring a lead male in unrequited love and the female he cherishes who loathes him. The amnesia ploy has been used before in relationships (including the TV show Grim), but comes across fresh as David knows his judgment day of reckoning is coming but cannot stop himself from insisting they are in love.



Harriet Klausner

Follow My Lead-Lisa Renee Jones

Follow My Lead


Lisa Renee Jones

Harlequin Blaze, Sep 18 2012, $5.25

ISBN: 9780373797202



Reality TV show, Stepping Up, begins dance auditions for the second season shows. Rival variety show hosts Blake Nelson and Darla James are hired as part of the new season. Blake will film the opening auditions in Denver as he did with the successful first season (see Watch Me). Darla has been named a judge though she must prove her worth if she wants the job for the entire year’s run; which she does to pay off her parents’ enormous debts.



Darla and Black may be competitors, but they are also attracted to one another. He pushes a relationship while she hesitates. Still they begin a secret tryst that if exposed will nuke their careers.



The enjoyable second Stepping Up season focuses on auditions and the shaky top secret affair, but neither subplot is fully developed as the heated storyline comes across as emaciated. Still this is a fun read especially following the wannabe performers as they dance and the reactions by the judges to their performances.



Harriet Klausner

Living The Fantasy-Kathy Lyons

Living The Fantasy


Kathy Lyons

Harlequin Blaze, Sep 18 2012, $5.25

ISBN: 9780373797196



Quirky Games, Inc. CEO Ken Johnson seeks a queen, but not any royal will do. He needs to find Guinevere in Houston to help promote their new game, Winning Guinevere. Ken knows the significance of this actress on his firm; if this game fails to sell Quirky files for bankruptcy.



At the agency Ken hired to find his star, he sees his Queen leave the elevator and assumes Ali Flores is a model. In fact Ali is a shy office worker who hates her current job and happened to be in the building meeting her BFF, who is working the Quirky account, for lunch. Ken hires Ali who immediately takes to her role and her new employee as he changes his goal from selling his game to Winning Guinevere the woman he loves.



Living the Fantasy is an engaging heated romance starring a hunky geek and a no longer reticent heroine. Readers will enjoy the protagonists’ escapades in and out of bed as they turn their sexual role playing into a loving reality.



Harriet Klausner

A Heart Made New-Kelly Irvin

A Heart Made New


Kelly Irvin

Harvest House, Oct 1 2012, $13.99

ISBN: 9780736943833



In Bliss Creek, Kansas, Annie Shirack and David Plank love each other. Annie, who works for David’s mom at Plank’s Pastry and Pie Shop, wants to forge a relationship with him. David does too, but refuses to act on his feelings because he struggles with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and refuses to allow his beloved the tsuris of dealing with someone with a potential death sentence.



Logan McGee robs the bakery so that he can feed Charisma and their two years old daughter Gracie. Annie feels for the foolish lad while also taking into her home Charisma and Gracie. As a desperate Logan compounds his mistakes, Annie tries to help her two guests start anew while praying for the Lord to persuade David they belong together even if their time proves short.



The latest entertaining Bliss Creek Amish drama continues the tales of the Shirack family whose parents died in a tragic accident (see To Love and to Cherish). The cast is fully developed cast as two family members (younger brother Josiah) star in romances. Readers will appreciate this strong character-driven tale as love never dies.



Harriet Klausner

The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male-Jessica Clare

The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male


Jessica Clare

Berkley Heat, Oct 2 2012, $15.00

ISBN: 9780425253168



In Bluebonnet, Texas, after an on and off and on relationship with nice guy Allan, salon owner Beth Anne Williamson ends their engagement permanently as she is tired of his inability to keep his dick zippered. Beth Ann’s mom Jeannette sends her out to bring home her younger sister Lucy who is with her boyfriend Colossal attending a QuestMasters convention at a time when their dad meets with Senator Brown.



A reluctant Beth Ann heads to the Arcane Forest where the tournament is being held. When she gets lost in the woods during a rainstorm, former Marine Colt Waggoner finds Beth Anne. He thinks she is spoiled and pampered while she feels he disses her like he did before he left for the military. Angry, Colt decides to teach the snob a lesson in survival; but their rage towards each other turns to love. However, Allan is back as he needs Beth Anne in his life or face losing clients while Colt believes she is better off with her ex rather than someone from a scandalous family like his.



The second Bluebonnet romance (see The Girl's Guide to (Man) Hunting) is a fun heated contemporary as the townsfolk and Colt assume that Allan is the man for Beth Anne. The cast is solid as love (and great sex between batman and Wonder Woman) may not be enough for Colt and Beth Ann.



Harriet Klausner

Undeniable-Alison Kent

Undeniable


Alison Kent

Berkley Heat, Oct 2 2012, $15.00

ISBN: 9780425253267



In Crow Hill, Texas Tess and Dave Dalton left their rundown ranch to the Dalton Gang (Dax Campbell, Boone Mitchell and Casper Jayne). Hellcat Saloon owner Arwen Poole went to high school with the gang, but none of the noticed her, but it was the indifference of Dax, who she had a crash on sixteen years ago, that hurt.



When they meet for the first time after he left town years ago, Dax fully notices Arwen and her attributes. He wants her for a short fling as commitment is not in his dictionary; while she wants him for a short fling to get him flushed from her system. As they share a wonderful tryst, love intrudes on their best laid plans.



The first heated Dalton Gang romance stars two fascinating fully-developed protagonists who are offspring of alcoholic dads. Although the storyline goes the expected course, the pair’s making love in seemingly every conceivable spot makes for a hot time in Texas.



Harriet Klausner

Bianca-Bertrice Small

Bianca


Bertrice Small

NAL, Oct 2 2012, $16.00

ISBN: 9780451237958



In 1474 affluent Florentine silk merchant Giovanni Pietro d’Angelo and his wife Orianna expect to arrange the right marriages for their daughters starting with the oldest, sweet beautiful Lady Bianca. However, her future collapses when her brother Marco admits to doing something stupid. He and Stefano Rovere visited a courtesan who died when his friend rode her. To avoid a scandal they dumped her body in the river. Stefano told his abusive father Sebastiano who makes sure the stupidity remains buried but informs Giovanni he owes him for keeping the family out of a scandal. Payment is Bianca.



Bianca uses her intelligence to somewhat lessen the abuse of her husband. However, fearing for her life as Sebastiano turns uglier towards her, Bianca abetted by her mom flees to Santa Maria del Fiore convent before hiding in remote Villa Luce Stellare. There she meets and falls in love with kindhearted Turk, Prince Amir, the grandson of Memhet the Conqueror. When someone murders her odious husband, Bianca plans on becoming Amir’s spouse knowing her mom will disown her for marrying an infidel.



The first Silk Merchant's Daughters early Renaissance romance is an engaging historical. The cast is fully developed especially the heroine who refuses to sacrifice her happiness and future for a second time. Although Sebastiano’s death feels convenient even if he deserved to die, readers will enjoy touring Florence and the Italian coast.



Harriet Klausner