Master of Fire (Berkley Sensation) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is kind of an aside from the rest of the Magevese series. It is about Logan (Author's son) and Giada. The characters are well drawn and even the spear carriers are interesting. The menace this time is from an unexpected source and is fairly interesting.
So why 3 stars (a bit better than average for the genre). Some inconsistencies; as I remember Logan is some kind of corporate raider type not a bomb disposal guy. A mortar is a gadget used to fire a round not the thing that explodes (see the [...] article). Then there's the place where its a rifle in one paragraph and a shotgun in the next. Not as many or as obtrusive as some other publishers and authors but still annoying. Then there's the main characters. How does a small county sheriff department afford a bomb disposal and forensic chemist. I live in a small county and the Sheriff's department uses volunteers from the local fire districts (the districts pay for the training and certification out of their budgets) as arson investigators and forensics guys and relies on the state for bomb disposal and chemist support.
While the erotic scenes are nicely done, they don't save a somewhat weak plot.
BTW while this can be read standalone at least some familiarity with the mageverse will help it make sense (particularly the stories about the wolves).

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A new Mageverse novel-from the New York Times bestselling author of Master of Dragons A beautiful, brilliant chemist, Giada Shepherd is an immortal witch charged with saving the life of Logan MacRoy, the mortal son of a vampire. Passionately attracted to Giada, Logan has no idea that sex would turn him into a vampire. And no, as a killer sets deadly traps for them, the truth must come out, as must a weapon they never counted on: love...

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Breakfast in Bed (A Story of a Woman Sorely Tempted By Forbidden Love) (4 Audio Cassettes/5.75 Hrs.) Review

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(More customer reviews)Sloan Fairchild has spent her entire life feeling worthless. It happens with her family and anyone else she loves. She decided to put herself into her B&B. She was content until Carter Madison came into her life. He was trying to finish his novel, and needed some peace and quiet to complete it. They both felt the attraction, but he was her friend Alicia's fiancé. As they both try to fight their feelings, they fight a losing battle.
This is one of the first Sandra Brown books I read, and find myself pulling it out to reread it again and again. It is a classic story.


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Mayne Attraction: In The Spotlight Review

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(More customer reviews)This book took me forever to read. Now, that wasn't the book or the author's fault; it was mine. I was so busy that I didn't have any time to sit down and enjoy this novel. But when I had a night alone, I devoured about half of this humungous book as quick as I could.
Ellery is a really good protagonist. Though she is sometimes too intelligent to believe, she carries the story well and has a quirky personality that was easy to relate to. Her friends she meets along the way were fun and loving, though they kept secrets just like everyone else in this book seemed to do.
The fight for Ellery's heart is fought between Ash Ryan and Grayson Gregory. While reading, my mind kept fluctuating between the two suitors, trying to pinpoint who would be the better match for Ellery. But just like Ellery, I was at a lost. I think I know who I am rooting for at this point, Ash, but with two more books in this series, one told from Grey's and the other from Ash's point of view, my opinion could certainly change.
The writing in this book was definitely a high point. Mauren shows that she has a strong command over the English language with her powerful diction choices, descriptive writing, and the overall ability to keep readers engaged with an interesting story.
The story in this novel was one of the most unique young adult books I have ever read. The complexity of it all shows that Mauren was thinking the plot out well before she dived into writing this book. She had it all planned out and showed it in this groundbreaking debut. I loved following Ellery, Ash, and Grayson on their fun and intense adventures over the course of In the Spotlight. However, the plot did move pretty slowly and I feel a lot of content could have been removed to make this a quicker read.
Ann Mauren is definitely an author to watch. I cannot wait for the sequels to In the Spotlight, In the Shadow and In the Smoke. Though I will miss Ellery's narration, I am looking forward to seeing into the minds of Ash and Grey.

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Blue Smoke and Murder CD Review

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(More customer reviews)Very disappointing. The story line was lost totally by the time all of the details of art were dealt with. I bought the book but got the CD book from the library so started with that. I made it through the first half of the story but just couldn't take listening to the other half.

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Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.

Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time.

Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory—among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.

From the cozy rooms of the Breck homestead cabin to the cold multimillion-dollar galleries of the Western art circuit, Zach and Jill must race against time to unmask a ruthless killer hidden in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies, and death. . . .

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Night Tales: Night Shift/ Night Shadow/ Nightshade/ Night Smoke Review

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(More customer reviews)Four oldies but goodies from Nora Roberts. The woman continues to astound me with her ability to write so many great stories!NIGHT SHIFT: Edge of your seat suspense! Cilla O'Roarke is a night time DJ, she plays the greatest RR in the Denver, Colorado area. One night during the open line request portion of the show she gets a threatening phone call from someone who says he's going to kill her. Although Cilla is stubborn and doesn't want to call in the police, the manager of the radio station calls them in. Detective Boyd Fletcher is one of the two officers assigned to protect her and solve the case. The ensuing drama of catching the man threatening Cilla's life and the heated romance that begins between Cilla and Boyd keep the reader riveted right up to the last page. Highly recommended!
NIGHT SHADOW: Deborah O'Roarke, Cilla O'Roarke's sister from Night Shift, has graduated from law school, passed the bar exam and taken a job as Assistant District Attorney of Urbana. The hero of the piece is Gage Guthrie whose character bears a striking resemblance to Roarke in Nora Roberts series written as J.D. Robb. There's also a mystery hero who roams the streets at night, Nemesis, who reminded me a great deal of Batman! Deborah first encounters the illusive Nemesis when she is attacked one night after visiting a potential witness in a bad part of the city. The story has twists, turns and many surprises. A fantastic read that keeps the readers attention!
NIGHTSHADE: Lieutenant Althea Grayson was Detective Boyd Fletcher's partner in Night Shift. Now Boyd Fletcher is Captain and Althea ends up partnering with Private Investigator Colt Nightshade to find a young girl who ran away from home and was then abducted and held prisoner by a porn-video ring. Althea has her own past shadows that make her a tough cop and an even tougher woman. Colt is an old school friend of Boyd's and is in Denver to find the girl because her parents, old friends, asked that he intervene after they received a letter from a young woman who said she had seen their daughter. Sparks fly between Althea and Colt as she is a `by the books' copy and he is a `no rules apply' kind of guy. The mystery of the girls whereabouts and the powers behind the porno-video ring unfold to a dramatic and class A mystery ending. A terrific read, beginning to end.
NIGHT SMOKE: Natalie Fletcher, Boyd Fletcher's sister, is head of the Fletcher business empire. Natalie is fiercely working on the opening of a new chain of women's high class lingerie when the warehouse containing the majority of her stock burns down. Arson inspector Ryan Piasecki determines the fire is arson and sets out to uncover the motive and the criminal. Natalie and Ryan are exact opposites and immediately lock horns. This book brings back the characters from all the previous stories and it's great to meet them again. There's a dramatic conclusion to the story, with Nemesis lending a hand and the surprise of who is actually behind the fires and the motive.

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Night Smoke Review

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(More customer reviews)RYAN PIASECKI: A man's man. A woman's fantasy. The kind of guy who got the job done, no matter what the obstacles.. or how beatiful they were. NATALIE FLETCHER: Cool, calm, collected. Until someone started making trouble for her business... and HE showed up. Arson investigator Ryan Piasecki came from the street, and he wasn't the type to make nice with an upper-crust business executive like Natalie Fletcher. His business was fires-and his instincts told him the one at Fletcher Industries was no accident. They told him something else, too-that the sparks flying between him and this very classy lady had all the makings of a five-alarm blaze....

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Web of Smoke Review

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(More customer reviews)I was instantly pulled into the the novel after reading the first few paragraphs. The story begins with Chiristie McCoy waiting for something. That something is never revealed. A man named DC invades her house and attacks her. Throughout the novel she is determined to find out why, with the help of her soon to be ex-husband Sam. In addition to attacking Christie, DC also kidnaps a little girl named Jessica. There are many plot twists, which always make you raise an eyebrow, and after completing a chapter you find yourself hating DC even more. This was a good read and I recommend this book to anyone who loves to be on the edge of their seat.

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Nora Roberts CD Collection 3: Birthright, Northern Lights, Blue Smoke Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this CD collection because I love Nora Roberts books and I am on the road a lot. I enjoyed listening to Northern Lights and Blue Smoke, but didn't care for the narrator for Birthright. If I didn't like the story itself so much, I probably wouldn't have been able to endure listening to it till the end.
If you like listening to books on CD I would still recommend buying this collection. I felt 2nd and 3rd stories were well narrated. You may like Birthright, but I just couldn't warm to the narrator's voice for the main characters. I still gave this cd collection 4 stars. I will definitely keep my collection.

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Birthright:Recruited for her expertise on an Antietam Creek dig, archaeologist Callie Dunbrook encounters danger - as a cloud of death and misfortune hangs over the project. She finds a passion that feels equally dangerous, as she works with her irritating, but irresistible, ex-husband, Jake. And when a strange woman approaches her, claiming to know a secret about Callie's privileged Boston childhood, some startling and unsettling questions are raised about her very identity. Northern Lights:With nowhere else to go, Nate Burke accepts the job as Chief of Police in a tiny, remote Alaskan town. Meg Galloway, born and raised in Lunacy, has learned to be independent. After her New Year's kiss with the Chief of Police, she allows herself to give in to passion. And now, things in Lunacy are heating up. Years ago a crime occurred - and Nate suspects that a killer still walks the snowy streets. Blue Smoke: The blaze that night at her family's pizzeria changed young Reena Hale's life in more ways than one. As Reena gazed into the fire, her destiny began to take shape. She would study, struggle, and walk the gauntlet to one day become an investigator herself. But she is not the only one fascinated by the flames. Someone else is obsessed not with conquering the fire but with controlling it, owning it, using it to exact vicious revenge'

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Smoke & Mirrors Review

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(More customer reviews)Smoke and Mirrors was an awesome end to the Gianni Trilogy. This entire serious is a must read. KR has a way who describing every scene that makes you feel as if you were right in the room. These books are not for the faint of heart!! KR wrapped this series up with a banger!

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Smoke in Mirrors Review

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(More customer reviews)For the last several books, Jayne Ann Krentz (who also writes as Amanda Quick) has been ignoring current romance trends to shift her style more and more toward romantic suspense. As she's done so, her writing style has become a bit more aloof, leading to less development of her main characters and the romance between them. Quick's "Slightly Shady" was somewhat of a disappointment for me; the characters and romance seemed almost incidental to the plot.
"Smoke in Mirrors" retreats somewhat from that aloof style, giving us good character and romantic development and appealing secondary characters. In addition, the mystery here is well integrated with the characters.
Leonora is a good Krentz heroine, with the loyalty and spunk we've come to expect. Thomas is another brooding Krentz hero, complete with large scary (but appealing) dog. The romance between them seems natural and easy, and the development of a secondary romance between Thomas's brother and his yoga instructor is handled well.
That said, the pacing of this book was a little off. While the initial build-up of suspense worked well, the conclusion seems rushed, and the eventual unmasking of the "villain" doesn't seem to make all that much sense. All is explained, but it would have been clearer if the conclusion had gone a slightly different direction.
Still, this is good Krentz, with all the hallmarks her fans have come to expect of her. A good read! Enjoy!

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Texas Gun Smoke (Harlequin Intrigue) Review

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(More customer reviews)Tense and moving, TEXAS GUN SMOKE is the second romantic suspense in Joanna Wayne's Four Brothers of Colts Run Cross series for Harlequin Intrigue.
When Bart Collingsworth witnesses a car being run off the road near his family's ranch, he's pretty sure it's attempted murder. The female driver, however, insists it was just an accident but he's sure she's lying. His better judgment tells him the young beauty is big trouble while his cowboy's sense of honor compels him to help her.
Jaclyn Macgregor wishes she could trust the handsome young rancher although bitter experience has taught her rich men like him break the hearts of poor women like her. Once he finds out the truth about her past, he'll run, not walk, away anyhow. Besides, Jaclyn suspects a womanizing Louisiana politician is behind her best friend's disappearance in New Orleans and now he's out to get her. Can they find her friend and expose a ruthless killer before Jaclyn becomes the next victim?
Bart and Jaclyn are richly drawn characters whose worlds have been so very different they must overcome lifetimes of experience to trust each other and eventually fall in love. Ms. Wayne beautifully captures the strength of Bart's family who trust him in spite of overwhelming evidence that condemns Jaclyn. Whether describing ranch life, a small Texas town, New Orleans or the sleezey side of Louisiana politics, Ms Wayne's writing rings true and brings the action alive. From page one, this book will have you hooked.


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The Smoke Thief (The Drakon, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)I hate it when a good idea and good writing gets ruined by the misconception that a manipultive, abusive liar is a romantic lead. Christoff repeatedly ignores, insults, and disrepects the heroine. When he finally bullies her into submission, they ride off into the sunset, happy and in love.
In a "passionate" moment, he doesn't care if it is "rape or seduction" as long as he can have sex with Clarissa. Any hero that can confuse rape with passion is no hero.
I like a strong male as the love interest, but when his "strength" destoys her hopes and makes her miserable, I could only feel disgust for him and for her for not having the backbone with him that she had everywhere in the rest of her life.


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For centuries they've lived in secret among northern England's green and misted hills. Creatures of extraordinary beauty, power, and sensuality, they possess the ability to shape-shift from human to dragon and back again.Now their secret–and their survival–is threatened by a temptation that will break every boundary....Dubbed the Smoke Thief, a daring jewel thief is confounding the London police. His wealthy victims claim the master burglar can walk through walls and vanish into thin air. But Christoff, the charismatic Marquess of Langford, knows the truth: the thief is no ordinary human but a "runner" who's fled Darkfrith without permission. As Alpha leader of the dra´kon, it's Kit's duty to capture the fugitive before the secrets of the tribe are revealed to mortals. But not even Kit suspects that the Smoke Thief could be a woman. Clarissa Rue Hawthorne knew her dangerous exploits would attract the attention of the dra´kon. But she didn't expect Christoff himself to come to London, dangling the tribe's most valuable jewel–the Langford Diamond–as bait. For as long as she could remember, Rue had lived the life of a halfling–half dra´kon, half mortal–and an outcast in both worlds. She'd always loved the handsome and willful Kit from the only place it was safe: from afar. But now she was no longer the shy, timid girl she'd once been. She was the first woman capable of making the Turn in four generations. So why did she still feel the same dizzying sense of vulnerability whenever he was near?From the moment he saw her, Kit knew that the alluring and powerful beauty was every bit his Alpha equal and destined to be his bride. And by the harsh laws of the dra´kon, Rue knew that she was the property of the marquess. But they will risk banishment and worse for a chance at something greater. For now Rue is his prisoner, the diamond has disappeared, and she's made the kind of dangerous proposition a man like Kit cannot resist....In this bewitching novel, Shana Abé transports us into a world of exhilarating romance and magic.From the Hardcover edition.

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Blue Smoke and Murder Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a devoted Elizabeth Lowell fan and own everyone of her books that I can find. I am sorry to say that this book was really hard to finish because the story was not all that interesting.
In her usual voice, Lowell does a fantastic job of describing her main characters. Jill and Zach are an interesting couple who have a palpable attraction for each other. Lowell has shows you how they meet and gives you circumstances that unite the couple for a good cause (i.e., staying alive long enough to unravel the mystery of Jill's art inheritance).
I lost interest in this book about 50% of the way into it. At that point, the story didn't really leave any mysteries for the reader as I had already figured out the rest of the book. Instead, I felt like I was waiting for Lowell to get on with it so I could go to my next book.
This book is probably the least satisfying read out of all her books. Since Lowell doesn't publish very often, I was pretty disappointed in how uninterestingly this book was written.
For other Lowell readers, I would recommend checking this book out at your local library and not spending money on it until it comes out in paperback.

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Jill Breck was just doing her job as a river guide when she saved the life of Lane Faroe, son of two of St. Kilda Consulting's premier operators. But when a string of ominous events—including a mysterious fire that kills her great-aunt and a furor in the Western art world raised by a dozen Breck family paintings—culminates in a threat to her life, Jill reluctantly calls in a favor.

Zach Balfour works part-time as a consultant for St. Kilda. His expertise is gathering and analyzing information from unlikely and often dangerous sources. Though he's got the skills to be a highly effective bodyguard, being a bullet catcher isn't his preferred way to spend time.

Protecting Jill will take him into familiar territory—among a strange, savagely competitive bunch of collectors who'll do anything to stay at the top. But Jill is in deeper waters than she's ever known; as she soon discovers, the perils of running wild rivers are tame compared with the hidden dangers in the high-stakes game of art collecting.

From the cozy rooms of the Breck homestead cabin to the cold multimillion-dollar galleries of the Western art circuit, Zach and Jill must race against time to unmask a ruthless killer hidden in a blue smoke of money, threats, lies, and death. . . .

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Where There's Smoke Review

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(More customer reviews)Dr. Lara Mallory is a fallen woman since a tabloid incident involving her and Senator Clark Tackett. She had been married at the time, and found anything but a forgiving attitude following the scandal. Finally, after Clark Tackett dies and leaves her a medical practice in his home town of Eden Pass, Texas, she decides to start over there. Besides, she believes the Tackett family owes her, and she's in town to collect a favor from Clark's younger brother, notorious playboy Key. Things are even tougher in Eden Pass, however, because Clark's powerful mother, Jody Tackett, has it out for her. Key seems to share his mother's low opinion, as does his mouse of a sister, Janellen, and the rest of the town. Key despises himself for falling for his dead brother's bimbo, but he can't seem to resist her. At the same time, 33-year-old Janellen is finally breaking out of her shell. When an ex-con named Bowie Cato comes in to Tackett Oil looking for a job, there's something compelling about him, and pretty soon Janellen starts restyling her hair and wearing make-up while she and Bowie sneak around to build their romance.
Sandra Brown can write one heck of a gripping thriller, but sometimes her books seem to have somewhat of a hard edge to them, and this is one of those books. It's as if the author was undergoing difficult personal turmoil at the time, and it came out in her writing. The judgmental attitude that pervades this novel seems appropriate for a small town like Eden Pass, but doesn't fit quite so well with the rest of the country, considering that infidelity did not sink the political aspirations of Bill Clinton, and notoriety has become a form of fame. She tosses words like whore, tramp, and trash around quite liberally, which made it difficult to warm to several of the characters. Perhaps it was done on purpose to underscore the hypocrisy inherent in these characters, but it was still somewhat distasteful.
The story was a good one, with a few good twists and turns along the way, but I also was not horribly fond of the ending. She created and fleshed out a couple of characters simply to kill them off at the end, and another rather innocuous character meets a bad end that didn't seem fitting to his actions throughout the book. Aside from those complaints, however, this is a pretty good novel with a compelling storyline. I just think I would have liked it better if everyone within its pages wasn't quite so mean.


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Smoke Screen (Love Inspired Suspense) Review

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(More customer reviews)Stephanie Newton continues her series set in Sea Breeze, Florida with the January release of Smoke Screen featuring Jake Rollins, ex-firefighter turned pastor. Jake was sidelined from fire fighting due to an injury incurred while trying to rescue his fiancée from a fire. Sadly she perished in the fire, but it was ruled an accident. When a female friend of Jake's is murdered in a similar situation, the fire is deemed and arson and FBI agent Chloe Davis is brought in to solve the murders.
As Jake works alongside Chloe to find the killer who continues to threaten women Jake befriends, the pair develops feelings for each other. But Chloe, used to being alone and trusting only herself, finds it hard to trust Jake's feelings for her. Whether Chloe will give in becomes as much of a mystery as the arsonists identity and the reader is treated to a quick moving story that has them racing to the end to find the answers.
Stephanie Newton, one of my new favorite authors, has released another winner. She has proven that the reader can expect certain things from her and she will deliver. The plots and characters change, but Newton's ability to draw us into her make believe world and thoroughly enjoy each and every minute in that world doesn't change. Her characters are varied and different but all have a depth that I immediately connect with. Their struggles become my struggles, and I soon think of them as new friends.
All of this is important, but I am also looking for a strong spiritual message in the book. Newton is a master at weaving a message into her work. A message that is never forced or contrived, but is as at home in the story as her wonderful characters. If you like romantic suspense and haven't read any of Newton's books, I encourage you to pick one up. You will be glad you did.


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First, his fiancée was murdered. Next, a dear friend. Is an arsonist targeting firehouse chaplain Jake Rollins through his loved ones? FBI agent Chloe Davis is on the case--even though it brings her far too close to the handsome pastor. Chloe has always worked undercover, trusting only herself. How can she believe a man who says he knows her--and loves her--for who she is? Only when the smoke begins to clear will Chloe learn to see past her doubts and fears...and find the vengeful killer closer than anyone realizes.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Blue Smoke Review

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(More customer reviews)I read all the reviews of Blue Smoke BEFORE I read the book, something I usually do not do...so I was expecting a real mess. To my surprise, I liked the book a great deal. I'm not saying it's Nora's best, but I am surprised by some of the vehemence of those who did not like the plot line.
Yes, this is the story of an arsonist cum serial killer who, like most serial killers I have heard and read about, escalates his crimes and violence with each killing. And yes, there are some brutal descriptions of him in action, one in particular, which takes place shortly before the end of the book. But this is not Nora's first foray into murder when she is writing as herself. "Sanctuary" comes immediately to mind; the descriptions of the dead mother in that book are scary and gruesome to the max.
I think that for an author as prolific as Nora, to be expected to churn out romance after romance after romance, with no twists or no new material, is too much to ask. This is a murder mystery with the patented Nora love interest thrown in. Is it perfect? No. Should the main character, Reena, have figured out on the first page who the perpetrator was, as so many reviewers suggest? Well, maybe, but having watched "Cold Case Files" (the real one on the A&E Channel) for years, I know that it doesn't work that way in real life. Sometimes the obvious is simply not all that obvious.
In sum, I thought Blue Smoke was a heck of a good read; that's my opinion. Yes, if you abhor violence, either skip the violent parts (there really aren't all that many) or skip the book. But otherwise, I think Nora deserves a bit of praise for a well-told tale.

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Smoke Screen: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)I got SMOKE SCREEN in the morning from Amazon and I sat right down and read it. I could not put it down. The story is amazing and the characters are great. Sandra Brown has been one of my favorite authors for a while. I have all her books and they are mostly keepers. This one is definitely a keeper.
Britt Shelley is a news reporter for a TV station in Charleston. She made her first big break on a story about the Charleston PD and Fire Dept. An arson specialist with the Fire Dept was found in bed with a dead woman at Jay Burgess's apartment. That was five yrs ago and she and Jay had a short liasion. Jay's friend who was found in bed with the dead woman left town and has not been heard from in all that time. She is not surprised when Jay calls and invites her out for drinks. He has been one of her informants in the PD since the day she met him. She knows he is a player but now they just are friends.
She meets Jay and has a drink while he tells her he has a big story to tell her. He also tells her he has cancer and only a few weeks to live. They go to his apt for some privacy to talk, and imagine her horror to wake up in bed with Jay and he is dead.
Raley Gannon was the friend of Jay's who was found with the dead woman. He not only was disgraced and lost his job he lost his fiance. He has not forgotten the experience. When he hears about Britt's experience it sounds alot like his, because he does not remember anything about how he wound up in bed with the dead woman, when he went to a party at Jay's. He was engaged at the time and very much in love with his fiance. Britt is insisting she has no memories of going to bed with Jay.
Raley kidnaps her and interrogates her about Jay. Finally he tells her what really happened to him. Jay had convinced him to not mention anything about drugs because the dead woman had OD'd on coke. But now Raley is sure he was set up and so was Britt. They join forces when the autopsey says Jay was smothered.
From here on out this is a major ride and I loved it. There are some quaint characters and the roller coaster ride is chilling. How can they prove anything while she is wanted for murder and he is still thought of as a looser. Do not miss this one.

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