Review: Under the Boardwalk ~ Carly Phillips

Title: Under the Boardwalk

Author: Carly Phillips

Series: Costas Sisters Series, #1

ISBN-13: 9780446615808

ISBN: 0446615803

Pages: 304

Release Date: July 2005

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Genre: Romance

Source: My Personal Library

Music playing: Feels Like Tonight ~ Daughtry

Rating:

Synopsis:

Ariana Costas may be a college professor in Vermont, but she's still a Jersey girl at heart-at least according to her lovable, eccentric Greek family. Then her twin sister, Zoe disappears
and her Jersey roots tug hard. Soon Ari is back home, ducking bullets and, to her chagrin, getting rescued by a hunk in a black leather jacket. Detective Quinn Donovan takes one look at the windblown beauty-and then looks again. If this lady isn't Zoe Costas, it's someone who looks exactly like her. Suddenly, Ari's in trouble deeper than the Atlantic at high tide, and Quinn is trying to protect her without spilling his well-guarded secrets ... as déja vu just might become the love affair of a lifetime.



Review:

Fun! What a quirky cast of characters. I laughed so much my sides ached. Phillips definitely knows how to blend humor, hi jinks & searing heat into 304 pages.

Brava, Ms. Phillips for bringing on the smoldering sexual intensity. Whoa, baby!

Under the Boardwalk weaves together a tapestry that is rich w/ lovable, eccentric & vibrant characters. The action is endless & the plot fast-paced.

I loved Ari & Quinn. Spicy... spicy now! Oh, I'm sorry, Quinn came to mind ;p. Whew! Is it hot in here?! It is 29 in NY so... it's gotta be Quinn :9. Thank you, Ms. Phillips, for bringing the sizzle!

Let me say, just because Ari hails from 'Jersey doesn't mean she is a generic version of Plum. Nope, she is definitely a vivacious character who is no one's second banana! I'm not into the Plum series but have read enough to say nahhh!

Under the Boardwalk is a charming, hilarious adventure not to be missed.

With the warmer weather approaching, Under the Boardwalk is definitely one to be added to your summer beach reading list (if you can hold off) :).

Check out Carly's website here!

2009-2010 © The Book Resort ~ All rights Reserved Worldwide

Winter Escapes Widget

Review: When Dreams Bleed ~ Robin Cain

Title: When Dreams Bleed
Author: Robin Cain
Pages: 366
ISBN-13: 978-0984289806
ISBN: 0984289801
Release Date: December 2, 2009
Publisher: Empty Nest Publications
Genre: Mystery w/ a twist of Romantic Suspense
Source: Robin Cain
Music playing: Billie Jean ~ Michael Jackson
Rating:

Synopsis:

He’s amassed money, success, and is now accumulating women, but someone out there thinks he’s gone too far.

Who is seeking revenge and why? His wife? His mistress? Or the shadow who’s been following his every move?

Just when he thinks he has anticipated his opponent’s next move a tragic car accident leaves him paralyzed, his life’s work is being stolen and his wife has disappeared. Just how far will someone go to teach him the correlation between deception and despair?

Review:

First I want to start off this review by saying I read this incredible page turner three times. Yes, three! Why did I read the prolific Cain's knockout debut (Hmmm... not certain I buy this is a debut from the taut, well delivered suspense de force, but it is Ms. Cain's first novel ~ or so she claims. Who am I to say. I mean, it's her story & she's sticking to it! Psst!I still think she is a literary grand dame using a pseudonym. LOL!).

When Dreams Bleed definitely showcases that Cain is a star rocketing the stratosphere.

Cain pulls you in & leaves you holding your breath from the first page. When Dreams Bleed is a well-crafted novel that doesn't need to go for over the top histrionics to weave an intriguing tale. Cain's innovatory thriller builds to a spine-tingling crescendo w/o losing rhythm.

I was mesmerized by Cain's savvy storytelling abilities. In a word: imaginative.

When Dreams Bleed is definitely going to place Cain high on the rank of novelists who create riveting mysteries. Cain's characters are intriguing, authentic three dimensional beings that explode like a Shakespearean play.

Brava to Cain for skillfully penning a lean, swift & captivating plot that doesn't give up as it reaches the end. Let's see how fast you turn the pages ;).

When Dreams Bleed is as gripping as a Sandra Brown novel. All I'm saying is, Cain has the talent to nip @ Brown's heels! I love Ms. B but competition is good for the creative soul.

Cain's symmetry of romance & machinations is a delicious blend of cunning!

When Dreams Bleed is deftly plotted w/ a twist that Cain pulls off as completely viable & ingenious! Now, you know why I reread it 3x's!

1. Blown away.
2. Wait a sec.
3. WOW!

Grab a copy of When Dreams Bleed but if you start it in the evening... plan on staying up all night long!

Visit the terrific Robin's website & blog!

Follow Robin:

Twitter!

Order When Dreams Bleed here or from Amazon!

Shout out to my Tia Nora for the tip on this breathtaking novel! Besos y abrazos!!!

***Warning! Holding your breath while reading this taunt thriller will definitely be detrimental to your health! The Book Resort & Robin Cain are not liable for any readers keeling over!***

All content © The Book Resort 2009-2010

Review: Too Hot To Sleep ~ Stephanie Bond

Title: Too Hot to Sleep

Series: Harlequin Temptation (Blaze) # 787

Author: Stephanie Bond

ISBN-13: 9780373258871

ISBN: 0373258879

Pages: 224

Release Date: June 2000

Publisher: Harlequin

Genre: Romance

Source: My Personal Copy

Rating:

Synopsis:

THE DAYS WERE HOT...

Nurse Georgia Adams can't sleep - and it's got nothing to do with the local heat wave. She's got a lukewarm boyfriend, a nonexistent love life - and she's frustrated, really frustrated. So she decides to take the edge off by calling her boyfriend for a little phone flirtation--and a lot more! Only, she doesn't realize she's dialed the wrong number!

...BUT THE NIGHTS WERE SCORCHING

Police officer Ken Medlock can't sleep, either-his libido is in overdrive thanks to his sexy midnight caller. He's captivated by her voice - and when he meets and recognizes her the next day, he realizes he has to have her in his bed-not at the end of his phone line. But first he has to convince Georgia that her wrong number has turned into a very right connection...

Review:

Scorching! Fiery! Searing! Blistering! Sizzling! How do we spell the incomparable Stephanie Bond's, Too Hot to Sleep? C-a-l-i-e-n-t-e!

Let me start off this review by saying, Stephanie Bond is one of my absolute favorite authors. She can write anything & it is juicy, riveting & difficult to put down. Bond's books are like chocolate ~ a delicious, wicked pleasure! I keep a stash of her books around for emergencies sorta like breaking the glass moments. Bond is definitely a must read author, an auto buy & the girl to go to when I am in a reading slump or just in a petulant mood.

Stephanie Bond is a gifted writer who not only has a way of making you fall in love w/ the hero -- Bond makes you ache to be the heroine.

Meet Nurse Georgia Adams. Georgia is in an apathetic relationship w/ her boyfriend. She definitely needs a dose of sultry to bring the sexy back. Georgia decides to take the advice of a friend & calls her lukewarm boyfriend late @ night & begins what she believes is a way to make their relationship pop... some harmless, tantalizing phone sex. What she doesn't realize is that her calls have been going to the wrong man. Uh oh! Can we say whoops?!

Enter sexy Officer Ken Medlock, Ken is awakened by a sensuous voice on the phone... a voice that's cooing to him that she isn't wearing panties. Ken is jolted wide awake by this juicy tidbit. He's extremely overwhelmed by this seductive call & is too bewildered to enlighten the smokin' femme fatale that she's dialed a wrong number. Let's not forget, he is absolutely loving every single moment of this mix up.

I don't want to ruin your fun @ reading this charming romance by giving away too much. I will say I would love a sequel...

Psst! I am even willing to bribe the awesome Bond w/ delectable chocolates. *Hint*Hint*.

Bond's writing muscle simply radiates w/ her vivacious, intriguing & feisty characters. She is a genius @ displaying each character's viewpoint. Brava to Bond for making the heroine & hero easy to connect with. The sparks ignite & Georgia & Ken explode. Boom Boom Pow!!!

You definitely need to cool yourself down w/ lots of ice water, the a/c or just head out into the frigid air to cool down. Trust me on this ;-p

Too Hot to Sleep is definitely a must to have on your shelves.


Read an excerpt here

Check out the absolutely awesome Stephanie Bond's website

here.

Review: Absolute Fear ~ Lisa Jackson

Title: Absolute Fear
Author: Lisa Jackson
ISBN-13: 9780821779361
ISBN: 0821779362
Pages: 480
Release Date: March 2008
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: My Personal Copy
Rating:



Synopsis:
For the past three months, Eve Renner has struggled to remember the night she was nearly killed and her lover was tried for murder. She remembers getting the anxious call from a friend from her past: "Meet me at the cabin. I've got evidence." She remembers seeing that friend lying in a pool of blood. And she remembers a horrifying glimpse of her lover Cole Dennis's face as a gunshot plunged her into darkness. Now, her memory and emotions scarred, Eve has returned to New Orleans to forget the past. But the past will not be forgotten. Eve's shattered memory has helped Cole walk on murder charges just as a new series of killings begins.The latest murders are bizarre and baffling. The victims are killed in a ritual fashion, a series of numbers tattooed into their bodies. 212. 101. 111. 323. There is no clue to their meaning, no connection to the victims except one: Our Lady of Virtues Hospital, the crumbling old asylum that was once the scene of unspeakable madness. For Eve, it was a second home as a child. Her father was a doctor there, and she spent hours exploring its secret chambers, hidden rooms, and forbidden passageways. Somewhere in its decaying rooms lies the key to a terrible crime, a betrayal beyond imagining whose echoes are now being felt with a vengeance - a crime that seems to lead to Eve herself. And the only man she can trust with the search is Cole, her former lover and, just possibly, a cold-blooded killer. As forgotten memories begin to surface, bodies are found and each twist leads to another terrifying piece of the puzzle. Someone is watching, planning, luring her back to the ruins of Our Lady and the shocking truths hidden there - someone who has been waiting for this moment to strike. He is deadlier than she knows. For the sins of the past must be revealed, the crimes brought to justice, and the price paid - in blood.

Review:

Absolute Fear picks up where Jackson's beyond creepy Shiver left off. Jackson's frighteningly delish New Orleans series*, brings back the awesome detective duo Bentz & Montoya. Unfortunately, with that we revisit the disturbing Our Lady of Virtues Asylum. *Cue sinister music*. Really!
While Absolute Fear is part of a series, it’s not a prerequisite to read the other books in this outstanding series. Although, before immersing yourself in this spine-tingling indulgence, I would suggest it since there are countless components from the previous books that are exposed.
Allow me to introduce you to, Eve Renner. Eve is the adopted daughter of the head of Our Lady of Virtues Asylum.*shivers*. Eve used the hospital as her playground along w/ her best friend Roy Kajak.. Eve unearths Roy's dead body & is almost killed herself.
Now, let me introduce you to Cole*sigh*. I was definitely enjoying all things Cole ;p. LOL!
Absolute Fear is an incredible thriller filled w/ nail biting suspense that is sure to steal your breath away.

Check out Lisa's

website

!

Grab a copy of Absolute Fear:

Amazon

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*NEW ORLEANS–DETECTIVES BENTZ & MONTOYA:

HOT BLOODED
COLD BLOODED
THE NIGHT BEFORE (which overlaps into the “Savannah Series)
SHIVER
ABSOLUTE FEAR
LOST SOULS
MALICE (April 2009)

Happy New Year!!!

Review: Dark Crusade ~ Lori Devoti

Title: Dark Crusade /Unbound Series

Author: Lori Devoti

ISBN: 13: 9780373618095

ISBN: 0373618093

Pages: 288

Publisher: Silhouette

Series: Silhouette Nocturne Series, #62

Genre: Dark Paranormal Romance

Copyright: April 2009

Source: My Personal Library

Rating:



Synopsis:


Exiled rogue shapeshifter Kerr Vik once saw being transported to Gunngar as a fresh start. Until the one person he most regretted leaving behind--captivating witch Heather Moore--stumbles through the portal...and finds herself right in the middle of a witch hunt. Heather has courageously come to Gunngar to redeem herself. But Kerr knows that if she braves it alone...she will die.. He must somehow send her back through the portal. And it's not long before a collision of truth, love and duty complicates Kerr's mission by forcing him to choose sides: should he save this forbidden love or protect his honor?



Review:

Lori Devoto is amazingly gifted. This gal's got talent like nobody's business but mine... & yours ;). Dark Crusade is the Fourth in Devoti's Unbound series & held me absolutely spellbound! I was living Heather's life & was mesmerized by the wickedly delicious Kerr. Kerr definitely appeared three dimensional thanks to Devoti's flawless characterization. Brava, Ms. Devoti!



Heather Moore is a witch who was exiled from the human world to Gunngar for her role in helping to overthrow the Garm Council. She must count on Kerr, a garm (wolf shapeshifter) for protection from a malicious elf named Marina ~ who wants all witches dead. Did I mention that the scrumptious Kerr is a wolf shapeshifter?! *Whistle* I am just lovin' the call of the wild & all of nature's beauty ;-)! Ha~ha.

Devoti's alternate world is scintillatingly vibrant & teeming w/ pulse pounding excitement!

Devoti created an unscrupulous cast of characters that will leave you wanting to take them on yourself! She painted them effortlessly w/ a cimmerian & sinister veneer!

Now, let me say the sexual tension... is beyond sizzling! Shameless!

Dark Crusade is definitely a captivating read for packed in under 300 pages... so, my suggestion? Grab the entire Unbound series!

Hurry & grab your copy of Dark Crusade:



Read Excerpt

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Check out Lori's website here!

About Lori:
Lori Devoti worked for three different newspapers in two different states before deciding to stay home with her children and begin writing fiction. The author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance and paranormal romance, Lori has been a finalist for many awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award. She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and children as well as two dogs.