Is this the HOTTEST Nathan Kamp cover?

I've blogged about Nathan Kamp being on SO MANY covers a couple of times. And I continue to find more and more (older) books with him as the model. Now that I've noticed it's like I became hyper-aware and I'm seeing him EVERYWHERE! I just can't escape.

Yesterday, I read Truly, Madly, Dangerously by Linda Winstead Jones (good book, by the way) and I kept thinking to myself... that cover is SMOKIN' HOT!




Then I looked closer.... guess who the male model is? Yep. Nathan Kamp. So I'm voting this the HOTTEST Nathan Kamp cover I've come across.

What do you guys think? Is this the hottest? Or do you have another NK favorite?

If you post the title of the book with your favorite Nathan Kamp cover on it I'll find it and add it to this post so we can see what everyone thinks.

Caressed by Ice out TUESDAY!

Nalini Singh continues her amazing PSY/CHANGELING series with yet another AWESOME story.

Judd is the ultimate weapon, a Psy so deadly that the existence of his kind has been reduced to myth & legends. He left his life and his position as an elite soldier for the Psy Council and brought his family to the SnowDancer den to protect them from the Council's order for their rehabilitation - a life worse than death as a living zombie. Although his other psy family members have found a place for themselves in the pack Judd, the most dangerous, is still looked upon with suspicion by most. However, only Brenna is a threat. Judd needs the emotionless existence of Silence in his mind to prevent himself from losing control of his talent and causing the death of the innocents around him and the sensual wolf-changeling woman is a danger to his control.
Brenna is recovering from the torment of being at the mercy of a twisted serial-killer Psy. The experience of having her mind raped by a sadistic monster has left her with shattered-looking eyes and powers no changeling should possess. The attraction and safety Brenna feels with the coldly-beautiful psy male seems inconceivable but the pull is strong and she turns to Judd when her life and sanity is threatened again.

The body of a packmember, whose death Brenna saw in a ‘dream’, is discovered with marks similar to the ones left by the serial-killer Psy who brutalized Brenna. That mad Psy is dead so who is this new killer… and how is it connected to Brenna?

I absolutely ADORED Caressed by Ice! This is the best book I’ve read since… well, since Visions of Heat was released earlier this year.

I was the tiniest bit afraid that Brenna would be a helpless-victim type of heroine but in reality she is beautifully strong and capable. And Judd is an amazing alpha hero. Ms. Singh did a wonderful job showing us the truth of the man beyond the Psy training, buried under the layers of Silence. I never felt that Judd was truly cold or emotionless and despite the fact that he was an assassin and had done bad things in the past, I saw him as a strong, and noble man doing what he believed was best to protect others.

The progression of the relationship between the characters was captivating, as was the change in Judd. Even as he struggled to maintain Silence for the safety of others, his emotions and connection with Brenna are a painful/pleasure that he can’t refuse. And the love scenes were steamy… who knew that a man from a race of emotionless, sexless people could be that HOT?!? Can you tell that I totally fell in love with him? LOL!

The storyline flowed really well with a great balance of romance & suspense. Ms. Singh included more secondary character scenes (which I ended up skimming the second and third time I read it) than in the previous books but they add necessary background information.

***SPOILER ALERT***
I loved that Brenna kicked ass in the climax of the suspense plot. After being victimized previously, it was awesome that she defended herself and didn’t totally have to be ‘rescued’ again. It was very well-done and reinforced the strength of character and determination of Brenna while still allowing Judd to do the ‘hero’ thing too.
***END SPOILER***

I didn’t want this story to ever end! Nalini Singh has created an extraordinary world & vivid characters for her PSY/CHANGELING series. This is the third book and it’s as fabulous as the first! I seem to fall in love with the first book of a series and then subsequent books are never quite as good as the first to me but so far I am loving every book – it would be too hard to pick a favorite.

Rating: DEFINITELY A KEEPER!!!

Visit Nalini Singh’s website: www.nalinisingh.com
Behind the scenes info about the PSY/CHANGELING series
Buy Caressed by Ice

If you haven’t read them be sure to check out
Slave to Sensation and Visions of Heat

Touch of Darkness by Christina Dodd

TOUCH OF DARKNESS
Book #2 in the Darkness Chosen series
Christina Dodd

The BLURB:
Handsome, powerful Rurik Wilder holds the power to transform himself into a fierce bird of prey-a gift that's caused death and destruction.
At last he's offered the chance to redeem himself. Only one woman stands in his way-a beautiful writer determined to wreak revenge on the assassins who murdered her family. Assassins, it's been rumored, who have powers no human should ever possess...

My Thoughts:
Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to do it. I wasn't going to purchase this second book in the series that got off to such a crappy start IMO. I just couldn't resist when I saw it on the shelf though and I caved and bought it.

MUCH better characterization, world building, and plot for this second instalment in Dodd's new series!

Rurik is an archeologist (of course) and Tasya is a photographer endorsed by the college/foundation (I can't remember which) that is funding the archeological dig. Both of them have their own personal reasons for wanting to be involved with the dig and those reasons relate to the Varinski's and the curse but Rurik seeks redemption for the Varinskis (at least his branch) and Tasya wants to bring Varinski secrets out into the public to destroy the clan. When the 'evil' Varinski's come onto the scene the H/h have to work together to stay alive and find the relic - although only Rurik knows that they're at somewhat cross-purposes.

The other side of the Varinski family tree as a threat is still a little weak but the search for the relic keeps the story going. The heroine's history with the bad Varinski's as a secret obstacle between Tasya and Rurik adds a good element of conflict as well. I did cry for a little while towards the end - which in some people's minds is a compliment about the author's ability to stimulate emotions in their readers but really.... I don't like the tear-jerkers unless I'm in the mood. But it didn't last long so all is well. LOL!

Overall, I was satisfied with this read. It's about half-way between a 'library' and a 'buy' type of read for me.

RATING: C+

In the Midnight Hour by Patti O'Shea

The Blurb:
Ryne is a magical troubleshooter, sworn to protect the innocent from being harmed by magic—and she's been chasing Anise, her former mentor, for six years.
Deke is a private investigator who knows something key to defeating Anise. But Anise cast a dark spell over him, and even though Ryne has managed to temporarily lift the curse, Deke can't remember what it is that he knows.
Ryne has sworn to never get involved with a human, but Deke is sexy, charming, brave and irresistible—and as Ryne and Deke are pulled further into Anise's evil schemes, it's harder and harder for Ryne to resist the attraction.
But dark magic has its own attraction, and in order to defeat Anise and lift Deke's curse permanently, Ryne will have to risk following in Anise's footsteps and succumbing to the lure of the darkness...

My thoughts:
I have been in AGONY waiting for this book to come out. I love Patti O’Shea’s futuristic books as well as her contributions the Crimson City and 2176 series' so I snatched this book up as soon as it hit the stores. It is very good.

Although some elements of the book require the reader to suspend logic completely (like the fact that Deke is a man trapped in a cartoon-like TV show by a spell), the heroine and the hero were surprisingly realistic. witty, and charming. Their relationship was also fairly unique in terms of power and strength because Ryne is the one with the knowledge and strength of magic - she 'takes care' of Deke a lot in the first part of the book when his memories are gone.

My only problem with this book was that I had a real sense of deja-vu while reading it. I CANNOT figure out why - I've certainly never read it before. But as I was reading it I was seriously getting that "I've been here before" feeling. I can't recall a particular book that this is similar to or anything but it felt WAY weird because I even knew how the ending was going to be. It's driving me nuts because I can't figure it out. Has anyone else experienced the same with this book or am I going insane?

Anyway, this book is about mid-range on the light/dark scale. It's not a dark paranormal but it isn't a fluffy read either. I'd recommend this to people who like books such as Cheyenne McCray's magic series (although this is a little lighter than that) and other magic or witch-type paranormals.

RATING: B+

Ms. O'Shea's next book, In Twilight’s Shadow, is due out next summer and is about Ryne's sister Maia. I'm pumped for that one too! Maia is a VERY interesting character and I can't wait to learn more about her.

Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard

Up Close and Dangerous by Linda Howard

I was VERY wary of LH's newest release because her writing has gone downhill IMO since the Blair Mallory books and Cover of Night was so bad it was almost a joke but I was pleasantly surprised by Up Close and Dangerous. It's pretty good - still not quite the quality of some of her earlier books but a solid read that has made it to my 'keeper' shelf. The characters and the basic plot are interesting but it could have been better.

Here are my main issues with the book: first, it WAY too 'detailed' in the things that they do for survival - readers do not need that much information on exactly how everything is done and what everything that survived the crash is used for in minute detail. On the upside, if I ever survive a plane crash in the mountains where it's cold and I've over-packed because I'm obsessive and on my way to a rafting trip - I'll know EXACTLY what to do! LOL!

A slight problem with the book is the development of the relationship between the H/h. I have no problem with a quick forming relationship - especially under these circumstances - but there is absolutely NO indication that the two are even attracted to each other before the crash. They really appear to dislike each other so Cam deciding that Bailey is going to be his so abruptly is weird.

Finally, the time after their rescue should be have been WAY more developed. It was the most interesting part of the book! She could have taken out a good 1/2 of the time they spent 'surviving' (which was a bit boring in the detailed monotony anyway) and put it after they get off the mountain and the book would have been much better.

Another review (on Amazon, I think) mentioned that the title and the cover don't fit the book and, although I didn't notice it before it was mentioned, she is right. The cover and the title don't fit at all - it doesn't bother me but I thought it was interesting and true.

Overall, I am keeping this book and was fairly satisfied with it, despite the obvious problems. Though that may be because the quality of the last few have been so poor that I've lowered my expectations of LH books.

RATING: C when compared with romantic suspense genre books
B+ when compared with the last few LH books

Hidden Agendas by Lora Leigh

Hidden Agendas by Lora Leigh

I was actually going to pass on this book because I was unimpressed with Dangerous Games (the book before this one in the series) but then my friend said it was good.

It was awesome! I loved the characters and the story was great. There were minor things, of course, that I thought could have been improved but it's now one of my favorite Lora Leigh books (outside the Breed series, which I LOVE)and it will definitely be going on the keeper shelf! After reading it my curiosity about two other Seals - Nathan and Ian - is severely piqued and I can't wait for their books.

The next book in the series, Killer Secrets, about Deke Santiago is on my 'buy' list for January.

RATING: A

Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker

Hunter’s Salvation by Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker is a hit-n-miss author for me. Meaning sometimes I like her stuff, sometimes I actually dislike it. My main problem with her books stem from her heroes who are usually too OVERLY reluctant to 'commit' for my taste. This book was no different in that way. In addition, the hero is too into the 'I'm a bad, bad man and it's all my fault' guilt trip about EVERYTHING and I wanted to pull out the mini-violins. He also does the yo-yo thing in regards to his relationship with the heroine. What I mean by this is that he kept pushing her away and pulling her back even right up to the end. The conclusion was unsatifying (one of the worst parts of the book) because he changes from pushing her away because he doesn't 'deserve' her to being fully committed to their relationship and their future within less than a paragraph and the change is awkward. That said, however, it was a pretty good read and I was pulled into the action right away and didn't want to put it down. I'm glad I checked it out from the library though.

RATING: C-

Next To Die by Marliss Melton

Next To Die is the fourth book in Marliss Melton's contemporary military romantic-suspense series.

The Heroine:
Penny Price is a pretty (but not stunning) Naval physical therapist. She's the 'do gooder' type who helps everyone and rarely does anything for herself. I know, you're thinking "Ewwwww.... sounds SO boring!" It's really not... because she's helpful in a nuturing way; not in that irritating get-a-freaking-grip-you-sorry-bitch sort of way. It does get mildly irritating a few times but not terribly. She's intelligent and a little pushy - I like that in a heroine.

The Hero:
Joe Montgomery is Penny's HOT Navy Seal neighbor. He's a TOTAL playboy before the disaster on a mission that leaves him injured and guilt-ridden. Now he just wants to hole-up for a while in his house to recoup and indulge in a pity-party. He's a bit of a selfish jerk in the beginning (& the past) and does some of the dog in the manger thing with Penny at one point but I still liked him.

The Story:
Penny takes care of her neighbor's (Joe) house & yard when he's out on missions because his 'girlfriends' are less than reliable and he has a pet that, of course, wants to be fed on a regular basis. When he comes home injured and battle-weary, her nurturing instincts begin to clamor urging her to take care of him... well, there is the lust factor too because she totally wants her hottie neighbor - although she's never tell him. So she begins to help him (whether he wants it or not) but she also has other crap going on like trying to help her sister get her life back into order AND a killer (the man they believe killed their father) stalking both of them.

Joe is slightly mistrustful of Penny's good intentions in the beginning but despite this he finds himself sharing the truth about the disaster and his emotions with her and is comforted by her time and time again. He also finds himself reluctantly attracted to a woman that he never even noticed before - he begins to see the beauty of her heart. When he realizes that Penny is being threatened by a possible killer, Joe pushes his guilt and self-pity aside to help keep Penny (and her sister) safe.

There is a secondary story involving her sister and the youngest Seal on Joe's new Seal Team that I really enjoyed. I wish we could have seen more of them!

Overall, I give this book a C+. It was good but the plot was weak in places and the characters exhibited some irritating traits and reactions that dimmed my enjoyment. My main problem was with Joe being so commitment-shy (there is a 'too much' point for me personally on that) and acting like a jerk but also with Penny who, although not a doormat, didn't kick Joe in the balls when I thought she should. LOL!

Learn more about the book, author, and series at: http://www.marlissmelton.com/

Night Hunter by Cathy McDavid

Here's an interesting new paranormal romance that I found (as I was hunting desperately for something new to read) called Night Hunter by Cathy McDavid.

Unfortunately, I don't have time right now to do my usual run-down summary and 'review' of this book but I wanted to give it a quick mention. It's good - not the best I've ever read - it had some minor plot issues - but the character development was well done and it was certainly good enough that I'll be watching for future paranormal romances (potentially a series???).

Here's the 'blurb' from the author site (but it's not a good representation):
Every twenty-five years the cycle begins anew — alegendary creature reawakens and preys upon the innocent. The police refuse to believe such a monster exists. But Gillian knows it's real. When she was seven, she watched in horror as it killed her mother. Now the beast is back ... for her.
As the chosen Hunter, Nick is the only one who can destroy the creature. Yet a gorgeous psychology professor keeps pushing her way into his investigation — and into his most intimate fantasies. For her own protection, Nick's determined to stay by Gillian's side, every day and each delicious night. And meanwhile, the monster bides its time ...

The Contest Scoop

Yep, it's that time again. Here's some interesting contests that I've found while prowling the romance & author sites.


Historical romance author Anne Mallory is having a contest for an ARC of her upcoming book, What Isabella Desires. It ends July 16th but she has a secondary contest that ends July 31 for signed copies of 3 other books.
http://www.annemallory.com/contests/


Erotic author, Emma Holly is having and ARC contest for her upcoming contemporary erotic romance called Fairyville.
http://www.mninter.net/~emmah/CONTESTS.htm


Access Romance is doing their quarterly “Romance Galore” contest for 55 autographed books from many popular authors.
http://www.accessromance.com/galore/index.php


Elizabeth Holt (historical romance) is having a contest for an ARC of The Serpent Prince.
http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/contests.html


Carly Phillips is giving away and ipod shuffle, a gift card, and a signed book in honor of her birthday which is in July. Happy birthday, Carly!
http://www.carlyphillips.com/fun_contest.php


Marliss Melton's contest is for an ARC of Next to Die.
http://www.marlissmelton.com/Contest/index.html
She’s also having a contest for a bag-full of books.
http://freshfiction.com/contest.php?id=598


Win an ARC of Madeline Hunter’s Lessons of Desire!
http://www.madelinehunter.com/contest.html


Karen Marie Moning is giving away the complete set of her highlander novels and a Darkfever t-shirt.
http://www.karenmoning.com/news/contest.html


Jayne Ann Krentz aka Jayne Castle aka Amanda Quick
Her monthly contest is for a copy of her Ghost Hunter audiobook.
http://www.jayneannkrentz.com/drawing.html


Win a $75 giftcard to Victoria’s Secret in honor of Christina Skye’s new release Code Name: Bikini.
http://writerspace.com/contests/christinaskye.html


Here are a few authors giving away gift certificates to Borders or B&N on their websites:

Shiloh Walker
Janelle Denison
Nina Bangs
Anya Bast
Bertrice Small
Lori Wilde
Tori Carrington
Barbara Bretton
Sarah McCarty

Happy Entering!

Where are all the honest reviews?

Obviously, my blog is so new that those little rubber pointy things are still on the tires. So I've been working on it a little today, mainly adding some links to romance review and news sites.

I'm not big into using 'reviews' to decide what to buy. I count on my own experience, friends recommendations, and excerpts because I don't generally trust the big-name review sites to be honest.

On most of the popular review sites, I find that their taste is either quite opposite of mine - which IS possible since no two people read a book and come away with the exact same reaction - or that positive reviews are being given out pretty much across the board. I just hate that. Why do they even bother? It's so not helpful to readers!

I LOVE reviews that tell me what is great about a book and also what is bad (in the reviewer's opinion, of course). If it's great but has a few issues that bothered you - say so. And if a book is total shit, why lie? BE HONEST! It's only one person's opinion. Other people can take it or leave it. Sites that offer positive reviews all-around benefits the author, the publishers, and the booksellers. NOT the reader that purchases a book based on a glowing recommendation.

As an avid reader, I'd much rather go into a book knowing that there is an element that I might not like but that the rest of the book is basically good. When I'm caught by surprise with something I don't like in the middle of the book it can skew my whole reading experience, it throws me off my stride, but if I'm somewhat prepared then it is easier to overlook the 'problem' and enjoy the rest of the story. My brain notices and dismisses it instead of zeroing in on it.

The real point of this post is that I'm having a horrible time finding review sites that post reviews that I somewhat agree with (because it's my blog and I get to choose. LOL!) or even just sites that I think are being fair and honest in their reviews. From what I've seen... there just aren't that many that are willing to point out the bad too. Most of them read like PR sites for the books.

I'd really love some recommendations for sites with honest info & reviews!

Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu - I recommend it!

I read Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu (I was blessed with an ARC).

There were a few surprises and some humorous scenes, such as the one where M'cal and Koni are trying to warm Kit after... *zipping lips* Whoops! Sorry... can't tell... *wicked chuckle

Kit, the heroine is actually Delilah's friend from Tiger's Eye, which I didn't realize until I read Soul Song (they went to the club to listen to her play the 'fiddle' if that jogs your memories). Well, it turns out that Kit has 'powers' of her own, the ability to 'see' future deaths - but only death from murder. She wasn't as 'cool' as I visualized her from her brief appearance in Tiger's Eye, she seemed like a sassy, hip chick then, but in Soul Song she actually seems more set apart from others because of her ability and her desire NOT to see the the future deaths.

I liked Kit a lot, she is both compassionate and determined - actually, I believe stubborn is the description used by others in the book but that works too! She draws the attention of a powerful witch when she attempts to help a woman who's death she foresees.

M'cal is a shapeshifter that is rare, even among his own kind, with the powerful ability of song. He can compel and even kill with his voice but he is enslaved by a witch and forced to use his gift to hunt and steal souls. He is sent (compelled) by the witch to take Kit's soul but he sees the power and beauty of her spirit, hears her rich, vibrant music and struggles to fight the witch’s command. Only Kit has the power, the 'song', inside her to provide him with some relief from the torture but he is afraid that the compulsion will take hold of him and drive him to steal her beautiful soul, leaving an empty shell.

The 'songs' and music are obviously important elements of the story and Liu did an excellent job of describing Kit's inner music and M'cal's song and how these powers worked and interacted both individually and together. The chemistry between the characters is outstanding. It is powerful, deep, and hot. M’cal and Kit begin to rely on and draw strength from each other – they are partners as well as lovers/mates.

This book, much like the others in the series, had a plot individual to these characters while still furthering the story-line of the series. Neither Kit nor M’cal are employed by Dirk & Steele but there are some appearances from past characters that are members of the organization – including shapeshifter Koni who adds humor to many scenes with his slightly sarcastic, dry wit.

As always, Liu has provided an exciting tale of two lost hearts forming an unbreakable bond in a setting filled with danger and a united purpose. Readers will be riveted from the very first paragraph. Be prepared to read this all in one sitting because it will be hard to put down!

You, my book-y friends, know that I'm critical (OK, a jaded bitch) about the books I read. I usually notice several things that don't 'work' for me in any book. However, I can't come up with anything for this book. *gasp* I KNOW... the sun has fallen from the sky, cats and dogs are living in harmony, mass hysteria and chaos in the streets. I thought hard about it too... it was almost a matter of pride to find something wrong with it but this book just worked for me. It was easy to get into, engrossing, and exciting. And hot... did I mention hot? Other than a few small questions, which I can't talk about because they would be definite spoilers, there was nothing that set off my 'spidey senses' LOL!

The release date for Soul Song is July 3rd. WRITE IT DOWN! This is a great book.!

Hot cover, right?
This guy, Nathan Kamp, is appearing on A LOT of romance covers recently. KMM did an interview (audio) with him and also has a photogallery.

Nathan Kamp interview