Thursday, April 21, 2011

Never a Gentleman by Eileen Dreyer

Grace Fairchild and Diccan Hilliard are caught in a compromising position and forced to marry. Grace knows she is not the kind of wife that Diccan would prefer. She was raised on the battlefield following her father wherever he served. Diccan was used to the company of beautiful women and found Grace plain and invisible. However, Grace started growing on Diccan and she wanted to make sure that nothing would hurt him. At the same time Diccan put distance between them to keep Grace safe. Then Grace is poisoned and the blame is laid at Diccan's door. She knows that it is not possible that her husband tried to kill her. In the midst of it all, they find out that Diccan's father put his brother's name on their marriage license and they are not really married at all.

Good storyline and pleasant to read a book that doesn't have a beauty as the lead. Very good interaction between the main characters. The chemistry is there between them from the beginning and grows throughout the book. You can't help rooting for Grace and Diccan to stay together from the start. The cover is very appropriate for the book. There are several minor characters that are very entertaining too. That makes the book much easier to read when you enjoy the players. This book is a very easy read and makes you want to read the rest of the books in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical romances.

Secrets of a Massage Therapist by Andy Vogt

Angie is a massage therapist. She is originally from Germany but now lives in the U.S.A. She has one staunch rule that she will not have a relationship with any of her clients, although many try to change her mind. Mostly she goes to clients homes and gives massages there but once in a while she will help out a friend in her business. She meets Marcus at a gas station while filling up one day and he gives her his card. It takes her quite awhile before she decides to call him. They fall fast and hard for each other, but real life's pitfalls get in the way. Marcus has an old girlfriend that will not leave him along and goes to Angie to tell her that they are still together. Meanwhile Angie is being harassed by a former boyfriend, and commiserating with other therapists about their lives.

Quite a cute book with more of a story than I anticipated. Loved the snippets about the massages that she gave and the different personalities of the clients. Angie is a good strong character, who knows who she is and what she wants out of life. Marcus is a good foil for her. They have a great chemistry through the book. The cover is fitting for the book, as a peek into what lies ahead. Was not sure at the beginning that I would like this book but was pleasantly surprised in the end. An easy read for anyone looking for one.

Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione

Cara is the bearer of Ares agimortus, she is also bonded to a hellhound. Ares is one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. His brother Reseph has already had his seal broken and become Pestilence. Ares does not want his seal to break and bring about the end of the world. He also does not want Cara to be the bearer. Ares other brother and sister search the world for a fallen angel to take the agimortus from Cara. When they find one, however, Cara will not transfer it. Ares has already lost a family, his wife and sons and another brother, so he will not let himself get close to Cara. Cara has been hurt by other relationships and feels the same way. She has the ability to heal animals and hear their thoughts, which is one of the reasons she became bonded to the hellhound. At each twist and turn Pestilence tries to get and kill Cara. He is determined to make Ares seal break and turn him into War.

Enjoyable read and a page turner for me. The first book I have read by this author, but I don't think it will be the last. Although in the beginning Cara gives the impression of being weak, by the end of the book she shows her very strong side. Ares is a typical Alpha male, who tries to hold himself away from Cara but in the end can not be indifferent. Enjoyed some of the minor characters, too and they added a lot to the story especially Limos and Thanatos. The cover does fit in with the story but not sure it adds anything. I would recommend reading this book if you like the genre

Original Sin by Beth McMullen

Lucy used to be a spy and gave it up to get married and have a family. There was one person that was her nemesis Ian Blackford. Lucy thought that Ian had died and really didn't give much thought to him. But one day Simon Still shows up in her life again and tells her that Ian is alive. He wants Lucy to be the bait that will lure Ian out in the open. Lucy is not happy about this because she thinks it will put her son Theo and husband Will in danger.

Very easy book to read. Loved the way the story flowed and kept you turning the pages. Would recommend this book highly.