'Unseen' Outcast Season #3 by Rachel CAINE

From the BLURB:

After Cassiel and Warden Luis Rocha rescue an adept child from a maniacal Djinn, they realize two things: the girl is already manifesting an incredible amount of power, and her kidnapping was not an isolated incident.

This Djinn-aided by her devoted followers-is capturing children all over the world, and indoctrinating them so she can use their strength for herself. With no other options, Cassiel infiltrates the Djinn's organization-because if Cassiel cannot stop the Djinn's apocalyptic designs, all of humanity may be destroyed.

It has been months since Cassiel ‘Cass’ was ripped from the Dijn world to have humanity thrust upon her. Since then Cass has witnessed the slaying murder of her Weather Warden, Manny, and his wife, Angela. She has seen their little girl, Isabel, be kidnapped and used as a ticking time-bomb weapon of mass destruction. Cass has fallen in love with Manny’s Warden brother, Luis. And Cass has been shamed by the fact that a fallen Dijn sister called Pearl was behind Isabel’s kidnapping, and the kidnapping of hundreds of other talented Weather Warden children . . . because Pearl is building an army. An army of future Weather Wardens who can control earth, fire, wind and water. And she will use them to execute the most awful take over imaginable, unless Cass can stand in her way.

‘Unseen’ is the third book in Rachel Caine’s spin-off Weather Warden series.

Caine’s Weather Warden series came to an end last year with the final book ‘Total Eclipse’. I was both sad and elated to read the last instalment to Jo Baldwin’s harrowing adventures . . . but I have to admit, the sting is lessened somewhat by Caine’s continuing ‘Outcast Season’, and the journey of former Dijn, Cassiel.

I love, love, loved ‘Unseen’ because it’s a book of big concepts and dramatic changes. The first of these revolutions is in Cass’s relationship with Luis Rocha . . . for two books now; Luis has been uneasy and somewhat horrified by his attraction to Cassiel. He would be fighting his lust one moment, and throwing barbed comments the next. But in ‘Unseen’ Luis has his wanting under control. He and Cass have been through too much – Manny’s slaying and Isabel’s kidnapping – and he has come to trust her completely. They share some intimate and transformative moments, and their sweetness rivals that of even Jo Baldwin and Dijn David.

But there is also a backlash to these character revolutions. Cass is slowly starting to understand and embrace her humanity, the good and the bad. This book is really about Cass coming to terms with the limits and dismal aspects of being human. She realizes that when you open yourself up to love, you also welcome heartache. She finds that caring leads the way to losing what you care about. And being mostly human means she is dispensable in this grand battle.

For all of their sweet moments, Cass and Luis also experience an incredible turn-about in their relationship. One that will leave you gob-smacked and pained on Cass’s behalf.

“Cass . . .” He sighed. “Damn, girl, I never know which way to jump with you. When it’s all action and danger, we’re synced like a sound track; when it’s just you and me, I never know what you’re thinking, or what you’re feeling, if you’re feeling anything. I look at you and you just . . .”

“Just what?”

He shrugged, frowning. “You just reflect,” he said. “Like steel.”

That surprised me, and it hurt a little. “I am not steel.” I said. “I am human. Blood and bone and muscle, heart and feeling and vulnerability. Don’t I show that?”

“Not even a little. Not here.” He sounded almost apologetic about it.

I also loved ‘Unseen’ because Caine brings back a favourite secondary character we first met in ‘Unknown’. Rashid is a mysterious Dijn who is fascinated with Cass and currently under command of an unknown master. He is as beautiful as a Greek God, and has a penchant for wearing his birthday suit around Cass, because he loves flustering her. I am so smitten with Rashid! I was thrilled to read his return in ‘Unseen’. He’s like dark chocolate – wickedly good and bitter. I can’t figure him out, but I love reading his interactions with Cass. I would love it if, when the ‘Outcast Season’ comes to an end, Rachel Caine could do a spin-off of a spin-off and write Rashid’s story!

‘Unseen’ also marks the beginning of the end. This book reveals a lot about Pearl and her grand plan . . . and it’s spine-tinglingly awful. Caine is definitely setting up Pearl’s long-game, and preparing Cass and Luis for an epic battle. I don’t want to give anything away, but Pearl’s devilish plan is chillingly villainous.

‘Unseen’ is yet another brilliantly thrilling instalment in Caine’s ‘Outcast Season’ spin-off series. Jo Baldwin and ‘Weather Warden’ may be done and dusted, but Caine’s still got a lot to offer in Cassiel and Luis. This is a transformative book for all characters – Cass comes to terms with the downfalls of humanity, and Pearl reveals her villainous grand-plans. It is epically glorious, and exactly what fans have come to expect from Rachel Caine’s brilliant paranormal pen.

5/5

'Turning the Tide' by Christine STOVELL

Received from the Publisher

From the BLURB:

All’s fair in love and war? Depends on who’s making the rules.

Matthew Corrigan finds an unspoiled seaside town – and his next big property development deal. He won’t let anything, or anyone, stand in his way.

Including his new neighbor, Harry Watling, and her pledge to keep her father’s boat yard afloat, despite its dying clientele and mystifying debts.

Her boat yard is on the land that Matthew wants – and everything seems to be going his way. He’s got the colorful locals on board, his hard-to-please girlfriend is thawing to the idea and he has the means to force Harry’s hand.

Then a family secret from the past creates heartbreak for Harry, and neither of them is prepared for what happens next ...

Harriet Watling has been fighting an uphill battle ever since her father died. With his passing Harriet ‘Harry’ became the owner and proprietor of his failing boatyard, in the minuscule seaside town of Little Spitmarsh.

Harriet is struggling to keep her father’s business afloat when Little Spitmarsh comes to the attention of real-estate entrepreneur, Matthew Corrigan. Matthew has grand plans to put Spitmarsh on the map by building a first-class restaurant.

All the locals are on board with Matthew’s plan. Floral-shop owners and life partners, Frankie and Trevor, are keen to expand their business. Local flirt and barmaid, Lola, is keen on Matthew sticking around. And even Harry’s right-hand-man, George, is eager to see her get her life back on track with a helping-hand from Corrigan.

The only person who is opposed to the development is Harry . . . she doesn’t want to lose her one remaining tie to her father. And she doesn’t want to be sweet-talked out of her land by smarmy Matthew Corrigan, no matter how devastatingly charming he may seem.

‘Turning the Tide’ is a contemporary romance novel from debut author, Christina Stovell.

The book does have a slow start, but the meandering plot leaks into the Little Spitmarsh atmosphere. Stovell takes the time to tease out characters and write methodical back story for a cachet of quirky local residents. I particularly liked the side-story about Frankie and Trevor, a homosexual couple who are concerned about the potential media furore Matthew Corrigan could bring to Spitmarsh, and which could inadvertently ‘out’ them. The unhurried pace also helps to create a small-town ambience for Spitmarsh; so that you really do get the feeling that this town is suffocated by its own solitude.

By contrast, Matthew Corrigan is a breath of fresh air. He is swift with a grin and keen to chat with the locals, Harry in particular. Matthew quickly gets over his surprise that Harry Watling isn’t a burly sailor, but rather a prickly pixie. Matthew and Harry come to clash on numerous occasions – and their war of wills quickly becomes the sole spark and juicy gossip in Little Spitmarsh. Harry and Matthew imbue their scenes with deliciously hot tension – as an undercurrent of lust runs between them.

“So you want to turn it into a marine metropolis where your urban escapees can carry on shopping just like they do at home. Well, good luck! Whilst you’re busily polishing up the town, mind you don’t polish it off, won’t you?”
“Thanks for the advice,” he said, getting to his feet. “But there’s no danger of that, I can assure you. I'm beginning to realise that there are some things you can’t bring a sparkle to, no matter how hard you try.”

The novel takes a surprising turn when a closely-guarded family secret is revealed. I'd hate to spoil anything; save to say this careening twist provides a brilliant bit of full-circular closure.

Christine Stovell’s debut novel is a gorgeously quaint contemporary romance. It’s a little bit ‘Vicar of Dibley’, with a splash of Lisa Kleypas and plenty of steamy unrequited love.

5/5

'Turning the Tide' is one of many great titles from independent romance publisher, Choc Lit. This little British publishing house has now made their e-book titles available for Aussie readers (yay!), and they are also shipping paperback titles to our shores (double yay!).
Quite frankly, any publishers that recognize the correlation between romance and chocolate is worth checking out, in my book.

'Die For Me' Revenants #1 by Amy PLUM

Received from the Publisher

From the BLURB:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies. . .immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

Kate Mercier has come to the city of love, to grieve. Having lost her parents in a tragic car accident months ago, Kate and her older sister Georgia have moved to Paris to live with their grandparents.

Georgia loses herself in the Paris nightlife, surrounded by beautifully trendy people in dim bistros and loud clubs. But Kate keeps to herself, reading in her room or sitting by herself in cafes. A spark of life comes in the form of a beautiful, raven-haired boy who catches Kate’s eye... a boy she keeps seeing around her Paris neighbourhood. She sees him in museums, cafes and walking along the Seine. And then one night she sees him jump into the river to save a suicide jumper, while his friends battle with swords nearby.

Kate is wary and intrigued by this mysterious boy, this impossibly beautiful person who seems flirtatiously smitten with plain-old Kate. She can’t help but be drawn to him, to know him . . .

Vincent Delacroix may be charming and handsome, but he also has secrets. He has mysterious friends who are threatened by Kate’s presence. He disappears for days at a time and he can’t talk about his past.

Kate is still grieving over the loss of her parents, yet Vincent has somehow managed to reignite her passion for life . . . but at what cost to her soul?

My relief was replaced by a chilling thought. “So I can’t leave? Are you keeping me prisoner?”

“That makes it sound a little melodramatic,” she said.

Her eyes looked as if they were used to taking much in, while giving little away. The eyes of an older woman reflecting the spirit of a little girl. “You saw things you shouldn’t have. Now we have to decide how to handle the situation. You know . . . like damage control. You’re the one who took the bite out of the apple, Kate. Although with a serpent that handsome, I can’t say I blame you.”

‘Die For Me’ is a YA paranormal romance from debut author Amy Plum. The book is the first in a new series called ‘Revenants’.

I can say, with unmitigated sincerity, that ‘Die For Me’ is one of the best books I have read all year. This series is unique on nearly all fronts; from the Paris setting to the unusually brilliant ‘monsters’ Plum has created. I don’t want to give too much away about what Vincent is, because Kate’s journey to his ‘reveal’ is a twisted guessing-game with a fantastically surprising conclusion. Save to say, the hints are all there in the series title. Revenant literally means ‘returning’ or ‘to come back’, and refers to the folklore of reanimated corpses. But Plum has written an entirely invigorating tale of the old zombie myth – there are no lumbering brain-eaters in sight. Instead, Plum has made her ghostly zombies into martyred superheroes with wretched pasts and even more tragic purposes in life.

To some extent I loved the world-building more than I enjoyed the characters of Kate and Vincent. They are fairly typical protagonists of their genre. Vincent is suitably suave and gentlemanly; he is thoroughly romantic and somewhat tepid in his idyllic boyfriend persona. Kate is likewise a typical heroine of the genre – innocent and sweet, quickly loyal and self-deprecating. There’s nothing really new in these protagonists – except that Plum makes the interesting decision to examine and scrutinize Vincent’s obsessive love.

I find it quite disturbing that in most YA paranormal romances there is a dark and sombre werewolf/vampire/angel boyfriend who happily stalks and lashes attentions on the girl of his dreams. And of course the girl of his affections is flattered, not disturbed, by this boy’s intense longing (see: Edward standing at the foot of Bella’s bed, watching her sleep). Well, in ‘Die For Me’ Plum has imbued Kate with a keener sense of self-preservation. There are quite a few times when Kate points out Vincent’s obsessive longing, when she queries his unhealthy fascination in her and is wary of his attentions. And Plum addresses Vincent’s almost unhealthy longing – she calls him on it, and forces an explanation rather than happy compliance of his stalkerish ways.

‘Die For Me’ is also invigoratingly unique for its Paris setting. It’s quite an exotic destination for a YA series to be set – and I applaud the fact that Plum writes Paris with easy familiarity, and makes a character of the city rather than just use the glitzy setting as a gimmick. You can tell that Plum has lived in the city of love for at least some of her life – she references little-known destinations, like Rue Oberkampf, and doesn’t go for the obvious (like the Catacombs) when writing big, dramatic scenes.

The book also has an interesting cachet of secondary characters, whom I hope to get to know better throughout the series. Vincent lives with other revenants like himself; beautiful and tragic people with fascinating backgrounds and plenty of room for expansive characters-arcs. There’s Jules, Ambrose, Charlotte, Charles, Gaspard and Jean-Baptiste. Amy Plum sets up quite a few interesting character asides for a few of these players – like Charlotte and Ambrose. Conceivably, this series could change narrators with each book and focus on a new Revenant protagonist and their HEA. I'm not sure if that’s Plum’s intention . . . certainly there’s more to explore with Kate and Vincent, but to some extent their story could end with ‘Die For Me’ and we could happily move on to a new character-arc. Either way, I'm definitely in this series for the long-haul, whoever may be narrating.

Plum has written a fancifully luscious paranormal romance in ‘Die For Me’. With a gorgeous Parisian backdrop, Plum winds a unique and tragic zombie mythology with a beautifully complicated romance. This series has such a wide-scope, it could go in many different directions – and I, for one, cannot wait to read more of Plum’s deliciously decadent ‘Revenants’ series in 2012.

5/5

Wish Upon a Series ...

Hello Darling Readers,

So, there are quite a few books and series that I am rabidly anticipating; counting down the months to release, and scouring chat boards for discussions and guessing-games. As a few book releases loom close, I find myself needing to get a few things off my chest, and to voice a few fingers-crossed hopes I have for much-anticipated installments . . .

SOOKIE STACKHOUSE by Charlaine Harris:

May 3rd will see the release of the eleventh Sookie book, ‘Dead Reckoning’. Rumour has it Charlaine Harris is contracted for at least 3 more books after this one (bringing the series to a close with a grand total of 14 books). However, this is pure and utter rumour because Charlaine’s official FAQ page stresses that she doesn’t know how many more Sookie books there will be. And, really, with ‘True Blood’ going great guns and Harris rocketing up the bestseller lists, why on earth wouldn’t her publishers try to get as many books out of her as possible!?

Look, I am a big Sookie Stackhouse fan (HUGE! GINORMOUS! Heck, I have *that* shower scene from Chapter six of ‘Dead to the World’ practically memorized). I am a confirmed fan, and I will read any and all Sookie Stackhouse novels Charlaine Harris writes . . . but at the moment, the open-endedness of the series is a bit of a hindrance. I would actually like it if Harris had a finish-line in mind because, lately, it feels like the series has been floundering (just a teensy-weensy little bit).

Fans waited 10 books for Sookie to hook-up with the frighteningly seductive Eric Northman. But the second they became a couple, Harris was quick to douse fan’s flames by admitting Eric wasn’t Sookie’s Happily-Ever-After. Harris has said Sookie and Eric’s blood bond will be broken (even admitting what a pain this has been for her to write) and she has said that thus far, Sookie hasn’t met the man who will be her HEA.

So, basically, for as long as Eric and Sookie remain a couple fans will know that it’s just temporary and the real fun won’t kick into high-gear until Sookie meets this mysterious HEA of hers. Great. Okay. It just feels like fans are left cooling their heels while Harris gets the Sookie/Eric obsession out of our system.

I will try to go into ‘Dead Reckoning’ with an open-mind. I love Eric, and I love Eric with Sookie . . . but my wish is that that they break up in this eleventh book - If only to signal the new chapter in Sookie’s life that means she will meet her true soul-mate.

Right now I hope the series refocuses and starts building up a clear end-game. I don’t want Sookie to jump the fictional shark.

KATE DANIELS by Ilona Andrews:

Kate + Curran mushiness.
That is all.
. . . Oh, sure, I wouldn’t mind if we delved deeper into the Roland mystery and how it will affect Kate’s future with Curran . . . but mostly I wish for smutty mushiness (I am saying ‘please’ before in the hopes that I will say ‘thank you’ after).

GEORGINA KINCAID by Richelle Mead:

‘Succubus Revealed’ is the sixth and last ‘Georgina Kincaid’ book, coming out in September this year. I honestly, really, truly don’t want this series to end. Even when I was bawling my eyes out and cursing Seth’s name, I would still count this series as one of the most visceral, and enjoyable reading experiences. I have become so invested in Georgina’s turbulent love life that, while I want to see her happy, I don’t want the rollercoaster ride to end!

I want to know what happens. I need to read Georgina get her happy ending (please, please, please Richelle Mead! Hasn’t she been through enough!?!)

I guess, if I had one unattainable wish for this series, it would be to read Georgina punch Maddie in the face. Just once. A really good sucker-punch. Ka-Pow!

BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD by J.R. Ward:

I want Tohr’s book.
That is all.

. . . Seriously. I didn’t love ‘Lover Unleashed’ at all. But I feel like the Warden can make it up to me with Tohr’s book. In fact, I know she will!

Tohr is like John Matthew in that his story has been slow-boiled and set-up over the course of nine books (well, eight books, since he wasn’t mentioned AT ALL in ‘Unleashed’). I feel like Tohr has gone through the first half of his character-arc, and now fans are waiting for the grand finale. I want this soooooooo bad. I want it even more since learning that Layla wouldn’t be his HEA.

I also need Qhuinn and Blay’s book . . . in whatever form the Warden chooses to write it in. Short story. Full-length instalment. On the back of a napkin. Seriously, I will read their M/M HEA any damn way it comes – so long as it comes, hard (*snicker*).

I also have a couple of little wishes for this series, like stories for Trez & iAm. Oh, and for Layla to break out with a bad case of adult acne and to gain a freshman fifteen . . . and if someone wants to punch her in the throat, that would also be awesome.

ANITA BLAKE by Laurell K Hamilton:

It’s no secret that I don’t have a lot of love for Ms. Hamilton and her butchered Anita Blake series. But I will give props where props are due – the Marmee Noir storyline is pretty awesome.

Marmee Noir is reminiscent of the big-bad arcs Joss Whedon used to write for ‘Buffy’. The Mother of all Darkness is this spectacularly invasive presence who has been sadly neglected in recent books (seriously, what was the point of ‘Bullet’?).

Marmee Noir first ‘appeared’ in book #14 ‘Danse Macabre’, and she has been a dark presence in Anita’s life ever since. She is the first vampire – mother to them all – and after a thousand years of slumber, she is awoken by her curiosity about Anita. This is a *great* premise . . . except, it has been a premise for five books now, with little development (what with all the much-needed sexual orgies).

Hamilton had beautifully set-up Marmee Noir as the villain to end all villains – and I totally get that when Anita faces-off against her, it will probably signal the end of the series (I mean, where can you go after defeating Mommie Dearest? She’s like ‘The First’ in Buffy season seven!).

My wish for this series is that Anita retires her hoochie and gets back to the business of paranormal ass-kicker. Marmee Noir could be just the villain to shake Anita out of her sexual haze and pump some life back into this once-great series. But Hamilton needs to get her ass in gear and develop this big-bad, pronto! I hope ‘Hit List’ refocuses this series, and takes Anita back to her heroic roots (preferably with less rooting involved).

'The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf' Naked Werewolf #2 by Molly HARPER

From the BLURB:

Baring It All

Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convinceherself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .

Maggie Graham knows her place in the pack hierarchy – it’s comfortably on top, bossing everyone else around. As the Alpha of the Grundy Alaskan werewolf pack, Maggie literally has the furry world on her shoulders. Ever since her brother abdicated the pawed throne, Maggie has had to be local sheriff, judge and jury to her little wolf community. So when an anthropological zoologist with Trekkie tendencies comes sniffing around, hunting for ‘werewolves’, it falls to Maggie to interrogate and run him out of town.

It just sucks that Nick Thatcher smells so darn good, and happens to have a whole sexy professor vibe that gets Maggie’s engine revving. It’s also bad timing that Nick turns up right when Maggie’s aunties are dropping boulder-sized hints about match-making and mating for life...

‘The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf’ is the second book in Molly Harper’s ‘Naked Werewolf’ paranormal romance series.

I loved the first book in this series, ‘How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf’. That first book concentrated on the romance of exiled-Alpha, Cooper, and his human mate Mo. In ‘Seducing’, Cooper’s younger sister Maggie is the first-ever female Alpha and coasting in her leadership role when a handsome spanner is thrown in her works, in the form of Nick Thatcher. Wolfy hilarity ensues. . .

In ‘Flirt’, Maggie was a combative and prickly character – angry at her brother for abandoning the pack, and disgruntled at her impotence in the testosterone-filled pack hierarchy. I wasn’t sure how I'd like her as a protagonist, let alone a love interest, given her somewhat mean disposition. But Molly Harper has written Maggie as whip-quick, ballsy chick. I loved how strong she was and unremorsefully cocky. She’s a fantastic protagonist, and utterly unique in the paranormal romance genre;

“Look, Mags, I'm not any happier about him being here than you are. But I think we should take a more subtle approach than your usual ‘bite first, bite again, keep biting until they’re too busy bleeding to death to explain themselves’ method.”

“It if ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” I shot back.

Nick was the perfect Beta to Maggie’s Alpha. He’s no wimp, but I loved that his nerdy obsession with fantasy and werewolves made him well-suited to Maggie’s overbearing personality. Nick was hilarious; referencing Star Trek and Doctor Who and just being generally geeky-gorgeous. Harper writes a bit of a dark back story for Nick, which felt under-developed and seemed to halt mid-way, but overall I loved him and I adored him with Maggie.

Molly Haprer has her tongue firmly in cheek throughout a lot of the ‘Naked Werewolf’ series. I love that Harper adopts a funny-blasé attitude to a lot of werewolf mythology, allowing her to answer and explore a lot of interesting lore. She explores pack dynamics, mating rituals, the possibility of other were-animals . . . while also answering a lot of regular, every-day questions associated with turning furry. These conundrums are the sort of thing only a comedic writer can explore, in all their unperturbed hilarity;

You would think it would be weird to see your male relatives running around naked all the time, but really you stop noticing. It’s sort of sad, really. You’ve seen one penis, you’ve seen them all.

I had to stop saying that in front of my mother, because she said it was something a hooker would put on a business card.

If I have any complaint about this instalment, it’s that Harper appears to have wrapped the series up in two books. There was a strong possibility of two werewolf characters, Samson and Clay, getting their own books and romances . . . but Harper effectively nixes that idea by the end of ‘Seducing’, which is a shame. Samson was Podunk-hilarious; while Clay had an intense, smouldering thing going on . . . I would have loved it if this series continued on past two books to encompass their HEA.

Molly Harper is the queen of the funny paranormal romance. She absolutely excels in the ‘Naked Werewolf’ series – writing irreverently funny and furry romances. I wish the series was going to continue past these two books, but I can’t see that happening with how Harper neatly ties-off ‘The Art of Seducing’. Still, this was a wacky-gorgeous series and it cements Molly Harper as one of my all-time favourite authors.

5/5

'The Reluctant Nude' by Meg MAGUIRE

From the BLURB:

Fallon Frost’s late foster mother had done so much to heal the wounds of her damaged childhood. So when a lecherous developer plans to bulldoze her old home to make room for a strip mall, the practical, ordered life Fallon has built for herself is threatened.

Then he makes a twisted proposal. He’ll leave the land alone if she poses nude for a sculpture that’ll end up in his collection. Seeing no other choice, she heads for Nova Scotia—only to find something totally unexpected. A sexy, hot-blooded, infuriating sculptor.

Guarded, sexually detached Fallon is a challenge Max Emery can’t wait to tackle. Yet with each tap of his chisel, he uncovers a woman who rekindles a dream he thought lost. Home, family…love. And the closer he gets to her core, the harder it becomes to accept that he’s carving her naked body for another man’s eyes.

As progress on the sculpture almost grinds to a halt, their fragile fantasy world collapses under the weight of reality. Threatening Fallon’s one chance to save her foster mother’s land…and any chance she and Max have to find love.

The last place Fallon Frost wants to be is Nova Scotia. And the absolute last thing she wants to be doing is giving in to her perverted business opponent’s disturbing blackmail plan . . . but that’s just where Fallon finds herself. Sitting in the dusty studio of sculptor genius Max Emery, posing naked for three months while he renders a marble nude of her for a whopping $700, 000 blackmail fee. Joy.

‘The Reluctant Nude’ is a stand-alone contemporary erotica novel from new writer on the block, Meg Maguire . . . and with this book I think I have found a new must-read author!

This is a beautifully sensual, character-driven erotic novel. There are extenuating circumstances as to how Fallon and Max find themselves sharing an art studio for three months . . . These outside forces are somewhat outlandish and bizarre, but they’re not the driving force of this novel. What the book is really about is Max and Fallon – two polar opposites who have to share a very intimate experience together. The unique brilliance of this erotica novel lies in the exchanges between these two, between the lines and in the matters of the heart.

Max has been a child prodigy since the age of twelve. He is, to some extent, the typical artist –blunt, brazen and laissez-faire. He is French-born and dripping in easy sensuality and masculinity. But because he has been infamous since childhood Max is somewhat burned out by fame. He lives in Nova Scotia and shies away from the spotlight – considered an infamous hermit; he is no longer interested in parties or one-night-stands. Max just wants to dedicate himself to his art, and if a hefty (if suspicious) benefactor wants to fund his work for the sake of one commission, then so be it.

Fallon Frost lives up to her name; she is emotionally closed-off and stubbornly shielded. Her job as a marine-life conservationist demands that she be combative and mulish. Coupled with a less-than-idyllic childhood, Fallon has met her polar opposite in the carefree and ethereal Max Emery. Fallon is on the back-foot from the get-go with Max, when a perverted business rival insists on commissioning a nude of her to settle an ongoing land dispute.

I loved the premise of ‘The Reluctant Nude’. Maguire has come up with such an ingenious set-up; pairing two of the most unlikely individuals up in the most awkward of circumstances. Max; the light-hearted and passionate artist, and Fallon; his cold-hearted and unwilling model.

It’s quite unusual in the erotica genre to down-play the plot and concentrate on dialogue and character exchanges. In the case of ‘The Reluctant Nude’, there’s really no explosive trigger that catapults the storyline. Most of the book takes place in Max’s studio, where it’s just him and Fallon as she models and he sculpts. The brilliance lies in the interplay between these two, the ups and downs, pitfalls and triumphs of their burgeoning friendship and eventual romantic relationship.

She addressed his back. “Don’t act like you pity me.”

“You read so much into the spaces between words.”

“My sex life is none of your business, anyway.”

He turned to face her again, catching her eyes in that inescapable pull. “Right now, and for the next ten weeks, your body and its history are the centre of my universe. Everything.” He gestured, fingertips to his chest then waving out to encompass the studio. “It is all in your orbit. And you – your body – you’re as cold as the stone I'm using to render it.”

Fallon bit back a hundred retorts as a flash of heat and anger coursed through her pulse points. She took a deep breath, and slapped him.

Only a slight flare of his nostrils and a colouring where her palm struck evidenced Max’s surprise. He didn’t speak for several breaths.

He licked his lips and cracked a tiny smile. “Better.”

Meg Maguire has nuanced and finessed these characters so that their dialogues and exchanges are works of art unto themselves – tiny fragments of truths and explorations, as each conversation peels back the layers and lets them know one another more intimately. And pulsing beneath the surface of their talks is magnetism and heat, as Max and Fallon fall more and more towards an unlikely romance . . .

‘The Reluctant Nude’ is a wonderfully thoughtful and sensuous erotica novel. Maguire has such a gorgeous cadence to her writing, and her character-driven focus is wonderfully refreshing. All the talking and dialogue run-arounds between Max and Fallon keep things tense and heated, and the focus on their clashing personalities is unusual for a genre that normally concentrates wholly on the physical;

She seemed to consider her defeatist body position. “I'm not sad.”

“This pose begs to differ,” he said, feeling energized. “You wear malaise like a silk gown.”

‘The Reluctant Nude’ is a character-driven erotica novel. It’s inventive, exploratory and slow-burningly sensual. Meg Maguire is a star on the rise in the erotic genre, and I will definitely be reading more of her work.

5/5

'Rock Hard' Sinners on Tour #2 by Olivia CUNNING

From the BLURB:

An ultimatum can break your heart....

Every night lead singer, Sed Lionheart whips thousands of women into a frenzy with his voice alone. But the stage is the only place Sed feels any passion since he lost Jessica...

If you’re not willing to break all the rules...

It shattered her heart, but law student Jessica broke off her engagement to Sed, determined to be successful on her own terms. But no other man can ever hold a candle to Sed...

Then a chance meeting and tortuously close quarters lead to uncontrollable flares of passion and rediscovery of their unique penchant for public encounters. Now, in addition to the risk of mutual heartbreak every time they get together, they’re in danger of truly scandalous public exposure...

Sedric Lionheart is lead singer of the fabulous rock band, ‘The Sinners’. He is the growling heart and soul of the band, but he has also been the thorn in the side of his band mates for the past two years . . . because two years ago Sed got his heart eviscerated by the only woman he has ever loved.

Jessica Chase had dreams before she met Sed, and shortly after they became engaged it looked as though one of those dreams was going to come true. Jessica was accepted into law school – and well on the path to becoming a renowned lawyer. But ‘The Sinners’ didn’t have the same success two years ago as they do now, and Sed forbade Jessica from taking the scholarship. Money was tight and Sed couldn’t stomach the thought of his fiancée leaving him for dusty school books and stuffy lecturers. So Jessica called off the engagement. She did the unthinkable and walked out on Sedric Lionheart . . .

Two years later and Sed is an infamous rocker with the reputation to match. ‘The Sinners’ have become his sole focus in life, and the band’s groupies have helped him to forget Jessica. But along the way he has also stolen women from his band-mates, Brian Sinclair in particular has had to bear the brunt of Sed’s insatiable sexual appetite. But on the eve of Brian’s wedding to the one woman Sed didn’t manage to snatch, the Sinners go on the bachelor party from hell. Because in a sad little Las Vegas strip club Sed comes face-to-face with the woman who crushed his soul, as she swings around a stripper pole. It only takes one scantily-clad twirl to ignite Sed’s territorial instincts, followed by a bouncer-brawl as he drags his woman from the stage.

Sedric Lionheart has stormed back into Jessica’s life, and he’s just as addictive as she remembered. Being around Sed triggers all of her lusty wants, and she can’t deny that the attraction is still fierce between them. Sed has turned up like a bad penny – right when Jessica’s law scholarship is in jeopardy and she desperately needs tuition money. And worse than that, being with Sed again has reignited her extreme need for public displays of affection . . . but what happens when one X-rated PDA winds up on the internet? Is Sed just a bad addiction that Jessica needs to flush out of her system, or is he a changed man desperate to win back her heart?

‘Rock Hard’ is the second book in Olivia Cunning’s contemporary erotica series, ‘Sinners on Tour’.

I went into ‘Rock Hard’ with high expectations. I love, love, loved ‘Backstage Pass’ and the sweetly erotic story of lead guitarist Brian Sinclair and sexy professor Myrna Evans. I especially loved the series premise of ‘The Sinners’. I could not believe that Olivia Cunning had tapped into such an obvious erotic setting and characters – rock stars on tour! Brilliant! I loved getting to know all the Sinners, their quirks and cravings.

I have to admit, I didn’t like Sed in ‘Backstage Pass’, and for good reason. Sedric had stolen every single one of Brian’s girlfriends, until Myrna. There was a cryptic reason for Sed’s insatiable sexual cravings, and it all centred on the one that got away, Jessica Chase. I didn’t like Sed when he was introduced in the first book, but I was curious to find out about his battered heart . . . Sadly, I found ‘Rock Hard’ to be a lukewarm follow-up to ‘Backstage Pass’.

My biggest problem with ‘Rock Hard’ was the characters of Sed and Jessica. I did not like them, at all.

I think Cunning was on the back-foot from the get-go by giving Jessica and Sed a romantic past. The book opens two years earlier, when Jessica storms out on Sed and their engagement because he literally forbids her from going to law school. Straight away I thought Sed was a misogynistic ape. And, to some extent, I immediately considered Jessica an idiot for ever going out with him. After that little snatch of a scene I found myself reluctant to explore Sed and Jessica’s relationship further . . .

The story then skips ahead to two years later, when Jessica is failing a law class. Once again, I came up against a barrier to my liking the character. Jessica isn’t just failing because she’s burned out or because she handed in a sub-par paper. She’s failing because her mean, female lecturer has it in for Jessica . . . in particular; this lecturer seems to think Jessica attracts too much male attention and must therefore be a dimwit bimbo. Thus begins a long and tragic exposé about how Jessica is stunningly beautiful, and completely unaware of her gorgeousness. The poor dear is always getting asked out on dates, and judged on the size of her bra rather than the content of her character. *Sigh*. She’s a bit of a Mary-Sue, and therefore a lot hard to stomach.

Then there’s Sedric Lionheart. At the beginning of the book I had him down as a womanizing Neanderthal, but by the end of the novel I thought he was a little too pussy-whipped. It might sound crazy, but Sed’s promiscuity was one of the more interesting things about him. I was curious to delve into his psyche and learn why he went through groupies like they were going out of fashion. But the second he sees Jessica twirling on stage at a strip club, he clicks into territorial mode and decides he still loves Jessica, and needs to have her back in his life. Sed’s voracious sexual appetite was the cause of Brian’s distress in ‘Backstage Pass’, and he was set-up as the classic rocker man-whore in that book . . . but it doesn’t take long before he’s a committed and doting boyfriend to Jessica in ‘Rock Hard’.

Now, admittedly, this wouldn’t be much of a romance if Sed was banging groupies all while trying to win Jessica back. But I thought it would be interesting to understand his need to seek sexual comfort and gratification from his female fans. And I thought that Jessica would be a little more concerned with his two years worth of promiscuity while they were broken up. . . as it is, Jessica seems satisfied to learn that Sed never kissed any of the women he slept with (seriously? Not even a talk about “have you been checked for STDs in between having groupie orgies?”).

I really thought that Sed and Jessica’s reunion was a little too easy. There wasn’t enough tension, for my liking. There were no real obstacles to Sed and Jessica getting together . . . except maybe their respective egos. It only gets worse when a grainy YouTube video of Sed and Jessica getting down n’ dirty makes its way around the internet;

“I wonder if my law professors already know about my amateur porn debut.”

“You’re not supposed to be thinking about that.” He stuffed the final quarter of his hamburger into his mouth. He could be such a pig. She wasn’t sure why it turned her on.

“This is a big deal in my life, Sed. What am I supposed to be thinking about?”

He peeled his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. “Me.”

I know Sed is a rock star, and he has to have a certain level of egotism to get up on a stage in front of thousands of adoring fans. But seriously, it’s not an attractive quality in a man. And Jessica’s just as unlikeable – a veritable Yoko Ono.

I may have warmed a little to Jessica if she was capable of articulating her feelings and voicing her concerns about her relationship with Sed – but she’s just as emotionally repressed as he is. Two closed-off characters bouncing off each other does not make for fascinating reading. . . There just needed to be more depth, to both characters. As it is, Jessica and Sed come across as two childish adults who keep clashing and fucking each other. They needed to be grown-ups and use their words to express themselves.

Even the sex scenes were frustrating in ‘Rock Hard’. There were too many, for starters, to the point that Sed and Jessica seemed to replace actual conversations with mad grunting and fornicating. And the plentiful sex scenes were also too technical . . . sometimes I found myself having to re-read paragraphs just to know where whose arm went where while they were being balanced against the wall (but then how did his hand get there to do that?!). It’s not a good sex scene when the logistics leave your head spinning.

Quite a big focus of ‘Rock Hard’ is on the crazed fans that follow the Sinners around. It was touched on in ‘Backstage Pass’ when Myrna started collecting scientific data on what drives women to fandom. . . but in ‘Rock Hard’ Jessica clashes with quite a few of Sed’s fans. It’s quite an interesting exploration in the book, and it always makes for funny and/or frightening scenes when certain female fans get a little too rambunctious with the Sinners and their female companions. I think Cunning is setting up a storyline with the Sinners fanatical fans, so I am interested to ‘watch this space’ and see where that plot goes. . .

I really didn’t like Sed and Jessica. But ‘Rock Hard’ reiterates what’s so great about Olivia Cunning’s overall series focus – the band! I loved reading about the other band members. Cunning has great pace in ‘Rock Hard’, and always when I was sick to death of Sed and Jessica’s yo-yoing emotions, a scene would focus on the other band members. We’re learning more about Jace’s place on the bottom of the band totem-pole (and his need to exert himself in other aspects of his life). Trey has a very harrowing storyline in ‘Rock Hard’, and I am interested to see how it develops in future books. And Eric, though the funniest band member, has a vicious streak that I look forward to picking apart in future books. And, of course, first favourite Brian and his lovely Myrna make a reappearance and assure fans that they are still just as hot for each other in ‘Rock Hard’ as they were in ‘Backstage Pass’.

This much-anticipated book left me a little cold. Sedric was promiscuous one second and pussy-whipped the next. Jessica was a ‘woe-is-me’ stunner who was as emotionally stunted as her rocker boyfriend. Luckily, the other band members picked up the slack for Sed’s disappointing instalment. I can’t wait to read Jace and Eric’s books, but Trey has fast become my favourite Sinner. I didn’t love ‘Rock Hard’, but I still love Olivia Cunnings ‘Sinners on Tour’ series, and I want more, more, more!

2/5