HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

By Lisa Plumley
Zebra (2008), 344 pages, $6.99 (paperback)


There’s no place like “Home For The Holidays,” and there’s nothing like reading about romance at Christmas.
Lisa Plumley once again gifts readers with a Yuletide story sure to put you in a holiday mood, with characters certain to make you laugh – and shake your head.
Rachel is a rather annoying small-town-girl-turned-LA-snob, who gets an unfair comeuppance in the big city, and decides to hide out and lick her wounds back home during Christmas.
Reno is the local hero, the small-town kid who made it big in the NFL, who then returned home to run a sporting goods store and endear himself to the locals by being the go-to-for-any-favor man about town.
So, he was only doing one of his favors when he agreed to pick up Rachel at the airport.
Their courtship was rather unorthodox, since Rachel was in full LA-is-so-much-better-than-this-place mode, and Reno was determined to change her mind. There was also the fact that Reno was suffering a lot of guilt because his best buddy fancied himself in love with Rachel, and was counting on Reno to hook him up.
Oh, and then there were Reno’s parents, who separated over Tom’s insensitive Christmas gift.
In other words, this is vintage Plumley. She’s created a cast of characters that are a bit eccentric, quirky and likeable and spun a story that will make you smile.


Overall rating: 4 of 5 hearts. It’s really tough to not like a holiday book. And it’s really tough not to like the quirkiness and fun that Plumley infuses in all her stories. And there’s lots of Christmas in this one as well!


Hunk appeal: 10. Reno is just a good guy. Almost too good, at times. He loses points when Rachel discovers he was supposed to be setting her up with his best friend, by deciding he’s the affronted because she doesn’t understand how he felt.

Steamy scene grade: XXXX. A good guy.

Happily-Ever-After: Good. It’s another hero-rushing-after-heroine-to-stop-her-from-leaving scene. But hey, it works! Reno goes after Rachel, catches her, apologizes – accepts her apologies – and both say very mushy, very romantic stuff that makes it a good ending.



Also this week…..

BIG SKY WINTER

by Diana Palmer (2008, hardcover) 4 of 5.

Actually, this is a two-in-one, with both stories written in 1986. But as most of her stories are, these two are timeless and you’ll enjoy them every bit as much now as you would have 22 years ago.
In the first story, “Rawhide & Lace,” Ty is a homely rancher, who is nasty and cruel to the woman he loves – the beautiful model Erin. Of course it’s a self-defense mechanism, to keep her from breaking his heart. It doesn’t work – in more ways than one. His nastiness runs Erin off, but not before their passion resulted in a pregnancy. She tries to tell him, but he’s nasty again. Soon after, she wrecks her car and loses the baby and her career.
Ty finds out about that shortly before Erin inherits half of his ranch – with the stipulation that she lives there. She doesn’t want to, but knows a lot of innocent people would lose their jobs if she refuses. Ty is determined to make up for his part in Erin’s accident, but still slips into nastiness often. Of course they end up married, and eventually happy – after clearing up misunderstandings and learning each other’s true feelings.
“Unlikely Lover” is the sequel to “Rawhide & Lace,” featuring Ty’s former nemesis and neighbor, Ward. Mari is the niece of Ward’s cook, and becomes an unwitting pawn in auntie’s matchmaking scheme. Even though Ward and Mari are both aware of the aunt’s plot, they succumb to the love that simmers between them.
Of course Palmer’s name is on the cover, so they have to suffer many self-erected obstacles before they can embark on happily-ever-after. But of course, they finally get there.

SEDUCE ME AT SUNRISE

St. Martin’s (2008), 360 pages, $7.99 (paperback)

Lisa Kleypas does it again.
Kleypas was born to write romances. She writes scenes that resonate with romance readers, ones that get earmarked and cherished. Scenes that have tears streaming down cheeks while readers sigh wistfully.
Quite simply, Kleypas gives romance readers exactly what they want.
In “Seduce Me At Sunrise,” she reprises beloved characters from “Mine Till Midnight,” and gives us another charming and unforgettable story.
In “Mine Till Midnight,” we meet Win, invalid sister of heroine Amelia, and Merripen, a gypsy taken in by the girls’ family as a boy who is obviously in love with Win, and just as obviously has some sort of connection to Amelia’s future husband, Cam.
“Seduce Me At Sunrise” picks up soon after “Mine Till Midnight” ends, with a brief flashback to when Merripen came to live with the Hathaways. Win is getting ready to journey to France, where a doctor has had success in “curing” fragile patients suffering lingering effects from illnesses, such as Win’s scarlet fever.
Much of the story deals with the compelling and consuming passion Win and Merripen share for each other, and Merripen’s determination to ignore it. He doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. But at the same time, he can’t let her go.
This causes much frustration for Win – and readers – as Merripen succumbs to passionate petting and embraces, only to push her away in an effort to convince her to forget about him.
It doesn’t work.
“Seduce Me At Sunrise” has plenty to keep readers turning the pages: Wit, suspense, secrets to learn and, of course, lots of love and passion.


Overall rating: 4-plus of 5 hearts. “Seduce Me At Sunrise” is full of romantic passages, words designed to make readers sigh wistfully and shed capacious tears. Like when Merripen tells Win, somewhat angrily, that he does love her: “All the fires….could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn’t equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day.”

Hunk appeal: 10. Once he quits trying to deny his love and the inevitability of a union with Win, it’s a definite plus. Unfortunately, it takes him most of the book to get there. Still, Merripen’s wonderfully protective and eventually loving. And he definitely has some great lines: “I love every part of you, every thought and word….I love you for being the answer to every question my heart could ask.”

Steamy scene grade: XXXXX. Get ready to blush.

Happily-Ever-After: Very good. It’s a rather long ending, but you won’t complain. It starts when Merripen gives in to love, and promises to love Win forever. From then until the final page, secrets will be revealed (including Cam and Merripen’s questions about their past), a villain unveiled and Win and Merripen’s love will face a test – and pass.


Also this week…..


AGAIN THE MAGIC

by Lisa Kleypas (2008 paperback) 5 of 5.

Simply one of the all-time best romances, a compelling love story that oozes romance and has you dreading the final page.
The story spans several years, beginning when Lady Aline and stable boy McKenna realized their innocent childhood friendship has evolved into something more. Their passion is the stuff great love stories are made of.
So, of course, they have to face tragedy. Aline's father threatens McKenna, and Aline must take drastic measures to keep him safe. As her sister explains to an embittered McKenna many years later, "She loved you . . . enough that she chose to make you hate her rather than see you harmed in any way."
And McKenna does try to hate Aline. He returns to her home 12 years later as a successful man intent on making Aline suffer for casting him aside all those years ago. He tries to fight his affection for Aline with bitterness and nastiness, but he can't fight love.
Truths have to be discovered and secrets shared before they can embark on their happilyever- after.
This book is full of wonderfully romantic, tender scenes that will linger in your mind -- passages you'll turn to time after time, whenever you need a quick dose of passionate romance.
Interesting note: “Again The Magic” introduced Lord Westcliff, Aline’s brother, who was later an integral character in the Wallflower series as the husband of Lillian, and had smaller roles in “Mine Till Midnight” and “Seduce Me At Sunset.”

THE RUSTLER

By Linda Lael Miller
HQN (2008), 374 pages, $7.99 (paperback)


Take a former outlaw-turned-good guy in the early 1900s. Pair him up with a damsel in distress and what do you get?
A fun, pure romance by Linda Lael Miller.
Following in his brother Rowdy’s footsteps (“A Wanted Man”) Wyatt decides to shed his outlaw ways and find a law-abiding job. He ends up in Stone Creek, where his brother is the marshal.
And he meets Sarah.
Sarah has two rather significant secrets that make her rather sad, and keeps her from allowing any man to get too close. She considers herself an old maid who is “too plainspoken and too smart to suit most men.”
And Wyatt decides right after meeting her that he’s going to marry her.
It takes a bit longer for him to realize he loves her.
Sarah is immediately drawn to Wyatt, but those secrets hold her back. Her father, the town’s banker, suffers from what seems to be dementia. She can’t let anyone know, or realize that she’s actually running the back, or she knows the business will be taken away.
Her other secret is a past relationship with a city man, who is a total jerk.
And the result of that relationship.
When the jerk comes to town with his son, Sarah is ecstatic to spend time with the boy. But when the jerk turns the visit into blackmail, her life becomes a nightmare.
One Wyatt intends to turn into a dream.
And, of course, he does.
It’s nice to visit characters from the other books in Miller’s “Stone Creek” series, and nice to get to know Wyatt, who ends up making a rather good, good guy.


Overall rating: 4 of 5 hearts. Nothing complicated about this book, just a pure, unapologetic romance with a determined hero, an independent damsel in distress, and a villain who gets his due.

Hunk appeal: 10. Romance books like to tout that reformed rakes make the best husbands, but the Yarbro brothers seem to be proving reformed outlaws are pretty good as well.

Steamy scene grade: XXX. Definite “carrying on.”

Happily-Ever-After: Good. A bit of excitement, and a sweet “I love you” scene, along with a happy epilogue.




Also this week…..


Raintree: Inferno / Sanctuary / Haunted

by Linda Howard, Beverly Barton and Linda Winstead Jones (2008 paperback) 4 of 5.

The stories that were released separately a year ago are now together in a three-for-one. Howard’s “Inferno” starts off the trilogy, introducing Dante.
This is a series that probably will sound ridiculously stupid when you try to tell someone about it.
But it's so good, you won't care.
It is a paranormal series, but don't let that turn you off. Dante is king of a far-reaching group of people with special powers, including brother Gideon (“Haunted,” by Winstead Jones) and sister Mercy (“Sanctuary,” by Barton.) They can do stuff like control fire and lightning and read minds.
The Raintree, as the clan of powerful and power full people are known, use their abilities for good. The Anasar is a clan that has been warring with the Raintree for centuries, and they come to blows big time in the series.

MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME

By Julia Quinn
AVON Books (2008), 370 pages, $7.99 (paperback)

A few months ago, we read about how a former military officer turned highwayman discovered he was “The Lost Duke of Wyndham.”
Jack, if you remember, robbed his grandmother who recognized him due to his resemblance to his deceased father.
During that story, Thomas – who thought he was the duke – had a peripheral role, as did his beleaguered fiancee, Amelia. Amelia and Thomas had been engaged since childhood, and Thomas had done his best to politely ignore her for years.
It’s like he thought at one point, “he had not treated her badly, but nor had he treated her well.”
Then, just as he began to take notice, he found out about cousin Jack – the real duke.
In “The Lost Duke of Wyndham” we read about Jack’s turmoil and reluctance to become a duke, while he was falling in love with Grace.
In “Mr. Cavendish, I Presume,” we read about the situation from Thomas’ perspective – while he was falling in love with his fiancee, whom he now decides deserves better than a mere mister.
So of course the bulk of the book is spent with Thomas getting used to his new lot in life, and slowly coming to the realization that love conquers all, and that Amelia wants him, not a title.
Julia Quinn is a romance master and like the rest of her books, this one is an outstanding read that will captivate you immediately.



Overall rating: 5 of 5 hearts. It was a lot of fun to read this story, which followed a parallel line to its predecessor, “The Lost Duke of Wyndam.” Interesting to read the same story, told from a different perspective.

Hunk appeal: 10, almost plus. Thomas was perhaps a bit brooding, but who could blame him with his life turned askew and a shrew for a grandmother. He perhaps wasn’t the most gallant and romantic fellow for Amelia initially, but he turned into a stalwart protector and a true love.


Steamy scene grade: XXXX. Worth the wait.

Happily-Ever-After: Very good, with a fun twist at the end. And of course, a very romantic one as well.




Also this week…..


SILVER MASTER

by Jayne Castle (2007 paperback) 4 of 5.

If you like or even tolerate futuristic stories, this is a must read. And with Castle’s new book, “Dark Light” taking readers back to the futuristic Harmony, it’s a good time to revisit with other books.
Unlike past heroes in the series, Davis isn't a ghost hunter. He comes from a family of ghost hunters, but his particular psychic skills make him a better private detective.
Celinda has some special and powerful psychic skills of her own. She doesn't advertise them because they freak out some folks.
They don't bother Davis. And Davis' abilities don't freak out Celinda.
So there you have it -- a perfect love match. Ah, but it's not quite that simple. It never is.
This book has strong characters, sharp dialog sharp and the story is intriguing. It’s a compelling story from one of the genre’s top authors.