My Stab at Reviewing

In an effort to keep this blog from fading into obscurity, I may have mentioned some things I am planning to do with it. I have some author interviews coming up and thought I'd also start including reviews for books I've recently read. So to start off, I've got a few books I'm going to talk about. 

First, I wanted to give a review of some recent books by Kat Attalla. If you haven't read any of her books, you really should. Kat writes some of the best dialogue I've ever read, and she nails the chemistry between her characters with absolute perfection. In the Married to a Prince series, she has created a Middle Eastern world that I think many of us would like to see actually exist. Book One, A Marriage of Convenience, involves a secret baby and misunderstandings between Honor and Yusef. But even through all that, there is no doubt that these two are deeply in love. I laughed through a lot of this book, and was sorry to see it end. Book Two, An Inconvenient Marriage, Lila learns she was married as a baby to Sami, the heir in line to the throne of Nadiar. She plans to end the marriage, but finds herself falling for the husband she never met or knew existed. Some really tense moments in this one, but as usual the chemistry of the couple just sweeps you off your feet. Book Three, The Prodigal Prince, also involves a lot of secrets. Mona, being the daughter of Nadiar's emir, needs protection while she studies in Boston. Rashid is the man hired to protect her, without her knowledge. Not to mention, he's a prince in his own right, even though he's cut himself off from his father's family. Mona's innocence is endearing (and humorous at times) and Rashid's determination to resist his growing feelings makes for some really comical moments. There are more in the series to come, and I am salivating while waiting for them.

Next up is J.J. Rose's Shell Game, Volume One and Two (book one is Learning the Ropes and book two is Breaking the Rules) Sarah and Michael are a really intense couple, but they are written so realistically, with lots of human flaws, that I felt as if they were real people I actually knew. I found myself immersed in both books and hated for them to end. I highly recommend reading them for those who enjoy BDSM romance. That aspect is also done very realistically and true to people in the lifestyle, and smoking hot, as well! The supporting characters are also very well-written, and spurred lots of intense reactions on my part. These are two more books that I had trouble putting down until the very end, and was still left wanting more.

Also recently read is a romantic suspense by debut author Kelly Janicello. Remember Me is a spooky tale about two cops hunting a serial killer. Ryli has much more to do with this than either she or Brody realize, due to her repressed memories. The chemistry between the two left me squirming, and the humor throughout the story is so well-written, I literally laughed out loud many times. Since a lot of my reading lately has been done at the gym (thank you Kindle app for my phone), my reactions earn me a lot of strange looks from those on the treadmills beside me!

Lastly, for this post, is Elizabeth Shore's Hot Bayou Knights. Carla, a corporate consultant, has to complete a "fear assignment" in order to achieve her much-desired promotion. She never expected to be at a research facility deep in the Louisiana Bayou, one where King Cobras and their venom are studied for medicinal purposes. Luckily for her, Jackson, who runs the facility with intensity and drive, is smoking hot and shares her attraction. The realistic touches of life in the Bayou dragged me right into the story and didn't let me go until the end.

I have a few more recent reads I will be talking about, as soon as I get myself organized. Between my e-reader and the Kindle app on my phone I am getting caught up on my TBR list while I debate which story to tackle writing next. I have five options I am considering, and as usual, I will end up working on two at the same time, because why make it easy on myself?

So, go read some of these books. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.