King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: To Be Sung Underwater

author: Tom McNeal

source: sent for review from Blue Dot Literary

pages: 436

published: 2011

first line: The man sits hidden among pines on a bluff overlooking the grid farms and country roads lying north.

rated: 5 out of 5 stars












What a great find To Be Sung Underwater has turned out to be.

With it's wonderful writing, moving storyline and dynamic characters, this was one of those books that I lost myself in for a few days.




One summer, while living in Nebraska with her father, Judith Toomey met and fell in love with a carpenter named Willy Blunt.

When she left for college, she promised him she would return and marry him.
Instead, Judith wound up meeting and marrying a banker named Malcom and has a daughter named Camille. She never returned to her lost love in Nebraska.



Now twenty seven years later, Judith has never forgotten Willy. Memories of him intertwine with her everyday life. For a while, she'd call his house then hang up when his mother answered. She still keeps his photo in her wallet.


The story flashes back from the summer when Judith was in love with Willy and living in Nebraska, to her current day life as a film editor.

In her current life, Judith has good reason to believe that her husband Malcom is cheating on her. She wonders if she herself has fallen out of love with him.





Judith came from a broken home, her parents having divorced when she was a teen. I liked reading the flashbacks of Judith and her father. He would read her Pride & Prejudice and Judith would ask him if she would ever be like Elizabeth Bennett. Judith decided to stay with her father permanently as the two had a close bond.



Reading about Judith and Willy made me think those two were meant to be together.
Their love story just drew me in. Their first date is the simple and romantic kind that just makes the reader sigh. The Nebraska setting for their summer love was perfect and I could easily envision the sights and sounds during their private rendezvous in the Adirondack-like mountains.

She closed her eyes. He said nothing. Neither did she. She just lay feeling the sun touching her and listening to the slow, strangely vivid creak of the dock, the watery rocking of the kayak, the occasional cry of a bird, and she wondered what it meant that stripping her life down to as little as this could afford more contentment than anything more complicated ever would.

p.384

I found Judith's current life to be a sad one. She rents out a storage unit for her childhood furniture and recreates her teenage bedroom in Nebraska. Judith hires a private detective to find Willy. I did wonder why would Judith remain in this unhappy marriage, but she was one of the complex characters within this story and as I read I hoped for her happy ending.

These, then, were the beginnings of what Judith later thought of as the Summer of Willy Blunt. All at once her life of latency and quiescence had turned metaphoric.

p.239

I loved this novel. To Be Sung Underwater will be on my top reads for 2011. This is the kind of story that begs to be discussed and one that you reflect on long after the last page is turned.



I think this book would make for a great movie as well. There is romance, heartache and drama weaved within the story and I found it hard to put down.


Another thing I like about this book is the cover. Isn't it serene looking? It fits the story perfectly.

To Be Sung Underwater was a wonderful read from cover to cover and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good book to get lost in.

The days slid by, Judith and Willy fell into the lazy rhythm of their secret life, carried along by the presumption that all the foreseeable tomorrows would be more or less like the day before them.

p.273

Special thanks to Blue Dot Literary for sending me a copy.
















ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom McNeal is a critically-acclaimed author of many short stories and the novel, Goodnight, Nebraska; for which he won the 1999 James A. Michener Memorial Prize. McNeal was born in Santa Ana, California, where his father and grandfather raised oranges. He spent part of every summer at the Nebraska farm where his mother was born and raised, and after earning a BA in English at UC Berkeley and an MFA in Creative Writing at UC Irvine, he taught school in the town that was the inspiration for Goodnight, Nebraska. Tom has been a Wallace Stegner Fellow and a Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, and his short stories have been widely anthologized.

title: Bath Tangle

author: Georgette Heyer



genre: Regency Romance/Classic

pages: 362

published: 1955

source: sent for review from Sourcebooks



rated: 4 out of 5 stars











About:

The red-haired, fiery beauty Lady Serena Carlow has just lost her father to pneumonia. Her mother died when she was just twelve years old and she is an only child.

Serena's fifty-something year old father left behind a widow, the young Lady Fanny, who is twenty three years old, which makes her a few years younger than Serena. Milverly house, Serena's home, is left to her male cousin.



To Serena's horror, at the reading of her fathers will, Ivo Barrasford who is the marquis of Rotherham, is named trustee of Serena's wealth.


Rotherham, who is not even a blood relative, is also Serena's ex-beau, whom she broke it off with years ago because he was 'unendurable'. Serena's father however, trusted and liked Rotherham.




Added to all of this, Serena was once in love with a soldier named Hector Kirkby. This was six years ago and Serena's father made her break off the match since Hector was not wealthy.


Serena and the fair and dainty Fanny get along very well and they decide to temporarily move to Bath. Once at Bath, the two ladies make new acquaintances and find some entertainment with this new change of scenery. Serena even runs into her old flame, Major Hector Kirkby and sparks reignite.





My thoughts:

If I had to describe Bath Tangle with just one word, it would be charming.







Oh, what a tangled web Miss Georgette Heyer weaves in this novel.

This book had me laughing from the start with all the goings on within the storyline and sighing at the sweet romance throughout.




The reading of the will was a favorite scene and I laughed out loud at Serena's reaction to her fate. I thought she was going to claw Rotherham's eyes out since he had the nerve to laugh out loud after the Will was read.

"Fanny, don't touch me! I am not safe!"

-(Serena to Fanny)







I liked Rotherham and thought he made a good hero.
He and Serena had great chemistry, and although the two always found one reason or other to argue, I could always see that he still held feelings for her.
Some of the things he would say to Serena had me laughing. He is very much the 'no nonsense' type of guy.



Serena was likeable. She's got a mind of her own, is a self-confessed flirt and is always ready to argue with Rotherham when the opportunity arises.

She was raised as part of the upper class, used to meeting royalty, with mannerisms of someone who is used to having only the best. She also has a bit of a reputation due to her feisty temper and because she broke off her engagement with Rotherham.




Poor Fanny, she was made a widow in her early twenties, with a step-daughter near her same age to boot. She and Serena are more like sisters than anything. Fanny is happy with the simple life.




I liked when Hector Kirkby made his entrance into the story. He makes it known that he has never forgotten Serena and hates Rotherham. I did feel that Hector was too head over heels in love with Serena, and was blind to her faults. I would laugh out loud when Serena would put him in his place, as he had no control over her.
Another funny scene was when he took Serena to meet his mother. Hector is a bit of a flake.




I always enjoy visiting Regency England through Heyer's stories. She describes the time, place and customs so well that I feel as though I am really there.



This was a fun romance and I found myself being unable to put this one down. Heyer made me laugh until the very end.


The author has a knack for putting her characters into place, then letting the story take twists and turns until the final page.

This was also a story about class and social standings. Heyer weaves this aspect of class into the storyline very well.





With Georgette Heyer's signature witty dialogue, sweet romance, interesting characters and a fun storyline, I thoroughly enjoyed Bath Tangle.



This book has also been reviewed by:


Blodeuedd.







I'll close my review with a few favorite tidbits:

"Don't shoot daggerlooks at me! I'm impervious to 'em."

p.13

He had few graces, his manners being blunt to a fault, made as many enemies as friends, and, had he not been endowed with birth, rank, and fortune, would possibly
have been ostracized from polite circles. But these magical attributes were his, and they acted like a talisman upon his world. His Belcher neckties and his unconventional manners might be deplored but must be accepted: he was Rotherham.

p.13

"It is nearly seven years since I first saw her, and from that day those feelings have remained unchanged! She appeared to me then like some heavenly creature descended to earth to make every other woman seem commonplace! Her beauty, her grace, the very music of her voice, I could never forget! They have remained with me, haunted all of my dreams..."

p.127

About the author:







Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was an English historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. The couple spent several years living in Tanganyika and Macedonia before returning to England in 1929. After her novel These Old Shades became popular despite its release during the General Strike, Heyer determined that publicity was not necessary for good sales. For the rest of her life, she refused to grant interviews, telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family."


quoted from wiki

title: The Quiet Gentleman

author: Georgette Heyer

pages: 360

genre: regency mystery/romance

published: 1951

source: sent for review from Sourcebooks

first line: In the guide-books it figured as Stanyon Castle; on the tongues of the villagers, it was the Castle; the Polite World spoke of it as Stanyon, as it spoke of Woburn, and of Cheveley.

rated: 4 out of 5 stars









Before I start my review, I just wanted to mention that I believe Georgette Heyer to be the Queen Bee of Regency Mystery/Romance novels and I'm a big fan of her work. I'd also like to give many thanks to the publicists over @ Sourcebooks for providing me with several great Heyer titles over the past couple of years. They are the reason I discovered this wonderful author.





Now onto my review....I think you might already be able to tell how it will go.





About:


Gervase Frant returns home after surviving the Napoleanic Wars. Gervase is now the Earl of St. Erth and is home to claim himself as master of the estate known as Stanyon Manor. His step-mother Lady St.Erth, and step-brother Martin, are both openly unhappy about this. Also staying at Stanyon Castle are Gervase's cousin Theo and Miss Morville who is a guest.


One day while out riding, Gervase stumbles upon a maiden in distress. Miss Marianne Bolderwood has fallen off her horse.

Gervase notices right away how lovely Marianne is and begins, like so many others, to give her his attentions. This makes Martin furious, he thinks that Marianne is his personal property and plans to marry her someday, fueling his hatred of Gervase even more.





With Gervase waking in the middle of the night swearing someone was just in his room, to his being setup to purposely take a tumble off his horse, the new Earl has the distinct feeling that the jealous Martin is behind it all. Miss Morville actually tries to help Gervase figure out who is trying to do him harm and she becomes a good friend to the new Earl.









My thoughts:


Since I first read Heyer's work she has reminded me of Jane Austen.

Heyer brings Regency England to life in her stories, and as I read, I am instantly transported there. She set a Gothic mood in this novel from the start with her description of Stanyon Manor and I really enjoyed that.


Heyer had a knack for creating fun characters and storylines. There was a sweet and unexpected romance in the plot.



Gervase Frant himself is a well thought out character and he is definitely The Quiet Gentleman, never losing his composure and finding clever ways to get through difficult situations. He makes for a great hero.

There's a swordfight, people wandering the castle at night, a ball, men fighting over a female, witty dialogue and murder attempts. What more could you want in a book?




I giggled as I read, was swept into the storyline and sighed as I turned the last page. Heyer had me guessing until the end and the person behind trying to harm Gervase wasn't who I thought it would be.



I enjoyed reading The Quiet Gentleman so much that I was up past 1:00 AM to finish reading it, even though I had to be at work early the following day.


With interesting characters, a Gothic like mansion, a dash of humor and some romance, you have a fun mystery the likes of which only Georgette Heyer can weave.

"Good God! The fellow's nothing but a curst dandy!"
p.13

Check out Blodeuedd's review of The Quiet Gentleman.







About the author:





Georgette Heyer (16 August 1902 – 4 July 1974) was an English historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. The couple spent several years living in Tanganyika and Macedonia before returning to England in 1929. After her novel These Old Shades became popular despite its release during the General Strike, Heyer determined that publicity was not necessary for good sales. For the rest of her life, she refused to grant interviews, telling a friend: "My private life concerns no one but myself and my family."

quoted from wiki

title: Losing Beauty

author: Johanna Garth

genre: paranormal romance

published: 2011

pages: 315

first line: "I've been to hell and back."

rated: 4 out of 5 stars

Her beauty was the lure and what lay beneath was the trap. She wished she could warn them, tell them to run from her before it was too late, but she couldn't. That was the other part of the deal. She got to be beautiful but she never, ever got to tell the truth.

p.3

About:

When Haden Sarantos arrives in the small town of Iowa claiming he is the new librarian, something is very different about him. He knows when people will die and I wondered if he was the grim reaper.



The beautiful Persephone Campbell is well known in her small home town.
She was raised by a single mom, her father having died in a car crash before she was born.


After meeting Persey, the one thing Haden notices right away is that as the ruler of death, he cannot 'see' how she will die.
Haden knows every 'humans end', how and when they will die, yet Persey is a mystery to him.






Persey herself is not like others, people are compelled to confide their deepest secrets to her, secrets she sometimes wishes she didn't know. The darker the secret, the stronger the urge for people to unburden it on her.





As the years pass, Persey goes on bewitching everyone she meets. Aaron Strait, a high school football player, falls in love with her. The two eventually marry and Persey goes to work at a law firm in NYC. Aaron goes on to become a Wall Street investment banker.



All the while, Haden is in her life in some form or another, waiting to make her his own. He has been obsessed with Persey since he first laid eyes on her.

A lawyer named Daniel Hartnett works with Persey and is hopelessly in love with her as well, even though she is married. Soon enough Daniel realizes there is something different about Persey, and he figures out her special talent of inspiring people to confess themselves to her.




Persey comes in contact with Haden again in NYC when he is instructing her Yoga class. Little does she know, Haden has plans to make Persey his own and will stop at nothing to claim her. He wants to make her his immortal queen.

The heat of his body threatened to suffocate her with its intensity. It was more than heat. It was devastation, sorrow, musty odors from rooms where people sobbed lonely tears. His secrets were inside of her, consuming her. She could feel their darkness and the horror. Each one was more devastating than the next, and yet, something in her called to them. They were part of her, their pain and suffering belonged to her.

p.145

My thoughts:


I have to say I didn't know what Losing Beauty was about when I first began reading it.

I have been pleasantly surprised! It reminded me a bit of the film Meet Joe Black as far as Haden's character was concered.




Author Johanna Garth does an excellent job at weaving a unique and interesting story here. In the beginning I couldn't figure out whether Haden was a villain or not. And when I did see that he wasn't one of the good guys, I still liked him. He's one of those bad boys you love to hate. Haden became my favorite character in the story. I now have a new literary crush.


The interactions between Haden and Persey gave me the chills.

The first time Persey came to the library, he felt her. Her presence was a dark space—a hole where knowledge should be. She entered the room and filled it up with nothingness. He found her sitting on the carpeted floor, between the stacks of older children's books. She looked up as though she was expecting him. He crouched down in front of her and she inched away from him.

"Hello, Persey," he said, smiling at her.

"You know my name." She said it without wonder or surprise. It was as though his knowledge of her name was just another thing she expected.

p. 11

I liked Persey's character. I wondered who she was, where she got this special power from. Imagine people having to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets to you? I think that's a sad fate.


I liked that Persey married Aaron, and yet, I liked Daniel too and could see her being happy with him as well. Daniel himself was a sweet guy with a good heart. I rooted for him throughout the story and I enjoyed the interactions between Persey and him.




The paranormal and romance elements in this book were right up my alley and I enjoyed reading Losing Beauty very much.
I liked the mythology of the story as well.

Kronos—ruler of both the world and immortals—lived on Mount Titanus. From his mountain-top palace, he pulled the strings of time which governed all human life. His palace was carpeted with the ever-changing map of time. He walked over it as he observed and guided the timing of all events in accordance with the dictates of natural law.

p.197

The book took some unexpected twists and turns and I never really knew what would happen next, my interest was held throughout. I also like how the events in the story were wrapped up together towards the end, to create an exciting conclusion. In my opinion, the ending leaves the story wide open for a sequel.





Special thanks to author Johanna Garth for providing me a copy of her debut novel for review! I recommend Losing Beauty to fans of romance and paranormals, or for anyone looking for a good story to get caught up in.





On a final note, I'll also mention, I'm old-fashioned and still have yet to purchase an e-reader. I don't tend to read full length books online, mainly because I just prefer to be holding a paperback. I did make the exception for Johanna's book and am glad I did.




About the author:

Johanna Garth is a writer of urban fantasy and mythic fiction for adults who resides with her husband and two children in Portland, Oregon.

This is her debut novel.

title: Trace of Fever

author: Lori Foster



genre: contemporary romance/romantic suspense



pages: 393

published: May 2011


source: ARC sent by Book Trib/Book Tour


first line: Arms crossed and his shoulders propped against the wall outside the elaborate, corner high rise-office, Trace Rivers considered his options.


rated: 3 out of 5








book blurb:

Caught in the crossfire of vengeance and desire...



Undercover mercenary Trace Rivers loves the adrenaline rush of a well-planned mission. First he'll earn the trust of corrupt businessman Murray Coburn, then gather the proof he needs to shut down the man's dirty smuggling operation. It's a perfect scheme—until Coburn's long-lost daughter saunters in with her own deadly plan for revenge.


With a smile like an angel and fire in her eyes, Priscilla Patterson isn't who she seems to be. But neither is the gorgeous bodyguard who ignites all her senses. Joining forces to plot Coburn's downfall, Priss and Trace must fight the undeniable heat between them. For one wrong move, one lingering embrace will expose them to the wrath of a merciless opponent.

About:


Trace of Fever is the second book in Lori Foster's Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series.

In this book we have hottie Trace Rivers working undercover as a bodyguard for a corrupt wealthy businessman named Murray Coburn. Coburns runs a human trafficking business and Trace wants to gain his trust so he can bring him down.


One day the beautiful and seemingly innocent Priscilla Patterson walks into Coburns place of business claiming to be his long lost daughter. Priss has an agenda of her own. Trace can't help but notice the beauty has something up her sleeve, and is not as innocent as she claims to be.


When Coburn has Trace keep tabs on Priss, he more than willingly obliges. Trace and Priss end up having some hot sexual tension as Trace actually begins to care for her and doesn't want to see Priss come to any harm.




My thoughts:


I read the first in this series, When You Dare and enjoyed it. In that book I got to learn a bit about Trace, and I was eager to read his story in this second installment.


The tension between Priss and Trace was nice, it slowly developed and I was eager to see how these two would get together.

Author Lori Foster creates another likable heroine with Priss. She is no damsel in distress and has a mind of her own.
I also liked Trace's character, since I do enjoy alpha males in romance books.



I also like seeing Dare McIntosh from the first in this series, When You Dare, pop up in this book.



I found Murray Coburn's wife, Helene a.k.a. Hell, to be a bit over the top. I found her too obnoxious and too willing to throw punches to take her seriously.





All in all, I enjoyed Trace of Fever. It was a juicy read on these hot summer days.










Book three in this series is called Savor the Danger.



About the author:




Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette and Samhain. She is currently with Berkley/Jove.


Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.


quoted from the author's website



Special thanks to Tricia over @ BookTrib for making this possible!

title: Forever


author: Judy Blume


genre: young adult romance

published: 1975

pages: 192

source: randomly bought a copy at Target last week

first line: Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys.

rated: 3 out of 5 stars

The saga of Katherine's and Michael's love is a joyous one, filled with all the wonder of "the first time." They meet on New Year's Eve and become completely involved with each other. It's an idyllic affair—until they're separated that summer...

About:

I always felt that Judy Blume is one of those authors I missed out on. I never read her as a teen and didn't even find out about her until I was an adult. Well, I guess it's better late than never.




The story starts off with Katherine and Michael meeting at a New Years Eve's party. The two are seniors in high school. Michael has a date to the party, but Katherine catches his attention and he winds up getting in contact with her the next day. The two begin to date. Michael has slept with one girl already, where Katherine is a virgin. The couple want to have sex, but Katherine is hesitant.



When they do finally sleep together, the two are in love and think they will be together forever. Katherine's parents are concerned because she begins to try to change her college plans in order to be situated closer to Michael. He is the only thing that matters to her. They make her go to a summer camp and work for a few weeks during the summer after senior year, hoping it will get Katherine's mind off Michael for a while.



Meanwhile Katherine's fellow classmate becomes pregnant. No shocker there, see the first line quoted above.
Katherine's best friend Erica, is in a relationship as well, and has issues of her own to deal with.





My thoughts:

It's funny because now that I read this as an adult and mother of a teenage son, I
was almost weary of what Katherine and Michael would do.

After I caught myself being judgemental to Katherine's behavior, I stopped myself.
I focused more on Katherine and Michael's storyline and tried to remember what it was like being that age when hormones are running rampant.


There's a few things going on in the story with Katherine's best friend, her sister and her classmate as well. You get to see different issues these teenagers are dealing with.


Although this is technically classified as young adult romance, I'm old-fashioned and I think due to the graphic sexual scenes, this one is for ages 17 and up.




Judy Blume's writing is frank and open as the characters in this story discuss and have sex. I do think she does a good job at writing teenaged characters.

On the way home I thought, I am no longer a virgin. I'll never have to go through the first-time business again and I'm glad-I'm so glad it's over!

Still, I can't help feeling let down. Everybody makes such a big thing out of actually doing it. But Michael is probably right-this takes practice. I can't imagine what the first time would be like with someone you didn't love.

p. 98

Katherine and Michael are doing things that teenagers reading might have wondered about, but were too embarrassed to ask. In reading this book, teens reading might have actually learned something helpful, that Planned Parenthood will give free birth control pills for instance.


Then again, this book was published in 1975 way before the Internet was readily available for anyone seeking questions about anything.
Nowadays, teens reading this one might just find it old-fashioned or think it's even tame compared to what they already know about sex.

title: When You Dare

author: Lori Foster

genre: contemporary romance/romantic suspense

source: ARC sent by Book Trib/Book Tour

published: May 2011

pages: 448

first line: Midnight came and went with only the quiet buzz of meager traffic along the beach.

book rated:

4 stars

Every woman dreams of landing an Alpha male. With chiseled cheek bones and tan skin, his strong physique gives off a powerful, masculine vibe. But he saves his quiet, romantic side for his soul mate.

About:

When You Dare is the first in Lori Foster's new Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series.

Dare Macintosh is a professional mercenary who rescues Molly Alexander while she is being held captive in Tijuana, Mexico. Dare is there to rescue his best friends sister, but in the process he releases all the women who are being held there. He also takes Molly with him, since she is in no physical condition to save herself.



Dare cares for Molly sho has been drugged for a week, and soon finds out her identity. She is a successful paranormal romance writer and has no idea who would hire someone to kidnap her. Molly hires Dare to help her find out who is behind her abduction. Dare takes the job after making her promise to do everything he says, without question.


As the story flows, and Molly recovers from her kidnapping and mistreatment, the two fall for each other. Dare takes Molly to his private lakeside home to keep her safe while he does some investigating.
Finding out who is behind Molly's abduction becomes a personal mission for him.





My thoughts:

I found When You Dare hard to put down, it was a nice dose of contemporary, suspenseful romance. Dare is pure alpha male, yet he does have a soft side and can't help falling for Molly once he rescues her. He made for a great hero.


Molly is no heroine in distress, despite being held captive and mistreated, she manages to hold it together.
I like that Molly is a writer, it made for an interesting storyline as she wondered if one of her readers might have it out for her.



Molly and Dare's characters were interesting, and I enjoyed getting to know them a bit more as the story went on.

Dare lives in a lush home, has two Labrador retrievers and a male housekeeper. He's made a comfortable living for himself after years of hard work, and now works mostly for the thrill of it.
Molly's latest book is being made into a film starring Ryan Reynolds. She comes from a wealthy family, yet she ventured off and made her own small fortune with her books despite her fathers disapproval. I liked that Molly was no supermodel type, she was your average every day girl.






The romantic scenes between Molly and Dare were great, especially in the beginning when they were taking it slow, nothing was rushed and there was some nice sexual tension between the two. I like a believable romance and attraction between characters, and author Lori Foster does an excellent job at writing just that. I also smiled at the flirtatiousness between these two.

Her gaze skimmed up to his throat, his shoulders. He had the most remarkable chest, wide, strong, sculpted with obvious strength. Even relaxed, his abs remained defined. And a very sexy trail of dark brown hair led from his navel down into his snug boxers.


Beneath the soft cotton material she saw the bulge of his sex.

"Want me to lose the boxers for you?"

She jerked her gaze up to his. His slow smile showed more satisfaction than humor.

p.146

When they finally get together the sex scenes were nice and juicy. Dare has become a new favorite hero. He says things like:

"Once we're in that bed together, we're going to be in there for a few hours, maybe all damn night."

If you enjoy a good dose of romance, with a kick ass hero and a smart, sassy heroine, I recommend When You Dare. This would also make a great beach read for those lazy summer days.
This is my first time reading Lori Foster, and it won't be my last. I will be reading and reviewing the next book in this series, Trace of Fever.




I usually don't drool over men on book covers, but this is the male model used on the cover of When You Dare. I had absolutely no trouble envisioning this man as Dare while reading. Thank you very much.






Special thanks to Tricia over @ BookTrib for making this possible!

title: Immortal Obsession

author: Denise K. Rago

pages: 267

genre: paranormal romance

published: 2010

source: sent for review by author

first line: Thick, billowing smoke filled the Louise XVI apartment as flames climbed the brocade drapes, spreading from the valance to the ceiling.

rated:

4 out of 5 stars

Christian Du Mauré impulsively follows his best friend into the complex, warring underworld of Parisian vampires. Against the fiery backdrop of the French Revolution, Christian's life is changed forever following an affair with a mortal artistocrat—for when he promises to watch over her daughter, she reveals the child is his.

More than 200 years later, in modern-day Manhattan, only two descendants of the star-crossed union remain. After one of them witnesses a savage murder in Central Park, she becomes determined to find the ethereal stranger who saved her life.



When their worlds inevitably collide, Christian finds he cannot prevent Amanda, his unwitting descendant, from becoming a pawn in a centuries-old struggle for power.


As a confrontation between ancient enemies comes to a head, Christian must finally face an unspeakable betrayal from his past—for himself, and the woman he loves.

When author Denise K. Rago contacted me about a possible book review I happily accepted. I enjoy both romance and vampires and was curious to read this book especially since it has both Paris and New York as settings within the plot.

The vampire Christian Du Mauré loses his married mortal artistocrat lover Josette during the French Revolution. Before she dies, she reveals to Christian that her daughter, Solange, is really his child and makes him swear to care for her always.







Fast forward two centuries later, in modern day New York, where Christian lives with his best friend Michel. When they were mortals, Christian and Michel were inseparable. When Michel was turned vampire by his lover, he bit Christian soon after.


The two vampires now own a club in the city called the Grey Wolf. Christian gave Solange up as a child to be raised in London. She has always resented him for that and felt he abandoned her. This resentment has fueled a rage inside her. She too was turned vampire.


Siblings Amanda Perretti and her brother Ryan are descendants of Solange's line.
Ryan is a drug addict that sells his blood to vampires in return for money to buy his next fix. Word has it that his blood is special, the vampire who drinks it will be able to walk in broad daylight.


Amanda has always been fascinated by the French Revolution, and works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When she witnesses her brother killed before her very eyes, she also sees Christian for the first time when he steps in and saves her life from the vampire that killed her brother. Though heartbroken and mortified, she cannot get the image of Christian out of her mind. When she runs into him six months later, she is drawn to him.

In a strange way, her brother's murder had taken control of her life. It was as horrific as it was beguiling, and now she had met one of the cast of characters: Christian. Although he seemed staid and polite, he was dark and alluring as well. She felt drawn to him like a magnet.
p.94

Christian knows Amanda is a descendant of Solange's, and he feels he must protect her. However, when he begins to put pieces of the puzzle together, he wonders whether his mortal lover Josette was hiding something from him all those years ago.
He finds himself unable to resist Amanda. Since her blood is so unique, her life is now in danger.




As soon as I began reading Immortal Obsession I was easily swept into the storyline.
I really liked the modern day New York setting, this being one of my favorite places I could easily visualize the sights and sounds of the city.





I like Denise K. Rago's vampires, they remind me of Anne Rice's immortals, with their beauty and seductiveness. The love story within the book was interesting and I kept wondering when and if Christian and Amanda would get together. I liked Christian and how he still kept a shred of humanity within himself.
There is also a very strong bond between Christian and Michel, and the two are like soulmates.

Amanda painfully reminded him of being young and vulnerable. She seemed angry at the world, which he understood, and constantly denied her need for people. She reminded him that human suffering was timeless, something that hundreds of years and immortal powers could not abate. The feeling of an eternal emptiness, of knowing he was only temporarily sating a need that could never be satisfied by sex or blood alone. The instincts of being immortal ruled him, but a nameless, faceless emptiness filled him up and twisted his stomach into knots.
p.178

If you're in the mood for a good romance with paranormal aspects, I recommend Immortal Obsession. This is Denise K. Rago's debut novel, and I hope to read more of her work someday. She leaves the ending wide open for a sequel.



Special thanks to Denise for sending me a copy of her book, she's a really sweet lady. She did a guest post at my blog this past February where she discussed the Subtle Art of Romance Writing.


Visit her website here: http://www.denisekrago.com/



*photo credit*

the picture above is taken from the authors website.