King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Wicked Ties

author: Shayla Black

pages: 341

published: 2007

genre: erotica

first line: Have you ever wanted to put yourself in the hands of a man whose sole purpose is to give you pleasure?

















rated:


storyline: 4 out of 5



love scenes: HOT 5 out of 5 (can I give it a 6?)






Cable sex talk show host Morgan O'Malley, has a stalker after her. In fear of her safety, she moves from LA to New Orleans to stay with her half-brother Andrew. Morgan & Andrew are pretending to be a couple, turns out thier father is a big time politician and Morgan is his love-child. No one can know Morgan is Andrew's sister.




While in New Orleans she meets bodyguard Jack Cole..a.k.a. Master J. Jack is a self-proclaimed dominant. She plans on interviewing Jack for her show, but Morgan is attracted to him right away. However, Jack has plans of his own. Turns out he has a score to settle with Andrew. Thinking Morgan is Andrews ladyfriend, he figures seducing her is the perfect revenge.


Jack winds up taking Morgan to his isolated cabin for a few days to keep her safe. Being a bodyguard, he is committed to protecting her and finding her stalker. But Jack has more than just finding Morgan's stalker on his mind.

'His mouth covered hers with a searing kiss. No, he did more than cover her mouth. He devoured, consumed, possesed. Morgan opened to him, accepting the hungry thrust of his tongue, which delivered the spice of his taste and the heat of his need in a devastating dance of seduction. Her knees weakened in seconds. His passion had the kick of cayenne pepper, balanced with the sweetness of honey, caged in control of steel. Unique. Intoxicating. She moaned into his mouth, and he swallowed the hungry sound.'

And *ahem* Jacks best friend and business partner Deke, comes to help find Morgan's stalker. And he winds up joining them in bed as well. I liked Morgan & Jack's characters. The plot was good. The love scenes go on for pages....it's hot!



If you enjoy reading erotica, this is the book for you. It's full of steamy love scenes, the dailogue between Morgan and Jack is pretty intense. There's a few O-M-G moments plus some ménage & bondage thrown in. Author Shayla Black has quite the imagination.

'And if Jack was just using her for sex....well, why couldn't she use him too? A mad sex scientist in decadent bedroom experiment. He was absolutley no hardship to look at, and when he was buried inside her, the pleasure was intense enough to make her lose her mind.'

I received this book to read & review from j.kaye





about the author:


Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the author of 20+ sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print and electronic publishers. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

visit the author's website: http://www.shaylablack.com

title: Love In The Time of Cholera

author: Gabriel García Márquez

pages: 348

published: 1988

genre: Latin-American fiction

first line: It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.
















rated: 4 out of 5 (for an interesting plot)









'Love in the Time of Cholera' is one of the most unique books I've ever read. It's not quite what I expected. When I first started reading, I was expecting a love story and the start was a bit 'off' for me. But then I kept on reading. After about 50 pages, the love story began.



The story takes place somewhere in the Carribean.
The book starts off with the story Dr. Juvenal Urbino and his wife, Fermina Daza. The elderly couple have been married a long time when Dr. Urbino falls to his death.



Florentino Ariza, a man in his 60's now, comes to the funeral, and faces Fermina to tell her he still loves her after all these years.
Florentino met Fermina and fell in love with her some 51 years ago.




Then the love story about Florentino and Fermina begins. The author takes you back to when they first met.
Florentino delivers a telegram to her father one day, and sees Fermina for the first time reading with her Aunt. Fermina lives a very sheltered life and he winds up watching her from a distance every day. She and her Aunt notice his attentions and eventually Fermina develops feelings for him as well.


Florentino writes her a love letter.

'Even when he observed her, unseen, during those days of longing when he waited for a reply to his first letter, he saw her transfigured in the afternoon shimmer of two o'clock in a shower of blossoms from the almond trees where it was always April regardless of the season of the year.'

The two write love betters back and forth for over 2 years, before Fermina's father finds out and takes her far away.

By the time they return home, she is 17 years old. She and Florentino found a way to communicate through telegrams while she was away. And now, they plan on marrying.
You also learn the story of how Fermina met her husband, Dr.Urbino.




I liked that there's love letters involved. Florentino even ends up writing them for other lovers who can't come up with ideas of their own. He also winds up writing a book of love letters.



I both liked and disliked this book. It was hard for me to give it a rating, because I really disliked Florentino. It's the first time I've read a book and had a strong dislike for one of the main characters like this. He is a pervert.




This is a story about unrequited love. But the story also grossed me out, for lack of a better expression. I didn't like Florentino at all. At first I thought he was this great romantic, and I wanted Fermina to want him. But as the story goes on, you see he is nasty. I won't give away too much, but if you read it, you'll see what I mean. I lent this book to my sister in law and she felt the same way about Florentino. He's kind of creepy and even reminded me of a stalker. Also the way he is described in the book is not attractive at all. He has black greasy hair plastered to his head, wears wire rimmed glasses, is very skinny, wears all black, and drinks tons of strong black coffee all day long.




The storyline is full of drama. But beware of the icky parts. There's plenty of O-M-G moments. This is my first and last time reading Gabriel García Márquez.



I'm kind of torn in my review here, the love story is good, but the oddities were a bit much. I found I kept on reading just to see how the story ended more out of curiosity than anything else.



One thing I really liked what that Gabriel García Márquez writes the story like poetry at some parts. It was beautiful to read some passages.

'It was the year they fell into devastating love. Neither one could do anything except think about the other, dream about the other, and wait for letters with the same impatience they felt when they answered them. Never in that delirious spring, or in the following year, did they have the opportunity to speak to each other.'

About the author:



This book was first published in Spanish: 'El amor en los tiempos del cólera' by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez.


Love In The Time of Cholera was made into a movie in 2007.




I am very interested in seeing the film version of this book. I wonder how they went about putting this story on the big screen. To me, this isn't the type of book that would be good for a movie. When I see the film, I'll post a review of it on my blog as well.







This read has been part of the following reading challenges:

RRC

TBR

100+

Triple 8

New Classics

titile:Like Lightning

author:Charlene Sands

publish date: 2005

pages: 183

genre: Harlequin/Silhouette Romance

first line: "I do."

rated: 3 1/2






















Veternarian Maddie Brooks home and office are burned down in a fire and she comes to stay with cowboy Trey Walker until she can get back on her feet. Maddie and Trey have been friends for about a year or so. She rents a room in his ranch, called 2 Hope Ranch, and uses the barn as her office.


The two are attracted to each other, but Trey is holding back. He's convinced that there is a 'Walker Curse' on all the men in his family. They all have bad luck with women, and end up hurting the women they love.

'Nothing could have shocked Maddie more. Trey pulled her up against him and brought his lips down, taking her in a dreamy kiss that belied every single fantasy she'd ever had about the elusive cowboy. Their bodies brushed intimately as Trey made his claim. Confusing and wonderful, mystifying and breathtaking thoughts rushed into Maddie's head.

She fell into his kiss like a thirsty woman given a tall, cool drink.'

This is my first time reading a Silhouette book. This book was passed onto me by a friend about 2 years ago and I hadn't picked it up until now.



I am pleasantly surprised. This was a light, quick read. It's a great beach book.










This read is part of the following reading challenges:

RRC

TBR

100+

Triple 8

Harlequin/Silhouette

title: Scandalous Love

author:Brenda Joyce


genre: historical romance

publish date: 1992

pages: 409

first line: The Hall was filled with guests.

rated: 4 out of 5









In 1898, twenty-three year old Nicole Bragg Sheldon lives in Victorian England. She has caused a scandal a few years previously, when she left her fiance at the altar and refused to marry him. Now Nicole lives with her parents and siblings, expecting to live her life without ever marrying. She prefers solitude, horseback riding and books to parties and society. Nicole rides her horse like a man even dresses like one when she rides, wearing pants, which is unheard of.




The Duke of Clayborough, Hadrian Braxton-Lowell, moves in to Chapman Hall, which is nearby Nicole's home. The two are now neighbors. The Duke has been long engaged to Lady Elizabeth, and even though he doesn't love her, he does care for her and feels it is his duty to marry her. He of course, will keep his mistresses as he always has. When he meets Nicole at a costume ball, he notices her right away.



He invites Nicole to his home, when she accepts his invitation and shows up at the Duke's home, unchaperoned, he takes her out for a horseback ride. The Duke thinks that Nicole is married and has come to visit him to have a tryst. Meanwhile Nicole thinks the Duke wants to court her and maybe marry her himself.



Soon enough Nicole realizes the Duke just wants to sleep with her, and the Duke realizes Nicole is an unwed virgin. Once this is out in the open, the two of them are arguing and fighting from then on, even though they are both attracted to each other. Nicole is furious and winds up coming back to his home and hiting him in the face with a riding crop no less! The Duke tells Nicole to never come back, but Nicole won't give up that easily. The two of them can't keep away from each other anyway. They run into each other often from then on, and each encounter has some juicy drama involved. Nicole even meets Elizabeth, Hadrian's future bride, and feels guilty about her feelings for him, especially since Elizabeth is very kind to her.





This is a good read, full of romance and plenty of drama. I was laughing in the one part where Nicole visits the Duke and he is asking her if she likes to 'ride'. She thinks he means horseback riding.

She groped for something more to say. After all, if she could not expound upon the subject of horses, what could she discuss? "I am very fond of riding."

He slanted a look at her. "I am very fond of riding also."

His tone had changed and she swallowed. It was almost as if there were another meaning to his words. "I ride almost every day."


He was staring at her. "Are your rides docile, Nicole, or dangerous?" His tone was low.


She blinked. She could only think of how she preferred to ride at breakneck speed across the hunt course. "Dangerous." She could not fathom where this conversation was going.


"Dangerous," he repeated slowly. He had stopped and so had she, for he still gripped her hand. "How dangerous?"


"I-I don't know." His look was unnerving her. As was the tone of his voice.

"Do you find the danger exciting?"

There was nothing more thrilling than taking a four foot jump at a high speed. "Yes", she whispered.

His hand had tightened on hers. For a moment it seemed he could not speak. "You are so different from the others. I have never met a woman before who would admit she is attracted to the danger of her pastimes."

I enjoyed this read, the characters are interesting. Even though the storyline was a bit predicatable, I still enjoyed it.

I liked both Nicole and The Duke. I like that Nicole is unconventional and has a mind of her own, she doesn't just sit around and wait for The Duke, she goes out and gets him. Nicole did get annoying in some parts though, since she acts so much out of her emotions without thinking things through, almost like a spoiled child. The Duke is a great hero, he's your classic 'tall, dark and handsome'.





If you're in the mood for a good juicy, historical romance, pick this one up.

'Reminding herself to be casual, reminding herself that no one but she herself sould possibly know how rapidly her heart beat, she turned to face him. Thier gazes met instantly. It was a moment of extreme intimacy even though the courtyard was a madhouse, filled as it was with two dozen restless horses, their excited riders and all the grooms. He could not seem to tear his gaze from hers, and Nicole felt the full force of his power, for he seemed to be attempting to reach into the depths of her heart and soul.'

An interesting tidbit, while at the authors website, I found a different book cover for Scandalous Love:



It's Fabio on the cover! Ewwwww...gross! lol...I don't think he's hot in any way, shape or form. If this cover was still in print, I would not have bought the book...lol

"Soon, Nicole", he rasped, "soon, I promise you, I will give you everything you want; I will ride you as you've never been ridden before...."

I received a copy of Gone With the Witch
by Annette Blair from j.kaye. I was in the mood for a fun, light read and this was the perfect thing. I really like the cover too.




title: Gone With the Witch

author: Annette Blair

pages: 286

genre: contemporary romance


first line: Beneath a rare blue moon in June, Storm Cartwright, bridesmaid, her black hair streaked blue to match her gown, stood with Aiden McCloud, best man, the scruffy stud muffin she planned to kidnap after her sister's wedding, unless he decided to cooperate.

rated: 3 1/2 out of 5













Storm Cartwright is one of triplet sisters, who happen to be witches. Storm is the gothic one, she has blue hair, a tongue ring, and wears combat boots. The other sisters are Harmony and Destiny and they have a half sister, Vickie.
Storm hears the sound of a baby crying every time she's near Aiden McCloud, and knows she cannot rest until she finds out why. So she kidnaps Aiden by tying him with fuzzy purple handcuffs to the bed of his designer motor home and heads out in search of the baby. Storm is convinced the crying baby is Aiden's child.


This book was funny and romantic for the most part. With expressions like 'Withering witch balls'...how can you not smile...lol



There are some great love scences between Aiden & Storm. It's got a few OMG moments...which were great.

...he took to ravaging her lips in a bid for mindlessness, caressing every inch of her that he could reach, nearly tearing the rest of her clothes from her body with an enthusiasm she welcomed and returned.

A kiss like magick, he gave her. Like a first kiss in a parked car, enthusiastic and unreserved, but this was the kiss of a man who gave pleasure, not a boy who took it. A man with experience, unafraid of breaking her...

The one thing I didn't like was that the story became a little hard to believe around page 200. All of a sudden it felt like there was so much going on, and some things unbelieveably came together and worked themselves out too conveniently. The story started off really well, and it was hard to put down, but then I found myself shaking my head in disbelief as the story took a turn, almost towards being for lack of a better word, 'corny'. Once this passed however, I did enjoy the way the author wrapped it all up in the end. So don't let my 3 1/2 rating deter you if you're thinking of reading this one, it's just that the one part was too hard to believe for my taste. All in all, this was a fun read with likeable characters.

Storm, the bad girl seductress with a nurturer crying to be set free, who'd wheedled her way into the heart he didn't know he owned. A storm cloud who could be charming when she wasn't being sarcastic. A Snapdragon, tenacious, a natural energizer, the most insecure of the triplets, and oh, how he liked her.

This book reminded me of the TV series Charmed. If you enjoyed Charmed, you might enjoy Annette Blair's books.





related links:
The Witchy Chicks

title: Beneath A Marble Sky


author: John Shors

genre: historical fiction

first line: In the early days, when I was still an innocent girl, my father believed in perfection.

pages: 345

rated: 4 out of 5

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissions the building of the Taj Mahal as a testament to the marvel of their love. Princess Jahanara, their courageous daughter, recounts their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel tale of forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. This impressive novel sweeps readers away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.

'A cup of chai cools my hands. A breeze gathers in the distance, unsettling tranquil waters. Though I am a hard woman with a barbed tongue, I'm still sentimental and prone to the welling of emotion. And breezes, especially those rising from beyong the Taj Mahal, can make tears bloom within me. For breezes remind me of kisses.

And kisses can be eternal.'

The story begins with Jahanara telling her two grandaughters the story of how she grew up in the Red Fort and of her parents undying love. She tells of how she lived inside the harem. Her father, Emporer Shah Jahan, had several wives, but only truly loved her mother, whom he calls Taj. In a time where women are treated as lesser beings than men, Jahanara is very close to her mother, who trains her in politics and educates her.


Soon enought Jahanara is arranged to marry Khondamir, a repulsive man twice her age. She is mistreated and is miserable. When Jahanara sees her family again, her mother is very pregnant and insists on Jahanara being there for the birth of the baby. Taj ends up dying shortly after giving birth. She makes Jahanara promise to take care of her father and she makes the Emporer promise he will build something beautiful for her and visit her tomb each year on the anniversary of her death.







Jahanara's father hires an architect, Isa, to build what comes to be the 'Taj Mahal'.
He instructs the architect to build 'the most beautiful structure in the world', because his wife was the most beautiful woman.


Isa and Jahanara come to fall in love, but it is dangerous for them to be together since she is married and they both can be killed if the wrong person finds out about thier relationship. Isa builds the monument for Jahanara, his love for her is his inspiration.

"No," he whispered, then sighed. "I can't share my love with you as I'm supposed to, the way a man shares such love with his wife. And so I build. I build to honor you, because this is the only way that I can love you, by sharing my love with the world. The first stone I laid had your name chiseled into its underside and the last-please grant me this wish Allah-shall carry both our names."

This story was wonderful! 'The first stone I laid had your name chiseled into its underside...' <- This is one of my favorite lines in a book now....how romantic.

I love it when a book can take you to another place and time, and you enjoy the characters and storyline.

'Our world blossomed. The first thing I noticed was that we were in a room, rather a box, of white marble. But the marble, despite its brilliance, did little to captivate me. What did were the hundreds, no thousands of flowers adorning the walls-delicate forms of lily, iris, tulip and narcissus. The corollas of these creations were gracefully tapered, while the petals and leaves were perfectly configured. Flowing vines connected the flowers.

I had never seen such beauty, not even in Allah's best gardens. For these flowers weren't of water and light, but of semi precious stones. They were inifintely more colorful than the rings of a rainbow, or the hues of a sunset.'

This book is full of drama, has just enough romance and the setting is both interesting & beautiful. I recommend this read.




'I suspected that my heart had an echo somewhere in the world, but I feared never discovering it.'







read more about the Taj Mahal here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal



-----------------------------------


this has been part of the following reading challenges:

TBR


100+

historical fiction


triple 8

title: Return of the Rogue

author: Donna Fletcher

pages: 375

genre: historical romance

first line: She twirled in circles, her skinny little arms streteched out from her sides and a broad smile on her thin face.

rated: 4 out of 5








Honora Tannach comes of age in the Scottish highlands, and has been living with her stepfather, Calum, since her mother died. Honora is betrothed to the son of a Scottish laird, Artair, but on the day of their wedding, a stranger arrives to the celebration. This man turns out to be Artair's eldest brother, who was held captive by barbarians, and has escaped, his name is Cavan. Honora's greedy stepfather, insists that Honora is legally wed to Cavan instead of Artair, since the paperwork he signed said his daughter is to marry the next laird. So by a twist of faith, Honora is instead wed to Cavan, who she fears since he is angry and scarred, coming back from being held captive for so long.



Cavan has no patience for Honora, he thinks she is weak and too frightened and he is not happy to have her as his wife. He is angry since coming home and feels guilty for having left his younger brother behind with the barbarians. He is also upset that he is suddenly married to a stranger, so upset that he won't consumate thier marriage. Slowly but surely be begins to warm up to Honora and have feelings for her, even though he tries to deny it and push her away.





Honora has feelings for him as well, but thinks he dislikes her since he is always angry. She comes to know him better, and sees that he feels guilty over not bringing his brother home with him.





The romance is sweet, I really enjoyed this read. Cavan is tall, dark and handsome and he's got a bit of a 'bad-boy' streak to him, but really he's just misunderstood.

'Cavan felt the familiar heat of passion consume him, only this time her words had ignited his desire. He wondered if he had ever wanted a woman as much as he now wanted his wife. There had been times when any woman would have satisfied him. Not so now. He knew that he'd find no pleasure, no relief with anyone but Honora.

Why?

He had no answer, or perhaps, like Honora, he was falling in love, but was too stubborn to admit it.'

The story has a good storyline to it as well. And I liked the love scenes:

'Cavan wrapped himself around his sleeping wife; though a fire roared in the hearth, the room still held the chill of winter. He smiled recalling how only a couple of hours ago they had heated the bedchamber with their fierce lovemaking. After a heated debate, they tore at each other's clothes, to tangle amidst the bedding until they finally succumbed to their passion with a series of crazed climaxes.'

This is my first time reading this author, and I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more of her novels.



The Bewitching Twin





visit the authors website: http://donnafletcher1.blogspot.com/




and go >>here<< to read my interview with Donna Fletcher!






And guess what? I'm raffling off a copy of Return of the Rogue . So if you're interested in a chance of winning, say so in the comments section of this post. I will draw a winning name in a few weeks.


Want a better chance of winning? Blog about this post, send me the post link, and I'll enter your name an extra 3 times in the drawing.





this book has been part of the following reading challenges:



RRC

TBR


100 +

Historical Fiction

Triple 8