I felt lost throughout most of the story but the gist of the story came through. I enjoyed the byplay of the characters. Alexander MacLean sets out to ruin Caitlyn Hurst because of some past involvement that forced his brother to marry. While he plans to ruin he, he doesn’t plan to fall in love with her.

Without reading the previous stories I didn’t have the character attachment that I should have so I rank this as a mediocre story. I will definitely pick up the previous books in the series and revisit this one later.

Grade: C
Cover: Nah…

Previous Books in the series: How to Abduct a Highland Lord, To Scotland, With Love, To Catch a Highlander, Sleepless in Scotland (The MacLeans).

Future releases by Karen Hawkins: Lois Lane Tells All, due in paperback, March 30, 2010.
Authors website: Karenhawkins.com

I was a bit disappointed with this book. It is better than a lot of regencies I have read, but does not seem to be up to par with past Foley books. The Knight series had several books I just loved (Lord of Fire, Lord of Ice, Lady of Desire.

The ending is not even really an ending, but a launch towards the remainder of the story. I am really looking forward to Drakes story. He will be the tortured hero, and I just love those.

Grade: C

Cover: Typical

Here is the Authors Website. Where you can get more information on the Inferno Club Series.

Jenner is a young woman working at a meat plant who wins the lottery. The first part of the story follows her while she sets up her new life. It was interesting to follow when she had to shake off an old boyfriend and her leeching dad, but I was surprised at how easy of a decision it was for her to ditch her best friend. It just went downhill from there.

She is booked on a cruise with her new bestest friend (sorry I forgot her name) when she is intercepted by a super secret organization who needs to use her cabin. While made a captive to use said room she falls for her captor (Cael). Sounds simple, but really there is not much exciting to tell. Jenner acts like an idiot throughout much of the book and in the end she wants to go to work with the super secret surveillance organization, but that was so stupid because she really didn’t do anything or have any skills.

Grade: D

Cover: The cover really had nothing to do with the story, unless you count the fact that she did wear a bathing suit once….

Author Future Releases:

• November 10, 2009 – Ice: A Novel

This story features Madrene Olgadottir, Ragnor’s sister whom had been left behind when her family traveled to the future (The Very Virile Viking and Wet & Wild) without her. If you have read Wet & Wild you will remember Rangnor’s brother-in-law Ian MacLean (also his commanding office).

Ian is on a mission to find a terrorist, but runs across a woman in a cave. Assuming she is the girlfriend of their target they take her into custody. Maddie finds herself transported into a strange land and decides to keep her identity a secret.

As with the other Viking series I enjoyed this book. Maddie is a great heroine. It is really funny to watch her acclimate to the future. Maddie has had a rough life after her family leaves but she manages to keep herself together. I love her sparring with Ian.

Grade: B

Cover: Love the cover…… This is my kind of hero regardless of the fact that a Seal wandering around in the desert without his shirt on would be a dead Seal (or at least sunburned), but it would be such as shame to cover up that buff, posing bod…

Author Future Releases:

• September 1, 2009 – Viking Heat
• December 29, 2009 – Viking in Love

Author’s website:

Ragnor Magnusson has been morning life lately. He has lost his family – he thinks they are dead but they have traveled to the future (The Very Virile Viking) and he has been left behind with his sister to rule the family homestead. In a fit of boredom he decides to go a-Viking to break his slump. Suddenly facing death by drowing, he finds himself surfacing into a strange land where men called Navy Seals are training. Weirdly enough these men think they know him so he plays along to get his bearings. Things are not as they seem. It seems somehow Ragnor has been plunked down into his long lost brother Torolf’s place.

Lieutenant Alison MacLean is the sister of Ragnor’s “leader”. She is a driven woman who wants to break into the seals and has no time for these horn dog Navy men. That is until she suddenly has feelings for Magnusson whom she never felt anything before….

I enjoyed following Ragnor’s adaptation to his new world. He is baffled but fits right in with the new age warrors. The more men and woman change in history, the more their natures stay the same. Lots of witty fun moments.

Grade: B

Cover: Groan, not another John DeSalvo cover. He is so over used and definitely not Viking material….

Author Future Releases:

• July 28, 2009 – So Into You
• September 1, 2009 – Viking Heat
• December 29, 2009 – Viking in Love

Author’s website:

Dr. Rain Jordan is a dyed in the wool pacifist, she is also the daughter of a 1000 year old Viking dad and modern day time traveling mom (The Reluctant Viking). Rain has never believed the fanciful tales of her mom’s past time travel, but has been plagued with lifelong dreams of a bloody battle scene involving a battlescared, blond Viking. When a bump on the head sends her into a strange land back in time, she is forced to believe her moms tales.

Selik has lost everyone in life, his wife, his son and more friends and followers than he can count. He has one mission in life and it is to destroy every Saxon enemy he can find. He stands for everything that Rain hates.

I enjoyed this battle of the sexes. Selik is a hardened Viking who has been mentally wounded to the point where killing and brutality are his only purpose. Revenge and dying are his only goals. I love strong alpha males (especially when they have a hidden/wounded heart of gold). Rain has been sent by God to save him. I liked Rains spunk. I am not sure who is more stubborn, but their clashes leave a lot of fun dialog and material for Hill to work with. She does this well. The secondary characters of God, Ubbi (an arthritic faithful servant of Selik – who believes Rain is an Angel) Blanche (a young women with a eye on Selik and a will to do what it takes to survive) add to the tale. Rain’s mom Ruby was not actually featured heavily, but the references to her past in the Reluctant Viking have made me want to read it. Ruby sounds really fun.

Grade: B

Cover: Yikes, I will give it break since it is from the 80’s. It brings back great memories of the Mullet’s hayday.

Author Future Releases:

• July 28, 2009 – So Into You
• September 1, 2009 – Viking Heat
• December 29, 2009 – Viking in Love

Author’s website:

While I suppose the Were’s announcement is the basis for this book, it really didn’t factor in like I thought it could. Sam’s family reacts unpredictable, but that didn’t advance the story much. Jason’s slut of a wife is murdered in an apparent retaliation act towards the Weres, but the reality is not at all what it seemed. Sookie becomes the target of a fairy war and is running for her life throughout much of the book. Many of those close to Sookie get badly hurt, which seems to be a side effect of knowing her. Oh yea and lest we forget, Sookie is now married to Eric, but perhaps is she starting to see Bill in a new light.

I really liked Quinn so I was disappointed that he only made a brief appearance in the book. I assume that was to write him out of the future.

Overall I was happy with the story, but I thought it lacked something I could not put my finger on. I will be awaiting to see how Sookie handles her “marriage” in the future.

Grade: B

Cover: Same as the previous. Shows a hint of the men featuring in Sookie’s life. I am glad they didn’t move to a “Trueblood” cover. I hate when they use movies/tv characters on covers. It just screws with my vision of the characters.

Author Future Releases:

• July 7, 2009 – Strange Brew
• September 1, 2009 – Must Love Hellhounds
• October 6, 2009 – A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse)
• October 27, 2009 – Grave Secret (Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 4)

Author’s website:

First off I really couldn’t get a feel for the attraction of Natalie (Vive’s sister from Just a Taste) and Quinn. She really didn’t have much character. There seemed to be no reason that Natalie and Quinn O’Brian (a reporter) would suddenly fall in love.

Grade: DNF

Cover: I really like Martin’s previous animated covers, this one not as much.

Author Future Releases: None at this time.

Author’s website:

Since it is currently Stanley Cup playoff time, I was thrilled to pick up a romance featuring hockey players. Of course I was not so thrilled when they went on to play my team. More on that later.

This story starts out with the time honored plot that I love so well. Handsome sports player with a major attitude, new perceived bimbo who has inherited the team and knows nothing about the sport. At first they resent each other, but learn to respect each other. The team falls in love with her and they faces struggles but win their sports playoffs. The hero and heroine fall in love.

I liked the interaction between captain Tyler Savage and team owner Faith. The dialog was snappy and fun and the back story was not loaded down with too much baggage. There were crazy family extras, but honestly they didn’t add all that much to the story. While not Gibson’s best, I did find myself reading it one sitting. I would have liked a few more of the LOL moments that I usually get with Gibson.

Ok, here is what I didn’t like. — Ty’s team the Seattle Chinooks finds itself playing against my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins for the Stanley Cup and I hope I am not spoiling the story for you, but the Chinooks end up winning. Now I understand this is purely fictional, of course, but don’t mess with the Penguins. Of course I did get a chuckle out of the trash talk between Ty and Sidney Crosby. Basically Ty tells Sidney that he has more hair on his balls then Sid has on his face. Good thing I liked Ty’s character or this would have been a wall banger…..

Grade: B

Cover: So I have to say I found the cover stupid. We have a woman standing over an icy chasm with her skirt a la Marilyn Monroe blowing around her.

Author Future Releases: None listed at this time.
Author’s website:

This was a really sweet story about a newspaper journalist Pepper Malone, who crossed the line by publishing a story about her ex boyfriends family. She was embarrassed and run out of town for using her pillow talk for a feature. She ends up in nowhere ville (Bailey, Texas) to lick her wounds and rebuild herself.

Mike McCulloch is a reluctant hometown boy who runs his family’s newspaper business. Past family circumstances put him in the role of editor and father to his deceased brothers daughter. He is disheveled and lacking in social skills, but Pepper finds herself attracted to him.

Someone is trying to sabotage the newspaper and Pepper and Mike find themselves in danger.

This was a sweet story and a light read. I found Pepper’s reluctance to have a relationship with Mike made the story interesting. I have to admit though that I like Thomas’s Westerns better.

Grade: B

Cover: OK.