shannonpatelhttp://booklikes.com/photo/crop/50/50/upload/avatar/9/81/73ffd9e6cc8f78fa35bef1232075dd63.jpgshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com2024-03-19T04:46:47+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/rssreview: Grey's Lady (Carte Blanche)2012-03-01T01:04:33+00:002012-03-01T01:04:33+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5531/grey-s-lady-carte-blancheshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com I loved Beth and Grey together. She the impulsive girl with the big heart who's trying to find a place where she fits in the world, while he is the older, wealthy shipping magnet from New York who is cold and calculating in order to get what he wants. When they two of them get together, they seem to combust of the page.
What neither of them see is how perfect they are for each other. When you get past Grey's need to possess Beth, you see that he's been completely thrown for a loop by this girl and his need for possession is really his love for her. Beth's running is out of fear that she's unloveable and that Grey will leave her, just as everyone else has.
For all that happens in this story, it is a quick one. But it's hot as hell with two characters that come to life on the page.
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review: Wait For Me: Romantic Suspense2012-03-01T01:04:32+00:002012-03-01T01:04:32+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5527/wait-for-me-romantic-suspenseshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com This was a fun read. It had a little bit of everything with a cast of secondary characters that were just over the top (but in a good way).
Rhiann Taylor was a mess. She lost her childhood sweetheart, best friend and lover the day his car crashed into a ravine. Everything that she had planned on doing when Reed was alive fell by the wayside as she mourned and exiled herself from the spotlight. Instead, she worked on designing her own line of clothing and business. But once she starts coming out of hiding, she fighting off the papparazi, story hungry tabloid reporters determined to make Reed her brother, an over-zealous model determined to play house with her and trying to figure out what to do with all these feelings she has for a certain band's lead singer every time she sees him.
It takes each and every one of Rhiann's quirky family to help her let go of Reed and start living her life. That was the hard part for Rhiann and it didn't come easy, but when she was finally able to let go of him she was able to move forward.
In case you're wondering about those family members. Aunt Genie is my favorite. Every scene he was in it was Nathan Lane in Birdcage speaking those lines to me. Aunt Genie was priceless!
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review: The MacGuffin: A Mystery2012-03-01T01:04:32+00:002012-03-01T01:04:32+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5528/the-macguffin-a-mysteryshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.comreview: Crash Into You2012-03-01T01:04:32+00:002012-03-01T01:04:32+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5529/crash-into-youshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com Told from both the present day and past, we get the history of Brynn LeBreck and Reid Jamison from their summer fling, to broken hearts and spirits, to solving the mystery around Brynn's mother's murder and her sister's disappearance.
Brynn and Reid have a lot of history. They met while she worked as a receptionist at his uncle campaign office one summer. They both fight their inner demons with their budding relationship (he fears his sexual desires mean he's more like his rapist father than he wants to be and she's from the wrong side of the tracks with a prostitute mother), but once they open up with each other they begin to explore their sexual desires in BDSM and be who they truly are.
But outside forces have a way of ripping people apart and that is what happens with Brynn and Reid.
Move forward ten years and fate pushes Brynn and Reid back together when he starts working at the women's advocacy group where Brynn is a therapist. All their old wounds open up, perhaps the biggest the fact that Reid represents the man who was convicted of killing her mother. But those get pushed to the side when Brynn's sister Kelsey disappears after a pleading midnight phone call for Brynn to meet her.
Brynn and Reid soon find themselves at a BDSM retreat posing as a Dom and his sub in hopes of finding Kelsey. What they get instead is the realization that what abruptly ended ten years ago still burns between the two of them. The problem is, the two of them have so much emotional baggage over their perceived sexual hang ups along with their mistrust of each other, you wonder how they are ever going to get passed it all.
It's Brynn and Reid's story that kept me engaged. I didn't so much care who really killed Brynn's mother or what they had to do with her sister, I just wanted the two of them to realize what they had. There was the old little twist of who Brynn's biological father was and how that lead to the mother's murder, sister's kidnapping, Brynn's abuse....but it was still Brynn and Reid that I wanted to read about on each and every page.
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review: Waltz of Seduction2012-03-01T01:04:32+00:002012-03-01T01:04:32+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5530/waltz-of-seductionshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com Lord Lockhart learned at a young, impressionable age that a man should never engage in any type of passion with one's wife and promised his sister that he would treat his wife with the upmost respect. Of course, when a man finds himself in love with his wife and wildly attracted to her, it does pose a problem when you try to keep that promise made when you had no clue what happened between a man and a woman.
Here is were waltzing comes into play.
Lady Lockhart, a wealthy merchant's daughter, never learned how to waltz. It is Lord Lockhart's desire to waltz with his wife. So he decides he will teach her to waltz, at night, in the privacy of their bedchambers. It's during those lessons that Lady Lockhart shows her husband that his unbridled passion for her is exactly what she needs.
This was enjoyable and certainly gives you an understanding of why all those uptight woman may have thought the waltz was too daring back in it's day.
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review: Fatal Flaw: Book Four of the Fatal Series2012-03-01T01:04:31+00:002012-03-01T01:04:31+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5405/fatal-flaw-book-four-of-the-fatal-seriesshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com After Fatal Destiny, the wedding novella, I was convinced that Sam and Nick weren't going to have an easy transition into married life. I usually enjoy saying I told you so, but this storyline took a completely different direction than I thought it may have been going, considering the arrest that was made before the wedding in Fatal Destiny. That said, it was a storyline that had me riveted from the very beginning because there appeared to be no clear motive. With Sam and her team stumped, I was flipping (figuratively) through the pages hoping there was some clue that we were missing. Add in the mysterious cards being sent to both Sam and Nick and start wondering how everything is connected.
As with the other Fatal books, it's Sam and Nick's relationship that truly draws me in. With all the crap the two of them have had to deal with in the past three months, it was wonderful to see how completely in-sync they were with each other. It's as if a switch has been flipped with Sam since she's had that wedding band placed on her finger, she's suddenly not all about the whatever investigation she's working on. The place she wants to be is with Nick (and really...why wouldn't she want to spend as much time as possible with the Senator from Virginia???)
Not to be outdone by our main characters, Marie Force has created a wonderful group of secondary characters that intertwine with Nick and Sam both professionally and personally that round out each and every book in the series. Here's a breakdown of each of those storylines:
Scotty storyline makes me smile and gives me hope that Sam and Nick can have that family they want so much. They may not have the best lifestyle for raising a child in, but it's clear the two of them would do anything for Scotty and that he adores them. I can't wait to see where things with him go. Freddie's storyline with his mother and Elin continues, but we get the added twist of his estranged father entering the picture. Freddie doesn't handle all of this really well, but I don't think anyone can be disappointed with the direction his character is going. Gonzo and Christine's storyline was brief, but they're still going strong raising baby Alex together. We got a new romance with Terry O'Conner, Deputy Chief of Staff for Nick and ME Lindsey McNamara. These two hot! Jeanine McBride, still dealing with the aftermath of her abduction and rape, readjusts to her new life (both personally and professionally). Her's is a heartbreaking storyline, but towards the end we started to see Jeanine's old spark shine through. I was still left wondering about Sam's dad, Skip and what really happened with the Fitzgerald investigation. Will we ever find out what Jeanine and Will found or is this the end of it? I'm hoping we get some closure to that in future books.
If you thought Nick and Sam couldn't possibly get any hotter, Marie Force moves the bar up another twenty or so notches!!! Marie Force at her best and a true example of why she is on my "Must Buy" list.
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review: Johnny Living Dangerously (JLD)2012-03-01T01:04:31+00:002012-03-01T01:04:31+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5523/johnny-living-dangerously-jldshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com Tommy takes that as a challenge and decides to enlighten Candy through some tying up and blind folds to show her how "unboring" a relationship with him will be.
My only issue was Tommy having to use sex to get Candy to finally see him. Seemed kind of shallow...but hey, it's fiction. Right?
This is an extremely hot, short read, which will have you looking at those working in the accounting department a little differently.
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review: Falling for Love: McCarthys of Gansett Island, Book 42012-03-01T01:04:31+00:002012-03-01T01:04:31+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5524/falling-for-love-mccarthys-of-gansett-island-book-4shannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com But Stephanie has her own issues to deal with. She's spent fourteen years trying to free her stepfather from prison. Every dime she has goes towards appealing the conviction he was wrongly given after he rescued her from her abusive mother. So while she works to right a wrong, she find herself attracted to the last man she should. She doesn't think she's good enough for Grant, but she can't seem to stay out of his business either. Grant's actions, whether it's verbally sparring with her or making love to her, slowly chips away at the barriers she's built around her heart. But she's still left with that one nagging question...is being with her worth giving up Hollywood and the career Grant loves or will he leave her like he left Abby?
I think what makes Grant and Stephanie stand out to me as a couple in this series is that they both fought their coupling so hard. Sure they were great in bed, but it was all the other "stuff" that seemed to get in the way. They had to really dig through all that to get to their HEA.
Loved the continuation of Mac and Maddie's storyline. I think the best part of the book was when Mac told Maddie it was time to meet their daughter and when she questioned why he thought they were having a girl he said "Only a woman would create this kind of drama." I guess deciding to be born two months early during a tropical storm with no doctor (that they knew of) on the island constitues drama!
Another great addition to the series. Looking forward to more.
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review: Seduction Creek (The Layton Family)2012-03-01T01:04:31+00:002012-03-01T01:04:31+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5525/seduction-creek-the-layton-familyshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com Beth hasn't had the easiest road to happiness. She was orphaned as a young girl when a drunk driver hit her family's car, killing her parent and leaving Beth stuck in the wreck watching her mother take her last breathe. She's scared to give her heart away because everything she loves is taken from her. When Hank starts pursuing her, she does her best to avoid being caught. She can't give Hank what he wants. But when Hank steps in and helps save her when the threats against her escalate, she has a hard time keeping those walls around her heart. Beth was a woman that you just wanted to hug. It just jumped off the pages that she need that comfort because she kept so much of her heartache and distress to herself.
I liked this one. Especially because of the you're my best friend's sibling/my sibling's best friend and we can't do anything romance. But the suspense around the developing casino and the threats our heroine is receiving was engaging too.
Although this is the second book in the series, you can read this as a stand alone (I haven't read the first one and wasn't completely lost...and that's always a plus). If you're looking for something quick with a suspenseful plot with evil old ladies and a hot sheriff, pick it up. You'll enjoy it.
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review: On the Rim of Love: A Contemporary Romance Novel2012-03-01T01:04:31+00:002012-03-01T01:04:31+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5526/on-the-rim-of-love-a-contemporary-romance-novelshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com My feelings towards Maggie change once you see her and Taylor together. Taylor saw there was much more to Maggie than what was at the surface. He encouraged her to pursue her dreams, where others would brush it off as a silly hobby. He encouraged her to be her own person and be honest with those close to her. Once Maggie stopped doing things to please everyone else, she became someone that I liked. She could be stubborn and set in her ways, but it wasn't because she was fighting everyone telling her what to do, but instead to try and get her point across or prove that she could do something.
Taylor seemed bigger than life. He was this daredevil skiier who wanted to have someone film him skiing an impossible pass in the mountains. But he was also a man who, would do anything for his friends, his family and his community. Even this filming wasn't about him, but to prove to naysayers that what his grandfather had done many years before could be done again.
I enjoyed the book until we got to the 30 pages or so. Then it got kind of hooky with the whole tunnel, the light and the fog. But if you can let those last pages go, it was a perfect book to read on a Sunday afternoon.
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review: No Turning Back2012-03-01T01:04:30+00:002012-03-01T01:04:30+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5468/no-turning-backshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com The whole back story with Dan and Rebecca played a huge role in their relationship, but we only got brief glimpses of that. And their romance had me scratching my head at times. She hates him, he's cautious. Suddenly their engaging in a sexual relationship and just as quickly she's back to hating him (and in my opinion unjustly so) but he's in love with her. I like a little drama, but this was a bit much.
Then with the cult, that was so much a part of the small town, it was like there should have been some kind of sign of what was happening with so many members of the community being involved. To go 3/4 of the way through the book and then find out just about everyone Rebecca trusted was involved kind of made you wonder who this was missed.
As I said in the beginning, I did like the story. The cult storyline was interesting and does make you wonder if you know your neighbors and friends as well as you think you do.
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review: Blame It on Bath: The Truth About the Duke2012-03-01T01:04:30+00:002012-03-01T01:04:30+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5518/blame-it-on-bath-the-truth-about-the-dukeshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com
Night Owl Review
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review: The Best Mistake2012-03-01T01:04:30+00:002012-03-01T01:04:30+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5519/the-best-mistakeshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com Let me set the scene. Lacey, having driven from Chicago to Indy after weather delayed her flight, is tired and longs for a hot bath and bed. She arrives at her boyfriend Ran's house in search of those two things. She quietly enters the house, spies a naked male form lying asleep in the bed and enters the bathroom to luxuriate in hot water. When she's done, she decides she needs Ran before she can go to sleep so she sets about seducing a sleeping man. Seduces she does, except that man happens to be her boyfriend's cousin, Rick.
Rick has secretly been attracted to his cousin's girlfriend since he met her. So while he may have at first thought what was happening was just a dream, when he did wake up he let things continue for a few minutes before his conscious kicks in and he announces who he really is.
What ensues is Lacey and Rick feeling guilty about what happened (even though Ran was told) and awkward with each other because both can't stop thinking about it. Here comes Ran with the solution! Lacey had admitted that her fantasy was to be with two men. Ran likes to watch. Voila! Menage to the rescue.
I know this is fiction and a somewhat steamy menage can cover any plot line holes, but I was stuck on the whole mistaking one man for another "thing". I'll admit the woman was tired, but she was lucid enough to know that she wanted sex, so I would have to assume that you'd notice that certain parts of the man's body you are currently consuming might be a bit different than you were accustomed to. You'd notice if wasn't your boyfriend before the man you're riding has to shout out who he is and stop you.
It's because of that little annoyance that this very short read fell flat for me. I don't mind the sex, but I need a plot and one that doesn't hang me up.
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review: The Tattooed Duke2012-03-01T01:04:30+00:002012-03-01T01:04:30+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5520/the-tattooed-dukeshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.comreview: The Fifth Woman: A Rick Morgan Mystery2012-03-01T01:04:30+00:002012-03-01T01:04:30+00:00http://shannonpatel.booklikes.com/post/5521/the-fifth-woman-a-rick-morgan-mysteryshannonpatelhttp://shannonpatel.booklikes.com
What's an insurance auditor to do when it's discovered your company may have paid out 40 million dollars of death benefits in possible insurance fraud. For Rick Morgan, it takes you on a wild ride from Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Las Vegas.
This was a fast paced story that keeps you interested with the strange twists and turns the investigation took. But it's not only the investigation that keeps you interested, but Rick's strange ability to attract all sorts of woman to him. It definitely kept you wondering who was next.
For someone who generally reads books written for females by females, it was refreshing and interesting to read a story written from the male perspective.
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