One Love For Liv
By Marianne Arkins
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-325-7
February 2008
Contemporary Romance
Olivia "Liv" Leigh was going undercover. She needed to find out if her fiancé, Geoff, was cheating on her. She wasn't certain, but there seemed to be a trail of evidence proving that he wasn't the perfect man she had thought.
Unfortunately, trying to be an investigator was more difficult than Liv had imagined. First she was attacked by a door, and then she was helped into the absolutely messiest apartment she had ever seen. The good news was that Mike, whose apartment she was in, thought that she was down on her luck and offered to hire her to clean his apartment, and he lived next to Daisy, who she suspected Geoff was cheating on her with. The bad news was that the more Liv was with Mike, she worried that even if Geoff was innocent, she no longer was. For Liv was beginning to realize that the life she was living was the life her father and Geoff thought she should live.
It was a life with Mike that she would want to have. But if Mike were to learn the truth of who she was, and how she had used his trust, would he still be interested?
One Love For Liv was an enjoyable romance of a heroine completely out of her element, and a hero who is, at heart, a hero. Liv has absolutely no concept of how to perform the job assignments she received from Mike, so she has ingenious alternatives - primarily to have others do it for her. I particularly loved when she went grocery shopping. Mike knows that it is risky to trust a stranger, but he can't not help someone in need. It is just an innate reaction, just as he kept the ferret that was left in his apartment, and brings leftovers for the local stray dog. I simply adored Mike.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Even For Me
Short Story in "On The Prowl Anthology"
By Taryn Blackthorne
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-916-6
April 2008
Urban Fantasy
Aislyn was scared. There was a killer dubbed the Ghost Cat on the loose, but she didn't fear for her safety. No, she feared that she was the Ghost Cat. She had few recollections of when the Change overtook her, and the murders were occurring at locations near where she had been. As a precaution, Aislyn decides to leave town.
Jackson was on the hunt. He would have preferred to simply kill his prey, but his client wanted her taken alive. He thought he could understand that request, until he learned the true reasons behind her actions.
Detective Rodriguez was a man determined to stop the Ghost Cat killer. He initially considers Aislyn a suspect, but Aislyn recognizes they are still on the same side. Aislyn needed all the help she could get. She wasn't in complete control of her new ability to Change, the police were investigating her in the Ghost Cat killings, and a witch had, possibly irrevocably, bonded Aislyn with Jackson.
Even For Me was an intriguing, suspenseful short story. Aislyn is facing multiple enemies. Jackson is a hunter of people with her abilities, there is the witch who hired Jackson, and the Ghost Cat killer, who she could possibly be. Plus, Aislyn still hadn't mastered the Change. I enjoyed the different facets to the story. However, I felt that the ending was abrupt and the story incomplete. Also, I couldn't believe that if she thought she might be a serial killer, that she considered simply leaving town to be an adequate precaution.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
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One Love for Liv
By Marianne Arkins
Reviewed by Kathy Andrico
Even For Me
By Taryn Blackthorne
Crazy For Kate
By Kelly McDonough
Samhain Publishing
Leap of Faith
By Arianna Hart
Samhain Publishing
Her Cinderella Complex
By Jenna Bayley-Burke
Samhain Publishing
Becoming Miss Becky
By Shannon Stacey
Samhain Publishing
Deception
By Sharon Cullen
Samhain Publishing
Samhain Publishing
Crazy For Kate
By Kelly McDonough
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-602-7
April 2008
Contemporary Romance
Kate McKaye thought that Chris Shields set the standard for the perfect man. He was giving, a family man, great with kids, and very easy on the eyes. She remembered him from school, but he had been a bit shy, and always with his steady girlfriend. It had been a given that the two would marry and start a family. Instead, Chris was single, apparently interested in her, yet seemed a bit sad.
Chris had been devastated when his long time girlfriend had broken up with him when they found out he couldn't have children. Then, Kate had shown up in his path. They volunteered together for a church function, and Chris enjoyed the time he spent with her and her girls. He wanted to spend more time with them, and hoped that perhaps since Kate already had children, the fact that he couldn't give her more might not be a problem.
Crazy For Kate was a sweet romance of two lost people finding home together. Kate was recovering from a divorce from a man who hadn't wanted a family, and Chris was a man who desperately wanted a family, but feared he wouldn't ever have one. I enjoyed the characters, and the interaction with his family and the priest. However, the issue of Chris's problem dragged on, and should have been addressed earlier, or maybe the story should have been a bit shorter.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
April 2008
Leap of Faith
By Arianna Hart
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-897-6
March 2008
Romantic Suspense
Dr. Jane Farmer's life had spiraled out of control. First, she had lost her job hosting a talk show for marital issues. Then she had returned home only to find it ransacked. The culmination of the day had been when she had been somewhat kidnapped by her neighbor, Lex D'Angelo, a man who just might have more layers than the playboy persona she saw.
Lex had no idea why someone had come after his uptight neighbor Jane, and it also wasn't something he typically encountered either. Still, in his line of work, he had to be ready for anything, and now, he was on the run from some bad guys with a novice as his partner. It all boiled down to a package sent to him, but accidentally delivered to Jane. Now, Lex had to decipher what the information meant, determine who the mole in their organization was, and keep Jane and himself alive.
Leap of Faith was non-stop action from the first page. It is full of danger, suspense, and romance. I loved watching Lex and Jane's romance unfold amid the chaos that had become their lives. Arianna Hart has become a "Must Read" author when I want a thrilling romantic suspense.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Her Cinderella Complex
By Jenna Bayley-Burke
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-472-5
February 2008
Contemporary Romance
Heather Tindall needed this job. It didn't matter how rude her boss was, that he didn't want her, or that none of the previous temps had lasted even one day as Curtis Frye's personal assistant. She would prove that she could do the job, and excel.
Curtis quickly realized Heather's worth at his company, and hired her. What he couldn't comprehend at first was how well she handled not only the professional aspect of his life, but the personal as well. Not until she started protecting him from the paparazzi due to a recent article. Then, he realized just how perfect Heather is, and decided to propose marriage, but for practical matters. She could help turn the gossip from him, and he could help her financially. It was a perfect solution.
Except to Heather, who had already fallen in love with her boss.
Her Cinderella Complex is a sweet romance about a woman who is dreaming of happily ever after with a man who views their relationship as yet another business transaction. I enjoyed watching the development of their relationship. However, I also thought at times things were a little too dramatic, and the overall story a bit long.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Becoming Miss Becky
By Shannon Stacey
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-59998-860-7
September 2008
Historical Western Romance
Sequel to Taming Eliza Jane
Rebecca Hamilton had escaped a life of certain misery, only to find herself in a bigger predicament. Learning that she had inherited from her aunt, Rebecca, had immediately gone to Gardiner, Texas. There, to her horror, she learned that she was now the owner of The Chicken Coop. And it wasn't a poultry house. Nope. Miss Rebecca Hamilton, the conservative dressing, quiet, living in the shadow of her father young lady was now the owner of the town whorehouse.
Sheriff Adam Caldwell wasn't certain what to make of the town's newest inhabitant. Meeting her upon arrival and offering to marry her definitely hadn't been in his plans. But neither had he expected the lady to take up residence at the Chicken Coop and transform herself from a plain quiet respectable Rebecca into a sultry provocatively dressed Miss Becky.
She was simply creating too much havoc for his peace of mind, and the sheriff was well known for wanting peace and quiet. The sheriff had a reputation for swift justice. In fact he was just as likely to shoot first and never ask questions. He simply didn't like conversation all that much. And it certainly wasn't conversation he had in mind whenever he came in contact with Miss Becky. But she now lived in a whorehouse, and another thing well known about Adam was that he didn't enter one of those establishments.
The longer Becky spent in town, the more certain they both know they want to be together. However, the more she changed, the less certain Adam was that they could have a future.
I simply adored Becoming Miss Becky. I had been eager to read Adam's story since meeting him in Taming Eliza Jane. He was such a great hero - determined to protect the town, and his woman. I was fascinated by the transformation of Rebecca into Miss Becky. Although I did consider it a little far-fetched that someone as sheltered as she would change that drastically during that time period. I loved the secondary characters, and would like to revisit Gardiner again for some additional stories.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
Deception
By Sharon Cullen
Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 1-60504-075-4
July 2008
Love on the Edge Book 1
Once, Kate McAuley's life had been almost perfect. She was in love with a man who loved her, enjoyed her work, and was happy and content in her life. Having Lucas Barone walk out of her life was simply the first stage of a downhill spiral.
Now, eighteen months later, Luke is back. He is obviously on the run from something, or rather someone, and that someone finds them. They go into hiding as Luke tries to determine who wants them dead. Together again, they must overcome deceit, treachery, and pain in order to survive. In the process, they discover that their passion for one another has never diminished.
Deception was a romantic suspense that I didn't want to put down, even when it was over. The suspense kept me worried how they would come through, but the romance between Kate and Luke, and the pain they felt is what stood out. Luke had literally gone through hell during his time away, and Kate had endured almost overwhelming grief over so many losses during Luke's absence. I look forward to more stories involving the secondary characters in this book.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
© Kathy Andrico and gottawritenetwork.com
