Reviews by Dr. J

Just read it again and like all good stories it reminds us of what healthy living andovingooks like and feels like. Heather again brings us face to face with the pain that bullying inflicts, she reminds readers that family is about loving care, respect, loyalty, and protecting one another, and as she always does, she introduces us to characters whose fictional experiences teach authentic lessons about the hypocrisies society perpetuates in the name of morality while wounding peek of good will who simply love in alternative relational configurations. There is a lot of pain in this story, but there is a ton of good loving, deep kindness, and a goodly amount of rib tickling laughter. Look for the wheelchair charity relay race in drag. It's a total hoot. This book has been out for a few years now, but it's story is timeless. As I so often say to myself, "Preach it, Heather." She did just that here!!

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Bunny is one of those women whose need to be independent has grown out of the necessities of life and the loyalties to those who are her only family--her grandmother and her brother. Abandoned emotionally by her father after his second marriage and abused by her stepmother and step siblings, Bunny had learned to walk a solitary life and keep her own counsel. Yet her encounters with the BDSM master who is the proprietor of Hazelle House has her emotionally on the edge and looking inward to see if perhaps she has short changed herself in her efforts to see to the needs of others. It is a wonderful story of kindness and caring mixed in with some basic kink that has the reader watching with bated breath as Bunny begins to see herself through a different set of lenses, begins to understand that her values and those that have driven her life choices are as broken as her spirit. He pluck and fierce protective stance regarding those she loves engages the master and he is determined to help Bunny see herself as a beautiful and authentic human being, even if it means that his own desires to have her in his life don't materialize. It is an emotional and heart wrenching read in many ways, but it is also a story that will resonate with many of us whose self esteem has taken a beating at times in our lives. I highly recommend it for that reason as well as for the fact that Ms Rainier writes with that sense of realism that draws all of us to a really good book

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Having read all the preceding books in this series, I was excited to continue my reading journey with the citizens of this fictional community. I know that most of Heather's characters have been present in previous novels in one way or another, but I have to admit to not having paid much attention to them as they were not very familiar to me. This short novel is different from the others in that it is centered around a single event that took place over the course of a single weekend. The men are like many in Divine: looking for a special woman who can fulfill their vision of a love relationship even as they meet her particular needs. These brothers also have their own specific fantasies about a gal who is open to their kind of loving, whose submissive spirit is open to the power exchange that fuels their fantasies. This is a story that brings three people together whose needs seem very different yet are far more alike than even they realize. It is also about being open to change that may be radical but which can finally allow one's heart and life to be complete. If BDSM is not your thing, even in this mild presentation, then this book is not for you. However, like all of Heather's books, it is filled with the kind of sexy, erotic, but authentic loving most of us find truly satisfying. Heather continues to hone her writing skills and they just keep on getting better and better. Do yourself a favor and don't miss this or any of the stories in this series. I have started over and intend to read them all again.

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Finally . . . We get to find out what has been driving Jake and Natalie further and further apart. I think most of the fans of this series have been saddened by the apparent trouble between these two and their story is finally here. And it is a dilly. As always, this author keeps surprising her readers and we keep lapping up the fun and sexy romance. Now, what about Brandon and Ethan, the other Tyler brothers, the deeply troubled Remingtons -- boy, I can't even imagine what a woman would have to do to crack through their tough shell, and the Madison's, of course. Lots of stories still to be told and I hope Me Brooke keeps them coming.

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Just a really good nova that gave this author's fans an update on one of our favorite thresholds. Clay and Rio just keep on proving they are equal to any challenge their wife throws at them.

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I was delighted with the update on the relationship of Kelly and Blade. But I was somewhat disappointed in Blade's irrational behavior as well as being downright angry at his decisions that left Kelly completely out of the loop. Just didn't seem to square with the picture of a man whose maturity and confidence had given Kelly the security and sense of being we saw in there original story. I do know that fans of this couple will enjoy this novella a lot. Thanks to one of my favorite author's for another very good read.

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Oh my, what a great story. Characters that were first introduced in earlier stories now become the main characters. Patrick's ex-wife is the looney who tried to destroy Summer and Margot's business and shot up the department store in front of her young son. Lucy is Seth Carter's sister (the tatoo artist) and she has made Divine her home. It is a story of three people whose lives have been impacted negatively by hurtful or unscrupulous people and in the case of Beck, a previous lover who just didn't love him enough to stay. I think this story is really about trust--it's loss and regaining it in order to gain that love relationship that can stand the test of day by day experience. But it isn't easy, and perhaps it is best summed up in the old saying: "The best revenge is a life well lived." Lucy, Patrick and Beck figure out how to do it. Another stellar chapter in the never boring community of Divine, TX.

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It is a well-known fact that Tymber Dalton is a practicing member of the BDSM lifestyle and as such she can write of this way of interacting with authority as an insider. Her books have always carried with them the mark of authenticity and given readers an accurate inside view of how power exchange relationships play out, as varied as human possible. Here the reader will not only enter into the experiences of a seasons reporter seeking information for magazine articles, but into the growing awareness of a woman deeply hurt by the selfishness of a man she had trusted, almost to the point of marrying him. Now she must begin again on many levels in her life and her investigation into "the lifestyle" begins to reveal new ways for her to achieve balance in her life. The careful and caring ministrations of a teacher/Dom helps to rebuild her trust and also leads the reader through the experiences of a "newbie" with grace and skill. It is an emotional read as readers experience the growing love between these two people, the new friendships that are born, the growing awareness that people within the lifestyle are just that: people with the same stresses, urges, needs, challenges, talents, and gifts for living. Another wonderful story in a series that has been thought-provoking throughout, nerve wracking on some occasions, emotionally satisfying as well as emotionally draining, but all told with that deft touch of one who loves to write, who knows how to do it well, and who wants to share her life in the process with readers. Just a fantastic piece of work!!

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She's a widow for a number of years, having endured the prejudices against single women in the 19th century; she's a successful business owner having run the town hotel profitably; she's a woman who is terribly hungry to be loved and pleasured and made to feel like someone other than a work horse, a woman who returns night after night to a cold empty bed. The brothers Gibson who pique her libido are as different as possible for three men to be, but all are drawn to Sophie like metal to a magnet. It is a story of a time in American history when women outnumbered men often, especially in smaller communities. And it is a town where polyamorous marriages were common. Sophie wanted one of those in the worst way and this is a story that brings many aspects of this series to closure and answers some on-going mysteries that have been threads running through all the Bride Train novels. It is also another testimony to the strength women were required to nurture within themselves even while finding ways to live at peace with strong and often overbearing and authoritarian men. But the key, as always, is the bond of kindness, caring, love, and trust that smooths out the edges and gives meaning and wholeness to the relationships. Such the reader will find here as well as a story that never fails to entertain.

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Once again Ms St James has managed a skillful seque from the Double Rider Men's Club series to this new series, connecting the main characters with those already familiar to her fans. The story is laced with the sharp sexual tensions that come when consenting adults meet individuals who attract them, and that is certainly the case with the heroine, a woman who is pushed/pulled first one way and then another by overbearing parents and whose concern is always for their younger daughter, probably because they perceive her more receptive to their authoritarian ways. Jocelyn is a successful computer security specialist who is reknowned for her abilities but she is still one to cave in the name of keeping peace when she is berated by her unfeeling dad. To encounter two men who appreciate her, who seem to really want her even for a short affair, is balm to her wounded spirit. This is a very entertaining story and will be well received by readers who are already fans of previous series and who are delighted to receive another story.

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Another novella from Club Esoteria that is in the mode of the previous stories in this series and brings new characters into the mix. It is also filled with that unique tension that comes with a menage relationship, especially when two very dominant men are looking for that special lady to complete them. It's a very entertaining read and one that fans of Club Esoteria will find satisfying. Not one you want to miss!

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Those of us who have read every word in this series are delighted to finally get to Clay's story and to see this deeply hurt and troubled man move on in his life. He will probably never be free of difficulties of one sort or another, but to find a love again after all the deep hurt is a delight and something all of the fans of this series are excited to see. I hope that the new series is connected to these characters or that there are more stories coming set in this unusual community of lovers. It's a very entertaining story and a fitting addition to all that came before.

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I have to admit that when choosing stories to buy and read I am not usually drawn to futuristic outer space kinds of stories. They just don't do much for me. Sorry. But I AM a fan of just about everything Tymber Dalton writes and have never been sorry to read any of the stories in this series. The connection in this foursome as they have worked through their issues has always lent spice and dimension to the fact that it is a setting most of us can't imagine yet their humanity and inner strengths, their capacity to grow as individuals and lovers keeps the energy level consistent and the stories fresh. So it is in this continuing story of strange planets with very different kinds of social norms, yet there are still some of the same kinds of good and evil dynamics that drive relationships. A really fine story and one that Tymber Dalton's fans will really like.

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This is a delightful addition to a series that is just about my favorite of all I have read. I am embarrassed to have waited so long to have reviewed it, as it is such a witty and sparkling addition to the saga of Divine, Texas and their intrepid characters. Cousin to the community matchmaker, Grace Warner, the heroine is shy and yet Grace knows that there is someone who can bring her out of herself. Enter the hero, a loner--he's a nice guy to be sure--but he's the tattoo artist of Divine and is a man who has been a community all unto himself in many ways. Yet when he encounters Jayne and they begin to know one another, the windows and doors of their inner selves begin to creek open a bit at a time. This is a very fun novella and one that all Ms Rainier's fan will love. I've gone back and re-read it a couple of times already and it just keeps on keeping on in the fun department as well as being the kind of story that never gets old. Just another fantastic read from one of my favorite authors.

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Once again Cooper McKenzie ensnares readers in a continuation of the stories involving the characters of her previous books in this series. In the midst of what should have been a satisfying relationship, there is "trouble in paradise" and Master T must own up to allowing the needs of his very special love to go unaddressed. It is a novella that will please those who have enjoyed all the characters at Club Esoteria and is a fitting addition to their stories, all of which have been great reading.

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I have to state, right up front, that I have really loved all the books in this series and have never found one of Bowles' stories that was a dud. This one certainly is filled with the tension and energy that resonates throughout all Jan Bowles' writing. It is a love story with the spice and naughtiness of BDSM which brings the reader smack dab into the lives of the high technology industry, the kind of resources that bring the best of the best into a company that is considered the best anyway. It is also about people who have spent their lives letting their careers take over and then find that their inner needs have gone unaddressed far too long. It is a delightful story that also deals with the tension people feel when they have to own up to having needs that appear to be beyond the social pale and thus often prohibit an individual from seeking the kind of romantic or sexual interaction that will fulfill them. This is a really fine story, a well-written tale that will please those who love this author and who have enjoyed all the stories in this series.

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I hated to see this saga come to an end but all in all, it was very satisfying to experience this family after a decade or more of years had past and the love that this triad have shared has stood the test of time. Their extended family has changed as well yet the danger to them has continued to be an undercurrent and their ultimate safety is still in limbo. It is a wonderful story and the connection these three have shared from the beginning, the tests they have endured to their lives and their love has brought them to this place. This is another wonderful story from an author that just keeps wowing her readers with love stories that are filled with real characters with all their humanity, their flaws, and their strengths. It is a joy to read this series and it is one that will be a favorite of mine for many years to come. I think I have already gone through all the stories at least three times. That kind of exposure is not easy to sustain unless the stories have strength and merit, great characters, the marks of real life, and the kind of energy that keeps a reader enthralled. This last book in this series doesn't fail to live up to the standard set by the previous books. Just a fantastic read.

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I've had this book for quite a while and have gone back and re-read it twice--it is just so good to get back into the lives and loves of this intrepid threesome. They are just so real--their needs and concerns are so ordinary even in the extraordinary configuration of their relationship. The kids are a hoot and their love for each other extends to kids, moms and dads and siblings. Dysfunction reigns supreme in some aspects of their lives, but that's true of us all, yet in the midst of their needs for connection with each other, Nevvie is the moving force that helps re-connect distant loved ones and brings a family closer together. Yet the danger still lurks and it is that undercurrent of wondering if the bad guys will inflict harm that this family can't get past. It's a wonderful story and the reader would do well to begin at the beginning--actually the prequel is the best place to start--and follow the development of this triad's relationship and the expansion of their family thru thick and thin. Just another great read from one of my favorite authors.

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A fun novella that bears the unmistakable stamp of Jan Bowles and will delight all her readers. A smart researcher comes face to face and chest to chest with a ranger who isn't exactly happy about her presence, but ultimately recognizes that she is a unique individual who piques his interest and who ends up saving his life. It's a great love story, and while I like best her longer works, this was a fun and very satisfying read.

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I have loved all of this author's work but I am not sure that this novella is really up to the standards I found in her other writings. As always, my chief complaint is that her pieces are simply too short. Not enough character development, not enough of their lives contained in the stories to really make it much more than encounters that turn into erotic affairs and then to life matings. I know all about "love at first sight" as I experienced that in my own life. But I think sometimes authors need to be realistic that such is not the case very often. Shifters, I grant you, are definitely not human, but for the sake of the stories, teasing it out a bit wouldn't hurt and would be much more story for the money. Otherwise, it's a nice bit of writing. I just didn't think the story was as intense or as "rich" in background color as her previous work.

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Giving this novel a 5 rating is a no-brainer! I have read all the books in this series--actually, I've re-read most of them and they still click with me in a big way. Heather has a wonderful writing style, the ability to put her readers "in touch" with characters that one could swear were real people living in a little ranch community in Texas. The characters in this novel are typical of those who want something so bad--in the case of the heroine, her dream of her own bar/club just won't die. In the case of the two guys who are in secretly in love with her--they just want her and the story is filled with the fun occasions when these three work their way toward each other. As always, Heather keeps the reader glued to the page with the kind of real-life situations and encounters that make the people in this story the kind of persons one would love to have as next door neighbors. And most of all, once again she brings alive the kind of authentic loving connection that simmers and sizzles and yet is deeply caring and protective. I continue to be delighted that Heather manages to put innovation and creativity in the stories she writes--they are not written according to a formula nor do they really bear much resemblance to one another except as they are romance and stories of love that comes in all sizes and configurations. Those who love intense romance will do themselves a favor and read this book!

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Aaaaaaaah, those incredible men of Desire, OK, and their not-to-miss Men's Club have once again surfaced to claim an unlikely mate. In this town where any relationship configuration is just fine with everyone, a town that was established for the protection of women, the owners of the Desire Men's Club meet their match in fire-filled Brenna Nelson, a woman who has been mistreated and stalked by a man who surfaced several books earlier and was a source of deep concern during Blade's courtship of Kelly. Now the object of his obsession has turned up to give Royce and King a piece of her mind and they, in turn, end up giving her a piece of themselves as they "train" her in their lifestyle. It is a book that is filled with BDSM as that is the nature of the Men's Club and a lifestyle that King and Royce know is who they are. But it is not hurtful or deeply challenging as are some BDSM novels. Rather it is an introduction to a woman whose fears and prejudices demand that they make their case for who they are and what their life is. So it is filled with eroticism and power exchange as well as telling the story of a woman whose relational history is filled with disappointment. It is a feast for those who have come to love the stories of Desire, OK, and there are bits and pieces that made me wonder what was coming next. Nat & Jake? or perhaps Charity or Beau? Natalie's sadness keeps coming to the surface and Beau & Charity haven't yet figured out a way to stop driving each other crazy. All in all, it is another fine piece of Leah Brooke storytelling and a book that will delight her fans. For hardcore women liberation fans, these Desire, OK stories will not play well. But one cannot get past the deep respect and love these men have for their women even as their dominant tendencies never waver. Suffice it to say, this was a terrific novel and I didn't put it down once I started.

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It's hard to realize that this series just keeps getting gooder and gooder . . . the stories are wonderful, the characters just as sharp and edgy as always. One seldom finds a series of this magnitude that doesn't lag somewhere along the line, but this author keeps pulling off these entertaining and compelling stories. Now all her fans are waiting impatiently for the next episode in the DRMC and wondering who will finally capture Clay & Jake's permanent interest. This is a great story with tension, mystery, that sense of not being able to outrun the enemy but always shielded by the continuing caring and loyalty of good friends, the kind that never waver in their desire to make experiencing life's very best possible for the people who are those that are called "friends." It's a series that I have delighted in from book one--even gone back and re-read a number of the books, and continue to be delighted that the stories keep on keeping on. Menage lovers don't want to miss this latest book. I wonder if we could find the DRMC somewhere in Colorado. Wouldn't that be a coup? Quite simply, another fantastic read for us to enjoy!

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I have always loved those stories that seem to be able to bring deep emotion alive for the reader and this story is one of those. Having read a number of works by this author, I was not surprised to be drawn into a story that is alive with tension, lost love, old anger, deep disappointment mixed with a smidgen of hope. So it is here when two people meet eight years after the disastrous end to their wedding, both now very different people and who have traveled far away from the people they were on that fateful wedding day. It is a beautifully written BDSM novel and the reader will feel deeply the hero's anger and need to maintain emotional distance as well as his ever-present fear of being rejected all over again, the heroine's fears and her responses to her Dom's commands that are rooted in old baggage. It is a story that is chock full of good stuff and one that shouldn't be missed.

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Gosh, I like this series with its intense sense of family and community. The old matriarch is a hoot and as each family unit is formed and as their stories unfold, there is a sense of revisiting old friends and discovering new ones. The characters in this tale have been around for awhile--lived life for a few decades and have tasted of its joys and disappointments. That doesn't prevent these two physicians from recognizing that their new office administrator is an unusual woman whose attraction for them and to them will open a new chapter in their lives. There is a bit of BDSM here but all told in a loving context and as a means of addressing the inner fears of the brothers. It's another great tale from Morgan Ashbury, rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. As always, the story is well put together and simply flows, just like all good fiction should. It's a story that really needs to be enjoyed and will entertain from page one. Not to be missed!

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