Reviews by Dr. J

Morgan Ashbury really has a way with words!! And this story, set in the context of a budding BDSM triad, is extremely erotic some suspense woven in. Add in the fact that Jordan owns "Reckless Abandon," a local high-end BDSM dungeon and whose love Marcus has changed his life. Yet they both feel that they need a woman--a very special woman--to "complete" their family. Both have been aware of Chastity's presence--she rents the other penthouse apartment in their building--and when she shows up at the club, Jordan lets no "grass grow under his feet" in approaching her and giving her the opportunity to act out some of her fantasies with him and Marcus. It is a novel of romance, highly erotic, some suspense about the ex-fiance, a lot of beautiful caring that fills some huge holes in Chastity's life, and the love that comes from respect and friendship--the kind that really does last forever. A beautiful story and one that all genuine romance lovers will enjoy.

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An erotic menage romance that brings an applicant for housekeeper/cook to a Montana ranch where two brothers are not only needing the services for which they advertised, but they are also seeking a woman who will be their perfect "third." Needing a job desperately, a lovely and energetic lady shows up at their door, having driven from New Orleans where her supposed "fiancee" had snookered her with lies of a future together when, in truth, he was already married. The brothers are enthralled by her right from the first and decline to check her references. Their relationship changes gradually from employers/employee to lovers and the three believed that their future was secure. Slowly they rebuilt her trust, only to see it evaporate in a flash when she finds out about some actions and decisions the brothers have made that convince her that they really don't trust or believe her. Ms Monroe has a proven track record as a very good writer of erotic romance and readers will find lots to like here, especially if you like hot loving, cowboys with those gorgeous muscles and their tight jeans and those cowboy hats they wear low on their foreheads. Yum!

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The latest novel in "The Heroes of Silver Springs" series and probably one of the best novels I have read in recent years. It is what I would call "The Complete Novel" as it contains romance, suspense, mystery, undercover operations, community, family loyalty, acceptance of love relationships in several different configurations and orientations, characters that represent people from all kinds of backgrounds and walks of life. It celebrates the heroism of firefighters and law enforcement personnel at all levels, deals honestly with the social destruction of drugs and their sale, can stand alone and yet is so expertly constructed that it is flawlessly connected to all the series' novels that came before. What more can I say? A serious reader of romance fiction shouldn't miss this one.

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This is NOT your "sweetness and light" kind of romance. In fact, from the very first, the heroine's life is in danger because of actions taken by her doctor-father while she was going to school in Boston. No one will tell her about this "curse" that is endangering her--telling her involves the "teller" in the curse--and people she has known since her earliest childhood now have turned against her. Her fiancee has been consistently unfaithful during her four years back East, and two of the Reeves brothers, the family that has sworn revenge on her family, use every trick in the book. Threats, cutting off her access to goods and services in the town, preventing her from working, even assaulting her in the cemetery as she is visiting her mother's grave. Lastly, they begin to seduce her in order to ruin her reputation so that she will have not alternative but to leave town. But, of course, this is a romance and so the reader has to know that there will be some conflict in all these main characters when they must deal with their attraction to one another. There are some interesting developments throughout the story that I wasn't expecting and a couple of late-appearing characters that change the complexion of the tale. The story is aptly named because in addition to the suspicious minds in the story, the reader is suspicious of the motives of the brothers as they seduce Felicia--are they responding to her beauty and innocence, or they simply indulging themselves while they work toward their ultimate goal of ruining her? I guess we all become suspicious before it is all over. Good story, very good writing, and a story that will hold the reader's interest from the first page onward.

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There is probably no state of affairs more difficult to abide than knowing that one's family fears you, that the people who love you best put you away in some medical facility and it is not until a judge declares you able to make your own decisions that there comes that sense of finally having your life back under control. So it is with Maddie Bowers, a woman who has been afflicted--in the eyes of her family--with telekinesis and who has been kept in a clinic for years under a drug protocol. Wanting so hard to prove herself independent and finally getting out on her own, she moves to the mountain home willed her by her grandfather. Unbeknownst to her, she has already become the potential mate--at least, in the mind of the local Alpha--and future Alpha-Femm of that wolfen pack. Memories from her past, a hidden journal, and a not-to-be-forgotten meeting with a wolf, keep Maddie bonded to reality, but there is evil afoot from several sources and her life gets worse before it gets better. Once again Ms Martine has written a compelling novel that certainly holds its own over against paranormals of some very well-known authors. Here we have Maddie's sense of spreading her wings, finding space to come to terms with who she is and how she will live with her "gift," and learning about herself and how that knowledge can affect her future. There is a sense of community that surrounds both Maddie and Remus--the caring of Remus' brothers, the loyalty of Remus' pack, and as manipulated and fearful as it may be, the deep caring and love of Maddie's brother. It is a joy to watch Maddie come into her own, although the path she treads is littered with difficulties and challenges. Just a truly fine novel and one that will provide a superior reading experience for lovers of romance fiction and paranormal romance.

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Another rockem sockem paranormal romance from the pen of an author that just knows how to tell the story about two huge, gorgeous, gregarious and go-after-what-they-want Alpha males, law enforcement officers, and characters that will delight with their no-holds-barred pursuit of their human mate--a woman who has no interest in being manhandled or whose life is settled and she likes it that way. As always, Jenny Penn creates a world where shifters are the norm and where it is not unusual to see the Alpha of the pack doing his "thing." What is unusual is seeing his human mate putting up a creative tussle through the claiming. Such fun, marvelous story telling and the kind of paranormal romance that keeps us coming back for more from this amazing writer.

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A compelling novel that deals with the long-term effects of spousal abuse, the fear and lack of trust that seem to become a part of that person's very cell structure, and the power of love and caring to overcome that sense of losing control over one's life. Add in the fact that the heroine is a 43 year old woman, and you have the complications of believing that not only has your spouse robbed you of happiness and a sense of personal safety, but now one's chances of finding a new path that may include love and security become almost nil--at least in the mind of this older woman. Bring on the guys, and we meet twin brothers who are almost struck dumb by their attraction to this really beautiful lady--a woman who is beautiful inwardly as well as externally. Add in a greedy attorney, a young woman who can't seem to take no for an answer, and you have a novel that is riveting in its subject matter, delightful to read because it is so well written, and characters that are so well defined that they literally jump off the page. What, I ask, is there not to like about this novel? Ms Martine has demonstrated considerable skill and talent as she has applied her knowledge to the writing task, and it is a joy to read a story well told and a book so well written.

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Those who have read the first three novels in this series have already met the hero and heroine of this tale. And going in, the "battle" between them is already joined. Readers have been wondering how these two are going to resolve their issues, problems that seem insurmountable so that one wonders if they can ever find a way to be together. Tonay Ramagos is a gifted writer and I enjoyed every one of her books. This one is not exception and this is a marvelous series, one that I highly recommend. All the stories are stand alone books, but I recommend going back and starting with the first. All the subsequent stories will make more sense and, I think, will be much more enjoyable.

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This is another fascinating tale concocted by a really great story teller. The premise of the book rests on the fact that the heroine welcomed these two brothers, men who she thought were at her apartment door for an entirely different reason than why they came. They were, in a word, her enemies--at least they were opposing her as she was trying to interfere with their re-development projects in order to save historic structures they wanted to tear down. The three of them, under false pretenses, became involved as lovers and when the truth became known as to their true identities, the perverbial "spit hit the fan." As in all Jenny Penn stories there is an adversarial component and things get rough between the lovers. There was a point where I wasn't sure they were going to be able to work it out. But like all good writers, Ms Penn managed a resolution that was as surprising as it was satisfying. A really great read!

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I was soooo looking forward to this sequel to The Devil's Pact and was really excited when it became available. But I didn't like it nearly as well. Perhaps because it seemed more disjointed than the initial book, bringing in some characters that I just wasn't convinced fit together, and I was mildly disappointed in the "open marriage" of the three main characters. I wasn't ever really sure why it was necessary to take the action to France when their stories started out in the American West. I may go back and re-read to see if I can make more sense of the story, but at this point it was a disappointment. That being said, I cannot fault Ms Cruise's writing expertise and her skill with the literary part of the task. I had the feeling that the story just got away from her, but then that may say more about me than about the author.

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All is not well in Wilde, Nevada, the site of a mine that appears to be having a rash of accidents for the first time in many years. The government oversight agency now sends in its investigator, a somewhat naive young woman who becomes the object of desire for a family of brothers, descended from the town's founders, who have themselves been raised in a polyamorous family and who all gradually become convinced that this is the woman they were destined to share and set up a home for the future. But the oldest brother is heavily into BDSM and he has determined not to share a wife with his brothers. This is the first of a series of novellas (which will not be stand alone pieces) that will advance the story, each novella dealing with one of the brother's relationship with this submissive young lady. All the while the investigation goes forward but there are enemies, not only of the mine and its owners but also against any relationship she may form with multiple partners. This is a very entertaining beginning of this series. I have the feeling that this experience will turn out to be a significant journey of discovery for this young lady as well as for all these brothers.

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A very entertaining story that is the fourth in the Club Esoteria series from this author. Two gay lovers also have been watching over the woman who has been leasing the guest house from, and when they find out that she has been injured in a BDSM scene they declare that they are assuming responsibility over her. After all they have had their eye on her as the newest addition to their "family." This is another example of fine story telling from Ms McKenzie and continues the strands that have been woven throughout all the stories in this series. This novella is full of friendship and hot loving, genuine caring between all the lovers, and the kind of loving dynamic that is a part of all long-term love relationships, no matter the configuration. There is some nasty stuff going on and it has the potential to do great damage to these three. Readers will find this novella compelling and a very nice way to spend some quality reading time.

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An Alpha wolf who is the sheriff, a new administrative assistant who is working undercover to solve an old murder, and that old thing known as the mating thing--all of those are in this fun and erotic novel that continues to build the reputation of Jenny Penn as a romance writer readers don't want to ignore. Claire is the object of the Alpha's attention--well, it would be more accurate to style it as current obsession--and she's a human so the unmated females in his pack aren't too happy about this. But she has a wonky connection with a demon and she is pretending someone she isn't. Yet she is slowly but surely succumbing to the attraction, and she is not above using her budding relationship with her new beau to do some additional investigating. Add in a ghost who accompanies her and who only she can see, you have a delightful paranormal read and a story that does Jenny Penn proud. As in all Penn writings, there is just a bit of a human or seemingly weak and dependent on their men who manage to tweak the big bad male or at least have him running in circles. Somehow the power of that attraction makes a man do some fairly silly or maybe even weird things in order to win the lady. This is a really fun and entertaining novel and was a great read. This was also one of the books that sealed my delight in Penn's writing.

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She was conned by a lover with promises of a golden future, but abandoned without resources or support system, millions of miles away from friends and family, with the only future that of a prostitute on a planet where there are few women. Put up for auction as a sex slave, Mikayla is "bought" by a man who has no intention to use her sexually and who brings her home to give her shelter and protection from those who would hurt her. All but one of the brothers were completely enthralled with her beauty, sweet and enthusiastic spirit, and her open heart as she becomes friends with them (one brother is still on planet Earth). This is the first in a series of novellas about Mikayla's relationship with these brothers, all of whom want to be her husbands in a universe where polyamorous unions are the norms. None of the subsequent novellas is a stand alone book--all are dependent on previous novellas and are actually episodes in a continuing story. As well-written as these stories are, they are way, way too short and way, way too much money for the quantity received. I have started this series and will see it through. But I will not be buying such series in the future. Not really a good buy. That being said, Ms Blake is an accomplished writer and has done very well in this series. All these men sound like such nice guys, and the author has managed to keep them unique and identifiable.

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If you have not read the work of Morgan Ashbury, you just simply can't start with a better story. A woman who has been literally set aside by a self-centered ex and children who appear to be more interested in living without having to exercise personal responsibility for their futures, and a mother who just simply has never liked her, now meets a man who was a teen when she first saw him swimming in the nude and who has now come to her home with the express purpose of "claiming" her as a lover. Lily is repressed and oppressed by the significant people who have systematically cowed her with criticism of her personally, educationally, and every other way possible. Now her young lover has begun his own campaign to reacquaint Lily with her worth as a person, her beauty as a woman, her abilities as a thinking person, an individual who really is qualified to plan and implement her own future, and who is powerful in her own right. It is a delightful and heart-warming novel that every woman will rejoice in reading, with a hero who is one of those guys that any woman would be delighted to have as a significant man in her life. Just a splendid read and one that is already on my favorites list and one I will be re-reading in the near future.

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Almost immediately, the reader encounters the sense that two of the threesome in this story are hurting, needing their "third" and wondering if their future will ever be complete as they has once hoped. Two brothers, one who has remained on the family ranch and the other who has been gone for several years after a tragic accidental shooting, are in love with the same woman. But the longer they wait, the less hope they have that Luke will return. As always these two authors give us a story that is rich in erotic loving, built within the context of a story that is full of pathos and emotion, with family and community involved, and a sense that the reader is experiencing the Old West, not just as a spectator but as a participant. One of the first books I read from the pen of Tonya Ramagos and Bonnie Parker, and one that got me started loving their writing efforts, both together and individually. I highly recommend this historical romance.

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As a continuation of Jenny Penn's "shifter" series of stories, "Chasing Lacie" is another fine addition. Populated with shifter males who are determined to capture and ensnare their mate, Lacie is not really sure that these are the men she wants to have as her mates for the rest of her life, and possibly not at all. As has been the case in a number of her stories, Ms Penn has built a story that is adversarial in nature, at least initially. But it is just a fun story as the reader follows the antics, strategies, planning and plotting of two very turned-on shifters as they try to outwit a really smart female who certainly gives them a run for their money. As always, there is not a dull moment in the chase and readers who really like paranormal romance will find lots to like here.

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How the Kelly brothers loved her!! And when she left just a few days after her 18th birthday--just when Nate, Brett, and Matt were expecting their life-long dream of claiming Jade Douglas, their hearts were broken and the future looked bleak for them all. Nate remained on the Kelly ranch, Brett left, too, hoping to find solutions to his own issues, and Matt left for the military and the Middle East. Now, 14 years later, Jade has returned, with a whole load of secrets and all kinds of walls she has erected between her and these three men who love her still. This is a full length novel that fully examines the life that the Kelly Brothers hope to have with Jade, the efforts they make to re-ignite the sparks between them, and the difficulties they all encounter, especially in trying to build a foundation of honesty between them while Jade continues to withhold herself. This author has written a really complete novel that is not your typical boy-meets-girl kind of story. There are moments of great joy where the reader expects some movement toward resolution between these four, and then immediately those hopes are dashed by another set of problems. Yet, one has to love the faithful perseverance of these three men who know Jade is the woman they want and they are willing to do whatever it takes to bring her "home." Just a fantastic read!!

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Menage appears to be "in" and stories involving multiple partners are becoming ever more popular. But this is the first story I have ever encountered where the shifters were longhorn steers. The heroine is young and inexperienced in the ways of romance, the only daughter of a wealthy Texas businessman, and one whose life is endangered by those who would scam him out of his business, his money, and his life. The initial attempt on Scarlett's life leaves her without any memory of the attempted murder or of her past. When she is rescued, she realizes that she has been taken into the home of seven brother, all of whom claim she is their mate according to the Fates, and all of whom are longhorn shifters. Scarlett isn't sure how she feels about all this until she succumbs to their wooing and realizes that they are all fantastic lovers and they are all falling in love with her. This is the first in a series of novellas that are NOT stand alone books. My only objection: they are all way too short and way too expensive for the number or pages in each. Ms Newmar does well in developing the basis for the coming books, but it feels like paying full price for half a book. Otherwise, the plot and story line seem fascinating and one that should prove interesting to watch as each novella highlighting each brother becomes available.

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What does a girl do when she is all revved up to pour her anger at the high-handed tactics of wealthy and powerful cowboys who are trying to take her property, and then she sees them, they are drop-dead gorgeous, and they don't seem to know anything about the efforts to take away her property? I guess you just gotta love 'em. But in this fun story Callie doesn't know whether she should love them or tell them to "take a hike." The road to togetherness doesn't run smooth for these four and it isn't until the bad guy is finally revealed that Callie and her cowboys have any hope of finding the road to a future together. This is a delightful read and one that is thoroughly enjoyable. There are some hot loving scenes that involve bondage and such, but underneath it all is the fact that Callie and these three cowboy brothers are wanting to find love, stability, authentic caring that will last into the future. And what reader doesn't like three totally Alpha cowboys? Callie finds out they can be a handful but when all is said and done, she is the one who wants to put her hands all over them. Just a fun read!!

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The fire captain and the rich girl: can their divergent backgrounds ever allow them to come together? Certainly the fire captain is very good at his job, but putting out the fire that Veronica starts inside him is one that he has never successfully put out. Now she has returned to their home town of Silver Springs, and for the first time in her life she is in charge of her future. She wants her own life, her own business, and she wants Dean. This is another really great Tonya Ramagos tale and one that will delight both her fans and new readers alike. It is also the first in her Silver Springs series and this story also promises her readers of more great stories to come. Just one of those compelling reads that true lovers of romance fiction don't want to and shouldn't miss.

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This novella introduces readers to Club Esoteria, to its owners and some of its members who are now engaging in a "slave auction" or the claiming of submissives with proceeds to benefit one of the community's local shelters. Sloan is a relative of the owners and even though she has never been a part of the BDSM lifestyle, she is still wanting to be introduced to it and agrees to stand as one of the "slaves" to be auctioned. Knowing that the owners will not allow her to be claimed by someone who would hurt or abuse her, Sloan is understandably nervous, but her faith in her friends and her rampant curiosity about the lifestyle carry her forward. This is a very erotic novella that does not back away from the BDSM content and which explores a non-traditional family configuration that is based on love and care as well as the desire to meet the needs of its participants. Cooper McKenzie is a multi-published author who has delighted her readers with a variety of stories and this series promises to continue that tradition.

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Book Two of the "Cattleman's Club" series is another find Jenny Penn creation and expands the story of a woman who was introduced significantly in Book One. Hailey is a woman who sees herself as unattractive to men, who has built almost enpenetrable walls between herself and anyone who might express an interest in her. Especially she abhors the men of the Cattleman's Club who are accurately known for their sexual excesses and who she steers clear of whenever they come near. Yet deep down, she is drawn to two men who have been constant persons in her life, if for no other reason than they drive her crazy with their verbal jabs and the insults they throw back and forth. In spite of all the negative talk and hurtful acts during their growing up years, there has always been an attraction. This is another wonderful novel from the pen of a woman who really knows how to write erotic romance fiction. The story is not a simplistic one, but is constructed with multiple characters, multiple strands of the story that are woven together skillfully. The reader will encounter numerous twists and turns, surprises at how these characters interact, and a sense of "how will this all work out?" Not only do the characters get caught up in their "journey of discovery" about themselves and one another, but the reader will also be caught up in watching these people peel away the anger and hurt of past years to discover the love that has always been there. Just one splendid read!!

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Gosh, what a rockem sockem tale this turned out to be!! Jenny Penn has "hit one out of the park" with this novel of two werewolf brothers who find their mate, but that particular female is the sister of the alpha of another pack, a pack that is not well-liked or accepted by their alpha. Traditionally these two packs just stay away from each other. And Kristen is an attorney with her own practice, in a "friends with benefits" relationship with her law partner, and is a woman who is just fine with her independent life and profession. Being claimed by her mates is just about the last thing she wants, and certainly not by two men from a pack that has the ability to control both the minds and sexual responses of their partners. So in typical Jenny Penn fashion, these three engage in an adversarial relationship that is raw, emotional, energetic, funny, and never seems to present the possibility of being resolved. Yet there is that inevitable reality that they have been chosen by Fate to be mates, and how do they manage that? This is just simply a wonderful paranormal romance that lovers of shifters and werewolves and the like will enjoy to the fullest. For lots of reasons, Jenny Penn's writing style and her storytelling continue to delight me and I continue to be fascinated with the characters she dreams up. Throughout this series she has created people who are wild and woolly, unique and yet who live in relationship with a circle of family and friends. They are powerful but also sensitive and loving. They are the kind of fantasy characters all lovers of werewolves love, but they are intrinsically human in their responses to one another. This novel is a worthy continuation of this series and remains one of my favorites and one I will re-read in the near future.

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Missy Martine has crafted a truly fine novel that brings together two very wealthy Western ranchers with a young woman who has never felt the warmth of genuine love and caring and who now needs to be sheltered and given the opportunity and space to heal from a physical beating and a situation that has battered her heart. Serena has come from a family where she was constantly in danger from her step-father and step-brothers. She has long nursed a crush on two brothers in her home town, neither of whom have every responded to her overtures and who have now found their "third." Because of her boss's criminal acts, Serena has been beaten and is now in danger of being further harmed. The two bounty hunters who are seeking her attacker are attracted to her and want to explore a relationship with her. However, Serena's own public pronouncements that she is seeking a wealthy husband/lover has made them extremely cautious in light of their own wealth. Thus, they begin their relationship with her under false pretenses, leading her to believe that they are only hired ranch hands rather than the well-to-do ranch owners. It is only after they have all begun to consider a future together as their attraction deepens into love, that the "spit hits the fan" and Serena's sense of having been used and abused once again causes her to flee her protectors. The deeper question in this story is whether or not these two ranchers are working more for their own protection or are they genuinely seeking to protect Serena? The road to their "happily ever after" is certainly not smooth and the reader will be taken on an emotional roller coaster ride as the story progresses. Ms Martine has demonstrated a truly fine sense of reality as she tells this fictional story, and her development of the story and the characters is evidence of her skills as a writer. It was a very satisfying reading experience and this novel remains on my favorites list.

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