Reviews Are In For Sex And Trouble by Marilu Mann

Reviews are starting to come in for Sex And Trouble. From a Dark Diva Recommended Read to 4.5 tombstones at Bitten By Books, reviewers are liking our new world.

Check out what they are saying:
• "Sex galore" Read the full 4 star review at NightOwl Reviews.
• "HOT delicious treat with a touch of magic" "A treat to savor slowly" Read the full 5 Diva & Recommended Read review at Dark Diva Reviews.
• "Will keep you engaged until the very end" Read the full 4.5 Tombstone review at Bitten By Books.
• "Everything I love to read" Read the full 17.5 review at Seriously Reviewed.
  

Sex And Trouble

Marielle has just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance comes with a creepy house and a hot butler who is really a trapped sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. But once she sees her butler's-ahem-horns, she has to face the facts. And, he can only be released through mutual sexual pleasure.

Although Mari's sexier than anyone he's ever known, Rosier wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. It's simple. They have to unlock her powers, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex...in the next two weeks or he's trapped forever. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

Read an excerpt from Sex And Trouble.

Buy the book.

Review & Interview

We got a great review for Changing Focus from Martha Warner. She also contacted us to do an interview. Really like her blog for the combination of personal and professional posts that she shares. Come see what this busy mom of two wanted to know about Marilu Mann! Thanks for leaving a comment as well. Click here to go to Martha's site.

RT Review for Changing Hearts (Book 2)

WOW! RT Book Reviews (formerly Romantic Times) just gave Changing Hearts a four (out of five) star review! Here's a snippet of what reviewer Gail Pruszkowski said.

Changing Hearts by Marilu Mann
RT Rating:
Category: EROTICA
Publisher: ELLORASCAVE.COM
Published: November 2009
Type: Erotic Romance (Paranormal, E-book)

The hunter becomes the hunted in a story about a loup-garou on the run. Book two in the Lusting Wild series will tug at your heartstrings. Mann puts a lot of life into her characters, and the steamy sex scenes heat up the bayou.

You can read the rest of Gail's review in the November issue of RT Book Reviews.

Changing Hearts by Marilu Mann, from Ellora's Cave--now in print. Also available in digital format.

See all available books here.

Changing Focus by Marilu Mann

Changing Focus got a FIVE tombstone review from Bitten By Books. Here's a snippet of the comments.

"I had been steering away from shifter novels lately because they just did not appeal to me, but this series just drew me back into the shapeshifter world. There is something about the wolves of the Lusting Wild series that appeals to me."

Please read the rest of it here --> Changing Focus by Marilu Mann


Leave a comment on that review and vote!

Review: Sensual E-Cataromance

Tony and Carly could not help themselves. The sexual tension between them grew until they came together beautifully. An excellent tale of good vs. evil where power corrupted the evil Turn Skins combines with an undeniable love to produce Changing Times, an excellent start of a new series for Marilu Mann.


Read the full review.

TwoLips Review For Changing Times

"Delightful story" "Fast-paced" "Hot read"

Read The Whole Review

RRTErotic Reviews

"Changing Times" just got reviewed at RRTErotic. We are tickled!

"The characters are engaging and the relationship between Tony and Carly sizzles. Their reactions to one another and the various situations are realistic. The secondary characters
are well rounded and beg for their stories to be written."

Read the whole review!

Publicity Excitement

Beyond Her Book!!!

Ok, I'm excited beyond belief! _Changing Times_ got "blurbed" on Barbara Vey's Beyond Her Book blog today! Check it out! And please? Leave us a comment. We'd love to know you stopped by.

This is kind of huge, y'all. So it would be really fabulous if you would really leave a comment in the notes that you came by because Marilu asked you too. :)

Coming Soon...

Reviewball returns...

While at RWA's (Romance Writers of America)National Conference in Dallas I was able to obtain an ARC (advance reader's copy) of Lisa Kleypas' book - Mine Till Midnight. The long awaited story of Cam Rohan, first introduced in Devil in Winter, coincidentally the FIRST Reviewball we ever did. After I DEVOURED the book, I gave it to Stephanie. She read it, and we'll be reviewing it here very soon!

We each scored a ton of books at the conference, so we may be doing a LOT of reviewing here .

REVIEWBALL: "What Price Love?" by Stephanie Laurens

REVIEWBALL

What Price Love?
By Stephanie Laurens
Avon (reprint January 2007)
ISBN: 0060840854

Cai Said: Stephanie Laurens’ latest foray into the world of the Cynster family concerns Dillon Caxton. Dillon is first introduced in Demon & Flick’s story, A Rogue’s Proposal. Dillon had managed to get himself embroiled in a nefarious scheme and needs rescuing. Along the way, he managed to redeem himself and since then has struggled to regain his honor and has maintained an impeccable reputation.

Stephanie Said: I did not read Demon and Flick’s story but I was able to easily grasp that Dillon had been a very bad boy, been redeemed and was not working towards said impeccable reputation. So this book stood alone for me quite well. I’ve read quite a few of the Cynster novels but even so I don’t think you need to be an aficionado of the Cynsters to be able to get this book.

Cai Said: Dillon is in charge of the breeding register and the stud books for the Jockey Club. His responsibility is one he takes very seriously and one that he will not allow to be compromised – no matter how beguiling the person asking. Enter Pris Dalling. This beyond-beautiful woman is in search of her missing twin brother. The fact that her brother is obsessed with horses and racing leads her to Newmarket, Suffolk and straight to Dillon.

Stephanie Said: What we also should mention here is that Dillon is beyond-handsome.

Cai Said: Pris is surprised by the extremely handsome man and senses a somewhat kindred spirit in him. They’ve both been judged by their outward beauty. No one ever seems to want to look beneath the surface.

Stephanie Said: At first I was bored by this pretty meets pretty story. I felt it had been done time and time again. What made this interesting was Priscilla’s knowledge and understanding of how she could use her body. She had the power of a femme fatale without the black widow mindset so often associated with that. I enjoyed her calculating what to wear in order to present precisely the right picture. She knew how to tone down or fully display her assets. This added layers to her “pretty” character that made her more enjoyable to me. I liked that she knowingly manipulated Dillon. Or rather, tried to manipulate him. His experience with how his own physical beauty affected others left him seemingly immune to Pris’s outer dressings. This caused an interested conflict for Pris because she had to seek other ways to interact with this man.

Cai Said: Much to Pris’ surprise, Dillon does look beneath the surface of her beauty. And he wants what he sees. She determines to use her beauty to her advantage, as she’s done most of her life, only this time she’s not sure. Dillon proposes a trade – her body for a look at the register. He doesn’t expect her to agree and he doesn’t expect his own world to be turned around by that agreement.

Stephanie Said: When Pris took Dillon up on his suggestion, I was rather surprised. I didn’t get the motivation for her having sex with this man other than as a way to move the plot forward. Laurens very nearly lost me at this point because I didn’t buy into the physical relationship between these too people. It just seemed far too contrived to me. Also the book seemed to really be dragging at this point and this did not help it.

Cai Said: They begin a sensual exploration unhampered by physical beauty. At the same time, Pris is trying to find her brother and Dillon is trying to find out why it is so important that she find out what is in the register. He’s afraid she might have something to do with the scandal he’s caught wind of.

Stephanie Said: I really wish we’d had more of a look at Pris’s brother. He was a fascinating character as a first-born who would leave his estate and position as heir to an earldom for horses. What motivates a man to do something that significant in that day and age? I wanted to know more about him.

Cai Said: Several of the Cynster family make appearances in this novel, along with Dillon’s friend Barnaby and some other interesting secondary characters. There’s romance aplenty, but the action truly comes near the end when the scheme is revealed and a small group of ‘warriors’ plot to unravel it.

Stephanie Said: The secondary characters at times just stopped the book for me. It was as if Laurens thought “This will make a good secondary plot line” and then decided against it. I had glimpses of characters and then they just went away. Very unsatisfying for me as a reader.

Cai Said: Suspense abounds near the end, but don’t expect a great deal of it in the beginning of this novel.

Stephanie Said: Do give this one a chance. I felt that the dragging, dull beginning was compensated for by the rapid-fire ending. Once the horse race/register problem is in the process of being solved, the book really does pick up. The ending is satisfying but truly, this book was not as good as some of Laurens’ other books. And I love her writing! It is always crisp and clean and evocative.

Cai Said: I give it a rousing cheer because I just can’t seem to get enough of the Cynster world!

Stephanie Said: I give it a half-hearted cheer for the dull beginning that made me feel as if I was slogging towards my expected Laurens story. It was almost as if she’d been half-asleep for the first part of the book. But when she woke up? Well, that made the whole thing worth it.

Reviews

I write reviews of other people’s books. I write reviews under my own name and as part of a group using a “generic” name for the reviews. I do this for many reasons. One, I love to read – pretty much any book, any genre. Two, I feed my reading habit by getting free books (in most cases) to review. Three, I like getting “first dibs” on a book – you know, reading it before the official release date. And finally, I do reviews because when I’m finally published, I want someone to review my book.

What do I write in these reviews? Well, I NEVER give any spoilers and I resent those who do. Tell me what the story is, but don’t ruin it for me. I had a friend in high school who was the world’s worst at giving away the ending of the movie. I love her dearly, but would never ask her about a movie. By the same token, I wouldn’t want to read a book review she’d written. I’d be afraid that she’d tell me more than I really wanted to know!

A good review should tell you about the main characters, give an overview of the plot and the conflict, but should never tell you the resolution of the plot – that’s for the reader to figure out on their own. Opinions on whether you liked the book or not are also okay – just don’t pan it completely.

As a result of the various writing workshops I’ve taken over the years, I’ve found out all about Themes, Scenes, breaking books down into Acts, the Hero’s Journey, and how to recognize Turning Points, Plot Points, Red Herrings, MacGuffins, etc. Some writers can’t read for pleasure any more because they are too busy analyzing the story line and plot points. I’m not one of those writers. Sometimes it is obvious to me where the writer is going, but I never take anything for granted and I am occasionally surprised by what I’m reading. Sometimes I am thrilled by the twists and turns an author takes to get to what I knew would be the ending.

That’s another reason to write a review of a book you’ve just read. Even if you know what’s going to happen, even if you’ve broken the book down into the various acts/turning points/big black moments, whatever – sometimes you are surprised by where the author takes you.

Sometimes, even when you KNOW how the book is going to end the author will surprise you by taking you in an entirely different direction before getting to that ending. Sometimes that doesn’t work, and those are the books that many people refer to as “wall-bangers.”

If a hero or heroine disappoints, if the plot fizzles, if the story just doesn’t make sense – that’s when I am unhappy with a book, but I’ll rarely write a scathing review. I figure if the author has taken the time to tell his/her story, I can take the time to find something good to say about the story. I might tell you that I didn’t care for it, but I will always find something good to say about it (case in point, Reviewball on this blog – April 2006).

So read a good book. Write a good review. Post it somewhere that people will see it – just remember the immortal words of Thumper in the movie Bambi… “if you can’t say something nice, then don’t say nothing at all.”

Reviewball - Morrigan's Cross

Morrigan’s Cross
(Book one in The Circle Trilogy)

Nora Roberts

ISBN: 0515141658
Publisher: Jove

Cai said: Love her or hate her, there’s no denying that Nora Roberts reigns as the Queen of Romance. Everyone knows that when they pick up a book by Nora Roberts they’re going to read a romance novel, one with a happy ending, one where the girl always gets the guy…oh really? Okay, Morrigan’s Cross does have a romance in it, but it is NOT your typical Nora Roberts romance. For one thing, you’re TOTALLY left hanging with this one – setting you up for the next book due out the end of September and then the final one out in October. There’s no question that more of the story will be revealed, that more battles will be fought with love either being triumphant or tragic…

Stephanie said: I was really surprised when I read Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts. It wasn’t at all what I expected but it certainly was what I wanted. I stayed up all night to finish this one. Looks like the Queen of Romance is going to take on the paranormal genre head-on in this trilogy. And so far, she has a TKO on her hands as far as I’m concerned. I was a bit confused about who was going to end up with whom at first. We know from the get-go and even the back of the book that there will be a circle of six who will band together to defeat Lilith, Vampire bitch from hell!

Cai: This first book introduces us to all of the main characters, as well it should. They’re complex and intriguing characters with merits and faults yet to be explored. First there are the twins, Hoyt and Cian. Born in 12th Century Ireland, they’re sorcerers, born and bred – only Hoyt receives more of that gift than his brother…of course, Cian receives his own dark gift – one he didn’t ask for. He becomes a victim to the evil Lilith, a vampire of the worst sort. None of this is a secret, it’s spelled out for you on the first few pages. Ah, you say, a “revenge” novel with Hoyt ready to avenge his brother’s ‘death,’…But then things get interesting…

Stephanie: Interesting isn’t the half of it. Enter a goddess. Not just any goddess but the Morrigan portrayed here in Her role as the Queen of the Fey and Lady with an attitude. Rather than just destroy the vampire (She has Her reasons), she sets Hoyt on the path by sending him into the future. But first she forges silver crosses that he places on his kin for protection. They are sworn to wear the crosses and pass them down through the ages. This will be important later.

Cai: Hoyt travels through “The Dance” (his own Stonehenge?) to the future where he meets, GASP…his brother, his brother’s best friend/protector, King and a meddlesome hereditary witch named Glenna (I had trouble not calling her Glenda at times -g). Add in Moira and her cousin, Larkin, and you’ve got the standard three couples so famous in a Nora Roberts novel… or do you? The sorcerer, the witch, the one that is lost, the warrior, the scholar, and the one of many forms – these are the six who will fight for all humankind. They’re drawn from all times, all places to face evil together.

Stephanie: I was so puzzled by the six who formed the circle. I admit to wasting time trying to figure out how Nora was going to get a trilogy out of this one! But all I had to do was keep reading! Each character is drawn so well. You really have a sense of who each character is. King was one of my favorites because he gave you insight into the slight small piece of humanity that Cian still held on to even though he might deny it.

Cai: The ‘love story’ in this book has some real conflicts beyond what you might expect. First of all, Hoyt is from 12th century Ireland…will he stay in the future with his brother or will he go home? Um…hello…Cian’s a VAMPIRE…how will the virtuous Hoyt resolve that little dilemma? As for Moira and Larkin – well, Larkin’s a little carefree, isn’t he? Who will settle him down? And Moira, well, she’s a scholar for sure. She’s more interested in books than fighting, but she’s a darn good shot with a bow! The fight scenes are a bit more intense than any previous Nora Roberts novel I’ve read. The mystical aspect of these books is more intense than her Three Sisters stories, the characters are more interesting, too.

Stephanie: The attraction between the witch and the sorcerer had no tension at all. I found that to be a bit odd because it felt as if we were being rushed into their relationship. Then I realized that it is the tension of the whole circle not coming together as it should that is the true power of this book. I became far more interested in the relationship between the two brothers who have one fabulous knock-down drag-out fight that is rich in the Irish tradition of beating the snot out of your loved one so you can be friends. It’s ok… the other characters don’t understand it either!

Cai: The six main characters are charged with fighting Lilith and her evil vampire horde to “save the world” – not just the world they’re in, but all worlds. Lilith doesn’t waste any time in testing them. They’re attacked, tricked, bloodied and get some of their own back. Hoyt and Glenna team up to make stronger magic together than either is capable of alone. Moira becomes the strategist, and Larkin just wants to fight!

Stephanie: I love the back and forth between Lilith’s army and the small circle of six. Larkin is a puzzle to me because he, of all the characters, is the one I don’t really get. I am looking forward to learning more about him in book two which I predict will be his story.

Cai: I got very curious about the “pairings” in the book. At first I thought Nora was going to change her formula and not do three love stories, but at the conclusion of this first book, I think everyone will know just who’s being paired with whom.

Stephanie: Me too, Cai! I even thought she was going to branch out into an alternative pairing, but it was not to be.

Cai: Cian (pronounced KEE-an, btw) is the character who draws me most. I’m not sure whether I like him or dislike him, but of all the characters, I do wonder about him the most. It’s obvious he’s seen and done much that he’s not proud of, and yet…there’s something about him that pulls you in.

Stephanie: And for me, it is Moira that gets me the most. I identify with her being a scholar and a bookworm, I suppose. But she gives as good as she gets and she understands and works with her own shortcomings in the fighting arena. I found her a spunky heroine I could like.

Cai: Larkin will have to mature quite a bit, I think, in order to become a true hero in my eyes. Moira, will also have to come out of her shell to appeal to me in a better way, though for some reason, I feel sure her story will be the last one in the trilogy.

Cai: All in all, I’d give this one a waving pom-pom cheer, but not a standing ovation…not yet, anyway.

Stephanie: I have my pom-poms right beside Cai doing a wave! I am sure this will end up being a standing ovation trilogy but I am going to wait and see first!

REVIEWBALL: Jewel Of Atlantis by Gena Showalter

JEWEL OF ATLANTIS
GENA SHOWALTER
HQN Books (February 1, 2006)
ISBN: 0373770960

Cai: The Jewel of Dunamis is priceless to whoever owns it. The Jewel can defeat any army, tell friend from foe, and make its possessor the ruler of Atlantis. Because of these properties, those in charge of the Otherworld Bureau of Investigations send one of their top agents into the secret world of Atlantis on a mission to either retrieve or destroy the Jewel.

Agent Grayson James finds himself in the midst of a nightmare from his first step into Atlantis. On the run from demons, vampires and dragons, Gray receives help from an unexpected source: a sexy female voice in his head. The voice helps him escape from his pursuers in return for his help in escaping from those holding her prisoner.
Gray battles a horde of demons and vampires to help the woman he alternately calls Prudence or Blaze, depending on what she says and how she says it, escape.

Stephanie: The woman calls herself Jewel, which makes Gray suspicious but not suspicious enough in my book. The man’s an agent for goodness sake. Doesn’t he care why her name correlates to the very thing he is looking for? He does cogitate on it for a bit, but then he gets sidetracked by a few things. Like a demon biting him and a vampire sucking his blood. Ok, so maybe that is a good reason to forget a very important fact. This story moves quickly and has some great dialogue that reminds me of the witty repartee of the old 40’s & 50’s swordfighting movies.

Cai: Together they evade the demons and vampires who have joined forces. Along the way, Gray discovers that Jewel knows many facets of his life, including his many dalliances with women, and that she desires him almost as much as he desires her. What Gray doesn’t know but begins to suspect is that Jewel is what he was sent to retrieve.

For her part, Jewel is thrilled to finally meet Gray in the flesh. She’s followed his life from childhood to his current age, worrying over him when he was on dangerous missions, lusting after him, loving him.

Stephanie: One of the best moments in this book is when Gray realizes that Jewel not only can read his mind, but that she’s been doing this for years! So her knowledge of his rakish ways are in-depth but he doesn’t know her at all. When their psychic connection is broken is when the real fun begins.

Cai: The connection between Jewel and Gray is undeniable. The reality of their situation is that Gray has never failed a mission, and he won’t fail this one. He’ll take something back to his superiors and keep Jewel safe at the same time. Somehow, he’ll ensure she gets the one thing she really wants. Freedom.

Stephanie: But the conflict is that Jewel can’t leave Atlantis. Those who do sicken and die within days. And Gray can’t stay in Atlantis. He has to finish his mission and that means he has to destroy Jewel or take her to his superiors. But both would mean her death. How he resolves this dilemma is classic.

Cai: Gena Showalter’s latest venture into the world of Atlantis has it all. Humor, danger, adventure, mystery, lust, hot sex, and an extremely satisfying ending. I give this one a rousing cheer!

Stephanie: I agree with Cai. Gena Showalter’s Atlantis world has a lot to offer. I dare you to pick up Heart of Atlantis and try to put it back down. My bet is you will be like me and stay up all night just to find out how Gray and Jewel can have a happily ever after despite the odds. Stand up, pom-pom waving cheer from me!

REVIEWBALL: Seduced By Crimson, Jade Lee

Seduced By Crimson
Jade Lee
Dorchester Love Spell imprint
February 28, 2006
ISBN 0505526727


Stephanie: Take one very determined Druid surfer. Add one Cambodian healer. Give them the same enemy – demons. Sounds like just another day in the life of Crimson City dwellers, doesn’t it? Not so much. Jade Lee gives her Crimson City offering a new twist. Both characters think one of them has to die to defeat the demons or at least close the newest portal to the demon world, Orcus.

Xiao Fei watched all of her sister Phoenix Tears die in an attempt to close a demon gate 20 years earlier. Patrick Lewis was moments too late to his own death by demon party, but his parents and siblings were the guests of honor. His dying mother tells him to find the Phoenix Tear or all hell will break loose – literally.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. Lee uses some verboten romance formulas such as attempted forced sex which may turn some readers away from her writing. She uses it in a way to move the story and the connection between the two “we can’t be lovers” lovers so I did not see it in a negative way.

Cai: And yet, this was one of my biggest beefs with the story. I don’t like forced sex scenes. Never have. That’s why I stopped reading romance novels for a long period of time – you remember the ones I’m talking about? The ‘barbarian’ at the gate who takes the daughter of the house much against her will to some undisclosed location where he forces her to have sex with him and she eventually enjoys it so much that she falls in love with him…yeah. Didn’t work for me 20 years ago, doesn’t work for me now. I normally avoid books and/or movies with rape and or forced sex scenes. In Seduced by Crimson, Patrick is a likeable enough guy – until he ties the heroine up and forces sex on her. Yeah, yeah, he’s doing it to “save the world” – right. Okay. Still doesn’t work for me.

Xiao TELLS him repeatedly that he’s raping her and yet…eventually she enjoys it? She’s so overcome by passion that she enjoys being raped and made to bleed? I don’t think so, buckaroo.

Stephanie: Both characters learn as they go. Xiao learns that the ability to heal has to be freely accepted by those she is healing or more harm than good will come of it. Patrick realizes that his role as Draig-Uisge is larger than he knew. Xiao and Patrick have to trust what they fear most – each other.

I recommend this book with this caveat. You need to have read the others in the series to get the full picture. Lee’s demons are only one part of the demonic world. Characters from past books put in cameos that are made sweeter if you understand who and what they are. Definitely a bleacher cheer from me!

Cai: The entire concept of a Phoenix Tear is astounding, amazing and a fabulous plot device. The idea of an “enforcer” in a Druidic community is excellent! Patrick and Xiao have their own internal demons and yet they have to come together to get ride of the real demons who are slowly and methodically taking over Crimson City. Xiao is convinced that she will die – how noble. Patrick is convinced that sex and just a “little” blood can close the gate between the two worlds – yeah, “let’s do it for the world, babe.” May I just say YUCK.

I’ve enjoyed the majority of the Crimson City series – I really liked Keeli and Michael’s story in A Taste of Crimson. This one just doesn’t do it for me. At all. I have read Crimson Rogue, and Liz managed to draw me in all over again. I LOVE Crimson Rogue and (a little inside scoop, here, folks) look forward to the upcoming Crimson City Anthology – I know that Patti O’Shea is writing one story for the anthology – due out sometime in 2007.

This one gets a half-hearted wave of the pom-pom from me – no cheer – and yet…because of the CONCEPT of the novel – one woman’s sacrifice at the hands of the man who does come to care for her – I can’t quite bring myself to give it a Jeer.

REVIEWBALL #1: Devil In Winter by Lisa Kleypas

The Devil in Winter

by Lisa Kleypas

Cai: Book three (four if you count Again the Magic) in the Wallflower series, this tells the story of Sebastian and Evangeline. At first glance, no one would put these two characters together – the dissolute admitted rake who beds a woman once and then forgets her existence and the shy-to-the-point-of-stammering virtuous young woman. But on closer examination, they’re great together. Evie needs someone with enough clout and physical strength to protect her from her mother’s family, Sebastian needs her wealth.

SL: I couldn’t get it. Why did chronically, painfully, paralyzingly shy Evangeline go after the man who had threatened one of her friends? I loved the two earlier books along with Against The Magic so I looked forward to Devil. I wasn’t sure Kleypas could hold on to the enchantment of the first two wallflower stories.

Cai: As the story begins, Sebastian believes Evie to be a simpleton, but as they discuss their “marriage of convenience” (BIG RED FLAG for romance readers everywhere (g) ), he realizes she’s actually quite intelligent and surprisingly quite attractive. Evie quite firmly tells him she will have sex with him ONCE (another BRF) to validate their marriage, and then she expects him to find his release elsewhere. Sebastian counters by telling her he’s fine with that arrangement as he’s easily bored, especially by inexperience – you just have to love a true rake!

SL: Personally I adore “marriage of convenience” stories with their conflict already built in. An author has so much room to play with. Where Kleypas really grabbed me was the setting. Did she put our erstwhile couple in a townhome in Mayfair? A country estate? Not even! She stuck them in the middle of a falling-down-around-their-ears gambling establishment. Ok, Ms. Kleypas, you now have my attention. And who is that dreamy Gypsy lad? Can I have two of him to go?

Cai: Now, every romance reader everywhere is going, “Okay, I get it. Marriage of Convenience. Of course they’re going to fall in love with one another, of course neither will admit it, and of course there are going to be several misunderstandings along the way to that HEA.” Well, you’re right. I’m not giving anything away by telling you that those expectations will be met. However…it’s the journey to that HEA that makes The Devil in Winter such an enjoyable read.

SL: But Cai… you have to tell the reader something about the book to get them to read it. You do want them to read it right? Can’t you tell them about the bath scene? Or the recovering from a bullet wound scene? Ok, I guess we really can’t, but trust me, they are GREAT moments in this book. After devouring the book in one night, I realized why this book leapt up the best seller charts.

Cai: You will cry with Evie at certain points in the book, which I will not elaborate on. You will cheer for Sebastian as he comes into his own as a responsible man. You’ll want a fan nearby when at one particular point in the book, Sebastian tells his bride just what he’d like to do to and with her! And, if you’re like me, you’ll lust after a certain Irish Gypsy (g) and be looking forward to his story.

There’s intrigue and evil aplenty in the form of Evie’s family. I LOVE the confrontation scenes.

All in all, I give this story a rousing CHEER.

SL: Good sex, funny tete-a-tetes between not only the hero and heroine, but the hero and his best friend and the heroine and her friends as well. So far, this is not my favorite of the Wallflowers, but I will give it a sitting in the bleachers CHEER. Stand-up cheers are my best.