The Bride of the Unicorn by Kasey Michaels

A historical romance that was very enjoyable to read. Murder, kidnapping , revenge and insanity all combine to make a novel that is both intriguing and full of suspense. Morgan Blakely,Marquis of Clayton, is determined to uncover the truth behind his uncles dying confessions as well as extract revenge on a gentleman he once considered to be his closest friend and confidante. A penniless gutter snipe orphan who works in an insane asylum as well as a confused senile elderly Lady and a loud mouthed poetry sputtering dwarf combine together to bring mayhem madness and love into a story that is a real page turner. A great read and well worth the time spent. * * * * and a promise to myself to read more form this Author.

Slave To Sensation by Nalini Singh

Another new author and all I can say is why did I wait so long to read this book. In a world dominated by those with psy skills with no feelings what so ever, the lead character meets her match when she comes up against a changeling alpha who senses more than what is obvious. With a hidden agenda of his own and several murders to solve trust wars with lust and the lives of all concerned are about to be changed forever. This book is sexy, erotic,fascinating and a great debut novel in the Psi/changeling series. I highly recommend this book and will happily follow the other three installments. * * * * * from me....... high praise indeed.

Undead and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson

A new author for me and one I will happily continue to read. If you are into the Brothers of J.R.Ward you may find this light hearted look at vampires not to your liking but if you want a comedy take on life as an Undead then this book is for you.Our heroine is Queen Betsy a newly formed vamp with a fetish for shoes and shopping and an uncanny talent for attracting danger and mayhem. An evil stepmother, one gay and one billionaire as house mates, a consort who leaves her angry and frustrated at every turn and you are starting to get the picture. While it is definitely not dark and dangerous, and the Brothers of Ward are to die for,this book is just right for a light comedic read and I will continue with this series for as long as the author writes them. We all need a good laugh in our lives at times. For me this is a * * * * read and I would happily recommend this author to any who enjoy a lighthearted approach to life and death in general.

Innocent as Sin by Elizabeth Lowell

I am so glad I read this book as the first novel I read by this author did not impress me a great deal. This book however was a real page turner. Suspense and intrigue, murder, art, high society arms dealers and international bankers all combine in a novel that is fast paced, action packed and interesting. A personal banker becomes involved in laundering dirty money and before she has a chance to see which way the wind blows she is thrown into an international politically motivated adventure that leaves her shell shocked and unarmed against a killer with no morals and even less scruples.Our dashing hero rides to the rescue but are his motives any more pure or is he also a man with a mission of his own to fulfill. As I stated before a great read and * * * *

Wicked By Shannon Drake ( Heather Graham)

As I found out after the event this book was written by Heather Graham. Historical in nature I found this book to be both interesting and entertaining. A young Earl trying to unravel the mysteries of his parents murders is suddenly confronted with a beautiful young woman who claims to be the ward of a thief caught trespassing on his lands. Shocked by the story she tells he cannnot decide weather to believe her story or not.Coming to the conclusion that he can use her and the skills she possesses to uncover the truth, the scene is set to bring justice to both his dead parents and the empire. But in laying a ruthless trap will he also trap himself and lose his heart or worse lose the one person who has come to mean more to him than justice?
A * * * read and I will definitely keep an eye out for more novels by this author.

Gideon by Jacquelyn Frank

This is the second book in "The Nightwalkers" series and I have to say I was very impressed. This is one series I will certainly purchase all books in. Gideon is an ancient demon healer and the oldest surviving male of his race and has a very important duty he needs to fulfill. He also meets his destined mate, a young adult with powers surpassing all others of her age. Gideon must earn not only her trust but her love as they strive to save those most dear to them and reconcile other night walkers to their cause. All of this while betrayal and sorcery are afoot both within and outside of their own ranks. A most enjoyable read for any who like the supernatural genre and well worth the visit. A * * * * read.

Strangers In Death by Nora Roberts

As a huge fan of the In death series I eagerly await each installment of this series and this book was no exception. I must admit I did not find it as easy to get into as the previous books but at books end was again not disappointed. Murder is always an insult to Eve and this case has many personal issues involved in it. A few surprises are in store for the reader as well and continuing story lines will be very interesting and probably intertwined with further mystery and mayhem.Personal issues are dealt with in an almost surreal way but in keeping with the lives that Eve and Roarke lead.A new storyline develops with a person of Eves acquaintance from an earlier novel and it will be very interesting to see how far this relationship is going to enhance or hinder Eve. All in all a great read and * * * * .

Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell

I have to admit that I was totally captivated by this story and pleasantly surprised as well.This is the debut novel and in my opinion a much more superior read than her second book. The story takes place in London and Scotland in the 1800's and is the age old tale of revenge and lust but with an original twist. The characters are likable and the scenes are engaging while giving a glimpse of what life must have been like in England during the times of class distinction. An intriguing glimpse at regency romance and a damn good read.In my opinion this book rates * * * * and is well worth a read. If you dont like historical romances this book may just change your mind.

Romance Comes of Age

This is a copy of a post I wrote for the ARRC09 blog page. We are a group of dedicated volunteers who are organizing a romance readers conference in Australia for February 09. If interested please visit our site at

http://www.australianromancereaders.blogspot.com/

If you ask most readers if they read romance novels you will be answered with a very firm no, they don’t. The term ‘romance novel’ conjures up images of Barbara Cartland in fluffy pink and formula stories with a damsel in distress rescued by the dashing hero with a chaste kiss and ‘they lived happily ever after’ as the ending. Fortunately romance has come a long way since those days.

Romance authors are as varied as the types of readers who enjoy reading the novels they produce. The sub-genres of romance now include historical, paranormal, urban fantasy, sexy, suspense, intrigue and futuristic, as well as erotica. Many people read what publishers define as romance without even realising that their favourite author falls into this category. Authors such as Nora Roberts and Linda Howard may have started as romance writers but lucky for us their novels have gone beyond the happy ever after endings one would expect from a romance novel and have embraced the changes women have made in living in the twenty-first century.

Romance is edgy, sexy, hot and—as thousands of Sherrilyn Kenyon and JR Ward fans will attest—a whole new world. Romance can also be funny and very much a modern day look at the problems we all face … just read a Jenny Crusie novel if you don’t believe me. So if you read any of the above mentioned authors, or any number of the hundreds of others I have not mentioned here, then its time to stand up and be recognized. There is no longer any shame in admitting you read romance as there may have been in the past, even if you have not realised the books and the authors you have been enjoying are in fact romances; especially when you realise that, overall, romance is probably the highest selling genre in fiction today!

Night Watch by Suzanne Brockmann

This book is part of the Tall Dark and Dangerous series and has pure alpha heroes who are Navy seals. Of the several books from this series I have read this is definitely not the best one but an enjoyable quick read none the less. A blind date and another favor for a friend, a stalker and seemingly random acts of violence all combine to make a read that in my opinion could have done with a longer story and more character interaction rather than action. I am a huge fan of Suzanne Brockmann but this is definitely not her best work.. Rated * * * but probably deserved less. As I said a true fan.

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

A double bonus with this book for me , both a new author and Australian. To be honest I felt a little let down at first, it was hard to get into the rhythm and sync of the time and place but the more I read the better it was. Violent, definitely... sexy, extremely..interesting story, to say the least and I will definitely be reading the next installments in these novels. If you are not a fan of the supernatural genre as a whole then this one is probably not for you but if you love J.R.Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon then I would suggest you let Riley and co take you for a pacey, sexy, intriguing and enjoyable ride into the realms of hybrid humans and humanoid genetic monsters. For this the first novel in the Riley series I would rate * * * but expect the stories to get better as time goes by.

A Woman Without Lies by Elizabeth Lowell

Once again a new author and one I had heard a great many good things about. I certainly hope this was a poor example of her work as it was definitely not a book I would recommend to read.While the female characters were certainly endearing the 2 main male characters left a lot to be desired both in emotions and in character. A simple story of past hurts stopping people from leading a full life was not new nor was it very well told. In all I would give this book only * * and say read it if you have absolutely nothing better at all.

Untouched by Anna Campbell

Another new author for me and also a historical.The fact that the author is Australian is also a bonus. I found this story to be intriguing from the very first page and the characters both believable and likable, well most of them anyway.A poor destitute widow is kidnapped by two men and taken to a fortress in the English countryside where she is expected to perform scandalous acts with the only inhabitant, a young attractive arrogant certified lunatic. Do I have your attention yet, well the story sure got mine. Read the book to find out what happens and just who the madman really is.

For the originality of the storyline I rate this book * * * * but found the book to be very easy going and what I call a no brainer. Intrigue or mystery really does suit me better.

Lord of Scoundrels

This is the first historical romance I have read since my late teens and I must say I was very surprised. Funny, romantic and nothing like the history lesson I was expecting. The story takes place in Paris and England with a cast of side characters that will leave you with a smile on your face.Trying to save both her brother and family from the destructive influence of the worlds most notorious rake and scoundrel, Jessica Trent sets out to put Sebastien Ballister firmly into a position of retreat.However the desire that sparks between them is about to bring about the downfall of more than the couple themselves. With a great deal of humour and a few interesting twists the story takes on many new directions leaving the reader with the feeling of needing to discover just what else might be around the corner.
As a romance novel I would rate this book as **** . I can easily see why it made the list for most popular romance novels for 2007.