At Whit’s End
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Bailey Hannah. Dell, $19 trade paper (432p) ISBN 979-8-217-09447-9
Hannah’s sensual fourth Wells Ranch contemporary (after Change of Hart) finds single working mother Whitney “Whit” Hart, 28, struggling to raise her 10-year-old son, Jonas. She faces judgment from small-town gossips, guilt trips from her parents, and her own self-doubt as her parenting duties often overwhelm her—especially when Jonas starts acting out in response to preteen angst and schoolyard bullying. After a tough school year marked by Jonas’s misbehavior and the threat of expulsion, Whit takes her sister’s advice and signs Jonas up to volunteer at local Wells Ranch. Colt, a ranch hand, quickly becomes Jonas’s mentor, forming a strong bond with both him and his beautiful mother. Despite some early miscommunication, Colt and Whit soon enter into a passionate affair, both helping the other to move on from painful pasts. The plentiful steamy scenes are balanced by the light, cozy plot and emotionally nuanced exploration of Whit and Jonas’s relationship. Cowboy romance fans will eat this up. (Dec.)
Love in Plane Sight
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Lauren Connolly. Berkley, $19 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-593-81568-7
In this entertaining contemporary, Connolly (PS: I Hate You) brings together two appealing young people trying to make it on their own. Beth Lundberg, the neglected illegitimate daughter of a luxury transportation magnate, has always yearned to become a pilot, but can’t afford it on her diner waitress salary, especially while handling medical bills for her mother, who has cancer. When Beth’s privileged half-brother Shawn’s best friend, George Bunsen, a pilot at their father’s company, offers her free flying lessons, Beth is almost too proud to accept, especially as she and George have never gotten along. But when their first time in the air results in an emergency landing that showcases George’s skill, Beth’s aversion to him turns into red hot lust. Meanwhile, it’s clear to everyone but Beth that George feels the same way about her. For their relationship to succeed, however, Beth will have to let go of her preconceptions about George, face her father’s judgment, and come clean to Shawn about a lie she told him years ago. Readers who dislike plots that over-rely on miscommunication may be frustrated by some of these hurdles, but Beth’s tenacity is admirable and George’s patient devotion is swoon-worthy. Fans of Kristan Higgins and Susan Wiggs looking for something on the raunchier side will want to check this out. (Dec.)
House of Rayne
Harley Laroux. Kensington, $32 (496p) ISBN 978-1-4967-5683-1
Bestseller Laroux (Her Soul for Revenge) is out for blood in this visceral and deliciously dark gothic romance set against the moody backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. Salem spends what was supposed to have been her wedding night in a dive bar hooking up with Rayne, a gorgeous, secretive stranger who ends the encounter by announcing that Salem will never see her again. Except the next day, when Salem arrives for a two-week retreat at Balfour Manor on Blackridge Island, there Rayne is behind the check-in desk. When Salem starts seeing terrible apparitions in the converted manor house, Rayne comes to her rescue and tells her the truth about Blackridge’s haunting history. The rugged island hides terrible secrets, including murders, ghosts, and a monster that roams its shores as soon as the sun goes down—and Rayne is somehow tied up in all of it. Salem is impossibly drawn to the lonely hotelier, but as Rayne’s family secrets come to light and bodies pile up, the women will have to fight the evils of the past if they ever hope to have a future. Laroux doesn’t hold back on either the splatter or the spice, balancing truly embodied horror with genuinely sexy erotica. The decadent result thrills from start to finish. (Oct.)
The Love Audit
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Lucy Eden. Forever, $17.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-5387-5699-7
Work rivals feign newlywed bliss in this diverting rom-com from Eden (Love in Bloom). It’s been 13 years since a rift between patriarchs ended the business relationship of the Morgan and Carter families, and scions Jasmine Morgan and Derek Carter still hold a grudge. Both now work in PR at MasonCorp and both are assigned to create a campaign for small town Miller’s Cove, Fla., which MasonCorp hopes to develop into a tourist destination. Only the more successful of the two will keep their job. Upon arriving in Miller’s Cove, Jasmine and Derek learn that the town is hostile to corporate outsiders and so don’t correct the townsfolk’s assumption that they are a honeymooning couple. As faking feelings leads to the real thing, the pair learn the history of the town, which was founded by three tight-knit families seeking to preserve the idyllic spot for future generations. The closer they grow both to each other and the locals, the more difficult the idea of turning in their assignments becomes. It’s endearing to watch the leads’ animosity change to love, even as misunderstandings between them give rise to plenty of romantic angst. Eden keeps the plot moving with both personal and professional drama, resulting in a fun romp that readers won’t want to put down. (Dec.)
Love by a Landslide
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K.L. Parsons. K.L. Parsons, $15.99 trade paper (344p) ISBN 979-8-9906842-0-1
Parsons kicks off her Stranded in Leavenworth series with this wilderness-set charmer. Lucy O’Malley is happily planning a romantic outdoorsy vacation in the quaint town of Leavenworth with her workaholic, somewhat emotionally distant boyfriend, Brodan—until he dumps her on her 30th birthday. Meanwhile, widowed wilderness tour company owner, Jonathan Miller, whose wife, Cynthia, died four years earlier in a white-water rafting accident on an expedition he was leading, has vowed never to allow anyone else into his heart. Then Lucy comes bounding into his life and announces that the trip she booked for two will actually be a one-on-one tour. Reluctantly consenting to lead Lucy on her solo hiking trip, Jonathan is soon won over by her grit, especially as the multiday climb turns out to be harder than she’d expected. Through landslides, torrential rainstorms, and renegade tents, Lucy and Jonathan grow closer—but will their pasts prevent them from getting together? Lucy’s sweetness and sass convincingly slips beneath Jonathan’s high walls, and their grumpy/sunshine dynamic is a treat. Supporting characters, especially Lucy’s drag-queen bestie, Dirty O’Feelya, provide enchanting pockets of levity. This well-crafted romance will have readers hooked. (Self-published)
Call Me Anytime
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Max Monroe. Montlake, $16.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-6625-3327-3
Monroe (When I Should’ve Stayed) squanders a juicy premise in this strained romantic suspense novel. When swaggering Nashville homicide detective Dominic Dunn, the 35-year-old heir to a global coffee chain, calls the most frequently dialed number on a dead woman’s phone, he’s surprised to get phone sex operator Hannah May on the line. She’s a financially desperate 25 year old; it’s her first day on the job; and she’s a virgin. When Dominic realizes that the victims in his current case and a cold one both worked for Hannah’s new employer, he tracks her down and gets a wire tap on her work phone line, hoping to catch the killer. Hannah’s innocence and often cloying naivete (“Ew,” she thinks while imagining a customer “with his weiner out”) leads Dominic to offer to coach her through her calls. The pair grow closer, especially after Dominic demonstrates kindness to Hannah’s mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when Hannah was 12 and believes she’s living in an episode of NCIS. Once things heat up between them, Hannah’s discomfort with human sexuality falls suddenly away in sensual scenes that strain credulity. An abrupt third-act conflict about money feels underbaked and the mystery culminates in a haphazard showdown complete with an unsatisfying final reveal. Clunky exposition and wooden banter don’t help. This disappoints. (Nov.)
A Kingdom of Witches and Wanderers
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Leslie O’Sullivan. City Owl, $35.99 (340p) ISBN 978-1-64898-523-2
O’Sullivan wraps up her Fae Destiny series (following A Kingdom of Deceit and Desire) with this spellbinding standalone romantasy. After fae princess Eala Duir’s husband, Sionnach, is taken hostage by Finnbheara, the king of the Connacht Fae of the Tír na n?g realm, Eala sets out to rescue him. Using her magic Veil, she travels back in time to recruit powerful witch Biddy and pirate queen Grace, and transport them to the present. She realizes too late, however, that even their combined powers may not be sufficient to take on the fae king. In her desperation, she seeks the help of “fae thief and villain” Robber Bright, who holds a grudge against Finnbheara, making him a good potential ally, but who also recently absconded with Eala’s human best friend, Colleen, to Bráchthine, the Dark Prince Aodh’s realm. The excitement ramps up as Eala faces potential threats in both realms, and Aodh tries to use her as a pawn in his war against Finnbheara. O’Sullivan weaves the many threads together skillfully, though readers will wish Biddy and Grace had a bit more to do in the epic finale. Still, with inventive magic, emotional stakes, and some high-heat love scenes, this sends the series out on a high note. (Nov.)
Her Time Traveling Duke
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Bryn Donovan. Berkley, $19 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-593-81661-5
Regency sensibilities clash with contemporary culture and science clashes with magic in Donovan’s goofy sequel to Her Knight at the Museum. In 1818 England, Henry Leighton-Lyons, the Duke of Beresford, mourns his wife, Charlotte, who died young, and dedicates himself to creating a time machine that will enable him to reunite with her, even for a brief moment. In present day Chicago, practicing witch Rose Novak, an employee at the Art Institute of Chicago, wishes to find love with “an old-fashioned gentleman.” She casts a love spell, unknowingly using a necklace containing the same moonstone that Henry also used in his time machine, and is shocked when it summons him to her side. Henry, a man devoted to logic and (often outdated) science, struggles to make sense of the modern day, while Rose struggles to find a way to send him back. Along the way, they agree to what Henry calls a “brief assignation” and Rosie calls a “fling.” As they grow closer, however, Henry comes to believe that Rose may be Charlotte reincarnated. The worldbuilding relies on an awful lot of hand-waving, and Donovan plays Henry’s culture shock for broad laughs. Unfortunately, his stuffy royal arrogance and period-typical views are often a turnoff, especially once he starts insisting to a disbelieving Rose that she is Charlotte reborn. This is best suited for devoted series fans. (Nov.)
Lessons in Faking
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Selina Mae. LYX, $18.99 trade paper (384p) ISBN 979-8-89331-069-6
An enemies-to-lovers plot meets the fake dating trope in this by the numbers new adult romance, Mae’s Hall Beck University series debut. College student Athalia Payton Pressley has longed for the attention and affection of her twin brother, Henry, ever since the death of both their parents seven years prior. But while Henry, their school’s star athlete, is extremely protective of Athalia, he struggles to connect with her emotionally. When Athalia’s statistics professor informs her that she’s failing and assigns her to private tutor sessions, she winds up one-on-one with Henry’s despised athletic rival, Dylan McCarthy Williams. Athalia initially balks, but Dylan, who has always had feelings for Athalia but never acted on them due to Henry’s hostility, is determined to help her pass the class. After Athalia realizes the arrangement has finally earned her Henry’s attention, she recruits Dylan’s help keeping it by pretending to date her. From there, the story hits all the expected beats without adding much depth, especially not to the thinly drawn characters. The result is enjoyable but forgettable. (Nov.)
Fight
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Sloane St. James. Slowburn, $18 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-1-63893-431-8
A commitment-phobic firefighter falls for an EMT with a troubled past in St. James’s hot and heavy Sky Ridge Hotshots series starter, which was originally self-published and went viral on TikTok earlier this year. Prescott “Scottie” Timmons fled her old life in Arkansas for Sky Ridge, Wash., where she finds work as an EMT. She’s never met a man like Callahan Woods, a hunky local wildland firefighter with whom she falls into instalust. Though Callahan wants to keep their relationship purely physical, Scottie starts to feel more?—until he ghosts her. The pair are thrown back together, however, when Scottie winds up trapped on a mountain trail during a snow storm and Callahan comes to her rescue. Forced to ride out the days’ long blizzard together in a fire tower, Callahan explains his good reasons for ghosting, and Scottie divulges the dark truth about her life in Arkansas. Their relationship quickly heats up again, but will it last once they return to civilization? Readers who dislike the miscommunication or instalove tropes may be frustrated, but the spicy scenes are well done, and there are enough shocking set pieces—including natural disasters and Scottie’s emotional backstory—to keep the pages turning. This sizzles. (Nov.)
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1 - 10 of 30 Romance/Erotica reviews
All around the shrine of the temple there were prayers fastened, wherever there was a place for fastening them. On the left of the altar there was a large lattice, and this lattice had hundreds of prayers attached to it, some of them folded and others open. Several old men and women were leaning against this lattice, or squatted on the floor in front of it, engaged in selling prayers; and they appeared to be doing a thriving business. The boys bought some of these prayers to send home as curiosities; and they also bought some charms and beads, the latter not unlike those used by Catholics, and having a prominent place in the Japanese worship. Then there were votive tablets on the walls, generally in the form of pictures painted on paper or silk, or cut out of thin paper, like silhouettes. One of them represents a ship on the water in the midst of a storm, and is probably the offering of a merchant who had a marine venture that he wished to have the goddess take under her protection. Shoes and top-knots of men and women were among the offerings, and the most of them were labelled with the names of the donors. These valueless articles are never disturbed, but remain in their places for years, while costly treasures of silver or gold are generally removed in a few days to the private sanctuary of the goddess for fear of accidents. Even in a temple, all the visitors cannot be trusted to keep their hands in check. It is intimated that the priests are sometimes guilty of appropriating valuable things to their own use. But then what could you expect of a lot of heathens like the Japanese? Nothing of the kind could happen in a Christian land. ASCENT OF FUSIYAMA. ASCENT OF FUSIYAMA. "Well, be quick about it, and then stand clear; we don't want any woman hurt." The key rattled at the keyhole and then dropped to the floor. "You did that by intention! Give me that key!" He tried the lock. "We've jammed it, corporal, but another good kick will fetch it; now!"--Bang!--crash!--open flew the door. "I see," said Allingham, slowly, "it is because you are, so to speak, temporarily incapacitated, that you are able to come down to the level of our world." Her hand had shot out grasping for something to steady herself on--the whole world spun around her. She had given her whole passionate, tempestuous soul to this man; she had never dreamt that she could fail to gain his love. She had never failed before, she had only required to hold up her hand. . . . Balmayne came with his burden, which he flung in and covered with a rug. He pulled at the lever, and the great machine started, and then dragged, as if some great weight was hanging on behind. The gruff voice suggested diplomacy, and promised immediate assistance. The caller had only to lie low and the desired aid should be on hand immediately. With a sense of pride and exultation Leona Lalage hung up the receiver and made her way to the dining-room. Professor Noyons took me all over the hospital, and if I should describe all I saw and heard there, that story alone would fill volumes. He took me, for example, to a boy of eight years old, whose shoulder was shattered by rifle-shots. His father and140 mother, four little brothers and a sister, had been murdered. The boy himself was saved because they thought that he was dead, whereas he was only unconscious. When I asked for his parents, brothers and sister, he put up his one hand and, counting by his little fingers, he mentioned their names. The baboo who has lost caste and been half-civilized in the Anglo-Indian colleges, is always the middleman between the Government and the poor; and he, barefaced and with no pretence of concealment, took twenty per cent. of the wages he was supposed to pay the labourers. And there were none but baboos to superintend the poorhouses and the famine-camps. It is said that during the previous famine some made fortunes of six to eight lacs of rupees (the lac is ￡10,000). But presently she stood up to go away, and her eyes caught the lowering, glazed ones of the Indian. Half involuntarily she made a motion of striking with a knife. Neither the doctor nor the steward caught it, but he did, and showed by a sudden start that he understood. Carthagena was strongly fortified, and the garrison was reinforced by the crews of a squadron lying there under Don Blas de Leon. If the place was to be assaulted, it should have been done at once; but Vernon lay perfectly inactive for five days, as if to allow the enemy to make all his preparations for defence. Notwithstanding this, the brave English erected a battery on shore, and played so effectually on the principal fort, that they soon made a breach in it, whilst the fleet fired into the harbour, thus dividing the attention of the enemy. In spite of their advantages, the Spaniards abandoned their forts and batteries, the English entered the breach, the vessels in the harbour were destroyed, and the passage cleared so that the fleet could sail in and support the army. There appeared nothing capable of preventing the conquest of the town but the cabals of the two commanders. Lord Cathcart had caught the endemic fever and died, and was succeeded by General Wentworth in command of the land forces. Wentworth had a great contempt of Vernon, and Vernon was by no means well disposed towards Wentworth. The fleet having entered the harbour, the land forces were all disembarked, and posted within a mile of Carthagena; but there the success stopped. Vernon had written home his dispatches to the Duke of Newcastle saying, "The wonderful success of this evening and night is so astounding, that we cannot but cry out, 'It is the Lord's doing, and it seems marvellous in our eyes!'" The Deacon was astonished, but in obedience to a gesture from the Provost, left the line, and came up. "Here," said the Chief Clerk, handing Shorty an official envelope, when the latter returned from having his chevrons sewed on. "Take this down to Col. Billings. Mind you do it in proper style. Don't get to sassing old Billings. Stick the envelope in your belt, walk into the office, take the position of a soldier, salute, and hand him the envelope, saying, 'With the compliments of the General,' salute again, about-face, and walk out." Another voice immediately spoke up in command: "Steady, men! Keep cool! Fire low, and give it to the blue-bellied scoundrels!" "That old-time religion." But Reuben hardly enjoyed his position as a hero. He succeeded in breaking free from the crowd, now beginning to busy itself once more with Mexico Bill, who was showing signs of returning consciousness, and plunged into the mists that spread their frost-smelling curds over the lower slopes of Boarzell. On the second day after Holgrave had become a bondman, he was summoned by an order from Calverley to go to labour for his lord. His heart swelled as he sullenly obeyed the mandate, and Margaret trembled as she saw him depart. She looked anxiously for the close of the day; and, when she saw her husband enter with some vegetables and grain that had been apportioned to him for his day's toil, her heart was glad. It was true that the gloom on his brow seemed increased, and that he threw down his load, and sat for several minutes without speaking,—but she cared not for his silence as she saw him return in safety. "I think," said Sir Robert Knowles, who saw that it was only under the influence of strong feeling that Holgrave could at present be a match for Oakley—"I think it would be better that this retainer accept the vintner's challenge; and should he worst him, then he and Holgrave can settle their quarrel, when a few days shall have given him more strength." This, despite of Holgrave's assurances that his strength was undiminished, was decided upon, and the galleyman and Oakley were directed to hold themselves in readiness to try the strength of their weapons on the morrow. They were then ordered to withdraw—Oakley and the galleyman to be lodged that night in the retainers' court, and Holgrave to tell over all he felt to the affectionate Margaret, who, for the present, at Isabella's request, was to occupy an apartment in the castle. HoME日本道一区二区免费一级毛片
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