Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425236838
ISBN-13: 978-0425236833
Purchase at: Book Depository

Cover Summary:
She offered him one week of pleasure. No more and no less...

Some sacrifices are more difficult than others. Left destitute after her father's death, Rose Marlowe has debts to settle and a younger brother to support. But she also possesses an unmatched beauty-one that could command quite a price...

Now, every month, Rose secretly travels from her country home to spend one week at a decadent London brothel, where she's become a sought-after prize. Elegant and accomplished in the art of pleasure, she spends her nights fulfilling the fantasies of the gentlemen of the ton while denying the wish buried deep in her heart.

Then one night a wealthy merchant gentleman walks through her door. Handsome, kind and compassionate, with a lonely soul that matches her own, James Archer is not her usual client. Falling in love with a client, never mind a married one, is unthinkable. Yet Rose can't help but lose herself in his arms as one night becomes seven-and seven nights lead to a chance at forever...

My Review: James is stuck in an arranged marriage, void of love, compassion or even amiability. His hard working attitude hides a very lonely man and the only thing that makes this marriage worthwhile is his wife’s promise to introduce his sister to the bon ton of London during the season. Still, after three long years of being honorable it turns a man starved for a bit of affection and kindness. James promises himself one night with a woman who does not loathe the sight of him and that choice brings him knocking on the door of Rose. Two lonely people meet and feel a magnetic pull neither of them expected.

With SEVEN NIGHTS TO FOREVER, Evangeline Collins delivers a heartwarming historical romance of a man trapped in a loveless marriage and unexpectedly finds a connection to another woman. Even though arranged marriages are very common in the time period of the story and even affairs for both women and men are conventional it is James who made the difference. For all intends and purposes he wanted to abide by his vow but his wife is a self absorbed nightmare of a woman. James might be emotion starved but that doesn’t mean he isn’t struggling with his actions of obtaining some kindness. I found it very easy to sympathize with James, he is a good man, works hard, cares for his family and treats people with respect. To opposite such a man to a dragon of a woman who is haughty, selfish and cold is perhaps an easy way to gain my support for James but it evoked the response nonetheless. Amelia as his wife is one of the reasons I could understand and accept James’ infidelity. A person can only take so much when deprived of even the barest hint of affection and the time period also gave leeway to such a story angle.

James is a character who was all around likable but Rose is right there with him. She’s taken care of her younger brother from the moment her father died and in those days there were very few options open to Rose. She chooses to become a high-priced courtesan for seven nights each month and so the opportunity rises for James and Rose to meet. Rose is everything Amelia is not, she loves the country, she’s kind, compassionate, is even willful at times and makes understandable choices. From the moment James is introduced to Rose there is plenty of tension between then. I would almost call it a refined eroticism, the passion is sizzling hot and frequent but the poignant way it is written curbs the act of sex play and adds the emotional depth to it. It is not only the erotic tension but also their emotional needs that resonate with each other and form a fragile bond of feelings and trust.

The challenges that lay ahead of them mainly revolved around their developing romance that could go no further due to James’ marriage. The problems give appropriate resistance delivering some inner struggles and emotion wrought scenes yet it weren’t insurmountable odds to overcome as the solution proved that. James and Rose need to make decisions and for them to come to certain conclusions was interesting to witness. The romance was moving and the sincerity of the characters made me care all the more about the outcome of it all.

Evangeline Collins manages to write a wonderful historical romance with just a handful of characters where the focus lies on the love, sensuality and interaction. If there is one secondary character, next to Amelia and Rebecca, who intrigued me to no end then it was the male prostitute, Timothy. With only a few scenes and some insightful comments coming from Timothy he becomes a colorful character who triggers my curiosity. His situation, as a male BDSM prostitute, begs for the unraveling of his back story though I wonder if this author would go there.

SEVEN NIGHTS TO FOREVER is a nice blend of a heart rendering romance, sensuality, sincere characters and easy flowing writing skills.  

Quote James struggling with Rose’s profession:
“I…” A furrow tightened his brow, his voice dropping to a grave rumble. “It’s hard sometimes knowing I won’t ever be your first anything. But I won’t let it come between us anymore. You have my word.”

Quote:
How she wished he could have been her first everything. The first man who touched her, kissed her, made love to her. Her first and only. But none of that mattered. None had even come close to leaving a mark on her heart. “You’re the first man I have ever wanted to be with,” she confessed. The tight line of his mouth softened. The gravity left his eyes, the green depths warming with an emotion she should not date give name to. “Thank you,” he whispered, almost awed, as though she presented him with the rarest of treasures.

eBook; 289 pages
Publisher: Carina Press, June 14, 2010
eISBN-13: 978-14268-9017-8
Genre: Contemporary Cowboy Romance
Book: Stand Alone
Main Characters: Rafe Cabrerras & Liberty Starr
On sale at: Carina Press

Summary:
Rafe had never met a truly irresistible woman, until he met Liberty.

Libby has the kind of beauty that comes on slow—strikes a guy the longer he looks. And Rafe sure is having a fine time looking, and touching, and loving Liberty Starr. The only problem is that Rafe is pretending to be just another cowboy down on his luck. Working for the FBI, he’s come to Stone Hill, Colorado, to investigate the man Libby loves like a father.

He was just another cowboy.

Free-spirited Libby offers him a job and a place to stay. Together they spark like wildfire, their intense passion filling their days and nights. But Rafe is only in town for the summer, and while Liberty is willing to risk her heart secrets threaten any possibility of a future together...

Pearl’s review:

Liberty “Libby” Starr owns an inn and boards horses in a small town in the Colorado Rockies, Stone Hill. Libby is very open and free-minded. She grew up in a nudist colony and is a self-proclaimed nudist who is very comfortable in her own skin and has no problems with nudity. I loved Libby; she’s softhearted but not gullible. She’s a smart and independent woman, spontaneous and outgoing. She is very capable and has good business sense

Rafe Cabrerras is pretending to be a cowboy down on his luck. But he has come to Stone Hill with an agenda. He is investigating Caleb Hamilton, Libby’s business partner and the man she considers a father. His investigation leads to events that turn both his and Libby’s world upside down, and that’s not even taking into account the immediate chemistry between them. Rafe was a delicious hero. Pulling off the cowboy role perfectly and the subtle humor and banter between him and Libby was a joy to read next to their explosively hot chemistry.

I totally and unexpectedly warmed up to Caleb. He may seem harsh, cold and calculated but deep down he’s not. He’s a sensitive, intuitive man who’s known loss and hurt and has hardened himself to avoid being vulnerable. His caring feelings for Rafe and Libby are genuine and I loved his role in the book.

The very first paragraph of this book reeled me in and grabbed hold of me as much as the blurb already had. I normally don’t pay much attention to blurbs but the one for LIBERTY STARR draws you in and makes you want to read the book immediately without delay.

Normally I am not a fan of romantic suspense where one of the main characters is keeping stuff from the other but in this case Rebecca E. Grant made it work for me because I was left in the dark too and thus anticipating the moment of revelation along with Libby. The power of omission worked very well for this book. As some things weren’t immediately explained I kept wanting to read on, waiting to discover what the deal was with Rafe, Libby and Caleb.

Even though while reading I felt the build up was slow and the plot progressed slowly too, in hindsight, it was beautifully done and fitting the story and characters. Without getting very explicit Rebecca E. Grant managed to write a sensual and hot romance novel that wasn’t the thrilling suspense story I was expecting but LIBERTY STARR turned out to be a western contemporary that’s earned its place in my small list of favorite cowboy romances because of its beauty in simplicity and emotions.

Quotes:
He was the match, she the striking surface. Together they were a wildfire.

Rafe: “I love you, Elle. I’ve never said that to a woman before. I thought it was because I never had the time to fall in love. Now I realize it has nothing to do with time at all. It’s because I hadn’t met you.”

Salome at Sunrise
by Inez Kelley
On Sale Date: Jun 21, 2010
Category: Fantasy Romance, Romance, Shifters
eISBN: 9781426890253
Connected novel to Myla At Moonlight
On sale at: Carina Press

Cover Summary:
Bryton Haruk sets out on a suicide mission to stop the bloodthirsty Skullmen from terrorizing the war-weary Land of Eldwyn. Consumed by guilt over the death of his wife, Bryton seeks revenge and reunion in the afterlife with his lost love. His purpose is determined, his bravery unmatched, until the queen casts a spell to save Bryton from himself.

Salome is that spell. A bird-shifter, she can harness the earth's breeze and take the form of a beautiful, innocent woman. Her challenge is to harness Bryton's pain and guide him to peace. She entrances and irritates him, tempting Bryton from his mission. Even as he gives in to the passion between them, Bryton insists on mounting a solo attack on the brigands' compound, and Salome fears her love won't be enough to save him...

Leontine's Review: First of all, while SALOME AT SUNRISE can be read as a stand-alone I recommend reading Myla At Moonlight first to experience the full impact and character development of the core cast. Salome At Sunrise contains similar elements such as the heroine is created from a spell, soaring romance and an adversary who needs to be defeated in order for peace to settle in the land of Eldwynn.

It all begins with Bryton, he is the kings Might and Law but revenge burns bright in his soul for the skullmen and drives him to reckless behavior. The once easy-going charmer that Bryton was is gone and instead I found a bitter and angry man who is consumed by guilt and revenge. It actually shocked me a bit to find him this way and it instantly fired my curiosity what happened to him. In those first chapters I got it that something happened to his wife which fueled his recklessly pursuit of these Skullmen but to get the whole picture was a step-by-step progress.

Bryton eat, sleeps and breaths honor. He is a charmer, easy to laugh or make other people laugh and deeply loves those close to him. Still, none of these character traits were on the forefront in his own story. Bryon is grieving with a depth of true love lost and the portrayal of his character made me want him to find joy and love again. The progress of grieving and falling in love again with Salome had a few minor bumps in the road for me. Bryton grieved so intense for Katrina that at some moments it was hard to surrender myself to the attraction simmering between Salome and him. Bryton and Salome had a push-pull situation going on where Bryton did most of the pushing and Salome did most of the pulling.

Salome is created from a spell to bring peace and healing to Bryton. Salome is innocence personified but quickly learns to show her fiery side to Bryton. Her innocence and inner fire is what gives humor to their verbal sparring, sometimes Bryton would say something and would mean in figurative and Salome would pick it up literally. Salome gradually learns the ways of this world and while she keeps her wide-eyed moments of innocence, by the end of the story you know she is a woman to be reckoned with!

The Skullmen also played a significant role, not only as the adversaries, but also as the personal tormentors of Bryton. I heard via the characters of their malicious deeds and for the greater part of this story there were no actual encounters, which delivered the feeling while reading the story that their threat was a distant one. I never felt Bryton and Salome were in any danger most of the time and this only changed after two thirds in to the story.

Salome At Sunrise is a road trip romance that gives way for moments filled with many dialogues, finding out about the diabolical acts of the Skullmen and a budding passion. The focus of the story was on the main characters and their developing feelings. Salome’s center of attention was Bryton, trying to let him find inner peace and healing again. This progress contained desolate moments of pain and guilt combined with tender moments of humor and forgiveness. The romance was endearing and sweet as it was passionate and raw. Inez Kelley has a knack for making me feel all that her characters are going through, not only the main characters but also the supportive ones, as Myla and Taric also have some page time.

Inez Kelley has a lush voice creating beautiful descriptions of the backdrop allowing me to envision this world in the mind’s eye next to letting me absorb the emotions zinging between the H/h. Both elements easily let me immerse me again in the story told. I was encompassed by the all-or-nothing ending of the story and the love that crested in those scenes. SALOME AT SUNRISE is romance with a capital R, containing light fantasy elements and two characters who are a match for each other in heart and spirit. 

Quote:
Bryton rolled, his eyes open, staring at the star-strewn sky. His steady rising chest belied the thunder of his heartbeat but Salome heard it clearly. He turned his head, his gaze locking with hers. Heat arced between them, not the scorch of summer or the sting of fire but a low, brewing storm that gathered strength and power. One wing twitched and she blinked. No clouds darkened the night sky but a primal tempest was coming. It would not sway the trees, it would not feed the earth. It would affect only the two of them, and the outcome would sizzle with the kiss of lightning.

Quote:
The thought of Salome with another man, any man, soured his tongue. He couldn’t deny it, he wanted her. But it wouldn’t be right and she didn’t even understand why. How do you explain love to a magic spell? How do you explain the difference between raw, hard-core sex and making real love? How could he make her understand that he was afraid he’d lose Katina all over again, this time in Salome’s arms?

~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~
Inez Kelley has been so generous to add a giveaway to this review!! *woohoot* All you have to do is leave a comment to win an e-copy of SALOME AT SUNRISE. The winner will be randomly drawn on June 25th 2010. The winner will be e-mailed :)

eBook; 68 pages
Publisher: Carina Press, June 7, 2010
ISBN-10: 1426890000
ISBN-13: 978-1426890000
Genre: Erotic Romance
Book: Book One in Dirty Laundry Series
Main Characters: Elijah Elliot & Beatrix London
On sale at: Carina Press

Summary:
When Elijah Elliot leaves a cushy job at a prestigious Atlanta advertising firm to strike out on his own, he recruits co-worker Beatrix London as his business partner. She’s smart, capable and, turns out, mouth-wateringly tempting. Now Eli has to keep his hands to himself, despite the very vivid daydreams he has involving his deliciously attentive associate. Daydreams that involve less administrative duties and more “yes, sirs” - less clothing and much more personal “activity reports”.

Bea’s attention to detail has only part to do with her work ethic. From the moment she first laid eyes on Elijah, Bea has had some pretty lathered-up fantasies about her brooding coworker. When a racy new advertising campaign sparks a test of their boundaries, Bea pushes Eli to cross the line he’s drawn between them – the one that keeps him from doing all the hot, sinful things she imagines he’s capable of.

A kiss that could ignite a cubicle’s carpet leaves Bea wanting more than Eli is willing to give. Eli’s reticence isn’t strictly an objection to a little office hanky-panky; his desire for Bea runs to the darker side of vanilla, and the gentleman in him just can’t seem to embrace the inner beast. But during a sexy showdown in a laundry room, everything comes out in the wash-- hot, steamy and coin operated!

Pearl’s review:
COIN OPERATED tells the story of Elijah Elliot and Beatrix London, two business partners who run an ad agency. Eli is a Dominant and Bea is a submissive, they are undeniably drawn to each other but despite their fantasies of each other, neither makes a move to consolidate those fantasies until Bea comes up with a naughty presentation for one of their clients.

Eli is the brooding A-type kind of hero. He’s the people-minded partner of the two of them, the creative one who interacts best with the clients and charms them. Bea is a sharp, dedicated and dependable woman. She’s the regulating partner of the two, the planner and the number cruncher. Eli tries to fight his attraction to Bea. He intends to put some distance between them and part ways but he can’t get himself to commit to it.

This debut release of author Ginny Glass with Carina Press is the first book of the Dirty Laundry series. And what a first installment it is! The very first paragraph of the book sets the tone and immediately captured my attention. It opens with some explicit fantasies Eli and Bea are having of being together and it was hot. I was hoping the reality was going to be as great as the fantasies they were having and the author didn’t disappoint!

I love the office romance trope and I loved how the tension built up to the point where the fantasies became reality and climaxes in an explosive scene. In COIN OPERATED the theme of BDSM is touched in a light way. Nothing heavy handed, just in an introductory, yet sultry way. Eli fears the man he is when he’s with Bea and doesn’t see that Bea wants exactly that man.

COIN OPERATED is a sweet, hot and quick read guaranteed to give you a few sizzling reading hours. It’s a very promising start of the series and I definitely want to read more in the Dirty Laundry world.

Through a captivating writing style Ginny Glass delivers a short but great start to the series with a good and intense build-up and a great execution of the fantasies. My only complaint is that I would have loved more pages to this story if only for more of Eli and Bea’s scorching chemistry and to get to know them even better.

The Laundromat never sounded so exciting to me and doing laundry has never been this hot. Ginny Glass puts sexy in washers, dryers and laundry change!

Quote:
There was no oxygen left for sound; it was burned up on inhale and used up to keep her from fragmenting into a million permanently shattered bits of glory.

(As we only award whole and half stars here at ROOB I have given COIN OPERATED 3,5 stars but if I could I would give it 3,75 stars.)

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Zebra, Original Edition (May 4, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1420106554
ISBN-13: 978-1420106558

Genre: Historical
Book: Stand Alone, although loosely related to Mastering the Marquess
Main Characters: Simon St. James & Sophie Stanton
On Sale at: The Book Depository.com

Summary:

Their marriage was convenient...
Simon St. James, fifth Earl of Trask, knows he could do worse in the marriage of convenience department. Sophie Stanton may be a bit of a social liability, with her ungovernable ways and flighty nature, but Simon has responsibilities as an earl that far outweigh happiness in the household. As for happiness in the bedroom...he has to admit he sees Sophie’s potential in that arena...

Their passion was not!
But Sophie isn’t some bargaining chip to be traded, and she’s not about to let Simon St. James tell her how to live her life—even though she has nurtured a crush on the handsome young earl for as long as she can remember. If his idea of courtship is telling her what to do, then she is not interested, or at least she is trying not to be. But when his scolding words turn to scorching kisses, suddenly Sophie starts paying attention...

Marissa's review:

Simon St. James, the ninth Earl of Trask, is an ambitious man and has a passion for making money. He believes the old ways of the peerage are dying. A wealthy future lies not with owning land but with the wheels and engines of commerce. He has found a way to dominate every aspect of Britain’s Wool Industry but he needs land that is rich in charcoal, so he needs his neighbor’s land. This land is part of Sophie Stanton’s dowry and Simon knows her well and is fond of her. But Sophie is always in trouble because she acts before she thinks, scandal is always nearby when Sophie is around and Simon abhors scandal. Still, he knows Sophie has feelings for him so it should not be so difficult to persuade her to accept his marriage proposal. He will approach this matter like any other business deal. After all, how difficult can it be to keep the little minx in his bed and out of trouble? Evidently very difficult, he soon discovers that nothing is businesslike when it comes to Sophie…

Sophie Stanton has been in love with Simon for most of her life, but somehow he always brings out the worst in her. He treats and lectures her like a child and she hates that. Since her brother got married she feels lonely and restless. She is in her fourth season and fears that she will end up as an old spinster because she can never love anyone else than Simon. Now her precious bracelet is stolen by a young, frightened kid, she is determined to get it back and help this kid but she needs Simon to help her without him lecturing her. Then out of the blue he asks her to marry him and reluctantly she accepts, he talks about a lot of things but not of love and she is convinced that there is another reason for his proposal. Now Sophie wonders if she can truly be happy with the man of her dreams who so obvious does not love her, has a hidden agenda and treats her like a child from time to time…

Last year I read Mastering The Marques for ROOB and I was intrigued by the hero Silverton, but his best friend Simon, the Earl of Trask, intrigued me even more. So I was looking forward to read Simon’s story and when ROOB got the request to review Sex and the Single Earl I eagerly raised my hand. And I must say that the title kicked my imagination into overdrive, but after reading the story I do not understand the title of this story, to me the title and story do not match together very well.

But Vanessa Kelly did pull me into the story immediately with her fluent writing; she has the ability to fling you back in time with accurate details of the regency time period and the environment. The story is very character-driven, it completely revolves around Simon and Sophie. They are very strong and well-rounded characters, during the story they change and develop, at all times you know what makes them tick.

Simon has a brawny physique, fierce black eyes and coal-dark hair, he dreamt of a life full of intellect and studied to teach math, but this all ended when his cousin died and he became the heir to the earldom. He prefers a life of invigorating work to one of impecunious gentility. He always needs a challenge to keep boredom away. He keeps his life tight and organized and always does the right thing, no scandal clings to him.

Sophie is really Simon’s polar opposite. She is petite and wears glasses; she is not considered a great beauty. She can be very bad-tempered and is very compassionate, nobody tells her what to do and she often acts before she thinks. She is very persistent once she has set her mind on something. She always seems to generate gossip and scandal because she ends up in the most remarkable and very unladylike situations.

I must say that I love and hate Simon at the same time, he is this really yummy hero with the right dose of arrogance, he is strong, honorable, tender and masculine but at the same time he always lectures Sophie on her seemliness and does it the wrong way, then he comes across as an regal bully. I had the same feeling with Sophie, she is so passionate about things, and I love that about her, but for an upper class, smart woman she sometimes acts very self-destructive, I cannot reconcile this behavior of her with the fact that in those days a woman’s reputation was her most valued asset. Why risk her reputation so recklessly? I loved their bickering, Vanessa Kelly writes blazing dialogues full of sarcasm, wit and humor but she does it in a way that fits perfectly with the time period, and this way she adds more authenticity to the story.

As most important side-characters we meet Robert and Annabelle, Robert is Sophie’s brother and they used to be as thick as glue. He always supports Sophie no matter what. Sophie’s godmothers also play an important role, they are two old but cunning spinsters with a very sharp tongue. Still at the end I felt like this story was lacking something but I could not put my finger on what was lacking. Then I figured it out, first of all I missed Silverton in this story, as best friend of Simon I would have expected (and hoped) he would at least be mentioned and secondly the whole storyline was too weak and flat for me, it could have used a little more danger or a secondary storyline to spice things up a little further.

Sex and the Single Earl is a solid regency story with strong and well-rounded characters that the true historical romance lover out there will appreciate.

3,5 stars