Here is what we talked about at Smexy this week:

A review – Born to Darkness by Suzanne Brockmann
A- review – A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare
B+ review – Moving in Rhythm by Dev Bentham
B review – Tailor Made by Josephine Myles
B review – Thief by Ava March
B- review – Geared for Pleasure by Rachel Grace
C+ review – Doubletake by Rob Thurman
C review – The Tattooed Duke by Maya Rodale
C- review – Much Ado About Rogues by Kasey Michaels

Smexy’s Rules of Romance
Smexy’s Top Ten

News From Mandi: I started the week with Claiming Colleen by Beth Kery. I tend to be drawn to her books because she writes a little darker, which I love. This one was just okay for me – I didn’t love the heroine or the plot..but I didn’t necessarily dislike it either. Review to come soon. Tangle of Need by Nalini SIngh arrived in my mailbox so I set aside everything else to read it. A great addition to the Psy/Changeling world – not only do we get Riaz and Adria’s story but Hawke and Sienna have a lot of page time too. I wrote a brief review at Goodreads. I then read my first Lacey Alexander book, Party of Three. Oh my. A party was had indeed. There is also a memorable scene involving cheesecake a certain part of the male anatomy. Full review coming soon. After loving the Bro-Magnet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted so much, I tried her new novel, Z: A Novel. Didn’t quite like this one as much – I posted a review on Goodreads. I am currently reading Kiss of Pride by Sandra Hill – It involves a viking, angel, vampire hero…not sure about this one yet.

News From Tori: The kid was on Spring Break this week so I didn’t get a whole lot of reading done. We went and saw The Lorax , which I recommend to everyone. A delightfully entertaining movie that speaks to everyone about the dangers of ignoring the environment. Took kid to the beach and managed to burn both of us. *sigh* 70 spf my arse. I read Nalini Singh’s Tangle Of Need. All I will say is BUY THIS BOOK WHEN IT RELEASES! It is seriously that good. We learn so much about the present, the past, and a lot of our favorite changelings are out about in here. Review to come closer to release date. Gail Carriger’s Timeless was a good ending to her hilarious Parasol Protectorate series. Plot lines and circumstances get wrapped up tight and Ms. Carriger even leaves enough to take us into her spin off, The Parasol Protectorate Abroad and The Finishing School series. Release date to be announced. Molly Harper’s Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors had me in stiches and made me love Jane even more (if that’s possible) as we watch her plan her wedding, deal with a teenage hormonal vampire, and try to figure out who is trying to kill her. A great series if you’ve never tried it. Kenyon’s Infamous, third in her Nick Chronicles series, stayed true to form as we follow poor teenage Nick as he once again has to learn things the hard way. Plenty of dark action, puppy love, and old familiar faces keeps this series on my must buy list. Review to come. I am currently reading Shiloh Walker’s Hunter’s Rise, which is proving to be as addicting as her previous installments. Review to come.

News from Helyce:  I finished up Born To Darkness by Suzanne Brockmann.  This is a fantastic read and I loved it! I’d only read a few of the books in her Troubleshooter series and as I had enjoyed them I really looked forward to this new series especially as it promised a slight paranormal feel to it.  I was not disappointed and she leaves us with just a bit of a twist at the end with one of the characters which I believe will lead us into the next story. Next up was Geared For Pleasure by Rachel Grace.  I have enjoyed the books written by Ms. Grace’s alter ego, R.G. Alexander so I had no trouble giving this book a try. It was a bit slow for me in the beginning, but once I immersed myself into the world she created, I began to enjoy it more.  All the characters were interesting and I look forward to seeing where this series goes.  It’s my first book with a steampunk feel and I liked it! I moved from steampunk fantasy to a historical western in Matthew by Emma Lang.  Set in the year 1836 it read more like a contemporary to me which is great because I don’t do historicals in general.  I very much enjoyed the heroine in this book as she is featured as a real woman-not overly gorgeous, more plump than slim and with a mouth a sailor would be proud of.  I’ll have the review for this up next week. I then immediately picked up Enraptured by Elisabeth Naughton.  This is book 4 in her Eternal Guardians series and features Orpheus.  I’m so excited we get his book already-I thought for sure we’d have to wait a while for it.  Book three, Tempted  blew me away so I’m thrilled to get an early copy of this.  Only about 20% in and L.O.V.I.N.G!  I always knew there was much more to him than he appeared to be!  For fun, I hope to read Covet by Felicity E. Heaton  this weekend. Thanks to Tori for the recommendation!

News From May:  This week has been quiet book wise. I did read (and enjoy tremendously, oh Byrne…) Kate Noble’s The Summer of You. Really doesn’t stand alone though, I feel like it was stronger because I knew these characters from the previous novel.

I have begun Nora Robert’s The Last Boyfriend (review to come here at Smexy) and I had to double check that I was reading a romance novel. At 20% in we had a ghost, a lot of people that I’m still trying to sort out as they were all dumped rather clumsily into the opening scenes, and a LOT of detail about remodeling and decorating the Inn Boonsboro. Oh wait, that’s Nora Robert’s real life inn… which has the exact same room themes and everything as this fictional inn. (sigh) The heroine and hero (at least, whom I assume are the leading characters it’s hard to say) have already said I love you, have known each other their whole lives but just now are exploring the physical possibilities.

I won’t start another book until I finish this one – at this point I don’t expect much from it. Wish me luck and hopes for a better novel with my next read.