Here is what we talked about at Smexy this week:

A Review – Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
B+ Review – Shadow’s Fall by Dianne Sylvan
B Review – The Duke’s Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley
B Review – The Thirteenth Sacrifice by Debbie Viguie
B Review – Taming an Impossible Rogue by Suzanne Enoch
B Review – If I Fall by Kate Noble
C Review – The Art of Duke Hunting by Sophia Nash
C- Review – Party of Three by Lacey Alexander
C- Review – White Witch by Trish Milburn

Smexy’s Top Ten

News From Mandi: I started the week with Fortune Hunter by Ava March, a historical m/m (maybe novella?). I liked it – not quite as much as the first book in this series. I was never quite sold that Julian was an heiress hunter. I wanted to get to know him better. Review will be posting soon. I read another novella, Ocean’s Touch by Denise Townsend (aka Nicole Peeler). This was an interesting erotic book featuring a selkie shifter, who comes to the aid of a lonely, dowdy, widowed heroine. He awakens her sexually and she falls for a hot, sexy friend. There are M/F/M scenes…Since the HEA is not with the selkie, I wanted to get to know the actual hero better, and be convinced he was not a playboy anymore. It ended too abruptly for me. But I did like it. I moved on to a football romance , Playing for Keeps by Liz Matis. I had a hard time with this book. The reporter heroine was suppose to be struggling with her recent kidnapping in the middle east, but that never came through well. I never believed in her relationship with the hero (football player) either. Review will be posting soon. I read the first in a new series shifter, Temptation Rising by A.C. Arthur. Jaguar shifters. Yum. I like the world and the sexy men. The heroine annoyed me at times, but overall a fun shifter read. Review coming soon. On the rec from Kenda, I read Dreaming by Jill Barnett and totally fell in love with it. A historical with smugglers, pirates, and a little magic. The heroine is completely in love with the hero (and he knows it) but everytime she is around him, he gets a black eye or worse. Really cute and funny. I have about 30 pages left in The Girl’s Guide to (Man)Hunting by Jessica Clare (aka Jill Myles). Very sexy book. Heroine wants revenge on hero who embarrassed her in high school. Hero now runs an outdoor survival training camp – so heroine signs up for it, planning on having sex with him during the week and then dumping him. I like this one, the hero is very sexy and the heroine is fun. Not completely sold on the heroine’s revenge plot. She was so hurt by him in school (regarding sex), and jumps right into bed with him the first night out in the wild. But we’ll see how it ends. I finished my listen of Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Dresden #4) and I’m now listening to Death Masks (#5). Have I mentioned how much I absolutely love Harry Dresden?

News From Tori:  It’s been a slow week for me. I admit I am having some serious Romantic Times Convention envy. *sigh* But, I have made the decision I will be attending next year’s convention in Kansas City. I have conferred with Mandi and we are going. YEA!!!!  After I finished The Duke’s Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley a few weeks ago, I found myself re reading The Madness Of Lord Ian MacKenzie. Still remains my all time favorite in her Highland Pleasures series. *happy sigh* Michelle Sagara tops my fantasy author list. Her adult series is fantastic and I recommend it to everyone. She has written a YA, Silence, that speaks with her lyrical prose and I found myself just as taken here as I am in her adult series. Review to come. Even though Jocelynn Drake has ended her Nightwalker series, she was nice enough to publish a small novella that gives treats us to a look in Mira’s past. Very enjoyable for new and old fans alike. I finished Rachel Gibson’s Crazy On You and was disappointed it was not a full length novel. An okay story but the plot and romance moved too fast to make much of an impression. Review to come. I am lucky that Stacey Kennedy loves me so I was able to get an arc of her second in her Frostbite series-Demonically Tempted. A wonderful continuation of this series. Seeing Kipp and Tess made me so happy though Tess was really stressed in this story and it’s evident in her personality. I found myself getting annoyed with her at times. Review to come. Meh. I read Maya Bank’s Sweet Addiction on the advice of a fellow reviewer and I have to say I did not like it at all. It was more porn then romance and I found all three of the protagonists to be flat, unlikeable people. I do enjoy Jill Mansell’s dry British humor and was pleased to see Nadia knows Best on net galley. I would have been even more pleased if I had realized it was a reissue. Review to come. Another blogger recommended, Blooded by Amanda Carlson to me and all I can say is ZOMG! A small novella that sets up the storyline for her full length novel, Full Blooded, that releases in September. Loved the novella and cannot WAIT to read the next release in this new Urban Fantasy. Fans of Briggs and Andrews should like this one.

News From May: In order to focus on books I needed to read (for review), I put Tangle of Need on hold. It’s getting picked back up this evening though. I am so savoring this one!

I read Sophia Nash’s The Art of Duke Hunting (review link above), which was super disappointing. Then I read Nora Robert’s 200^th novel (which releases in a few days) The Witness. Based on recent Roberts offerings, I didn’t expect much – but WOWZA. This was PRIME Nora Roberts stuff y’all! I was super impressed with this one and absolutely adored the intensely smart, big dog owning, computer hacking, gun loving heroine. I need to compose my thoughts for next week’s review here at Smexy, as I’m currently mad at the book for ending. Yeah that’s right. It was 480 or so pages and I wanted MORE.

For now though, I’m diving back into the Psy-Changeling world. (Is the ghost who I think it is?!) Also, going to kick it old school and watch 7 Brides for 7 Brothers this weekend. If you have not watched this classic musical, do immediately. With 7 bearded lumberjack/farmer/woodsmen brothers living together in rugged old west fall in love with 7 ladies… well – it’s not to be missed. I’m grinning just thinking about that movie. Bless her beautiful hide indeed!!