This week at Smexy…

B+ review – Never a Hero by Marie Sexton (m/m)
B review – The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake (contemporary)
B review – It Had to be You by Jill Shalvis (contemporary)
B- review – Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James (historical)
C+ review – His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey (erotic romantic suspense)
C+ review – Alice’s Wonderland by Allison Dobell (erotic)
C+ review – The Look of Love by Bella Andre (contemporary)
C review – By Design by Jayne Denker (contemporary)
C review – Drawing the Line by Kimberly Kincaid (contemporary)
C review – Freefall by Jill Sorenson (romantic suspense)
D review – Leopard’s Prey by Christine Feehan (paranormal)

Jill Shalvis Picks her Top Five Lucky Harbor Scenes
Smexy’s Top Ten (But not really) May 31

News From Mandi: Due to being in NYC this week, I didn’t get a lot of reading time. I did read It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis, which I reviewed yesterday. You can find the link above. It was cute.

I also read and really enjoyed, Unforgiven by Anne  Calhoun. This releases next week and is a really intense, romance. The hero reunites twelve years later with the woman he was in love with before going to the marines. Though back in his hometown, while he still has passionate feelings for her, he also has an ex-fiance and a best friend who is now marrying this ex-fiance. The heroine is a complex character who yearns to rebuild her family’s legacy but also yearns to get away from South Dakota and live on the water. It’s a really fascinating story. I think Anne Calhoun has one of the best voices in romance right now. Review coming next week.

Tori News: Not much reading this week as I was behind on the actual writing part of reviewing and I got sucked into a Nalini Singh re read in anticipation of the release of Hearts of Obsidian. Squeeee Squeeee Squeeee

Amy Sandas Reckless Viscountis a sweet, romantic regency romance with a strong emotional base. I adored both characters. Review to come.

Heidi Cullinan’s Dirty Laundry. ZOMG. LOVED Denver and Adam. Such a sweet m/m romance with well developed characters. I am looking forward to revisiting Tucker Springs soon.

An Offer He Can’t Refuse by Theresa Regan was a fast read though I had issues with the conflict and the hero. The hero inability to believe what he sees, choosing to believe what he hears, became a huge elephant in the book that refused to go away.

Jeremy Asher’s Across The Creek is a straight romance with a faint religious tone to it. It started out good but by the 50% mark, I wanted to slap the heroine around like a pimp does his hores. Her selfishness killed me as she basically strings two men along, unable to choose and uses them both while batting her eyelashes and crying that she doesn’t mean too.

My Liege Of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair was good,and I was enjoying the story until the punishment scene, at which I dnf’d. I honestly felt the punishment scene was more of a way for Xavier and his friends to get his rocks off then punish Abby. Yes, she had a choice whether to go through with it or not, but was it really a choice? Or just the lesser of two evils. And X’s “I’m so proud of my sub” comment. Why? Because she allowed you to humiliate her in front of everyone and that proves she will indeed do anything you say in order to stay with you? Meh.

Courtney Milan’s What Happened At Midnight was a delightful read. Loved the strength the heroine displayed in the face of all her adversity. A full bodied story in a small package.

I have Tessa Dare’s Any Duchess Will waiting for me, along with Binding The Shadows by Jenn Bennett and the, errrr, few books I bought this morning.