To Beguile a Beast 3rd in the Legend of the Four Soldiers by Elizabeth Hoyt

http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/index.html

This is a Beauty and the Beast story, I'm not sure if I like Beauty and the Beast, maybe I'm just tired of them, because actually one of my favorite french films is La belle et la bête from 1946. I digress.

To Beguile a Beast is the story of Helen (a fallen woman) on the run from her lover, with her two illegitimate children. See, already something different in the heroine department. She arrives at the castle-steps of Alistair (the beast) and tells him he needs a housekeeper, whether he wants one or not. I loved that part.

The romance between the two main characters proceeds at way to fast a pace and so, some of the tension between the two was missing. This had the potential to be really a good love story, but it missed it by just a little. I didn't really buy the possessive ex-lover either, maybe he'll show up in the next book, but I thought this part of the book was a little weak.

What I thought was really strong in the book, was the relationship that developed between Alistair and the two children. It was really quite aw-shucking. However, don't get me started on lemons and his monstrously huge manhood.

In all fairness, this is not a bad book, it's just not a great book either. I do have high hopes for the fourth in the series To Desire a Devil.
Rating:
Sensuality rating: Scorching (even with a lemon)

Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch

http://www.suzanneenoch.com/
All I can say is WOW! Always a Scoundrel, the third in a series by Suzanne Enoch is wonderfully written.

Can't tell you how much I loved this book and everything about it. The characters were well written, even the evil villain. But the best character was Bramwell with Rose along for the ride. The other characters from the previous books show up, but they are needed, they're not just thrown in for a catch up on their lives.

The plot is a standard romance plot: rake meets virgin who is being sacrificed by her horrible family to the bad guy, but this story is really really well written and the standard plot turns into something new. Have I said that this book is well written? I'm so jealous, there was some thought put into this plotting and how things were going to be maneuvered so we could have our HEA. And, you are going to hate her family.

This books is a bit darker than some of her previous books, and I almost didn't recognize the writing. Ms. Enoch seems to have found her voice and I hope it continues in this manner.
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot

The Virgin's Secret by Victoria Alexander

http://www.eclectics.com/victoria/
The Virgin's Secret is the beginning of a new series from Victoria Alexander. There are three brothers, one sister and a mysterious American, so, I'm not sure how many books are in the series. This series is based in the Victorian era, in the world of archeology and treasure hunting.

The story seemed to be more action, adventure suspense than romance and it wasn't the best Victoria Alexander I've ever read. The chemistry between the two characters, Gabriella and Nathanial, picked up later in the book as their escapades increased. I enjoyed reading about Nathanial's family, mainly his two elder brothers. Love guys that lean on fireplaces with a drink in their hand.

There is a mystery in this book that isn't solved by the end of the book, although I think I know who the bad guy is and I'm not goin' tell.
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm

Memoirs of a Scandalous Red Dress by Elizabeth Boyle

http://www.elizabethboyle.com/
I have been following the story of Philippa and Dash since they were introduced in This Rake of Mine, so I believe my expectations were pretty high. I have to say I was a little disappointed in Memoirs of a Scandalous Red Dress.

This story takes place 20 some years after Confessions of a Little Black Gown and its cliffhanger ending. There are two love stories in this book, one told through flashbacks of when Dash and Philippa were young. The young flashbacks fill in the blanks from the other books. The other love story is the reunion between Dash and Philippa, and this is the weak part of the story. I love older characters in books and think there should be more of them, however, there didn’t seem to be any chemistry between the older Dash and Philippa.

Philippa’s life has been fairly easy, while Dash has turned into a mean drunk. Without giving too much away, I don’t think that the loose ends were tied very well in this story.

So, the flashbacks are good, the reunion is lackluster and there is a little bit of another cliffhanger at the end of the book.
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot

Honor's Splendour by Julie Garwood

http://www.juliegarwood.com/
You know, I’ve decided that when I read too many disappointing books in a row, I will need some kind of refresher; much like a wine taster refreshes their mouth after each swig. So, my spit turned out to be Julie Garwood’s Honor’s Splendour, written in 1987 and this book reminded me of why I love romance novels so much. And, why Julie Garwood’s older books are so wonderful.

This is the story of Lady Madelyne and Baron Duncan. Duncan is a typical Garwood hero, he falls hard right away, but it takes a long time for him to figure it out. Lady Madelyne is a Garwood heroine that everyone around her falls in love with, even dogs and horses.

This medieval romance book is filled with wit, humor, adventure, chivalry, villainy and a creepy step-brother. This is an exciting story brimming full of wonderful characters and by the worn condition of my book; I must conclude that I’ve read this book many times before. I’d venture to say that it has even taken a bath with me (it's pages were crinkly, as if a cat might have knocked it into the tub.)

Anyway, it was a good to read an old treasure, and if you’ve never read one of Garwood’s medieval books, this is a excellent choice to start you down the road to obsession.
Rating:
Sensuality Rating:Warm/Hot
P.S. if you've never visited Garwood's website, you should. It has a lot of animation.

Bride of a Wicked Scotsman by Samantha James

http://www.samanthajames.com/
Here we go again! Normally I like Samantha James, but in this case I didn’t. The Bride of a Wicked Scotsman has one of my pet peeves in it.

The heroine Maura, drugs the hero Alec so that they can be found together in bed. Then the next morning they are forced to marry. And then she has the nerve to be upset because he is mad that he was deceived, drugged and humiliated.

And there is a dorky curse. I DNF this book. That means by page 150 I put the book in my pile of finished books. I Did Not Finish this book. I don’t know maybe there eventually would have been some chemistry between the two main characters, but I didn’t want to waste my time finding it.
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Wouldn't know

Tempted at Midnight by Jacquie D'Alessandro

http://www.jacquied.com/index.html

What a great story! And the hero is one of my favorites: the strong rake befuddled by love.

Really, the plot of Tempted at Midnight is secondary to the interaction between the two main characters of Emily and Logan. Emily is secretly writing a female vampire story so she can save her family from financial ruin. Logan is a wealthy man and someone is out to kill him. But that all seems to fade into the background as you watch these two characters get to know each other.

I even chuckled out loud in a couple of spots.

There were some scenes where all of the other characters from previous books showed up, but not enough to distract from Emily and Logan. The characters are mostly honest with each other, both of them are strong willed and believable. The story moves at a fast pace, almost to the point where I think some of the secondary characters get lost. But I loved this couple, they made me laugh.
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Warm/Hot