Marrying Mallory

Author:         Diane Craver

Genre:           Inspirational Romance Novel

Format:        Ebook

Purchase:    Desert Breeze Publishing


From the Publisher: 
Is Mallory Harrington jinxed because her name means luckless? Things have gone wrong for Mallory since she was a small child. All she ever wanted was to have a complete family and live happily ever after. It appears she has it all when she marries Toby Harrington and they have a son. Unfortunately, their marriage ends when Toby has an affair with his law partner. After their divorce, Mallory feels guilt that she couldn't forgive Toby for his affair. As a Christian, she should be able to forgive him for his sin.

Mallory decides to do something for herself, and get a surgical procedure that she's always wanted. What she doesn't expect is her instant attraction to her surgeon.


Sometimes faith is about accepting what can’t be changed and grabbing what God offers her. Life must go on.

My Review: 

This book was a change for me in that it was an inspirtational romance.  The main character, Mallory, is a complicated woman.  She is smart and very devoted to her faith and her family.  At the beginning of the book, Mallory is dealing with feelings of guilt and inadequacy.  She feels like she has failed because her marriage is over.  She acknowledges that her husband cheated on her, but she still feels like she failed because she couldn't forgive him for his infidelity.  She doesn't believe that God would ever want her to have another chance at love or marriage due to her failure.  She also feels inadequate because she believes that her outward beauty is marred because she feels that her nose is too large and that her face is not proportionate.  She finally feels that she has an opportunity to at least fix her outward appearance.

Mallory has 2 very good girlfriends, Elizabeth and Heather, who both tell her that she looks fine and that the blame for her marriage failure is not hers but rather falls at the feet of her ex-husband, Toby. 

Mallory's solution to her physical appearance is to have plastic surgery, to shorten her nose.  She is a teacher by trade and has done her research and selected the surgeon she wants to use and makes an appointment to visit him.  She keeps her plans secret from her son, Josh, and from her ex-husband Toby, who she seems to be on friendly terms with.  The surgeon is Dr. Seth Whitman, who is a well reputed physician and is also a person who shares her Christian faith. 

When Mallory meets Dr. Whitman, she is instantly at ease in his presence and he is attracted to her beauty.  They end up drinking coffee and then she invites him to dinner to set him up with one of her friends.  The more time that Mallory spends in Seth's company, the more comfortable she is with him as a friend.

We finally meet Toby, Mallory's ex, and it soon becomes apparent why the marriage failed.  Toby is an extreemly self centered person and you get the feeling that the indiscretion that he admitted was not his only indiscretion.  You find out later that your feelings that Toby was not trust worthy and didn't appreciate what he had in Mallry, were right from the start.

The question soon becomes will Mallory allow herself to be happy?  Will she recognize that perhaps God wants her to be happy and that she is not destined to spend her life alone.

The secondary characters in this book are very well written, I truly liked Mallory's friends and at some points even liked them more than Mallory, who sometimes was too guilt ridden and sometimes a little bit "preachy".

Eventually Mallory does come to the realization that she can forgive Toby for his indiscretions and betrayal and that God has indeed granted her a second chance at happiness.

Overall, this is a very sweet story and suitable for both the YA and Adult reader.

My Rating:  4 Out of 5 Crowns

The Southern Werewolf Chronicles Book One : Were Love Blooms

Author:         J. Morgan

Genre:          Paranormal Romance (Werewolf)

Format:       E-book

Purchase:  Books on Board    Desert Breeze Publishing

                                                                                                                             

From the Publisher:      Madison Lee thought she'd put her European vacation behind her, until the full moon turned her into a hairy beast. A year later she has come to grip with her new life, now her whole world is blown apart. The man who gave her a night of incredible passion and an uncontrollable urge to howl at the moon shows up in town with his sighs on taking over her family's business.

Hot on his heels a stranger comes to town with more than the rustic scenery on his mind. He's a monster hunter out for Nicholi's blood and just maybe hers if he finds out her not so little secret. How is a Southern Deb supposed to deal with lovers, killers and the biggest Cotillion of the year all at the same time? Madison soon learns Where there's a Were, there's a way and it leads straight to love.

My Review:  This is a very interesting take for a paranormal romance.  The book really focuses more on the romance and less on the paranormal aspects. Yes both the female lead, Madison Lee, and the male lead, Nicholi, shift into wolves, but that is not the main concern for either character.

Madison Lee considers herself a Southern Belle with a capital S.  She comes from a long line of southern women and her family is the her town's leading family.  They own the manufacturing plant in town where a good portion of the populace is employed.  She is more concerned at the beginning of the book with hair on her legs and the dress that she is going to wear to this year's cotillion than about the fact that she has become a werewolf.  She also has her father wrapped around her little finger.

Nicholi has come to America under the premise of purchasing an interest in Madison's family business, however, the reality is that he has really come to pursue Madison.  He hasn't been able to forget her.  Nicholi is a complete Alpha Male to the point that he can't stand for any man to get too close to Madison and when his nemesis, Maxwell, kisses Madison's hand, he has real issues with it that lead to another night of unforgettable passion between he and Madison.

It wouldn't be a paranormal romance if there wasn't something standing in the way of the two love struck leads.  In this case it's a bunch of hunters that have been around for centuries trying to kill off all of the werewolves.  They don't know how many werewolves there are and don't know all of their skills but they do know that Nicholi is a werewolf and has come to town and so they follow him and try to enlist Madison to spy on Nicholi, not realizing that she is a werewolf too.

The book uses alot of humor and there is plenty of sarcasm to be found.  Overall this was a very enjoyable read. 

Rating:  4 out of 5 Crowns                                                                                                                

Promotion at All Romance Ebooks in February

During the month of February, All Romance Ebooks.com is doing a promotion to raise awareness of Heart Disease, the number one killer of women.   All proceeds from the sale of books in the 28 Days of Heart Series will be given to the American Heart Association.

The series consists of novellas in different genres.  The stories cover all the genres, from Gay to Interracial, Paranormal to Historical, Contemporary to Sci Fi. They were generously donated by both best selling and up-and-coming authors from some of your favorite publishers including Kensington, Berkley, Pocket, St. Martin's Press, Ellora's Cave, Cerridwen, Samhain, Total E Bound, Loose Id, Phaze, Liquid Silver, Torquere Press, Siren, Amber Quill and more!


The stories range between 10,000 and 20,000 words, so they are a perfect sweet (or more accurately spicy) Valentine treat. Each includes! a foreword by author Charlaine Harris (of True Blood fame) as a show of support for the charity the stories will benefit. Indulge yourself this year for Valentines Day—enjoy one of each, and know you are helping a worthy cause at the same time.

Set Up In SoHo

Author:         Dee Davis

Genre:           Women's Fiction

Format:        Print

Purchase:    Set Up in SoHo

From the Publisher:  When Andrea Sevalas’ long time boyfriend announces he’s seeing someone else, Andi’s thrown for a loop—well, actually, down a cellar. Head throbbing and nose out of joint, she’s rescued by one of New York’s finest – attorneys that is. Ethan McCay is the Upper East Side heir to the kingdom of Manhattan. But Andi isn’t interested in princes. At least not the uptown variety. She’s a downtown girl with no time for Park Avenue royalty.

So what’s a fairy godmother supposed to do? Well, if she’s Andi’s Aunt Althea (the infamous Manhattan matchmaker) a little manipulation is in order. After all, even Cinderella needed a little prodding to go to the ball. And with a little help from her friends, Althea’s plan goes charmingly – until the clock strikes midnight and the truth is revealed. Certain that she’s been betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Andi runs for the safety of Soho. But matchmakers don’t give up that easily, and with Althea at the helm, Andi will discover that love comes in all kinds of packages, and that sometimes, all it takes to recognize the fact is opening your heart to the possibility.


My Review:  This is the 2nd book in a light romance series by Miss Davis.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, "Match Made On Madison", and this sequel was not a disappointment.  The main character, Andi, is a funny and somewhat troubled young lady who often speaks before she thinks.  This can lead to some embarassing moments for her, but she is clearly loved by her friends and family.  She soon realizes that what she had previously thought was love was wrong.  Both her friends and her aunt set out to show Andi what true love is.  The main male character in this book, Ethan McCay, is an utter delight.  He is smart, good looking and a total Prince Charming. 

I highly recommend this book.

Rating:  4 of 5 Crowns

                                                                                                           

Winter Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel

                                                                                          

Author:        Deborah Cooke

Genre:           Paranormal/Romance/Dragon Shapeshifter

Format:        Print and E-book

Purchase:    Amazon  Borders  B&N  Fictionwise

From the Publisher:  For millennia, the shape-shifting dragon warriors known as the Pyr have commanded the four elements and guarded the earth's treasures. But now the final reckoning between the Pyr and the dreaded slayers is about to begin...

The mysterious Dragon's Blood Elixir gives immortality to Magnus, the Pyr's greatest enemy, and his minions-so it must be destroyed. Outcast from the Pyr because of his own dangerous impulses, Delaney will do anything to vanquish Magnus-and vows to complete a mission which will either redeem him or end his suffering.

But his plans don't take into account his sudden firestorm-or the hot- tempered Ginger Sinclair. The firestorm reforms Delaney closer to his old self. And when Ginger learns about Delaney's scheme, she cannot resist a strong man with a noble agenda.


My Review:   This is the 4th book in the Dragonfire series.  The hero of this book is Delaney Shea, a Pyr who is determined that he is responsible for destroying the "Dragon's Blood Elixer" that is giving extra healing powers to their enemies, the Slayers.  In particular, Delaney feels that it is his duty to destroy the elixer and finally put an end to the existence of the leader of the Slayers, Magnus.  He wasn't counting on the Firestorm interfering with his plans.  He is believes it is his destiny to die once he accomplishes his goals.   He doesn't trust himself.

The heroine and mate in this novel, Ginger Sinclair, runs a small farm in Ohio that she is taking organic.  She is also a chef.  Ginger is small in size but large in heart.   She is also a modern woman who is more than willing to support her man.  She is not willing for Delaney to make the ultimate sacrifice, his life and their future together.  

The leader of the Slayers in book 3 and now book 4 is Magnus.  It is easy to see his evil nature and to want his plans to fail.  His uber confidence in his strength and planned victory, lead him to provide information to Ginger, which helps the Pyr.

I truly enjoyed this book.  It was a little darker than the previous books but there was still plenty of action and some really hot romance. 

I eagerly awaite the release of the 5th book in August 2010 titled "Whisper Kiss".

Rating:  4 of 5 Crowns 

Kiss of Fate: A Dragonfire Novel

Author:        Deborah Cooke

Genre:          Paranormal Romance/Dragon Shapeshifter

Type:            Print and Ebook

Purchase:   Amazon  Fictionwise  Borders  BN

From the Publisher:   For millennia, the shape-shifting dragon warriors known as the Pyr have commanded the four elements and guarded the earth's treasures. But now the final reckoning between the Pyr, who count humans among the earth's treasures, and the Slayers, who would eradicate both humans and the Pyr who protect them, is about to begin.

Haunted by dreams of a lover who takes the form of a dragon, Eileen Grosvenor searches for the truth. She never expects to find a real dragon shape shifter, let alone one who awakens her passion and ignites memories of a forgotten past.

Erik Sorensson is focused on leading the Pyr against the Slayers when a powerful ancient relic reveals itself. Erik tries to retrieve it from Eileen's possession—and is shocked by a fury of passion. Her presence touches him in unexpected ways, reminding him of mistakes he's determined not to make again, and Erik is forced to make a choice—duty or love.

My Review:  This is the third novel in the series by Deborah Cooke and each book improves upon both the storyline and character development.  You really feel the burden that the leader of the Pyr, Erik Sorensson feels as he continues the fight against their enemy, the Slayers. 

There is alot of action and alot of romance in this book.  The theme of re-incarnation is introduced as well in this novel.  The leading female character, Eileen Grosvner, is a completely modern woman and she reflects the understandings and female strength that we have become accustomed to with today's heroes. 

The villans of this series continue to develope as well and you can truly understand why they are the villans.  They are selfish and self-centered to an interesting degree.  More of the myth of dragons continues to develope as well. 

I truly enjoyed this book in the series and will begin to read the following book "Winter Kiss".

My Rating:  4 of 5 Crowns