Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone

Title: Seduction & Scandal
Author: Charlotte Featherstone
Series: The Brethren Guardians (book #1)
Next in series: Pride & Passion

My rating: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis: Growing up as the result of a scandalous affair, Isabella Fairmont knows what poverty is and vows never to succumb to the lure of passion. Isabella’s dreams of a proper marriage are thwarted once the enigmatic Earl of Black begins to pursue her. A man with a mysterious past and dangerous secrets, Lord Black is obsessed with Isabella and will do anything to protect her even as he attempts to seduce her.

Review: An immensely entertaining read.

The intricate plot revolving around sacred Templar relics and a mysterious adversary seeking power and immortality is extremely compelling. The elements of masonic lodges, séances in cemeteries, secret messages and Death as a Byronesque hero may be somewhat melodramatic but ultimately contribute to the dark and Gothic atmosphere of the story.

The writing is well-paced and easy to follow through the twists and turns of the story. My one small nitpick is that the excerpts from Isabella’s journal are distracting and do not really contribute to Lord Black’s characterization or his developing relationship with Isabella.

Lord Black is simply incredible - dark, brooding and so sexy – he fulfills every one of my tortured hero criteria. Isabella is a sweet heroine and while she does struggle with her feelings for Black, she never allows him to dominate her. Unfortunately, her characterization is not always inconsistent (she is supposedly a sturdy Yorkshire lass but suffers from debilitating headaches and swoons from fright). Black and Isabella have a sizzling chemistry and the seductions scenes are wonderfully sensual and steamy.

The secondary characters are also well developed with their own distinct motivations and personalities. The undercurrents of tension in the relationships of Adrian & Lucy and Iain & Elizabeth, are particularly intriguing and will apparently be explored in future installments.

Even though Black and Isabella's story is resolved satisfactorily in this book, readers are left with numerous unanswered questions regarding the conspiracy subplot. The author promises to address these in the sequel, and I look forward to finding out what happens in the rest of the series.

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Standing in the Shadows by Shannon McKenna

Title: Standing in the Shadows
Author: Shannon McKenna
Series: McCloud Brothers (book #2)
Previous in series: Behind Closed Doors

Next in series: Out of Control

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Former FBI agent, Connor McCloud has been in love with Erin Riggs for years. Unfortunately, he is responsible for putting Erin’s corrupt father in prison and knows that he can never have her. Now an enemy from their past has returned and Connor must put his feelings aside in order to protect Erin from a devious killer bent on revenge…

Review: Standing in the Shadows is closely related to the first book in the series, Behind Closed Doors, so it is important to read the books in order for the backstory to make sense.

The buildup to Erin and Connor’s relationship is sexy and intense. Their doubts and insecurities about each other contribute to their unfolding chemistry. However, they seem to lose momentum once they get together and their connection is reduced to little more than steamy sex. Thankfully, the story picks up again in the last few chapters and they turn out to be a lovely couple.

Connor is a typical alpha male with the need to dominate (even though he does have his sensitive moments). He can be overbearing at times but Erin has a definite backbone and is quite capable of putting him in his place, which leads to some explosive encounters.

The plot is clever and the climax of the story plays out well and has some exhilarating moments. There are, however, some illogical circumstances and points that are not followed through. For example, Novak tries to undermine Barbara Riggs’s sanity but no one seems to realize that he is doing the same to Connor. In addition, Connor asks Seth to check up on Mrs. Riggs’s television but the latter never puts in an appearance.

The secondary characters are interesting and well developed from the seriously disturbed yet ingenious villain and his female sidekick (who turns out to be the most compelling character of all) to the geeky boy in love with Erin’s sister.  

Overall, this book is an improvement on the first but it is not the best example of the romantic suspense genre. Nevertheless, I’m curious enough about the secondary cast to continue reading the series.  

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Running Scared by Shannon K. Butcher

Title: Running Scared

Author: Shannon K. Butcher
Series: The Sentinel Wars (book #3)

Previous in series: Finding the Lost

Next in series: Living Nightmare

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: Lexi Johns has been raised to believe that the Sentinel Warriors are a dangerous threat and will do anything to rescue her best friend from them. Zach is a Sentinel with only one goal: to convince Lexi that her destiny is intertwined with his and that she is the only one with the ability to channel the power that can destroy him.

Review: Intricate and detailed world building combined with an intense plot that contains one or two shocking revelations and some spine tingling moments. One of the best aspects of this series is that the female characters play an important role in the battle against evil. They are not merely damsels in distress in need of rescue.

Zach and Lexi’s romance is fantastic and their relationship builds and grows on every page. Lexi’s intentions are pure but she is a little naïve regarding the consequences of her actions. Moreover, her trust issues make it difficult to let others in and she struggles not only with attraction to Zach but also with the growing awareness that her entire belief system has been based on lies. Zach is an admirable hero with infinite patience and acceptance of Lexi’s distrust.

The story is a complex amalgamation of several subplots including Lexi’s strategy for rescuing Helen, the Sanguinars’ secret plans to save their people, a spy within the Sentinel compound, and a race of princely beings who have been visiting earth, not to mention the monstrous Synestryn who have their own agenda for the planet. Some of these are resolved in this book and others will have to wait for subsequent installments.  

There are numerous secondary characters but all are well-developed and interesting. The most compelling are Madoc and Nika whose intense connection is just spellbinding and I can’t wait to read their book next.  

The Sentinel Wars is an engrossing series. It is, however, necessary to read the books in order otherwise it is virtually impossible to understand what is going on in the overall story arc.

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Don't Tell by Karen Rose

Title: Don’t Tell

Author: Karen Rose
Series: Romantic Suspense Series (book #1)
Next in series: Have You Seen Her?

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: The victim of horrendous abuse at the hands of her police officer husband, Gracie Winters saved her own life and that of her young son by staging their deaths. Nine years later, Gracie has reinvented herself as Caroline Stewart and is on the verge of falling in love and trusting a man again. But Caroline’s past is about to catch up with her and the threat could cost not only her newfound relationship but her very life.

Review: The suspense is excellent and makes this a worthwhile read. However, the romance is a little bland and the primary characters can be aggravating at times.

Rose does an incredible job imparting the feelings of terror, anguish and shame associated with domestic abuse. While the scenes are brutally realistic and difficult to read about, they grab the reader by the throat and make it easy to empathize with the heroine and her amazing courage and determination. They also emphasize the danger posed by the villain, who is enough to make your skin crawl.

In general, Max and Caroline are likeable characters with good chemistry but they also tended to rub me the wrong way. Max is too quick to anger and wallow in self-pity, and Caroline tends to jump to conclusions. Moreover, their arguments become tedious after a while and contribute nothing to their relationship. The secondary characters are far more engaging, especially Max’s brother, Caroline best friend and the agent investigating the case. All of these characters have books of their own in the series and I look forward to reading their stories.

Rose’s writing is fast-paced and compelling, and the action sequence at the end is exciting. The plot of is reminiscent of the film Sleeping with the Enemy with Julia Roberts. So if you are a fan of the movie you will definitely enjoy this book.

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The Third Circle by Amanda Quick

Title: The Third Circle

Author: Amanda Quick
Series: Arcane Society (book #4)

Previous in series: Sizzle & Burn
Next in series: Running Hot
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

My Synopsis: After stumbling across a corpse, Leona Hewitt and Thaddeus Ware discover that they are both seeking the same paranormal artifact – the Aurora Crystal. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones and must soon work together in order to thwart the machinations of a crazed scientist, a monstrous serial killer and a power hungry aristocrat.

My Review: In general, the premise behind the Arcane Society series is intriguing and the books are light and entertaining. Nevertheless, I find myself enjoying the contemporary installments more than the historical.

Leona is a spirited and independent heroine and Thaddeus is a lonely and semi-tortured hero. Unfortunately, their romance is subdued and had very little development beyond the fact that they meet and feel they share a profound connection. Moreover, Amanda Quick’s signature wit and banter is also missing from their relationship.

The suspense plot is unremarkable and even mundane. There are a few tense moments, such as Thaddeus’s encounter with the serial killer and Leona’s abduction, but these ultimately fizzle out. The only interesting aspects revolve around the additional information provided on the Jones family history and the establishment of organizations that appear in the contemporary books in the series.

Overall, The Third Circle is a relatively satisfying read especially for those who are working their way through the series. Hopefully, the next installment will be more substantial.

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