FRANCY'S BOOKCASE - LETTURE RECENTI, LIBRI INTERESSANTI E KEEPERS NELLA MIA LIBRERIA

Questa è la mia libreria virtuale in cui troverete tutte le mie ultime letture romance, per lo più in lingua originale, accompagnate da sinossi e  giudizio di lettura.

Date un'occhiata fra i miei libri, forse potrete scoprire dei suggerimenti per trovare quello che fa per voi! BUONE LETTURE!

LEGENDA MIEI GIUDIZI

**INDIMENTICABILE** : Perfetto per il genere, più che preferito : un godimento assoluto ogni volta che lo leggo.  Raccomando al 100%

5 : BELLISSIMO! MIO PREFERITO.
Ogni elemento concorre all’ eccellente risultato finale. Impossibile dimenticarlo Caldamente raccomandato.

4½ : BELLO! Soddisfacente sotto pressochè tutti i punti di vista. 

4 : INTERESSANTE. Ben scritto, avvincente anche se ne non travolgente. 

3½ : DISCRETO. Forse non perfetto o innovativo, ma discretamente coinvolgente.

3 : Così Così . C’è di meglio, ma si arriva abbastanza facilmente alla fine.

2 : Uhmm..che fatica arrivare alla fine! Leggetelo a vostro rischio e pericolo.

1 : Lasciate perdere! E' brutto e/o mal scritto. Cestinato senza appello!

*NOTA: I giudizi non compresi in questa legenda essenziale, come quelli con + o -  oppure i voti tra uno e l'altro ./. corrispodono in buona parte a quelli qui sopra, ma con una sfumatura di giudizio in più o in men0  rispetto a questi .

 LA MIA BOOKCASE IN UNO SGUARDO

HO LETTO...

2012
 

SWEET REWARD (2011) di Christi Reece- #9 serie Last Chance Rescue

Genere: Romantic Suspense - Mio Giudizio: 5*

La mia scoperta  di questa autrice è recentissima e anche di questa serie. Ho iniziato al contrario, dall'ultimo romanzo( e sembra definitivo) e gli agganci con personaggi e storie precedentio non sono tantissimi ( la voglia di scoprire di più su di loro però adesso c'è!) perciò il romanzo si può leggere senza aver letto i precenti. E' una bella storia d'amore, molto focalizzata sul rapporto tra i due personaggi in cui l'elemento suspense c'è ma è giusto strumentale allo svilupparsi della relazione  tra un uomo che,per la sua storia personale, pensa di non riuscire ad avere rapporti stretti con le persone e funzionare solo come bravo ' operativo' nel suo lavoro e una donna dolcissima e allo stesso tempo tostissima, come lui segnata dalla vita, ma proprio per quello decisa ad assaporare ogni momento come se fosse l'ultimo.  Un incontro fra opposti che porta ad un'esplosione di sentimenti a lungo repressi  da ambo le parti  e a cui nessuno dei due potrà sfuggire,alla fine. Proprio il tipo di storia che piace a me , con il tipo di personaggi che prediligo! Decisamente un keeper!

Adrenaline junkie Jared Livingston has found the perfect blend of exhilaration and danger in his new job at Last Chance Rescue. Raised to depend only on himself, Jared tried marriage, but the end of the relationship renewed his belief that he was meant to be a loner. Now a desperate plea from his ex-wife puts Jared in the unique position of using the skills she despised to rescue her missing daughter. The case brings Jared face-to-face with Mia Ryker, the only agent ever fired from LCR—for playing too far outside the box. Now Mia’s back, and as a team, they’re as compatible as fuel and fire—blowing off tension in each other’s arms, blowing open the secret life of a wealthy philanthropist and his shameful dealings. Their search for the innocent child takes them to places neither have been before—to the edge of danger and to the edge of their hearts.

 
 THE TEMPORARY WIFE (1997) di Mary Balogh 

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4

Un regency d'annata, uno di quelli preferiti dalle fans delal Balogh. E' il classico plot del matrimonio d'interesse che dovrebbe portare i due protagonisti insieme per poco e separati per sempre, con il benestare di entrambi i contraenti, e che invece, come da tradizione, si rivela un unione dove nessuno dei due alla fine riuscirà a dire addio, perchè l'Amore ci mette sempre lo zampino.E' una storia romantica e molto piacevole da leggere, ma non perfetta e certamente non quella della Balogh che preferisco. Quanto al matrimonio d'interesse, quello della Linden in What A Gentleman Wants (vedi sotto) mi ha intrigato di più.

In The Temporary Wife, Anthony Earheart, Marquess of Staunton, has just been summoned home by his very autocratic father, the Duke of Withingsby, to marry the bride chosen for him many years ago. But Anthony has been bitterly estranged from his father and his whole family for eight years and decides to respond on his own terms. Rather than ignore his father's summons or simply refuse to marry the girl chosen for him, he decides to take home a bride who will horrify his father's exacting standards. And so he sets out to find a plain, impoverished brown mouse of a woman, and the best way to do it is to advertise for a governess. His plan is to marry her, flaunt her before his father, and then pension her off for the rest of both their lives.

Charity Duncan is desperate. She has lost yet another job through her outspokenness, leaving all the burden of supporting their younger brothers and sisters and paying back their late father's debts on her brother's shoulders. Her brother wants her to go home to the children in the country and let him look after them all, but she is determined to find another job if she can. When she is summoned for an interview by Mr. Earheart, she puts on her best face, determined not to appear too bold. If she needs to appear to be a timid brown mouse in order to get employment, then a brown mouse she will be.

 

HEATING UP THE HOLIDAYS(2008) di Jill Shalvis, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Jamie Sobrato (antologia  novelle)

Genere: Contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 3½

Antologia di racconti natalizi con pompieri come protagonisti, che personalmente trovo eroi romantici piuttosto intriganti, dotati di coraggio, dedizione al loro lavoro e ...fisici niente male! E' una lettura leggera adatta alle feste natalizie. Quello di Jacquie D'Alessandro è il racconto che mi è piaciuto di più e vorrei leggere qualcos'altro di suo di contemporaneo.

"All He Wants for Christmas" by Jill Shalvis
Christina Lewis is one tough firefighter though EMT Dustin Mauer knows she also has a soft inside she doesn't let anyone see. The problem is that Dustin doesn't want to be just another notch on her bedpost, he wants the whole package. But, will Cristina realize what she has, if she is willing to let go of her fears?

"My Grown-Up Christmas List" by Jacquie D'Alessandro
Toni Rizzo is reinventing herself. She has opened her own floral shop and she no longer wants anything to do with firemen, sexy or not. But, Brad Griffin is stunned by his initial reaction to meeting Toni and wants to get to know her better. He is convinced he is just the man for her. But, can Toni let past issues go to laugh and love with sexy Brad?

"Up on the Housetop" by Jamie Sobrato

Dr. Lorelei Gibson has never been able to forget or forgive Ryan for taking her heart the night he took her virginity. Now years later Ryan wants to make amends for his past, and is trying to do anything to get Dr. Lorelei to see that he has changed. Is she willing to try again?

ICEBREAKER (2011) di Deirdre Martin - #9 New York Blades series

Genere: Contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 4 

Avevo letto i libri iniziali di questa serie della Martin su i giocatori di Hockey di una squadra di New York  e mi avevano divertito. Questo non è da meno e le scintille fra i due rendono l'atmosfera bella elettrica. Voglio andarmene a leggere anche altri, questi giocatori di Hockey hanno un non so che...

Good thing high-powered attorney Sinead O' Brien has a rule about never dating clients. Because Adam Perry, the newest star of the New York Blades-and her newest client-has her headed for the penalty box. If only she could prove he's just another jock...

Adam's been charged with assault after a borderline hit on another star player, but off the ice he's a private, no-nonsense guy who knows the Blades are his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Assembling her case, Sinead tries not to get distracted by Adam's dazzling good looks or strong work ethic, but she quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that jersey, and she's starting to fall for him-hard.

Now Adam's having trouble focusing on the goal with Sinead in his sights. And Sinead is tempted to break her 'no dating clients' rule. Can they play on their newfound feelings without penalties?

 A TEXAS CHRISTMAS (2011) di AA.VV fra cui Jody Thomas

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: 3/4

Questo romanzo mi è stato regalato dalla cara Viv per Natale e ho molto apprezzato la scelta. Come spesso accade nelle antologie, alcuni racconti, come quello della Thomas, sono piuttosto interessanti, altri un po' meno. Forse non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto un filo ( e anche più di un filo) di sensualità in più, qui però il focus è spostato su gli aspetti 'spirituali' del Natale piuttosto che sul versante erotico. Piacevole, comuque. E una gran bella copertina!

In the Texas Panhandle, the winters are long, the storms fierce--and the Yuletide nights are sizzling. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas along with Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda and DeWanna Pace, bring you one tempting holiday delight. . .
On the eve before Christmas a blizzard arrived, transforming a small Texas town into a night to remember. Four ladies desperately in need of saving, four hard-ridin' cowboys who aim to please. . . When a lone farmer strides to a pretty store owner's rescue, their deepest wishes just might come true. . . A brave heiress can't believe a rugged angel is riding out of the night to save her and her fellow train passengers--until she gets him under the mistletoe. . . A quiet loner wants to help a stranded widow have a holiday to remember. . . And a female saloon owner tired of being scorned by respectable folk gets some very naughty help from a handsome greenhorn. . .

2011

 

 WHAT A GENTLEMAN WANTS (2006) di Caroline Linden - # 1  Reece Family Trilogy 

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 5*

* Di questo romanzo è uscita la traduzione  italiana : "Una moglie in arrivo" - coll. IRM Classic di Mondadori , nr.967*

Perchè mi ci sia voluto tanto a scoprire questa autrice è un mistero.   Adesso cercherò di recuperare leggendo i restanti romanzi di questa trilogia che, se sono al livello di  questo, di certo promettono molto bene. AAR ha dato a questo libro solo un misero C- ; questo la dice lunga sul fatto che le recensioni vanno prese sempre con cautela e che non ci si deve mai limitare a una soltanto, pena perdere romanzi belli come questo. E infatti io ho considerato anche la recensioen di DA che gli dà B. La storia si basa sul tipico un matrimonio di conveninenza, niente di nuovo sotto il sole, sebbene l'incontro scontro tra i protagonistio costretti ad accettare di unirsi in matrimonio più per il bene altrui che per il proprio è tratteggiato con le giuste sfumature di disprezzo/involontaria attrazione da dare vita a belle pagine di duello verbale e scontro di personalità. Quello che ha trasformato un piacevole romanzo di genere in un keeper però,  in questo caso, è l'abilità con cui l'autrice ha saputo tenere alta la tensione sensuale fra i due fino ben oltre la metà del romanzo, dove la scena clou è probabilmente una delle 'scene di sesso' più sensuli che io abbia mai letto. L'ultima parte del romanzo è un po' rovinata da un forzato elemento suspense di cui si poteva  fare volentieri a meno. Ma il resto, personaggi di contorno compresi, è regency romance di ottimo livello.Davvero una piacevolissima scoperta.

 Marcus Reese, Duke of Essex, has spent most of his life pulling his twin brother out of trouble. An occasional thank you would suffice; instead, his resentful sibling forges his name to a marriage license and presents him with an unwanted wife. She's a vicar's window with a mind of her own who may be the first person in Marcus's well-ordered life to make him feel...completely out of control. Hannah can't help but curse her own idiocy. Dire straits have led her to the altar with a gentleman she hardly knows. Played for a fool, she's embarrassed, furious, and worse, married to an equally outraged stranger - an exasperating man who unleashes all manner of emotions in Hannah, not to mention unwanted desire. Reluctantly, she agrees to play the wife until he can sort out the mess. But the nearness of the undeniably attractive Duke and the passion in his black eyes unsettles her well-guarded heart - making her want to do so much more than "act" the role of blissful bride...

SHAMELESS (2011) di Anne Stuart - # 4 House of Rohan 

Genere: Storico (Vittoriano) - Mio Giudizio: 4½

* Di questo romanzo è uscita la traduzione italiana : "Sensuale tentazione" - coll. IGRS di Harlequin , nr.153*

Avendo io una total addiction per i romanzi di questa autrice, non può che farmi piacere che l'iniziale trilogia dedicata al 'notorious' casato di Rohan sia diventata una serie vera  e propria che arriverà almeno sicuramente al 5° capitolo.La struttura portante dei romanzi storici della Stuart almeno da punto di vista delle caratterizzazioni tende a essere spesso sempre uguale a se stessa, questo romanzo conferma la regola e per molte questo è un grosso limite. Lo sarebbe anche per me, forse, in mano ad un'altra autrice. Ma la prosa della Stuart sa schiacciare così bene i miei tasti del piacere, che raramente riesco a lamentarmi di un suo romanzo. E lo scambio verbale tra questi protagonisti è assolutamente fantastico. Perciò davanti a una lettura divertente che si legge liscia come l'olio come la sua il mio spirito critico abbassa le armi. Difficile annoiarsi  leggendo un suo romanzo!

A long string of tragic loves haunts Viscount Benedick Francis Alistair Rohan. Cool and cynical, he's weary of life's fickle games and wants a prim and proper wife he can ignore while indulging his sensual appetites.

Lady Melisande Carstairs is nothing less than a tornado storming into Benedick's measured life. Possessed of boundless energy and the soul of a reformer, Melisande always conquers, whether it's saving the souls of soiled doves or seducing the man she's inconveniently fallen for. When she informs Benedick that his brother's newly revived Heavenly Host has graduated from simple carnal debauchery to sadistic violence, he's compelled to investigate, undercover. Under those covers, however, is Melisande herself, playing a dangerous game in the name of justice.

And the Heavenly Host has just seen her hand, and more.

 

CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOR (2010) di Lisa Kleypas - #1 Friday Harbor series

Genere: Contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 4

Gradevole contemporaneo senza grossse pretese ma con una buona caratterizzazione. La Kleypas nei conetemporanei a volte mi piace di più che negli storici. E la vita della piccola città con tutti i suoi abitanti è sempre interessante da leggere al di là della trama principale del romanzo. Adesso aspetto la storia del fratello del protagonista che uscirà a febbraio.

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (2010) di Lisa Kleypas - #5 Hathaway series

Genere: Storico (Vittoriano) - Mio Giudizio: 4 ½

E' il primo remanzo che leggo di questa serie della Kleypas e penso che se gli altri sono a questo livello...li leggerò tutti d'un fiato! Questa è la storia di Beatrix, la piccola di casa Hathaway, a cui piace stare nella natura e fra gli animali. Un'eroina diversa dal solito, con un lato solo apparentemente fanciullesco che si rivela però decisamente maturo,saggio e anche fermo quando sarà il caso di aiutare l'uomo che ama, Christopher Philean, scampato non senza ferite, soprattutto psicologiche a una terribile guerra. Da uno scambio di corrispondenza della quale Beatrix non doveva essere la destinataria, si snoda una storia ricca di sfumature: dolce, divertente  e commovente. Una bella storia, insomma che miha tenuta inchiodata allo schermo del mio Kidle fino alle tre dimattina e che, solo per alcuni sviluppi a tratti non del tutto convincenti della trama, non si merita un 5 pieno. Christopher e Beatrix sono comunque una coppia che rimane nel cuore e questo libro è un keeper per me.

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted...and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man--just to avoid spinsterhood?
Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul--and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep...and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love--and a passion that can't be denied...

 

 HEARTBREAK CREEK (2011) di Kaki Warner - #1 Runaway Brides trilogy

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: 4

Le atmosfere western cerate da questa autrice sono suggestive e il suo stile è raffinato. Qualche situazione presente in questo libro ricorda quelle dei romanzi passati e un filo di erotismo in più non guasterebbe. Il che detto da me è tutto dire, ma in questo caso il livello si sensualità è davvero da romanzo di vecchio stampo, un sforzo in questo senso darebbe maggiore carattere a un libro che è comunque curato e molto piacevole da leggere. Leggerò senz'altro anche gli altri.

Edwina Ladoux hoped becoming a mail-order bride would be her way out of the war- torn South and into a better life, but as soon as she arrives in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, and meets her hulking, taciturn groom, she realizes she’s made a terrible mistake.
Declan Brodie already had one flighty wife who ran off with a gambler before being killed by Indians. He’s hoping this new one will be a practical, sturdy farm woman who can help with chores and corral his four rambunctious children. Instead, he gets a skinny Southern princess who doesn’t even know how to cook.
Luckily, Edwina and Declan agreed on a three-month courtship period, which should give them time to get the proxy marriage annulled. Except that as the weeks pass, thoughts of annulment turn into hopes for a real marriage-until Declan’s first wife returns after being held captive for the last four years. Now an honorable man must choose between duty and desire, and a woman who’s never had to fight for anything must do battle for the family she’s grown to love…

WYOMING TOUGH (2011) di Diam Palmer - #1 Wyoming Men miniseries

Genere: Contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 3 ½

C'è un  giudizio comune che gira nei siti di rieviews sui romanzi di Diane Palmer e cioè che sebbene il suo stile di scrittura non sia dei migliori, i suoi personaggi siano spesso simili gli uni agli altri e lesue  storie presentino situazioni alquanto improbabili...si tratta comunque di romanzi che non si può fare a meno di leggere perchè divertono! E io non posso che associarmi a questo giudizio. Con una considerazione in più che riguarda questo libro. La prima parte è davvero carina e si legge d'un fiato, mentre la seconda parte sembra scritta da qualcun altro, alcuni personaggi ( fra cui il cattivo della situazione) cambiano quasi faccia e certe trovate per arrivare a tirare tutte le fila del racconto sono quasi ridicole. Eppure, mi è piaciuto il fatto che la Palmer abbia deciso di presentare un eroe 'non bello' che però conquista la protagonista, fin troppo abituata a bellocci fatui, con la sua personalità e il suo carisma. Una lettura tutto sommato simpatica,senza pretese,dove spicca il protagonista e i suoi due fratelli (eroi dei prossimi romanzi della miniserie)...perchè i cowboy moderni sono a mio parere alla stregua dei SEALs come fascino...e se poi oltre ad essere cowboys sono anche ex marine o ex corpi speciali ( come in questo caso il protagonista e i suoi fratelli), possono essere davvero irresistibili!

A cowboy through and through, ranch owner Mallory Kirk knows what it means to put in a full day's work. But does his new cowgirl? He has his doubts that Morie Brannt will be able to pull her own weight, even if the petite young woman does seem to have a lot of spirit.
As they spar over events at the ranch and a past that threatens their hopes for the future, sparks begin to fly, and Mallory can't help but notice Morie in a new light. But is this tough Wyoming man ready to love?
 

BRING ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (2011) di Robyn Carr - #16 Virgin Riverl 

Genere: Contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 3 ½

Piacevole racconto a sfondo natalizio in una piccola città fra le montagne dove tutti si conoscono e si aiutano che ai nuovi arrivati sembra diprimo acchito poco più che un luogo di villeggiatura, neanche particolarmente attraente. Ma Virgin River è un paese speciale (soprattutto la sua gente) dove molti nuovi arrivati alla fine  trovano l'amore e...si fermano per sempre. La parte del romanzo che riguarda i rapporti tra i vari personaggi/abitanti di Virgin River (chiaramente protagonisti dei romanzi precedenti) è la migliore. L astoria d'amore invece è davvero poca cosa, i protagonisti sono abbastanza piatti e il tutto poteva esaurirsi in molte meno pagine. Ma a chi ha letto gli altri romanzi della serie  forse piacerà sapere qual è il detino 'amoroso' di Denny Cutler, ex marine, arrivato in paese credendo di essere figlo naturale di Jack Sheridan, proprietario del bar del paese attorno a cui ruotano tutte le vicende della serie che è edita anche in italiano da Harlequin (la trovate QUI).

This year, Becca Timm knows the number one item on her Christmas wish list: getting over Denny Cutler. Three years ago Denny broke her heart before heading off to war. It’s time she got over her silly college relationship and moved on.So she takes matters into her own hands and heads up to Virgin River, the rugged little mountain town that Denny calls home, as an uninvited guest on her brother’s men-only hunting weekend. But when an accident turns her impromptu visit into an extended stay, Becca finds herself stranded in Virgin River. With Denny. In very close quarters.

As the power of Christmas envelops the little town, Becca discovers that the boy she once loved has become a strong and confident man. An the most delicious Christmas present she can imagine.

 

IN FOR A PENNY(2010) di Rose Lerner 

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4 ½

Una nuova autrice che sono contentissima di aver scoperto perchè riesce a rendere i personaggi Regency vivi, vivaci, carne e sangue, anche quando si tratta di compassati membri del ton. In questo caso l'incontro di un nobile con bisogno impellente di fondi e di una Cit, una commener figlia di un produttore di birra, di umili natali ma di grande ricchezza  trasforma la tradizionale trama del matrimonio di convenienza  in una vivace commedia che non manca a tratti di arricchirsi di sfumature drammatiche che danno una ulteriore sfaccettatura a un romanzo che è davvero un gioiellino del genere. Davvero una piacevolissima lettura che ha solo il neo di voler forse mettere un po' troppa carne al fuoco a livello di trama, ma il ritmo è sostenuto e lo stile e la caratterizzazione dei personaggi molto interessante. E sorprende non poco trovare all'interno di un Regency che per molti aspetti ricorda quelli tradizionali , scene di passione decisamente hot hot (poche ma...intense!). Un'autrice decisamente da tenere d'occhio.

IN FOR A PENNY
No more drinking. No more gambling. And definitely no more mistress. Now that he's inherited a mountain of debts and responsibility, Lord Nevinstoke has no choice but to start acting respectable. Especially if he wants to find a wife-better yet, a rich wife. Penelope Brown, a manufacturing heiress, seems the perfect choice. She's pretty, rational, ladylike, and looking for a marriage based on companionship and mutual esteem.
IN FOR A POUND
But when they actually get to Nev's family estate, all the respectability and reason in the world won't be enough to deal with tenants on the edge of revolt, a menacing neighbor, and Nev's family's propensity for scandal. Overwhelmed but determined to set things right, Nev and Penelope have no one to turn to but each other. And to their surprise, that just might be enough.

PREY (2011) di Linda Howard  

Genere: Romantic Suspense - Mio Giudizio: 4 ½

Questo romanzo lascerà forse un po' insoddisfatte le amanti dei romanzi della Howard dove la parte Thriller la fa da padrona rispetto al romance, perchè qui invece è completamente l'opposto, la situazione drammatica porta ad avvicinarsi e a scoprire i propri sentimenti due persone che pensano di detestarsi...e come al solito...chi disprezza,compra! Sì, ammetto  che la parte suspense, orso ferocissimo compreso, è proprio solo un pretesto, ma in questo caso e per fortuna in questo caso perchè la parte dove Angie e Dare hanno l'occasione di conoscersi sono fantastiche con battute super. Non ho dato il massimo solo perchè a mio avviso la trama poteva avere uno sviluppo maggiore e i personaggi maggiore rotondità...ma anche così questo per me è un keeper!

Thirty-two-year-old Angie Powell has always spoken her mind, but in the presence of Dare Callahan she nurses a simmering rage. After all, why give Dare the satisfaction of knowing he can push her buttons and push her to the edge?Three years ago, Dare returned home to rural western Montana and opened a hunting business to rival Angie’s. Complicating matters is the fact that Dare has asked Angie out (not once but twice) and has given her a gift of butterflies in the process. Angie has no patience for butterflies. They only lead to foolish decisions. And now the infuriatingly handsome Iraq war vet has siphoned away Angie’s livelihood, forcing her to close up shop. Before Angie is to leave town, she organizes one last trip into the wilderness with a client and his guest, who wants to bag a black bear. But the adrenaline-fueled adventure turns deadly when Angie witnesses a cold-blooded murder and finds herself on the wrong side of a loaded gun. Before the killer can tie up this attractive loose end, a bear comes crashing through the woods—changing the dark game completely. Luckily, Dare is camping nearby...

WICKED SEDUCTION(2011) di Jade Lee  

Genere: Storico ( Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4+

Un eroe tormentato da un'orribile esperienza passata , un'eroina costretta a scegliere fra amore e  necessità e un amore che appassiona per la sua 'realtà'. Un'autrice che non conoscevo ma che non mancherò di considerare per prossime letture..

After seven years of battling for survival on a pirate ship, Kit Frazier returns to England to right a wrong and make peace with what he lost. But once in London, he finds himself unexpectedly at sea, caught in his swirling attraction to the beguiling and elusive Maddy. 

A WOMAN DETERMINED TO BE FREE... 

Maddy will do anything to escape the desperate circumstances of her life, and helping her cousin Rose catch the man of her dreams seems an easy enough task--until Maddy meets the handsome pirate captain Kit. The dashing rogue has only two purposes: to rescue the boy in his care and to seduce Maddy into his bed. 

A LOVE WITHOUT END 

With each heated encounter, Kit pulls Maddy off her stated course. But when treachery threatens them all, she will have to choose between a respectable future and wicked, wonderful seduction. 

FIRE AND ICE (2008) di Anne Stuart - #5 ICE series 

Genere: Romantic Suspense- Mio Giudizio: 5*

RILETTURA:Questo romanzo lascia con il fiato sospeso dall'inizio alla fine e la location, Tokio, così come il protagonista,Reno, mezzo giapponese con il look punk e un' attitude che è tutta un programma è sempre intrigante anche dopo molte riletture. Come tutti i romanzi di questa serie d'altra parte!

Brilliant and beautiful Jilly Lovitz goes to Japan ostensibly to study Japanese art and to visit her sister, Summer, and brother-in-law, Taka, who are mobbed up to the eyeballs. What she's really there for is to reconnect with dashing tattoo-laden yakuza thug Reno, Taka's cousin. Unfortunately, her arrival coincides with Russian mercenaries hunting for Summer and Taka. Bound by an attraction he cannot explain, as well as family honor, Reno goes to rescue Jilly from Russians looking for her sister, with a complex, countrywide chase resulting. Reno is charismatic and infuriating; Jilly manages to be both strong and vulnerable—and oddly believable as a 20-year-old California virgin genius. The plot moves at a breakneck pace, never letting up on the sexual or criminal tension. Stuart handles the action well and sprinkles Japanese custom and language vividly throughout. 

SINFUL(2010) di Charlotte Featherstone  

Genere: Storico (Vittoriano) - Mio Giudizio: 4+

Questo è un romance erotico con una storia che non tratta solo di amplessi ma anche un plot plausibile e piuttosto interessante. E le scene d'amore, nonostante il linguaggio 'diretto' sono sensuali e romantiche al punto giusto. Non mi è davvero dispiaciuto ,anche se forse la trama poteva esssere più ricca dal punto di vista della introspezione dei protagonisti e degli avvenimenti. Terrò comunque d'occhio quest'autrice che per me è una scoperta.

Copertina davvero...suggestiva!;o)

In Victorian England vice of every kind can be purchased, and Matthew, the Earl of Wallingford, makes certain he avails himself of every possible pleasure. Bored and jaded, he is as well known for his coldness as for his licentious affairs with beautiful women.
While these numerous daliances fulfill Matthew's every physical need, they secretly leave him numb and emotionally void. Until one night when he finds himself beaten, eyes bandaged and in the care of a nurse with the voice of an angel--and a gentle touch that sooths the darkness in him and makes him yearn for more.
Yet Jane Rankin is a lowly nurse, considered shy and plain by most. There is no place for her amongst the lords and ladies of aristocracy--despite Matthew's growing craving for the fire that burns behind her earnest facade. And then there is Matthew's secret. A secret so humiliating and scandalous it could destroy everyone he loves. A sin, he fears, not even the love of a good woman can take away...

SLIGHTLY MARRIED (2003) di Mary Balogh - #1 Bedwyn series 

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 5   (rilettura)

Questo libro presenta un ennesima riproposta del tema caro al genere Regency del 'matrimonio di convenienza' ma lo fa con tutti i crismi del caso e i due protagonisti si fanno senz'altro ricordare, per l'incredibile tensione sessuale e per come l'autrice sa renderli intensamente umani, debolezze incluse. E' uno di quei libri che ha tutto per piacermi...e rileggerlo è stato ancora una volta un grande piacere!

Like all the Bedwyn men, Colonel Lord Aidan Bedwyn has a reputation for cool arrogance. But he is also a man to whom honor is more important than any other personal attribute--and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought him to Ringwood Manor to keep his promise to a dying fellow officer. He has sworn to protect the man's sister no matter what--and it is a promise he intends to keep even when he finds that Miss Eve Morris wants no part of his protection and will not admit to even needing it.

Finally, when Eve is about to be turned out of her home with all her friends and dependents, Aidan makes her an offer she cannot refuse. It is intended to be a simple, straightforward business arrangement--a few days in each other's company and then a lifetime of happy independence apart. But they have reckoned without two powerful factors that conspire to wreck their plans--Aidan's elder brother, the Duke of Bewcastle, and their own unwilling attraction to each other.

And so days pass into weeks and take Aidan and Eve from Ringwood to London during the Season--and back again. Soon they begin to wonder if perhaps it will someday be possible to be more than just slightly married...

 

SMOOTH TALKING STRANGER (2004) di Lorraine Heath - #2 Hopeful 

Genere: Contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 4+ 

Una storia piccola, quasi intima, con una scena iniziale (di sesso) da manuale che vale metà romanzo! ( Se siete curiose potete leggerla QUI.)

Serena Hamilton has never had a one-night stand, but the supreme loneliness she feels after the loss of her husband drives her to a bar and into the arms of a sexy stranger. Afterward, she's racked by guilt...or at least she knows she should be. But there's something about her one-time lover that makes her think they may share more than just out-of-control chemistry. Hunter Fletcher isn't a commitment kind of guy, but the woman he meets at the honky-tonk stirs a new kind of longing. A covert operative for the CIA, Hunter carries his share of secrets. But when they intersect with Serena's tragic past, he fears she won't want to know the truth...or that once she does, the only woman he's ever loved will leave him forever.

TEXAS SPLENDOR (1997) di Lorraine Heath - #3 Texas trilogy

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: 4+ - rilettura

Five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit...

That's how long Austin Leigh has waited to clear his name, and to be reunited with his beloved Becky. But when he is finally released, Becky is married to another. Now, Austin is determined to find the killer who destroyed his life and ruined his one chance for love. He is searching for justice--and for revenge. But what he discovers along the way is something quite different.

Her name is Loree Grant, and she's survived tragedy of her own. She is the kind of friend that Austin has never had, a true companion on the long road to forgiveness and redemption. And as Austin slowly bares his soul to this strong and beautiful woman, he begins to open his heart . . . to love.

TEXAS GLORY (1997) di Lorraine Heath - #2 Texas trilogy

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: 4½ - rilettura

Ever since her mother's death, Cordelia McQueen has been a virtual prisoner in her father's house. But now everything had changed. Shamelessly traded in a battle for land and water rights, she was thrust into an unfamiliar world as the bride of Dallas Leigh.

Dallas had given his life to the land. Now he would build a town that would put West Texas on the map. But as he gazed into the eyes of the lovely stranger who belonged to him, he caught a glimpse of another empire--a warm, radiant empire of the heart. Was this a woman to walk beside him, as, together, they carved out a future rich with the radiant promise of love?

TEXAS DESTINY (1997) di Lorraine Heath - #1 Texas trilogy

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: *INDIMENTICABILE!*

RILETTURA - *Questo romanzo racchiude in sè una serie di elementi che ritengo irresistibili in un romance e anche a distanza di tempo dalla prima lettura riesce sempre a prendermi il cuore!*

Arriving on the Fort Worth train, Miss Amelia Carson, mail-order bride, had never met Dallas Leigh, the Texan she promised to marry. The tall cowboy at the station wasn't Dallas. He was Houston, Dallas's brother, sent to escort her on the rugged three-week trek to the ranch where Dallas waited. Brought up in war-ravaged Georgia, Amelia thought Dallas's letters made Texas sound like heaven, a place for her dreams to grow with the right man beside her. 

  By all appearances, Houston Leigh would hardly be considered the "right  man." The war he survived had scarred him inside and out, and he was little competition for his handsome brother. But from the moment Houston met Amelia, he knew she possessed the courage this wild land needed. She had eyes that could see past his wounded face to his soul. And he would fight any man--except his brother--for her heart. Now he and Amelia were riding down dangerous trails, sleeping under the stars, and, God help them, they were falling in love. 

 OPEN COUNTRY (2010) di Kaki Warner - #2 Roseblood trilogy

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: 4+ (bellissima copertina!)

Molly McFarlane is as desperate as a woman can get. Forced to flee with her late sister's children, she must provide for her wards while outrunning the relentless tracker the children's vicious stepfather has set on their trail. Out of money and with no other options, she marries a man badly injured in a train derailment, assuming when he dies, the railroad settlement will provide the money they need to keep moving West.
But there is one small problem. The man doesn't die.
Hank Wilkins doesn't recall the accident he barely survived-and he certainly doesn't remember marrying Molly. But as he slowly recovers at the Wilkins ranch in New Mexico Territory, the idea of a real marriage takes hold...until his memory returns, and that fragile trust is shattered, and the tracker follows Molly to the ranch. Then things really start to unravel.

PIECES OF SKY (2010) di Kaki Warner - #1 Roseblood trilogy

Genere: Storico (Western) - Mio Giudizio: 4/5

*Questo libro ha vinto il premio RITA 2011 per migliore opera prima*

Pregnant and burdened with a terrible secret, Jessica has left England for the American West in search of a new life. Brady, a hard-bitten rancher haunted by the violence of his past, is desperate to protect his land and family from a blood feud that has already claimed one brother. She’s fancy hats and pamphlets on deportment. He’s rough manners and twenty years of blood on his hands. An improbable pair. But after their stagecoach crashes and Jessica is stranded at his high mountain ranch until she gives birth, antipathy slowly becomes attraction. He teaches her to trust and laugh again — she helps him find the joy he’d lost. Faced with hard choices and unspeakable loss, they draw strength from each other to overcome the horrors of their pasts, and in the process find redemption, forgiveness, and ultimately love.

 

THE SUMMER OF YOU (2010) di Kate Noble - #2 Blue Raven series

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4½ (Un'autrice da tenere d'occhio!)

Lady Jane Cummings is certain that her summer is ruined when she is forced to reside at isolated Merrymere Lake with her reckless brother and ailing father. Her fast-paced London society is replaced with a small town grapevine. But one bit of gossip catches Jane’s attention – rumors that the lake’s brooding new resident is also an elusive highwayman.

Jane must face the much discussed mysterioso after he saves her brother from a pub brawl. She immediately recognizes him from London: Byrne Worth, war hero and apparent hermit – who she finds strangely charming. The two build a fast friendship, and soon nothing can keep this Lady away from Merrymere’s most wanted. Convinced of his innocence, Jane is determined to clear Byrne’s name – and maybe have a little fun this summer after all…

 

REVEALED (2009) di Kate Noble - #1 Blue Raven series

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4+

Phillippa Benning is the unrivaled beauty of the Season. But when another lady challenges her for a marquis's attentions, Phillippa entices him to a secret rendezvous-only to stumble upon The Blue Raven, England's most famous spy, lurking at the site of her planned tryst.

The Blue Raven has uncovered an enemy plot directed at upcoming society functions, but he's unable to infiltrate London society. Phillippa makes an offer: in exchange for entrée among the ton, he agrees to have his true identity revealed at the Benning Ball-guaranteeing her unrivaled notoriety. As the danger draws closer, the mysterious spy and Phillippa give in to mutual desire. But when the game turns deadly, betrayal waits around the corner, and Phillippa must decide once and for all-is it the myth that captured her heart, or the man?

ELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE'S HEART di Sarah MacLean (2011) - #3 Love by numers series

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 5

She lives for passion.

Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.

He swears by reputation.

Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE di Sarah MacLean (2010) - #1 Love by numers serie

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4½

A lady does not smoke cheroot.
She does not ride astride.She does not fence or attend duels.
She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen’s club.
Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she’s vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she’s been missing. But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.
If she’s not careful, she’ll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . .

 

THE PROTECTOR di Marliss Melton (2011) -#1 Taskforce series

Genere: Romantic suspense - Mio Giudizio: 4 

Eryn McClellan teaches ESL in Washington, D.C., until the day she’s targeted by terrorists avenging her father’s actions in Afghanistan. The FBI has stepped in, but when it looks like they are using her for bait, General McClellan enlists the aid of the only man he knows he can trust: former Navy SEAL Ike Calhoun.

Embracing solitude in his remote cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ike thought he’d left the War on Terror far behind. Now he’s stuck shielding a blue-eyed beauty from ambitious federal agents and crazed jihadists. More disturbing still, the charming Eryn seems intent on shattering his self-imposed isolation. Ike does his best to resist her welcoming ways, but he can feel his resistance crumbling like a mountain in a mudslide. With the FBI hot on their heels and the terrorists not far behind, Ike willingly wages a one-man war in defense of the woman whose passion and faith have given him the strength to rise above his past.

 

 STRANDED WITH HER EX di Jill Soreson (2011)

Genere: Romantic suspense - Mio Giudizio: 3 ½ ( bella copertina!)

An exotic wildlife preserve is a dream come true for conservation biologist Daniela Flores. Until she finds out her ex-husband is leading the research team. World-famous shark expert Sean Carmichael has only grown more ruggedly appealing in the time they were apart…the passion between them more intense than ever. But how could Daniela forgive Sean for betraying her when she needed him most?
Sean had come to the remote Farallon Islands to study killer sharks. Now a real killer is on the loose, threatening the woman he's never stopped loving. And this time, he knows he can't walk away. Marooned together during a deadly storm, Sean vows to go to hell and back to save Daniela…and for the chance to begin again.

 JUST LIKE HEAVEN di Julia Quinn (2011) - # 1 Smythe-Smith series 

 Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4½

 Honoria Smythe-Smith is:

A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed “Bug” as a child
C) not in love with her older brother’s best friend
D) all of the above
Marcus Holroyd is:
A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend’s younger sister
D) all of the above
Together they:
A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world’s worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love
It’s Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is . . .
D) all of the above

 

BREAKING POINT di Pamela Clare (2011) - # 5  I-TEAM series 

Genere: Romantic suspense - Mio Giudizio: 5  (molto bella anche la copertina!!! )

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.
Betrayed by another operative, Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.
Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach's battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.
But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

 

BREATHLESS di Anne Stuart (2010) - # 3 House of Rohan series

Genere: Storico (Vittoriano) - Mio Giudizio: 4 ½

Ruined beyond repair and shunned by London society, lovely Miranda Rohan rebelliously embraces the freedom that comes from having nothing left to lose. However, this dangerous course throws her under the power of the darkly enigmatic Lucien de Malheur—known to many as the Scorpion.

Seeking to destroy the Rohans, Lucien traps Miranda in a marriage she thinks is based on friendship but instead is rooted in vengeance. Yet even when she realizes the truth, their enmity fuels a shocking passion—and perhaps even more.

Such a man might drive anyone to murder....

 

 RECKLESS di Anne Stuart (2010) - # 2 House of Rohan series

Genere: Storico (Regency) - Mio Giudizio: 4

Adrian Alistair Rohan lost his faith, and now, a dedicated member of the depraved Heavenly Host, he loses himself in his only pleasure: the seduction and debauchery of beautiful women. Rich, charming and devastatingly skilled in the arts of love, he never fails in his conquests…until Charlotte Spenser.Charlotte is facing a desolate, passionless future, none of which matters to Adrian, who imagines her a toy until better prey arrives. But beneath her drab exterior, Charlotte is a woman as enchanting as she is brilliant and, lured into Adrian’s world, soon she becomes the seducer, and he the seduced….

 

 ANY MAN OF MINE di Rachel Gibson (2011) 

Genere: contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 4½

What happens in Vegas . . . doesn't always stay there.

Autumn Haven's Las Vegas "to-do" list said to catch a show and play the slots—not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam LeClaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her to run. And she did—right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality, and before she could say "pass the coffee," Sam was gone.

Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn hasn't clapped eyes on the heartbreaking hockey superstar for over two years . . . until she organizes his teammate's "Special Day," where Sam makes a big play to pick up where he left off! But she has vowed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever?

   A LOT LIKE LOVE di Julie James (2011)

Genere: contemporaneo  -  Mio Giudizio: 4½

The FBI wants her cooperation.
As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city’s top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago. But there’s only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fundraiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob. In exchange for her brother’s release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.
Agent McCall just wants her.
As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal. This “date” with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment—one they’re both determined to pull off even if they can’t be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly. But when Nick’s investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they’re a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something more. . .

 THE DARKEST HOUR di Maya Banks (2010) - #1 KGI series

Genere: romantic suspense - Mio Giudizio: 3/4

It’s been one year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly last saw his wife Rachel alive. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt over his failures as a husband, Ethan shuts himself off from everything and everyone.

His brothers have tried to bring Ethan into the KGI fold, tried to break through the barriers he's built around himself, but Ethan refuses to respond… until he receives anonymous information claiming Rachel is alive.

To save her, Ethan will have to dodge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel that threatens his own demise. And even if he succeeds, he’ll have to force Rachel to recover memories she can’t and doesn’t want to relive—the minute by minute

 THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY di Rachel Gibson (2005) 

Genere: contemporaneo - Mio Giudizio: 4/5

 Kate Hamilton hates Valentine's Day, particularly when a cute guy at a roadside bar turns down her offer of a one-night stand. She picks her ego up off the floor and completes her drive to Gospel, Idaho, to help her grandfather. But guess who shows up?
Former hockey star Rob Sutter owns the store across from Kate's grandfather's shop. He's certainly surprised to find the woman who propositioned him coming into town and kicking up trouble. If only he didn't like her kind of "trouble" quite so much.…
Gibson's novel is fast-paced, with snappy dialogue and frequently hilarious narration. Kate and Rob are warm, compelling characters, and their sexual chemistry sizzles on the page. This is a tremendously fun read with a few serious moments that bring added emotional depth to the story.