Kiss of Wrath - Sandra Hill (Avon - June 2014)

Series: Deadly Angels (Book 4)

No wicked wenches or wild rampages . . . it's been centuries since Mordr the Berserker was turned into a vangel -- a Viking vampire angel -- as punishment for his sin of wrath, and he's been frustrated ever since.

It's not so bad being stuck in modern-day Las Vegas. What better place to slay Lucipires, or demon vampires, than the original Sin City? But then Mordr Sigurdsson's mission is expanded to a new assignment: protect lust-worthy Miranda Hart.

Miranda's well-ordered life turned into chaos when she unexpectedly inherited her late cousin's five children. Now, her cousin's dangerous husband is about to be paroled, and she needs a miracle to keep them all safe.

That miracle arrives on her doorstep in the form of a very buff, handsome man with a very strange name. Mordr wants nothing to do with a red-haired wench or children. Miranda wants nothing to do with a gorgeous hunk who claims to be a Viking.

As Miranda and Mordr give in to temptation, they must decide if they fit in each other's worlds -- before their enemies close in on them..

Another fun vangel book from Sandra Hill. Unlike the others, who find time for some fun among their duties, Mordr has been pretty grim in the centuries since becoming a vangel. His sin of wrath came from what happened to his family while he was away from home, and his reaction when he discovered it. He has never forgotten the sight of his murdered children and his grief has never gone away.

Miranda was a successful psychologist with a simple life when she suddenly became the guardian of her cousin's five children. Since then her life has been chaotic, but she wouldn't change it now for any reason. When she hears that her cousin's abusive husband is due to get out of prison, she is worried for their safety. She doesn't expect a miracle in the form of a handsome, sexy man who claims to be there to protect them, but doesn't seem very happy about it,

Mordr has spent the centuries avoiding anything to do with children. Just the sight of a child reminds him of all he has lost. Now he's stuck caring for five of them and their prickly red-haired aunt. His attempts to maintain a distance from them don't last even a day as the kids begin to worm their way past his defenses.

I loved Mordr. I felt for him with the tragedy of his past and completely understood his attempts to avoid anything that would remind him of his pain. He didn't stand a chance against these kids. Each of them has their own unique personality, and each of them goes to work on an aspect of Mordr's misery. I loved seeing him interact with the kids, first simply trying to control the chaos and then being unable to keep from caring for them. I especially loved seeing him with little Linda and how sweet he could be with her. Mordr also had to deal with his reaction to Miranda. His emotions had been pretty well encased in ice since the deaths of his family, but he found himself reacting to Miranda in a way he had never done before, I loved seeing him try to convince himself he didn't even like her, but that didn't last long. His attraction to her was strong and resistance was futile, even though it is forbidden for a vangel to get involved with a human. The heat between Mordr and Miranda was intense. The scenes between went from steamy to funny to heartbreaking as they dealt with the reality that a future between them was impossible.

Miranda was great too. She had started out happy with her single life, never wanting a husband or children. But she couldn't say no to caring for her cousin's kids and now can't imagine her life without them. She needs serious help when her housekeeper/sitter quits and she discovers the kids'father is due to be released from prison. Her first encounter with Mordr is pretty funny as she first feels she has to protect them from this dangerous looking stranger, and then has to fight the sudden attraction she feels for him. Once she accepts his presence it was fun to see her reactions to his strange speech and attitudes. She finds herself falling for him, even after he tells her who and what he is. The feelings just get stronger even though she knows there's no future for them. When he is removed from the mission at the end, her heartbreak and that of the children is intense. I loved what she and the kids did, and archangel Michael's reaction is priceless. The ending was great.

The concurrent story of the vangels' battle against Satan and his Lucipires in Las Vegas was very good. It didn't seem to be as big a part of the story as in previous books, but there was enough there to keep it going. I liked seeing Zeb, the double agent from the previous book, and am keeping my fingers crossed that he stays safe. I'd like to see him get his own story. 

I loved seeing Mordr's brothers as they come to help him both with the kids and with the Vegas mission. The teasing among them was fun, and I enjoyed the way they gave Miranda more insight into Mordr and why he is the way he is. I'm looking forward to seeing the other brothers and how they meet their fates.

A Madaris Bride for Christmas - Brenda Jackson (Kimani - Nov 2013)

Series: Madaris Family (Book 19)

One by one, Madaris men have surrendered to the matchmaking schemes of Felicia Laverne Madaris, matriarch of the family. But Lee Madaris isn't letting anyone else control his destiny. He'll bring a bride of his own choosing to the family's holiday gathering -- if his hotel's gorgeous new chef will agree to a marriage of convenience.

It's not just the chance to work at the Strip's hottest hotel that brought Carly Briggs to Vegas. Witnessing a crime in Miami may have made her a mob target. Though she's reluctant to complicate their working relationship, Lee's tempting offer is so hard to resist. And soon, desire is clouding their no-strings arrangement.

The danger that made Carly flee Miami is about to land at their door. So Carly and Lee must decide who to trust, when to let go -- and whether a love they never anticipated is strong enough to pass the ultimate test.

This was the first Madaris book that I read, but it won't be the last. I've been hooked on Ms. Jackson's Westmoreland series for a long time and this was even better because it was longer and more involved. It also included some of the Westmorelands in the story, which was really great. Lee is the owner of two big hotels, one in Dubai and one in Vegas, with plans for a third in Paris. He has been very busy so he hasn't made time for any women in his life. His great-grandmother has been very busy in the last few years working to get all her great-grands married off, and Lee is up next on her hit list. When he hears that she has someone lined up for him to meet over Christmas he's determined to thwart her plans. He comes up with the idea to marry for convenience and show up with his own bride.

Carly moved to Las Vegas from Miami for a better job and to get away from the place where she heard a murder take place. She loves her job as a pastry chef, and if she's a little lonely at times she feels it is best for her. She's been let down by relationships enough that she's no longer interested in putting herself out there. Her mother has ignored her all her life, feeling that Carly was a mistake that she needs to get away from. Her mother's husband has threatened her to keep her from "contaminating" his family. And the man she thought she loved cheated on her and accused her of being passionless. When her birthday comes around she treats herself to a night at the hotel and dinner out. While dancing alone on one of the terraces she is joined by Lee who dances with her (a scene right out of Disney's Sleeping Beauty). They exchange first names, a smoking hot kiss, and part never expecting to see each other again.

Fast forward a few days, days when neither has been able to forget the other. Imagine their surprise when they come face to face in one of the dining rooms, where Lee's guests have asked to meet the pastry chef who made the dessert they just devoured. Now that he's seen her again, Lee desperately wants to get to know her better and take that kiss to its logical conclusion. He doesn't understand why he's so obsessed over her, but he wants to pursue it. Then he comes up with the idea of asking her to marry him, in a marriage based on respect, friendship and passion, rather than love which he doesn't want. Carly has been just as obsessed with him, but she doesn't see anything coming of it. She is an employee of his hotel, and far below him socially. She also considers herself a loner because she avoids relationships. The treatment she's received from others has done a number on her self esteem and she can't believe that Lee would be interested in her for more than a very short term affair.

I loved seeing Lee so determined to win Carly to his point of view. Except for one bad decision at the very beginning, he treated her like a princess. I loved seeing all the things he did for her to make her feel special. There was a really terrific part where Lee stood up to her stepfather in a really wonderful way, something no one had ever done for her before. I also enjoyed seeing him fight the idea that what he felt was love, even as he admitted that what he felt was unlike anything he'd felt before. Carly didn't know what to make of Lee and what he was doing to her. She had never been made to feel so beautiful and so wanted by anyone. She, too, was resistant to the idea of love as it had never done anything for her before. She was tempted by Lee's proposition, but worried that eventually the passion would die and she'd be rejected again. Each thing he did broke through a little bit more of her walls, until she was head over heels for him. I loved seeing them both realize that what they had together was more than just passion. When they showed up for the family Christmas, Lee was all cocky abut having outwitted his great-grandmother - for about five minutes. Loved that scene!

There's a bit of suspense in the story, as the FBI comes to Lee and his partner, asking for their help in taking down a mob intent on using Lee's casino for their own purposes. Things get really intense when Carly realizes that one of those mobsters is the man she overheard back in Miami. She's in grave danger at one point, and her rescue was pulled off by some of the characters from previous books. There were a couple funny spots that helped relieve some of the tension.

A Taste of Temptation - Cat Schield (HD #2314 - July 2014)

Series: Las Vegas Nights (Book 3)

Is lasting love on the menu?

Hotelier Harper Fontaine only wants one thing in life: to take over her family's business empire. And she won't let celebrity chef Ashton Croft screw up the new restaurant in her Vegas showcase. Getting the adventurer to meet deadlines is hard enough, but turning down the flame on their uncontrollable chemistry soon proves impossible.

Ashton has traveled the world but has never encountered a delicacy as delicious as Harper. Sure, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but will Ashton stay for Harper...especially when the chips are down and she suddenly stands to lose it all?

Excellent conclusion to the series. Harper is the intense one of the three sisters, and the one who wants the CEO job the most. One of the show pieces of her Las Vegas hotel is the new restaurant that is due to open soon. Her problem is getting her celebrity chef to stick around long enough to get the job done. Ashton has a lot on his plate, but getting closer to Harper is getting more appealing every day.

I loved Harper and Ashton. The chemistry between them was hot and their encounters even hotter. Harper has had something of a crush on Ashton for a long time. She is a huge fan of his show The Culinary Wanderer (reminds me of Tony Bourdain's No Reservations) and could think of no one better for her restaurant. But she has been extremely frustrated by his apparent inability to commit any time to getting things done. When he is around nothing pleases him and he makes constant changes. She has also discovered that the charisma he shows on television is nothing to what it is like in person, and her attraction to him keeps growing.

Ashton had an interesting childhood as the son of missionaries, but by the time he was a teen he hated the life. He ran away when he was fifteen and after some early missteps found his calling in cooking. As much as he enjoys what he does, he is always looking for ways to step up his game. At the time of the book he has several things going on and none of them are going the way he wants them to. His attraction to Harper is also interfering with his concentration when he needs it most. 

Things start going a bit out of control for Harper when she finds out her mother is being blackmailed, but won't tell her why, her sisters reveal a secret that could explain it, but that also makes her question who she is, and then she and Ashton act on their attraction.  Being around Ashton makes her think of some of the things she wishes she could do, but can't because of her hotel work. When her life takes an unexpected turn, she takes what she finds out and spontaneously sets out to discover the truth. 

Once they stop butting heads, Harper and Ashton discover that there is more than just attraction between them. Ashton finds that there is a lot he likes about Harper. He also sees that there is a bit of an adventurer buried under all her organization and control and he wants to see her take advantage of it. Harper looks past the fame and charisma and finds a man who is searching for something, even though he doesn't realize it. I loved seeing her try to open his eyes to what he was struggling over.

I loved seeing their connection as they grew closer. I could see their love growing stronger, even though neither realized at first how they felt. It was great to see Ashton's support of Harper during her trip to Africa, and how determined he was to be there for her whatever she needed. He wanted more with her, but wasn't sure he could ever be what she needed. He had to take a hard look at what he wanted and decide what was most important to him. Harper also had to look at her future and decide some things herself. I really enjoyed the ending and seeing how both of them finally accepted who they were meant to be and what they did with it.

A Merger by Marriage - Cat Schield (HD #2304 - May 2014)

Series: Las Vegas Nights (Book 2)

It takes two tycoons to tango…

With JT Stone's birthright hanging in the balance, Violet Fontaine comes up with the perfect solution. The Vegas hotel heiress decides to give her sexy business rival a hand -- so he can put a ring on it and seal a business deal. The one condition is that they keep their boardroom marriage out of the bedroom….

Fat chance! JT isn't letting Violet deprive him of one of the sweetest perks of wedlock. But will giving in to passion expose the one thing that's always kept him from commitment? Now JT could lose everything, including the woman he can't live without.

Very good story of family secrets, trust and love. After her like-a-father-to-her mentor died, Violet received an inheritance that could help her rival JT Stone. It came with some conditions that limited her options but she felt like she had come up with the best solution. JT has discovered that the family company that his father runs is in deep trouble. He'd like to take it over but he doesn't have enough shares to vote his father out. 

Violet comes to him with a proposition. Tiberius had acquired eighteen percent of the shares of the company and left them to Violet. She can't sell them, give them away or vote them because she's not family. If she and JT marry, she becomes family and with his thirty percent they are closer to getting control. JT would just need another three percent. She offers JT a business marriage so they can try to make it happen.

JT has been attracted to Violet since he met her. With the bad blood between his father and his uncle Tiberius, JT had never had the chance to get to know him well before his death and had missed out on the chance to get to know Violet through him. Now he spends a lot of time in Violet's casino, watching her and getting what little bit of time with her he can manage. He is surprised by her offer but sees the advantages. One advantage he sees is the opportunity to get her into his bed, if he can just get past her reservations. He also has some reservations of his own. Thanks to a really crummy childhood, JT keeps very tight control over his emotions. He also doesn't let anyone close enough to learn about what his past was truly like. He finds that spending time with Violet is loosening some of that tight grip and that he wants to share some things with her. 

Violet is equally attracted to JT but hides it just as well. Helping him gives her the chance to get closer to him. She likes what she sees, but she is cautious about getting involved with him. She knows that if she lets herself go she is likely to fall in love with him and that could only lead to heartache for her. She has also come across some information that could rock his world completely and she has to decide what to do with it.

I loved Violet and JT together. Violet is a pretty uncomplicated person. She sees a way to help JT and wants to run with it. There is so much heat between them that you know the business only side of the marriage isn't going to last. She also sees how hard he tries to protect himself and really wants to show him that trusting her isn't a bad thing. She knows that she can help him get what he needs and gets very frustrated with the way he shuts her out. I loved seeing her keep trying. JT wants Violet so much he can hardly stand it. He's managed to keep it from her for awhile, but now that they're together so much he's losing the battle. His growing need for her scares him because he's never let anyone get that close and he's afraid of what could happen if he really lets her in. When he discovers that Violet had access to some information about him, he feels betrayed which leads to a heartbreaking confrontation between them.

JT's father is a real piece of work. Violet gets a taste of it when he comes to Las Vegas and confronts her about her marriage to JT. He makes some pretty nasty threats that end up pushing Violet and JT closer together. The information that Violet has about him makes JT question a lot of things about his father, but he's not sure what he should do with it. I loved seeing everything that happened at the shareholders' meeting. There were a couple nice twists that came out of it. Even better was seeing JT finally open himself up to Violet's love.

Back in Her Husband's Bed - Andrea Laurence (HD #2284 - Feb 2014)

She can finally have the one thing she wants. All she has to do is play the happy wife...and not fall in love with her husband.

It's been three years since Annie Baracas left her husband, Vegas casino owner Nathan Reed, and he still hasn't signed the divorce papers. So when Nate finally offers to set her free, Annie will agree to any terms. Even if that means temporarily resuming her role as his wife to help him catch a thief. But what starts as a public display quickly turns very private. And Annie can't help wondering what it might be like to stay in Nate's bed...for as long as they both shall live.

Good book.  Annie has returned to Vegas to participate in a poker tournament in Nathan's hotel.  She knows that she'll have to see him again sometime.  When she does, he offers to finally sign the divorce papers if she'll help him catch some cheaters that will be at the tournament.  All she has to do is play the part of loving wife and watch the players she competes against.  She also has to resist falling for him all over again.

Annie knew she was tempting fate by entering that tournament, but playing poker is what she does.  She's been trying to get Nathan to sign the papers ever since she left him, but he hasn't cooperated.  Now she discovers that he'll do anything to get back at her for leaving him.  She doesn't want to be his spy, but she really doesn't have a choice if she wants him to sign those papers.  One thing she worries about is the fact that the attraction between them is still white hot.  She doesn't want to fall for him again, it hurt too much to leave him the last time.  At that time she was at the beginning of her career and felt that he didn't respect her enough to accept her the way she was.  When the feelings of being trapped got to be too much, she ran.  It doesn't take long for her to realize that what she feels is more than just attraction, that her love for him had never gone away.  Now she has to decide if she can overcome her fears enough to stay with him.

Nathan has been waiting for three years to get his revenge on Annie for leaving him.  He has used the divorce papers to keep her tied to him until he can do so.  Having the poker tournament at his casino gives him the perfect opportunity.  He can blackmail her into playing his wife again at the same time he uses her to catch the people cheating at the poker tournaments.  He fully intends to keep her at an emotional distance even as he tries to get her back in his bed.  I loved the way his plans come back to bite him in the butt, as he discovers that his body and heart have no desire to cooperate with that plan.  I loved seeing him keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe.  He also realized that the problems with their marriage weren't all her fault, as he takes the time to actually get to know her outside the bedroom.  I really enjoyed seeing him fall for her all over again and start thinking about a future together.  

The whole poker tournament theme was very interesting.  I enjoyed seeing the way that Annie played the game and how she planned her strategies.  The subject of cheating was well portrayed along with the ways that casinos work to prevent it.  While one of the cheaters was obvious from the beginning, there were a couple of interesting twists to the story.  I loved the final showdown.

Gabe was an awesome secondary character.  The animosity between him and Annie showed just how loyal a friend he was to Nathan.  His cynicism regarding women in pretty blatant, so obviously he is due to meet his own match.  I hope he gets his own story soon.

At Odds With the Heiress - Cat Schield (HD #2279 - Jan 2014)

Series: Las Vegas Nights (Book 1)

What happens when the man she loves to hate becomes the man she can't live without?

Actress turned casino mogul Scarlett Fontaine uses her beauty to get what she wants. But it doesn't work with Logan Wolfe. Now the infuriatingly gorgeous security expert needs her help. Finally, Scarlett sees her chance to show him she's more than just a pretty face.

Yet when her safety's at stake, their flirtatious games turn serious. Scarlett suddenly needs him, too. As things heat up, their steamy kisses--and steamier nights--make her wonder: is the man who has always tormented her finally showing his true colors?

Scarlett uses the abilities she learned as an actress to get people to do what she needs them to do.  She may not have the business training to run her casino/hotel, but she knows how to hire the people she needs to get the job done.  She's always had a somewhat hostile relationship with Logan, whose security firm works with her family's casinos.  She senses his disdain for her abilities and loves to torment him.  Logan has never understood why she was given one of the casinos to manage since she doesn't have the training to do it properly.  Seeing her use her beauty to get things done just irritates him.  Now he needs some help from one of the sisters and she's the only one available.  His niece is visiting for the summer and he's been given the job of convincing her to go to college not run off to Hollywood to become an actress.  He doesn't see Scarlett as being the right one to get that point across.

Scarlett has her work cut out for her to show Logan that she is actually very capable of running her business.  Her enjoyment of irritating him is her way of dealing with her attraction to him.  She is hurt by his refusal to believe that she can properly guide his niece.  Working with him because of Madison shows her that the attraction is not one-sided.  Logan has been fighting his attraction to Scarlett for years, but finally gives up the fight.  The heat between them is intense and his lack of control bothers him.  He also doesn't trust that she's going to stay around, that if she's offered a chance to go back to acting she'll take it.  He was previously hurt by a woman who put her career first and he doesn't want to risk it happening again.  I loved Scarlett's different way of looking at things and how she used it to run  her business.  She was also better able to relate to Logan's niece Madison.  I loved seeing how the relationship with Logan grew once they stopped fighting the attraction.  I liked the way that Logan's attitude toward Scarlett started to change as he actually got to know her.  He started to fall for her but that lack of trust caused him to expect her to leave at any time.  Because of that he gave the appearance of pushing her away just as things got more intense.  Some of the things he said to her hurt her badly, which he knew as he said them, but he couldn't seem to stop.  I loved seeing him make things right at the end.

I loved the way that Madison was used to show the differences between Logan and Scarlett, but also that compromises were possible.  Though there are times she seems a bit spoiled, most of the time she has a great outlook.  I loved her relationships with both Scarlett and Logan and how important she was to both of them.  Though she could have communicated her intentions better, I loved the way she took charge of her life at the end.

We got a bit of a mystery in this first book of the series when Scarlett inherits a whole bunch of information about many people in Vegas, including her own family.  There is some information about one of her sisters that could cause a lot of heartache and trouble and Scarlett isn't sure what to do about it.  It also puts her in some danger as she is attacked and some of the files are stolen.  While that culprit is caught, I suspect that the information about her sister will have an important part in a later book.