Bloodline by James Rollins (Sigma Force Series #8)

Publisher's Blurb: 

Immortality is not just within our reach—it is already here.

Galilee, 1025. A Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure, a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change humankind forever.

A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman. Commander Gray Pierce is enlisted for a covert rescue mission. Suspicious that the kidnapping masks a more nefarious plot, Gray must confront a shadowy cabal that has manipulated events throughout history.

And the danger is only beginning . . .

Halfway around the world, a firebombing at a fertility clinic in South Carolina exposes a diabolical conspiracy that goes back centuries . . . a scheme that lies within our genetic code. With time against them, SIGMA must race to save an innocent unborn baby whose very existence raises questions about the nature of mankind:

Could you live forever? Would you live forever?

Review:

Another great ride by James Rollins, this Sigma book is notable for introducing two new characters and for making women the focus.  Rollins has always written great female characters, strong, capable and smart, complicated and full of depth.  But this is the first book that places Kat and Lisa as the action-drivers while Painter is busy researching and Monk is home watching his young daughters.  Kat and Lisa are trying to infiltrate a fertility clinic with links to the President's family and his kidnapped daughter, when the operation goes horribly wrong.  Meanwhile, Gray is globe-trotting with Kowalski and Seichan, who has a much-expanded role as we learn a lot more about her background and see more of the person she is beneath her smooth-as-glass exterior. While the women have a different style of running an operation, they are just as fierce and action-oriented as their men, and it was a lot of fun to watch their brains and ass-kicking take center stage.  The fact that Lisa was wearing St. John while doing so was a really fun detail, one that I got a kick out of but it doesn't take away from the non-stop action/adventure/freaky science that is
Rollins' trademark style.
The new characters are Tucker Wayne, a former Army officer, and his war dog Kane, both of whom bring a rare set of skills.  There are several passages narrated from Kane's point of view, which was really unique and eye-opening.  It made me look at my dogs differently, giving me some insight into their worldview.
As the search for the President's pregnant daughter begins to overlap with the Guild and the mysterious family at the center of its powerful core referred to as the Bloodline, Painter begins to realize just how close Sigma is to unmasking the puppetmasters behind the Guild.
Kowalski is there for comic relief, Gray's interest in Seichan deepens, and although there are a lot of questions answered, the story takes a different turn at the end, leaving me both satisfied at the resolutions and curious about the new directions.
Good stuff!!

Read this 99 cent short story first for an introduction to Tucker and Kane.

+-*

For more information about James Rollins, check out his website at http://www.jamesrollins.com/.

Author Debra Kayn and a Great Giveaway!

Check out author Debra Kayn's fun giveaway - who wouldn't love a pair of cowgirl boots?!  The following is from her blog at http://www.debrakayn.com/.

Contest! If Rodeo Rebel makes it to the top 100, I’ll be giving away cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat to one lucky winner!

Contest time!

For the next month, I’ll be running a contest. I want to get my book, Rodeo Rebel, to the top 100 at either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

If Rodeo Rebel hits the top 100, I’m giving away a kickass pair of cowgirl boots PLUS a cowgirl hat to one lucky winner…delivered to your front door. (Red Corral Picasso Cowgirl boots valued at $209.99 + Bullhide Winston Straw Cowgirl hat valued at $39.99 for a total prize worth $249.98)

How do you enter?

It’s easy!

All you have to do is tweet the contest, blog about the contest, Facebook the contest, or buy Rodeo Rebel. No purchase is necessary. If you’d like to tweet every day, you can still earn 25 points a day into the contest. If you want to copy and paste this contest on your own blog, you’ll earn 25 points. You can even like me on Facebook for 10 points. There’s lots of different ways to get your name entered. Check out the Rafflecopter widget below on all the ways to earn points, and go spread some love for Rodeo Rebel.

That’s not all!

If I make it into the top 25 in category romance on Amazon, I’ll also give away a cowgirl hat to one lucky winner. (Bullhide Winston Straw Cowgirl hat valued at $39.99) Florentine McDougal, my heroine in Rodeo Rebel, wears a lucky cowgirl hat when she rides. Wouldn’t you like one too?

Here’s the catch. You’ll have to get the word out about Rodeo Rebel. If I don’t get into the top 100, I’ll be giving away a $25 dollar gift certificate to a store of your choice as a consolation prize. So, it’s important to spread the word if you want a chance to deck yourself out in new boots and new hat. The more friends you get involved, the higher Rodeo Rebel will climb on the charts.

Here’s an example tweet!

If #RodeoRebel hits the top 100, @DebraKayn is giving away cowgirl boots + hat!  http://tiny.cc/hx93gw @EntangledPub Please RT!

Check out Rodeo Rebel at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Rebel-Sisters-McDougal-ebook/dp/B008BW9FQE/ref=sr_1_5_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339843464&sr=1-5&keywords=rodeo+rebel

Check out Rodeo Rebel at Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rodeo-rebel-debra-kayn/1111591750?ean=2940014704991

You’ll find all the ways you can earn points in the Rafflecopter widget below. Contest ends 8/8/2012

Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon (Miss Fortune Series #1)

Publisher's Blurb:  It was a hell of a longshot...

CIA Assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever - in Sinful, Louisiana.

With a leak at the CIA and a price on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.

Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.

Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.

Review:  OUT-FREAKING-STANDING!  I can't believe how much I loved this book.  When I finished it I was really annoyed because I love Fortune and the nutty world of Sinful, Louisiana so much I didn't want to leave them.
Fortune is a CIA assassin whose cover has been blown, so her boss sends her to lay low in the tiny bayou town of Sinful, posing as his beauty-queen/librarian niece who has just inherited a house from her deceased aunt.  Fortune has spent her entire life - including her childhood - training for her career as CIA spook/assassin, and she only understands tactics, weapons and missions.  The idea of spending months in hiding in a small town terrifies her almost more than the price on her head.  Immediately after arriving, though, her life is anything but quiet.  She meets two old ladies who are full of surprises, and before she knows it she's teamed up with them to locate their missing friend Marie, whose abusive, jackass husband disappeared years ago.  But one of his bones has just washed up on Fortune's back yard, and Marie is nowhere to be found.  Everyone assumes Marie murdered the jerk, and her friends want to find her and simultaneously find another suspect to give Marie a chance at beating a murder charge.  Pretty soon Fortune is up to her eyeballs in the wacky shenanigans of her two new friends Ida Belle and Gertie, who do not act like little old ladies.  They are shockingly prepared for anything, well-armed, running the town, and think nothing of bending the law a bit.  And every time Fortune ends up in a compromising position, usually dressed in a towel, or a trash bag and ski mask (yes, you read that right), she is caught by the town Deputy, a hunky, exasperated man trying his best to find Marie also.
Fortune is a great character - she is paranoid,smart and capable, comfortably killing anyone who needs killing, but her solitary live has left her ill-prepared for her budding friendship with Ida Belle and Gertie, and the emotional aspects of friendship.  Plus, they seem to be hiding something - a lot of things, and Fortune is never sure just how much they know before they rope her into their next hare-brained scheme.  From outrunning alligators on an island that smells like dung,  shooting raccoons in her own attic, racing old ladies for banana pudding, or stripping naked to ride in Ida Belle's car, the craziness never ends and it all makes perfect sense.
DeLeon is really funny - I was laughing out loud so many times.  Her writing is confident and self-assured, allowing the pace to move along at a fast clip.  As crazy as the characters seem, and as nutty as their adventures are, they still seem so real  and believable.  I really cared about them and hope this is the start to a very long series.

For more information check out the author's website at http://janadeleon.com/.


 

The Spy Wore Spurs by Dana Marton (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1364)

Publisher's Blurb:  Top secret commando soldier Ryder McKay is shot and left for dead in South Texas. But when he comes to in a bedroom on Grace Cordero's remote ranch, he realizes the beautiful former army medic did more than save his life. She risked her own. Not that he can tell her the whole truth about his mission. Ryder is sure dangerous thugs are using Grace's vast property to smuggle drugs, weapons—and people—across the border. But to prove it without blowing his cover, he has to let her ride shotgun on the investigation. And keeping his heart guarded against sexy, off-limits Grace will be the hardest part of all.
Released July 2012.

Review:  This the latest book by one of my favorite authors, Dana Marton.  She writes the best suspenseful romantic mysteries, full of danger, intrigue and fast-paced action.  I've reviewed several of her books and they're all really enjoyable, hard-to-put-down reads.  She is one of a handful of authors who I consider to be "must-reads". 
Her latest, The Spy Wore Spurs, is no exception.  It begins with Grace returning to her family ranch to scatter her brother's ashes.  Grace has been away for several years, and is almost finished with her veterinarian training.  She is also a former Army medic suffering from PTSD, trying desperately to hold herself together.  But her first night home brings anything but a sense of peace, as the sound of gunshots leads her to the near-dead Ryder, shot by smugglers on Grace's land.  Luckily for Ryder, Grace is as brave as she is tough, and she manages to stop the bleeding, get him into her truck in a torrential rainstorm, deal with a flashback, and sew him up with her vet medical kit.  AND, she takes in a desperate, frightened woman who has just crossed the border illegally in a search for her missing children.  Ryder is on a secret mission to locate a terrorist  trying to cross the border, and once he learns that Grace is a well-liked local girl, with friends throughout the community, he decides to use her as a consultant to help him get information.  As Grace and Ryder spend the next several days looking for clues to the terrorist/smuggling operation, and Grace tries to track down information about the woman's missing family, they learn the woman's husband has been murdered, her children are missing, and Grace's ranch is being used for something illegal.
There are several opportunities for Ryder to learn that Grace does not take orders and is every bit his equal when it comes to investigating and taking care of herself.  Grace knows how to defend herself and can handle herself with weapons, animals and bad guys, which is a good thing because she gets captured more than once. Their attraction grows along with their respect as they get to know each other.
I loved the characters of Grace and Ryder.  In a refreshing change from stereotypes, Grace is completely against marriage, and considers herself broken from her PTSD.  She is prickly, strong, defensive, and courageous.  Ryder has decided it's time for him to settle down, and he has the perfect candidate in mind - a petite blond who is both maternal and a warrior/partner.  Grace does not match his delusion, er, I mean vision, and he is soon squashing all thoughts of attraction to her, even though his respect and admiration for her is growing.  Ryder is a great hero - he's all alpha male, former soldier/black ops, rugged manly man.  He is surprised to find himself so attracted to Grace at first, thinking that she is simply pretty and capable.  But when he sees the steely strength in her, he is completely turned on.  Grace is one of the best heroines I have read in a very long time.  She is struggling to stay strong as she completes vet school, grieves for her brother and the loneliness of having no family, debates whether to stay on her ranch, and helps a woman find her missing children while spending time with Ryder, who aggravates her no end.  She is flawed and fabulous.  I liked and admired her, and wanted to be her. 
The setting for this is south Texas, along the border, and the scenery comes alive from the beginning.  Marton's descriptions of the landscape are vivid, colorful and came alive in my mind as I read.
The ending sets up the story for a series (I hope!) and had a moment that made me actually cry.  Great book!


For more information visit the author's website at http://www.danamarton.com/.

Blood of the Wicked by Karina Cooper (Dark Mission Series)

Publisher's Blurb: 

When the world went straight to hell, humanity needed a scapegoat to judge, to blame . . . to burn.

As an independent witch living off the grid, Jessie Leigh has spent her life running, trying to blend in among the faceless drudges in the rebuilt city. She thought she was finally safe, but now she's been found in a New Seattle strip club—by a hard-eyed man on a mission to destroy her kind.

A soldier of the Holy Order, Silas Smith believes in the cause: trawling the fringes of society for the murderous witches who threaten what's left of the world. Forced into a twisting web of half-truths and lies, he has to stay close to the most sensuous and electrifying woman he has ever seen and manipulate her into leading him to the witch he has to kill: her brother. Silas doesn't know that Jessie's his enemy, only that he wants her, needs her, even as he lies to her . . . and must protect her until his final breath.

Review:  This novel grabbed me from the beginning. The setting is about 50 years in the future, after planetary catastrophes caused massive destruction.  A religious order has risen to power after blaming witches for the destruction, and a new Inquisition is the norm.  Witches are hunted and slaughtered, and the religious order called the Mission has unlimited power.  The story starts with Mission agent Silas Smith, a ruthless, experienced witch-hunter, going into a seedy dance club in the gritty lower levels of New Seattle tracking a lead to find Jessie.  Jessie is a witch on the run and she knows Silas is a hunter the second she lays eyes on him. She's been on the run since her mother was murdered, and over the last several years she practically raised her brother Caleb, teaching him to hide and survive.  Jessie is resourceful, smart, and desperate to find Caleb who disappeared a year ago, after telling Jessie not to try and find him.  Caleb's gift is seeing the future, and his last vision before he left was of Jessie's fiery death.
Silas doesn't know Jessie is a witch, though, and he plans to find her and use her to get to Caleb, who has been linked to several ritualistic and sadistic deaths in New Seattle.  When Silas captures Jessie, she agrees to help him find Caleb, planning on using the hunter to get to her brother.  But while both Silas and Jessie are plotting to use each other, they are also shocked to discover an intense attraction between them.  They are soon hunted by the coven that wants Jessie for her powers, betrayed by a traitor in the Mission, and closing in on Caleb, forcing them to depend on each other.


What sets this book above many others out there is the incredibly rich imagery in the writing.  Cooper's writing is like a rich, elegantly woven tapestry - the images jumped from the page and into my mind's eye, and as I read I was in the bar, on the run, chased through the destruction of the lower city, and I would swear I could see, smell and taste everything.  Which was pretty damned awesome when it came to the sex scenes.  Hot, intense and breathless are apt descriptors for their first time.  At the same time she is steering the reader along a very well-crafted plot, as we discover clues that Caleb may not be the innocent younger brother Jessie believes him to be.


Rich, exciting, dark and sexy, Karina Cooper is now on my must-read list.  I've already bought Lure of the Wicked, the second Dark Mission book and will review it soon.




For more information visit the author's website at http://www.karinacooper.com/.






For more information visit the author's website at http://www.karinacooper.com/.

The Braddock Boys: Colton by Kimberly Raye (Harlequin Blaze Series #690

Publisher's Blurb: 

Guys don't tend to find gals with guns too sexy. So after years of awkward fumblings, deputy Shelly Lancaster is lookin' for a man…. Not for love—good Lord, no. She just wants some hot, heavy and unforgettable sex with a man who knows exactly what he's doing!

As it turns out, Shelly's just found the perfect guy. Cowboy Colton Braddock is tasty as hell—and one of the perks of being a vampire is that he has years of hot, lusty loving under his belt. Unfortunately, this cowboy also has a wicked thirst for vengeance. But will it prove stronger than his hunger for her?

Published May 2012.

Review:
Finally, I can say that I have read a cowboy vampire romance novel!  Or is it a vampire cowboy romance novel?  Either way, you know what?  It was pretty damn good.  This book was a delightful, quick read that had some incredible sexual tension, a solid story and a pace that zipped right along.  Shelly is a tough, determined, stubborn woman who was born on the wrong side of the tracks and has worked her entire life to become a respected and trusted deputy.  She has a plan and it includes getting elected sheriff, and finding some hot stud to have sex with, leaving love and relationships out of the question and out of the way.  But when Shelly sees Colton Braddock, her hormones go into lusty overdrive and she struggles to balance her needs and desires as a woman with her long term goals of being a single, hard-working sheriff.  Plus, something seems just a little bit off about Colton.  Purple eyes, telepathy and rock hard abs are quite the combination!
For his part Colton has never met a woman like Shelly.  For over 100 years he has used blood and sexual energy to feed himself, but once he meets her he has these super strong urges to kiss her (not usually his focus) and be with her.  But he also has other plans and his focus is revenge and death.  And death and revenge.  But love is in the air, and it's flavored with serious lust, raging hormones and sexual frustration.  This story was a lot of fun and sexy as hell.  The cast of characters includes the serious, quirky, and the realistic and it was a frothy fun read.  One quibble I have, though, is when Shelly wore a wool trenchcoat over her sexy dress in summer.  In Texas.  No way!  All I could see in my mind's eye was a sweaty puddle of Shelly and pink spandex.


And nothing is better than discovering a new author who has a large backlist!  Love the cover art for  the Dead-End Dating Series!!

For more information about the author, visit her website at: http://kimberlyraye.com.

Two Harlequin Intrigue Books by HelenKay Dimon

I was fortunate enough to attend the recent Reader & Author Get Together sponsored by Lori Foster.  Held the weekend of June 1-2 in Cincinnati, it was Lori Foster's 8th annual event and while it was my first it will not be my last!!  I met an old Army friend there and we had a blast.  There were dozens of authors, lots of informative and interesting events, tons of fun contests and giveaways, and amazing auctions that benefited some really outstanding charities for children and animals.  Throw in all meals included for the low, low cost of $50 and it was easily one amazing weekend.  My friend Lisa and I had a wonderful time and plan on going again next year.  And check out Lisa's great book review blog at http://modokkerbookpicks.blogspot.com.  She has new reviews and content daily and has lots of giveaways and author interviews!
I think one of the best things about the weekend was that I discovered so many authors!  HelenKay Dimon is one of my discoveries.  I attended one of her panels (Contemporary Heroes) she co-hosted with Jill Shalvis, and HelenKay was so funny and witty I figured that if she wrote like she talked I had to read her books.  So I picked up the following Harlequin Intrigues and enjoyed them both very much.


Publisher's Blurb:  No woman could deny the appeal of the sexy deputy sheriff Jonas Porter. But to Courtney Allen, Jonas has one major flaw—his badge. Years ago, Courtney's father was wrongfully convicted of a crime and she vowed to never trust a cop again. But when Jonas becomes the only man to believe in her father's innocence, Courtney begins seeing the brooding lawman in a whole new way.

Jonas knows in his gut that the real killer is still out there and determined to finish what he started long ago. To protect Courtney and bring the criminal to justice will require all the skills he can muster. And that means focusing on the job. Not the woman who makes him forget his troublesome past and arouses in him a passion that is anything but professional.

Review:  When She Wasn't Looking (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1352) was published in May 2012 and is only $2.99 as a Nookbook!
Although I enjoyed both books, this was easily my favorite.  Courtney is smart, brave, capable and doing her best to clear her father's name and stay alive.  Jonas is the ultimate protector - both a lawman and sexy,  alpha male.  At first suspicious of Courtney, he quickly realizes that her life is in danger as the murder count begins to rise.  Keeping her with him allows him to be in the middle of any action while trying to figure out who the killer is, and also allows him to satisfy his increasing possessiveness and attraction for Courtney.  The mystery is solid, and as well-built and written as the growing romance.  All the characters are believable and it was hard to tell at first who was a bad guy.  And watching Jonas slowly realize Courtney was the victim at the same time his respect and attraction was growing made for a great romance.  Having the romance blossom under extreme stress and danger creates such a believable scenario - a pressure-cooker romance! Those conditions heighten and enhance the senses and emotions, and I was quickly caught up in the story and didn't want to come out for trivial things like sleep, work and caring for my children - the sure sign of a great book!

Publisher's Blurb:  Nothing was as it seemed… Not even the protection Maddie Timmons was promised when she'd entered the Witness Security Program. One of her handlers was missing, the other had burned her, and now Maddie was at risk.  All that stood between her and certain death was one sexy stranger.

Deep undercover, Recovery Project agent Adam Wright vowed to keep Maddie safe from the leak at WitSec. But Adam wasn't prepared for the confident woman he'd rescued, the sensuous lover who got under his skin. He could do nothing about her past being taken away, but he'd do anything to secure her future …even if it meant forsaking his own….

Review:  Locked and Loaded (Harlequin Intrigue Series #1297, and Book 4 of the Mystery Men series following the men of the Recovery Project), was published in August 2011.  The Recovery Project is a former government agency that has gone independent.  According to the author's website:

"The series follows the men of The Recovery Project, a quasi-governmental operation established to locate missing people – those who want to be found and those who don't. After the Project's cover is blown, and under extreme pressure from members of Congress, the group disbands. But a conspiracy in the Witness Security Program, WitSec, puts the group back in business. The books are an equal mix of emotional romance and heart-stopping suspense. The sensuality level is sexy but not graphic. The books are available in print and digital formats."

This romantic suspense is a great little package, combining a sexy, strong and capable hero, an equally smart and capable heroine, a plot chock full of danger, suspense and a well-crafted romance.  Both the main characters are so believable and likeable.  Maddie suffers from chronic back pain and does her best to stay in shape to be prepared for her former boyfriend hunting her down.  Although she in is the witness protection program she has always planned for the worst, and when that happens she meets Adam, a seriously sexy and deadly protector.  She takes a chance and trusts him - a little -and he is shocked at how capable she really is.  His respect for her has grown over the month he's been watching her, and when they're under attack he in turn shocks her with his deadly skills.  But she doesn't know who to trust, and her growing sexual attraction and affection for Adam is not going to get in her way if she can escape.  After a really intense few days - Adam is shot and left for dead, Maddie is sold, and there are firefights and excitement and rescues - Adam and Maddie have given in to their attraction, but Adam doesn't trust Maddie, and Maddie can't live with that.  Adam's stubbornness and Maddie's need for Adam to say certain things felt a little awkward and the lovebirds almost break up.  Never fear, the HEA is there, and Maddie and Adam quickly work through their issues.

As a new reader to the Mystery Men series I did get confused at times telling the good and bad guys apart, and figuring out the Recovery Project.  I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read the series in order, although it was a very good read on its own.

For more information check out the author's website at http://www.helenkaydimon.com/.

Wanted: Undead or Alive (Love at Stake Series #12) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Publisher's Blurb: 

He's a vampire from the big city . . .

Phineas McKinney thought New York City was tough, until he was attacked by Malcontents—evil vampires who consider mortals to be snacks. Saved by the good vampires, Phin swore to devote his now undead life to stopping the Malcontents. He's got his job cut out for him when word comes that their enemy may be hiding in Wyoming. What does a city boy like him know about horses and campfires? Good thing he's got Brynley Jones with him . . . if only she didn't hate every vampire on earth.

She's a werewolf princess . . .

Bryn believes vampires are seductive and charming, and that makes them dangerous. So she's more than a little annoyed about teaming up with Phin, even if he is the only bloodsucker able to make her inner wolf purr. But as they hunt down the new leader of the Malcontents, danger threatens . . . and Phineas and Brynley discover a passion that will rock the foundation of their supernatural world.

Review:   First things first - can we just have a moment of awed silence for the cover of this book?..........OK, I'm back.  Simple, elegant and clear, sexy imagery - love it!!
I am a huge fan of Kerrelyn Sparks' Love at Stake books for their fun, romantic and consistently entertaining style.  She regularly introduces new characters, kills off bad guys and sets up new evildoers, and the adventures continue feeling fresh.  On the surface these are what I call "light and fluffy" books, meaning they are a quick read and there's not a lot of deep, dark, existential crap making me think more than I want to at the time.  But "light and fluffy" is deceptively hard to write well, and these books are extremely well-done.  They keep me reading late into the night, and Wanted: Undead or Alive is no exception.
I was a little worried that this book would be my first disappointment in the series, because the character of Phineas has been somewhat cartoonish and over-the-top.  But his story starts off with a lot of insight into Phineas as a person, and before I knew it I cared about him as much as any other character.  Phineas is one of the youngest vampires, and still has ties to the mortal world.  His love for his family and younger brother really make him a sweet, sexy man.  Previous stories have shown glimpses of Phineas' kindness and awareness of others' feelings (especially when his friend Phil was in love with Vanda, in Forbidden Nights with a Vampire), and his compassion just makes him sexier. 
When Phineas and Bryn are assigned as a team, their mutual attraction and denial of it create sparks and a lot of tension-building situations.  Their time alone together in the wilderness really brings out their personalities and made for some really romantic moments (in spite of a skunky smelling old were-bear).  Not to mention some very funny parts as a city boy learns about horses.
Bryn's family life as a werewolf has a very dark side, and Phineas is determined to protect her at all costs when her father tries to sell her off in a werewolf marriage alliance. His devotion to her brings out his alpha male side and it's all kinds of sexy.
The hunt for crazy Queen Corky leads to new villains, an entire pack of werewolves with some very different values, and some tantalizing insights into Howard's past (is his book next?!).
Book #12 is another very satisfying, romantic adventure and leaves me looking forward to the next one - a major feat with a series of this length!

For more information visit the author's website at http://www.kerrelynsparks.com.