Category Archives: Berkely Trade

March 31, 2013 · 11:59 pm

Review: Lush by Lauren Dane

Title: Lush by Lauren Dane
Delicious Series Book Three
Publisher: Penguin Publishing
Imprint: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

USA Today bestselling author Lauren Dane delivers a second serving of sexy in her new Delicious novel, in which taste and temptation make up a sweet recipe…

Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful catering company and overseeing her supper club. She has everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.

Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his brothers started a band when they were fresh out of high school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom. But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy starts thinking he may have finally found something good.

What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon gets much more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t want more from him. And before long, it’s Damien who wants more from Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to celebrity news, and he’s got a very big job ahead of him: proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand…

The Review:

Lush, the third installment of Lauren Dane’s Delicious series, is a fast paced and scorching hot romance between a sweet yet sexy caterer and bad boy rocker.

Mary Whaley and Damien Hurley’s intense attraction results in a one night stand. Neither is interested in a serious relationship-Mary is busy running her thriving catering business and Damien is on tour with his band. But as their paths continue to cross, Damien and Mary continue to burn up the sheets with some seriously down and dirty sex. Soon, Damien discovers he wants more than sex from Mary, but Mary has no desire to live in the limelight. Adding to Mary’s reluctance to further involve herself in Damian’s life is his wild reputation. Can Damian convince Mary to give their relationship a chance? Will Damian’s past come between them?

Mary is a strong character; sexually confidant and willing to go after what she wants in the bedroom. She is always honest with herself, Damian and her friends that all she is looking for is a no strings attached affair with him. Mary has no trouble standing up for herself and whether it is Damian or her close friends, she does not hesitate to speak her mind.

Damien owns his hard partying past and he offers no apologies or excuses for enjoying his success. He is surprisingly down to earth, respectful and caring. He definitely knows how to satisfy a woman, but it is how he treats Mary outside the bedroom that really matters. Damian works hard to earn Mary’s trust and convince her that his wild days are behind him.

One of the strongest elements of Delicious is the secondary relationships. The secondary cast of characters is vast, and they all play vital roles in the story. Strong friendships and family bonds provide depth to the overall plot and their unwavering support sustain Damian and Mary throughout the novel. They have one another’s best interests at heart and they are always brutally honest with Damian and Mary. They have disagreements and fights, but their relationships always emerge unscathed and stronger than ever.

Lush has it all. An entertaining plot, genuine characters, and seriously hot sex scenes. Lauren Dane provides an absolutely fascinating view of what goes on behind the scenes in the music world. Longtime fans of the Delicious series are going to enjoy catching up with their favorite characters. New to the series? You are going to fall in love with all of the characters in this highly addictive series.

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Filed under Berkely Trade, Contemporary, Delicious Series, Erotic, Lauren Dane, Lush, Penguin Publishing, Rated B, Review, Romance

March 5, 2013 · 3:58 am

Review: The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin

Title: The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary (1980s), Fiction
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Life can be beautiful, but it takes a little work…

“The problem with cutting your own hair is that once you start, you just keep cutting, trying to fix it, and the truth is, some things can never be fixed. The day of my daddy’s funeral, I cut my bangs until they were the length of those little paintbrushes that come with dime-store watercolor sets. I was nine years old. People asked me why I did it, but I was too young then to know I was changing my hair because I wanted to change my life.”

In 1983, on her nineteenth birthday, Zora Adams finally says goodbye to her alcoholic mother and their tiny town in the mountains of South Carolina. Living with a woman who dresses like Judy Garland and brings home a different man each night is not a pretty existence, and Zora is ready for life to be beautiful.

With the help of a beloved teacher, she moves to a coastal town and enrolls in the Davenport School of Beauty. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Cathcart, she learns the art of fixing hair, and becomes fast friends with the lively Sara Jane Farquhar, a natural hair stylist. She also falls hard for handsome young widower Winston Sawyer, who is drowning his grief in bourbon. She couldn’t save Mama, but maybe she can save him.

As Zora practices finger waves, updos, and spit curls, she also comes to learn that few things are permanent in this life—except real love, lasting friendship, and, ultimately… forgiveness.

The Review:

The Wisdom of Hair by Kim Boykin is a powerful novel about love, healing and forgiveness. It is also an emotional story about friendship and finding family when we least expect it.

Caring for her narcissistic and alcoholic mother has left nineteen year old Zora Adams wise beyond her years. Making the decision to accept her high school teacher’s assistance to attend beauty school was not easy, but Zora knows that it is time to make a better life for herself. And in doing so, she finds much more than a career. Her close friendship with Sara Jane Faquhar gives her the family she so desperately needs. Her romance with Winston Sawyer is unsettling and irrevocably changes her life.

Zora is a sympathetic and well-drawn protagonist and my heart went out to her as she was faced with some very difficult decisions. She has a love/hate relationship with her dysfunctional mother and self-preservation becomes the key to a better future. Despite her efforts to the contrary, Zora finds herself making some of the same mistakes as her mother. Through these experiences, she gains understanding of her mother and this understanding allows her to forgive not only her mother, but herself as well.

The Wisdom of Hair is a beautifully written novel of self-discovery. Kim Boyton’s writing style is quite engaging and her characters are three-dimensional and realistic. This marvelous coming of age story will resonate with anyone who enjoys a heartfelt and emotional story about redemption and overcoming a dysfunctional and difficult childhood.

1 Comment

Filed under 1980s, Berkely Trade, Contemporary, Kim Boykin, Rated B+, Review, The Wisdom of Hair

February 5, 2013 · 3:58 am

Review: The Good Daughter by Jane Porter

Title: The Good Daughter by Jane Porter
Brennan Sisters Series Book Two
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Author

Summary:

Love was given to all, except herself . . .

Kit Brennan has always been the most grounded of her sisters. A Catholic school English teacher for seventeen years and a constant giver, her decisions have been sound—just not very satisfying. Her fortieth birthday is right around the corner, causing Kit to consider some wilder notions, like skipping right past the love and marriage to raising a child all by herself . . .

A girls’ weekend away is just the reprieve Kit needs from school, Mr. Wrongs, and life-changing decisions. It’s there that she meets a man who’s dangerous; a man who challenges who she thought she was, or rather should be. Kit wants to indulge herself this once, but with one of her students in crisis and the weight of her family’s burdens weighing heavy on her heart, Kit isn’t sure if now is the time to let her own desires take flight . . .

The Review:

In The Good Daughter, the second installment of the Brennan Sisters trilogy, Jane Porter brings her readers another novel that is as heartwarming as it is poignant. It a journey of self-discovery for middle sister Kit as she struggles with an impending loss, unsettling memories from her past and what she wants for her future.

In The Good Woman, high school English teacher Kit Brennan broke up with her longtime live in boyfriend. She is quite close to her family and she shares a tight bond with her sisters. As the middle daughter, Kit is the family peacemaker. Her twin sister, Brianna, is the family wild child while Kit is content to stay out of the limelight. She does not do anything to rock the boat and she is not very assertive. But all of that begins to change when Kit meets a man that her family most likely will not approve of.

Kit is very reflective in The Good Daughter. Her forays into the dating scene ended with disastrous results and she is contemplating what she wants for her future. With the purchase of her first home and with a few successful home renovations under her belt, she realizes she does not need a man in her life. What Kit really desires is a family and she knows what she is considering will not go over very well with her rather conservative and very Catholic family.

The two men that Kit meets prove that appearances can be deceiving. Michael Dempsey is a clean cut professional and new to the area. Kit is not really interested in dating, but she has a hard time saying no so she agrees to go on a date with him. Kit is quite uncomfortable with some of the things he reveals and she realizes that something is not quite right about Michael.

The other new man in Kit’s life is Jude. He is sexy and mysterious. A bad boy biker type that Kit is drawn to despite the fact that he is nothing at all like anyone she knows. Like many people, Kit is guilty of judging someone based on their appearance, so she quickly dismisses the possibility of any type of relationship with Jude.

Eventually Kit’s personal and professional lives converge and both men play key roles in this part of the storyline. We discover the secrets both men are hiding and Kit learns a lot about herself as the story arc plays out.

The Brennan family remains on the periphery for much of The Good Daughter. While Kit shares many scenes with her parents, most of the interactions with sisters Meg, Sarah and Brianna are mainly on the telephone. Her brother Tommy and his wife Cass are still at an impasse in their struggle with infertility. Brianna is dealing with a health issue of some kind. Neither Brianna and Kit have yet to come to terms with an incident from their childhood.

The Good Daughter is full of deep emotions and some of the scenes moved me to tears. Jane Porter provides Kit with a happily ever after ending, but the remaining unresolved storylines will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next book of the Brennan Sisters trilogy which is scheduled for release later this year.

Click HERE to read my review of The Good Woman .

1 Comment

Filed under Berkely Trade, Brennan Sisters Series, Contemporary, Fiction, Jane Porter, Penguin Publishing, Rated B+, Review, Romance

October 23, 2012 · 3:58 am

Review: Reflected in You by Syliva Day

Title: Reflected in You by Sylvia Day
Crossfire Book Two
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Imprint: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, Romance
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn’t stay away. I didn’t want to. He was my addiction… my every desire… mine.

My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We’d never work. It was too hard, too painful… except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity. We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession…

The Review:

Reflected in You, the second book in Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series starring Eva Tramell and Gideon Cross opens right where Bared to You leaves off. Eva and Gideon are still the same two emotional messes who confuse love with obsession and use sex to avoid working out their problems. But, thankfully, the more I read, I finally began to see some positive changes in Eva’s behavior that left me hopeful that their relationship could be salvaged from the codependent disaster that began in book one.

Both Eva and Gideon are still dealing with their individual insecurities and self-esteem issues. Do either of them need to be in a relationship? No way and especially not with each other. But their explosive passion and need for one another are too powerful to ignore and they heedlessly push on despite their numerous problems.

Eva and Gideon’s relationship is an unhealthy combination of jealousy, anger, control and obsession. There are serious trust issues on both sides. Gideon’s need to know Eva’s every move continues and it is still eerily stalkerish. The jealousy they both experience is compounded by a severe lack of communication. The head games continue on both sides and the angst reaches an all time high.

Sex between Eva and Gideon is still intense and incredibly hot. But Eva and Gideon are equally guilty of using sex to evade probing questions. They also use sex as a weapon and a punishment and as a means to get their own way.

In Reflected in You, we finally see more of the self-assured and self-aware Eva that we were originally introduced to in Bared to You. She recognizes their relationship is unhealthy and she finally begins to stand up to Gideon’s unreasonable demands. She still gives in way more than she should, but at least she acknowledges that Gideon’s behavior is NOT normal or healthy. Eva is no longer content with the bits and pieces that Gideon is willing to share and she finally becomes more insistent that he reveal his secrets to her. And when he won’t? Eva gets up the nerve to take back the control she so willingly relinquished and finds her self-respect.

Gideon continues to frustrate me on so many levels. He is convinced he has all the answers and compromise is not part of his vocabulary. Gideon confuses protection with control and it is just creepy how he continues to keep such close tabs on Eva. So much of his and Eva’s anguish could be avoided if he would just TALK to her. Unfortunately, Gideon is a bit slow on this point, and it takes him FOREVER to finally spill his secrets.

Overall, I liked Reflected in You a whole lot more than I did Bared to You. I am still not sold on the idea that either Eva and Gideon are truly in love and I also have my doubts they are ready for a relationship. But I am happy that they are finally making some kind of progress. Their journey is an exhausting rollercoaster ride that is full of extreme highs and lows and I am hopeful they are working their way to finding some middle ground. Maybe once they achieve that, they really will find the love they are so desperately seeking.

Read my reviews of the other novels in the Crossfire series HERE.

5 Comments

Filed under Berkely Trade, Contemporary, Crossfire Series, Erotic, Penguin Group, Rated B, Reflected in You, Review, Romance

September 4, 2012 · 3:58 am

The Good Woman by Jane Porter

Title: The Good Woman by Jane Porter
Brennan Sisters Series Book One
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Is it possible to leave it all behind?

The firstborn of a large Irish-American family, Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being “the good woman” have taken a toll and though her winery career thrives, Meg feels burned out and empty, and more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband. Lonely and disheartened, she attends the London Wine Fair with her boss, ruggedly handsome vintner, Chad Hallahan. It’s here, alone together in an exotic city, far from “real” life, that Chad confesses his long-standing desire for Meg.

Overwhelmed, flattered, and desperately confused, Meg returns home, only to suddenly question every choice she’s ever made, especially that of her marriage. For Meg, something’s got to give, and for once in her life she flees her responsibilities—but with consequences as reckless and irreversible as they are liberating. Now she must decide whether being the person everyone needs is worth losing the woman she was meant to be.

The Review:

The Good Woman by Jane Porter is a captivating novel about the complexities of sibling and marital relationships. This first book in a series about a large, close-knit Irish Catholic family details Meg Roberts’ complicated yet loving relationships with her sisters. It is also a compelling story about her unhappiness with her marriage and her unexpected attraction to her sexy boss Chad.

The oldest of the Brennan children, Meg is the responsible one. She holds herself to high standards and the stress of always being perfect is wearing thin. She is overwhelmed by the demands of a busy life as a working wife and mother who works a “second shift” at home taking care of their children and household chores. After seventeen years of marriage, she is feeling neglected, overlooked and underappreciated by her husband Jack.

Another source of contention for Meg is her close but complex relationships with her family. The annual Brennan women’s retreat is anything but peaceful as each of the women is experiencing their own personal crises. Sarah, married to a major league ballplayer, is dealing with her insecurities in the aftermath of her husband’s affair. Kit is tired of waiting for her boyfriend of ten years to propose. Kit’s fraternal twin sister, Brianna is hypercritical of Meg, rude and sometimes downright hateful. Sister-in-law Cass and brother Tommy are struggling with infertility. But the news that devastates the family is the fact that their mother’s cancer has returned.

I think there are many women who will be able to relate to Meg and some of what she is going through. Busy, hectic lives keep us frantically trying to keep up with our kid’s various activities. It is easy to become complacent in long term relationships. Communication between partners fails when resentment builds. The dynamics between adult siblings are oftentimes mired down by long held rivalries and disagreements.

The Good Woman is an incredibly realistic novel that is heartbreaking and poignant. It is an accurate depiction of both the good and bad that comes with family life. Jane Porter takes her characters and her readers on an emotional journey that is full of surprising twists and turns.

An excellent first installment in a promising new series that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend. I am greatly anticipating The Good Daughter, the next novel in the Brennan Sisters trilogy.

5 Comments

Filed under Berkely Trade, Brennan Sisters Series, Contemporary, Fiction, Jane Porter, Penguin Group, Rated B+, The Good Woman

January 10, 2012 · 3:57 am

A Promise of Sakekeeping by Lisa Dale

Title: A Promise of Safekeeping by Lisa Dale
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Trade
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A beautiful new tale of redemption from the author of Slow Dancing on Price’s Pier

Nine years ago, Lauren Matthews prosecuted the case of a lifetime. But her error in judgment sent an innocent man to prison for a long time. Now Arlen Fieldstone has finally been released, and Lauren has only one thing on her mind: asking forgiveness. How can she make up for nine years of his life?

To get to Arlen, Lauren must first get through Arlen’s best friend, Will Farris. Will hasn’t forgotten Lauren from those days, and he hasn’t forgiven her for destroying his best friend’s life. He is Arlen’s keeper, protecting him from suspicious neighbors as well as from Lauren.

In the steaming summer streets of Richmond, Virginia, three people’s lives collide. Lauren needs forgiveness. Arlen needs hope. And Will? He needs something too, something that no one can know-especially not Lauren…

The Review:

Lisa Dale’s A Promise of Safekeeping is a thought provoking novel about forgiveness, friendship and love. The realization that she sent an innocent man to prison shakes Lauren Matthews’ confidence and takes her on a life altering journey.

A Promise of Safekeeping is a compelling character driven novel. Lauren Matthews is an ambitious woman with a highly successful career. She is close to her brother Jonah and her niece Dakota. Her relationship with her parents is loving yet complicated. Her compulsion to apologize to Arlen Fieldstone for his wrongful conviction leads Lauren to rethink her priorities and career goals. And her relationship with Arlen’s best friend Will Farris further complicates the decisions facing her.

Will Farris is a complex character with many different layers. Deeply loyal to Arlen, Will never doubted his innocence and provides him with a home after his release from prison. Their close childhood friendship binds these two men together and Will is extremely protective of Arlen. Underneath Will’s dislike of Lauren is a strong attraction that he finds impossible to resist. Thrown together as Lauren tries to apologize to Arlen, Will and Lauren grow closer as they discover one another’s secrets.

Arlen Fieldstone is a victim of injustice yet he is not as jaded and prison hardened as one might think. While he is resentful of Lauren and her role in his incarceration, there is a hopefulness to his character as he tries to integrate back into society. I like that he does not play the victim nor does he want charity. He wants to earn what he receives and make a difference in other people’s lives.

A Promise of Safekeeping is a moving novel of self-discovery, redemption and second chances. It is an emotional read with multi-faceted characters and a realistic storyline. Full of twists and turns and startling revelations, Lisa Dale keeps her readers on the edge of their seats until A Promise of Safekeeping reaches its exciting conclusion.

7 Comments

Filed under A Promise of Safekeeping, Berkely Trade, Contemporary, Fiction, Lisa Dale, Penguin Group, Rated B, Romance