Touch of Crimson-Sylvia Day

Touch of Crimson


Sylvia Day

Signet, Oct 4 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451234995



In Phoenix, Seraphim Sentinel leader Adrian Mitchell is stunned when Jason Taylor informs him that second in command Phineas died from a vampire ambush. Adrian finds problems with the scenario as described since one of Phineas’’ werewolf dogs survived and know one detected a vamp in the area.



At the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Lindsay Gibson notices Adrian as he does her. She is confused with her instant attraction to the CEO of Mitchell Aeronautics while he understands their need. He knows she possesses the soul of his beloved Nephilim Shadoe who he has watched die several times over the centuries. Vowing not this time, he plans to keep his soulmate safe from her Fallen father the vampire. At the same time all hell has broken loose as someone has discovered a dangerous bloody connection between the Sentinel, their bitter Lycan foot soldiers and the Fallen watchers.



This entertaining urban romantic fantasy contains a heated reincarnation love story that grips the audience with its fervor between two intriguing protagonists with quite a history and DNA. However, the overarching theme of the enforcement war between Seraphim and their Fallen former angelic brothers never fully comes across although the plight of the angry Lycan on the verge of rebelling anchors a fascinating spin in which the good guys use a volunteer group of the Fallen as expendables. Overall the first Renegade Angels tale is an exciting thriller.



Harriet Klausner

Visions of Skyfire-Regan Hastings

Visions of Skyfire


Regan Hastings

Signet, Oct 4 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451234971



Teresa Santiago has spent most of her life training to use her elemental powers. She feels almost ready though she is still somewhat fearful as she works with lightning in the desert near Sedona, Arizona. Like others in her coven, the recent Awakening by dormant witches has led to social and political crisis with those seeking power demanding incarceration camps of even American citizens (see Visions of Magic). She also knows who her destined mate is.



Although Teresa knows of Rune, she is stunned by her attraction to him; he likewise shares her desires. As they fall in love, government agents continue their patriotic acts to imprison American citizen witches. While eluding the Feds, at the same the duo must locate and control an artifact capable of biblical levels of mass devastation.



The second Awakening urban fantasy continues the powerful cautionary premise of "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Benjamin Franklin). The burning of the Bill of Rights when it comes to witches makes for an enlightening tale; while the quest for the dangerous artifact enhances the overall excitement. With a strong lead couple and deep secondary characters, Visions of Skyfire contains a profound message (think of Japanese-Americans sent to camps during WWII), as Regan Hastings provides a poignant warning wrapped inside a super, fast-paced thriller.



Harriet Klausner

Falling Together-Marisa de los Santos

Falling Together


Marisa de los Santos

Morrow, Oct 4 2011, $25.99

ISBN: 9780061670879



Will, Cat and Pen became friends over Beowulf at college. They remained BFFs throughout their undergraduate years, but their friendship ended when Cat married her long term boyfriend Jason; who Will and Pen loathed. As they graduated, the trio agreed to never contact one another ever again.



Six years later, Cat emails her two former BFFs pleading with them to attend the college reunion so they can see one another. Unable to resist, Pen accompanied by her five years old daughter Augusta and Will go to the reunion to see Cat. Both are stunned with what awaits them at the reunion and beyond.



This is a terrific character study that deftly changes into an engaging mystery. The cast is extremely well developed and not just the lead trio as the support players bring plenty of oomph to the plot. Readers will want to travel with the three protagonists on a journey of awakening even though the walk down the Yellowbrick Road is too long and straightforward; as the trio and fans learn not all that glitters is gold and some that does not glitter is golden.



Harriet Klausner

Wishes and Stitches-Rachael Herron

Wishes and Stitches


Rachael Herron

Morrow, Oct 11 2011, $13.99

ISBN: 9780061841323



Home to her late friend knitting expert Eliza Carpenter, Dr. Naomi Fontaine comes to Cypress Hollow, California to practice medicine. However, no matter how hard she tries, she remains the outsider. Her loneliness is accentuated whenever her mom calls; this time the topic being her little sister Anna calling and asking for money. Eliza tells her about her new life, but mom only gets excited when she assumes her daughter has a date, which she does not.



A SUV hits a boy dashing into the street. Milo’s Uncle Rig checks to see if he is okay while Naomi asks him let her examine the child. He informs Naomi that Pederson the lead in their practice just added him as the third partner without telling her. Naomi and Eliza had one incredible night in Portland at a medical convention, the only time in her life that she broke the rules of her rigid adherence. Now they must work together ignoring a strong attraction as he fears relationships after watching what happened to his brother and she fears relationships after her father died whens he was a teen.



The return to Cypress Hollow (see How to Knit a Love Song and How to Knit a Heart Back Home) is a warm charming contemporary medical romance as neither doctor has a prescription to cure the love blues. With a nod to knitting and a strong support cast including their respective families and the locals, readers will enjoy the tale of two physicians in denial.



Harriet Klausner

Heartstrings and Diamond Rings-Jane Graves

Heartstrings and Diamond Rings


Jane Graves

Forever, Oct 1 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780446568487



Brandon Scott watched his real estate business collapse with the burst of the housing bubble. He has no capital available except what he inherited from his late grandma in Plano, Texas. To keep her house in order to sell it, he must reside there for six months. So he decides to also run her matchmaking business for six months to obtain some income in order to return to the housing market and selling his grandmother’s business, Matchmaking by Rochelle. Brandon assumes running a matchmaking firm is a deal maker like in real estate. He figures finding six matches for a client at three hundred dollars a match cannot be to difficult.



Alison Carter’s BFF suggests she try Rochelle as she has gone out with a who’s who of Texas losers. She tries Rochelle, but Brandon’s first attempt is just like her failures on her own. His next effort is not much better, but she proves to have great acumen in finding matches for others. As Brandon reconsiders fleeing Plano, he looks in a mirror and realizes staring back at him is the perfect match for Alison, but she may not agree with his assessment.



Heartstrings and Diamond Rings is another warm jocular contemporary romance starring two likable protagonists with different goals in mind until love unites their diverse objectives. The breezy story line is fast-paced with a strong eccentric support cast, especially her dates and his clients, enhancing the entreating tale of a man changing his priorities after learning what matters and a woman finding self esteem when she modifies her priorities.



Harriet Klausner

Home Sweet Home-Bella Riley

Home Sweet Home


Bella Riley

Forever, Oct 1 2011, $5.99

ISBN: 9780446584210



A decade ago, Andi Powell left Emerald Lake, New York to move to the Big Apple. She has come home for short visits to family over the ten years she has lived in New York City. However, one year ago her father suddenly died stunning the still grieving Andi who glued a smile on her face everyday she entered the office of the Klein Group where she works.



She has driven the five hours two hundred miles to sell a Klein Group proposal to construct condos in Emerald Lake for affluent Manhattanites. Andi’s beloved grandma Evelyn opposes tearing down the magical old carousel. The boy she once loved, Mayor Nate Duncan is for condos but not at that historical location. Nate remains bitter towards the woman he loved and needed who broke his heart when she did her solo dream pursuit. Andi realizes she never stopped loving him and begins to reconsider what matters in life as she has a secret to reveal either to those she loves or her employers.



The first Emerald Lake contemporary romance is a charming second chance at love tale. The lead couple is super as he tests the woman he loves while she struggles with her priorities; the support cast is solid although the small-town life is made too magical vs. urban avarice. Still readers will appreciate the profound debate between preservationists and developers as economics is the root of all arguments.



Harriet Klausner

Three-Day Town-Margaret Maron

Three-Day Town


Margaret Maron

Grand Central, Nov 21 2011, $25.99

ISBN: 9780446555784



They were life long friends, but last year out of the blue Colleton County Sheriff’s Deputy Dwight Bryant proposed to North Carolina Judge Deborah Knott. She accepted in what she thought would be a marriage of convenience between two older people. Instead love adds passion to their dependable relationship.



Married for one year, the judge and the deputy take Amtrak to New York on a belated honeymoon. The couple is staying at an Upper West Side Apartment belonging to his sister-in-law Kate. Deborah also has a special bronze sculpture small enough to place in Dwight’s bag as a gift from dying Jane Lattimore to her daughter photojournalist Anne Lattimore Harald. Anne’s husband NYPD Lieutenant Sigrid Harald swings by to pick it up as a party is in swing in the apartment next to the one the honeymooners are staying in. When Sigrid and Deborah enter Kate’s apartment, they find the corpse of Sidney the super on the balcony and the sculpture missing. Unable to resist Deborah and Dwight assist Sigrid on the investigation.



The latest Deborah Knott whodunit (see Christmas Mourning) is a delightful refreshing tale as the North Carolina couple finds their Manhattan honeymoon interrupted by murder and robbery. The mystery is clever with roots to 1942; while part of the fun is the lofty attitude of urbane New Yorkers to the country bumpkins as the sophisticated urbanites assume that the entire South lacks six degrees of separation. Fans will enjoy this fine entry enhanced by Margaret Maron having Sigrid (see in Past Imperfect and Fugitive Colors) as the lead investigator.



Harriet Klausner