The Cat’s Fancy by Julie Kenner

Maggie persuades her mentor to temporarily release her from her cat’s body because she fell in love with her human. Nick Goodman is shocked to find a naked woman standing outside his door, especially when she appears to have no past and wants nothing more than to share his bed. While Maggie was certain Nick loved her, she never realized that Nick already was engaged to be married. Now can Nick come to his senses and dump his fiancé before Maggie runs out of time?

Julie created a very cute story with a number of other characters including a secondary romance. Her humor pops throughout the story and is a joy to read. If you believe that cats own a house and merely let the humans live in it, I know you’ll love this story.

Score: Great

Details: Love Spell, August 2000

California Demon by Julie Kenner

Like any other soccer mom, Kate Conner wants only the best for her daughter. So when she learns a demon has invaded her daughter’s high school with a scheme to wreak havoc on Earth, the retired demon hunter takes action. Unfortunately, Kate has to balance her search for the demons with her husband’s political aspirations, her daughter’s first crush and various attacks on her life. Assuming she lives long enough, will Kate unravel the demon’s plot in time to stop him, or will the world suffer the consequences?

This book combines Julie's brand of paranormal humor and her somwhat offbeat characters to create a great story. However, there are two flaws to this book. First, it’s only available in trade format, which I hate because of the extra weight and the price premium (however if you’re patient, this book will be released in paperback in June 2007 ). The second is that the ending of this book leaves a key story element open, which means I can’t wait for the next book in the series (due out in July 2007 ). While this book stands by itself, you really should read the first story in the series, Carpe Demon, in order to understand Kate’s recent history. If you love paranormal stories and chick-lit, this book is a must read.

Score: Great

Details: Berkley, June 2006

Dashing through the Mall by Sherryl Woods, Darlene Gardner, and Holly Jacobs

A trip to the mall on Christmas Eve brings happiness to six people that otherwise would have spent Christmas Day alone.

In Santa, Baby by Sherryl Woods, Amy Riley’s first Christmas after her divorce was going to be rough on her and her two children. To keep things normal, Amy decided to stick with their annual Christmas tradition and visit Santa on Christmas Eve. But when her five year old wanders off, she turns to the one person that can truly help her, Santa Claus.

In Assignment Humbug by Darlene Gardner, Joy O’Connell finds herself alone in a strange town on Christmas Eve. To make matters worse, some of her key employees call in sick. So in addition to running her branch of the mall’s largest department store, she finds herself stuck with helping a father and his three sons do their Christmas shopping. Will the father and sons help her rediscover the true meaning of Christmas?

In Deck the Halls by Holly Jacobs, Merry Deluca’s ex-fiancé, Patrick MacFarland, shows up to help her film a spot for her TV news show. She had the perfect plan: show her viewers that Christmas has grown too commercial for her report by interviewing disgruntled shoppers at the mall. Everything was going fine until Pat decides to rewrite the script.

Score: Very Good

Details: Harlequin Romance, November 2006

Dangerous Lover by Maggie Shayne

When Selene Brand cast a spell to find the love of her life, she never believed he’d literally fall at her feet. Bleeding and near death, her mysterious stranger, Selene brings him back to life with the help of a healing spell and a call to 911. Unfortunately, Selene learned three things about her new lover that evening. One, he lost his memory and can’t remember who his is. Two, someone wants him dead. And three, the police think she is the killer. Now they’re both on the run, trying to stay alive long enough for mystery man to recover his memory and capture the real killers.

I loved the way that Maggie developed the characters and the way Selene slowly helped her soon-to-be lover to regain his memory. There was also a lot of depth in the story as it had a lot more secondary characters than I had expected to see. A great book by a great author. I’m planning on reading more Maggie Shayne books in the future.

Score: Great

Details: Intimate Moments #1443, December 2006 (The Oklahoma All-Girl Brands)

Secret Santa by Janelle Denison, Isabel Sharpe, and Jennifer LaBrecque

It’s Christmas time at Connoisseur Magazine where hundreds of workers are ready to celebrate Christmas. Each department in the magazine has its own secret Santa gift exchange where three lucky women will open the gift of a lifetime.

In He’d Better Watch Out! by Janelle Denison, Amanda Creighton gets advice from two imaginary advisers, Devilish Desiree and Angelic Angie regarding the gift she should get for the office hottie, Christian Miller.

In The Nights Before Christmas by Isabel Sharpe, Cathy Ann Johnson receives a special gift from her secret Santa, but when she drops by to show her appreciation, but afterward she learns that she thanked the wrong Santa.

In Mistletoe Madness, by Jennifer LaBrecque, Tatiana Allen finds herself forced to play secret Santa to Cole Mitchell, her arch rival plus learns that she has four days to review four restaurants with him too. Now can Tatiana save herself or will she find herself trapped under the mistletoe with Cole?

With three steamy romances by three talented authors, this Blaze is a very nice Christmas present from the editors and writers at Harlequin. Read it and enjoy

Score: Very good

Details: Blaze #292, December 2006

Cowboy Vet by Pamela Britton

Jessie Monroe is a girl with a past – a past that placed herself at odds with her high school crush, Rand Sheppard. Rand wanted nothing to do with Jessie, but found himself in need of a vet tech and the only qualified person he could find was Jessie. But while Rand knew he should be angry with Jessie for the things she did years ago, he can’t help but see something very attractive in her eyes. Now Rand isn’t sure what to do about Jessie’s history, but will Jessie solve his problem by leaving forever?

My first American Romance is not what I had expected. Pamela did an excellent job crafting a story that made you want to unravel Jessie's past. The characters also had more depth than I would have expected for this line. I was surprised to find some sex in this book (watch out FF :) ). While the sex wasn’t at the same level of detail or intensity as you’d see in a Blaze, it seemed to fit well the story. Now I’ve need to try to find some of Pamela’s older American Romances and I just might have to try a few other stories in that line too.

Score: Great

Details: American Romance #1143, December 2006

Beyond The Limit by Lindsay McKenna

Major Pete Trayhern’s newest assignment is to build a power plant near the Afghanistan mountains. While the Marines have prepared him to overcome challenges such as the desert climate and problems with the Taliban, nothing has prepared him for his site project engineer, Calandra Roland. Cali has proven herself in several major construction projects in the Middle East and is ready for her next challenge, but the electricity between Pete and herself may prove to be their undoing. The only option open to Pete and Cali is to be strictly professional. But when the danger surrounding them escalates, can Pete and Cali stay professional or will their feelings for each other betray them?

The slow pace to this book leaves Lindsay to fully develop the characters and their feelings for each other. I spent half of the book screaming at the characters to speak what’s on mind so they could get together. But without the simmer of the first half, you wouldn’t have had the emotionally charged second half. Not every book affects me the way this one did. I hope it does the same for you too.

Score: Great

Details: HQN, December 2006

The Mighty Quinns: Declan by Kate Hoffmann

Someone is stalking Dr. Rachel Merrell, who is better known to her radio listeners as Dr. Lillian Devine. The threatening letters force the radio station to hire Declan Quinn’s private security firm to keep her safe. From the moment Rachel and Declan meet, sparks fly and soon Declan wonders who’s going to protect Rachel from him. But when the threats escalate, Declan is forced to hide Rachel somewhere private, but their mutual attraction may prove to be their undoing.

The final book in the Mighty Quinn series features the middle brother Declan and is just as spicy as the other novels in this series. Kate did a good job at crafting the mystery of the stalker, while creating interesting characters at the heart of the story. I found it a real pleasure reading this book.

Details: Blaze #291, December 2006

Score: Great

The Mighty Quinns: Ian by Kate Hoffmann

Marisol Arantes is new to Bonnett Harbor and has already set Police Chief Ian Quinn’s siren wailing when she displays her explicit artwork in the window of her new boutique. Instead of convincing her to hide the artwork, Marisol convinces Ian to pose nude for a new painting despite Ian’s bet with his brothers to remain celibate. But little did Ian realize that Marisol is mixed up in an even bigger mystery, one that could land her in jail or even worse. Now Ian must find a way to protect his lover or he’ll lose her forever.

Another hot Blaze, featuring the oldest of the Quinn brothers. I loved Marisol and her adventurous style, especially her aversion to underwear ;) . I also enjoyed the way Ian managed to find a way to solve the mystery and save the day. This is a cute adventure, filled with all the sex that made Blaze popular. If you love reading about the Irish brothers, you’ll love this book.

Details: Blaze #285, November 2006

Score: Great

With His Touch by Dawn Atkins

Sugar Thompson owns Spice It Up, a sex resort, with her partner Gage Maguire. While Sugar feels it’s franchise the business, Gage is reluctant. However, Sugar convinces Gage to consider the idea. So they pose as clients to study the marketing benefits of the resort, and end up sharing the hottest sex they’ve ever experienced. Unable to talk Sugar out of franchising the business, Gage prepares to leave the company. Now it’s up to Sugar to convince Gage to stay.

Dawn creates another spicy romp with a hot adventurous couple, whose relationship is filled of conflicts. You’re certain that they can’t stay together at the same time, you know they can’t bear to part ways. A nice beginning to the Doing It…Better series. If you’re looking for a traditional Blaze with filled with steamy sex, you’ve found the right book.

Details: Blaze #294, December 2006

Bottom line: A great book

The Secret Life of Mrs. Claus by Carly Alexander

In the Nutcracker, Olivia Todd returns to Baltimore to recover after breaking her ankle. Forced to quit dancing with the Rockettes, she takes a job as Mrs. Claus in Rossman’s Department Store. Then she learns that her ex-boyfriend also returned to Baltimore and is filming film a new TV show, who’s lead character is obnoxious and nasty and also just happens to be based on Olivia. Everywhere she goes, people treat her the same way that her TV character treats others. Now can Olivia survive her ex and the problems he caused and return to her dream job of dancing with the Rockettes?

In Christmas Mouse, Cassie Derringer deals with single motherhood as she tries to provide the best possible life for her son after leaving the child’s father. Leaving the child’s father meant giving up her job as a set designer for his TV show. Forced to look elsewhere for employment, she takes a job at Rossman’s Department Store as a window dresser. However, cutbacks in the store means that she also has to take on the job of Mrs. Claus. Now can Cassie and her son survive their first Christmas season without a man in their lives?

In Miracle on the Magnificent Mile, Meredith tries to assert her right to take her parents place on Rossman’s board of directors. However, the board feels that she’s too young and thinks she needs more hands-on retail experience. So Meredith finds herself in the toy department playing Mrs. Claus, while trying to earn the board’s respect. Unfortunately Meredith hasn’t believed in Christmas, since her parents died on Christmas Day, two years ago. Now can Meredith overcome her parent’s deaths to find the true meaning of Christmas?

While the cover leads to you to believe that this is a single story, it is really three short stories that revolve around three different women who play Mrs. Claus in a department store. The heroines eventually connect with a guy in all three stories, but the guy generally plays a minor role in the story so it’s hard for me to think of these stories as true romances. Not realizing that the book contains three stories, hurt the first story as I was just starting to like Olivia, when the story abruptly ended. But I have to admire the extreme level of detail Carly used when painting the picture of Baltimore City. Cassie’s story is cute, but mostly because of her son. My favorite story of the three is Meredith’s because it was closer to a romance story than the other two. If you love Carly Alexander, I think you’ll love this book. But if you’re looking for a more typical romance novel, I think you should look elsewhere.

Details: Kensington, October 06

Bottom line: A pretty good book

Bad Influence by Kristin Hardy

Paige Favreau rushed to her grandfather’s side the moment she heard he was hurt in an auto accident. At the hospital she met bad boy, Zach Reed who was waiting for his grandmother. Little did Paige know that Zach’s grandmother lived next door to her grandfather and that her grandfather’s accident involved Zach’s grandmother. Soon Paige finds herself in the middle of the grandparents’ feud and wishing that she was in the middle of Zach’s arms. Now it’s up to Paige to make her wish come true.

In the first of the final three stories from Kristin’s Sex and the Supper Club, we find an unlikely couple – a conservative interior designer who’s comfortable with her current life and a free wheeling musician, who’s struggling with his career. Both characters are rich and full of depth. I enjoyed how she worked in some of the other characters from the supper club into the story. Definitely worth reading.

Details: Blaze #295, December 2006

Bottom line: A great book

Taste of Temptation by Carrie Alexander

Zoe Aberdeen’s looking for the story behind the lust potion. But when she can’t get any information from the police labs through normal channels, she turns to her nerdy neighbor, Donovan Shane who just happens to work in the police lab. While Shane has been feuding with his neighbor since she moved in, he feels bad about turning her down, so he decides to do a little testing. Unfortunately, the tests are inconclusive until he gets a taste of the potion. Then he finds himself working closely with Zoe to solve the mystery behind Lust Potion #9.

Nerds rule! :D While Shane is a pretty good nerd, I don’t think Zoe is the reformed Paris Hilton-like character the story makes her out to be. The story is full of twists and turns that are completely unexpected. All in all, Carrie created a fitting conclusion to the series and one I recommend to all Blaze readers.

Score:Great

Details: Blaze #296, December 2006

It’s a Wonderfully Sexy Life by Hope Tarr

Officer Mandy Delinski got stuck with guard duty at a Christmas Eve party. The only good thing about the duty was meeting the bartender, Josh Thornton. After the party they spent some time at a coffee shop, but Mandy declined Josh’s invitation to spend the night. The next day, she saw Josh again – in the morgue. She struggled through the next few days wondering what would have happend if she went home with him. But when a New Year’s Eve wish returns her to Christmas Eve, Mandy finds she has a second chance. Now will Mandy choose to relive that week again or will she try to change her future?

After three Extreme Blazes, I’m still confused. This book doesn’t have the same intensity that the first two had, though it does have a bit of a paranormal plot like the first one. While I may be confused about what constitutes an Extreme Blaze, I’m not confused about the story. I loved it. The characters were interesting and I liked Mandy’s efforts to solve the mystery behind Josh’s first death. I highly recommend this book.

Details: Blaze #293, December 2006

Bottom line: A great book

Must Love Mistletoe by Christie Ridgway

Bailey Sullivan hates the family Christmas store. So when she left home for LA years ago, she never wanted to see another Christmas item for the rest of her life. But when her parents have a fight just before Christmas and refuse to work at the store, Bailey makes the ultimate sacrifice and returns to run the store just to keep her parent’s business afloat. Unfortunately she didn’t count on the bad boy/high school sweetheart, Finn Jacobson, visiting his grandmother next door. Despite the sparks flying between her and Finn, Bailey knows she needs to leave this place before she gets stuck and can’t leave. Still she just can't resist visiting the past. Will Bailey return to LA or will she decide to stick around and enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

This book started out pretty rough for me. I suspect it had something to do with word choice, as it just felt awkward. On the other hand, the plot good and the characters were interesting. Still, I was two thirds of the way through the book before I started to enjoy it. Since it’s quite possible that I just wasn’t in tune with the story, I’d like to hear from anyone else that may have read it.

Details: Avon, December 2006

Bottom line: A pretty good book

Santa Baby by Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster, and Carly Phillips

In Hot Toy by Jennifer Crusie, Trudy Maxwell finds herself looking for the hottest toy for her nephew on Christmas Eve. Unable to find it, she starts dumping toys from the shelves hoping that someone put it on the wrong shelf. But when she finds last year’s version, two men offer to buy it from her for big bucks. When she refuses to sell, the two men drag her into a dangerous adventure and force her to choose sides. Now Trudy must decide which man is telling the truth or she may lose more than her nephew’s toy.

In Christmas Bonus by Lori Foster, Maggie Carmichael finds herself in charge of her father’s company after his death. Eric Bragg is in love with Maggie even though she’s ten years his junior and the president of the company, but he ignores her because he doesn’t want her to think he’s only after her for the money. Now it’s up to Maggie to make the first move and a sprig of Mistletoe might be just the answer she’s looking for.

In Naughty Under the Mistletoe by Carly Phillips, Antonia Larson decides to go after the hunky partner in the law firm where she works and arranges to meet him under the mistletoe. Maxwell Corbin shows up at the Christmas party because his father and brother insisted, but when a mysterious stranger gives him the kiss of the lifetime, he can’t help but wonder if the kiss was intended for his brother. Now that Toni knows that Maxwell isn’t the guy she wanted to seduce, will she let herself be whisked away on the basis of a single kiss?

I can’t believe that Jennifer managed to pack such a powerful story into such a short space, while Lori’s and Carly’s stories manage to pump the heat up as high as you can get. If you’re looking for a set of three intense short stories, bump this book to the top of your stack. You won’t be disappointed.

Details: St. Martins, November 2006

can’t believe that Jennifer managed to pack such a powerful story into such a short space, while Lori’s and Carly’s stories manage to pump the heat up as high as you can get. If you’re looking for a set of three intense short stories, bump this book to the top of your stack. You won’t be disappointed.

Sleeping with the Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson

Dr. Fredrika Bimm loves her job at the New England Aquarium. Swimming in the main tank with the sharks, sea turtles and the fish is like a dream come true for the half human, half mermaid woman – a secret Fred must protect all costs. But a serious problem brings two powerful men into her life: Dr. Thomas Pearson who is a visiting professor specializing in water pollution and Artur, High Prince of the Black Sea, who was ordered by his father the King of the Seas to stop the pollution. Now Fred must find the source of the pollution before the men can breathe a word about her secret, or she’ll end up in her own tank at the museum - as an exhibit.

I loved this story. Fred is a very unique character with a um…, unique personality and a um… unique problem. I liked the fact that Mary Janice created a unique story instead of just another vampire book and I enjoyed the very believable reality she created for Fred. While both guys wanted to drag Fred into bed, but somehow she managed to avoid both of them. The ending leaves everything open so you there’s going to be a sequel. And I can’t wait to read it.

Details: Jove, December 2006

Bottom line: A great book

A NASCAR Holiday by Kimberly Raye, Roxanne St. Claire, Debra Webb

In Ladies, Start Your Engines by Kimberly Raye, Savannah Calloway sets out to help NASCAR Cup driver Mackenzie Briggs win the New Year’s Eve charity race. But Mackenzie sets out to win Savannah’s heart instead. Now can Mackenzie finish first in both races or will Savannah be left on the pits?

In ‘Tis The Silly Season by Roxanne St. Claire, Lisa Mahoney a divorced mother of two is barely making ends meet as a waitress when NASCAR Busch racer Clay Slater hires Lisa to pose as his family at Christmas in order to land a spot with a NASCAR Cup team. But just how far will Lisa go in order to help Clay win?

In Unbreakable by Debra Webb, Dr. Maxine Gray’s research into athletics brings her to a NASCAR Cup team to answer the age old question: “Are race drivers real athletes?” Fortunately she has NASCAR Cup driver Rush Jackson at her disposal. But can Max wrap up her research before Christmas Eve or will she become another member of Rush’s team?

All three stories are very cute and full of emotion. They manage to keep things rated PG with no explicit sex described within. While I know that this is part of the style, I also think a peek inside the bedroom every now and then wouldn’t hurt ;) . The only flaw I found was some of the more esoteric details about the cars and the NASCAR circuit could have benefited from some more research. Unfortunately, Pamela Britton has set the bar very high for all NASCAR books with her devotion to detail. So unless you’re an auto mechanic or uber-NASCAR fan, you probably wouldn’t notice anything. This book is a must buy for anyone who enjoys NASCAR.

Details: HQN, November 2006

Bottom line: A very good book

Hot Dish by Connie Brockway

In the 20 years since Jenn Lind represented Fawn Creek, Minnesota in the Buttercup pageant, she managed to parlay her short lived fame into a nice career in television fueled mostly by her desire for a secure future. Now a brand new television network wants to move her into the big leagues as the next Martha Stewart, but they want her to go back to Fawn Creek as part of its launch. Now Jenn is worried that someone in the town will betray her checkered past and force the network to fire her before her first broadcast. To make things even more complicated, Steve Jaax arrives – a man she’s dreamed about since the Buttercup pageant. Now will Jenn’s dreams disrupt her plans for a secure future, or will they bring her a happiness she hasn’t known since childhood.

This is a cute story dealing with the workings of a small town. While there’s a bit of hokey humor from time to time, it really feels like Connie spent a lot of time as a newcomer in a small town. There's an element of romance to the story, but it's mostly chick-lit as Jenn’s struggles drives the plot forward. All in all, a nice read, especially if you ever lived in a small town.

Details: Signet, November 2006

Bottom line: A very good book

Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie

Fresh from her divorce, Nina Askew is looking forward to living her own life for a change. Instead of living the life that her husband’s job demanded, she has her own job, her own apartment, and she even has her own dog named Fred. Now she finds herself one flight up from Alex Moore, an ER doctor who’s being pressured to conform to his family’s expectations, who’s ten years younger. But can the ER doc bridge the gap between them or will Fred be forced to come to the rescue

Fresh from her divorce, Nina Askew is looking forward to living her own life for a change. Instead of living the life that her husband’s job demanded, she has her own job, her own apartment, and she even has her own dog named Fred. Now she finds herself one flight up from Alex Moore, an ER doctor who’s being pressured to conform to his family’s expectations, who’s ten years younger. But can the ER doc bridge the gap between them or will Fred be forced to come to the rescue

Details: HQN, November 2006

Bottom line: A great book

Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister

Aisling Grey, Guardian in-training, demon lord and mate to Drake, Wyvern of the Green Dragons has a small problem: someone keeps trying to kill her. The attempts are really annoying since Aisling is immortal and can't die unless someone severs her head from her body. Just to make her life complicated, Aisling finds herself in the middle of a dragon war, wanted by imps everywhere because her demon killed their king and in trouble with her fellow Guardians because of her unguardian-like behavior. Challenged on all fronts, Aisling desperately needs Drake’s help, but all Drake wants to do is to spend time in the hot tub, on the rug and occasionally even on the bed. Can Aisling find a way to survive or will she find herself doomed to spend the rest of her life in her personel hell.

This is the third novel in the Aisling Grey series, which documents Aisling’s struggles to become a full fledged Guardian. However the novel is disappointing in that it's focused on creating up situations for future novels to resolve than creating a compelling story. It's not that the story is bad - it isn't, but the lack of resolution really hurts. Fans of the previous books will obviously have this book on the must buy list, though they may want to wait until the next volume is released before reading it.

Details: Signet Eclipse, November 2006

This is the third novel in the Aisling Grey series, which documents Aisling’s struggles to become a full fledged Guardian. However the novel is disappointing in that it's focused on creating up situations for future novels to resolve than creating a compelling story. It's not that the story is bad - it isn't, but the lack of resolution really hurts. Fans of the previous books will obviously have this book on the must buy list, though they may want to wait until the next volume is released before reading it.

Details: Signet Eclipse, November 2006

Bottom line: Pretty good