Private Lessons by Julie Elizabeth Leto

Harley’s lost her mind. She can’t remember anything about her past, not even her last name. All she knows is that she was the entertainment for a bachelor party. The host of the bachelor party, Grant Riordan fell in love with the young lady from the moment he saw her and wondered why someone with such innocent eyes was earning a living by taking her close for horny men. While Harley thought Grant was hot, his actions were much more of a stuffed shirt than the kind of man a stripper would like. When Grant’s boss reminds him that his predecessor was fired for living a loose lifestyle, he’s forced to choose between his job which he so desperately needed or helping the sexy young thing recover her memory.

Unlike the other three books of this set, this is Julie’s second book. But from the quality of the writing, it could have been her tenth . I really liked the way Julie blended the elements of suspense with Harley’s amnesia to create a tale that you just can’t put down. If you haven’t read this story and you love Temptations, here’s another chance to relive the line that Harlequin shouldn’t have killed.

Details: Temptation, February 1999

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

A Fare To Remember by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Julie Elizabeth Leto, Kate Hoffmann

Can a New York cab driver also find your perfect mate? Mario Capelli believes he can. He takes pride in his ability to find the right person for some of his favorite fares, while he himself grows closer to his own special person, Iris.

In Just Whistle by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Hannah Robertson arrives in New York from the mid-west with a plan to break into the publishing business. Mario believes she needs a little help and Zachary Evans should have the right the contacts though his investment company. His plan also had the advantage that Hannah might help Zachary solve his own set of problems.

In Driven to Distraction, Julie Elizabeth Leto tells the tale of how Rachael Marlowe works with Mario to find out the truth about her lover, Roman Brach. But little did Rachael know that Roman was involved with some sort of secret organization – but was the organization working for good or evil?

Kate Hoffmann Taken For A Ride follows Sabina Amanar as she tries to save her grandmother’s apartment building from the clutches of the, Alec Harnett who plans to tear down her building in order to create yet another highrise. But Sabina finds it hard to stand firm, when she finds herself falling for the handsome real estate developer.

All three stories were interesting. Vicki’s and Julie’s stories had more of a Blaze feel than Kate’s, but all three were definitely worth reading. Julie’s is a special treat because her story includes a deadly assassin named Domino Black, who stars in her August Extreme Blaze. This is definitely a good summer read, especially if you like happy endings.

Details: Signature Select, July 2006

Bottom line: A very good book

The Domino Effect by Julie Elizabeth Leto

Domino Black has been trained by the government to kill people in order to preserve national security. Normally, she just shows up and carries out her assignment as directed, but this time was different. She needed to extract information from her assignment using any means possible, including sex, in order to determine his guilt. Then once his guilt has been established, she can carry out her assignment. But Domino made a fatal mistake – she fell in love.

The second Extreme Blaze is an interesting contrast to the first. While the first has a science fiction theme underpinning the story, this book was set in the shadowy world of secret government espionage. However like the first one, this story was extremely fast paced and the sex was definitely high energy. Also like the first one, this book left the characters in a situation where a happily ever after was impossible, though the book does find a way to insure the hero and heroine get their happily ever after. This book may not be for everyone, but I know I enjoyed it. If you liked the first Extreme Blaze, I’m certain you’ll like this one too.

Details: Blaze #272, August 2006

Bottom line: A great book

Boys of Summer by Julie Elizabeth Leto, Kimberly Raye and Leslie Kelly

All three stories are set in Louisville Kentucky, the home of one of the hottest Major League Baseball teams, the Slammers. Unfortunately a bad business deal may force the team to leave Louisville, which will really hurt the three businesses run by the three heroines that are closely coupled to the team. With the impending doom, each of the three young ladies vows to have one last fling before their world collapses around them.

In Fever Pitch by Julie Elizabeth Leto, Callie Andrews runs a high end restaurant that she created using the money from her divorce from the Slammer’s owner, Donovan Ross. But while Callie has put the divorce behind her, Donovan hasn’t. But when Callie offers Donovan, a safe place to stay after he’s attacked by some fans, who knows where things could lead.

In The Sweet Spot by Kimberly Raye, Babe Bannister runs a busy ice cream parlor featuring tempting dishes named after famous players. But when she sets her sights on the hunky shortstop, Brodie Jessup, the team’s coach stops the play. Babe is furious and turns her attention to Brodie, who’s more than willing to save her for himself.

In Sliding Home by Leslie Kelly, Janie Nolan runs her brother’s sports memorabilia store, while he’s serving in the national guard. Though Janie would much rather be working in a “community for the enlightened years”, with folks like her grandmother and her grandmother's boyfriend who often helps her identify valuable merchandise. Unfortunately, her grandmother’s boyfriend turns out to be Riley Kelleher, the team’s star pitcher, grandfather. Janie finds herself attracted to the hot looking player, and now she’s afraid that Riley is going to make a move and even more afraid that he won’t.

Three hot authors. Three hot stories. ‘nuff said.

Details: Blaze #264, July 2006

Bottom line: A very good book