Danger Zone by Debra Webb

When single mom Jenna Williams arrives to pick up her daughter after soccer practice, she finds someone else has picked her daughter up. Soon she receives a call demanding a million dollars for her safe return. When she protested that an ER nurse doesn’t have that kind of money, the mysterious caller hints that someone from her past does. Buck Buchanan, former NASCAR driver and now team owner can easily arrange to get that kind of money, but at first he thought that Jenna was pulling a scam. However when he sees a picture of Jenna’s daughter, he realizes that she wasn’t just Jenna’s daughter, she was his daughter too. Frustrated that he missed watching his daughter grows up, Buck wonders why he ever let his only true love get away. Assuming that they manage to find their daughter, will Jenna allow Buck into their lives or will she continue to shut him out as she has for the last 12 years.

While I enjoyed this story, it wasn’t as much of a NASCAR story as I would have hoped. Not much effort was put into integrating the characters into the racing lifestyle. Still, it was a great suspense story – one what was difficult to put down. If you love watching old flames reunited to solve a mystery, I’m certain you’ll love this story.

Details: Harlequin NASCAR, February 2007

Excellence Rating: Very Good

Steaminess Factor: Romantic

Thunderstruck by Roxanne St. Claire

Shelby Jackson is finding it hard to for her teams to stay competitive in NASCAR, but, Shelby finds herself confused when Mick Churchill tries to buy the other half of her team. On the one hand Mick could attract the new sponsors her team so desperately needs, on the other, sponsors aren’t the only thing he attracts. Despite her growing attraction to him, Shelby worries that selling out will mean the end of her family owned team. But while it’s critical that Mick owns a race team, it’s equally critical that his reasons behind the purchase stay hidden. But just how far is Mick willing to go to convince Shelby to sell?

This cute story pits a former European soccer star against a southern stockcar lady. But while I loved the story, and the characters, I felt that Mick acted more American than British. Still that doesn’t really detract from the story. I think this is a story that all NASCAR fans would enjoy.

Details: Harlequin NASCAR, February 2007

Excellence Rating: Very Good

Steaminess Factor: Romantic

Valentine’s Day is Killing Me by MaryJanice Davidson, Leslie Esdaile, Susanna Carr

Cuffs and Coffee Breaks by MaryJanice Davidson: Julie Kay About learns the pitfalls of a Valentine’s Day blind date when she shows up at the restaurant, only to find her date being lead away in handcuffs and a dead body lying next to the table.

A “No Drama” Valentine’s by Leslie Esdaile: After a string of bad dates, Jocelyn Jefferson arranges a Valentine’s party for her friends, where no men were allowed. But when her friends choose dates over her company, Jocelyn goes through with her party anyway, only to watch it spin completely out of control landing her in jail.

Valentine Survivor by Susanna Carr: Last year, Shanna Murphy decided she can’t rely on a man to give her what she needs on Valentine’s Day, so she arranges everything herself, just in case she finds the right man before the appointed day.

Valentine’s Day isn’t killing me, this book is (okay, I couldn’t resist). None of the three stories really worked for me. Each story had a different set of problems, either lame characters, incoherent story or just poor writing. Even though the book did have problems, I do plan to give the authors a second chance in the future, as it’s quite possible that they had trouble meeting the theme for this book. But if you haven’t read this book by now, I’d save it for next Valentine’s Day where it may be totally forgotten in your to-be-read pile.

Details: Kensington, January 2007

Excellence Rating: Good

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Speed Dating by Nancy Warren

Giving an acceptance speech to her fellow actuaries made Kendall Clarke extremely nervous, so she was counting on her fiancé to give her the moral support she needed. But with just a few hours left before the meeting, the jerk dumped her for one of her coworkers. Then to make matters worse, she found herself locked out of her room wearing nothing but a Victoria Secret slip. Fortunately she bumped into NASCAR star, Dylan Hargreave, who was expecting an actress to pose as his girlfriend so he could attend his ex-wife’s wedding. Choosing the wedding over the awards ceremony wasn’t the easiest decision for a person who normally avoided risks, but how could Kendall turn down one of People magazine’s 50 Sexiest Men of the Year. Soon Kendall finds herself traveling the NASCAR circuit with Dylan as an extended vacation. But since all vacations must come to an end, Kendall must decide whether to return to the safety of her previous life or stick by the one man she truly loves.

As the middle of February draws near, women look forward to one special day, while men look forward to another. One that’s not celebrated with roses, but gasoline and smoking rubber - the Daytona 500. This year Harlequin is celebrating this holiday with four NASCAR themed novels and if Speed Dating is typical of the books, you’re in for a special treat. Nancy’s novel managed to catch my attention and hold it. It’s one of the few books I’ve read recently I could have finished in a single session (and would have, had not the telephone interrupted my, uh, reading time ). I loved her characters, especially the way she managed to incorporate a real NASCAR hero, Carl Edwards, into her story. The story itself was powerful and funny in all the right places. Kudos to Nancy and I can’t wait ‘till her next NASCAR book in November. If you’re a NASCAR fan (and 40% of NASCAR fans are women), or know a NASCAR fan, this book’s a must.

Details: Temptation, February 2007

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Romantic

Dead and Dateless Sexy by Kimberly Raye

Lil Marchette’s start up business, Dead End Dating, is just starting to become alive. Which is really saying something for a agency that specializes in finding mates for the undead. But Lil has her work cut out for her when a group of lady werewolves looking for the perfect one night stand. Then to make matters more complicated, the police believe she killed one of her clients and has the evidence to prove it. Her only hope to seek help from Ty Bonner, bounty hunter and hunk. But will Ty be able to find the real murder or will Lil die only to never wake up in the morning again.

This sequel to Dead End Dating brings back most of the characters, so rereading Dead End Dating to become reacquainted with the characters might be a good idea. The story is filled with humorous situations and characters with a slightly non-traditional chick-lit heroine. If you love humor with your paranormals, this story definitely for you.

Details: Temptation, January 2007

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Simply Sexy by Carly Phillips

Emma’s matchmaking again. This time her victims are Colin Lyons, a reporter who’s returned to save his father’s newspaper and Rina Lowell, who’s the newspaper’s newest columnist who’s lifestyle column is the talk of the town. Soon, Emma has the couple making sparks. Unfortunately, when the advertisers demand a return to hard news, Rina’s column is first on the chopping block. Now Colin is faced with a choice, watch his father’s newspaper destroy itself and enjoy his new relationship with Rina or save the paper, but lose the love of his life forever?

The last Simply book features characters from the previous novels. Like the rest of the series, Simply Sexy emphasizes characters over the story. But while the idea of Emma working at the newspaper seems to me to be a bit out of character, you can practically feel the steam rolling off the hero and heroine before they even meet. Definitely a hot read and if you love a spicy books, this one should be in your to-be-read pile.

Details: Temptation, December 2002

Excellence Rating: Very good

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Body Heat by Carly Phillips

During the day, Detective Jake Lowell followed the bad guy that messed up his shoulder, and in the evening he usually met his sister at an upscale restaurant. Knowing that Jake had the hots for one waitress in particular, his sister managed to trick the pair into sharing her apartment while she spent the summer in Europe. Brianne Nelson agreed to the offer because she needed the money, while Jake agreed simply because he trusted his sister. Being in the same apartment brought about the sparks that both felt at the restaurant, but the villain had other plans. Now will Jake be able to protect Brianne from harm or will the bad guy use Brianne in order to get to Jake.

While this book doesn’t include Simply in its title, it is part of the Simply series as Jake’s sister is featured in the final story, Simply Sexy. But of the five books, this one is my favorite, due to its combination of great characters plus a strong story. If you decide to read only one story from the Simply series, this is the one you should read.

Details: Temptation, September 2001

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Simply Sensual by Carly Phillips

Grace Montgomery’s grandmother Emma is worried about Grace living alone in the big city, so she hires P.I. Ben Callahan to keep an eye on her. Unfortunately from the moment he saw Grace, Ben struggles to keeps his distance knowing what would happen if he didn’t. Meanwhile Grace goes about her life as normal, except for sneaking a peak at her hot new neighbor whenever she can. When Ben realizes that Grace works in a dangerous part of the city, he decides to take a more active role in her safety. While Grace loves the time she spends with Ben, she also feels a bit stifled as Ben seems to follow her everywhere. Can Ben convince Grace that they belong together before Grace does something she’ll regret forever?

Simply Sensual is the proper successor to the Simply Sinful and Simply Scandalous and continues the chain of characters this time featuring Logan’s younger sister, Grace. Emma plays matchmaker again, and you can feel the steam rising after reading just a few pages. The characters are a work of art and worthy of Carly’s skills as a writer. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Details: Temptation, January 2001

Excellence Rating: Very good

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Simply Scandalous by Carly Phillips

Catherine Luck worked hard to distance herself from the family scandal and catering the Montgomery’s party is the break her new business needed. Despite his father’s best efforts to push Logan Montgomery into the political arena, working in the D.A.’s office is the most rewarding job he can imagine. Knowing that only a major scandal would stop Logan’s father, Emma, Logan’s grandmother, decides to create one by locking Logan and Cat in a closet. Sparks fly and soon Cat and Logan are busy making their own scandal. But when the reporters show up, can Cat find it within her to stick around or will she try to put as much distance between her and the man she loves?

Another spicy read from Carly Phillips and it’s every bit as good as Simply Sinful. Kane and Kayla make guest appearances and this book features Emma, a matchmaking grandmother, who appears in the next two Simply books. All of the characters are deep and draw in deep into the story. If you’re a Carly Phillips fan, this book should be high on your list of priorities.

Details: Temptation, April 2000

Excellence Rating: Very good

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Simply Sinful by Carly Phillips

Since inheriting Charmed from her aunt and uncle a few months ago, Kayla Luck quicly larns that teaching teach ballroom dancing and etiquette, isn't very profitable. When someone complains that Charmed does more than Detective Kane McDermott goes undercover to investigate charges that Charmed may be the cover for a prostitution ring. But when Kane shows up looking for lessons to give him some class, Kayla doesn't understand the instant attraction to her newest student. It took only a single glance for Kane to realize that Kayla is innocent, but he isn’t prepared for what happens when Kayla finds out why he's really there. Now can Kayla manage to forgive Kane for lying to her or is she destined to lose the one man who can make her life complete?

Simply Sinful is an old Temptation that’s been rereleased twice since its original publications. It has a cute premise with plenty of steam. So much steam in fact the story is almost hidden. But Carly’s characters are exceptional and I guarantee you’ll love them. If you missed this book the first two times, you should definitely read it this time around.

If you wish to read each story in the simply series in order, here is the timeframe for each book:

• Simply Sinful, March 2000
• Simply Scandalous, April 2000
• Simply Sensual, January 2001
• Body Heat, September 2001
• Simply Sexy, December 2002

Details: Temptation, March 2000

Excellence Rating: Very good

Steaminess Factor: Yummy

Dirty by Megan Hart

Elle is trying to put her life back together after watching it slide downhill for many years. First she sought comfort with any man who’d have her and now she’s learned to avoid men completely. Then she met Dan. Dan was unique. He didn’t judge her because of her past and didn’t try to control her future. He simply allowed her find herself. Unfortunately for Elle, finding herself was yet another hurdle she wasn’t ready to cross. So can Dan help Elle find her own way or will he end up shattering her life completely?

Spice is one of those lines that I'm trying to understand and when I saw the description of this book, I decided it was time to take another look at Spice. I expected to read an unusual story and Megan delivered. When I finally reached the end of this book, I was sad because I know a lot of people will pass up a such moving story simply because of the raw sex it contains. This book isn’t really about sex, but about learning to cope with the past. If you think you can get past the sex, then I know you’ll enjoy this story.

Details: Spice, January 2007

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Inferno

Untouched by Samantha Hunter

Raised in secret by the CIA, Risa Remington used her superhuman skills to read other people’s thoughts. Six months ago, an accident erased Risa’s abilities and then the CIA cast her aside like a broken piece of equipment. Risa was completely unprepared for life in the real world; she didn’t understand basic concepts like friendship and love. When CIA began to wonder if Risa had really lost her powers, they dispatched Daniel MacAlister to evaluate the situation. Unfortunately, the merest touch by Daniel triggers Risa’s powers for the first time since her accident. Now Daniel must decide where to love Risa or clean up the CIA’s problem – permanently.

This is perhaps Sam’s best book to date. I still don’t have a clear picture of what it takes to earn the Extreme label, as the paranormal aspect of this book ranges from very mild to non-existent. I do know that Sam created some powerful characters, which I’m certain you’ll enjoy when you read this book. The secondary characters also add a lot of charm to the story. If you’re a fan of Sam Hunter, you definitely need to read this book.

Details: Blaze #299, January 2007

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Heat Wave

My Nerdy Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson

The formula for the latest nerd book starts with one psychology student named Amanda Rykowsky whose life consists of work, school and more work. Then it adds one stockbroker named William Sloan, who’s a hunk of the first degree. It combines them with a lady psychologist specializing in extreme sex therapy and a villain who’s idea of romance involves leaving anonymous naughty Valentines, stalking Amanda at work and home, and using sleeping gas as preparation for making love. Then it simmers the mixture using the heat between Amanda and William as William pretends to be her boyfriend to catch the stalker. Assuming that Amanda survives her boss and the stalker, will she choose to make her pretend relationship, permanent?

While the story is a bit slow in the beginning, I loved the way the stalker slowly raised the stakes forcing Amanda and William together for some sizzling times. In many ways, this book reminds me of a classic Blaze only longer. The kind that was published two or three years ago. Though I do think she’s stretching the definition of a nerd to accommodate these characters, however. I’d prefer to see more engineering and computer nerds because after all techie nerds rule!

Details: St. Martins, January 2007

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Heat Wave

Seventh Key by Evelyn Vaughn

Waking up and realizing she and her baby had been kidnapped, Maggi Sanger-Stuart tried to remain calm while her billionaire husband arranged for her release. Maggi learned that Simon Adriano didn’t want her husband’s money, instead he kept her baby as a hostage and ordered her to retrieve some tiles that once belonged to Mary Queen of Scots, along with some more tiles held by some friends of hers. It wasn’t until she found her friends that she learned about Simon’s sinister plans and the modern Marians. Now can Maggi and the Marians succeed in stopping Simon and rescuing his hostages or will the world face its ultimate destruction?

The final story in the Madonna Key series chronicles the final battle between the Marians and the Adrianos. Unlike the other books, all of the heroines from the previous book were present in this story and all played a significant role in the final outcome. It was very interesting watching the women interact, while each kept their own personality traits intact. A challenging task at best and one that can only be pulled off by a great storyteller. My only complaint is that the story ended too quickly, but we can always hope that another Adriano will arise to challenge the Marians The Madonna Key is the Bombshell line at its best. If you haven’t read the collection, I highly recommend it as stories like this are few and far between.

Details: Bombshell #121, January 2007 (The Madonna Key #7)

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Sensual

Warning: Topics depicted in this book may offend members of some religions
Warning: This book deals with graphic violence and death

Veiled Legacy by Jenna Mills

Nadia Bishop looked at herself in a magazine photograph, but the accompanying article described the life and death of someone else. Realizing that the talented photographer was the twin sister she’d been seeking for years, Nadia decided to use her MI-6 training to find twin’s killer. But soon, Nadia discovered her killer was a member of the Adriano family – the same family as her ex- lover. Now can Nadia avoid the Adriano’s wrath and discover her sister’s hidden secrets before the Adriano’s can or will her ex-lover use their former relationship to seal her doom.

The next to last story sets up the final battle between the Marians and the Adriano family and I’m amazed how well Jenna managed to keep me guessing where the story was headed. I enjoyed the powerful scenes between Nadia and her ex-lover and I think you will also. With the suspense building, I can’t wait to see how the saga concludes.

Details: Bombshell #118, December 2006 (The Madonna Key #6)

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Sensual

Warning: Topics depicted in this book may offend members of some religions
Warning: This book deals with graphic violence and death