Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe

Theresa Nichols has been bored with her life ever since she lost the ability to change from her dragon form into that of a woman. Even her new cyber-sex friend Zeke Siccardi, thinks she should get out and have a little fun. Now Theresa is prepared to stop at nothing to regain her human form, even if it means making a deal with the devil.

I liked this story, especially how Theresa makes her deal with the devil, though it’s a little hard to believe some of the devil’s motivations for making the deal. Still it definitely brought a smile to my face and I really enjoyed Stephanie’s quirky sense of humor.

Details: Warner Forever, November 2006

Bottom line: A very good book

Real Women Don’t Wear Size 2 by Kelley St. John

Clarise Robinson's expert advice on clothing had earned her the top sales spot at Eubanks Elegant Apparal. But she would have traded it in a heartbeat to have sex with Ethan Eubanks, her boss. Unfortunately Ethan saw her as a friend and not a potential girlfriend. Clarise knew her body was a few (okay maybe more than a few) sizes larger than most of the skinny model types he usually dated. Her mother called her figure curvaceous, but Clarise knew otherwise. Still, she planned to seduce Ethan at this year’s company retreat, but she wasn’t sure that Ethan would even be interested. Now, will Calrise have the courage to follow through or will she settle for just being friends?

I loved Clarise. She’s a great character and one of the more realistic heroines I’ve read about in a romance novel. While she slowly grows comfortable with her body, she is constantly having size 2 model types and all kinds of hunky men envy her curves. This feels a bit forced to me, but it really doesn’t detract from the humor in this book. The ending of the book was very good and I’d tell you more, but it would really spoil the story. If you’re somewhat larger than a size 2 and always wanted to see a heroine with a similar size, you definitely need to read this book.

Details: Warner Forever, October 2006

Bottom line: A very good book

Angel with Attitude by Michelle Rowen

Getting kicked out of Heaven is a bad way to start your day. But as the ex-angle, Valerie Grace learns, it’s only the beginning. Being human means that you have to put up with colds, sore bodies and creepy men. But there’s a glimmer of hope. If she can do enough good deeds and avoid temptation for the next 70 years, she just might make it back into Heaven. Of course, there’s no way in Hell, the Devil is going to let something that pass, so he dispatches a sexy tempter named Nathaniel to make sure that Valerie never makes it home. But a slight complication becomes a hellacious mess as Valerie finds herself responsible for recovering the Key to Heaven. Now can Valerie convince Nathaniel to help her to save Heaven and Earth or will Valerie succumb to Nathaniel’s charms and live the rest of her life in Hell?

I love Michelle’s story and her sense of humor. I frequently found myself laughing at passages throughout the book. I also thought the ending was strong and powerful and funny as well. If your taste in books is just a little wacky, and if don’t mind reading a book about Angels and Demons, then you really should give this one a read.

Details: Warner Forever, July 2006

Bottom line: A great book

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen

Sarah Dearly just had the worst blind date of her life. It began when her date gave her a nip on the neck. Soon Sarah woke up in a grave covered with fresh dirt. But, perhaps the worst of all was learning that her date turned her into vampire, from a group of vampire hunters intent on killing her. Fortunately, Thierry de Bennicoeur, a 600 year old vampire, took pity on Sarah and helped her survive the transition from human to vampire. What follows is a merry romp through Toronto, while Sarah learns to deal with being a vampire, along with dodging a group of vampire hunters intent on killing every vampire in town and avoiding Quinn – a reluctant vampire hunter – now vampire – who's fallen in love with her.

This book left me somewhat confused through most of the story, as it felt more like chick-lit than romance. It was more than just its first person point of view. While it appeared that Sarah was attracted to Thierry, but there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between them. When Quinn arrives on the scene, I wondered if she’d choose Quinn over Thierry. But despite Sarah’s confused love life, the book does have a happy ending. Also, the humor is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and Michelle definitely offers a unique view of how modern day vampires might fit into society.

Details: Warner Forever, January 2006

Bottom line: A very good book