BOOK REVIEW ~ ENTWINED BY KRISTEN CALLIHAN

Title: Entwined ( Darkest London, Book 3.5)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Release Date: November 5, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

Eamon Evernight has always lived in his older brother's shadow. While his brother is fair of hair and lithe in body, Eamon sparks fear with his fiery locks and massive frame-and rumors of a mysterious power. But when his brother has the good fortune to be betrothed to a beautiful stranger, it's Eamon's help-and quick wit and romantic heart--that he needs. Eamon agrees to write the noble lady...a generous offer that will forever leave him a changed man. 

Lady Luella Jane Moran has no interest in an arranged marriage and tries valiantly to dissuade her betrothed from afar. Though her own letters plainly state her case, the words her husband-to-be writes her leave her aching for his touch. Will Lu give in to the desire the missives have kindled within her? Or will desire turn cold when she discovers their true author?

Book Review

Historical romance is not usually the genre I seek out when looking for a good read. But author, Kristen Callihan is someone not to be missed. 

Kristen's writing in her Darkest London series puts you in 1800s England, along the dark, seedy streets of London...or Ireland, as is the setting for her novella, Entwined.

Eamon Evernight is the unlikely hero of Entwined. He is the second son, the outcast, the "redheaded devil's child. Shy around women and prefers to spend his time alone in his smithy. But when he receives the news that his eldest brother, Aidan, is betrothed to the mysterious Lady Luella Moran, the loyal Eamon steps in to write a letter posing as Aidan. It appears that Lady Luellen does not want the betrothal to take place, considering it a "archaic and glorified stud service". But although Aidan is not looking forward to the arrangement, he wants the marriage to take place. As he cannot read or write, he convinces his brother, Eamon to pen a letter to help persuade Lady Luella to keep to the terms of the contract set between their fathers.

What follows is an assemblage of letters spanning the next four years. Four years where both Eamon and Luella fall in love over time, spilling out their hearts onto paper, minus two secrets. Eamon is not the man he is pretending to be...but what secret is Luella hiding that could send her out in the cold, destitute and alone? 

I loved the telling of Eamon and Lu's love story. It grew through their shared letters, slowly, and with witty postscripts.  And when they finally meet face to face, there is a hint of something familiar that Luella senses in Eamon.  

And when Aidan runs off to the Americas, leaving her a jilted almost-bride, Eamon steps in his brother's place...again. 

But can the secrets these two new lovers are hiding destroy their fragile beginning? 

 A beautifully told love story with poignant scenes that melt the heart. 

Favorite romantic moment:

And I always think of you. Thoughts of you thread so tightly throughout my day that I lose track of where I am and what I am doing, until I cannot help but think that, although we've never met, your soul and mine are already entwined.

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ WINTERBLAZE BY KRISTEN CALLIHAN

Title:  Winterblaze (Darkest London, Book Three)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Expected Release Date: February 26, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

Once blissfully in love . . .

Poppy Lane is keeping secrets. Her powerful gift has earned her membership in the Society for the Suppression of Supernaturals, but she must keep both her ability and her alliance with the Society from her husband, Winston. Yet when Winston is brutally attacked by a werewolf, Poppy's secrets are revealed, leaving Winston's trust in her as broken as his body. Now Poppy will do anything to win back his affections . . . 

Their relationship is now put to the ultimate test.

Winston Lane soon regains his physical strength but his face and heart still bear the scars of the vicious attack. Drawn into the darkest depths of London, Winston must fight an evil demon that wants to take away the last hope of reconciliation with his wife. As a former police inspector, Winston has intelligence and logic on his side. But it will take the strength of Poppy's love for him to defeat the forces that threaten to tear them apart.

Book Review

I love the world of historical London seen through the eyes of Kristen Callihan. 

Poppy Lane has kept a huge secret from her husband, Winston, since the beginning of their courtship. And when the secret is unraveled in book two of the Darkest London series, Winston is left stunned. After a horrific recovery from a Lycan attack, Winston flees London and leaves Poppy bereft and heartbroken. 

This is a story of the strength of love and second chances as the reader watches both Poppy and Winston rediscover what brought them together in the first place. Through flashbacks, the reader travels back in time to when Winston first met Poppy at a train station--and he was irrevocably changed. He knew she would be his wife. But we also learn that Winston has been hiding his own secret--one that makes him question Poppy's true feelings for him. 

When Poppy's estranged husband's life is threatened, she will go to any length to protect him. It comes down to a battle of wit, strength, and courage--and someone's soul could be damned forever as a powerful demon seeks to destroy everything Poppy holds dear. 

Callihan crafts an amazing tale with intricate detail woven in just the right places and brought to an amazing climax that has you gasping for breath. 

I look forward to more from this series as I am sure there is so much more to be told. 

SEXY SNIPPETS TUESDAY

Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky over at RBtW's blog post  so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

Title: Winterblaze 

Author: Kristen Callihan

Release Date: February 26, 2013

His expression was so stern that he might have been a marble carving. "I wanted to kiss you." He backed her up against the stone wall leading onto the Embankment. "I want you every thinking moment I have. I want you near. I want to hear your voice. Feel you." He leaned in, drowning her in his scent and his heat. "I want to take you hard, slow, every way in between. And the piss of it is, it's always been this way. From the moment I saw you." 

WOW! Winterblaze is book three of the Darkest London series, and one of the few historicals that I love to read. And the quote is from the hero, Winston, when he is talking to his estranged wife, Poppy. What a man! Loved this book and hope Kristen continues to write this series. 


Now it's your turn to show me your sexy!

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ MOONGLOW BY KRISTEN CALLIHAN

Title:  Moonglow (Darkest London, Book Two)

Author:  Kristen Callihan

Publisher:  Forever

Release Date:  July 31, 2012

ARC provided by Net Galley

Once the seeds of desire are sown . . .

Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . .

Their growing passion knows no bounds . . .

Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.   Links to purchase book:   Amazon / B&N   Links for author:   Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook    

 

Book Review  

Although Moonglow is book two in a series (Darkest London), you can read this without really any confusion pertaining to the backstory. However, I love to read in order and I loved Firelight--book one--and was excited about this newest release. So, I'll give you just a taste of what occurred in book one, Firelight.  

Ian Ranulf is introduced in the first book and he only whetted my appetite. He's a bit of a bad boy with a mysterious background. One that is only hinted at in Firelight. He is a player. A user of women's bodies--seeking only his pleasure and wanting no commitments.  

Although he maintains his distance, he can't help but have feelings for Miranda Ellis, the heroine in Firelight. It's not really explained what exactly intrigues him. But it does lend to some great jealousy scenes between Ian and Miranda's love, Lord Benjamin Archer.  It also leads to Ian Ranulf kidnapping the fiery red head and that act leads to some animosity when Miranda is returned.  

Moonglow starts out with Daisy Ellis Craigmore, sister to Miranda, is attacked by some wolfish creature and rescued by the handsome Marquis of Northrup--Ian Ranulf. He knows the creature is a rogue wolf and the deadly creature has set his sights on Daisy.  Ian swears to protect her and takes her to his home to tend to her injuries.  

What starts out very slowly at the beginning of Callihan's story, soon blooms and develops into a sizzling story between our hero and heroine.   Callihan has a gift for painting such a realistic scene, the reader can experience the sights and sounds of historical London. So great are her skills, you can practically smell the rank air from the Thames, feel the dampness of the fog seep into your bones, and ride along in an unforgettable carriage ride:

The delicate fabric tore to her waist with a renting sound that shot through the tense silence. "Sweet Jesus." It was more a prayer than anything. She was gorgeous. Full, creamy, teardrop-shaped breasts that thrust upward. Perfect tawny nipples the size of sovereigns that invited a man to linger. His hands covered the curve of her waist where her tender flesh had been abused by the binding corset. He smoothed his palms over the red marks, and she hissed as though his touch burned.

The historical genre is not my favorite one to read, but Callihan captures my attention with her vivid descriptions and sucker punches me in the solar plexus with an emotional read. I cannot wait for Winterblaze, book three of the Darkest London series.

SEXY SNIPPETS ~ MOONGLOW KRISTEN CALLIHAN

Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky over at RBtW's blog post so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

"Spread your legs," he ordered on a pant. 

Release Date: July 31, 2012 



Shyly, she bit her bottom lip as she spread her thighs.

The scent of her desire made his head light. Her hips came forward on the seat, the white length of plump, linen-covered thighs opening like flower petals to the sun. "Wider," he said when the shadowed apex of her thighs remained hidden to him. His cock throbbed with impatience, wanting to push and thrust. He took a deep breath, willing it to calm. No longer was it a question of could he finish, but could he refrain from finishing too soon.

Oh, Ian is such a randy little devil in Moonglow. And he has such the dirty little mouth that makes me, er...Daisy forget herself. Especially during a carriage ride.

Now it's your turn to show me your sexy!



SEXY SNIPPET TUESDAYS

Tuesdays have never been so sexy!

Sexy Snippets is a weekly feature hosted by Reading Between the Wines for the 18+ crowd. To join in just grab the button, post a sexy paragraph or two from your current read and share the author & title so other participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like. Then add your post to the linky over on RBtW's blog post so everyone can follow along. Have a sexy good time!

This weeks SEXY SNIPPET:

Miranda's teeth sank into her lip.  Her corset became iron hands that would not let her breathe. His fingers brushed light as a kiss against her curls, and they both let out a pained gasp. Archer's chest heaved against her, his breathing raw as if he'd run miles.
"Open." His voice was a hot rasp against her ear.
Miranda swallowed hard. One step. Her knees buckled, and she clung to the wall, her eyes still shut tight.
His breath hitched. The blunt tip of his finger touched her flesh, and her head went light. She clung to the wall as that finger moved back and forth, so slow she thought she might scream.

Now I don't usually like historical romance, but this book rocked me from beginning to end. I loved Callihan's


Now it's your turn to show me your sexy!