FEB 07 REVIEWS

A Moment on the Lips
Phyllis Bourne Williams
A Leisure Book
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN: 0-8439-5659-3
Published: February, 2006
Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4 Stars - Excellent
Reviewer: Delores Hines

This book was a good old-fashioned romance, where the hero and the heroine take their time to build something meaningful. The romance moved at steady pace without overpowering the story. The whole feel of the story makes the reader slow down and enjoy the journey. It was quite refreshing.

Grant Price works for his family’s Boston investment company and he’s next in line to take over the company if he can get Wall Street Wizard, Melody Mason to come and work for their company. Grant and Melody know each other from college and have always been very competitive with one another. Grant goes to small town Tennessee to lure Melody back to Boston before another company gets her. He gets quite the surprise when Melody is nothing like the competitive, geeky girl he knew in college. Who is this new woman and why does Grant feel an immediate attraction to her?

After a tragic incident, Melody Mason, the infamous Wall Street Wizard, returns to her hometown without taking a second look at the life she once valued so dearly. Life for her now moves at a much slower pace and she’s happy about it until Grant Price enters it, the man she’s always secretly pined over. She challenges him to slow down and do some soul searching. He finally comes around to this slower pace, until his Dad reminds him of his commitment to the company. Grant never disappoints his father. Pleasing his father is only one of the dilemma’s he faces. Melody has demons of her own. Will they exorcise these demons together or on their own? You be the judge.


Cuffed by Candlelight
Beverly Jenkins, Gwyneth Bolton and Katherine D. Jones
Parker Publishing - Noire Passion
February 2007

Rating: 3 stars – VERY GOOD
Reviewed by Renee Motley

Cuffed by Candlelight is the opening act in Parker Publishing Noire Passion line. I found that all of the heroines in the three novellas were strong women and it gave the anthology an edge that most do not have - tasteful erotica.

Beverly Jenkins’ selection Prisoner will not disappoint her fans. This historical novella gave new meaning to justice in the old west. The story opens with the heroine, Elizabeth,
receiving a letter from her husband that he has met someone back east and is divorcing her. In her quest to keep her property, she has to marry. She marries a former marshal, Jordan Yancy, who was accused, convicted and jailed as a murderer. Their story of finding their way was enjoyable because the characters were well developed and the touches of humor throughout kept the story exciting. As in her previous novels the sexual escapades were well written and tastefully done. This is the best selection in the anthology.

Guns and Roses by Katherine Jones is an interesting mix of unresolved desire, romance, responsibility and victory. Stephanie Gunn is the correctional officer where Bryant Wilson’s brother is housed. The attraction between Stephanie and Bryant is strong, but Stephanie makes an erroneous assumption about Bryant because of his brother’s crimes.

Bryant’s brother, Mac, is murdered and this event throws Stephanie and Bryant together. Mac in an attempt to get a message to Bryant tries to enlist Stephanie’s aid. However, she doesn’t and this causes a rift in the new relationship with Bryant. In order to right the wrong, Stephanie decides to investigate the murder on her own. The story moves along quickly, almost too quickly (my personal complaint about novellas) and I found that to be a little distracting. Yet, the author ties everything together and there is a satisfying ending. As a fan of Ms. Jones, I am happy to see her novella included in this premier anthology.

Gwyneth Bolton’s novella, Handcuffs Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry, was a perfect end to this anthology. This novella has characters that are true to life and easy to relate to. The heroine, Tamara Dowling a.k.a.Lil Bit, is an uncover police officer who is in the middle of an investigation at Murder Row. Lance King, a DEA officer, is also running an investigation at the same place. Tamara was taken in by Lance’s family as a child and has always considered Lance her big brother until their passions over take their sensibilities. Now ten years later and both investigating Murder Row Records, they are forced to deal with each other professionally and emotionally. Tamara has successfully avoided Lance, but Lance has always been there to protect her, something that Lil Bit no longer wants, though she feels that way, Lance has another plan for Lil Bit. Ms. Bolton’s novella was entertaining and the characters were interesting. The history of the main characters gave a deeper understanding to the passion between them and the use of the handcuffs were a classy end to this anthology.


Forever and a Day
Dyanne Davis
Noire Allure
ISBN: 978-1-60043-004-6
Publish Date: February 2007
Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4 Stars – EXCELLENT
Reviewed by: Delores Hines

Torrie and Jake have been in love since preschool but they’re from different sides of the tracks. Their prospective families feel they should stick with their own kind. Torrie and Jake can’t seem to do that. Torrie has been having dreams/visions about the severity of the storms heading towards New Orleans since she was a kid, but no one believed her except Jake. Jake arrives to ride out hurricane Katrina with Torrie but all hell breaks loose. The family is on edge and they’re distrustful of the man Torrie has loved her whole life. The couple has to deal with hurricane Katrina and all the other obstacles in their lives. Will their love survive the drama of past hurts, the present dilemmas the hurricane brought, or the bleak future of rebuilding from nothing? You can find out when you read this snapshot of life in the eye of Hurricane Katrina.

Ms. Davis took on a challenging task of blending a love story with a documentary on Hurricane Katrina. The beginning reads like a documentary but very quickly she blends the two stories and leaves us with a beautiful romentary. (Romance and documentary)


How I Met My Sweetheart
Anthology
Amani Publishing
ISBN: 097528519X
Published: February 2007

Rating: 5 Stars - Supreme
Reviewed by: Clara Sutton

Eighteen authors tell how they met their sweethearts. If you are a romantic at heart you will enjoy reading these stories. Sharing how they met his or her soulmate is an inspiration to all of us who have loved and lost, and who has been hurt badly by someone that you loved in the past.

Reading their stories, lets the reader know that with patient, time and the willingness to take that chance on true love, and above all that the love, faith, and belief in GOD, all things are possible and we all can find the love of a good man or woman. We just have to be patient and trust in GOD and what we feel in our hearts.