SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW - Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS: 
Former Navy SEAL Sam Reston keeps to himself. His world is dangerous, uncertain, violent...and there is no room in it for the helpless and weak. Then the most beautiful woman in the world moves in next door to him . . . 
Nicole Pearce's life is complicated enough--with an ailing father and a new business to worry about--and the last thing she needs is to get involved with a secretive, hard-bodied, hardheaded neighbor. Yet Sam leaves her breathless--her body tingling with erotic desire--and it takes every ounce of her fabled control to resist offering herself to him, no strings attached. What she doesn't know is that Sam Reston is on an undercover assignment . . . and she's about to step into the crossfire.

Never has Sam ached for a woman so badly, and he's never fallen in love before. Now that Nicole is in grave danger, he will become her shield, and guard the tempting body he longs to touch and taste. Because a terrorist plot hatched half a world away is heading to their doorstep--and it can only be derailed by one man and one woman.

REVIEW:
Into the Crossfire is book one in Lisa Marie Rice's Protector's series.   For the genre, Into the Crossfire meets all the basic requirements.  It is fast paced and exciting, albeit a little predictable.   But what is memorable is the incredibly hot first sexual encounter between the two characters.  Yikes!  I'm still fanning myself after reading that...I keep asking, "is that really possible?" 

My biggest criticism about the book is that I found Sam to be a little jarring. He tends to be overwhelming (or is that overbearing?)  I wish he were even more likable.  

IN A NUTSHELL: 
This is a fun, fast read with plenty of hot steam.

SUNNY: READING CHALLENGE - Men In Uniform

Oh, this one is going to be fun!  Join us in reading about the men and women who bring us thrills, make us feel protected, and look darn good in uniform.  

Reading Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (books read prior to 1/1/2013 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up at the The Book Vixen Blog
• The goal is to read as many novels that feature men in uniform as you’d like. It can be a policeman, firefighter, paramedic, doctor, veterinarian,  Army, Navy, Marine Corp., etc. – As long as the leading man wears some sort of uniform, it counts. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down.
• Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
• Books can be any genre (contemporary romance, m/m romance, fiction, non-fiction, etc.).
• Novellas that are at least 100 pages in length, as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge.
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.

Levels:

     Sergeant – Read 1–5 men in uniform novels
     Lieutenant – Read 6–10 men in uniform novels
     Captain – Read 11–15 men in uniform novels
     Chief – Read 16+ men in uniform novels

As this is one of my favorite genres to read, I'm going for the top tier.  Sign me up for Chief status!  

1. Shades of Gray by Maya Banks     
2. Free Fall by Catherine Mann

3. Midnight Secrets by Elle Grace    
4. Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare

5. Breaking Point by Pamela Clare (re-read via Audiobook) 

Umm, I might be ahead of schedule...

6.  Naked Edge by Pamela Clare
7.  Shadow Game by Christine Feehan                                               
8.  Mind Game by Christine Feehan

9.  Night Game by Christine Feehan                                               
10.Protecting What's His by Tessa Bailey

11.Wild Card by Lora Leigh                                               
12.The Night is Mine by M.L. Buchman

13. His Southern Temptation by Robin Covington                                                
14. Deadly Game by Christine Feehan

15. No Regrets by Shannon K. Butcher                                                
16. A SEAL's Seduction by Tawney Weber
17. The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood
18. Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti
19. Hush by Carey Baldwin
20. Wild Man by Kristen Ashley
21. Secret Maneuvers by Jessie Lane
22. Forged In Steele by Maya Banks
23. Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris
24. SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows
25. Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey
26. Exposed by Laura Griffin
27. His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey
28. Predatory Game by Christine Feehan
29. Against the Dark by Carolyn Crane
30. Deadly Game by Christine Feehan

SUSAN: BOOK REVIEW "Breath on Embers" by Anne Calhoun

SUMMARY:
Christmas is the perfect time for Firefighter Ronan O’Rourke to take things to the next level with his sexually adventurous girlfriend. He knows she has feelings for him—and he’s sure of his feelings for her—but when Thea refuses his invitation to sample Christmas in New York City because what they share is nothing more than sheet-burning sex, Ronan sets out to change her mind.

Deep down Thea Moretti knows she cares for Ronan, but she can’t move past her grief over her late husband. Loud music and sex with Ronan are the only things she’s got that her feel alive, so she takes as much of both as she can get. She knows Ronan wants more, but during the darkest time of the year finding her way won’t be easy.

Ronan gambles everything and challenges Thea: one night of passion with him and another man. Can he prove to her that what they share isn’t just great sex but an emotional connection strong enough to last forever?

REVIEW:

I’ve made it no secret that I’ve pretty much crossed completely over to M/M books and have a hard time enjoying M/F books.  Too many annoying women characters snaking the hot, perfect man.  Not fair! (*stomps feet in a tantrum*)

But, I wanted to read something smutty and easy and felt “Breath on Embers” might be just the ticket. And for 6+ chapters, I was feeling it!  

Ronan is a HOT NY firefighter who is lookin’ for love.  Thea is a widow, still grieving, convinced she’s dead inside and just wants sex.  For 9 months they go on this way.  Reading through, I was falling for Ronan and rooting for him to convince Thea to give him a REAL chance.  

And then, it happened…the story was ruined…ruined by a ridiculous and needless ménage scene.  WHY do authors do this?  So un-freaking-necessary.  And then I was just over it. Argh...

Other than that, this book was fairly entertaining, sexy, and sweet for the holidays.


IN A NUTSHELL:
Decent panty-changing smut factor, HOT fireman, not-entirely-annoying female lead, ridiculous ménage. If you can get past that (and I know some of you pervs will actually LOVE it! Ha!), you’ll enjoy this.  

SUSAN: GIVEAWAY "Afflicted II' by Brandon Shire

If you were as swept away as many of us by the story of Hunter & Dillon and their HFN ending...wanting and waiting for more...

..."Afflicted II" is being released on December 6, 2012!!! *applause heard round the world*

And the Goodreads Brandon Shire Fan Group has a giveaway!  If you go and become a member of the group, leaving a comment on the giveaway thread, you can be one of 3 chosen at random to win an e-copy (any available format) of this book!  And if you haven't read book 1 yet, you can choose to get an e-copy of the first instead!

Simple as that! Good luck!

SUSAN: BOOK REVIEW "How to Repair A Mechanical Heart" by J.C. Lillis

SUMMARY:
Eighteen-year-old Castaway Planet fans Brandon and Abel hate bad fan fiction—especially when it pairs their number-one TV crushes of all time, dashing space captain Cadmus and dapper android Sim. As co-runners of the Internet’s third most popular Castaway Planet vlog, they love to spar with the “Cadsim” fangirls who think Cadmus will melt Sim’s mechanical heart by the Season 5 finale. This summer, Brandon and Abel have a mission: hit the road in an RV to follow the traveling Castaway Planet convention, interview the actors and showrunner, and uncover proof that a legit Cadsim romance will NEVER, EVER HAPPEN.

A Brandon and Abel romance: also not happening. Brandon’s sick of his struggle to make “gay and Catholic” compute, so it’s safer to love a TV android. Plus Abel’s got a hot new boyfriend with a phoenix tattoo, and how can Brandon compete with that? But when mysterious messages about them start popping up in the fan community, they make a shocking discovery that slowly forces their real feelings to the surface. Before they get to the last Castaway Planet convention, Brandon’s going to find out the truth: can a mechanical heart be reprogrammed, or will his first shot at love be a full system failure?

REVIEW:
4.5 stars...bright, shining stars...

I ADORED this book…like hugging my Kindle and giving it a peck on the cheek and then the forehead and a light tap on the cheek kind of adoration. 

If I had any talent, THIS would be the book I would have wanted to write…because it’s me in a nutshell (well, if I was 18 again, and male, and gay…but yeah, in every other sense…)

1. I’m a total geek, especially sci fi (Battlestar Galactica is my personal favorite. And yes, I’ve been to ComicCon…many times)
2. I love geek humor and the crazies who embrace it!
3. I grew up in the church so I know all about the nagging, judgmental voice in my head. 
4. I’m obsessed with RV’s. I’ve always wanted one.
5. Brandon and Abel are the exact types of people I’d write about: quirky, obsessive, funny, adorable…(though Brandon’s neurosis started to wear me down a bit towards the end)
6. Extreme fandom - anyone who's seen me commenting on every status update and discussion board about Special Forces and all my !!!!!'s, has seen how crazy I can get! This obsessive behavior is perfectly captured in this book!

I don’t even typically like YA books, but I LOVED this one.

Now, with all that being said, I don’t know that this book is for everyone. I think you have to like the weird, “off” types to enjoy the characters and their nuttiness. But, if you do…man, this book will be a real treat!

IN A NUTSHELL:
Geeks-at-heart will love this!