HARLEQUIN E CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE BOX SET VOL 2: Maid To Crave/ All I Have/The Last First Date/Light My Fire

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

About the book: RELEASE DATE: June 2014

Maid to Crave by Rebecca Avery (Man Maid, Book 2)

Single mom Tori Stewart doesn’t know her housekeeper, former army man Seth Lewis, has many other creative uses for the feather duster. Until a night out on the town showcases those talents. Now Tori can’t stop fantasizing about the housekeeper/exotic dancer–who’s proving to be so much more than the sum of his spectacular parts.

REVIEW: The premise follows Tori and Seth’s building friendship-one that begins as employer and employee, to friends to something more. When Tori approaches Man Maid about hiring a temporary housekeeper, she is surprised when she discovers that Seth Lewis has been assigned to the job. Tori had previously overheard Seth make some rude comments about her and now she was going to have to face the man who destroyed what was left of her fragile ego.

The storyline is slow to build as is the relationship between our leading couple. Tori is a single mother who is extremely naïve about sex and Seth is a very sensual and sexual man- a housekeeper by day and an exotic dancer by night. Their attraction to one another is high but Tori’s naivete and lack of sexual knowledge is almost too much to believe. For a single mother, she was oblivious to sexual interaction and sexual bodily functions. Overall, the storyline was interesting and had promise but Tori’s unbelievable lack of sexual awareness was disconcerting and a distraction to the story.

•••••••••••••••••••

All I Have by Nicole Helm

Mia Pruitt is determined to have a successful year at her farmer’s market stand, but her fierce competitor keeps taking off his shirt to attract female customers. Mia might know more about apples and oranges than men, but she can’t deny her attraction to Dell. Now, as the battle of the farm stands heat up, Mia and Dell arrive at the perfect compromise–they’ll have fun, till it’s not….

REVIEW: Sexy bad boy Dell Wainwright and twenty six year old, former nerd girl Mia Pruitt struggle at the local farmer’s market for sales. From shirtless man candy, face painting and battle of the sexes competitions, Dell and Mia go head to head in a battle of wills, emotions and family struggles. There is no love loss between Del and Mia-from hurtful words said in high school to condescending remarks said in competition, our couple will soon realize that it may be better to join forces than battle one another in life and love.

All I Have is a sweet look at two people struggling in an industry that has an increasing rate of failure; a story about family; and letting go. The storyline is slow to build as our couple struggle between what they want and what they need to do. The secondary characters play an integral part in the story as well as give insight as to Dell and Mia’s choices in life and for the future.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

The Last First Date by Maggie Wells

First date number forty-eight comes to a screeching halt for detective Langley Sheppard when his date lifts a pack of gum from the local convenience store. But things start looking up when he encounters spunky damsel in distress Jessica Vickers, who’s stranded in the store parking lot. Now Lang is about to discover that on a night when everything goes wrong, falling for Jessica feels spectacularly right.

REVIEW: A wild New Year’s Eve of mishaps, misunderstandings and convenience store junk food are what lay ahead for Detective Lang Sheppard and Jessica Vickers. Once his blind date has been arraigned for shoplifting Lang makes it his mission to see that Jessica arrives home safe but not before an unending stream of problems befall our couple.

The Last First Date is a quick read where two people profess their wants and desires. The storyline covers approximately 8 to 12 hours in the life and in the end our couple have found what each has been missing. A cute romantic story with a little bit of humor, sex and a happily ever after.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

Light My Fire by Kristina Knight

Lily MacIntyre’s life is off track and she knows exactly how to right it: shed her America’s sweetheart image in a big way. Getting down and dirty in a limo with rocker Nate Lansford seems like the perfect solution. Plus, she’s had a mad crush on him practically since birth. The only problem? Nate is her brother’s best friend…and he doesn’t see her as anything other than a surrogate little sister.

REVIEW: Two young Hollywood success stories: one a bad boy rocker and the other a wholesome young woman trying to shed her virginal image. Enter the opportunity to work together on a talent search and twenty years of memories and history combine for a friends to lovers storyline.

Light My Fire is a quick storyline where childhood friends are pushed together into a world most of us have only dreamed. The storyline may have been taken from any of today’s paparazzi headlines where the good girl gone bad finds love with the famous rock star. The love scenes are sensual and sexual. The secondary characters are limited as the story focuses on Lily and Nate’s building love.

HARLEQUIN E CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE Box Set Volume 2 is a four book box set of quick romantic reads with a happily ever after. Each storyline has its own plus and minuses; there is the angst of the unknown; the possibility of heartbreak and a passionate relationship leading to love ever lasting.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy