The Sword of Darkness
by: Kinley MacGregor



Synopsis:
The new king of Camelot wears no shining armor: Arthur and his knights have fallen and a new king rules. In the darkest forest... A scared, forsaken youth has become the most powerful—and feared—man in the world. Ruthless and unrestrained, Kerrigan has long ceased to be human.
In the heart of London...
A spirited peasant mired in drudgery, Seren dreams of becoming her own woman, but never expects that by fleeing her fate, she will meet her destiny.
Their worlds are forever changed...
Kerrigan's goal is simple: barter or kill Seren to claim Arthur's Round Table. Yet she is the one person who holds no fear of him. More than that, her nobility sparks something foreign inside him. In his nether realm, kindness is weakness and a king who harbors any sort of compassion loses his throne.
For countless centuries, Kerrigan has lived alone in the shadows. Now Seren's courage has forced him into the light that will bring either salvation to both of them...or death.

Review:
I really enjoy Kinely MacGregor's as well as her alter-ego Sherrilyn Kenyon's writing style, she is the type of writer that doesn't hesitate to reuse plots and though that is sometimes a miss for me, in this case it was a strong hit.   She is the master of creating the perfect wounded hero, which would explain her substantial legion of followers.  Kerrigen is someone that is missing a part of himself, dare I say humanity.  Seren is the one that helps him realize that and gives a part of herself to help him.  She is one of my favorite types of of heroines.  Worth a read and definitely worth a re-read


This is what I imagine our hero look like



And Seren,

Before you say it, I know Seren is suppose to be blonde.  And yet I feel that she would be the perfect member.  Delicate yet with a core of steel.  

The Darkest Night

By: Gena Showalter

Synopsis:  All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

My Review:  I think that the heroine, Ashley Darrow, is not the type of heroine that fits every readers taste pallet.  That being said, I adore her, this is the type of love that loves so unconventionally that the hero cannot help but feel the same.  She is so feminine and soft and there is a vulnerable quality about her that makes Maddox wants to protect her.  She is reminiscent of a Julie Garwood Heroine: girlish and sweet, the classic heroine.  Maddox is a hard man, the type of being that is part demon and man.  He is difficult and is not the type of person that can be loved easily yet Ashley does it so well. Even though he looks human there is something about him that is underdeveloped, something that only Ashley can make him see.  There story occurs very rapidly but the love is more believable then a lot of the romances that I have read. 

New Author

Sarah Maclean

I am currently reading Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake.  Oh!  When I thought I had lost all hope in the historical romance department I found this magnificent jewel of a writer.  After reading a load of Mary Balogh's angst ridden novels, this was a Maclean's sweet-almost-Julia-Quinn like writing style was refreshing to read.  It's a pleasant enough read so much so that I felt a need to recommend it to you other jaded historical romance readers.  And what an attractive cover!

Book 3

The Bargain by Mary Jo Putney



Genre: Historical Romance
Age: Regency
Rating: 4.5/5.0
This novel is a stand alone but is 
Special Notes: I cut my HR teeth on this novel, so forgive me for my bias.  Now, I am not a huge fan of Mary Jo Putney, in fact I only like a handful of her novels.  It's an original story that tugs at the heart strings.  I feel that in this novel the typical HR attitudes were switched between the hero and heroine.  Jocelyn is more aloof and David is rather hot-blooded.  This was refreshing and I truly enjoyed.  I adored David, he was the type of hero that should be written more often.  He is kind and gentle with a heart of a soldier.  He just wants the best for his sister and Jocelyn.   I really love this novel A LOT.

Synopsis

To keep her fortune, a beautiful heiress impulsively weds a penniless officer dying of wounds received at Waterloo. But when the blasted man hasn't the grace to die, she suddenly finds herself with a healthy, vibrant husband who wants to renegotiate the terms of their bargain--and ultimately possess the heart of his bewildered bride...

Click here to purchase The Bargain

Book 2

Seduce me by Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas

Genre: Historical Romance
Age: Victorian
Special Notes: One of my favorite kind of love story, when the Hero and Heroine grow up together and end up together.  The depth of their love was never the question, rather their internal and external troubles and obstacles.  This made their HEA all the better.
Rating: 4.7/5.0
This novel comes from the Hathaway series. (2nd)


Synopsis

Kev Merripen has longed for the beautiful, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway ever since her family rescued him from the brink of death when he was just a boy. But this handsome Gypsy is a man of mysterious origins—and he fears that the darkness of his past could crush delicate, luminous Win. So Kev refuses to submit to temptation…and before long Win is torn from him by a devastating twist of fate.

Then, Win returns to England…only to find that Kev has hardened into a man who will deny love at all costs. Meantime, an attractive, seductive suitor has set his sights on Win. It’s now or never for Kev to make his move. But first, he must confront a dangerous secret about his destiny—or risk losing the only woman he has lived for…

Quotes from the novel

"All the fires of hell could burn for a thousand years and it wouldn't equal what I feel for you in one minute of the day. I love you so much there is no pleasure in it."

You can purchase this novel on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Seduce-Me-Sunrise-Hathaways-Book/dp/0312949812

Book of the Day Challenge (Day 1)

Hi,
I am going to suggest a romance novel everyday for 45 days.  These will all be books that I like :).

Wonderful by Jill Barnett

Genre: Historical Romance
Age: Medieval
Special Notes: Tearjerker
Rating: 4.79/5.0

This novel comes from Barnett's trilogy: Wonderful, Wild and Wicked (Don't worry, you CAN read each one separately)

Synopsis:

   Amazon.com Review

       Wales is a wild place in 1280. Sir Roger FitzAlan is there by order of the King, commanded to build a mighty walled castle to defend England's borders. But the site the King has chosen has a strange circle of massive blue stones and when Sir Roger and his men arrive, a beautiful young woman is praying within the ancient circle. Even more arresting, the young woman flees from Roger's men astride a sleek black Arab stallion stolen from Roger's best friend nearly five years before. Roger gives chase and before long, the black Arab and Roger's mount leave his men-at-arms far behind. When the woman disappears into a thick wood, Roger follows her alone and quickly loses her. But someone else is in the deep woods, and that someone is intent on killing Roger.     Teleri of the Woods is delighted to have lost her pursuer and it isn't until the following day, when she returns to search for her lost pouch, that she discovers Roger, barely alive, and struggles to rescue him. Roger awakens in her bed, cranky, furious, and too ill to leave. Forced to remain with the beautiful young woman, he slowly becomes aware of the world about him in a way he has never known. Despite Teleri's lack of gold and possessions, she is rich in knowledge and appreciation of life. As Teleri teaches Roger about her life, he's forced to confront his lust for her and his prior beliefs about love. But their time together in the magic woods must come to an end and when it does, what will Roger do about the forbidden love that once ruled him? How will Teleri cope with life beyond her enchanted woods? And how will they solve the dark mysteries that swirl around Roger and threaten both their lives?

My Review: (For those intimidated by long synopsis, don't worry, I am too and SPOILER FREE)
  
       Sir Roger FitzAlan is a knight that is sent to Wales by his liege King Edward to build a stronghold there.  The reason the king sends him there is because he is difficult to handle since his lover Elizabeth has spurned him.  He goes into the woods and nearly gets hung, whereupon a wood nymph *not literally* finds him and saves him.
        She nurses him back to health and they fall in love.  This is a novel about self discovery and learning to see the good in oneself and the world around you.  Teleri's naive yet thoughtful perspective will definitely tug at even the most stone hearted of us.  This is a gorgeous story with some hilarious tidbits thrown in, such as a flightless hawk, a canine pig and Teleri's use of the "mate".  I have fallen in love with this novel just as much as the two characters in it.  It is certainly my favorite of the three installments.

Quotes from the novel:
       "Our children would have red hair, I think"~ Teleri's response to herself on what would happen if she and Roger "mated".

You can purchase this novel on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Jill-Barnett/dp/0671004131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281562206&sr=8-1