Bound by his Desire by Nicole Flockton

Reviewed by Desere

Nicole Flockton is back baby! And oh my gosh is she back with a bang! The bound series continues and this time we meet Nick Rhodes, he has been burned before, so when his new assistant walks in he has one simple rule: no emotional attachments of any kind on either side!

Pamela is everything he needs in a professional colleague and best of all she comes with an ironclad guarantee, she absolutely will not fall in love with him.

So it's a win, win deal because all Pamela has on her mind is sorting through the endless mountain of medical expenses incurred through her mother's care. So falling in love with her sexy new boss and jeopardizing her new income is totally off the table!

But New York is a very romantic place and soon Pamela and Nick find themselves spending more and more time together in the city that never sleeps, hey stop sleeping and start fantasizing . Soon hotter than hot nights take over and Nick comes to a stand still, does he break his own rule to snare the woman of his dreams or does he simply let her walk away?

I totally heart this author and it's because of books like this one that she will always remain on my auto buy list. The read was super sexy and Nick is definitely by far the best book boyfriend ever! I wanted to strangle him, kiss him senseless, kill him and kill anyone that goes near him, yep I experienced all those crazy book emotions that let's those who do not read, think you are a complete maniac!

Pamela was such a stunningly written character that she totally blew me away, yes she's a bit of the normal lonely, sad, in desperate need of help but too hardworking and proud to ask for it kind of heroine but with a twist. The author let her still be all of the above but with such a strong inner light that you want to help her or you wish someone would help her but at the same time you don't want to because it would dim her light of confidence. It was truly remarkable to read about.

I am taking away a message of life does hurt, be it a former fling that only saw you as a dollar sign or be it a past that has resulted in you struggling to reach the top again, no matter there is always hurt. But when the chance to heal comes along it is of the most utter importance to grab hold of it and not let the past hold you back, because once walks out the door it ain't never coming back.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of romance, it's sweet, hot, spicy, super sexy and will leave such an impression on you that you will not be able to wait to step back into the brilliant world this author creates , time and time again!

5/5 star review
" Bound by desire, sealed by destiny" 

Love, In Writing by Elsa Winckler

Reviewed by Desere


It all starts with a very sexy dress, an elevator and two writers. Margaret, believes in happy ever afters and Graham believes that true love doesn't exist.

But pretty soon this read very much proves that the old saying 'opposites attract' is very true, and this read goes from 'I want you attraction' to full out scorching hot 'I am yours forever' with loads of crazy fun, sizzling hot passion and emotional drama along the way.

Graham is not the perfect romantic hero Margaret believes she needs and Margaret is for all 'useful' purposes a good distraction from Graham's everyday 'save the world one sci-fi twist at a time' life.

And by the time the relationship is in full swing it comes down to either accept each other or walk away all together, but choosing the right road is not as easy as sitting down and writing the perfect ending.

This read was one of those that makes me wish I could find a way to climb inside the book and stay in the author's magical world forever. From the start of the read I was lost in a world of romantic perfection and love found when hope seemed lost.

The character of Margaret was very delightful and fun to read, I liked her strong believe in happy ever afters. Most people would say she goes through life seeing everything through rose colored lenses, but for me as reader I saw her as someone that prefers to block out the bad in life by believing in the good of everything.

Instead of focusing on being alone like most single woman do, Margaret focuses her energy on believing that there is someone out there for her. Yes, I will say that believing the someone will be the perfect hero is by far not the right approach, but I also feel that this showed the character as a most woman are, you want to believe that your hero will be perfect in every way, but this is just because you have never had the REAL deal and thus you don't know about making exceptions or adjusting to the one you're with. You need to be able to realize the difference between reality and fantasy, don't get stuck in your own world. Take the dare to step outside the box every now and then.

The character of Graham was a real idiot, one of those hero's that as reader makes you just want to stuff him inside a room and play love songs over and over to make him see the happy side of life. But as the author dug deeper into his past I could see just why he is so dead set on not believing in real love, and it broke my heart. I bawled my eyes out when the author took me into his past, the hurt, the anger and raw pain he had to face brought me to tears over and over again.

Him being against love due to his past pain reminded me that all of us at some stage take the pain from the past and use our own methods to deal with it, for him he buries himself in a world with twists and turns that in reality only makes his life filled with more twists and turns that just as in real life won't let him ever find the ending. One needs to leave the past behind and stop trying to force the road to go according to our way.

A very awesome touch to this read was the look into the world of author's. I really enjoyed how the author let me into the world of the authors in this read, I got to experience the in depth emotion they pour into their work, the raw need that gets packed into creating the perfect characters and the world they see in their minds. And best of all was how authors use their own experiences from life and those they meet to form their stories.

I am taking away so many wonderful messages from this read, but the one that stood out the most is definitely that when we think we can make our lives exactly like the images in our heads we will fail each and every time , the trick is to let life takes it's course and use what it gives us to build the best life we can, or in the case of this read, write our own story and learn to appreciate the bumps on the road to happiness along the way.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of true raw emotion filled reads. It had everything us reading fans could ask for, passion, heartfelt romance and a realistic dramatic ending that packed that super wow factor into the read.

I can with all honesty say that this book left me having to force myself back to my own real world, I wanted to remain inside the magic the author created and experience it all over again and again and again! Read this book you will not be sorry!

5/5 star review
"Fantasy meets reality sending imagination into overdrive" 

Her Knight In Shining Armour by Robyn Rychards

Reviewed by Desere

Whilst running from her abusive ex-husband Paisley has one thought and one thought only, get as far away as possible, start a new life and pray the disgusting piece of human parasite that is her ex never finds her again.

But whilst running she ends up facing more than one complication. The first is being temporarily unable to keep moving and secondly there is the very attractive I can tempt you with my eyes into doing anything I want Sterling who is dead set on making sure she gets all the help he can offer .

The catch? Sterling is a Psychiatrist and knows just what to say and do with woman in Paisley's situation. But Paisley has sworn no man will ever have power over her again and she does her utmost best to block out any and all physical and mental help Sterling tries to give her, that is until her ex shows up with guns blazing!

I truly enjoyed this read, there was the right amount of gripping suspense and angst to keep me turning the pages. And the right balance of fear turning to romance and protectiveness to make my heart melt.

The character of Paisley was very interesting, the author let me into the mind of an abused woman and the various decisions she makes. Some yes were very " What was she thinking?" and others where " That's it woman fight!"

With the what was she thinking moments the author got me thinking about just why some woman stick around with men who so badly abuse them, and I realized that for us on the outside it would make no sense at all, but for the women who have to suffer these despicable acts of violence there is always something holding them back, fear, lack of love and trust, something from the past no matter there is something.

And thus instead of judging we need to try and remember there is a deeper meaning in their actions. Through this character the author truly showed me that abused woman have their own set of issues and for some it's just never that easy to walk away.

The character of Sterling was one that certainly made me sit upright and take double notice. He has his own set of issues and much like most Psychiatrists they never think another in their line of work can fix them, but his issues that keeps him from living a normal sexy rich playboy lifestyle had me stop and think for a almost a full minute before realizing it could totally happen and be very real and true, and thus does not make his actions or lack there of too surprising as I am sure it will be for some readers.  Everyone has an issue they hold onto until a situation either forces them to deal with it head on or someone points out that they need to follow their own advise.

The backdrop settings were well described, characters were well developed and the author really dug deep with her characters letting me in on every thought and thus I could fully connect with them and really zero in on their emotions.

I am taking away a message of fear holds most of us back from taking a chance. Yes the same might happen again but chances are it won't and if you simply let the chance slip simply because of your fear you will never know if you let your one and only chance at happiness go.

I highly recommend this read for fans of twists and turns real life situations romance reads. Paisley was a true heroine when it counted and Sterling a real life make my knees go weak hero! Passionate and
heart-stoppingly emotional and oh so sexy!

Keep them coming Robyn!

5/5 Star Review
" He's her knight in shining armor but she's the one about to rescue him" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reviewed by Nas

HER KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR by author Robyn Rychards is a March 2014 release by Escape Publishing.

Sterling comes across a girl in a tent about to be attacked by a bear and he saves her life. Then he saves her in more ways than one by helping her escape her abusive ex-husband. But he feels the sizzle every time he comes in contact with her. Dare he take any action on this sizzling chemistry between them? Wouldn't it be like taking advantage when she is really vulnerable?

Paisley takes Sterling's help while escaping her abusive ex-husband. But could she trust him as a man? She couldn't ignore the attraction she felt for him. Yet could she bring herself to accept Sterling in her life?

HER KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR is a thrilling story. I loved the setting and the budding romance between Sterling and Paisley. This was my first read by this author but I would definitely be buying her future books.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

******************************************************************************************

Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan

 

What an emotional and heart rending story. In past relationships, Paisley Vitale and Sterling James have both suffered from different forms of abuse and don't believe they will ever find a happily ever after or that they really deserve one. This story was full of twists and turns as they searched for their elusive happiness. Would that be together or apart?

Running from an abusive, stalking ex-husband, Paisley just knows she has the fool proof plan, but a chance encounter with a deer, a tree, and a bear changed everything. Waking up in a strange man's tent, she could hardly control her emotions: rage, fear, desire and confusion. She didn't want any man to help her, but certainly not a heart stopping, gorgeous, fall-into-my-eyes psychiatrist. She loathed all men, but what she felt for Sterling was certainly not loathing, but desire. Seriously hurt and afraid her ex-husband would find her, she succumbs to the plan he outlines to help her flee from the park and get her back on her feet. Acting like lovers whenever necessary throughout their escape from the park pushed the envelope for them both. As these unwanted sparks of desire constantly flowed between them from the first moment they met, her desire to be free of every man constantly warred with the emotion. When he proposes a new plan to help her escape her ex-husband's clutches, she is astounded. She had lost her freedom once and barely survived, was she crazy to take a chance again?

Handsome, sexy, and rich, Sterling James is known as the Ice Man,but he has an immunity against women. After several painful experiences in his past, he has decided they only want his body or his money, but they don't want just him. With his libido in the deep freeze for so many years, it was easy to be aloof, cold and a challenge to women, but when he laid eyes on Paisley, all his thoughts changed. Saving her from an enraged bear and a terrible accident, he is smitten from his first glance at her. Unlike any other women he has ever met, she fired his desire and thawed the ice around his libido and his heart. But would she be like all the rest? He had been emotional abused and played for a fool before, but he wanted to trust his judgment this time. If he could help her find herself, maybe he would find himself in the process. He liked being her knight in shining armour, protecting her, rescuing her and fighting her battles. Was he being played for a fool again? Was his judgment sound? Could he have a happily ever after? Should he even take a chance?

This was my first read by this marvelous author, but it will definitely not be my last. A roller coaster of emotions on both sides gave the story an added dimension of reality to the problems encountered in cases of past emotionally and physically abused relationships. From the first page to the last, I found myself hurriedly turning the pages to see how they would solve their problems next. Excellent story. Well developed characters melded with a well thought out plot to create a masterful story as they try to find their way to an eternal love. I enjoyed the story tremendously.

I would recommend to any romance readers who desired a story that is appealing on several layers of emotions. I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.

5/5 Stars                     Could they save each other???

************************************************************************

February or Forever by Juliet Madison

Reviewed by Desere 

Moving into her aunt's house in Tarrin's Bay, renovating the old place, selling it and moving on is all single mom Chrissie has on her agenda, oh and making sure to avoid as much drama as possible.

She's had a really tough time with family members dying, getting divorced and trying to stay afloat, as we all know being a parent is tough and when you're a single parent it' s even worse to get through it all.

But Chrissie soon discovers that life in Tarrin's Bay is going to be far from easy and drama free. She meets and falls for famous singer and songwriter Drew.

The more time they spend together the more the idea of Tarrin's Bay being home sets in. Which of course is not a bad thing, the people are friendly and the town a really nice little place to live.

But the idea does not sit all that well with Chrissie, yes her son has started to come out of his shell , and yes Drew is the icing on top of a new adventure even if their romance is somewhat forbidden, but the house holds painful memories that she would rather get away from , the sooner the better, it can only bring the kind of drama she wants to avoid. Only Drew makes her feel and open up about everything she has dealt with alone for so long, can she truly let the past interfere with a new dream of hope?

I really liked this book. It was funny and romantic. I adored the character of Chrissie, being a single mom myself I could relate to her and immediately established a real connection to all the decisions she needs to make and everything that goes along with having to raise a child alone and how you are never sure that you're doing the right thing.

I was overjoyed that Drew was the one to be able to get Chrissie to open up and reveal her fears and heartache, every single parent knows that sometimes it's  needed for you to just talk it over with someone else other than just dealing with it, and Drew being that one for Chrissie put a huge smile on my face.

The humor in this book was the icing on a really stunning romance read, I giggled out loud like a little girl over some of the lines and when the twists and turns popped up you bet I was sitting up right and turning the pages as fast as I could to see what comes next.

Note to readers: the book does start off a little slow but before long it becomes so fascinating it will leave you begging for the rest, so don't stop just keep going, trust me it's worth it!

I'm taking away a message of the past is definitely always painful to deal with, and yes it can be buried but it can never be forgotten and therefore it will fester into a heartache that can never heal. One needs to step and deal with it head on before it becomes so deeply set into your being that it can never be escaped.

I recommend this read for any and all fans of small town romance, new dreams found, facing the past reads.
A sweet, tender, funny and real emotional heartfelt escape to new dreams read!

4.5 Star review
" One month turns into forever" 

Tango Love by Nicole Flockton

Reviewed by Desere

James and Melinda have been flatmates for a long time, and from day one both have wanted each other. Out of fear of rejection they both go their own way, sleeping with whom ever they please, just to drown thoughts of each other out.

Until James decides it's now or never. What follows is the best sex lust inducted coma of their lives but then morning comes, James is gone and Melinda might just need to face facts, she's just been used, or has she?

Some short reads tend to not always get it right and time and time again it seems it has skipped past some crucial elements
and thus the read kind of feels like it has fallen flat, like you have been cheated out of half the characters lives.

But in this read the author yes, did not go into major detail on the lives of the characters and some readers might feel cheated, however the author gave fantastic attention to detail to the here and now, and this drew my focus and kept my attention more than expressive detail to the lives of the characters would have. The read had a certain, no need to get into it all feel about it and had the author gone deeper with details I would have felt like it was dragging.

This read was very, very super spicy and had loads of bouncing off the walls sexual energy, building it all up to such a feverish pitch it felt as if the entire book was going to explode and burst into a thousand flames.

I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute and I was completely fascinated with this author's words once again. Nicole keep up the brilliant work !

I recommend this read for lovers of seriously hot short reads that hold a little "Don't wait for the good stuff to fall into your lap, see it, grab it and have fun!" message.

5/5 star review
"He wants her, she wants him. All that's left to do is the sexy-sheets bed-tango" 

What Love Sounds Like by Alissa Callen

Reviewed by Nancy Crocker

This is a very sweet and charming story by Alissa Callen. One which helps both the heroine and hero find love when they least expected it. Another romance set in Australia, has this reader wishing she could afford a trip there!

Mia Windsor is a speech pathologist who specializes in treating children. Having grown up in a home with an unloving father and a stammer she knows all too well what is it is like to talk while stressed emotionally. Now she will be staying with her new clients for a fortnight. I loved how the author wrote in the exercises used to help Tilly with her speech issues. It gave the reader a better understanding of how a speech pathologist worked. The character of Mia was heartwarming. But she has trust issues after being used by a former fiance.

Kade Reid was raised that money is everything. He never really had a childhood, so how is he expected to raise his four year old niece. He has decided she will have everything that money can buy for her, but all Tilly wants is the love that Kade has a problem sharing. My heart just broke for the character of Kade. The only love he had ever experienced was from a grandmother he visited once. He never really had toys or learned to play as a child.

As much as I enjoyed this story, I felt my heart really went to the precious four year old Matilda “Tilly” she was such a joy to read about. After losing both parents she still had a big heart. I loved how the character of Mia worked Untle Kade into the lessons “no that is not a typo” read the story folks.

Favorite line:

“Oh joy. Parenting advice from a man allergic to the entire spectrum of human emotion.”

4.5/5 stars

I received a copy from the Author in exchange for an honest review.

Memories Of Love by Jenny Schwartz

Review by Nas

Memories Of Love (novella)

MEMORIES OF LOVE by author Jenny Schwartz is an April 2013 release by Escape Publisher, the digital arm of Harlequin Ent, Australia.

This is a short ANZAC day story but full of emotional punch and with a powerful message of mateship.

I loved reading this story and connected with Ivan and Rita. Jenny Schwartz has a unique storytelling talent which fulfils and satisfies a reader!

Well worth reading!

Return to Romance Book Haven

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reviewed by Maria

In today"s fast moving world, short fiction provides a satisfying read for people who love to read and at the same time need to get their happy ending in a reasonable length of time.  The demise of  print publications have left a vacuum for the reader of short fiction - many magazines which formerly published short stories have shelved them in favour of celebrity news and reality type articles.  Short ebook reads fill the gap nicely

MEMORIES OF LOVE is an unashamedly sentimental read for the die hard romantic.  The orphaned yet fiercely independent heroine Rita is an attractive character.  Ivan the hero, a former army man who runs a security company is Rita's boss and he makes a suitably alpha hero.  Ivan and Rita fancy each other rotten and it's obvious to all who know them.  But he thinks he's too dark and depressing for a girl like Rita and she, being professional to the core, can't think of having an affair with the boss.  Sweet yet predictable so far.  The secretary in love with her alpha male available boss is certainly the stuff romance novels are made of, but what gives this pair the courage to make the first move and cross the professional divide?  Rita's house is burnt down in a fire and then Ivan gets the chance to play Sir Galahad.

I have to say that as a mother, Rita's attempts to play the vamp and seduce the hero filled me with terror. Well,  maybe that's just me. But in fairness, it's obvious that Ivan is special to Rita, not just someone she met along the way.  Anyway, Ivan, the battle scarred hero, turns out to be quite the gallant behind the rather dark exterior.

So if you love short fiction, comfort reads and unashamedly romantic reads, to pick this one up.  It's a great read to get the endorphins flowing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reviewed by Desere

Telling a good story is one thing almost any author can do, telling a good story in just seven chapters is something that takes pure talent and it not always easily done, and most of all it always leaves me with a sense of deep appreciation for the author that does manage to pull it off.

In the latest read from Jenny Schwartz she has proved she definitely is not only up to the task but more than able to blow the mind of her reader in seven chapters or less and leave you breathless, fulfilled and totally excited beyond believe in suspense of the next to come!

In this read I was introduced to the very sexy former army hero Ivan. He is boss to our heroine Rita. They are beyond hot for each other but something called “I can’t take the chance and I am not good enough” stands in their way of getting into an affair that will surely be the change of a lifetime.

A neat little twist of events by the author brings Rita smack bang up close and personal with Ivan and the heat gets turned up by degrees so hot the pages practically set alight in my hands.

The characters were both well written and each had their own unique little manners of going from professional to two people out on a mission to find pure sexual release.

The author gave me as reader a tormented hero and a mistress of the night come pure lady by day coming together in a short powerful, definitely very memorable read.

A message of what lies beneath needs to be revealed to the right person who will understand no matter what was wonderfully depicted by the author in a definite best seller.

I highly recommend this read for all lovers of short stories that deliver a impact that will stay with you for a lifetime and make you think twice about that one chance you had and never took.

5/5 star review

"Getting down and dirty with the boss is never as bad as it seems" 
______________________________________________________________________
Reveiw By TashNz

Memories of Love is a captivating and emotive tale which drew me in from the explosive first page.

The opening chapter is a winner.  It is action packed while at the same time; short, punchy and to the point.  My attention was immediately caught.

Ivan and Rita are thrown together due to unfortunate circumstances but fortunately for them it was just what they both needed.

I could relate to the touch on ANZAC, it was special to me.  Coming from NZ, ANZAC Day is really important to us and I could relate to the pre-dawn ceremony.  It was done well enough that no matter where in the world you were reading the book from you didn't have to know what ANZAC was but you can pick up that it's important for Rita and Ivan to attend.

Short stories are definitely the answer to the fast paced world we live in today.  If you find yourself saying you never have time to read, pick up Jenny Schwartz's Memories of Love, it wont take too much time out of your day and the satisfaction of finishing a story cant be beaten.

Bound By Her Ring by Nicole Flockton

Reviewed by Desere


As the title says he is bound to her by her ring and as the book unfolded I not only learned the significance of the ring but also that without the ring more than just a marriage is lost.

The book was, in short, about Jasmine who finds herself with amnesia after surviving a nasty car accident, the only link she has to the last few months of her life before the accident is a set of gorgeously crafted rings on her left hand, and more questions than answers of who the man is she called her husband.

While attending a party one evening she comes face to face with the man who placed those rings there and suddenly her memory starts returning in flashbacks and it seems that Luciano is the key to her unlocking her full past. Now, as much as she is set on regaining her memory Luciano has other plans of the more life destroying kind, he wants revenge and when he finally gets it, he will walk away leaving her as empty as she did him all those months ago.

The main characters of the book were well written and both had their own uniqueness, Jasmine being the woman who finally learns to stand up for herself and Luciano finally learning that control is not always the best option. I also really loved the different kind of person Luciano is every now and then , going from strong and commanding to passionate and caring, that kept me entertained. I particularly loved the manner the author used to layer back their secrets for me as reader. She kept me guessing all the way to the end as to just what really happened to tear these two apart when they clearly loved each other so much.

I was transported back between happier times for the couple and the here and now in fluent motion, which was important as when a book goes from past to future in a non flowing motion it lets me loose interest, as if I want to tell the author " Are you trying to make this as uninteresting as possible", however this author met my expectations and bounced from memory to current situations effortlessly.

The backdrop of Broome was perfect as it not only kept me at a relaxed page while reading with the vivid descriptions the author used to describe the island and it's tranquillity, but it also mixed in beautifully with the turmoiled  emotions that both characters were going through and therefore the calm vs the storm was beautifully combined.

The dialogue was in tune with the story, going from a flirty to emotional and then from secretive to soul baring. And at the end of the day I can honestly say I enjoyed this read very much. It was heated romance combined with cold hearted revenge being brought to a explosive bang by a onslaught of memories and a punchline that left me with sadness and sorrow but also understanding and a large dose of happiness for the characters.

If you're thinking that these two effortlessly and oh so smoothly fall back into bed together after being separated you would be wrong as the author put a lot more effort into it and surely but slowly lets the secrets, memories and love unfold unlike some books that deal with amnesia and lovers, they go from not remembering to jumping into bed and then going "Well that's OK I will remember later". This author took her time but not a dragging manner, as I said before I was kept on my toes and really entertained and intrigued at all time.

The title of the book was incorporated into book with absolutely stunning exquisiteness, which found simply awesome!

Excellent work Nicole, keep them coming!
5/5 star review

"Banishing the past one sensual, sweet, earth shattering kiss at a time"
________________________________________________________________

Reviewed by Tash

Bound By Her Ring by Nicole Flockton is my kind of book! 


Jasmine is recovering from amnesia when she's confronted by Luciano who claims to be her husband.   She doesn't remember Luciano but has memories of a "Lukas".  Jasmine feels like she's being slowly woken from her internal nightmares when she's with Lukas.  Memories start returning and nothing makes sense; she feels longing for Lukas but has a complete mind blank as to how and why.  Her memory is patchy but small things trigger recollections. Each flashback not only fanned the flames but keep the questions coming, some of which Lukas refuses to answer.   Jasmine is determined to find out her history and is frustrated when Lukas or her father won't assist in recovering her memories.

Lukas is driven by revenge and deep hurt when he reappears in Jasmines life.  H blackmails Jasmine to accompany him on a business trip.  He wants to lash out at the world for past hurts which are fed to the reader drop by glorious drop but his overall qualities shine thru.  Things don't go to plan when Lukas quickly realises he physically feels the same way about Jasmine as he did prior to her accident which in turn makes him question how he feels inside.  The new Jasmine is an enigma to Lukas; things just don't add up.  After spending time together it's hard for Lukas  to remember his desire for revenge.  He clearly loves Jasmine and knows he's in trouble when reaches the conclusion he wants to protect Jasmine and not let her find out her past actions.

I adored Bound By Her Ring because I love second chance stories.  I enjoyed the passionate and emotional ride I was taken on with Lukas and Jasmine.  Their love for each other shone thru.  The memory sequences are first-class. As each piece of the puzzle clicked into place I could understand Lukas's feelings and my heart just dropped when Jasmine recovered her full memory.  I want to start over and read the book again... not later, now!

I impatiently wait for Nicole Flockton's 3rd book!



Reviewed by Maria

So there you are, getting along as you do and this total stranger appears before you, tall, dark, handsome, the works and he tells you he’s your husband.  And you don’t even remember him?  Then you recall that yes, you’ve been suffering from amnesia lately and lost a year of your life and suddenly everything starts to make sense.  Only it doesn’t.  Because surely you’d remember him, he’s not the kind of guy people forget easily.  And now he’s insisting you come away with him on a business trip.  Sounds like the stuff that fantasies are made of, right?  Well, it’s a killer premise for a romance novel.

This is a highly sensual read.  Jasmine may not remember this man, but she sure has fun trying to get her memory back.  The love scenes are incredibly detailed and while the language for the most part was poetic rather than erotic, it almost slipped over the border into erotica at times.

The author has a most engaging voice which is perfect for romance fiction and kept me reading eagerly to the end.  Each time Jasmine remembers a detail from her past, a piece of the puzzle falls into place, revealing, ultimately, the truth about what really happened to her and the shocking reason why she lost her memory in the first place.  

The lavish description and thrilling premise makes this a must read for readers of romance fiction.

Mistaken Engagement by Jenny Schwartz

Reviewed by Maria

Another little gem from someone who I'm beginning to regard as the queen of short fiction, Australian author Jenny Schwartz.  Like her earlier novelette, DRAWING CLOSER, the newly released MISTAKEN ENGAGEMENT is a power packed read, an emotional, romantic story which will give you all the satisfaction of a romance novel in a smaller package.  In today's activity filled lifestyle, it's nice to think that you can still get a satisfying read in a more compact package. As my late, beloved grandmother used to say, "good goods come in small packages."

This is Saul and Grace's story. As they are step cousins, Saul has been in love with Grace ever since she joined his family after her mother married Saul's uncle.  Seeing Grace a little hurt and humiliated when the man she likes chooses her more glamorous step sister over her, Saul charges to the rescue by announcing their 'engagement.'  Grace is not impressed.  According to her, the engagement is so not happening.  Saul fixes it for Grace to come away for the long Australia Day weekend.  With the help of a few fireworks and a blazing summer fire, it won't be long before this pair  are also creating a few fireworks of their own.  Well, this is what Saul is hoping for, but can it really happen?  Read on and find out.

This read is highly recommended especially  for romance readers who are looking for a short yet  satisfying read.

Reviewed by Desere.

As a fellow reviewer put it this book was another little gem ! To me it was more like a diamond glittering in the sun. The story was one that had love and light shining through all the way through to the end.

Yes it is a very short read but what a read! As short as it was it was a read that was delightful, sexy, fun, exciting and powerfully passionate! The plot was one where Saul our hero has been in love with our heroine Grace for as long as he can remember and when she finds herself in a bind he is right there to rescue her by announcing "their engagement".

Yes, the man actually uses a very clever and crafty idea to get the woman of his dreams into his bed and his arms, where she belongs.

The author gave me everything I wanted and the whole plot was simply delicious. I loved that the author can pack so much emotion into such a short read. I am not a major fan of the short ones as it always seems like the longer reads give me a better insight and understanding into the lives of the characters. And most of the time I really do feel as reader I was deprived of some valuable piece of information.

But I can with all honestly say this author does the opposite, she delivers on each and every page. I was captivated and intrigued the entire read through and not once did it feel like the " The book is coming to a end and there needs to be more to this story" moment for me.

The characters we incredibly well written and the author let each one's feelings, emotions, inner light and strength shine through. The backdrop of using Australia Day as the setting was one of perfection. It added to the whole, there are people around watching and we need to convince them this is real element, and thus gave the book that sparkle I love so much in a romance.

A perfect lazy afternoon read, that is not only quick and easy but fun, flirty, sexy and sensual. Jenny, keep up the excellent work I want more!

5/5 star review

" A fake engagement turns to red hot love"



Review by TashNz

To me Mistaken Engagement by Jenny Schwartz was like sitting down at lunchtime and only reading the best chapters in a book! No unnecessary bog, punchy and to the point.

Surfer Saul and Dr Grace grew up together as a result of their blended families which has given them a close familiarity with each other. Saul rescues Grace from an embarrassing moment at a family function which then starts the ball rolling which causes both them both to start questioning their feelings for each other.

I think it’s quite a talent to be able to pack in as much emotion and adventure into six chapters as Mistaken Engagement has. I found the plot to be captivating and as well as interesting because I can relate to the location where events unfolded. The characters are fresh, the story to the point and there was no drag! The descriptions are so vivid, I was there!

Another fantastic short-story bought to us by the same author as the Drawing Closer.

Night Talk by Maxine Sullivan

Reviewed by Desere

This book was such a awesome read! It is guaranteed to cheer you up no matter what!

The story was about Cassie, a talk show radio host who comes face to face with a drop dead gorgeous Australian Zac, she thinks he is her guest "Sex therapist" for the show but in actual fact he is just a normal laid back kind of guy. But what follows is a series of funny questions about sex that the entire Chicago gets to listen in on!

At first Cassie is the "I am scared to get hurt again" woman and Zac is the "I will pull out all the stops to get you in bed" kind of guy. This created some really intense,fun and flirty moments of heat between the two that heated up the pages to the point of spontaneous combustion! Seriously ladies Zac was one really hot character, undeniably sex on legs with the sexy as sin,chocolate melting voice!

The main characters were really well depicted by this author, so well in fact I could very nearly picture the delicious Zac in front of me and see Cassie's facial expressions when she got outraged!

The very unique and clever backdrop of a radio show to bring these two together was a really nice touch. Yes it has been done before but not with this much humor and fun! There was even the "evil villains from both Cassie and Zac's past that made the book even better and more mind blowing. And I am really hoping that we will get to read the story of Adam and Erin next, as they were certainly the most interesting secondary characters I have read about in some time.

The dialogue was so funny at times it caused me to laugh out loud so much my eyes watered! But there was also true emotion and depth to some scenes written with such tenderness that I really felt sorry for Cassie and Zac.

Not wanting to spoil this for anyone, all I will say is the ending was one of total amazement and wonder really awesome touch Maxine! A really fun and sexy read!

Brilliant work!

"Pure delightful sin from down under meets his match"

5/5 star review

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reviewed by Nas

NIGHT TALK by author Maxine Sullivan is a 2013 release from Escape Publishing.

Cassie King hosts a night time radio show and invites Australian hunk for an impromptu chat. Or rather the hunk, Zac Ryan gets roped in. The audience goes wild and their rating is sky high.

Now her directors want Cassie to keep Zac on her show for a week. Would Zac agree? Zac has his own agenda, would Cassie agree to his terms?

NIGHT TALK  is a fun, entertaining, sexy and romantic story. It’s a delightfully fast-paced and feel-good romance that sparkles with mesmerizing emotion and intense passion.  I loved the fast come-backs and the sassy snappy dialogue!

Return to Romance Book Haven


Reviewed by Maria

My goodness, what a read!  It was excellent.  It's just the kind of book to pick you up if you're in a bad mood. Cassie, a radio talk show host, is set up, pure and simple.  When the sex therapist she was supposed to interview decides not to turn up for a show, the producer sends in a substitute.  Cassie believes that she is interviewing a man who treats sex as an academic pursuit and who is practising celibacy on an experimental basis.  What she gets instead is Zac, a red blooded Aussie male.  He responds to Cassie's questions with witty one liners leaving her, not to mention the Chicago radio audience, absolutely stunned.  But Cassie is not to be outdone and her responses to Zac's rapartee soon has the radio audience in splits.  The sparks fly, the airwaves sizzle and forget reality television, the reality radio show of Cassie and Zac's  romance becomes the talk of the town.

But there are perils on the way.  Both Cassie and Zac have every reason to be cautious in relationships as they were both left in the lurch by their exes.  But those  exes are now on the periphery of their lives and threaten to cause trouble out of jealousy. of the airwave romance.  So this book will keep you in suspense to the very end.

The love scenes are tender, realistic and yes very hot.  Maxine Sullivan is a sensitive writer who is more than up to the challenge of depicting the spark, sizzle and sometimes uncertainty of a new and growing relationship and she can write hot and spicy when required.  But for me, the USP of this novel were the radio scenes.  Cassie and Zac and their radio show are pure magic together.  So readers, if you're looking for a romance novel which will charm you, intrigue you and make you laugh out loud, pick this one up.  You won't be sorry.