41-43. Kobo romance freebie reading spree

When I first bought my Kobo Vox I rushed to take advantage of the free books available.  They generally fell into two categories: lengthy classics and Harlequin-type romances.  This weekend I decided to move some of those romances from the "to-read" shelf to the "read & done" shelf.  Here's the list:

The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding
Mercenary and the Marriage Vow by Doreen Roberts
Perception by Angela Verdenius
Once a Cowboy by Linda Warren
Hide in Plain Sight  by Marta Perry
Dancing in the Moonlight by Raeanne Thayne
Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child
Baby, I'm Yours by Stephanie Bond
Speed Dating by Nancy Warren

Most of these titles follow the standard formula for Harlequin books: Contentious first meeting, instant lust, sudden unexpected feelings of love on her part, refusal to admit feelings on his part, numerous misunderstandings, angst, and in the final pages they actually talk, realizing they could have solved all this and got on with their lives on page 5, and happily ever after.  Sometimes this can be an enjoyable 1-2 hour long read but often I finish shaking my head and eyes sore from rolling so much. Clichés, sickly-sweet sentiment, ridiculous misunderstandings.  I find that unless there is a substantial plot to accompany the romance story I become close to infuriates with  the man-handling, controlling behaviour and refusal to have a honest conversation.

I'll add to this list the Loveswept romance: I Do by Mallory Rush a.k.a. Olivia Rupprecht.

Mostly because I don't think it deserves it's very own post.  In the case of  I Do, I fell victim to the ever popular 'replacement cover'.  Always one to be intrigued first by the book cover, I saw this and figured...why not?
After reading the book I had a suspicion so I googled the book and located THIS!




SOL--He Promised Her Forbidden Pleasures.... 

He'd nearly died in a foreign land, and in a moment of madness he'd married the woman whose letters had given him a reason to live. But when Sol Standish faced his bride for the first time, he knew he should release her from her vows. Mariah Garnet trembled when her husband stepped off the plane, wildly excited at meeting Sol, but deeply ashamed of the deception that had made her his wife.
Irresistible Temptations
Innocent, passionate, unrestrained in her hunger for the sensual gifts he offered, Mariah was a mystery Sol itched to unveil, but was her reckless courage strong enough to heal a man whose scars ran so deep? Desperate for the trust of his wanton angel, Sol demanded the truth she'd kept from the man who shared her soul. Could he make her believe he'd let no one take her from him, that she was his answered prayer
SOL is his name...and he does start out in the book thinking he actually is Sh*t .Outta .Luck.

I read this book and thought that I may injure myself from the almost constant eye-rolling.  Such cheesy lines and that old story...almost underage girl, innocent and sweet falls for older, hardened, dominating man.  I actually laughed out loud a few times over utterings such as "He realised he was the wind beneath my wings" blah blah

...okay.  All complaining and making fun aside, I admit I did read the whole thing.  In one sitting.  And it was kinda fun.  If you can embrace or even revel in the cheese factor then I Do is actually a bit of fun!

34. Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

Another caveman romance...

She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty—with no memory of what happened—he knows he's been drugged… even if Alani doesn't.

Okay.  I may need to vary my selection a bit more to avoid being hit over the head and dragged into yet another caveman romance.  While I love reading about a take charge hero with great one-liners, I think I need a break.  I didn't enjoy this instalment of the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series as much as the others and I think I know why.  Jackson was just to heavy handed for my liking, and Alani was too innocent and wide eyed.  If you can accept this dynamic a little better than I did, you are in for some great verbal comebacks and enjoyable banter.  Foster's heroes are definitely appealing and usually I would have devoured this  up.  This was the third in the series and the final volume will star two characters introduced via Jackson: Arizona and Spencer.  


Some of my favourite scenes / lines:


After a morning of shopping to ease the hurt of her first night with Jackson, Alani returns home to find him lounging on her front porch, seemingly unaware.  Watching him, she remembers their intimacy: 

Breathing fast, Alani studied him. His continued stillness suggested sleep. Even when she shifted her bags and inched closer  he didn't move....Even now, so tranquil, he looked impressive...Alani licked her lips and started to slowly, silently, retreat.
"Don't make me chase you darlin'!"

Jackson, desperate for more close contact with Alani, is trying his darnedest to pull her attention away from the dangerous situation they are in and towards him...all of him:

"We have to figure this out, Jackson, so leash the lust.”His chin went up as he stared down at her. “Woman, you ask the impossible.”“Do it anyway!" 

12. When You Dare by Lori Foster

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…

This is the first book that I have read by Lori Foster and I really enjoyed it.  It's a Harlequin Romance novel with more action, clever banter and strong-minded men and women.  From the first page the action began. A few turns later the hot romance began.

I did have a problem or two with the book which, in the end, was easy to overlook.  The immediate attraction between Dare and Molly...okay.  I can see that.  But they seemed to graduate to a full blown relationship very quickly.  Within pages they knew details about each others personalities, beliefs and way of life that should have taken them weeks even months to learn. For the most part, the novel tells the reader what they will need to know about the characters and how they interact rather than having the characters show it through their actions.  It was like they were on fast forward so that the awkward getting to know you stage wouldn't interfere with the investigation or action.  The other bit that bothered me here and there in the book is the heavy handed manner that the men deal with the women.  There is a need for protection yes, but at times the control they demand bordered on overbearing for this reader.  This is a light, sexy read, not meant to be anything more than entertaining.  As an adventure romance, it achieves that easily.

This book is full of mental eye candy.  So here is a trailer with more.