The Reincarnatinist by M.J. Rose

Goodreads Description:

THE REINCARNATIONIST is equal parts modern-day thriller, historical fiction and love story. With one foot in present-day Rome and New York and another in Rome some 1,600 years ago, my story is about two worlds consumed by the fires of intrigue and passion. 

Photojournalist Josh Ryder survives a terrorist's bomb, only to be haunted by near hallucinatory memories of a past life in Rome as a pagan priest whose dangerous congress with Sabina, one of the Vestal Virgins, poses a transgression so serious the lovers will face a certain death if exposed. Scents of jasmine and sandalwood and images of furtive liaisons and violence descend on Josh at will, pulling him to an ancient yet strangely familiar Roman burial chamber harboring the remains of a woman clutching a wooden box. 

A trail of present-day murders takes us deeper into a labyrinth at whose heart lies the enigma of a collection of ancient gems or memory stones whose origins trace back to both ancient Egypt and India. The stones' promise to "assist the wearer in reaching his next incarnation" sets the ancient and modern worlds on a collision course. 

The questions of who we are cannot be asked without first asking who we were. And I've tried to answer that using my own research into reincarnation theory - as well as the tenets and writings of those who have studied and believed in reincarnation over thousands of years.

My Rating:

My Review:

I read the 4th in this series, and had to pick up the rest.  This is the first in the series and was the search for the memory stones in Rome.  These stones are said to help people remember their past lives.  One person, who works for a society that researches reincarnation in children, has had flashes of previous lives ever since an accident involving a terrorist bombing in Rome.  This story is about his story and search for answers and also about the value of the stones and those who do anything to get their hands on them!  Such a awesome mystery and suspense!  I can not wait to get going on the second in the series.

Wolf at the Door by Mary Janice Davidson

Goodreads Description:

The howlingly good spin-off of the Undead series from theNew York Times bestselling author.

Rachel, a werewolf/accountant, is asked to keep one eye on Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor and the other peeled for a rogue werewolf who's itching to start a war. But her attention is mostly on a sexy, mysterious stranger she wishes she could trust.

My Rating:

My Review:

I picked this up because I really liked Derik's Bane and had such hopes for this book.  I think it was ok but reading this reminded me why I stopped reading the undead series before I finished the whole series.  I just don't enjoy the choppy slang ridden narrations.  Betsy's character and Sinclair's character just annoy men.  I did enjoy the romance and quirky personality of Edward and Rachaels humor.  I did however pick this up and put it down A LOT....took a while to get though.  All around disappointment.

Fortune Hunter Series by Christina Dodd

Goodreads Description for Dangerous Ladies (Book 1 Trouble in High Heels and 2 Tongue in Chic):

Two sexy, suspenseful bestsellers? together in one volume!

Two stories of dangerous women entangled in the arms of deliciously treacherous men?

Trouble in High Heels

When Brandi Michaels discovers her fiancé hopping a flight to Vegas to marry his other girlfriend, she pawns her ring, buys herself a fabulous outfit, and spends one sultry night in the arms of a gorgeous Italian stranger named Roberto Bartolini. And when Brandi becomes the mark for a killer, she has no choice but to turn to Roberto?a man who?s destined to be either her savior or her downfall?

Tongue in Chic

Devlin Fitzwilliam catches Meadow Szarvas breaking into his mansion to steal a priceless painting. In sheer desperation she tells him she has amnesia. But then he claims she?s his wife?and Meadow finds herself locked in a match of high-stakes deception. She doesn?t dare take her eyes off him?and doesn?t want to?yet the danger is just beginning?

My Rating:

My Review:

I really loved this book.  I was looking for a contemporary romance with some suspense and this DEFINITELY gave me what I wanted.  I loved the loose connection between the books with the half brothers and how they all are in some way connected to each other through their father and his misdeeds.  I loved the romance between both brothers and their significant others! 

Goodreads Description for Thigh High:              Nessa Dahl always had the good sense to steer clear of trouble. Then Jeremiah MacNaught showed up in New Orleans, determined to get to the bottom of a string of bank robberies by two women wearing Mardi Gras masks. Little does Nessa realize that the handsome investigator is convinced she's involved with the crimes-or that he's willing to do anything to get the truth. Even if it means taking the beautiful woman he's convinced is a liar and a thief straight to bed...

My Rating:

My Review:

I had a love hate relationship with Nessa.  She was so nice but strong but she let people crap on her and that just made me mad.  I loved the humor in this book and I really enjoyed the slow romance that built between her and Jeremiah.  The Vault scene was HOT, and I will never forget it!  This is the least favorite of mine in this series, but saying that, this was still a FANTASTIC story and I'm not upset in any way I read it.  

Goodreads Description for Danger in a Red Dress:                                                           Down on her luck and desperate for work, beautiful Hannah Grey finds herself in a mansion on the wild Maine coast, caring for a lonely elderly woman. On her deathbed, she entrusts Hannah with a dangerous secret. Now Hannah's on the run, pursued by killers, and she desperately needs the one man who can keep her alive. Gabriel Prescott has hunted for a home his entire life. Now he's on the verge of finding his long-lost family. Only one person dares to stand in his way --- Hannah Grey. Yet the delicate, determined woman who threatens his search for truth may be the only woman who can save him.

My Rating:

My Review:

I LOVED Hannah's character!  I totally thought I had it all nailed down those first few chapters but the plot kept taking turns and it kept getting so much better!  Hannah had a rough patch and thought she found a savior, but he was a devil in sheep clothing!  I loved how Gabriel gets involved and how the romance forms.  I felt the reactions and emotions written in this book were very realistic and felt I would have reacted in the same ways.  I really enjoyed finally seeing Gabriel find love and I loved seeing the whole series come together to a wonderful ending! 

Bitten By Cupid by Lynsay Sands, Pamela Palmer, and Jaime Rush

Goodreads Description:

WITH THEIR VERY LIVES AT STAKE, LOVE WAS THE LAST THING ON THEIR MINDS. BUT THEN THEY WERE 
Bitten by Cupid... 

-A Daring Vampire thinks she can conquer anything, but when she's paired with a mortal detective, she'll find her life--and her heart--in grave danger... 

-An innocent woman falls into the arms of a mysterious man when she can't get a killer's terrifying thoughts out of her head... 

-A stunning beauty should be thrilled when her lost love finally returns, but instead she fears for their immortal lives... 

On Valentine's Day, some women want roses. But some just want to make it through the day alive. In Bitten by Cupid, New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands and newcomers Pamela Palmer and Jaime Rush present three tales of dangerous desire, where giving in to temptation could turn deadly, and even immortality won't keep you safe from Cupid's bow. 

Stories included are: 
Vampire Valentine (Aregneau, #12.5) by Lynsay Sands 
Hearts Untamed (Feral Warriors, #4.5) by Pamela Palmer 
Kiss and Kill Cupid (Offspring, #2.5) by Jaime Rush

My Rating:

My Review:

I really loved reading Tiny's story by Lynsay Sands.  I also enjoyed the story created by Pamela Palmer and will be researching her series.  I thought her story line was very clever and had some very original aspects that intrigued me but I wasn't blown away by it.  It had awesome bones and I did like the part about a mysterious race that faked it's own extinction!  I thought the story was missing something and was just didn't flow perfectly.  The idea was great though and I will be looking into the author for other works with hopes that she irons out the minor issues I have with the writing style and created the awesome world I feel she's capable of created!  I really loved Jaime Rush's high suspense thriller mystery with a hint of paranormal.  I've just started really getting into that type of writing so it really grabbed me.  I have to admit it was fairly predictable but it was still some awesome writing.  I really hope there is some more by this author because I would devour her work!

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

Goodreads Description:

A sweeping and suspenseful tale of secrets, intrigue, and lovers separated by time, all connected through the mystical qualities of a perfume created in the days of Cleopatra—and lost for 2,000 years. 

Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances—and of her mother’s suicide—she moves to America, leaving the company in the hands of her brother Robbie. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing—leaving a dead body in his wake—Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind. 

Back in Paris to investigate her brother’s disappearance, Jac discovers a secret the House of L’Etoile has been hiding since 1799: a scent that unlocks the mysteries of reincarnation. The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac’s quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past

My Rating:

My Review:

Wow this book blows my mind! I haven't read a mystery in a long while and this one also has mystical aspects. Jac and her brother Robbie unexpectately gain control of the family perfume company their father ran until his Alzheimer was diagnosed. Jac, who lives in the US, didn't know what a disaster the office was until Robbie disappears under confusing and suspect circumstances. Robbie, while cleaning, found pottery fragments and the mystery of the pottery involves a lot of people and countries. Griffin was helping Robbie translate the hieroglyphs on the pottery when Robbie disappeared. Griffin and Jac team up to help find Robbie and have to deal with their old romance. Jac's flashes of previous lives and loves aren't helping matters either. The ending is both fantastic and unexpected and I can honestly say that I would love to see this book made into a film, it would give movies like The Da Vinci Code a run for it's money!

Once Upon a Wicked Night by Jennifer Haymore

Goodreads Description:

All of London looks forward to the Dowager Duchess of Clayworth’s annual ball. For no matter how hard the serious society matron strives to host an elegant event, scandal always ensues… 

Seven years ago it was a young Serena Donovan and Jonathan Dane who shocked the ton when they were discovered in a most compromising position. Tonight they return for the first time as the Earl and Countess of Stratford. And while Serena hopes for a quiet evening to introduce her younger sister Olivia to society, Jonathan’s only desire is to pick up where he and Serena left off… 

Though innocent Olivia secretly longs for the kind of passion her sister shares with her husband, none of the men she’s met spark a fire inside her heart—least of all the notorious Marquis of Fenwicke. When his request for a waltz turns into something sinister, Olivia must use her wit and wiles to evade a powerful peer who vows if can’t have her, no man shall…

My Rating:

My Review:

Good short story to lead upto the second book.  Gives a little more exposure between the hero and heroine in book 2 though nothing mind blowing or important enough you have to read it to understand the second book's plot.  You could take it or leave it but if you're like me then you should read it just in case there is something important in there.

Ember by Kristen Callihan

Goodreads Description:

Prequel to Firelight. 

After a fire consumes the Ellis family fortune, the beautiful and resourceful Miranda finds herself faced with an impossible dilemma: enter a life of petty crime or watch her family succumb to poverty. But once her fiancé learns of her descent into danger—and of the strange, new powers she's discovered—saving her family may come at the high price of her heart. 

When Lord Benjamin Archer's one chance for redemption is destroyed by corrupt London antiquarian Hector Ellis, he vows to take what Ellis values most—his daughter Miranda. Forced to hide his face behind masks, Archer travels the world hoping to escape the curse that plagues him so that he can finally claim his prize. 

But once Archer returns home to London, will it be revenge he seeks? Or will the flame-haired beauty ignite new, undeniable desires?

My Rating:

My Review:

Great lead up to the first book.  I didn't read this until after the first book and it answered a few questions I had from reading the first book.  It gives a bit more detail into certain events that are touched upon in the first book as well.  Great little novella.