Product Description
The elite Martinis & Bikinis Club challenges you to risk it all. But onceyou pick a dare, there's no backing out... Everyone thinks Josephine Winfield is a good girl, but underneath she's badto the bone. Very bad. Why else would she pick up sexy Sebastian Stanhope over a martini? The factthe two of them will be working together on a scandalous case doesn't even stopher from a romp between the sheets! Sebastian knows this fling can only lead to disaster. He's her boss--withfringe benefits. Meantime Joey wants to see how far she can push it--with a Martini Dare. "Thetime for revealing secrets has come. Open your heart to the one closest toit." Can she confess she's truly fallen in love with Sebastian or is this only acase of lust in the first degree? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

My Guilty Pleasure
This installment of the Martini Dares is great is shows how the rich girl who wants to be something else. Can find her heart in the most unusual ways. Sebastian is great at getting to Joey even when she doesn't see it coming. The attraction between them is so strong it is a miracle they can even work together. This book shows that if you are willing to work at something including love anything can happen.

Sexy, intelligent fun
Ever gone to a dive bar to blow off some steam, only to end up picking up the man who will tomorrow be your boss? That's exactly what happens to rebellious socialite Josephine Winfield. She's smart enough to recognize it before she ends up in bed with him, but that doesn't keep the two of themfrom climbing in bed anyway. The fling will burn itself out eventually, right?

Now these two lawyers are addicted to the pleasures of each other's company after hours, but it can't go any further; he's her boss, and that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. So what's a girl to do if she thinks she might be falling in love? Certainly not risk it all on a Martini Dare...

Although the premise sounds a little ridiculous, Denton makes it work well in My Guilty Pleasure. The characters are not as well fleshed out as in My Wildest Ride (Harlequin Blaze), but the sex is hot, the tensions between them are believable, and the final resolution is suitably clever.

fun Martini Dares romance
As a member of a Boston Brahmin family, Joey Winfield knows that means behaving in public with a certain degree of decorum way above the middle class.Thus when the attorney needs to kick off her shoes and be bad to the bone, she needs to go where no one will recognize her.

Her choice for escapism fun is a roadhouse dive where she expects to meet no one from her family's social circle.To her shock her new boss of less than three days Sebastian Stanhope is at the joint.The former Miami lawyer and his upper crust subordinate are attracted to one another even before she sips a Martini and dares the dissolute.They agree to share intimacy until he shows up at work which will end their guilty pleasure.The hours fly by, but once they work together on a case in which their opinions differ, Joey knows she has fallen in love with her boss, but hides it from Sebastian as he does likewise.

Although the rationale for the pair to condone the sex before he becomes her superior seems weak, fans will appreciate the latest Martini Dares romance (see MY FRONT PAGE SCANDAL by Carrie Alexander and MY SECRET LIFE by Lori Wilde).Joey and Sebastian are likable characters who are in love, but see no way of informing their beloved without causing professional harm.Series fans will enjoy this entertaining Bostonian drama in the bedroom and the office.

Harriet Klausner
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Customer Reviews (2)

Fun read
Solid execution of the Harlequin genre.Good people with good intentions held apart by misunderstandings and the manipulations of a couple of bad actors.Truth be told, it reminded me a bit of "Tess of thed'Urbervilles" and "Jude the Obscure," what with plots of pregnancies, fake pregnancies and mysterious letters that never get to their destinations.

But to be honest with you, I'd rather read this book than one by Hardy, because the world's screwed up enough as it is without reading a book that'll make you even more miserable.This book, while admittedly schmaltzy and not quite totally believable, at least provides a satisfying and happy conclusion.Read and enjoy.

from the back cover:

He'd been cheated out of fatherhood! Cole Ballinger had loved Marni Rodgers with all the passion of first love. Then she'd abandoned him for the bright lights of California, and he'd spent far too much time wondering why. Until he met Jenna, his daughter. The daughter marni had kept secret for twelve years.

Stunned, Cole was determined to make up for all the years he'd missed in Jenna's life. If Marni wasn't prepared to let him be a full-time father now, he'd sue for custody. He couldn't let her cheat him out of something so precious twice.

... Read more

Product Description
HE'LL EARN THEIR TRUST The recording that lands on reporter Ainsley Brennan's desk bears no postmark and no return address, only an ominous label "Day One" and the agonized screams of a young woman. It's a sound Ainsley will never forget, and when a pretty coed's mutilated body is found in the nearby woods, she knows there's a connection. But convincing Serenity Heights' stubborn, sexy new deputy police chief, Beck Raines, that she's right is another matter. TASTE THEIR FEAR Nothing ever happens in Serenity Heights. That's precisely why Beck Raines transferred there from L.A.'s homicide division before the inevitable burnout set in. Now suddenly he's dealing with one dead freshman and another who has gone missing, not to mention a gorgeous, interfering reporter who's quickly becoming a professional and personal complication. AND MAKE THEM PAY... As the attraction between Beck and Ainsley spirals out of control, so does the danger. Someone is torturing and killing the town's brightest and most beautiful students someone determined to make them suffer for their lives of privilege and success. With each grisly murder, the serial killer grows bolder, braver, and more brutal. And his next victim will be the most shocking and personal of all... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Dead Stop - not so hot
Normally I love Jamie Denton's books, but this one didn't do much for me. In fact, I stopped reading in the middle of it and put it away for several weeks before I picked it up again and finished it. Something about the story line just wasn't that compelling to me.

Romantic Suspense
'Dead Stop' is nothing new, a romantic suspense story with a detective, a journalist and a serial killer. Despite this lack of novelty, however, this was still a good read.

When Ainsley Brennan has a mysterious delivery of a CD which contains the sounds of a woman being tortured, her journalist instincts lead her to try to investigate. Deputy Police Chief Beck Raines doesn't trust journalists and doesn't want Ainsley around but her tenacity means he has little choice, especially when he finds himself attracted to her. When dead bodies of young women start being discovered and it becomes clear there's a killer living in the locality, Ainsley and Beck have to work together and trust each other to get to the bottom of the crimes, especially when they hit close to home.

The plot in this book was reasonable but there were some weaknesses, particularly in the motivation of the killer and why he started sending out CDs and dumping bodies for people to find. The romance between Ainsley and Beck was fairly predictable, as was the identity of one of the victims. The author also chose to reveal the identity of the killer fairly early on in the book. This was a reasonable read with rather stereotypical characters but didn't break any new ground.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2009

Loved the latest book by Ms. Denton
Great suspense and great romance.I loved everything about this book! I personally own it and I will definitely be going to back to read it again.

Excellent Read
I really enjoyed this book.. It was hard to put down.. Another great one by Jamie Denton..

exciting investigative romantic suspense
Serenity Heights Sentinel reporter Ainsley Brennan is concerned with the package that she finds on her desk as there is no return address.The label on the tape inside says: "Day One".She plays the recording to hear tormented female screams.Not long after listening to the harrowing tape, the mutilated corpse of young woman is found in the woods.

Ainsley tries to persuade deputy police chief Beck Raines that this is the beginning; he reluctantly agrees.After burning out as a LAPD homicide detective, he came here for peace and quiet.Now he fears he is working a ritual serial killer case who has just stared with the murder of a freshman and he fears a second murder as another young woman has vanished.Worse he is attracted to the beautiful nosy Ainsley who he worries could be next.

DEAD STOP is an exciting investigative romantic suspense starring two likable competitors falling in love.The subplot of a major conglomerate buying the local paper adds a touch of reality to the fine tale.The killer is somewhat typical of the sub-genre, as the culprit is in plain sight yet able to hide his psychopathic tendencies from everyone.Jamie Denton provides a fun to read police-procedural-journalist investigative romantic thriller as the predator is watching the "Bitch".

Harriet Klausner

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Product Description
The Wicked Witch Of The West Side - Mary Janice Davidson New York publisher Karen Desjardin has been driven to fits of temperamental insanity by clueless bean-counters and bad writing. The only person who isn't afraid of Karen is her publishing house's best selling romance star-Hope Desiree LaFrance, a.k.a. hunky writer Steven McCord. And he has a few plans to redeem his wicked editor...he'll start by planting kisses on those full lips and take expert editorial direction from there...Instruction In Seduction - Jamie Denton Eden Matthews is a good cop with a bad reputation...for being a zero between the sheets. Cop-on-the-edge Jackson Hunt has a bad reputation...for being an absolutely legendary lover. Determined to tap into her inner vixen, Eden blackmails Jackson into teaching her what it takes to be a wicked woman...Wicked Ways - Susanna Carr Faking a wild life for the sake of her clients currently has Peyton Lovejoy in the bathroom stall of a male strip joint, making a frantic call to...the 24-hour public library hotline. Mike Ryder is certainly intrigued by Peyton's desperate questions (How does one tip a guy in a thong?) and completely captivated by the idea of answering all her sexually charged questions... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

1 star
I put the book down the moment in the first story were the dude literally had a heart attack when the leading lady was nice to him.

How clever and hilarious. It was the lame joke that broke this woman's back.

WICKED AND WONDERFUL
Three stories in one book. (Didn't read 2 of them). "Introduction to Seduction" by Jamie Denton was sassy and hot. Jackson and Eden are police partners. She's a smart woman who is afraid of commitment (but doesn't realize it) and Jackson wants to commit to her. She's been told she's a dud between the sheets so she asks Jackson to "teach" her since his reputation has it that he's dynamite in bed. He changes the "rules" and tells her he will if she dates him exclusively. Their love scenes are erotic, sexy, and practicaly burn the pages! I give this story 5 stars!

Davidson's novella is a "wicked" good read!
I was told that MaryJanice Davidson's novella in this anthology was great. And it is great. The Wicked Witch of the West Side is about a no-nonsense New York publishing editor who finds out that Hope Desiree, the publishing house's best-selling romance author, is actually Steven McCord -- a former police officer and total hottie. Jeannie has to get him to finish up his latest novel. What transpires is a sexy love story that is also hilarious and full of Davidson's signature quips. What a great opening to this anthology. The other two novellas -- Instruction in Seduction by Jamie Denton and Wicked Ways by Susanna Carr -- are not as memorable as Davidson's offering. Denton's story about an uninhibited cop who teaches his co-worker how to be a bad girl in the sack was pretty good if a bit cliché. And Carr's tale about a woman who decides to change her image to help her career and love life has its scenes full of steam but, like Denton's novella, the plot is a bit stale and not unlike so many Brava stories I have read for a while.

All in all, this is a fun book to read while you are traveling to work or if you're in the bargain for some cute chick-lit-slash-romance. MaryJanice Davidson is one of the best romance authors out there and I admit that am partial to her work. Her sharp dialogue and crisp narration make her stories special to me. However, I love her novels more than her novellas and I look forward to reading one soon. As for the other two authors, they are good in what they do. I am not impressed with their offerings because they are not unlike the other stuff other Brava authors have released.Their themes are too repetitious. I have read a lot of Brava anthologies and most of the stories within said anthologies have a "been there, done that" feel to them. Davidson is the exception. Her stuff is quite creative most of the time. Anyway, as said earlier, read this as a fun, no-fuss read and if you don't mind the woman-who-has-been-hurt-before-and-the-gorgeous-man-who-rescues-her theme in Denton's novella.

Another fantastic Brava Anthology
THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST SIDE by MaryJanice Davidson

Jeannie Desjardin has a tough job as an editor. Her boss, Bob Anderson, frowns when she tells him she's swamped, underpaid, and under-laid. Her boss describes Jeannie as near genius, poor social skills, and an uncontrollable temper. Despite her adamancy over her too-full workload, her boss assigns her a new author, a woman Jeannie is sure she'll despise. Now she's assigned another author who has missed her latest deadline. But Jeannie is in for the surprise of her life. Hope Desiree is a pseudonym for the yummy Steven McCord. Oh, how Steven just loves his loud-mouthed new editor. Yeah, she's an intense bitch, but she'll be his, and he'll have her no other way.

Reader beware: I was riding in a cab while reading this novella and had to put the book away, as I was laughing out loud more than once! Yes, MaryJanice Davidson writes with such a hilarious flair that I couldn't wait to get to my destination to pick this book up again and finish it!

INSTRUCTION IN SEDUCTION by Jamie Denton

Eden Matthews has been dumped by her latest boyfriend, who claims she is lousy in bed. She needs to practice on learning how to please a man, and who better than her partner Jackson Hunt, who's been fantasizing about her for the better part of a year. However, they are partners at the Sheriff Department, and if they change the dynamics of their relationship, they won't be able to continue working together.

This may have started as no-strings attached, but this emotionally-riveting story reveals so much more. Understanding Eden's reticence does not come easy for Jackson Hunt, but his loyalty and devotion run deep. This is one powerful novella by Jamie Denton that you won't want to miss. The sensual seduction-by way of instruction-is rich and deep on a level of sensuality that it almost comes through the pages. Women, you don't want to miss Jackson's seven levels of ultimate pleasure and the resulting emotional impact it carries.

WICKED WAYS by Susanna Carr

Peyton Lovejoy knows she's in deep. For over a week, she's been calling the library she's affiliated with New Answer Hotline. After speaking with the hotline operator several times, his voice is affecting her deeply. However, their first meeting face-to-face, with a simple handshake, nearly causes her to explode into a ball of flames. Peyton is the president of Our Friends of the Library group, while Mike Ryder is posing undercover investigating possible embezzlement. Unbeknownst to Peyton, she is Mike's primary suspect. This ought to get interesting real quick, because Mike is just as aware of Peyton as she is him.

In the meantime, Peyton is suffering from her nerd status and is quite embarrassed by some of the intense questions she asked Mike. But he doesn't know it was her-yet. Can she boost herself a bit, become a wicked woman so that Mike won't connect her to the woman asking explicit questions, thereby guessing her naiveté? How will Peyton turn herself into a scandalous woman overnight? Read Carr's delightful addition to this anthology and you'll be certain to find out.

HOW TO BE A WICKED WOMAN is another fantastic anthology by Kensington Brava. The Brava editors sure know how to put the right authors together in order to create successful anthologies. In this one here, you have a truly wicked woman, who is not about to change her ways, a woman who's tough, but not so wicked, and a woman who'd love to project a wicked image. This tantalizing package was released in August, but be sure to pick it up if you haven't already, as it is too good to pass up.

(For Sizzling Romances, September, 2004)

Excellent!
Three excellent stories. I bought it because of Mary Janice Davidson, but was pleasantly surprised by the other two authors.
I read it in one evening.A keeper! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

So sweet -- You cry!
Jamie Denton has a special talent for pulling and tugging at the heartstrings inside you. I cried a lot throughout THE BIOLOGICAL BOND. I cried for the heroine, Rebecca Martinson, who lost her baby right after birth without even knowing the sex of the child. I cried for the hero, Sam, who had to take the biggest risk of his life and contact the biological mother of his fourteen year old daughter, Melanie, because she is his last hope for a bone marrow donor to his child. After Rebecca and Sam meet there are sparks everywhere. I cried for the two of them and their inability to recognize and live up to their true feelings and desires. And when they do, it's almost too late. The scenes and obstacles that come between Melanie and Rebecca, Melanie and Sam, and the three of them together are heartbreaking. You sympathize with them and for their respective losses. You feel for them and the things they face and need to overcome. Then there is the absolute love. The love that Sam has for his daughter is stunning and beautiful but most of all, priceless. Jamie Denton did an incredible job with the heartwarming relationships between Melanie and Same. Thank you for the love you give these characters and the happy-ever-after. The love the characters shared and the happily ever after will touch every reader, and make this a keeper book.

Romance At Its Best

Dreams do come true -- Very highly recommended
Fourteen years ago lawyer Rebecca Martinson unwilling placed her child for adoption. She's never forgotten that haunting first cry of life and the child she never held. Now in family practice, she buries her past in a successful career based on helping families in need. Until one shocking day, that is, when Sam Winslow enters her office and declares himself the father of a dying daughter in need of her biological mother's bone marrow.

Desperate to save his daughter, Sam had the court records opened so he could track down his daughter Melanie's birth mother. Now he faces the adult version of his beloved daughter complete with unexpected and unwanted attraction. When Rebecca demands a month to meet and get to know her daughter, Sam capitulates with the understanding that afterward she will walk away, and Melanie will never know the visitor was her birth mother.

Both Rebecca and Sam know the risk heartbreak by allowing Melanie to meet her mother. They don't realize that they also risk heartbreak by spending time together. Rebecca's family are judges and doctors; Sam owns a farm. Rebecca has a successful career and Sam doesn't see how she could ever trade her power suits for an apron. With all their differences, however, they share a daughter they both love.

THE BIOLOGICAL BOND delivers an unexpected love story with tender empathy. Indeed, author Jamie Denton's flair for creating believable characters and a bond that go beyond blood result in a memorable, beautiful tale. As the biological mother, adoptive father and beloved daughter each reveal their innermost fears, the reader's heart can't resist a flush of understanding. Further, the unique family environment, rich characterization, and revelation of secrets keeps the pages turning. THE BIOLOGICAL BOND comes very highly recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Heatwave
I thought that this was a good collection of stories. I'm a fan of these authors and it was nice to see them all in one place. Miller's Part of the Bargain was a good story, I liked the character development. I hadn't readanything by Tess Gerritsen before but now I'll be looking for more of herstuff. Delinsky is always a good read! ... Read more