Tag: Kat Cantrell

Guest Review: Pregnant By Morning by Kat Cantrell

Posted February 13, 2014 by Judith in Reviews | 0 Comments

Pregnant By MorningJudith’s review of Pregnant by Morning by Kat Cantrell

One magical night in Venice brings two lost souls together–until a positive pregnancy test changes everything.

What was meant to be a one-night affair has turned into much more for Texas businessman Matthew Wheeler. Something about Evangeline, the mysterious woman he met at a masquerade ball, propels him from his self-imposed exile. He’s finally able to forget his tragic past and lose himself in this incredible woman.

But letting go has a price…

Evangeline’s pregnancy announcement brings reality to their Venetian villa. Are they ready to take their secret affair public? Or will their romance end with the morning light?

This is a light read and one that won’t take up a ton of time to enjoy.  However, it is built on a foundation of hurt and loss so that both Evangeline and Matt are trying to heal from the loss of important elements in their life–the loss of a career in Evangeline’s case, and the loss of precious loved ones for Matt.  Their meeting seemed to be providential for them both and their affair certainly distracted them from their grieving.  Now a baby is on the way and both must make some important decisions about the direction their relationship and their lives will go.  Most importantly, they must decide how they will parent this child–together or living distant lives from one another.

This short novel is the kind of book that is made for a restful evening at home.  It’s not a complex story although there is no lack of pathos or deep feelings involved.  It is a romance, after all.  Yet it is disappointing in that these two seemed unable to move on with their lives.  Admittedly they had serious issues–one’s loss of a promising career due to someone else’s mistake can engender some serious bitterness.  Obviously Evangeline had legitimate reasons for feeling robbed of all that the future might hold.  Matt had lost the people most dear to him–his wife and his father, the two people who resided at the center of his world.  Yet these are the kinds of happenings we all hope will never happen to any of us, knowing that they will sometimes occur.  All of us have the coping mechanisms within ourselves, and even in a fictional situation as in this novel, it saddens me when people get emotionally “stuck” and are unable to move on with their lives.

The one important response I had to this novel was that even in a so-called “lightweight” novel such as this, there is a deeper lesson to be learned.  We all learn from the experience of others and perhaps we know people whose lives have been upended by death of loved ones or by accidents that have changed the course of one’s life.   Perhaps I am the sort that finds these lessons or that I’m being too introspective.  Yet I often continue to think on these issues after finishing the book and the story has reached its happy ending.

Sorry to be so somber, but I really found some deeper worth in this story.  There have been reviewers who have not liked the book and others who have been over the top about it.  I’m somewhere in the middle yet I found it worth reading and enjoyed it.  I guess each reader will have to judge its worth for themselves.  I hope you will read it and make that judgment.

I give it a rating of 3.5 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.

This title is available from Harlequin.  You can buy it here or here in e-format.  This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Guest Review: The Baby Deal by Kat Cantrell

Posted January 29, 2014 by Judith in Reviews | 0 Comments

17382953Judith’s review of The Baby Deal by Kat Cantrell

In this Billionaires & Babies novel, award-winning author Kat Cantrell presents an offer that can’t be refused

When billionaire entrepreneur Michael “Shay” Shaylen becomes guardian to a baby boy, he knows there’s only one woman who can teach him how to be a father–his ex-lover, child psychologist Juliana Cane. So he makes her a deal: if she gives him two months, he’ll give her a boost in her career.

She says yes. Suddenly, Juliana has everything she’s ever wanted: a home, a child…Shay. But she knows this seductive situation is only temporary. Because even as desire burns between them;so do the reasons Juliana has to say goodbye.

He’s a forward thinking astro physicist who has the funds to make commercial travel to outer space a reality.  But his two best friends, the two people he needed most to help all this happen, were killed and on top of everything else, they gave him guardianship of their only son.  He knows that Juliana has broken his heart and he is not prepared to EVER let her get to him again, but he needs her expertise.

She’s a child psychologist who has never really gotten over Shay but he’s way to much of a risk-taker, putting himself in danger just for the adrenaline surge and the sense of temporary high he gains by tempting the fates time and time again.  No, she wants stability and a solid, grounded lifestyle and that’s why she left her relationship with Shay years earlier.  She wanted a man who would give her what her parents never could.  So she will help Shay with his new, soon-to-be-adopted son, but no, no, NO!  The heart will be guarded and the emotions not engaged.

This is an interesting love story that has some underlying issues.  Most of all it is about two people who are still longing to be together if the other could just accept them for who they are and not for what a lover would like them to be.  It is also about two people whose ability to trust has been seriously damaged by their break-up years earlier when they both knew the other love them deeply, yet their fears could never move them to a safe and long-lasting relationship.  Now there’s a baby and there are grandparents who are suing for custody of their son’s son, and there is frustration and anger deeply buried, so there’s lots going on in this story.    Shay and Juliana are not really at odds in an open adversarial way.   But the issues that drove them apart initially are still there, and no matter how strong their attraction continues to burn, neither feels safe in exploring those feelings.   Sex, maybe;  love and trust, you’ve got to be kidding!

Throughout this story there is a pervasive sense of sadness over the loss of two very good friends, the loss of a love that Shay and Juliana are afraid to resurrect, and the sense that this little boy may not end up with people who can give him the kind of life he needs.  There is also Juliana’s deep sadness over her inability to have a child, a desire that became almost obsessive and which drove her away from her husband.  She’s alone now and her only family are the troubled teens she treats in her psychology practice.  There is almost a sense that there is just too much for Shay and Juliana to conquer and one wonders if a HEA is even possible.  So the author doesn’t give you an easy read with a formulaic resolution.  A reader is going to have to stay the course to find out how this all comes out.

I found this to be a very good romance novel and one I enjoyed immensely.  I also wish to add that it is one of those “new” Harlequin publications that has re-energized their reader base and made us all delighted with the various directions and themes that are now a part of the Harlequin publishing.  It’s a good read and deserves to be enjoyed.  I hope you’ll check it out.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5

You can read more from Dr J’s Book Place.

This title is available from Harlequin Desire.  You can buy it here or here in e-format.


Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Review: Mindlink by Kat Cantrell

Posted April 17, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Determined to revitalize her imploding career, blacklisted movie star Ashley V takes on her biggest role yet: posing as one of ten scientists invited by aliens to a universal summit. But when the aliens seize, strip and implant the entire delegation to extract their knowledge, she is quickly found out and sent to a cell to await recycling.

The alien research director designated ZXQ-One devised a plan to let the humans volunteer their best and brightest in a gamble to solve his people’s energy crisis. But he fails to find anything useful and winds up imprisoned alongside the fiery human woman who refuses to give up, and who insists on calling him Sam.

After an accidental link between their implants lets them share their thoughts, they find themselves drawn to each other. Sam will have to trust in her human compassion and forgiveness for his role in her capture, and Ashley will have to trust him with her deepest secrets if they are to have any chance at survival…

The last thing that actress Ashley V expected when she headed off into space was to be captured and sentenced to death within hours of landing. She had paid big money to bribe the real doctor that was supposed to be going to Alhedis to talk with the aliens and had sunk herself into the role. She was pretty confident she could pull off the scam and then would be thought an incredible actress by directors and producers worldwide. She honestly believed that this would be the key to getting her blacklisted career back on track. She knew almost immediately upon landing that something was off but she never expected to be stripped and then implanted with a thing she thought was like an octopus – taking over all corners of her brain. The aliens soon learned that she knew nothing that could help them solve their energy crisis and was sent to be recycled – along with several other of her Earth mates.

When one of the aliens themselves got thrown in jail and was awaiting recycling she knew that he was their chance to escape. ZXQ-One believed that he had honestly screwed up in finding the resolution to the city’s energy issues but when he failed to get results the King sent him off to his death. He’s strangely fascinated by the woman in the cell near his and admires her strength. She soon has him believing that he doesn’t deserve death and they manage to escape their cells. In the process of escaping Ashley and ZXQ-One (who Ashley has now named Sam) end up linking. Sam and his people have been taught from birth that linking is a bad thing and they always keep their heads bowed for fear of it happening. When Sam links with Ashley, however, he starts to feel things and see things in a different way then he ever had before.

Sam and Ashley end up getting their motley crew of prisoners out of the city but then their at a loss as to where to go and how to get back to earth. When one of the prisoners, a boy, tells Sam that they should find the lost city Sam is stunned as he believed the city to be a myth. They find the city and while there they find themselves. Each of the prisoners, but especially Ashley and Sam, discover things about themselves they never knew. They look at life and the way they’ve lived it, the mistakes they’ve made and how they can be changed – and they fall in love. It’s a doomed romance however as Ashley will be going home to Earth and Sam knows he has to stay and inform his people of the lie that they all are living.

I don’t normally read sci-fi romance but when I read the blurb to this one it definitely caught my eye. The story started off a little bland but soon became the type of book that I couldn’t put down.

Ashley, at first, seems like such a selfish woman – even though she’s definitely kinder than the other scientists that are on the flight to the alien planet. She soon had me believing that she was not as selfish as I thought and much stronger than I would have imagined. If not for Ashley and her determination to get out of jail she and the others would have been dead. She was the instigator of everything and I loved how she motivated the others to work with her.

Sam had been taught so many things his whole life and one of those was to be emotionless. When he links with Ashley however he sees that these emotions that were supposedly destructive were more wonderful than he could have thought. I loved reading about his discovery of colors that he sees through Ashley’s eyes (his people are color blind) as well as the discovery of depth of feeling and of course the wonders of sex. 😉 He was a great hero and his character really added so much to the story.

The book, once the Earthlings get on to the alien planet, goes almost nonstop until the end. The story is engaging and interesting and was a delightful surprise. Even if you’re not a sci-fi romance fan I would recommend this one as it’s just a great story and shouldn’t be missed.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Kat Cantrell


Tagged: , , , ,

What I Read Last Week

Posted April 15, 2013 by Tracy in Features | 3 Comments

Howdo!

What have you all been up to this past week? Anyone do anything fun? It was a pretty quiet week in Tracyland which was really nice. This past weekend I didn’t have to go too many places so I got to be a homebody and just hang with the kids. That was really nice. 🙂

So since I have nothing to report about life I’ll get right on to what I read last week: 

I started off the week with Stranded with a Billionaire by Jessica Clare. This was a great book about Bonte who is a waitress from Kansas City that wins a trip to the Bahamas and ends up stuck on the island during a hurricane. She’s not alone though, she’s with Logan who she thinks is the resort manager but he’s actually the owner and is a billionaire. They spend great time together but when she finds out who he really is she’s pissed at the lie and heads home. He finds her again and the book is the story of them trying to work through their relationship issues – mainly him having money and her not having it and how they deal with that. It was really good and I definitely recommend it. 4 out of 5 (read for Book Binge) 

Mindlink by Kat Cantrell was a sci fi book that was my next read. I’m not usually a fan of sci-fi romance but this was pretty darned good. I’ll be posting my review of this one in a couple of days. 

Warrior’s Cross by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux told the story of Cameron who is a waiter who has a crush on a guy who comes into his restaurant every Tuesday. They finally talk after months of silence (besides order taking/giving) and end up going home together. Julian and Cameron start a relationship but Cam really doesn’t know all that much about Julian and Julian doesn’t share. This was a good book but I didn’t like that we were never specifically told – and neither was Cameron – what Julian did. It’s inferred that he’s a hit man (all evidence points that way in my mind) but for some reason the fact that it wasn’t specifically stated bothered me. IDK, maybe it was just me. It was a hard relationship and it didn’t look like it was going to get any easier so it was hard for me to completely enjoy the HEA. 4 out of 5 

Falke’s Renegade by Madison Layle and Anna Leigh Keaton is book 3 in the Puma Nights series. This book was a bit different from the others as it starred only 1 woman and 1 man (previous 2 book it was m/f/m). The story was about the Falke sister, Heidi, who is a vet and nurses a black jaguar back to health after being shot. The jaguar is a shapeshifter and he’s not exactly welcomed into the Falke family. I’ll post my full review later this week. 

Next I tried to read Cowboys Down by Barbara Elsborg but I just couldn’t get into it. It’s an m/m book about an uptight stock broker from England who goes to a working ranch in Wyoming to learn to relax and get dirty. The guys were ok together but the homophobia being thrown around was just too much for me and it had me setting down the book. I normally like Elsborg’s books but this one didn’t work and I ended up putting it down half way through. DNF 

Roses in Moonlight by Lynn Kurland was a great book about an innocent American woman who is thought to be a thief. The man who is hired to get the stolen object back thinks she’s involved but when he finally realizes she’s not their more than attached. I really liked this one. It didn’t have a whole lot of time travel but enough to satisfy. Derrick and Samantha were wonderful together and I loved reading about them. 4.25 out of 5 (read for Book Binge) 

A Passion for Pleasure by Nina Rowan is probably not a book I would have normally picked up but it was sent to me (randomly) by the publisher and ended up sounding good so I picked it up. The book has several different parts to the story that all intermingle. Sebastian was a well known pianist but suddenly quit playing and returned home. Clara is a baron’s daughter who is looking for assistance in getting her son back from her father and requests Sebastian’s help. I’ll post more info in my review later this month but it was really good. 4.25 out of 5 

My next read was In Plain Sight by Marie Harte. This is a story set in the Cougar Falls series and involves Cullen who is a large man but quiet and shy. He’s got a thing for local waitress Sarah but Sarah’s on the outs with a lot of the townspeople because of vicious rumors that have been spread. Cullen saves Sarah when she’s attacked by other shapeshifters and takes her home to help her heal. Cullen wants her for keeps as he’s been in love with her for forever but he knows that he needs to go slow so he doesn’t scare Sarah away. This was a good novella. I loved Cullen and his shyness. He almost did himself in with Sarah when he just couldn’t get himself to talk to her. This one was short but good. 3.5 out of 5 

Last for the week was Gay as Mardi Gras by Lily Velden. Jesse’s grandma is convinced he’s gay even though he just spent 6 years in a relationship with a woman. She sends him on a month-long gay cruise in the hopes that he’ll find a partner. Though he and his roommate spend all their time together it’s not until a couple of weeks in that Jesse starts realizing that the has feelings for Daniel. The story was very sweet and though the sex scenes were more sex-lite (compared to some) they were still very hot. Short but good. 🙂 4 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
crickets

Happy Reading!


Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,