Sun, Sand, Sex

Everyone before me has written good synopses of the plots, so I won't repeat. All I can say is that these are 3 very good stories. That is rare to find in an anthology. Shelly Laurenston's is the best but the other two are very good.

One Last Weekend by Linda Lael Miller Joanna and Teague Darby fell in love and married in college, had a beautiful daughter and a wonderful life. As Teague's architectural firm became more successful, he started spending a lot more time at the office, which ended up in Joanna and Teague drifting apart. Shortly after their daughter marries, Teague and Joanna have decided that they've grown too far apart and decide to divorce. Their lawyer gets them to spend one last weekend together in their cottage. Will this time together allow them to repair their marriage, or will they grow even more distant? One Last Weekend is a sweet story that shows that no matter how much a couple may love each other, if their relationship isn't nurtured, it will still fall apart. Real life situations and true to life characters made One Last Weekend a good story that I easily identified with. You Give Love A Good Name by Jennifer Apodaca Lexi is being stalked by an unknown man. Even though the family that Lexi has sacrificed her wants and goals for doesn't believe her, she is still on the run. Nick is a bounty hunter hired to track down and bring Lexi back for an upcoming trial. Although they had met at his sister's wedding months ago, and Lexi turned down his offer of a one night stand, he hasn't been able to forget her. Bound, bent and determined to keep a professional distance from the woman he has to bring back, will he be able to keep the promise to himself when Lexi needs his protection from her stalker? Watching Lexi and Nick fight their attraction for each other was a treat in You Give Love A Good Name. Although Nick swore that he'd never get involved with another woman, Lexi gets under his skin without even trying. With a stalker on Lexi's tail, Nick made her feel safe and hot, as well as driving her half crazy. I did enjoy the characters and storyline in You Give Love A Good Name. My Kind Of Town by Shelly Laurenston Emma is on a mission: track down a power source for her coven, as well as find and stop whatever escaped from the dimensional doorway. Emma wasn't happy about her situation. She's a city girl and in no way does she want to be stuck going to the backwoods of North Carolina. She's even less happy when she's run off the road by what looked like a huge dog, injured, hunted by something in the woods and taken against her will to the hospital by an arrogant, pushy, albeit gorgeous Deputy Sheriff. Kyle doesn't want to bring the feisty, injured outsider to his town, but there's something about her that calls to him. In a town filled with shapeshifters and other paranormal beings, having the woman around could be dangerous. Action, magick, mayhem, steamy scenes and exciting characters made My Kind Of Town an incredible read for me; I loved it! This story drew me in from the first page and had me living the adventure right along with the characters. I simply couldn't put it down until I'd read the final word. I really hope that Ms.

I started reading this book because of the Jennifer Apodaca story. I've enjoyed all of her books as they are lighthearted and fun to read. "You Give Love a Good Name" is not like her other books but it was very good. Something different then what I've come to expect from her but I was not disappointed. Have you ever met someone you thought was 'the one'? This is one of those stories that makes you believe that everything happens for a reason. I had never read anything by Linda Lael Miller or Shelly Laurenston. I wasn't sure what to expect and figured that they were short stories so not much time would be lost by reading them. I was pleasantly surprised. "One Last Weekend" by Linda Lael Miller was very good. It one of those that make you think 'what if I'd stepped back and took a good look at things instead of going headfirst into what I thought I knew'. I had a few tears, when they were being totally ignorant of each other but I found it an interesting story. "My Kind of Town" by Shelly Laurenston. What can I say? If I'd have seen this book on a shelf and just read the premise of it, I wouldn't have read it. I'm not much into paranormal books other than Kay Hooper's which was totally different than this. I have to admit that I found this story one of the best I've read. I was immediately engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down. It was fun to let my imagination run 'wild' and I can't wait to read her other books. Overall, this book is a must read. It's got three great stories that you'll be remembering for a long time to come.

I will be honest up front and say that I bought this primarily for the story by Shelly Laurenston, "My Kind of Town." If I've ever read either Linda Lael Miller or Jennifer Apodaca, I don't remember it. But I've read so many, I can't remember every authors name. This collection is worth the money. Not a bit sorry I purchased it retail. First, Laurenston's story "My Kind of Town" is the lead, at least in my opinion, as it is at least half of the book in length, which had me cheering. It started out a tad slow, but once it got going, it was very engaging and I didn't want to put it down. Fans of Laurenstons' "Magnus Heat" and "Here Kitty Kitty" will find a little less "crass and sass" but no less sensuality and humor. This is the only paranormal offering in the book, and for me, worth the price all by itself. Linda Lael Miller's story was very good. "One Last Weekend" had me tearing up a few times. While I've never experienced the kind of despair one might when their once great marriage is falling to ruins, I FELT it in this story. I felt my stomach churn as 2 people who once knew each other inside and out realized they were strangers. Too me, that's darn good writing. The ending wasn't to my personal taste, but otherwise, it was a great story. Jennifer Apodaca's story "You Give Love A Good Name" was very sexy and entertaining. THANK YOU for writing a female who is independent but not afraid to ask for help. Thank you for writing an Alpha male who also respects the strengths of others, particularly females. These were characters I liked immediately. I've said this before in my reviews: I'm not looking for literary enlightenment, and I don't always know if the sentence structure is correct. I AM looking to be entertained, to enjoy some "brain candy" and escape into a different world for a while. This book was that kind of book for me. Not only did I get to enjoy another hot paranormal from one of my favorite authors, I was exposed to two other talented writers whose work I will definitely keep an eye out for. Looking from some fun, sun, sand and sex? Pick this one up.

"One Last Weekend" by Linda Lael Miller. Their attorney friend handling their divorce asks Teague and Joanna Darby to spend a weekend together at their cottage. Whereas the lawyer hopes for a reconciliation, neither Darby expects one although a ferry strike and the storm outside leaves them stranded dealing with each other's desire for one another. "You Give Love a Good Name" by Jennifer Apodaca. Wedding planner turned thriller novelist Lexie Rollins escapes from her family, a stalking groom whom she stapled when he mauled her though she was charged for battery, and the cops so that she can complete her latest work on time. However, a bounty hunter she met four months earlier arrives in the Nick (Vardolous) of time. "My Kind of Town" by Shelly Laurenston. Witch Emma Lucchesi arrives in Smithville, North Carolina to the consternation of shape-shifting deputy sheriff Kyle Treharne. He detests Yankees especially one who lives within a baseball toss of the Stadium, but somehow she has bewitched him anyway. These three fun contemporary romances star strong protagonists struggling with their respective relationships. Though the sub-genre underlying theme of each tale differs (family drama, suspense, and fantasy) making one wonder why this mix, contemporary romance readers will enjoy these fine novellas. Harriet Klausner