Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong

This week over on the Minxes blog we're hosting Australian author Nikki Logan, whose book Shipwrecked with Mr Wrong is an April Riva release. Though I've stopped reviewing every Riva book I read, this one deserves special mention.

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I call this an emotional tour de force. It is not a rollercoaster of emotions, but rather a very gentle, very poignant story that is sure to bring a lump to your throat, as it did to mine.

Shipwrecked is a fresh, unique spin on the age-old marooned on a desert island story. The hero and heroine are modern, identifiable people cast away on a tropical island paradise, and naturally they just happen to be the two worst people to be stranded together, the two who strike the most sparks off one another ...

Though I noticed that there were no fully consummated sex scenes (for those who like your Rivas on the steamier, Modern Heat side!) I didn't feel the lack of them. The sensual tension between this hero and heroine was exactly right for who they are. The heroine enforced her boundaries, and the hero respected them. But the chemistry sizzled all the more because of the emotional conflict causing those boundaries.

It's hard to review this book without spoilers, so I'm just going to suggest you read the book, as well as Nikki's interview on Wednesday over at the Minxes blog which will give some special insights into the story.

Juggling Briefcase and Baby

I loved Jessica Hart’s Oh-So Sensible Secretary, so I had high expectations for this linked ‘sequel’. Juggling Briefcase and Baby did not disappoint. Together, these two novels are the best examples of office romances I’ve ever read. They set a very high bench mark.

What really excited me about this book was that the heroine shared my name. I can honestly say that I have never read a novel with a character called Romy before! But what started out as a novelty became the only thing that disconcerted me about this novel. I’m not sure how readers with less unusual names handle it, but it was a little jarring to read love scenes (no matter how short!) or emotionally-charged scenes in which the heroine is addressed by my name!

I have just one more Riva launch novel to read (Nicola Marsh’s) but I can’t believe it’s mid February already and the next four are already piled up on my TBR pile. At this rate, I suspect I’m not going to be reading much else this year other than Riva!

With This Fling

If you haven’t already read my Kelly Hunter fan girl moment, you can find it here.

Misbehaving with the Magnate was the first book of Kelly’s I read. It was a fun read and remains on my keeper shelf, but it was her Bennett series that turned me into her biggest fan.

Kelly just seems to go from strength to strength, with each book better than the last. Her latest, With This Fling (a launch title for Mills & Boon’s new Riva imprint) is without a doubt my favourite so far. You can read the blurb, and find out how the book was inspired, over at the Minxes blog.

There was a lot to love about With This Fling: a fast-paced story-line, sparkly banter, a to-die-for hero, and a lovely setting. But for me the best thing about this novel was the heroine. Kelly Hunter has an amazing ability to write heroines who are completely original and utterly engaging.

Charlotte Featherstone is quirky, self-assured, socially skilled, intelligent and just a little ditsy. I often identify with the heroines in novels, but it’s not often I want to BE her.

Though With This Fling is fun and flirty, fulfilling the promise of the line, it also has poignant moments. My eyes were very wet when I read the scene involving a contact card. You’ll have to read the story to find out why.

Riva has arrived!

Over at the Minxes Blog, we're celebrating the launch of Mills & Boon's new Riva imprint this month, with interviews with four Riva authors.

Last weekend I bought all four Riva launch titles, and then I was faced with a dilemma: which to read first?
Since all the blurbs sounded so enticing, I finally settled on reading them in order they appear in the Minxy spotlight, starting with Kimberly Lang's Girl's Guide to Flirting with Danger. And all I can say is that if the others all measure up to this one, Riva is going to be a hit!

Girl's Guide is everything you'd expect from what was previously known as Modern Heat. It's packed with snappy dialogue (look out for the radio scene in chapter 3!), some laugh-inducing moments, and a great deal of sizzling sensuality. It's a reunion story, with two lovable characters. And it's FUN! Read it.