Love As Cold As Ice

Published: August 15th, 2012
The Ice Princess (The Princes Trilogy # 4)
By: Elizabeth Hoyt
Forever Yours
ASIN: B003VYBP8I

SEVEN NIGHTS OF SIN

As the madam of Aphrodite’s Grotto, the most infamous brothel in London, Coral Smythe knows everything possible about men’s needs and desires. Yet she’s never experienced the love of a single man—not even that of Captain Isaac Wargate whose hawk-like eyes stare at her with both condemnation…and lust.

SEVEN NIGHTS OF ECSTASY

Captain Wargate heartily disapproves of the sensuous madam who always wears a golden mask. She lures his officers from both his ship and their duty. But when Coral herself is offered up as the prize in a game of chance, Wargate impulsively enters…and wins.

SEVEN NIGHTS OF LOVE

Now the puritanical navy captain has just seven nights to learn everything he can about the mysterious madam and what she knows of a man’s desires. But when Coral is threatened by the new owner of Aphrodite’s Grotto, will Wargate take a chance on the woman beneath the mask…and on love?

Review

   This is the story of Coral Smythe, a madam of the most famous brothel in London, Aphrodite's Grotto.  She has spent her entire adulthood pleasing men and being left feeling cold.  She's never been in love or felt any true pleasure for herself.  It amuses her that the upright Captain Wargate, who comes to collect his men occasionally, seems to disparage and lust after her at the same time.  However, when the new top shareholder of the brothel, a cruel man, offers Coral as the prize in a high stakes game of chance Captain Wargate enters on impulse.  After winning the rights to Coral, he is determined to spend their seven nights getting to know what's underneath the mask she wears.  In such a short amount of time, Issac manages to raise her opinion of men and treat her like a woman instead of a prostitue unlike all the others.  But can they build a lasting relationship on their time together?  I felt cheated at the end of this story.  Yes, I kept in mind the fact that it is a novella and not a full book.  But if she was going to attempt to give Coral a happy ending, it should have occured that it was going to take an entire book to be believable.  I did not believe in the romance pretty much at all.  Issac was practically Puritanical, not interested in lowering himself into the bed of a prostitute.  I also had a really hard time believeing that there was anything like real love between them.  And could Coral really resolve all her issues in only seven days?  No freaking way!  As much as I was interested by the plot, the premise and the execution it just didn't work for me on the same level as the rest of the series did.  I honestly don't approve of novellas as a way to establish complicated plots and resolve them as beautifully as the ideas deserve.  If you're going to tell a story that is slightly complicated but doesn't ride on a intricate completion, that's what a novella is for in my opinion.  Disappointing, but still not a complete waste of time.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This novella was published for the Kindle on June 1st, 2012.*

Don't Breathe My Name...

Published: January 3rd, 2012
Don't Breathe a Word
By: Holly Cupala
HarperTeen
ISBN-13: 9780061766695


Joy Delamere is suffocating...
From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Review

   Joy Delamere had a pretty good life, with a decent family and some close friends.  All that changed when she started going out with Asher, a rich boy with a cruel streak.  But after overlooking all of the problems with their relationship, one night Asher goes to far.  Joy decides to run away because she knows that Asher will never let go of her any other way.  Making it look like she was kidnapped, Joy escapes from her house and disguises herself by bleaching her hair, wearing goth-like clothes and calling herself Triste.  Joy only takes some basics with her, including her asthma medication.  Without it, there is a possibility that Joy could literally suffocate to death, because her asthma has already almost killed her before.  Joy sets out to find this homeless boy named Creed, who promised to help her (when he saw her and Asher fight outside a club one night).  Creed, along with his friends Santos and May who are equally messed up, take Joy under their wing.  As they school her on the ways of the streets, Joy learns to value herself  and begins to fall in love with Creed.  Evnetually each of the group's individual issues catch up with them.  Will having one another be enough to survive?  Joy's journey was so heartbreakingly real.  While sympathizing with her situation, at the same time you want to grab her shoulders and shake some serious sense into her!  All of the problems and family issues of each of the kids is realistic and painful to read about, especially Santos.  The book evolves in a way that stays true to the characters, but I did feel disappointed with how neatly things wrap up for Creed and Joy.  Overall a good read that I had a hard time putting down.  Recommended for those who want a realistic fiction book that packs a punch.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*