It’s time for me to catch up on my backlog of book reviews, so I’ve grouped these romantic suspense books into this bundled review.

Now, I’ve long admired the way The Book Smugglers structured their review post, and since one of the Top 10 Things I’ve resolved to do this year is to be more disciplined about posting, I figured that having a good structure to emulate would help a lot in clearing the backlog, so with a little bit of tweaking and my own creative interpretation, here are my opinions of Kill Me Twice and Thrill Me to Death by Roxanne St. Claire.

Title: Kill Me Twice
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket
Year Published : 2005

Stand alone or series: Book #1 in the Bullet Catcher series

Why I read it: Having read books 4 to 6 for the TBR Challenge hosted by Avidreader Keishon last year, and enjoyed them tremendously, I thought it was a good idea to back track and go back to the series debut which began this sexy, thrilling series.

On the Back cover:

WATCH YOUR BACK

Alex Romero is the hottest “Bullet Catcher” in the business. Tall, dark, and deadly if necessary, this high-priced bodyguard’s got the muscle and the moves — especially when it comes to the ladies. Alex can keep his beautiful clients out of danger, but sometimes they can’t keep their hands off of him. Now Alex has one last chance to prove he belongs among the elite force known as The Bullet Catchers, but his assignment is stacked…against him.

WATCH YOUR HEART

Private investigator Jasmine Adams is fiercely independent and fearless under pressure — she doesn’t need some hunk-for-hire’s help to catch the creep stalking her twin sister. But when Jazz uncovers bigger forces targeting her sister for death, she’s glad to have Alex’s brain and brawn handy. From the steamy streets of Miami to the sultry beaches of Key West, Alex and Jazz try to fight temptation as they race to keep a madman from fulfilling his promise to kill not just once, but twice. And some temptations are too powerful to resist….

If I were asked to name one great male romantic fiction author 2 years ago, I would have said “None comes to my mind.”

However, having read A Walk to Remember and watched the movie (on YouTube, no less!), and recently followed that up with the heart-achingly sweet war romance (well, sort of), I can confidently name Nichols Sparks as a favourite male author now. I gladly recommend Dear John to all die-hard romantics.  Here’re the reasons why …

Synopsis:

A rebel in his younger days, John Tyree joined the army “because he needed to” and to make something out of an aimless life with an uncommunicative father. While on home leave one summer knowing he’s ready to turn over a new leaf, he met the lively Savannah Lynn Curtis, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual, and the budding romance quickly turned into a serious vow, on John’s part to marry her when his tour of duty is over, and on Savannah’s part to wait for him.

However, none of them could foresee the great change that 9/11 would wrought to their lives and their love. Faced with the choice of country or love, John made a decision that changed their future. Now, finally returned, he would finally learn the transformational power of  love.

The theme for October’s TBR chal­lenge was a hor­ror book, which is a real challenge for me, as I’ve not picked up a horror book since V C Andrews nor watched a horror movie after Poltergeist 3 and Omen 3.

Ever since reading Keishon’s guest post at Borders True Romance blog, I had a craving for some mysteries, thrills and spills.  So as an alternative to horror, I decided to dedicate October to romantic suspense thrillers, and one of the authors I most wanted to try is Roxanne St. Claire. I was introduced to her when she guest blogged at True Romance, where she talked about her inspiration behind the hero in her latest Bullet Catcher book.

The synopsis of the series hint at an adrenaline-filled roller coaster ride with a melting pot of pulse racing intrigue, heart thumping action, in and out of bed. Boy, did Rocki deliver the goods. Well, since I started with book 4, First You Run , and realized that it’s a linked trilogy, I automatically bought Then You Hide and Now You Die, and enjoyed all three tremendously. Without further ado, here’s my review of the three books:

“I need to find a woman. I don’t know who she is or where she is. And when I find her, chances are I’m going to get her naked, rock her world, and then make her wish I were dead.” Bullet Catcher Adrien Fletcher (Fletch) told his boss, Lucy Sharpe, in First You Run .

With lines like that, how could you resist the rest of the book?

One of the key elements I look for in a romance novel is humour, and IMO, Georgette Heyer and Julia Quinn have got this down pat, and none quite so evident as in these two books I read recently.

When I first blogged about the reissue of Georgette Heyer books, False Colours intrigued me with its story arc – that of a twin, Kit Fancot, impersonating his brother, Evelyn, who has gone mysteriously missing, and on the eve of the dinner meeting with the prospective in-laws. What was supposed to be a one-night only ‘performance’ soon evolved into playing host to his brother’s intended, Cressy, and her grandmother at the family’s country estate, and Kit soon found himself drawn to the heroine.

Ever since I picked up the debut novel by Eloisa James, Potent Pleasures, this romance author has won a place in my heart, and over the years, I’ve grown to enjoy a great many of her books and series.

Take the latest releases in the Desperate Duchesses series, This Duchess of Mine (Desperate Duchesses) and A Duke of Her Own. They are prime examples of Ms James’ unique brand of deliciously naughty and witty historical romance which I enjoy tremendously.

Of all the characters in the series, I must say that that it’s Jemma, Elijah and Villiers who captured my interest the most. Not just because of the so-called love triangle, but the mysterious past which led to the estrangement of the couple. This Duchess of Mine was much anticipated as it sheds light on the true state of affairs between Jemma and Elijah, the Duchess and Duke of Beaumont, and builds up to a marvellous and beautiful reconciliation.

This month, we have to pick a new author or an author we’ve not read in a long time. Well, since I have two Judith McNaught books in my pile, and she’s almost new to me, these are my picks for September’s TBR Challenge – Remember When and Every Breath You Take.

Let’s start with Remember When. The main thing that drew me to the book was the synopsis at the back, which reads:

Alone on a moonlit balcony at Houston’s White Orchid Charity Ball, Diana Foster courageously upheld the sparkling image of her family’s Beautiful Living magazine. Recently jilted by her fiancé for an Italian heiress – an insult delivered via a sleazy tabloid – Diana was noe very publicly unengaged, and surrounded by humiliating rumours So why was billionaire Cole Harrison closing in on her with two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne?

The former stableboy had received an ultimatum from his uncle: Cole must bring home a wife – soon – or lose his share of a booming multinational business. Coolly analytical and arrestingly attractive, Cole knew what he wanted in a bride, and Diana Foster – rich, beautiful, and a principled – fit the role perfectly. But while a long, slow kiss sealed the bargain that solved their dilemmas, neither imagined the extraordinary journey that would begin on that unforgettable night …