The Writing Rose

Synopsis
Kim and Nick first meet at Christmas and after a one night stand, Nick hires Kim to run his Christmas business, Naughty Nicks. So for the following three years Kim lusts after Nick around the holiday season as she manages the sexy stripping Santa's.Each year their attraction continues with lots of flirty banter and heated looks, but after a bitter divorce, Nick is not keen to jump back into the dating game, especially with an employee, so by his rules, it's been hands off since their first meeting.One passionate kiss under the mistletoe this Christmas and he realises he's had enough of looking and not touching.

Review
The erotic sex scenes heat up the pages and the storyline that threads them together is a very easy read. At only 31000 words this is a great quick Christmas read.

The story of Kim and Nick is uncomplicated and based around Nick being badly hurt by a bitter divorce and hence, doesn't allow himself his heart to trust easily again. Plus as Kim is now his employee he has his ethics and keeps telling himself he can't have sex, or a relationship with her.

Kim is a no nonsense girl who knows her own mind and enjoys life, and all the adventures in it. She's hooked on Nick and has been waiting patiently for Nick to realise they could have fun together again. Which is a slight contradiction to how she comes across when first introduced to her. She knows her own mind and what she wants, and yet, she waits 3 years for Nick to realise they should be together again.

Even with gaps in the reasoning of character motivation I found it really wasn't needed in this read, it is just a hot, erotic Christmas read.

Rating
4 Flames

Review
Morag Farquhar is a woman fleeing for her life, from her English aristocratic brother, with her young charge - Rob. Her brother is the newly titled Baron of Wolfsdale after a mysterious horse riding accident killed her father.

She and Rob have travelled for many months to finally arrive at Cragenlaw Castle, in the Scottish Highlands, on a dark and dismal day. The weather is throwing a brutal storm at them and the Laird of the keep, Euan McArthur, has lost his third wife and stillborn son during childbirth.

The witches curse from his careless youth continues to rip any chance of an heir from him as each of his three wives die during childbirth and all his babes have been stillborn sons.

As Morag encounters the McArthur and bargains for a place in his stronghold for her and Rob, she quickly realizes he does not recognize her from the young girl who nursed him back to health after he was almost fatally wounded on the battlefield. Their time together, back in the cave she had hid him in, turned from caring into lovers. A time she has never forgotten and feelings never erased.

After a difficult labour and childbirth, Morag was pronounced barren by the midwife and would have no more babies. This news becomes Euan's salvation. It has been many years since he's been able to lie with a woman without the fear that loving them would eventually kill them if they became pregnant. The drive to beget an heir pushed him to marry three times, but never again would he marry, unless the witches curse can be lifted. However, taking a leman that is barren seems the logical solution to all.

Morag still has feelings for Euan and her and Rob's safety is more assured the longer they can stay within the McArthur stronghold. So she agrees to his terms and becomes his leman.

This story dragged me in almost immediately. Frances Housdens' writing style is different and intriguing. The blend of the Scottish phrasing and words throughout the story really helped me to quickly feel absorbed back in Scotland. The descriptive tone took me to the Scottish Highlands back in 1069.

I am originally from Australia and spent many years living in Scotland and could imagine the accent and the characters easily as I was reading.

Mhairi wasn't in a mood for taking any of his nonsense. "Aye, I did, and gave it a fine skelp as well, for weren't you a right wee devil? ..."

Right from the very beginning there were questions I was asking, that I needed the answers to. Frances ensnared my interest early and didn't disappoint as the plot progressed.

Why didn't Euan recognise Morag when he first saw her? Why didn't Morag confront Euan about his abandonment of her? Why didn't Euan recognise Morag after she became his leman? These are just a few questions that I needed answered, and they are handled very believably as you begin to understand the motivations for each character and as the many secrets slowing give you another missing piece of the answer. Of course don't be surprised if you learn one thing and then have another three questions.

There are many secrets within the keep and the occupants and visitors whose daily lives twisted and twirled kept me regretting having to put the iPad down for that luxury in my life I call sleep.

The erotic scenes were more than I'd expected, but were very welcome. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive style and frequency of the scenes. This was definately my style of book. It had all my personal favourites - a great story, believable characters, lots of erotic scenes with a strong romance theme, suspense, intrigue and mystery and best of all it's set in the Scottish Highlands a few hundred years ago.

A thoroughly great read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone who enjoys a very 'spicy' romance.

Favourite Quote

"I never spoke her name, never heard it cross her lips, it was best not to know anything that could betray the other. I simply called her Love -- better going without that intimacy than betraying her if I were caught."

Rating
5 Flames

[b:The Chieftain's Curse|17452636|The Chieftain's Curse|Frances Housden|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367794072s/17452636.jpg|24340778][bc:The Chieftain's Curse|17452636|The Chieftain's Curse|Frances Housden|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367794072s/17452636.jpg|24340778]

Review
Lady Ruth Adams has inherited a share in a Texas horse ranch from her absent husband. Who abandoned her on their wedding night, leaving Ruth feeling it was all her fault that she couldn't keep her husband happy.

Thinking the move to this Texas ranch could be the beginning of a new life for her away from her family, who she is currently dependent on for everything and they don't let her forget it, and from continuing as gossip fuel for the London social set.

After a long journey to America Lady Ruth meets a friendly soul in town who has designs on her new ranch. Leaving town she travels further out to the Wakefield Ranch where her first meeting with her new business partner, Sam Wakefield, is anything from cordial. Tired, travel dirty, alone and surrounded by strange customs Ruth is a lost soul wondering how she will make it through the day and left with a short temper she let it all out when facing a rude Sam.

But ever the lady, Ruth calms herself after a goods night sleep and tries very hard to make her new life in a strange land work.

Sam is not keen for another business partner after her late husband almost bankrupt him and his family had some past issues that didn't help, but he might be keen for the firebrand he met the first time he laid eyes on Lady Ruth, and not this timid creature she was trying to be. If he could just antagonize her enough for that Ruth to come back then maybe, just maybe this partnership could work.

Just as Ruth, who is trying so hard to remember how to behave like a lady should, is about to give up this idea of working a horse ranch, her beloved horse, Angel, arrives from his trip across country. Angel is a thoroughbred and everything in a horse that Sam needs to save his ranch. Angel is also the only possession Ruth has left that she cares about more than herself. Will she give him over to Sam for the ranch or will they both leave and return to England?

In the midst of learning about ranch life, and the feelings growing for Sam, the "friendly soul", Tobias, from town is also offering himself as her possible salvation.

I really enjoyed the way Catherine Winchester wrote this story and transported me right back to Texas in the 1800's, the year 1882 to be exact. I felt the dust under my feet and the heat from the relentless sun as Lady Ruth, a newcomer to this environment, must have felt upon arriving.

The drama between her and her new business partner Sam Wakefield built slowly around events involving family, ranch workers and attacks on her life. They both have hurt and embarrassing events from their past they finally share with each other and this sharing helps them grow closer together. Their passion and trust in each other came quickly, but was believable. It was this trust that helped them win against the evil that stalked them and, of course, the interesting sex scenes took me by surprise. For the time period I was expecting something more reserved, but was happily surprised at the way the author wrote these encounters into the story and I became a believer in their relationship as two characters who know their own mind and have the strength of character to follow through with their convictions.

I also felt repulsed by Tobias whenever he came near Ruth, just as she must have felt too. I really enjoy when a story captures my whole attention into caring about the emotional ups and downs of the characters. Catherine Winchester definatley takes you on a journey with this read. I was engrossed with the story from beginning to end.

If you enjoy a historical western romance, you should give this a try.

Favourite Quote

"I have one hand in a splint and one holding the ice, how exactly am I supposed to steer the horse?"
"I'll lead Angel." He sounded a little exasperated. "Just relax for a change and let me look after you."
Rating
4 Flames
[b:The Lady and the Cowboy|17611074|The Lady and the Cowboy|C.S. Winchester|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363212565s/17611074.jpg|24572264]

http://www.scentualflamefiction.com/#!review-the-lady-and-the-cowboy/c1q3g

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand what all those readers who have been raving about this book could possibly have enjoyed. I seriously could not get past page 15 and it took me 3 attempts to get that far. I bought the book because of all the hype, but the writing style was just boring to me. I read a lot of different types of genres and while this story had a spicy allure I couldn't be bothered to read far enough to get to those parts.

The story began as an easy enough read, but there was no gripping prose or event that kept me enticed enough to want to turn the page to find out what happened next.

I've read a lot of indi authors that have not had the advantage of exposure to the level this book has received who, in my opinion, have a more engaging writing style and story plot.

[b:Fifty Shades of Grey|10818853|Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1)|E.L. James|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1372516342s/10818853.jpg|15732562]