AJ’s Reviews
Stolen Seduction by Elizabeth Naughton
 I’m reading this series backward, having found the author while looking for references to literary agents. Stolen Seduction is my kind of book, a treasure-hunting romance novel with a romantic Indiana Jones’ bent to it.
Harley Roarke is on the hunt for a family secret left by her estranged father. Born into a life of privilege, Harley turned her back on her family and became a cop. But when her father dies suddenly, she inherits the task to solve a riddle. Other relatives know there is a treasure, and Harley is fairly certain one of them murdered her father to find it.
She is joined in the search by Detective Shane Maxwell when she is fingered as the prime suspect in her cousin’s murder. His gut tells him she’s been framed, and he sticks by her side, even breaking with the police department to protect her. But she’s not looking for a protector, and it’s a rocky start to a heated relationship where neither is willing to bend. She’s keeping secrets from him, and he’s fractured by a murder he caused. It’s enough to keep you reading till the exciting end, with a family as dysfunctional as they come and a treasure worth killing for.
 Highland Dragon by Kimerbly Killion
Once again I delved into reading something I don’t normally do, thanks to the reputation of the author (and the fact she is the Missouri Romance Writers of America president and darn good at it too). Highland Dragon is a historical romance set in Scotland, with sexy kilted men and the fighting women who loved them. Calin MacLeod thinks he’s the lord of all he sees—until he meets up with his betrothed, Akira Neish. As the dragon the book is named after, she quickly subdues him by convincing him to part with his beard. He gives in, partly because he knows things about her that he’s not too proud of—like the birthmark she bears is not a witch’s mark but a brand, a brand given by Calin at Akira’s birth.
I usually have a hard time reading the Scottish lilt used in these historicals, but Ms. Killion so thoroughly grounded me in 16th century Scotland that I felt like I belonged there and could understand them. Calin and Akira are beautifully human, leading readers on a trail of love that’s bound to encounter some nasty bumps. In addition, the story is peppered with secondary characters who certainly deserve a book of their own. (Hint: Kendrick, please!)
I read while working out on an elliptical. If the book is good, I tend to do longer workouts. If it’s really good and I’m near the end, I’ll end up doing my cool down walk with the book in my hand. And in Highland Dragon’s case, I had to finish it after the workout was done. That’s a good read!
 Oh.My.Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
I don’t usually read young adult books. Unless you count Harry Potter, and what young-at-heart reader could resist Harry and his friends? The point is that I was tempted again after the Romance Writers of America conference in Washington, D.C. when YA author Tera Lynn Childs’ novel Oh. My. Gods. won best first novel. Heroine Phoebe Castro is thrown into potential disaster when her mother marries the headmaster of an exclusive private high school—for the children of Greek gods. While I had trouble relating to why anyone would enjoy running like Phoebe does, I almost got it when I read Childs’ description. Made me want to take off and run around the cul-de-sac, a bit short of the seven or eight miles she runs. But everyone starts somewhere, right? The characters were believable, even those who were gifted supernaturally. It was a light read, entertaining and funny to the happily-ever-after end. If you have a daughter, or just need something to laugh through, pick this one up.
 Beneath Bone Lake by Colleen Thompson
Author Colleen Thompson puts the mother in all of us in the worst possible situation: a missing child. Ruby Monroe comes back from being a bus driver in Iraq to find her life completely turned upside down. Her daughter and the sister she left in charge are missing. Her bank account is empty, her house blows up the day she gets home, and the police might have a part in it. Talk about your crappy day!
The suspense is intense as Ruby combines her forces with her sexy hands-off neighbor and they swim through the growing body count. The ending will keep you up at night as the complex plot is tied together.
I think it’s amazing that women can write lovely romances surrounded by grisly murders! Perhaps it is our split personalities allowing us such diversity. I had the pleasure of meeting Colleen Thompson at the Romance Writers of America conference in D.C. where she gave me her book. To Colleen,
 Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan (Midnight Ink, 2008)
Twisting scrapbooking into a murder mystery is just too delicious! Joanna Campbell Slan takes scrapbooker Kiki Lowenstein through the works, growing her from a doormat whose husband is found dead and naked in a hotel room to a mother that discovers she is worth more than she thought. I’m not a scrapbooker, but Joanna superbly describes the joy this hobby brings to folks and had the occasional urge to get glue on my fingers. If you are a scrapbooker, she peppers the book with hints on how to improve your art. The mystery (and romance) move slowly at first, gaining momentum as the suspects begin to pile up. Kiki was a great gal to spend a rainy afternoon with. I can’t wait to see how Kiki’s next scrapbooking adventure works out!
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