New August 2010 Releases I Can't Wait to Read!

Well, this has been one hot summer, the temperatures have been scorching and the hot new releases just keep coming. In July, I chose six new releases I couldn't wait to read and thankfully most of them were great reads! I did miss highlighting two must reads for me last month, Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley and A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James, both historical romances.

In August, there are six new releases I'm looking forward to reading. I've already read and enjoyed one of them, Sureblood by Susan Grant, a sci-fi romance, so that leaves five. Here are the summaries and release dates for all of them:

Sureblood by Susan Grant
Release Date: August 1, 2010
 (Review here)

Five years ago rival space pirate captains Val Blue and Dake Sureblood stole one incredible night together. But their brief, passionate history ended with the assassination of Val's father and the condemnation of Dake's clan. Now Val struggles to prove her mettle—to herself and to the dissenters amid her own people. Every successful raid is a boot heel ground into the burning memory of Dake Sureblood—and their secret son is a constant reminder of their shared past….

Ambushed and captured before he can clear his name, Dake Sureblood returns from a hell like no other to expose the true killer of Val's father. But as the identity of their enemy becomes chillingly clear, the former lovers must put aside their mistrust and join forces to protect their clans and their precious son.

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Burning Up Anthology
Release Date: August 3, 2010

Bring these four authors together and it's sure to ignite a spark...

Angela Knight pairs a vampire warrior and his seductive captor in a battle against demonic predators.

Nalini Singh returns to the world of her Psy-Changeling series as a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector-and lover.

Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in her story of a wounded soldier rescued by an enigmatic young woman.

Meljean Brook launches a bold new steampunk series about a woman who strikes a provocative-and terrifying-bargain for freedom.

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Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale
Release Date: August 15, 2010

Kiram Kir-Zaki may be considered a mechanist prodigy among his own people, but when he becomes the first Haldiim ever admitted to the prestigious Sagrada Academy, he is thrown into a world where power, superstition and swordplay outweigh even the most scholarly of achievements.

But when the intimidation from his Cadeleonian classmates turns bloody, Kiram unexpectedly finds himself befriended by Javier Tornesal, the leader of a group of cardsharps, duelists and lotharios who call themselves Hellions.

However Javier is a dangerous friend to have. Wielder of the White Hell and sole heir of a Dukedom, he is surrounded by rumors of forbidden seductions, murder and damnation. His enemies are many and any one of his secrets could not only end his life but Kiram's as well.

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Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark Series,#8)by Kresley Cole
Release Date: August 24, 2010

A DANGEROUS DEMON SHE CAN’T RESIST . . .
Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he’s pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A MADDENING WITCH HE ACHES TO CLAIM . . .
Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

TRAPPED TOGETHER IN A SAVAGE PRISON . . .
In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

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Sin Undone (Demonica Series, #5) by Larissa Ione
Release Date: August 24, 2010

HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.

HIS HUNGER CAN'T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

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Burning Up by Susan Andersen
Release Date: August 31, 2010

Though it's been years since the infamous Macy O'James stepped foot in Sugarville, Washington, everyone remembers what she supposedly did. The tiny town is still buzzing about her crime and lack of punishment.

Now back to lend her family a hand, Macy vows to hold her head high—especially at her high school reunion. But forget about the hottest man in Sugarville escorting her. Though she and fire chief Gabriel Donovan generate enough sparks to burn down the town, he's a law-abiding, line-toeing straight arrow. So not her type.

But maybe—just maybe—he can change her mind about that.

Review: Sureblood by Susan Grant

If you've read any of Susan Grant's Borderland tales then you will surely recognize the world and situations presented in Sureblood. If you have not and this is your first time, then prepare yourself for a great adventure - a science fiction romance type of adventure, Susan Grant style.

The Sureblood and Blues Borderland pirate clans, although not necessarily enemies, are rivals and tough competitors. When the new young Sureblood clan chief, Dake Sureblood begins breaking some of their unwritten raiding laws, it doesn't take long before the Blues retaliate and tensions escalate.

During just such a raid, Valeeya Blue, young raider-in-training and daughter to the Blues' chief, meets the young Sureblood chief and the two end up raiding together in order to survive an unknown enemy's attack. The two begin by admiring each other's courage and grit and an attraction grows from there. At a meeting of the two clans, Val and Dake steal away and enjoy a night full of passion where they make plans for a hopeful, united future.

Unfortunately, their clans and unknown enemies get in the way. Val's father is assassinated that night and the visiting Surebloods are blamed. Dake is allowed to leave Val's planet only to be ambushed and captured by the Drakkens before he can clear his name and that of his clan.

In the meantime, Val becomes chief of the Blues clan where she must prove her strength to her dissenters time and again. When she doesn't hear word from Dake, Val becomes an embittered and vengeful woman. Believing them guilty of her father's death, she goes after the Sureblood clan. When she finds herself pregnant with Deke's child, she lies to protect her position and the child from her own clan, her enemies and dissenters. During the five years Dake is away, Val becomes one of the Borderlands most feared and hardened pirates.

I really enjoy the world Susan Grant has created, and I'm so glad she focused this story on the pirates. The pirates are a wild and barbarous bunch; their culture is violent, although there's honor and discipline that goes along with all that violence. We meet Val when she's a young woman with potential and we go along for the ride as she matures and becomes a strong leader. We see her mistakes, self-doubts and victories -- and she makes plenty of mistakes along the way. The most glaring one being that Val lets her personal feelings and bitterness cloud her judgment, and it takes Dake's return and lots of proof to make her see the truth.

Dake on the other hand is a clear thinking man -- even when we first meet him as a young man feeling his way through new responsibilities as chief of his clan. He's actually a visionary who sees beyond the obvious and I really liked him as the central male figure in this story. Together, he and Val made a passionate and courageous couple -- a Susan Grant specialty. I actually love Susan Grant's male protagonists and the way they love their women, Dake is no exception.

This is the adventurous romance of two people who go through the ringer before finding that happily ever after. The science fiction details are there without overwhelming the story, and although this is part of the Borderland Tales series, the story stands well on its own. I loved getting to know quite a few of the large cast of well developed secondary characters, all of whom added depth to the story.

Sureblood is a book I recommend to science fiction romance fans, or to those who just want to read a great romance adventure full of space pirates, love and intrigue. I had a wonderful time reading it.

Genre: Science Fiction/Romance
Series: Tales of the Borderlands
Release Date: August 1, 2010
Source: Requested from NetGalley
Grade: B

Visit Susan Grant here.

Catching Up with some Minis!

Summer's craziness finally caught up with me. So far July has been a month chuck-full of distractions -- the World Cup, my brother's huge birthday bash, preparations for my mother's upcoming 82nd birthday on the 16th, plus the walks and the BBQs and the fun.

The down side? Both my reading and writing have suffered, I'm too distracted and happily tired by end of day to read much or write, although of course I've read a bit -- can't go without some reading. Since I haven't finished any of my reviews, I decided to share a few mini-impressions of some books I read these past months but never reviewed.

Blaze of Memory (Psy/Changeling series) by Nalini Singh

The story of Dev Santos and Katya Haas, this is not my favorite book of the series. I enjoyed the overall storyarc and discovering details about the Forgotten. However the romance itself was not one that kept my interest. Dev was not a character that I loved and Katya didn't make much of an impact. Although for me the romance was lacking, I thought that with this installment, Nalini Singh continued to keep the worldbuilding tight and intriguing, added newness to it and answered questions along the way. Grade B

Stroke (Psycop), Thaw (Psycop), Kindred Spirits by Jordan Castillo Price

Stroke and Thaw are very short stories and part of the popular M/M Psycop series by Jordan Castillo Price. One is a Holiday story and the other is a moment in Victor and Jacob's lives. They are both self-contained short stories that make you want to know more about both the characters and the series. I was certainly curious. Both stories Grade: C+

Kindred Spirits is an amusing encounter between two men at a party. Adam thinks he has developed the ability to see into other people's souls and he thinks John might be a kindred spirit. I had a good laugh at the end of this story when after the encounter Adam seems to have been both right and really quite wrong. :) Grade: B-

Moonstruck by Susan Grant

I had Moonstruck on my pile of books to be read for almost a year. I can tell you up-front that this was a great sci-fi/romance read. The sci-fi plot and details were there, but so was the romance -- we're talking one hot couple here! I loved that Britt Bandahar was a strong, tough, kick-ass captain who didn't take crap from anyone. She fell in love, despite incredible prejudices, with a man who was her enemy. And Finn? Finn, being the male in this tale and an alpha male at that, was one of the best parts of the book. Why? Because HE was the one who was Moonstruck! He fell for Britt hook, line and sinker and I loved it! I had some slight problems with the way the world was presented, but there's no question that I truly enjoyed the romance. Grade: B+

I have a few more first impressions to post, but for now I'll leave you with these. Hope you're enjoying these summer days -- mine are hot, humid and hazy! Keep on reading!