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Theodora Taylor

HARMONY by Sienna Mynx

June 19, 2012 in A Reviews, alpha male, black woman white man, Book Reviews, bwwm romance, historical, self-published, steamy

Description: When Harmony’s brother, a small-time bootlegger goes missing, the Harlem-Renaissance-era jazz singer turns to Sicilian mob boss, Vinnie Romano for help. Cue the epic romance.

The Good: This is going to be a pretty short review, because I really, really loved this novel. It’s a ton of story for your buck, and it reads fast. Most importantly, it fully displays Ms. Mynx’s growth as a writer. This is really epic storytelling, and Ms. Mynx has done some terrific character work with Harmony. She’s smart, sassy, and realistically conflicted. There are no two-dimensional characters in this novel, and even the side characters are rather fascinating.

The Bad: History buffs might thirst for even more Harlem Renaissance details.

The Naughty: Steamy. More sex than one might expect from a historical. Violence.

Editing issues: 3 typos found. Missing commas.

Publisher: The Diva’s Pen LLC (Indie)

Length: 236 pages

Final Grade: A

Click on the widget to buy at Amazon for $4.99.

 

Love IR romance as much as I do? Then pick up the first three Amazon bestselling books in my 50 Loving States series, THE OWNER OF HIS HEART , HER RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE, and HER VIKING WOLF, as eBooks or in paperback!

 

 

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Theodora Taylor

“I’m Glad You Came” – the Songs Behind the Book

May 23, 2012 in bwwm, bwwm romance, Her Russian Billionaire, Her Viking Wolf, historical, Owner of His Heart, paranormal, Wild One (The)

Is that a wolf in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? Seriously though, here’s the still-being-tweaked cover for my next book in the 50 Loving State series, HER VIKING WOLF, which is set in Colorado and will release next week on Amazon. So keep your eyes on this site for more details, which will be coming soon.

Meanwhile, I thought it might be fun to do a post about the soundtrack songs for my books. For every book I’ve written so far, I’ve chosen a Top 40 song that, if I had the wherewithal and the desire to use it for a book trailer, I totally would.

For THE OWNER OF HIS HEART it was “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele:

 

For HER RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE it was “We Found Love (In a Hopeless Place)” by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris

 

For HER VIKING WOLF it was “Glad You Came” by The Wanted

 

And for my next novel, THE WILD ONE (aka the Andrew Sinclair book), it’s — gasp — “Wild Ones” by Flo Rida ft. Sia

 

 

Wow, that was the first time I saw most of those videos, having mostly listened to them on radio. And I now realize that they really don’t match my books. Just goes to show you how much music can inspire you when you’re able to form your own mind pictures.

But what songs are you just loving right now? I am enjoying the latest Santigold album on repeat, since seeing the music video for its lead song, “Disparate Youth” on Violet William’s author site. But I’m always looking for new music to commute to, so let me have your suggestions.

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Theodora Taylor

THE HEALER’S WARRIOR by Renee Lewin

March 6, 2012 in B Reviews, Book Reviews, historical, self-published, sensual

Description: Jem’ya, a black African healer comes to the aid of Tareq, a North African “farmer,” not realizing that he is really the prince of her land, and the son of their monstrous king.

The Good: This is a really epic love story, told on a historical scale that you don’t often see in IR. I loved that both the hero and the heroine were virgins and that it made the love story no less compelling. Somehow the Victorian nature of it all, kept the romance hot. At one point the H/H hug, and I found it surprisingly emotional as a reader.

The Bad: This is a prime example of why tears should only be used in a book once, maybe three times tops. Jem’ya cries so much, it’s hard to stay emotionally connected to her. Tears are like dynamite. Don’t use them unless you really need it, or else they can really backfire on you. In this case, there was just way, way too much crying.

The Naughty: Slightly sensual.Virgin sex.

Editing issues: Minor typos (3 counted). Headhopping. Occasional verb misusage.

Publisher: ReneeRomance Books (indie author)

Length: 252 pages (Amazon estimated length)

Final Grade: B

Click on the book cover to buy at Amazon for $4.99.

 

Love IR romance as much as I do? Then pick up THE OWNER OF HIS HEART and HER RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE, the first two books in my 50 Loving States series for $4.16 each at Amazon.

 

 

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Theodora Taylor

OUTLAW’S DELIGHT by Dahlia Rose

December 12, 2011 in Amira Press, B Reviews, Book Reviews, bwwm, erotic, historical, Western

Description: When sheriff Simon Boothe is wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to hang due to the machinations of the most villainous businessman in town, he escapes and flees to a nearby outlaw town. Here, he meets Delight Blue who also has a serious bone to pick with his enemy. The only thing they become more passionate about than revenge is each other.

The Good: Simon and Delight are well … delightful. And Delight makes this book especially worth reading. She’s a great example of how to give your heroine a ton attitude without making her overly prickly and turning off the reader. She has hopes and dreams and moments of awesome fierceness; I was rooting for her and Simon all the way. As a couple, they’re highly romantic and a pleasure to read. Oh, and I love that cover!

The Bad: It’s a historical romance, but there are lots of modern idioms, so if you’re an accuracy snob, you’ll be upset. There were so many side characters whose names began with “J” that it got confusing at times. Also there’s a twist that isn’t properly set up and another female character whose motivations are rather unclear.

The Naughty: Erotic. Outdoor sex. Explicit language.

Editing issues: Negligible. I counted four typos.

Publisher: Amira Press

Length: 152 pages

Final Grade: B

Click on the book cover to buy at Amazon for $4.99.

If you love IR Book Reviews, consider picking up my book, THE OWNER OF HIS HEART. It’s a great — and enjoyable! — way to support the site.

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Theodora Taylor

GOLD MOUNTAIN by Sharon Cullars

November 1, 2011 in A Reviews, Book Reviews, bwam, historical, Loose ID

Description: In 1865 both Leah and Qiang come to California during the Gold Rush, hoping to find their fortunes. Instead they find each other.

The Good: Oh, I just loved this book. Both the hero and the heroine were worth cheering for all the way to the end. The sex was super-sensual and what a lovely, lovely romance. Cullars has an amazing sense of time and place, and really plunges you into her historical setting. The love interests were very well-developed and well-matched. This is by far the best BW/AM romance I have ever read.

The Bad: Considering the quality of the writing, this book hasn’t found nearly as many readers as it should have. If you do read it and love it as much as I did, please consider telling a friend or at the very least, leaving a review on Amazon and GoodReads.

The Naughty: Sensual sex.

Editing issues: None

Publisher: Loose ID

Length: Novel

Final Grade: A

Click on the book cover to buy at Amazon for $5.69.

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