Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Touch if You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

There is plenty of snarky humor in this full action read.

Touch If You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (July 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402241968
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241963

     Genre: Paranoraml
     My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Product Description
"Rowe is a paranormal star!"
-JR Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Black Dagger Brotherhood Series

He's just about the hottest warrior she's ever seen...

Reina Fleming really appreciates a man who's on a mission-especially when he's a badass warrior doing his best to impress her. And Jarvis is charmed by the way Reina's magic touch can soothe his dark side.

But when Jarvis's attention puts her job, her home, and her family in danger, Reina has to decide whether love is worth the price...

Enter the nonstop, action-packed world of Stephanie Rowe's love stories-you'll never think of the manly arts in the same way again.

Review: I like this series even if there is some chaos.
Reina is a an assistant to Death and she is trying to be promoted to assassin so she can save her doomed sister, Natalie.  Reina has a plan to save Natalie by switching her bodies and souls at the moment of death with a disenfranchised angel who is immortal. Unfortunately, to be able to switch souls Reina has to kill on assignment to be promoted.  Instead, she gets fired when she can’t kill the werewolf she was sent to harvest.

Jarvis, the Guardian of Hate, is beginning to implode. If he dies all of the Hate he carries will be released to poison the earth and every living thing. Jarvis is seeking his brother, Cameron, the Guardian of Love, who can save him. But Cameron has been abducted by Death for Death’s new plan to help people die happy.

Jarvis needs Reina to help him get to Cameron.  Reina needs Jarvis, the warrior, to teach her to kill so she can save Natalie. Natalie is being irresistibly drawn to “The Godfather” who kills his lovers by orgasm. Augustus, one of Death’s Assassins, is trying to kill The Godfather and he has his scythe aimed at Reina too since she is getting in his way. Napoleaon is after Augustus who has taken Napoleon's true love, Angelica.

Jarvis’ buddies, Nigel and Blaine, are mostly around to back him up but they are busy taking turns nursing the last group of friends they rescued from Angelica’s torture chamber.  Add in a  vampire clan who need Jarvis to save their leader who has been stabbed by a woman from a fanatic group of women who kill the lethally dangerous men they love. Yes - it's convoluted.  I particularly liked the character of the Grim Reaper who ends up giving aid to Jarvis and Reina.

Jarvis is careful not to touch others since he contaminates them with hate.  But for some reason he is drawn to the sexy Reina and he is shocked to discover that not only can he touch her but instead of pain she brings him peace.  I really enjoyed their sensual and loving encounters. I liked how Jarvis wanted to protect Reina and Reina was willing to love him unconditionally.

The story is fast paced and full of action. It is very busy and a bit confusing with all the characters and different attacks from different foes. But when you wade through all the extra activity there is a beautiful connection for Jarvis and Reina. 

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Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to read and review.
See my review of the first book in the Soulfire series: Kiss at Your Own Risk.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:
1. Visit the Author's Website and tell me something of interest you found there. This is required for entry.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For two entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Four total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* Limit one win per household.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on August 5, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on AUGUST 6 and will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review and Giveaway: Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe

What a fun read! If you are ready for laughter and love - get this book!
Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe 

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140224195X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241956
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches 

Price: Paperback $6.99; Kindle $5.49
Genre: Paranormal (Black Widow)
     My Rating:  4.5 of 5.0

Product Description

He needed a killer woman...
Blaine Underhill is one lucky man after having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch. Now he's determined to save his still-enslaved friend, but in order to do so, he'll need the help of one of the world's most lethal women.
She was drop dead gorgeous, literally...
Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she's one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever.
When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!

Review: This may not be a 5.0 literary read but it is easily a 4.5 for sheer enjoyment!  Picture Poison Ivy (from Batman) as a reluctant Black Widow, a powerful, twisted witch, and a band of mutant super hero warriors.

Trinity has been discouraging any man from getting close because if she falls in love there is this evil spider sense that pops out to kill them.  When her spider sense is engaged she sees the weaknesses and the perfect way to kill her target.

When an assassin shows up to take her father into custody for execution, the powers that be make a deal with Trinity.  If she kills a seemingly unstoppable serial killer, they will release her dad.

Blaine and two of his friends have finally escaped the nasty witch, Angelica.  Unfortunately their fourth buddy was betrayed and has been caught.  Blaine is a man of fire. He can use his body as an inferno of defense or use all sorts of fire bombs/weapons.  Each of his friends have their own unique powers too.  Blaine needs to use Trinity’s powers to find out how to kill the witch and rescue his friend.

This might work - Trinity will go with Blaine to tell him how to kill the witch if Blaine will first go with her and kill the serial killer for her.  The guys are willing to take out the serial killer if Trinity can just see how to kill him without her being the instrument of death.

It’s not bad enough that they are going to face a chamaeleon monster, they are dodging ambushes as they go.  Besides fighting off Angelica’s nasty minions, they have to fight off the assassin who has decided to kill Trinity rather than give her father back. Then more complications arise when the guys realize that Trinity is the chosen so Angelica plans to claim Trinity’s body.

Of course Blaine is busy trying to protect the beautiful Trinity even if he isn’t sure he can trust her and he is sure he will have to kill her after they kill the witch. His protecting her is so sweet that Trinity starts to fall...which will louse up her plans to go curse free and add to Blaine’s problems of watching his back.  Needless to say it is a rollicking, crazy week and there interactions are pretty hot!

This is a very unique plot with lots of dangerous and twisted crazy characters.  I will definitely be looking to read more by Ms. Rowe!

Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to read and review.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE ARC COPY:

1. Visit the author's website and tell me something of interest you found there.
Please leave your e-mail!

2.  For an extra entry recommend another fun paranormal or fun book.

3. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

4. For two extra entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

(Five total entries possible.)
It is not necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.

* This contest is open to US and Canada only.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close 10:00 PM (Central) on February 11, 2011. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.