Tracy's Place

Review: The Past Came Hunting by Donnell Ann Bell

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Fifteen years ago a young Colorado Springs police officer arrested a teen runaway accused of aiding a convenience store robbery and attempted murder. She was innocent, but still served prison time briefly. Her testimony sent the real thief to jail for much longer. Now she’s a young widow raising a son, and the man she put in prison is free and seeking revenge.

She moves to a home in a new neighborhood—then learns that her next-door neighbor is the by-the-book officer who arrested her. Now he’s a Colorado Springs P.D. Lieutenant. Like it or not, he may be the only one who can protect her and her son from the past he helped create

When Melanie was 17 years old she ran away from home. After a harrowing experience with an old trucker she accepted a ride from what she thought was a just a good looking guy. He’s nice enough until the next morning when they stop at a convenience store and while she’s in the bathroom the guy, Drake Maxwell, tries to rob and murder the store clerk. Melanie tries to save the clerk but in doing so makes it impossible for her to get away from the scene of the crime in time to save herself. Since she was on dope at the time the cops believe that she was complicit in the robbery and attempted murder. She receives 5 years with a plea bargain but only serves 9 months. Part of her plea is to testify again Drake Maxwell. He gets 15 years in prison and makes no secret about the fact that he will come for Melanie when he gets out.

Now it’s 15 years later and Melanie is a hard-working mom who just wants a normal life. Her husband has died and she’s moved to another city to try and hide herself from Maxwell when he gets out of prison. Little does she know that when she finally meets her next door neighbor and father of the boy that her son Luke has become so attached, she finds that he is none other than the man who arrested her 15 years ago. Neither of them want their children around the other but soon find that ending the boys’ friendship is impossible.

Joe looks further into Melanie’s background from when she was released from prison and Melanie is pissed. Joe states that he did it strictly to find out if he should be worried about his son spending so much time at her house but he’s really quite intrigued by Melanie. She is absolutely nothing like what he’s thought her to be all these years and he finds himself not only wanting to get to know her better but being incredibly attracted to the beautiful woman.

Melanie wants nothing to do with Joe except to keep their kids friends. Her son lost his father and he had been so happy since they’d moved and he’d formed the friendship with Matt. She wants nothing to ruin his happiness. She starts to view Joe in a completely different light and after getting to know the man realizes that he's not who she thought all these years. Once the barriers between the two come down they can’t seem to keep away from each other but there are more obstacles in their way - especially Joe’s job and how the higher ups feel about Joe the Lieutenant being with Melanie the ex-con.

Throughout the story we also get to see things from Drake Maxwell’s pov and follow him as he gets out of prison. The choices that he makes and the personality that comes from the man truly shows the psychotic human that Drake truly is. He’s making plans for Melanie, among many others, and he won’t stop until she’s pays.

I have to say that I really like romantic suspense stories when I read them – but I’m not normally drawn to them all that much so read them rarely. I’m so happy that I picked this one up and decided to read it. The book had such a feel of reality to it that I really felt like the characters were living the events as they happened.

As I had said before Melanie was a hard-working mom and had been for quite a while. She’d not had an easy life either before or after she met Drake Maxwell but she’d really made a good life for herself. She had some crazy events happen to her even before Drake came back but she managed to get through them – mostly with Joe’s help.

Joe was just a great guy. He was a good cop and though his family had been torn apart by divorce he really tried to make the most of the time he had with his son. Yes, he could have spent more time with his boy but with his job calling him away as often as it did it was difficult. Luckily his son knew that he loved him and dealt with the separations as they came.

Joe and Melanie had some really tough times trying to deal with their lives and how those lives intertwined. I thought that the couple really tried to do what was best for everyone and in the end it worked out – with a little help from an unlikely source.

If you like a good romance with a lot of suspense built in then this book is not to be missed. Just a really great book that’s definitely worth reading.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Donnell Ann Bell

Bell Bridge Books

Review: How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back by Sophie Barnes

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Emily Rutherford is having a very bad day.

Of course, having the man you’ve loved forever announce his engagement to your (now very former) best friend will do that.

Emily is sure nothing good could possibly come out of this horrid situation. But she lets her sisters—along with Francis Riley, the delectable but brooding Earl of Dunhurst—convince her that a season in London will be just the thing.

Now Emily has a choice: sulk in a corner while her sisters enjoy the glitter of the ton . . . or become the belle of the ball, dazzling everyone on an earl’s arm. But as Francis helps Emily get back on her feet, she quickly realizes that a childhood crush is nothing compared to the power of true love.

Emily Rutherford is best friends with Kate. She’s also in love with a man that she grew up with and has an understanding of marriage with, Adrian. Emily believes, as does her family AND Adrian’s family that he is finally ready to make an announcement about his marriage. When Adrian asks Emily to take a walk with him because he needs to speak to her she’s giddy with happiness. That giddiness comes to a screeching halt when Adrian tells her that he will be marrying her friend Kate and he would like her approval. What? OMG, poor Emily is devastated. She leaves the ball that her family is attending and heads off to try to deal with her heartbreak.

The Earl of Dunhurst, Francis, who is a cousin to Adrian and someone that Emily also grew up with is at the ball. He is quite angry at his cousin for being so insensitive as to not know how Emily had felt all this time and to not honor their marriage agreement. Adrian holds that the “agreement” was all in jest and that he never thought that Emily would have taken it seriously. Wrong. Francis steps in and decides to get Emily and her two sisters out of their town for a while and decides to take them to London where they can be distracted. He gets them a sponsor and buys them all they’ll need to have a great Season. Francis, however, is more interested in Emily than he is in her having a great season. He finds that Emily is someone he thought he knew but really, he had no idea of the wonderful person she had become. She’s fun and forthright (kind of a new development) and incredibly intelligent – what’s not to love? Francis begins formally courting Emily but he’s got some BIG family secrets and when some wrong conclusions are brought to light about those secrets, Emily’s pretty sure she wants nothing more to do with Francis.

I’m not sure where to start with my thoughts on this book. I think I’ll tell you what I didn’t like about the book first and end on an up note by telling you what I did like at the end.

What I didn’t like:

While I liked the idea of story the execution just didn’t work for me. The story felt choppy and it moved all over the place. There were, at times a bit of head-hopping as well and that tended to be confusing. While I really liked the characters they still had to play their parts in the story and the author had them acting in some ways that frankly I thought were a bit out of character for them. That bothered me when it happened as it wasn’t consistent.

I also felt the story was told in a way where we were told almost everything that happened. There were a couple of parts where it jumped ahead rather than telling us every detail but for the most part we were given every detail and thought from beginning to end. While I liked that at some points of the story for others it brought the reading to a slower pace and dragged things down a bit.

What I liked about this book:

I liked Emily so very much. We didn’t get to see too too much about her before the whole Adrian fiasco but what we saw afterward really made me admire her. She did her mourning over Adrian and moved on. She figured out her own mind and without becoming someone she’s not she moved on to become just a better version of Emily. Kind of an Emily 2.0.

Then there’s Francis. The poor man had had a crappy childhood and had to deal with some really hard truths about his family. He had become a closed off, walled-up man who didn’t know how to have a bit of fun or for that matter really live life. He became a better person when he was with Emily and I loved how he really saw her and didn’t just focus on her beauty – he saw the whole woman.

The secondary characters were great as well. Though we didn’t get to know Emily’s sisters that well or the men they fall for, they were loving and supportive til the end which is always a plus in my book.

In the end I liked the book because of the characters and the premise of the story but the writing itself just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Sophie Barnes

Avon Impulse

Review: She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Three young heirs, imprisoned by an unscrupulous uncle, escaped—to the sea, to the streets, to faraway battle—awaiting the day when they would return to reclaim their birthright.

Sebastian Easton always vowed he would avenge his stolen youth and title. Now back in London, the rightful Duke of Keswick—returning from battle a wounded, hardened, changed man—cannot forget the brave girl who once rescued him and his brothers from certain death.

Lady Mary Wynne-Jones paid dearly for helping the imprisoned young Lords of Pembrook, and she remembers well the promise she made to Sebastian all those years ago: to meet him once more in the abbey ruins where they shared a bold, forbidden kiss. While Mary is betrothed now to another, a friendship forged with dark secrets cannot be ignored. Unexpected passion soon burns dangerously between them, tempting Sebastian to abandon his quest for retribution to fight for a love that could once again set him free.

Sebastian and Tristan, age 14 and their brother, Rafe, age 10, are escorted to a tower on their family property right after their father’s funeral. Sebastian, who is now officially the Duke of Keswick, knows that their uncle who is now their guardian wants them gone and plans to get rid of them somehow. The first line in the book relays Sebastian’s thoughts pretty succinctly:

Tonight was the night they would die.

It gave me chills and made me want to know more, more, more. The three boys are saved from certain death by Sebastian’s best friend and neighbor, Mary Wynne-Jones. They take off into the night and aren’t heard from again for 12 years when their uncle is petitioning to have them all pronounced dead and take over the dukedom. The three boys, now men appear at a ball and make the announcement that indeed they are not dead and they are there to claim their birthright. The uncle is none too pleased when he is sent off and kicked from the London home he considered his.

Mary is at the ball when the brothers arrive and she immediately heads to acknowledge them. Sebastian is shocked that Mary has grown into a beautiful woman. In his mind he had always remembered her as the 12 year old he left that dark night. He finds that he can’t stop thinking about the woman and surprisingly she can’t stop thinking about him either, even though she’s engaged.

The brothers are not who they used to be. They had separated when they escaped all those years ago as to make it harder to find them and they had each lived hard lives instead of the pampered lives of Lord’s. Sebastian is scarred both emotionally and physically and though he knows he should marry to produce an heir the last thing he wants is a wife to have to worry about as well. His mind is constantly on the main estate, Pembrook, and his uncle’s downfall and the guilt he carries for doing what he had to do with his brothers all those years ago - he can’t possible focus on a woman. But then there’s Mary. Mary who is beautiful, sweet and kind. Mary who seems to be there for him and his brothers whenever she is needed – despite the fact that her reputation is on the verge of ruination. Mary, the woman that Sebastian decides he must marry after her fiancé breaks their engagement. He thinks it’s a hardship but really, Sebastian’s been in love with Mary for years it just takes a lot of time and a bit of “almost” tragedy for him to clear his mind and see things how they really are.

I have to say that I have really been enjoying the books I’ve been reading from Lorraine Heath in the past year and this one was no different. She just has a way with her stories and her characters that really feed my need when it comes to historical romances. Yes, there are many that do that but so many who don’t.

In this book the characters, at least for me, played the major role. Sebastian with his scarred face and the passionate need pulsing through him for retribution was just such an intense man. I’m a sucker for a scarred hero anyway and he was a good one. It did almost take a konk over the head (figuratively speaking) to get him to have that light bulb moment but when he did he didn’t sit and ponder it for a while – he took action. Mary, who had spent most of her life in a convent after the boys escaped, was such an incredibly strong character. She had taken the girl who had loved adventures and shenanigans and turned her into a loyal and steadfast woman who was to be reckoned with. I loved it.

The brothers, Tristan and Rafe, I must say, though they didn’t have humongous parts in the book made appearance enough to really pique my interest. I want to know more about what they went through growing up and how that formed the people that they are now.

She Tempts the Duke ended up being a very good book that I very much enjoyed and I definitely recommend it to those readers who love a really good historical romance.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Lorraine Heath

Avon Books

What I Read Last Week

2012-01-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

It was a pretty quiet week this week until we got to Saturday. Apparently on Friday my father had taken my girls to a local drug store for some ice cream and while they were wandering while eating it they happened upon a pet supply. In the pet supply they happened to have a 3 month old kitten that was a rescue that they were trying to find a home for. After many hours of my girls bugging the ever-livin crap outta me...we are now officially cat people. Yes, I caved - especially when I saw the kitten and saw how cute she is. We brought her home on Saturday morning and so far so good. The girls named her Echo and she's incredibly sweet and lovable...and litter box trained (that was a must before I even said yes. lol) Here are a couple of pictures. They don't really do her justice but they're what I've got. I think she's camera shy because every time I try to take an up close picture she turns her head. :)

Besides that - a pretty quiet week. lol

On to what I read:

I started off the week with a romantic suspense novel called She Can Run by Melinda Leigh. This story was about a woman who is running from her husband (for many reasons) and trying to protect her kids. She takes a position as a caretaker at a home and falls in love with its owner. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

Next was a novella called A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh. I normally don't read books so very far in advance (ok, sometimes I do) but this one just spoke to me when I got it from Netgalley. It comes out at the end of February from Carina Press. The story is about a man who starts writing a woman that his father wants him to marry. The woman is in love with someone else so her maid writes the man intending to dissuade him from writing again. Not only doesn't she dissuade him but they end up corresponding. The problem is, he thinks she's someone else. It was a really good story. I'll post my review next month. 4 out of 5

Buckle Down by Eve Cassidy was the story of Ty who has a police record who has moved to help his brother start the rodeo that he purchased. He is attracted to Dane the sheriff but the sheriff thinks that Ty had something to do with a local robbery. The story of the two men being attracted to each other when they were so opposite was compelling but the sheriff thinking that Ty had something to do with the robbery with absolutely NO supporting evidence really drove me a bit nuts. Ty knew he was innocent so he took it with a grain of salt but STILL. Ug. In the end it was a bit too pat for me as it all got worked out. 3 out of 5

Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn was my next read and I read this one for The Book Binge. A great story that wove political intrigue (back in the 1600's) and romance really did it for me. The heroine drove me crazy at first and I almost stopped reading but in the end the book ended up being really good. The hero, Connor and heroine, Mairi had fallen in love and promised to each other but then Connor went off to fight for England. Feeling betrayed Mairi started to hate Connor and though he wrote and begged her to come to him she refused. Now she's in England for a coronation and they see each other after 7 years' separation. Love blossoms once again (after a bit of viper biting on the heroine's part) and all seems well - until the King and Queen get involved. 4 out of 5 You can read my review here.

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath was my next read. This one I really liked - you can read my review on Wednesday.

My Tracy's TBR Challenge read for the week was Enforcer by Lauren Dane. I can't tell you how long I've had the Cascadia Wolves series and haven't read it. Shame on me. Lex is watching Nina in hopes that her brother, Rey, will surface. Rey is a werewolf and ran when some bad shit went down. Nina and Lex end up together but Nina has to deal with some weird werewolf rituals and she's not all that pleased with it. I really liked Lex and his brother, the Alpha, Cade. I liked the supporting characters the story. I really had a problem with Nina's mouth. Yes, she was incredibly strong and intelligent and she distrusted werewolves on principle...but, she was so forthright that there were times I just wanted to tape her mouth shut! lol 3 out of 5

Next up was Safe Harbor by Derek Adams. This story was about Mike Vickers who had his life planned out after high school when he gets sideswiped by the fact that his ex-girlfriend finds herself pregnant with his daughter. During the summer he meets Eric who is an artist and though they come from different backgrounds they form a friendship. That friendship turns into becoming lovers but when they are discovered by guys in Mike's high school he turns on Eric as well. 10 Years later Mike and Eric meet again and try to form a relationship. I liked the premise of the story but I just didn't get to see the two men reconnecting as much as I would have liked. Yes, we get to see some but not enough imho. I loved the daughter in this one. 3 out of 5

How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back by Sophie Barnes was next up and it was a historical romance about a woman who had her heart broken and bounced back. I'll post my review for this later this week.

Last for the week was Reluctant by Lauren Dane. This was a short about Lex and Cade's sister Layla. She heads out for the night to have some fun and ends up with a mate that she doesn't want. Not that she doesn't want Sid himself but she has a plan for herself professionally and it certainly doesn't include a mate. The story of Layla coming to terms with having a mate was pretty good. I will definitely keep reading the Cascadia wolves. 3 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost
Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

Happy Reading!

Saturday Song

2012-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Today's post is in memory of a wonderful singer and an incredible musician, Etta James, who died yesterday 1-20-12. Thank heavens we live in a world of technology where we'll be able to enjoy her music even though she's gone. She will be missed.

Review: She Can Run by Melinda Leigh

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last…

Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe.

Elizabeth has been on the run from her husband, with her 2 kids, for 10 months when she takes a job as caretaker with Daniel O’Malley. When she gets to the house, however, she finds that Daniel has died and his nephew, Jack, is now in charge. Jack agrees to a probation period of two weeks to see what happens with Beth and her kids. Jack knows almost immediately that something isn’t on the up and up with Beth but he wants to bide his time to find out what the problem is.

Beth and her kids end up staying at the house and working with the horses as well as getting farther ingrained in Jack’s life. They are skiddish around each other but there is definitely some feelings of attraction there.

Beth is afraid for her children as well as for herself. What she saw her husband doing, and the reason she ran, is something that she is sure he will kill her for and she wants the kids to be taken care of above anything. Multiple “accidents” start to happen to Beth but she isn’t sure that they’re really accidents or if they’re caused by her husband’s people.

On top of all that Beth and Jack have to deal with that fact that there's also a serial killer on the loose and he’s looking at Beth as his next victim.

Melinda Leigh has written an engaging suspense story. I was intrigued by the plot line and as I turned pages I wanted to learn more and more. She definitely kept my attention and gave me just enough info to make me want to know what happened next.

As I mentioned there was the romance between Jack and Beth as well as the issue with her husband, and the serial killer. I didn’t mention it before but there was also a small part that had to do with her uncle and his “visions” that was a part of the story There was definitely a lot going on in the story but the flow of the book worked out nicely.

I think the only issue I had with the book, and unfortunately it was a biggish one, is that the heroine of the book was in continuous peril. There were constant “accidents” and after a bit I was thinking that it was just too much. Falling and needing stitches, car accidents, being accosted by assholes in the supermarket, being attacked with a knife and so on (I won’t tell all of the times but you get the picture). The constant need to be saved got a bit old for me. It was written well, and in the end I saw exactly what the cause was, but as a reader I felt that it was just too much for one woman to handle.

There was one fun and exceedingly bright spot in the book and that was the German shepherd, Henry. He was a police dog reject and was just a happy go lucky guy. Nobody really thought he was anything but playful but in the end he more than proved his worth in so many different ways - as a friend, a companion and savior. I don't want to say that he stole the show in every scene he was in but almost. Now if I could just find a Henry of my own that doesn't shed. lol

In the end a good book that kept me turning pages – which is something I love in a book. lol

Rating: 4 out of 5

Melinda Leigh

Montlake Romance

TBR Challenge 2012 Review: The Army Ranger's Return by Soraya Lane

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

January's Theme: Category Romance

A soldier's second chance…

As nervous as a teenager about to go on her first date, Jessica Mitchell waits for Special Forces Ranger Ryan McAdams—her best friend for the past year— whom she's never met! They've been pen pals while Ryan was away fighting for their country and Jessica was secretly fighting her own demons back home.

She knows widower Ryan's fears of returning to civilian life and his hopes of reconnecting with his son. Now she can't wait to meet him face–to–face—to hear his voice and see his smile…

Jessica and Ryan have been pen pals for a while. Now Ryan is returning from the Army and wants to meet Jessica. Jessica is determined to think of Ryan as just a friend but they had become so very close via their letters to each other that it’s hard for her – especially after she sees him.

Once the couple meet in person they find yet another connection to each other. Though Ryan is leery to talk about the cancer that took his wife he knows that he needs to discuss it with Jessica as it affects his relationship with his son. Jessica is hiding something too. Though her feelings for Ryan grow daily as they spend time together she’s keeping from him the fact that she is only but a year out from surviving cancer. Jessica knows Ryan doesn’t want to deal with anything cancer related so she knows the relationship must end.

I read the blurb of this book and it looked really great but unfortunately it didn’t quite work for me in all ways.

The book starts out with Jessica moments away from meeting the man that she’s been a pen pal with. We don’t find out until much later in the book how they became pen pals but that was ok. When the two meet they don’t quite know how to act around each other. They are both attracted to the other but they had been so emotionally intimate during their letters to each other it was kind of awkward to finally meet in person. I personally thought that the meeting would be less awkward because they had shared so much in their letters but that wasn’t the case here.

The couple start spending time together but throughout it all there was just this stilted talk and well, I’ll say it again, awkwardness. To me they never seemed to just flow together and feel comfortable with each other – even when they were in bed together.

I really liked that Jessica helped Ryan work on the relationship with his son but I hated that she was keeping her cancer from him when she knew he felt so strongly about it. I perfectly understand her reasoning behind it, I really do and I felt for her wanting to be treated as someone who was “normal” in her eyes. But that just made me think she didn’t trust Ryan fully and what is love without trust? IDK, I really went back and forth with this story and in the end it was good but not great. An interesting way to pass a bit of time, but nothing that knocked my socks off. Some may feel differently but that’s how I felt about it.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Soraya Lane

Harlequin

What I Read Last Week

2012-01-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

Well it was another stressful week at work but I survived which was a good thing.

We had a nice weekend as I headed out to my mom's to help here with some computer stuff and then yesterday I got to see my grown & married nephew who lives in Pennsylvania. Yay! The local family got together for lunch and we had a great time just talking and catching up. Here's a picture that I took of my nephew and my youngest. (I'd actually had one taken of him and me but apparently it turned out really blurry. I'll have to take another before he heads home to PA.)

Don't forget to enter the 2 contests I've got going. One for a box of historical novels and one for a box of fantasy/UF. The links are on the sidebar.

I read a really long novel at the beginning of last week and after that really felt the need to read a bunch of shorts. Here's what I devoured this week:

I started off the week with Season of the Shadow by Bobbi Groover. This is an american historical that I read for The Book Binge and I really liked it but for a few items. The story was about a man (boy, really, as he was only 17) who was kidnapped, kept chained in a madhouse and treated like an animal for 6 years before he managed to escape with his life and most of his sanity. He's back in his hometown to destroy the person who did it all to him, his cousin. He also is still madly in love with his first love but he thinks she might have had something to do with his abduction as well. The man is confused and hurt emotionally but determined to get his life back from the man who stole it. The book was very good but I did have a problem with the length which was 690 pdf pages. Just too long imho. I'll let you know when my review posts at TBB. 4 out of 5

Here is where my short reading began:

First up was A Wedding Story by Dee Tenorio. Ruth Ann and Bobby have been prankster enemies since they were young kids. Ruth Ann isn't thrilled when at her sisters wedding reception she is not only sat next to Bobby but they are at the kids' table. Ruth Ann and Bobby decide to make the most of it and decide to dance but that's when things at the reception start going awry and when Bobby and Ruth Ann are left alone they realize that maybe they don't hate each other as much as Ruth Ann thought. Really cute and funny story. 3.5 out of 5 (free on Kindle)

Holding Out For A Hero by Stacey Joy Netzel was a short about a woman who is having a really crappy day. When she's at lunch, however, she sees something happen that makes her start looking at life a little differently and it changes everything. A great story that has a little bit of a hopeful romance in it. I did kind of a mini review that you can read here if you're interested. 4 out of 5 (free on Kindle)

Next up was Fury by Anya Bast. This is part of her Otherkin series which is looks like there are only 2 of. The story is about a woman who is in a "pack" of shifters but there are mostly wolven shifters. She is a cougar but the elders want to make her their queen. She runs but her mate comes looking for her. This was an ok read. I didn't love the characters but the story was a good one and of course the sex was hot as is the norm with Bast's books. 3 out of 5 (free on Kindle)

Without Mercy by Belinda Boring followed Darcy as she runs an errand for a pack bbq with the her future sister-in-law and best friend. A crazed man who is on a mission ends up accosting the two and all hell breaks loose. It was a sad story but it was so short that I just needed more. More of the after effects of the whole situation, etc. Maybe we were supposed to get that in future books but I never like being left hanging. 3 out of 5 (free on Kindle)

Four Kisses by Bonnie Dee was the story of two people who meet when they are 13 and share a kiss. The pair meet about every 3 or 4 years due to odd circumstances and always share some form of a kiss. It was a very sweet story and I really liked the whole scenario. You can read my mini review here. 4.5 out of 5
So ended my short binge. lol

A Rose is A Rose by Jet Mykles tells the story of Carson who is in his early twenties. He is a man used to be taken care of and when his "boyfriend" doesn't want to take it to the next level it crushes Carson. He finds out that he was just one of many who is man was seeing. Carson befriends the owner of his building who is a shy manly man named Eddie. Carson isn't used to not being taken care of but Eddie helps him out with food and stuff but Carson knows that Eddie isn't gay. Of course Eddie will be gay for Carson as he just finds him beautiful and fascinating. I really liked this book a lot. Carson's character was great but I just didn't love the romance. The story was told in third person but we never got to see things from Eddie's pov. When Carson decides that he needs to do things on his own we never get to see how that effects Eddie which I would have loved. Overall a good story but I did have some issues with it. 3.5 out of 5

My next read was My Summer of Wes by Missy Welsh. Mal is friendless and lives in a vanilla world with no excitement until his new neighbors move in across the street. Wes is the neighbors son and though older than Mal they hit it off immediately. Wes is gay and even though Mal has been called names and been accused of being gay for the past four years he is certain that he's not. Until Mal and Wes start spending more time together and Mal starts to see the truth in himself. The story was very sweet with very little conflict. The sex scenes were hot and I just loved Wes to pieces. 4 out of 5

A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare is the first in the Spindle Cove series and I finally read it! It was really good and I'm so glad I did. Bram was hurt in the war and is looking to regain his position in the field. He contacts Sir Lewis in Spindle Cove and heads there with the hopes that he will get what he wants. Sir Lewis not only turns him down but makes him an Earl (via the king) and then asks him to get a militia ready in a month. Bram is pissed but Sir Lewis's daughter Susanna is a nice distraction. Distraction being the key as he can't seem to keep his mind on his work due to thinking of Susanna constantly. It was a cute book about the inhabitants of Spindle Cove and how they come together to try to make their local field day the best there is. Susanna and Bram's relationship was wonderful and just thinking of the book makes me smile. 4.25 out of 5

Last on the list was my read for the monthly TBR challenge and that was An Army Ranger's Return by Soraya Lane. Pen pal's Jessica and Ryan have written to each other constantly and now Ryan is returning home. Jessica is nervous about what will happen and what DOES happen is not what she expects at all. I'd tell you more but then I wouldn't have to write my review for Wednesdays post. lol \

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
**crickets chirping**

Happy Reading!!

Saturday Song

2012-01-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

Evanescence for a Saturday - Enjoy

What You Want

What Is Your Fantasy/Urban Fantasy Book Recommendation? A Giveaway

2012-01-13T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Fantasy and Urban Fantasy genres are not books that I read on a regular basis. I really have to have a solid recommendation for them before I'll buy and even then sometimes I'll hem and haw for a while before I actually lay down my cold hard cash. I think it's because I love my romances so much. I want that HEA at the end of the books and it usually doesn't happen with F or UF books, IDK. I've have read some really great books though and I'm always happy when I find a great series that I love.

Renee goaded me until I finally bought the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs and man am I glad I did. She literally had to shove the book at me in the store and say, "buy this!" lol Thanks, Renee! :)

Amy C had to email me a bajillion times for me to finally perk up and buy the Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop, which is dark fantasy, and then I thought I'd be smart and buy the omnibus edition. More fool me. Seriously. That thing was so effin big it was completely intimidating and it sat on my shelf for about 6 months before I picked it up and dug in. Of course then I couldn't put the damned thing down because I was completely and utterly hooked.

The first book in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews was sent to me as a gift from another friend Amy who thought I'd enjoy the series. I think book 2 had already been published by that time and she wanted me to not fall too far behind. Magic Slays sat on my shelf for years! (Talk about falling behind in a series.) I tried to pick it up and read it once and I just couldn't get into it. I almost gave it away twice in the blogger book swaps but something held me back. Last year when I finally sat down and read the book it was good. It wasn't great but definitely good enough to keep reading the series. I then picked up book 2 which I liked a little better. Book 3, Magic Strikes blew me away. I loved that book and immediately read books 4 and 5 after which I also loved like chocolate...I just couldn't get enough.

So where is all this leading? I want you to recommend some Fantasy or Urban Fantasy books to me. I feel the need to expand my repertoire (yeah, like I don't have enough books to read, right?) and I'd like to know what you think. I would probably like stories that have more romance in them but that's not required. So tell me - which books/series do you love and think everyone should read and why do you love it/them so much?

I also have another mystery box of books to give away thanks to Holly at The Book Binge. This box is filled with Fantasy and Urban Fantasy reads so if those are up your alley leave a comment with your F/UF book rec, along with your email address no later than Friday, January 20th at 7:00pm to enter to win. Again, I'm sorry, but this has to be limited to the US only.

The Long and the Short of It....Ok, Just the Short of It

2012-01-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

This week I went on a “buying” spree with my Kindle and managed to download 5 or 6 free books that looked appealing to me. All of them were pretty good but these two really stuck out among the bunch.

Holding Out For A Hero by Stacey Joy Netzel (though the cover looks historical this is most definitely a contemporary story)

Kelsie Newman meets the man of her dreams at the beginning of a really, really bad day, so excuse her for not recognizing him. Good thing she's a smart girl and a quick learner. When he rescues her from her Good Samaritan act gone bad later that same day, she doesn't make the same mistake twice.

Kelsie is just having a terrible no good rotten day. She manages to muddle through which is great but along the way she realizes while eating her lunch and watch a man save a child from running into the street was that

Our society is so enamored with Superheroes, and great BIG gestures that are easily recognizable and indisputably heroic, that the little everyday, wonderful things people do for others often times go unnoticed.

Because of this Kelsie, despite her awful day, starts seeing life and people with a new light. She sees that there are heroes all around us and they may not be Lancelot or Robin Hood or any of the other fairy tale heroes of old but they end up being somebody’s hero.

She also realizes the man who helped her after his brother practically knocked her off her feet was a really nice guy and she should have been a whole hell of a lot nicer to him. Luckily fate is on her side and things start looking up when she runs into him again.

This was such a short little book but it really hit me in a good way. It wasn’t a romance at all but the possibility is there. What really struck me was some of the truths that the author puts in about the way we look at the world and I just really liked that about the story. It just made me smile.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Four Kisses by Bonnie Dee

Unforgettable moments shape a romance that could last a lifetime.

Jen Adams’s first kiss didn’t happen the way she’d expected. On a steamy summer’s day, a shared moment with a boy who runs with a bad crowd leaves an indelible impression on a thirteen year old girl. But that’s only the first time Jen and Drake Malinson’s paths cross in an unforeseen way.

This story spans about 17 years in about 50 pages. The story follows Drake Malinson and Jen Adams from the age of 13 to the age of 25. The two meet when they are with friends at the lake and end up heading off to see swans together. Jen and Drake come from different worlds (Jen is a pretty straight-laced A student and Drake claims to sell drugs) and they both know that but they still manage to lock lips. Though the kiss is pretty unforgettable for a first kiss neither of them speak to each other after that.

The story then goes on to tell us how Jen and Drake run into each other again and again and how their lives change and move throughout the years. What I liked about the story besides the fact that it was very sweet is that the author created two people who were so very different from each other but could still find comfort, solace and yes, desire with each other.

Drake being a drug dealer, obviously, doesn’t exactly make him hero material. But there was just something about the guy that I liked. I always learned that we should begin as we mean to go on when it comes to our lives and so many other things, but we also have brains and free will and though we make mistakes in our lives we can always change them. For Drake that meant he ended up changing for the better and I loved that Jen could see the man that he could be from the very start.

The story also doesn’t end in an HEA but again, like the first book, it was the possibility and hope that was there that that I loved.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

I've Got Books and I'm Giving Them Away!

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

That's right. Thanks to Holly over at The Book Binge I have a box of books to give away to one lucky winner. This particular box will be filled with m/f historical romance and it's a mystery as to what's in there (honestly, it is, because I don't even remember what's in there).

So, leave a comment on this post no later than 1/17/12 at 7:00pm (pacific) and I'll pick a winner via random.org.

I hate to say this but I have to limit the give away to the US because I just don't have the extra moola to mail internationally right now. I know, I suck and you can cuss me out, I'll understand. I'll love you anyway. :)

What I Read Last Week

2012-01-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Well it was almost back to a full work week last week. I did have Monday off but then we had crazy things happening at work so it was really busy and really stressful. I was happy for the weekend where my youngest and I went to see Holly at her home. That was a ton of fun just talking books and stuff. We were there for 7 or 8 hours and it just didn’t seem like enough time! lol I have to say I was a giant tired lump yesterday doing…nothing but hanging with the fam, reading and watching movies. Nothing got done but hey – it’s not going anywhere right? All the stuff that needs to be done will still be there today when I get home today so I’ll work on it then. :)

On to what I read last week:

First up was Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks. This is book 4 in the KGI series and it was about Nathan who has been captured in Afghanistan and is being tortured for information. He thinks he’s going crazy when he hears a female voice in his head and even starts talking to her. He’s not crazy. The woman is actually Shea Peterson and is a psychic who has been feeling Nathan’s pain. The story is about Shea helping Nathan and then Nathan helping Shea and their love story. It was a good story that I liked. I read this one for The Book Binge – here’s the link to the review. 4 out of 5

Next up was Caged by Tam Ames. This is a free story that Tam wrote because Wave said that hamster shifters couldn’t be done. Tam proved her wrong in a hilarious story about a hamster shifter and his owner. Very funny and well done. 4 out of 5

After that it was One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost. Book 6 in the Night Huntress series has Cat and Bones working to capture a ghost who is extremely violent and can become corporeal on Halloween night. They’re also dealing with an asshole who has decided to take over her uncle’s position at the security compound who thinks he knows everything but doesn’t – and we never really learn what’s up with him as that storyline wasn’t completed. I really liked Cat and Bones and the strength of their relationship in this book. That’s something we don’t often see in UF books but this one is as strong as ever. The story was good and the fight scenes as well, but there was just something missing in this one for me that made it a good story but not fantastic. I read this for the Book Binge so I’ll let you know when my review posts. 3.5 out of 5

My next read was Amazon Heat by Melinda Leigh and Rayna Vause. This was a novella about Elizabeth who is doing research in Brazil and is saved from certain death by a group of women who turn out to be the mythical Amazons. Two years later her love, Logan, is looking for her in the same area when he is hurt and taken to the Amazon’s as well. Elizabeth must save his life and then they must try to escape as the Amazon’s aren’t ready to keep a man around for any period of time – especially after he’s worn out his usefulness. It was an interesting story but frankly I thought it was just too short. We didn’t get enough of Elizabeth and Logan or their background so the romance was just ok for me. On top of that it’s a story about the Amazon’s and we get little to know info on them or their life – how they’ve survived all these years, what their life is like, etc. Now there was a portion that looked like it was set up for a second book so maybe we’ll get more then? IDK. 3 out of 5

Next was Oracle’s Moon by Thea Harrison. I was lucky enough to get this one for review from The Book Binge and frankly I just couldn’t wait to crack that puppy open. It was the story of Kahlil who is a Djinn that we met in the previous books and Grace who is the Oracle. The story was not like anything that I expected but it was wonderful. Really romance and relationship focused and I LOVED Kahlil so very much. If you’ve been reading the Elder Races books don’t miss this one! 4.5 out of 5

Abercrombie Zombie by KZ Snow was next and it was a good one. This story followed psychic mediums Quinn and Hunter who are business partners as they deal with a man who claims to be a zombie. On top of that Quinn, who is in love with straight (well, maybe straight) Hunter, is trying to work through his feelings. The story is great and done very well and Quinn and Hunter were fabulous together. I just love KZ’s stories and this one was no different. 4 out of 5

My Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week was Forbidden which is boo 1 in the Playing With Fire series by Karen Erickson. The story was about roommates Michaela and Austin. They have the hots for each other but Michaela believes that Austin is gay since he’s not dated any women since they’ve known each other. Turns out he’s bi and he wants Michaela and all of her fantasies. Michaela has been held back by her conservative lovers and goes a bit wild with Austin as she trusts him. They act out fantasies together both at home and at a sex club. The story was extremely hot in the sex department but I thought that the relationship suffered more than a bit for the sake of the sexual aspect. While I really liked Austin I didn’t particularly care for Michaela all that much because of her indecision and sometimes overpowering shame and that diminished my enjoyment of the entire book. 3.25 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:

Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks

Happy Reading!

Saturday Song

2012-01-07T23:41:00.000-08:00

I thought I had posted this song and scheduled it for today, but apparently not. I just got online after being gone all day and lo and behold...nothing. lol And....since it's still Saturday here for all of 19 more minutes I'm in under the wire! :)

So here is my favorite song of the week (This week because I just heard it for the first time but I'm sure it will be my favorite for a long while). Set Fire To The Rain by Adele. I LOVE this song...absolutely love it...like, I wanna have babies with it, seriously. Enjoy.

Review: Striker by KyAnn Waters

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sports writer Max Myers just discovered he lives next door to the hottest soccer player to hit the field. If he scores a coveted interview with the reclusive striker for the Denver Blaze, he could take himself from sports blogger to mainstream sports authority.

Riley Grayson has no interest in interviews or in outing his private life to the public. He wants to be known for the scoring he does on the field and not in the sack. But Max is a temptation he can't resist. Taking a chance, Riley and Max discover they have more in common than passion for soccer and hot sex between the sheets.

Just as they begin to trust each other outside the bedroom, Max is put in a no-win situation: write an article about Riley exposing accusations of drug use, or risk destroying his own credibility. If he does, he'll lose Riley. If he doesn't, he'll lose everything he's worked hard to achieve.

Max had just moved into his new condo in Colorado when he meets his new neighbor, Soccer star Riley Grayson. He’s instantly attracted to this man but has no idea what Riley’s sexual orientation is due to the fact that Riley is an incredibly private person. Not only is Max attracted but his mind starts heading into professional mode thinking that he can possibly get an exclusive interview from Riley – something that’s not been done before.

Riley is a very private man. He is an ace soccer player and that’s what he wants to be known for – not the gay soccer player. He’s more than positive that if he comes out that that’s exactly what will happen. When he meets Max he’s pretty firm about not ever giving him an interview but that doesn’t stop him from making a move on the sportswriter.

The men start up a relationship immediately and find that it may be moving quickly but it just feels right to them. All is happy happy until Riley’s urine test comes up positive for drug use. Riley and Max – as well as Riley’s team – knows that the test is a false positive but until that is proven Riley is benched. Not only that but Max’s boss insists that he write an article on Riley which Max does not want to do. The men find themselves caught in a catch 22 and aren’t sure how to get out of it.

This was a pretty short book but I thought it had a lot going for it. I loved that the men hit it off so well right off the bat and were so comfortable with each other that Max practically moved in with Riley. Though we weren’t shown too much of those initial weeks together it was enough to show how good their relationship had become.

When the drug accusations surfaced Max knew that Riley hadn’t been doping since he’d be basically living with the guy and knows how well he takes care of himself both with exercise and eating right. I love how Max supports Riley and goes along with him on many different levels but Riley isn’t quite as supportive of Max and it made me sad. He trusts Max…to a point when it comes to Max’s career but when Max tells him that it’s write the article on him or lose his job Riley still doesn’t trust Max to do the right thing.

It really showed a boat load of patience on Max’s part to deal with Riley and the ensuing heartache that Riley caused. Riley was so mired in appearance for the games sake that he had really always put his personal life on the back burner. He had to really come to terms with who he was and what he wanted his life to look like when the shit hit the fan. I almost thought when it was time for Riley to grovel he just didn’t grovel enough but I was quite happy when the book ended on a HEA and we all know how much I love my happy endings. lol A good book and definitely worth reading.

Rating: 4 out of 5

KyAnn Waters
Carina Press

This book will release on 1/9/11.

Review: The Viking's Sacrifice by Julia Knight

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Viking raiders destroyed Wilda's home. She witnessed the murder of her mother and would have been killed herself if it weren't for the Viking boy Einar, who saved her from his ruthless brother. The blood and murder left Wilda cold and shorn of feeling.

Eight years later, the heathens return for Wilda. As a captive in the Viking village, she finds protection and silent comfort in the man who once gallantly saved her.

Einar has been cursed to silence by his brother. With the dark net of his brother's power cast over their village, silence is a small price to pay for his family's safety. But Einar is immediately drawn to Wilda, and the need to protect her from his brother awakens his Viking courage. Can Einar break his brother's curse in time to save the village and the woman he loves?

Wilda is just a girl of 11 when the Vikings invade her village. She witnesses her mother being killed but also a huge bear of man killing one of his own kind and then turning on the boy that seems to be no older than Wilda herself. The boy, Einar, saves Wilda and in turn Wilda saves his life as well. She escapes that day and is married off to a man in a neighboring village.

Einar is near death after being cut up by his own brother. His brother, Bausi, tells everyone that their other brother, Arni, was killed by someone in the village during the raid and rather than help his brother Einar ran away and was cowardly. Einar is then threatened by Bausi that if he ever tells a soul what transpired that the curse that Bausi has put on Einar, his younger brother, Sigder and their young sister Gunden would activate and they would all die. Because of this Einar never speaks a word about what happened – nor does he tell anyone that Bausi poisoned and killed their father in order to become Jarl (kind of like an Earl and the leader) of the village. In fact – he becomes totally mute in order to avoid having the truth about his brother come to light.

Eight years pass and Wilda’s new village is attacked once again by the Northmen. She is taken this time and becomes a slave in the Norse’s village. While at the house she works at a man comes to drink ale. The man is Einer all grown up. When he hears her name he is instantly alert and knows exactly who she is. He gets her to realize who he is and though they speak different languages he gets her to understand the importance of silence so will tell no one of that day long ago.

Einar is determined to get Wilda out of the area before Bausi sees her and realizes who she is but he is thwarted at every turn. Einar knows that he needs to step up and defy both Bausi and the curse but he wants no harm to come to her, Sigder or Gunden or the people of the village.

This was a pretty surprising story. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the blurb sounded good and I hoped for the best. I’m so glad I read it! The book was a mix of family loyalty, love, the quest for freedom in many different ways and courage.

Einar had become such a shadow of the man he could be. He’d been such a vibrant youth but after his brother betrayed him and the rest of his family, he became mute and cursed, he just didn’t see the point in fighting back. He felt he could do nothing about the curse and he truly didn’t want to see his siblings suffer because of him even when they started turning against him as well. It took Wilda coming to the village for him to see that maybe there was a way out. His road was definitely not an easy one and it was heartbreaking to see him cut off at every attempt to save Wilda.

The relationship between Einar and Wilda was very tender and sweet. Though there couldn’t truly be what would be described as a romance there was enough emotion and feeling between the two for me to cheer their sprouting love on and hope for the happily ever after.

In the end evil died and love and goodness prevailed and let me tell you the road to getting there was quite wonderful. The book was well done and one I had a hard time putting down. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Julia Knight
Carina Press

Review: Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

What happens when a woman is determined to marry the wrong man? When she just won’t listen to reason and rushes forward with wedding plans? When she just doesn’t care that she’s marrying a fortune hunting scoundrel who doesn’t love her? What’s her exasperated family supposed to do about it? Hire a different scoundrel to talk her out of it, of course.

American heiress Annabel Wheaton knows what she wants and love isn’t it. Born in a Mississippi backwater, with a twang as wide as the Delta, she wants respect to go with the millions her daddy found in a Klondike gold mine. But respect isn’t easy to come by in the closed Knickerbocker society of New York, and when the fortune-hunting Earl of Rumsford shows up, it seems like he’s just the ticket to make all Annabel’s dreams come true. When he proposes marriage, she happily agrees. That’s when the trouble starts.

Christian Du Quesne has always been trouble—a rake, a gambler, and when he was younger, a fortune hunter. He married once for the sake of the decaying family coffers, but he won’t do it again. When his older brother, the Duke of Scarborough, dies without issue, Christian become the duke and inherits a whole new pile of family debt with no way to pay it. When Annabel’s family hires him to show Annabel just what she’d be getting by marrying into Britain’s aristocratic class, he knows he’s the perfect person to talk her out of matrimony. Problem is, he only has four days to do it. Can he cause enough trouble in those four days to get her to call off the wedding?

Annabel Wheaton grew up in a tin roofed shack in Mississippi with no clue that she would eventually be richer than Midas one day. Now that she’s 25 she knows that money isn’t going to buy her happiness – or does she? She’s been shunned and ignored by the wealthy society of New York so she believes that marrying into the British Aristocracy is the answer. She plans on marrying the Earl of Rumsford but her uncle Arthur is extremely against the match. Knowing the Duke of Scarborough, Christian DuQuesne (Du-cane) is in need of money Arthur offers him half a million dollars if Christian can put an end to the wedding – even if it means just postponing it for a few months.

Christian takes the job and on a ship bound for England from New York (which is where the wedding will take place) he goes about trying to convince Annabel that not only is Rumsford bad for her but that she will hate everything about England and how it will change her. This does bring doubts to her mind – and when Christian kisses her it brings even more. But Annabel is nothing but stubborn and tries to go ahead with the wedding anyway, despite her ever chilling feet. Notice I said “tries”. Yep, the wedding is stopped in an oh, so dramatic way that I just loved.

So the wedding is stopped but what about Annabel’s reputation? Being the clever girl that she is she quickly devises a plan that will save her reputation and make Christian pay, just a little for his part in the debacle that was her first wedding attempt. But Annabel feels more than anger at Christian. She feels lust and a whole lot more and soon finds herself falling in love with him. But he has sworn that he would never marry again since his first marriage was such a disaster. When things between Annabel and Christian heat up to the point where they find themselves having to marry a ton of different feelings come out in both of them but not all of them are good. How will they make it work?

This is the third book in the Abandoned at the Altar series and it was a good one. I really liked so very much about the book. Annabel is at the top of this list. While my heart ached for all that she had been through I love her strength. She had gone through some utter crap and though she wanted to be accepted she really did it for her sister. She never wanted her sister or her children when they came along to ever have to go through what she did. While I thought some of her decisions weren’t always the best I really thought that she was the strongest character in the book.

Christian was second on my list. I didn’t think that we got too deeply into Christian’s brain but we saw enough of his personality and his past to make a fair judgment of his character. He’s thought a rakehell but since it was before he came the Duke we never got to witness any of that – and it was ok. I thought it was enough to be told of his past mistakes to see them for the (eventual) learning experiences that they turned out to be.

The story and romance itself was both fun and heartbreaking with times of humor and severity. I thought that Ms. Guhrke did a great job of showing us the lighter side of each character as well as the serious parts of their lives that weren’t to be taken lightly. It was very well done. Overall it was a really good book that I very much enjoyed reading.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

Laura Lee Guhrke

Harper Collins/Avon Books

What I Read Last Week

2012-01-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I know I’ve said that before I just needed to say it again! lol

To say that I’m behind this week is a bit of an understatement. I was almost completely incommunicado yesterday as I promised my girls that I would try and not be on my phone or my laptop all day and just spend the day watching movies and playing games with them. I got a bit done before they woke up yesterday and sent a few emails from my phone while in hiding :) but for the most part it was a day with the girls and it was a good day.

I had a lot of time off last week and read a whole heck of a lot – I’m not kidding. lol A lot of them were shorts and novellas but ones I’ve been wanting to read.

First up was Handyman by Claire Thompson. Now this one I started…I think near when it came out and could not get into it. It has languished in the pile for quite a while and I finally decided to give it another go. The story is about Will who is a stock broker who took a leave of absence after his boss died right in front of him of a heart attack. He’s purchased a house on the outskirts of the city and is refurbishing it. He hires Jack who is a widower with two grown sons and according to him – very straight. Except…there was the one experience in high school with his best friend Luke. This is a great story about Will coming to terms with a slower lifestyle as well as Jack taking a hard look at who he is and what he wants when it comes to his sexuality. 3.75 out of 5

Next was How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long. Book 6 in the Pennyroyal Green series and it was wonderful. I really loved so very many things about this story of a school teacher and the man they term “Lord Ice”. You can read my review of the book here. 5 out of 5

Next up was Bachelor Number Four by Megan Hart. This was the story of Arden who is a widow and is finally ready to head out on to the dating scene once again. She tries a couple of blind dates that are pretty amusing because the guys are just such losers! What she wants – well yes and no – is to meet up with an old flame who she had feelings for before she got married. She contacts him on a social networking site and they even have cybersex but she’s not sure she wants to take it any further. I liked the book – it was a cute HFN story with the possibility of it turning into a HEA but the heroine, Arden, drove me a bit nuts when it came to her contact with Shane. She ran really hot and cold and I think, hurt his feelings a bit. I realize that she was scared a bit of what could be but the way she handled it wasn’t great. 3 out of 5

My next read was The Bracelet by Mary Jane Clark. This is a short story and it looks like a prequel to the Piper Donovan mystery series. The story is about Piper who is home helping her mother in her bakery. Piper helps by taking some goodies upstairs to a little old man, a friend of her mom’s. When she gets there she finds him unconscious with the very valuable bracelet missing that he had just been showing Piper, her mother and her sister-in-law. Piper finds clues that leads her to believe that her sister-in-law had a hand in the missing bracelet but she doesn’t want to think badly of her – even though she doesn’t like her very much. The story was ok but it was mostly internal struggle and thoughts of Piper’s as she tried to figure out what to do about the missing bracelet. 2.5 out of 5

The Jock and the Wallflower by Lisa Marie Davis was the story of a wallflower, Decker, who is talked into going to a frat party with his best friend. He is almost on his way out when the man he is half in love with helps him out when a beer is spilled on him. The man is Avery and his is a jock and Decker’s thrilled beyond belief that Avery is even talking to him. He’s even more surprised when Avery makes his move. It was a very cute erotic m/m. 3 out of 5

The Santa Problem by Tam Ames was next. Gavin is in a bind. He needs someone to play Santa to his elf for his company on Christmas Eve and he wants his boyfriend Lane to play the part. Lane is NOT thrilled at all to say the least and frankly the gig doesn’t go all that well to say the least. But Lane and Gavin make a turn in their relationship during it all and it makes it all worth it. A very cute story. I just love Tam’s humor…well, all the time and I love that it translates to her books so well. The characters are very real and I love that. 3.5 out of 5

Hot Secrets by Lisa Marie Rice was next on the list. This was another short story that was kind of an “incident in the life of” her characters from her book Dangerous Lover. Jack, an ex-army ranger, is very protective of his wife and he trains her for any eventuality. She goes along with Jack but really her heart isn’t in it. Little does she know that she’ll need that training when her book store is taken over by a drunken madman. She puts into effect her training and her calm demeanor and silently thanks Jack. The story was pretty short but very good. There were a couple of things that were brought up but not mentioned again – I assume we’ll hear more in a future book? IDK. 4 out of 5

A Chip in His Shoulder by LA Witt is a fantasy about a world where technology is king (so much more than what we live in now) and vampire Liam has a ton of them. He is an assassin and is hired to kill his old lover – and he has no problem with that. Except when he gets to the location he finds himself trapped with Daniel and it gives them time to talk about what went wrong in their relationship while they try to find a way out of their highly volatile situation. I really liked the world in this story and hope there will be more set in this interesting world in the future. 3.5 out of 5

Next up was Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke. This story is book 3 in the Abandoned at the Altar series and it was a good one. We had a duke sworn not to marry again trying to earn some cash by talking an American heiress out of marrying someone her family hates. The Duke, Christian, goes to pretty great extremes to get the job done but it ends up smacking him back in the face. It was a good book and my review will post tomorrow. 4.25 out of 5

All’s Fair by Suzie Quint is a short story in between books 1 & 2 of her McKnight series. This had Sol taking his daughter Eden to the Carnival knowing full well that his ex-wife, and the woman he’s still in love with, there while on a date. Sol ends up discouraging the date from seeing Georgia again by telling him some fantastical lies. Georgia is pissed and goes seeking retribution from Sol and but after Sol gets injured in a bull ride they end up in bed together. This is a very short story and really has no conclusion but it worked for me. I think it was a nice prequel to their eventual HEA…at least I hope they’ll get their HEA. 3 out of 5

Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle is the story of a woman who boards a British aristo in her very lowly tenement after he is hit on the street and suffers amnesia. The pair fall in love but how can a Viscount and a laundress ever be together? You can read my full review here at The Book Binge. 4 out of 5

The Viking’s Sacrifice by Julia Knight was a wonderful surprise. The story is about Viking raids, family betrayal, love and lots of danger. I really liked it and will post my review on Thursday. 4.25 out of 5

I’m a lucky, lucky girl and won a copy of Dating the Delaney’s by Anne Brooke over at Brief Encounters when they ran their Boxing Day Extravaganza. I got it and then gobbled it up as I love Liam and the Delaney’s. If you haven’t read this story about a man who works in a gallery and his twin crime boss lovers I suggest you do. They’re all short stories but all worth reading. This was book 4 and the trio has decided that they’re going to date for 6 weeks. On their first date in the movie theatre they can’t keep their hands off each other – just like when they’re on a picnic together. The dynamic is a bit odd with Liam being so submissive and the two brothers being so opposite from each other but I think it’s just great. 4 out of 5

Next was Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy - book 5 in the Fast Track series. This book was about a retired race car driver and a racing journalist and blogger that is grieving the death of her father. They kind of hook up at the wedding reception of Kendall and Evan (of The Chase #3) and start seeing each other. Parts of this book I really liked but others not so much. Tuesday had a stress and drinking problem, along with the fact that she hadn’t properly grieved for her father when she started dating Diesel. Then there’s Diesel who in no way had emotionally dealt with the racing accident that put him into forced retirement. I loved Diesel and Tuesday together when there were no issues but they each needed to handle their own lives before they could handle a relationship. It was good but not great for me. 3 out of 5 Read for The Book Binge

Next up was True Colors by Thea Harrison and is a novella in the Elder Races series. This is the story of Alice Clark who finds her best friend murdered in her apartment and hides when she sees the huge man come in. She runs from him not knowing if he’s the killer but it turns out he’s an investigator and a part of the Wyr division of the police. Gideon is immediately drawn to Alice who is also a wyr and finds he needs to be with her almost as much as he needs info from her to try to catch the killer of her friend. It was a good story about destined mates meeting and had a decent suspense element involved. 3 out of 5

Last on the list…yes there actually was a LAST…was Striker by KyAnn Waters. This is about two men, one a well known professional soccer player and a sportswriter who moves in next door. I’ll be reviewing it this week so keep your eye out. 4 out of 5

OK - so it may look like I read a lot but really, of the 16 listed 6 of them were shorts, 4 novella's and one a short novel and those take no time at all, right? lol

My Book Binge reviews that posted this week:

Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke

A Knight in Cowboy Boots by Suzie Quint

Forever and a Day by Delilah Marvelle

Happy Reading!

Review: One Perfect Night by Rachael Johns

2012-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

Warning: This review contains spoilers

Peppa Grant's fellow employees may call their new CEO Mr. McSexy, but she's also heard that he's aloof and distant. Cameron McCormac certainly seems cold toward Christmas when she meets him at the company's annual party...but he's also the sexiest man Peppa has ever seen. And when he offers to forgive the damage she accidentally caused to his expensive car in exchange for accompanying him to his family's holiday get-together, she agrees.

Cameron needs a date to the family party to get his matchmaking relatives off his back. Their chemistry is instant and undeniable, leading to an incredible one-night stand. But Peppa wants love and family, while Cameron's only interested in temporary pleasure. When their relationship takes an unexpectedly serious turn, will he run the other way—or will he give love a second chance?

Penelope Grant is standing in the for the “entertainment” at the company Christmas party when she first meets the new boss. He has no idea that she works for him and he takes advantage of that and asks that she step in and play fake girlfriend to his family on Christmas Eve. Peppa (as she’s known to her friends) doesn’t quite understand Cameron’s stand-offish nature with his family as she thinks their charming but seeing them with them gives her another look into the man that everyone says is made of ice. One thing leads to another and they end up back at Peppa’s and have a great time together. Cameron however has no desire to stick around as he’s a one night stand kinda guy.

Peppa is hurt by Cameron’s attitude but she moves on…until they end up together again after Peppa helps him from another tight spot with his family. Cameron and Peppa end up starting a relationship and as much as either tells themselves that they’re not looking for love and they’re only in it for the sex and companionship, they each get completely emotionally involved. That is until Peppa comes up pregnant and Cameron pretty much kicks her to the curb. Sure, he’s got his reasons, but Peppa has her reasons for keeping the baby and she wants nothing to do with Cameron from that point forward.

When I first started this book I didn’t like Cameron AT ALL. He annoyed me and was basically what he was supposed to be portrayed as and that was a man who was just after fun, excitement, and sex when he wanted it. Even when he and Peppa spent their first night together I wanted them separated as I just didn’t like the man! I honestly thought about not finishing the book. But then I kept reading and I saw an actual person come out of the skin of the outside Cameron. He was a kind, loving, caring person who loved his family but was afraid of life. Sure he lived, but after 2 different tragedies in his life he had decided that he wasn’t going to love again – anyone – because whoever he loved died. I have to admit my heart broke a little bit for him during the course of the book.

Then there was Peppa’s back story which was a bit cruel in its reality as well. She’s been dumped by her man because there became a chance that she may not be able to conceive a child and he wasn’t about to wait around and possibly be disappointed. OMG what a bastard! Shows you (and Peppa) that he truly didn’t love her he just viewed her as a baby maker. Yuk – good riddance to him. But yet....we knew as the reader that he really did love Peppa so how would it all work out?

Cameron and Peppa together were quite cute. I loved that Cameron came to appreciate romantic comedy movies and that they talked so much. When Cameron found out about Peppa’s pregnancy and acted the fool I wanted to crawl through the ereader and beat the man. Seriously, what a jerk. But he did see the error of his ways and (I think) made up for it all in the end.

The story ended up being pretty good and I’m glad that I kept reading – it was worth it.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Rachael Johns
Carina Press

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a safe New Year's Eve and that you have a wonderful 2012! It's gonna be a great year...I can just feel it! :)

Review: How The Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long

2011-12-31T12:00:00.000-08:00

The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice.

Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest—in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he’s found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family’s shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond.

She's not afraid to play with fire...

But one unforgettable encounter with Lisbeth’s paid companion, Phoebe Vale, and the Marquess is undone: this quiet girl with the wicked smile and a wit to match is the first person to see through the icy façade to the fiery man beneath. But their irresistible attraction is a torment as sweet as it is dangerous: for surrendering to their desire could mean losing everything else they ever wanted.

Phoebe has a fascination with Marquess Dryden even though she’s never met him. She reads about him in the broadsheets all the time from Sussex and feels she knows all about him. When the man himself walks into the town and they end up at the same house party Phoebe soon realizes there’s much, much more to Julian Spenser than anyone knows.

Julian is…surprised by Phoebe Vale – her intelligence, her bluntness and most of all her ability to actually listen to him and see him for who he is. Against his will and better judgment he becomes smitten with the school teacher who was born in one of the worst parts of London and is almost as far from an aristocrat as you can get. When he propositions her to become his mistress she realizes that while Phoebe may know Julian he doesn’t know her at all. This doesn’t stop the two from thinking of each other constantly.

Phoebe ends up in London at the request of her charge’s friends and is taken to balls and almost swept off her feet by the attention she gets. Unfortunately the attention is also from Julian which frankly pisses Lisbeth right off as she has her sights set on Julian herself.

Matters come to a shocking revelation when it’s revealed exactly WHY Phoebe is receiving all the attention. Phoebe is shocked and Julian is disgusted and both of them realize exactly what they want out of life – after a night spent in each others arms.

Let me start my portion of the review with the statement that “Julie Ann Long is now an auto-buy author for me.” I fell in love with her writing when I read What I Did For A Duke (my first read of her work) and she’s clinched it with this book. I love her characters, I love her writing – her dialogue draws me in and keeps me there - and her stories are interesting and consistent.

The main characters in this story were fascinating and I loved reading about them. Not only their backgrounds but what they were doing now with their lives and what they planned to do with them in the future. I saw them each grow from knowing each other and discovering not only things about the other but things about themselves that they hadn’t known. Their banter and conversations kept me enthralled throughout the story.

This is a definite keeper for me and loved almost every minute of it. While I hated the nasty actions of the ton and made my heart ache for the heroine I would read it again and again just to see the relationship played out all over for Phoebe and Julian. Good stuff.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Julie Anne Long
Avon Books

Saturday Song

2011-12-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

This has been playing non-stop at my house and I just can't help but dance and shuffle when I hear it! Here's Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO! Enjoy!

Just Call Me Night-Owl...with Cat Grant

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Please give a warm Tracy's Place welcome to Riptide Publishing author, Cat Grant!

I find it difficult to write during the day, even on weekends. Errands, housework, all this other stuff keeps vying for my attention. I wish I were better at multi-tasking, but my writing brain just won’t focus until I have everything else out of the way.

Most of my books were written between 10 PM and 2 or 3 in the morning. I’ll sit on my couch with my cat curled up next to me and let it rip. It’s so nice and quiet at that time of night – no phones ringing, nothing to distract me from the story at hand.

It sounds funny – even a bit schizo – to admit that my characters talk to me, but they do. In fact, when the story’s flowing, I feel more like a transcriber than an author. I’ve been known to carry on conversations with them too, so it’s no doubt a good thing that I don’t haul my laptop down to Starbucks to write!

Wish I could write faster, but about a thousand words a day – two thousand if I’m really rolling – is about all I can manage. I’m one of those pesky word nerds who’ll sit there staring at the page until I find the precise right way to phrase something. I also tend to edit as I go, which saves time later, but slows down the initial drafting process.

Wish I could outline too, but actually writing down my plot ahead of time sucks all the magic out of it for me. However, that’s not to say I don’t plan out my stories. In fact, I do TONS of brainstorming with a couple of my best writer-buddies before I get started. We work well together, filling in for each other’s weak points. Then, once I’m so excited about the story my fingers are literally tingling, I know it’s time to get to work.

For good or ill, this is my process. It’s done well by me for the past 13 books, so I really can’t complain. :)

Cat Grant
Riptide Publishing

Bryl R. Tyne is in the House!

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Please help me welcome Bryl R. Tyne to Tracy's Place - another great Riptide Publishing author.

What draws you to romance? Hope. I've been scorned for my idealism.

Do you prefer alpha/omega relationships in stories, or alpha/alpha relationships, and why? While I prefer to write about two strong men, when reading, I don't mind a different dynamic as long as it is believably written. If you're going to write about a whimpering, no common sense, child-like fool who needs "rescued by his white knight"—Ugh. Not for me. Men are men, despite their sexuality. But even men, who might not be as society dictates masculine when depicted in fiction, do not have to be so pathetic that I slap a TSTL sticker on their forehead and send them on their way.

Have you ever written outside the romance genre? Yes. I've written some LGBT Fantasy fiction, The Zagzagiel Diaries.

What’s the sexiest feature on a man to you? And on a woman? The sexiest feature on a man is his mouth. I have no preference other than a smile will get you much further with me than not. On a woman, I like nice legs, and it helps if they can walk gracefully in heels. Definite turn on.

What’s your own sexiest feature? To know me is to love me… Now, if more of my friends would just take me up on the offer!

By night you’re a caped crusader, romance writer. What do you do by day? I work in the production side of the print industry.

What’s your earliest childhood memory? Two years old. One of my Sunday school gloves following me down the hallway at night (like "Thing" from the Addams Family!) when I got up to get a drink of water.

What was the very first romance you ever read? How old were you? Were you being naughty and sneaking it off the shelf before you really even knew what sex was? The first and ONLY romance I ever read was when I was 14, and one of my friends told me I should read it to learn about sex… all I remember is being pissed because the hero died. Never read another one until three years ago when I discovered gay fiction.

How did it make you feel, and is that what hooked you on the genre? Like I said, it irritated me and so turned me off to the genre completely at that point.

Who are your latest crushes (celebrity, book character, or otherwise)? If I can catch you, I'm crushing, no doubt. Seriously though, I think Jack Black is hot (There's a lot to be said for the pleasingly rotund!).

Do you ever keep those people in your mind when writing your own works? Sometimes, but it depends on the story. If I'm writing a serious story, Jack is not coming anywhere near it. I'd save him for a comedy.

What’s your favorite hobby outside of writing? I don't have time for "hobbies," but when I need to unwind, I'd say I most likely read.

What would constitute your own personal happily ever after? Having all my bills paid off and not having to work so I can write full-time.

Do you own an e-reader? No.

Are you a book hoarder? Yes. I can't go into a Goodwill, a Salvation Army, or stop by a yard sale without buying as many books as I can afford that day. I currently have my study walls lined with stuffed full bookshelves.

What’s the one question you wish people would ask you when you tell them you’re a writer? Can I get your number?

If you were doomed to spend the rest of your life on an island with only one book, one person, one food (coconuts and fish aside), and one object from the modern world (computer, deodorant, vibrator, etc.), what would they be? Book: Scorpion by Aleks Voinov; Person: J.R.; Food: Potatoes; Technology: None.

Where are your favorite online hangouts? What are your daily must-stop blogs and websites? I don't have time to read all the blogs I'd like to, but I have their RSS feeds in my Google reader. Goodreads has a few groups I check out from time to time: Riptide Publishing, Aleks Voinov, Josh Lanyon, and the M/M Romance groups.

What’s your current book list and where can we buy them? You can find all my books listed on Goodreads here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/2877215.Bryl_R_Tyne and they're available from the publishers, Amazon, OmniLit, and other third-party retailers.

Here's the blurb for my Riptide release, Divinity:

Martin Hayes has found the perfect job for a 200-year-old vampire. As the late-shift security guard for Spire Industries, he works and hunts by night and sleeps by day, hidden away in the unused cellar. Life is all so easy—nights bleeding away, weeks and months passing . . . until a new janitor disturbs the peace. Martin finds himself consumed by memories (or are they?) of red hair, freckled skin, and a man he knows but doesn't know.

Dylan Mesmer isn’t just a hot, freckled, red-haired janitor. He’s altogether too composed around Martin and never surprised by Martin’s supernatural abilities. In fact, he seems to have a few of his own. And why does he keep feeding Martin orange lollipops?

A healthy vampire has no use for candy, yet Martin cannot resist the lure. It seems he’s being baited, but to what end? And what about those visions that assail him whenever he thinks of Dylan? Their story is centuries old, but this time around, Dylan’s playing for nothing less than immortality. Eternal life—and eternal love, after a sort—is within his reach, but can he convince Martin to change his ways and commit? They may never find their way beyond the anger and the lies, but there's no denying the draw between them, and that's very much worth fighting for—even among themselves.

You can read an excerpt and purchase Divinity at Riptide Publishing.

Email address: bryltyne@gmail.com
Website URL: http://bryltyne.com
Blog URL: http://bryltyne.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bryl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryl.tyne
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brylrtyne
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2877215.Bryl_R_Tyne

Please Welcome Damon Suede to the Blog!

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've been privileged enough to be able to host several of the authors during the Riptide Publishing Grand Opening Party Blog Tour. For the next few days I'll be hosting 3 more great authors - today I'm lucky enough to have Damon Suede here.

What’s the one thing readers can always count on when they pick up a book written by you?
BOLDNESS! Intense emotion, rich language, three-dimensional characters, persuasive worldbuilding, dark humor, and as one reader just put it “eyelash-frying sex scenes.” Those qualities get the most comment from readers, and (not surprisingly) those are the exact things that I want in romances I read. I write the kinds of books I like to read. I want meat on the bone. I like heftier stories and complicated relationships. I expect magic from my men. I enjoy happy endings that feel earned and characters transformed by love.

If you could be any mythical/fantasy creature what would you be and why?
Vampire… or any immortal nightwalker: fey, dæmon, shifter. Reasons? I cannot abide the sun and love nighttime; in fact all of my favorite activities take place when the sky is dark overhead. :) I like things cool, dim, and dry. I have an intense oral fixation and tend to be pretty bitey anyway. (I was born with extended canines actually!) I’m aggressive, intense, opinionated, and observant... so I’d make a good predator. Plus with all that time on my hands, I’d be able to read and write FOREVER. Heaven.

What do you think is sexy?
Authenticity. Nothing is sexy that isn’t comfortable in its own skin. We think of cats and horses and wolves as sexy because they inhabit their bodies so fully and gracefully. And it is a hard lesson to learn, because mostly our society teaches us to resent our authentic selves and wish for things we cannot or should not have in order to sell us shit we don’t want.

This of course explains why some nudity is sexy and other nudity is empty or chilling or sad: what attracts us isn’t the naked flesh, but the person being comfortable in their flesh. That confidence, control, and ease helps dancers shine and courtesans ruin empires. Their stillness invites attention, and their motion completes space rather than jarring it. Southerners used to say that “a gentleman looks comfortable in any room, and a lady always knows when to leave.” If you look at the sexiest celebrities, the memorable “beauties” throughout history, what they share is the sense of total presence: being here now-ness. It’s why eros and thanatos are so connected, death erases us and sex insists on just how present we actually are at every moment.

BIO:
Damon Suede grew up out-n-proud deep in the anus of right-wing America, and escaped as soon as it was legal. Though new to M/M, Damon has been writing for print, stage, and screen for two decades. He’s won some awards, but counts his blessings more often: his amazing friends, his demented family, his beautiful husband, his loyal fans, and his silly, stern, seductive Muse who keeps whispering in his ear, year after year. Get in touch with him at DamonSuede.com.

CONTACT LINKS

What I Read Last Week

2011-12-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

As I said yesterday...Merry Christmas. I hope you all had a great day and got everything your little hearts desired. I had a loud yet wonderful day with my family and we ate and played Fact or Crap and ate some more and opened gifts and laughed and it just showed me how much I love them. The girls were quite happy with their day as my oldest got the iPod nano she wanted and my youngest got a trampoline - both from Santa of course...among other things.

I was off today and thank heavens I was because it's taken me all freakin day to recover from Saturday and Sunday. lol Between getting everything ready and cleaning the house for guests I was exhausted! lol

I didn't read much last week and mostly shorter books which I think is pretty normal for me for the week before Christmas but this is what I read:

Unshakeable Faith by Lisa Worrall was first. I reviewed this last week. It was the story of a bartender and the amnesiac he takes into his life and his heart then loses when the man recovers his memory. The book was very good and I really liked it. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

Next up was One Wicked Night by Kelly Jamieson that I read for The Book Binge. This had Tyler and his best friend and fuck buddy, Nick, returning to their home town for Tyler's sister's wedding. They run into Kaelin who is considered a "very good girl" a moniker that Kaelin despises. She initiates a threesome and falls for the men. It was a good menage story but had some odd aspects to it as well. I'll let you know when my review posts. 3.75 out of 5

Apparently I was into reading books that began with One and ended with Night because my next read was One Perfect Night by Rachael Johns. This was about a woman who ends up playing the part of a girlfriend to her bosses family so that they'll stop bugging him about dating since he's a widower. The pair end up in bed but then their casual affair turns into so much more. I really liked the book but the hero really bugged me at first. It was the story of discovery for the man but it took so long it was a bit frustrating. I really liked the heroine and wanted her to be happy so in the end it all worked out for me. lol 3.5 out of 5

The Cross of Love by Barbara Cartland was a free download from All Romance eBooks last year (I think) so I picked it up. The story was about the vicar's daughter who becomes the housekeeper for the local Earl after her father dies. They fall in love but must defeat the evil man who is determined to marry his daughter to the Earl. It was a cute, kind of cheesy read with a lot of melodrama but a short and quick. 3 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Holiday Kisses by Jaci Burton, Shannon Stacey, HelenKay Dimon and Alison Kent

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not good at sending out Christmas cards these days but please know I'm thinking of all of you. Thank you to those who have sent me cards and emails wishing me a happy holiday, you put a huge smile on my face every time I open one of them. I hope you have a wonderful holiday with friends and family.

Saturday Song

2011-12-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well it's Christmas Eve and I have yet another Christmas song for you. I actually woke up this morning singing this one in my head so it was a no brainer as to which song I would post today. :)

I hope you're all spending a nice day at home today in anticipation of the holiday rather than frantically racing to shop at the last minute. Yeah, that would have been me but I managed to get it all done last night - yay me.

Anyway, enjoy Nat King Cole singing The Christmas Song.

An Unusual Gift For Those With A Sense of Humor

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Are you done shopping for Christmas? Are you stuck on the one person who likes unusual things because they are somewhat unusual themselves? Well as I've been perusing the internet for gifts I've come across a few strange things that may just be what you're looking for.

First we have the Space Monolith Action Figure - seriously, how cool is this? Right up there with....air. Ok, maybe that's taking it a bit far but it's pretty funny.

Deep in the heart of Aisle 7 (the action figure aisle), all throughout the 70's, 80's, and 90's, something waited. No one knew it was there, until toy stores began their turn of the century renovations. Then the Monolith Action Figure was discovered. What was it for? Where did it come from? Why wouldn't its barcode scan? No one knew. And no one knows to this day. (source: Thinkgeek.com)

Next we have Canned Unicorn Meat - I've eaten a lot of meat in my day but Unicorn meat wasn't in there any where. I'm thinking this rates right up there with Haggis. Just sayin.

Radiant Farms Canned Unicorn Meat Specifications

14 ounces of delicious unicorn meat, canned for your convenience
Imported from a small independent cannery in County Meath, Ireland
Crunchy horn bits in every bite - an excellent source of Calcium
Tastes like rotisserie chicken but with a hint of marshmallow sweetness
Easily spreadable for sandwiches, hors d'oeuvres, and more
Sparkly meat lends the unmistakable air of class and sophistication to your parties
Unlike other meats, unicorn fat is polyunsaturated and lowers your LDL cholesterol
Not yet approved by the USDA or FDA, but the nuns have eaten it for centuries and they're healthy as horses (source: thinkgeek.com and when you read the whole thing get ready to laugh your ass off)
Okay, for real: you can't eat this. It's a dismembered stuffed unicorn in a can.
The bottom of the tin is easily removable to gain access to the mini dead unicorn inside. No can opener needed!

And last from thinkgeek.com...Spam Lip Glaze. I have no words for this. Wait. Yes I do....Gross.

Moisten your lips with the loving taste of meat. (ewwww)

There are many other fun things at thinkgeek.com that you should definitely check out.

I have to admit that I totally thought of Tumperkin and her love of the stache when I saw these. How could you not love the Mustache erasers??

from perpetualkid.com

I think I need these bandages for my kids. Especially since my oldest is addicted to C.S.I.

I love that it says "free toy inside." What could it possibly be?

And last for the list is a book and its something everyone cynic needs - man or woman...
It's the Today I Will Nourish My Inner Martyr book by Ann Thornhill and Sarah Wells

This lovely has 365 splendidly bitter daily meditations that will appeal to the cynic in you. Nowhere else will you find such odes to self-absorption as:
·Today I will equate material possessions with love.
·Today I will taunt others until they cry, then tell them they are too sensitive.
·Today I will make a new friend based solely on how he or she can further my career.
·Today I will respect my need to sabotage everyone else's success.

Hopefully you found the perfect gift for that unusual person. Or if not, hopefully you got a laugh.

Review: Unshakeable Faith by Lisa Worrall

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Of all the bars in all the towns in all the world, the stranger walks into Brody Tyler’s. With no memory and a name he chose from a newspaper, Nash is a gamble—one Brody is willing to take. It isn’t long before Brody and Nash fall in love, but then a tragic accident shatters their cozy world, resetting Nash’s memory once again.

The “new” Nash Walker is a businessman with a bottom line, and he doesn’t care what or who gets stomped on. Waking up in a hospital bed after a hit-and-run with no idea where he’s been for the past six months is bad enough, but someone trying to kill him is even worse. Enter Brody Tyler, accidental bodyguard.

Brody’s determined to help Nash remember and bring back the man he loves. Nash thinks Brody’s a drop-dead gorgeous pain in the ass. If only he could remember….

What do you do when a gorgeous man walks into your bar? Well, if you’re a bartender, as Brody is, you sit down and listen to him. Brody hears a story that tears at his heartstrings. The man was attacked and had spent the last 3 months in the hospital recovering but he has no idea who he is. He has no memory of the attack or his life before that. When he overheard the doctor saying that they were going to send him off to what amounted to a loony bin, he hightailed it out of there. After a couple of nights on the street he ended up in Brody’s bar.

Brody is the type of man who tries to help everyone and after hearing the man’s story he offers him not only a job but the spare room in his apartment above the bar. Yes, it’s taking a huge chance but his instincts are telling him that he can trust the guy. The amnesiac takes the first step and picks out a name for himself from the newspaper then he learns how to be a bartender. Brody and Nash, as he now calls himself, spend all of their time together and after about a month become more intimate and then inseparable, falling madly in love.

One day though Nash is struck by a car and again sent to the hospital. When he awakens he knows exactly who he is but he has no memory of the last 3 months. He’s back to being Nash Walker, businessman and asshole extraordinaire. He heads back to his home and wants to continue with his life but when the police tell him they think that someone is trying to kill him (stabbing, hit and run, yeah, it sounds that way) his mother decides to get him a bodyguard.

Brody can’t find Nash and it’s driving him crazy. When he sees Nash on the news he’s extremely relieved until the police tell him that it’s better for Nash if Brody doesn’t see him. Brody takes the bodyguard position thinking that Nash will recognize him but instead Nash just wants his body – with no recollection of what they had together and it breaks Brody’s heart to know that he may never have his sweet Nash back.

I have a thing for amnesia stories. What it is about them that draws me I can’t say but if it involves amnesia, I’m there. Now some are done well and others not so much. This story definitely falls into the done well category.

I loved the first part of the book with Nash and Brody falling in love. They were so good together and just seemed like they were perfect for each other. It broke my heart to see Brody so broken up over Nash’s disappearance but seeing what a complete and total jerkwad that Nash turned into I was kind of glad that Brody didn’t have to see that. But Brody wasn’t going to sit by and wait for someone to finally say that he could see Nash – he took matters into his own hands and I had to admire him for that.

Nash and Brody together when Nash was the businessman was a sight, lemme tell ya. Nash seriously made me want to deck him on several occasions and I wanted nothing more than to see him get his. He finally did remember it all and when he did it was a good thing. (You never know how that’s gonna go). The end seemed a bit rushed but I liked it just the same.

The suspense part of the story – with someone trying to kill Nash was very secondary to the relationship in this book and I’m glad it was. Nash and Brody were so good together that I was happy that only a small portion of the book was taken up by the suspense plot.

This is my first read by this author and it most certainly won’t be my last. A very good book that I definitely recommend.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Lisa Worrall
Dreamspinner Press

What I Read Last Week

2011-12-20T14:30:00.000-08:00

Well it’s been crazy at our house this past week. First my little one got a bad cold and fever (I was home with her when I wrote the last edition of What I Read Last Week), then we had a really early birthday party for my oldest (her birthday isn’t until the 30th), then she got sick, then my youngest had another belt test for her red belt on Saturday (which she passed with max points – go baby go!), then she came home, threw up and continued to do so for the next 15 hours. She’s feeling much better now but has been at work with me for most of the past two days so it’s been a bit hectic. Life is fun. lol Needless to say I’m behind on EVERYTHING, including this post! But eventually it all gets taken care of. As long as my family gets healthy soon I’ll be one happy camper.

Here’s my youngest breaking a board at her red belt test. A couple of practice kicks and then she got it in 2.

So how are all of you? What have you been up to? What are you reading lately? I’m afraid with life in a whirlwind I’ve not been blog hopping lately so I hope you’re all well.

What I read last week:

I started off the week with The Cowboy’s Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne. This was the book that I read for my monthly TBR challenge and it was pretty good. Minor angst between the h/h but other than that a sweet Christmas tale. You can read my review here. 3.5 out of 5

All the Pleasures of the Season by Lecia Cornwall was my next read. A novella that was about a woman who tries to do what her family wants when it comes to marriage and her future but between the evil fiancé and the fact that she’s in love with someone else it just didn’t work. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

Faery Wedding by Mina Carter was a short read about a woman who is being forced to marry a man she thinks is old and probably evil just to save her family. She goes out the night before and gets her groove on with a great guy who shows up later and surprises her in a big way. It was an ok story but definitely more of an erotic tale rather than love. 2 out of 5

A Knight in Cowboy Boots by Suzie Quint is a book that I read for The Book Binge. This was the story of a girl who basically kidnaps her nephew after the baby’s father kills her sister, the baby’s mother. She goes into hiding but ends up falling for a guy. He’s great but she knows she can’t stay in one place even if she’s in love. It was a pretty good story but there was a bit of hick-speak that made me a bit crazy as I was reading. Luckily they only spoke a bit in hick-speak and didn’t THINK that way. lol 3.75 out of 5

8 Seconds on the Mountain by PD Singer is a short related to Mountain series. This story had the boys, Kurt and Jake, invading the stocks at a rodeo. Kurt riles up the cowboys and makes a bet that he can stay on a bull for 8 seconds. It was cute, short read. 3 out of 5

Priority One by Stephani Hecht is book 4 in the EMS Heat series. I’ve not read the first 3 books but didn’t feel that it was necessary in order to read this one. The story was about newbie EMS Dylan who is mightily attracted to Kaleb the firefighter. The story covers the men getting together and Dylan, who is dealing with emotions left over from when he got kicked out of his parents’ house and his feelings of betrayal from a previous relationship. The romance in this is a bit non-existent as we’re told that the men are basically inseparable but we don’t get to witness any of that. It was a good story just a little short on romance for my liking. 3 out of 5

Beneath the Neon Moon by Theda Black was a free book given away by All Romance eBooks this past week. It was about Zach and Mal who wake up one day and they are chained together in a basement. They discover after a bit that Mal has been bitten by a werewolf and will soon turn one and Zach is to be his first meal. Close proximity, however, bring the two young men together and the last thing either wants is for one to die and the other to be ridden with guilt forever. The book is about Zach and Mal getting to know each other and becoming closer as well as trying to figure out how to change what seems like an inevitable outcome. Really good story, well done. 4 out of 5

I wanted to read When I Fall by Belinda McBride but it had been so long since I had read An Uncommon Whore that I decided to re-read it first. Griffin Hawke is looking for the king of his people and he ends up finding him in an unlikely place. Pasha aka King Helios has been a slave and a whore for years and he knows nothing different. When Griffin finally gets him off planet Helios has to deal the memory/control chip that’s in his head as well as his thoughts of being King and of course his growing feelings for Griffin. It’s a really good book and it was just as good the second time around. 4 out of 5

When I Fall by Belinda McBride starts a year after Helios and Griffin finally make it back to their planet. Helios has fallen into the roll of king easily enough and has made wonderful changes for his people. It seems though that Griffin (this book is from Griffin’s POV while book 1 was from Helios’s) is feeling a bit unneeded and left out. The story deals with many aspects of the men’s world and Griffin’s feelings of impending loss (of Helios). While that was great and I enjoyed the writing tremendously I felt the story lacked the strength of the first book when it came to the men’s relationship. Griffin doubted Helios’s love, Helios kept secrets from Griffin but nothing really got worked out as the conclusion of the book kind of glossed over the issues. Because of a near death experience it seemed that the problems weren’t to be dealt with in depth – Helios admits he did wrong and so did Griffin and then it was all ok. I still gave the book a good grade because as I said, I liked the writing but the lack of true resolution of the problems bothered me a bit, I must admit. 4 out of 5

My Book Binge Reviews that posted last week:

Daybreak by Ellen Connor

Happy Reading!!

Saturday Song

2011-12-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

I love the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I get my rockin and my orchestra in all at the same time and for me that's a good thing. This is one of my favorites and is actually my ringtone on my cell phone at the moment. lol Anyway, I hope you enjoy Carol of the Bells as much as I do. Have a great day!

Review: All The Pleausures of the Season by Lecia Cornwall

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Warning – this story contains spoilers

On the first day of Christmas:

Lady Miranda Archer accepts a marriage proposal.

On the first day of Christmas, fifteen minutes later:

Miranda realizes she’s made a huge mistake.

For the next twelve days:

Miranda must find a way out of her engagement—which is harder than it looks, especially since her fiancé is pompous, mean, and desperate for her family’s jewels—and convince her true love that all she wants for Christmas is him.

Lady Miranda wants to make her grandfather and her sister happy. She has had a ton of marriage offers and it’s only her first season! But she wants to do what’s right and what’s expected even if she’s in love with someone completely unsuitable.

Miranda accepts a marriage offer from the Earl of Kelton but she’s a bit unsure she made the right decision. She talks herself into believing that he’s a good person and that she just needs to charm him and they’ll have a comfortable marriage as friends. Miranda soon finds out however that Kelton is a complete jerk and is only interested in getting married and then going off to have his fun with other women. He’s mean and nasty to Miranda after just one day and she sees his true colors.

Gilbert is the second son of a baron. He’s got no title and no fortune but he loves Miranda to the depth of his being. He knows that he has nothing to offer her and that his suit would be put down immediately by Miranda’s grandfather if he offered marriage so he stays away. His friend Phineas, Miranda’s brother, finally talks some sense into him and Gilbert sees that maybe there would have been a chance…but since Miranda’s marrying Kelton he just needs to pack his bags and move on. What will Gilbert do when he finds out that Miranda isn't marrying the Earl? Will he step up and take a chance or let his love go?

This is a lovely story about believing in yourself and going after what you really want in life. Gilbert and Miranda had fallen in love although we don’t actually get to see that part. When the story begins they’ve already fallen but haven’t shared their feelings with each other. Despite missing the actual falling we get enough of a sense of love that we root for the couple completely. Kelton is a right bastard. He’s not only mean and nasty but rude and a thief on top of that. I just wanted to kick the man. I was so happy when Miranda broke her engagement to him and he felt the power of the Archer family.

In the end it all worked out and I very much the story…but I have to tell you that I have a little devil on my shoulder. Why? Because Miranda was completely in love with Gilbert but since he hadn’t offered marriage to her she decided to go with what made her grandfather happy and marry a titled man. So…if the Earl of Kelton hadn’t been such a lowlife scoundrel and had been a nice man that Miranda thought that she might have been happy with, would she have gone ahead with the marriage? I would like to think that she wouldn’t but that devil on my shoulder keep nattering at me and I can’t help but think that….maybe she would. IDK – something to think about! lol

Anyway – despite that little devil talking I really liked the story, the family love and the Christmas theme running through it. A most enjoyable read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Lecia Cornwall

Avon Impulse

This book releases on 12/20

Book Promo: Q & A with Connie Brockway and a Giveaway

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Question: You’ve written over 20 different titles ranging from historical romance to contemporary women’s fiction. What inspired you to write The Other Guy’s Bride?

Connie Brockway: For years, readers have been asking me to write sequels to two of their favorite books, As You Desire and All Through the Night. Happily, they happen to be two of my favorites also, so the idea of revisiting the characters and settings has always been particularly appealing and always something I intended to do. After spending the last five years doing Regency romances, I’ve been starving to write something set outside the British Isles, something that would be both familiar and exotic. Turn-of-the-century Egypt fit the bill. Not only is it historically and culturally rich, but a treasure trove of fun and fascinating minutiae (and I do love my minutiae). Bonus points for being peopled with intriguing historical figures from all over the world. And finally, that sort of milieu provides the opportunity to write a love story outside the mainstream of Polite Society, where the rules are different, the stakes are higher, the romance more exquisite.

Question: Since this is, as you mentioned, a departure from your Regency romances, what research did you do while writing the book to help you create the setting and your characters?

Connie Brockway: Books. Dozens of nonfiction books. I read about Thomas Cook’s ship tours and the advent of all-inclusive cruising, Mark Twain’s journals about his trip to Egypt, histories of ancient Egypt and the Sudan, books about the French Foreign Legion and the life of Sir Eldon Gorst and books about the birth of archeology and the establishment of Arabian horse bloodlines. And then there were the websites and the hyperlinks, and...

Question: Is there any character you most identify with? Why?

Connie Brockway: Well, since I just finished cleaning up the house after the Easter extravaganza, I’d have to say the housemaid.

Question: How does The Other Guy’s Bride compare to your previous titles? What can readers expect?
Connie Brockway: I expect readers will find all the elements they’ve enjoyed in the past: engaging characters, irreverent humor, and sigh-provoking romance. But it will have a freshness and spark that comes out of my feeling less of a need to follow a proscribed romance blueprint.

Question: What other authors or books have influenced your writing?

Connie Brockway: Such a hard question! I read constantly in all sorts of genres and it’s hard to pin-point specific titles but as far as romances go, I started out being drawn to the rich, detailed narrative styles of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. Dorothy Cannell’s mysteries, starting with The Thin Woman, gave me my first inkling that romance could be downright hilarious and still breathtaking. The unique, fully-fleshed characters created by authors as Pat Gaffney, Laura Kinsale, and the wonderful late Edith Layton have certainly inspired me to be equally conscientious in creating my own characterizations.

Question: Have you considered trying your hand at other genres?

Connie Brockway: I’ve already authored two books that crossed from contemporary romance into contemporary women’s fiction. I’m very intrigued about relationships outside of a strictly romantic one, how those bonds morph and develop throughout a lifetime, as well as community and family dynamics. Those books gave me the chance to indulge my curiosity. As for the future, I’m almost always in the middle of reading a mystery and hope to some day try my hand at historical mystery.

The Other Guy's Bride came out in digital format on Nov. 22nd from Amazon's Montlake Romance. The print book will be available on December 22nd.

Book:

http://www.amazon.com/Other-Guys-Bride-Connie-Brockway/dp/1612181449/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322611765&sr=1-1

Digital:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Other-Guys-Bride-ebook/dp/B004TTHKPG/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_ke?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321306477&sr=1-1

Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/Connie-Brockway/e/B000AQ0W52/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Connie Brockway website

http://www.conniebrockway.com

FB page

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnieBrockwayFans

Entertainment Marketing Group is offering 3 print copies of The Other Guy's Bride as a giveaway. Leave a comment on this post with your email address no later than Monday, December 19th at 7:00pm to enter to win. Winners must live in the US or Canada (no PO Boxes) sorry.

TBR Challenge Review: The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas was tough for widow Jenna Wheeler and her four children. But even though she'd sold part of her family's land to make ends meet, she was determined to spin the holiday into the stuff of magic--no matter what it took. Now if she could only find a job....

Maybe her new landlord could oblige--gorgeous, child-averse Carson McRaven. He needed a chef, and he knew the lovely Jenna could do a bang-up job--if only she could keep her brood out of his hair. But as he found himself catapulted into the cheerful chaos of her family...not to mention Jenna's arms...he learned more about the spirit of Christmas than he'd ever dreamed.

After her husband died Jenna Wheeler had to sell the 5000 acres of land that had been in her husband’s family for generations. She managed to negotiate 20 acres for herself and her 4 children when making the real estate deal but her kids still can’t seem to keep themselves off the land where they once ran free.

Carson McRaven is a billionaire entrepreneur and he’s the one who purchased the Wheeler property. He’s not thrilled about the kids that keep invading his land but he’s trying to be as patient as possible especially since he honestly believes that Jenna Wheeler has her hands full. When Carson discovers that she’s got a catering business on top of being a mom he’s shocked. He’s also quite pleased that her food is so good. When the chef he’s hired to cook for his guests at Christmas comes down with an unexpected case of appendicitis he manages to talk Jenna into covering for the ill chef. This puts the couple in close proximity and has them both feeling things that they don’t want to feel.

When Jenna is hurt on Carson’s property he feels responsible and heads to her house to help her with her kids and to help make the Christmas holiday wonderful for everyone.

This was a free book that I received from Tell Harlequin last year but never got around to reading. It was a perfect book to pick up for this month’s TBR Challenge where we were supposed to read a holiday romance.

Carson is purported as a hard hearted businessman but while we see a bit of the businessman I didn’t see all that much hard heartedness. Sure he wasn’t unsure of himself when it came to kids but he didn’t hate them. When they show up on his doorstep to bring thank you gifts from their mom does he shoo them away and tell them to leave him alone? No. While we’re told of his coldness what we SEE is a man who just isn’t used to being around children. He’s great with his guests and actually quite friendly. But when he ends up at the Wheeler house with Jenna and the kids at Christmas and realizes exactly what’s happening with his feelings how will that effect the friendship that he and Jenna have developed?

Jenna is one determined mom. She’s pretty amazing in that she works from home most of the time so while the kids are at school she’s cooking and sewing and doing the little extra’s that we all wish we had time for. She’s not happy with Carson pretty much bribing her into cooking for his guests but when she finally capitulates she’s thrilled with the food and the kitchen in Carson’s house. When Carson helps her after her accident at his place she finds that the man who is supposedly cold and unfeeling is more than she thought. He’s kind, helpful, thoughtful and just a good guy. She doesn’t want to feel the things she feels for him but she can’t seem to help herself.

I really liked the two of them together and I saw such a wonderful friendship blossoming. While Jenna and Carson were thoroughly attracted to each other and I loved the developing friendship I just didn’t see the love connection. I’m happy that they worked everything out and that Carson became the man he thought he could be when it came to family but I just didn’t see the romance. IDK maybe I’m trying to read more into it than there was but while it was sweet it didn’t scream romance to me. I guess that’s the way it has to be when there are 4 kids involved. I’m not sure.

So while I liked the book I did feel a little unsure of the romance in the book. If you want a sweet, kid filled, pretty angst free romance than this would be a good one to read.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

RaeAnne Thayne
Harlequin

What I Read Last Week

2011-12-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Well it's a rainy Monday here in So. Cal and I'm home with a sick child. She's just a lump on the couch the poor thing (my youngest). So far I've gotten some much needed reviews written - thank heavens!

This past Saturday I was lucky enough to be able to attend a So Cal Blogger/Author gathering. We met at Renee's house for a potluck and it was Renee, KB Alan, Nico Rosso, Zoe Archer, Vivienne Westlake and me. It was a small group but we had a great time talking and of course having our book swap. It was a good time.

So on to what I read - it will be brief as the queen bee on the couch over there is calling for attention. :)

I started off the week with Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry. This was a cute contemporary about a professional football player coming to terms with the possibility that he'll never play again after an injury. You can read my review here. 3.5 out of 5

Next up was Bicycle Built for Two by Jeff Adams. This was a cute m/m about two men who meet at a charity bike event. They hit it off but they live in two different cities. Besides the location of their romancing the book but just sweet. There was really no angst and I liked that about the story. 3 out of 5

Next was a very short story called Hollow by AC Ruttan that is a bit of a take off on Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. It was ok but just really short. 2 out of 5

Mate Test by Amber Kell was my Tracy's TBR Challenge read for the week. It was a novella about a man who thinks he's being sent to a planet to make a mineral deal but he's really been signed up for the Consort contest for the King. He's blind of a sorts but he's bonded to a dragon so the dragon helps him see. The romance was more of an instant attraction and besides feeling the attraction and doing the contests there just wasn't a lot of "romance" per se. 3 out of 5

Next up was Men Under the Mistletoe by Josh Lanyon, Ava March, KA Mitchell & Harper Fox. This was a 4 novella anthology about men, their loves and all had a Christmas theme. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

After that was Lady Northam's Wicked Surrender by Vivienne Westlake. This was the story of a woman who fell in love and then when the man went off to war she was never contacted again. She was convinced the man never loved her by his best friend and she ended up marrying the friend. Now years later the husband has died and the love has come back to try to win her love. They find they still love each other as well as finding some deceptions in their pasts from people they trusted. It was great little story at only 55 pages. 3.75 out of 5

Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke is the second book in the Abandoned at the Altar series and it was a good one. Two people who think they know what the other's about but really they have no idea. It was a good story and was well worth the read. 4 out of 5

Last for the week was Holiday Kisses by Jaci Burton, Shannon Stacey, HelenKay Dimon and Alison Kent, another great anthology from Carina Press. The stories are all sweet and again, all based around Christmas. I posted this one on The Book Binge site so when it posts I'll let you know. 4 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Lawe's Justice by Lora Leigh
A Beginner's Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch
To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries
Love, Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas

Happy Reading!

Saturday Song

2011-12-10T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is a new version of an old song. I heart Leighton Meester's version of Baby, Please Come Home this past week and I really liked it. Enjoy!

Review: Men Under the Mistletoe by Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon & KA Mitchell

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March

Alexander Norton loathes the festive season. The revelry of the ton is a reminder of Christmas four years ago, when his first love, Thomas Bennett, broke his heart and fled to New York without a word. So when he encounters Thomas at a holiday ball, Alexander is determined not to let on how much he still hurts.

Thomas has returned for one reason only: Alexander. Having finally come to terms with his forbidden desires, he will do whatever he must to convince Alexander to give their love another chance. But instead of the happy, carefree man Thomas once knew, Alexander is now hard and cynical. Saddened to know he's to blame for the man's bitterness, Thomas resolves to reignite the passion he knows lies hidden behind the wall of disdain...

Historical m/m romance is always a bit difficult for me to read. I think because I want the men to be together so badly and they can never be out and proud. They can never walk down the streets holding hands or ever show their affection in public and it just breaks my heart. This story is about two men who meet at Oxford and fall for each other. But Thomas is having a hard time dealing with the fact that he wants to be with a man. On a snowy Christmas Eve both Thomas and Alexander, who Thomas calls Sasha, head to Sasha’s father’s hunting lodge. Unfortunately things don’t go the way Sasha would like, Thomas leaves and Sasha is heartbroken.

Now Thomas is back after four years of completely ignoring Sasha and he wants him back. He will do anything to get his true love to take him back and he’s not above begging. Sasha, however, has turned into a brusque, cynical man and he’s not sure he wants to open himself up to that kind of hurt again.

This was just a heartwrenching story. Sasha’s heartbreak from losing Thomas was so hard to read although I completely understood Thomas’s fears it was still hard for me to read about his actions. When Thomas finally comes to terms about who he really is and his feelings for Sasha it’s four years later. I could understand Sasha’s hesitance completely as I would have been leery as well. The story was well written and really good.

Winter Knights by Harper Fox

Historian Gavin Lowden is in Northumberland on Christmas Eve for two reasons: to find evidence of a romantic bond between Arthur and Lancelot, and to finally tell his partner Piers that he loves him. Piers has promised to come clean with his conservative family and join Gavin for their first holiday as a couple, but at the last minute, he bails. Devastated, Gavin heads out onto the moors alone, just as snow begins to fall...

Gavin stumbles into an underground chamber, where strange happenings cause him to question what is real and what is fantasy. He's found by two mysterious men who offer him a bed for the night—and awaken him to nuances of erotic pleasure he didn't know existed. Pleasure he hopes to share with Piers.

When Piers learns that Gavin has gone missing, he is desperate to find him. He knows now breaking up was a terrible mistake, and he's ready to take the next step in their relationship—if it's not already too late.

Gavin is so excited that his boyfriend Piers will be telling his parents about the fact that he is gay and then will then spend the holiday with him. After 3 years of spending it separately he wants nothing more than to be with Piers. But Piers, who is a devout Catholic, doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain. In fact not only does he not tell his family but he then calls Gavin and lets him know that he will be marrying Gwen a woman he had been engaged to prior.

In a fog from his heartbreak, Gavin heads off to check out a location near his hotel that supposedly has a connection with King Arthur. What he finds is a deep chamber and gets stuck. He’s hurt, not thinking clearly and isn’t dressed warmly enough. Luckily two rescue workers come to help. Artie and Lance not only eventually help Gavin out of the hole, they take him home and help him see some insights into himself – some he just didn’t want to hear. They also initiate him in sexual acts he had never before discovered.

When the morning comes Gavin finds Piers in front of Artie and Lance’s house ready to talk to him. The pair finally communicate everything that has been a problem for the past 3 years and become closer for it. But how does Gavin deal with his guilt over his liaison with Artie and Lance? And would Piers understand if he tells him.

This was a very well written story that had me guessing exactly what was going to happen until the end. I had some issue with Gavin falling into bed with Lance and Artie so soon after his break with Piers but eventually saw exactly what was happening and why. There was a strange twist in this novella that was unexpected but I really liked how it all ended up.

Lone Star by Josh Lanyon

Growing up in rural Texas, Mitchell Evans's ambition to be a dancer made him a target. Though he found success in New York City, Mitch is at a crossroads, and heads home for the first time in twelve years to figure things out. When what appears to be a reindeer jumps out in front of his car, he drives off the road and into the path of the one man he hoped to avoid.

The last person Texas Ranger Web Eisley expects to see four days before Christmas is his first love. He hasn't seen Mitch since they quarreled over coming out to their friends and family years ago. Though he's not in the closet now, Web has worked hard for the respect of his fellow officers, but he still regrets the loss of Mitch in his life. And his bed.

The attraction between them is as strong as ever, and it doesn't take long for the men to pick up where they left off. But is love enough to keep Mitch in town in the New Year?

Mitch Evans is a famous ballet dancer who once was just a kid in small town rural Texas. When he lived in Texas he fell in love with Web Eisley but their thoughts about how their relationship should commence were not on the same wavelength. After a horrible argument with Web, Mitch went home and told his rancher father that he was gay. His father then punched him and kicked him out of the house. Mitch left and never looked back. Now his father has died and he’s gone back to his hometown to take care of legal details. While driving to his home he has an accident and who is there to help him pick up the pieces? Web Eisley.

Mitch is in a vulnerable place in his life with his work and his recent relationship but he knows that his feelings for Web are not just something he can ignore. Web finally came out to his family and friends and is more than happy to have Mitch back and is willing to take what he can from the man with the hope that their relationship can continue.

This was a very sweet story. I loved Mitch and Web both separately and apart. My complaint about this story was that it just wasn’t long enough! lol I wanted to read more about the two men and of course what happens after they finally get together (and no that’s not a spoiler because come on, you know there’s gonna be a HEA!)

The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell

It's Christmas in Epiphany, Pennsylvania—the busiest time of year for Mel Halner. But running the family Christmas tree farm has worn down his love for the happiest season of all, and lately Mel's been wondering what if he'd said yes to a ticket out of town with millionaire Bryce Campion three years ago.

Bryce isn't used to people saying no to him, and he can't forget Mel or their brief but sizzling affair. He might not have been offering forever, but Bryce can't understand a guy as sexy and smart as Mel choosing to stay rooted on the family farm over enjoying the high life with him. He's determined to make Mel see what he's missed out on the first chance he gets.

Mel Halner hasn’t ever been anywhere. He grew up in Epiphany, Pennsylvania and has worked at his parents Christmas Tree farm since he could remember. Two years ago he hooked up with Bryce Campion and thought that it might be something special. Back then Bryce asked, off handedly, if Mel was willing to leave town with him since he was the owner of a huge corporation. Both the misunderstanding of the sincerity of Bryce’s request as well as fear of the unknown had Mel staying put. Bryce left without a word and Mel hadn’t heard from him since.

Now Bryce is back in town and they’ve taken up where they left off but Mel still has issues and he’s not sure exactly where Bryce wants the relationship to go. On top of that Mel’s trying to plan a wedding at the last minute for his best friend. Will the stress never end?

This was a very hot story with lots of man lovin. I love Mitchell’s work and this was no different. As with all the stories in this anthology I wished for more with this story. More in depth thought from both Mel and Bryce would have been wonderful. Mel had such issues – some understandable, some ridiculous, imho, and knowing more about those would have been great. Bryce moved the relationship quickly and wasn’t very forthcoming about his thoughts and feelings but he thought he was relaying those in action and deed – which is great but sometime you just need to have it said out loud! Men! lol

Overall all the stories in this Christmas anthology were very good and not to be missed.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ava March
Harper Fox
Josh Lanyon
KA Mitchell
Carina Press

Review: Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry

2011-12-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne’s Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana with a chip on his wounded shoulder, more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but this trip home is going to be a very brief Christmas visit.

His game plan doesn’t include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can’t help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.

Dean Silverthorne’s life is football. He eats it, he breathes it, he just doesn’t know what he will do without it and doesn’t plan to stop any time soon. When a severe injury takes him off of the active list he’s determined to get back as soon as possible. After surgery and a prescription from his doctor to take it easy with no exercise he decides to head home for Christmas to see his family. He doesn’t expect to stay long but life has a way of throwing obstacles in the way and he ends up staying longer than the thought. When he’s intrigued and attracted to Emma Hart he decides that maybe Deer Lick isn’t all that awful after all.

Emma Hart is ready to have her Happily Ever After. She wants to whole shootin match – the love of her life, the kids, the white picket fence – and no fast talking, arrogant football player who will leave Deer Lick in two shakes is going to get in the way. She’s mightily attracted to Dean even though she doesn’t like him or his “type” all that much but he keeps showing up and getting under her skin. How is she to find the man of her dreams when she’s got this guy hanging around? Dean eventually gets to Emma enough that they start an affair but Emma’s knows that it can’t last – even when Dean says it can.

Let me start with my likes:

I liked Dean – pertnear loved Dean. Sure he was cocky but he was thoughtful and he loved his family. I think he got a raw deal from Emma for most of the book and I felt so bad for him. He was just a good person who grew so much and I loved reading about him.

The parts where Dean’s dead mother comes back to talk to him were great. I just love Letty Silverthorne and the fact that she’s trying to get her children settled.

The premise of the story with Dean coming home and finding what he didn’t know he was looking for – that was really satisfying.

My dislike:

Emma – for a good part of the book. I’m frankly torn between liking this woman and not liking her. I realize that she wants the American dream with hubby and kids but I think she was downright mean to Dean for most of the book. She was burned in her past and I felt for what she went through but I didn’t think that her being as abrasive and abrupt with Dean as she was was called for. Yes, she wanted to turn him down in no uncertain terms but I felt it was a bit too callous at times. She did warm up eventually and when she did I liked her. I thought she was kind to her pet and to her grandmother and that made her better in my eyes.

This was a cute, fun contemporary in the end. It was both funny and sad and I like feeling all of those different emotions when I read. While I didn’t like this story quite as much as I liked the story in book 1, Second Chance at the Sugar Shack, it was still a good book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Candis Terry

Avon Impulse

What I Read Last Week

2011-12-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

I can’t believe it’s December already! Do I say that every month? (Not that it’s December but that it’s a new month?) Where has 2011 gone? I swear I keep trying to write August on my checks because I’m still back in summer! lol.

This week was pretty quiet on the home front. Not much going on – just status quo – which personally I like. :)

For a good laugh watch this video with Katherine Heigl about how she hates balls - too funny!

I did get quite a bit of reading done this week and here’s what I read:

I started off the week with Again by Mary Calmes. This is the story of Noah who is devastated by his husband breaking off their relationship of 4 years and telling him he’s in love with a woman and has been for years. Noah can hardly believe it as they had talked about having a child together and Noah had proof that it was about to happen in just a few months. Six years later and Noah is in Vegas with his daughter Grace when he runs into Dante’s brother – and then his parents – and then Dante. The break up ends up being a Big Mis and Dante and Noah still love each other. Dante will try anything to get Noah and his daughter back. I really liked the story despite not really liking Dante. I mean I liked his determination but he was like a bulldozer in getting what he wanted. I wondered where that determination was when the relationship was up in the air all those years ago. Despite that I thought the story was very good. 4 out of 5

Next was Muscling Through by JL Merrow. I have to say this was not what I expected when I picked up this book but I liked it so much. The story surrounds Al who’s a big lovable lug but not all that smart…at all, and his relationship with a Cambrigdge art professor, Larry. The story is told from Al’s pov and I just thought it was charming. The differences between the two men’s intelligence was great but they made it work and I loved reading about it. There was a misunderstanding in the story that felt just wouldn’t have happened but other than that I loved it. 4.5 out of 5

Next was Desired by Nicola Cornick. This story was about a scandalous woman who wants to be rid of her reputation to get unsavory characters off her back. She proposes marriage to a man she believes to be impotent because of a war wound – little does she know that he’s just fine and more than ready to get her into the bedroom. You can read my full review here. 3.5 out of 5

Next was On The List by LA Witt. This is the 3rd book in the Changing Plans series and it was really good. We see Elliott and Derek getting ready for their wedding with all the excitement that goes along with it. But Derek gets some astounding news from his family when he goes to see them and has to sit down and think seriously if marrying Elliott is really what he wants to do. I really liked this episode in Derek and Elliott’s lives. I think it was very down to earth and showed us a bit more into Derek than we’ve had in the past – especially since it was from his point of view. If you’ve read the first two in this series you definitely need to read this one. 4 out of 5

Daybreak by Ellen Connor was my next read. This is book 3 in the Dark Age Dawning series (comes out tomorrow) and it was a great conclusion. This book puts us back in contact with Penelope and Tru who we met in book one when they were just kids. This is 12 years after that book and Tru and Pen have grown up considerably – and also come into their own as far as magic goes. Pen is on a mission to take down the evil O’Malley and his minions to make a better life for everyone. Tru wants no part of it at first but then realizes that he doesn’t want to separate from Pen. They both have to learn and grow emotionally, physically & magically and not hurt themselves in the process. As I said, a great conclusion to the series. 4.25 out of 5

Galen and the Forest Lord by Eden Winters was just a fun book. Galen is outcast from his village when they find him with another man. He is sent off into the forest along with a baby to seek the Forest Lord. He knows he’s going to be eaten rather than taken in but discovers there’s a whole community living in the forest. Erik the Forest Lord is attracted to Galen and his wolf is telling him that Galen’s his mate. He’s fighting it and eventually Galen is too. This was a fun and funny book. Neither Galen nor Erik are the brightest bulbs in the box but their not stupid either. Eden does humor so well and really brought us a great story. 4 out of 5

Once Upon a Winter’s Eve by Tessa Dare is the second story in the Spindle Cove series and it was so damned good. It was a short novella but so worth the read. The story was about Violet who is in Spindle Cove trying to forget about the man she loves who she refers to as The Disappointment. When a man shows up in the Cove who kind of looks like The Disappointment Violet’s not quite sure what to do. You can read my mini review of this awesome novella here. 5 out of 5

Brazen is the second book in a duo by Margo Maguire. This has Captain Gavin Briggs looking for the second of the lost granddaughters of a Duke but he finds more than he bargains for. He coerced into helping the woman, Christina, with a blackmail problem before she’ll agree to head to her grandfather’s house. On the way to London the pair find they like each other more than they thought. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

A Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week was Highland Vampire by Hannah Howell, Deborah Raleigh and Adrienne Basso. This was an anthology of 3 medieval stories each featuring a vampire. While they were all good reads none of them stood out to me. I have to say I don’t read many medieval romances that involve the paranormal so that was a nice change. 3 out of 5

Another Tracy’s TBR Challenge read was After Dark by Luisa Prieto. The story revolves around Andrew who is supposed to be mourning the death of his brother Tyler but he’s not because he’s the one who killed the evil bastard. Tyler killed Andrew’s first love and he fears for Tyler’s family and Andrews current love, Devon. When he gets a call from his nephew that tells him that his father, the late Tyler, is in his house he heads over. Tyler doesn’t succeed in getting to Andrew completely but enough that Andrew can now see that Devon is a werewolf. When Andrew looks at Devon without his glasses on he has fur and a tail! He doesn’t know why Devon doesn’t tell him and he comes to terms with what Devon is. I liked Andrew and understood his need to try and keep Devon safe but when you’re on the phone with your dead brother don’t you think you should say something? When you’re on your way to said dead brother’s house and you’re pretty sure that bad shit is coming down the pipe – don’t you say something? I couldn’t understand why Andrew was so intent on keeping it a secret until after he was attacked by Tyler and then he couldn’t stop telling people – it was bizarre. Then the story ended, imho, in the middle of scene with no real conclusion to anything. I have to say I’m glad that my kids were asleep because I came out with a pretty loud what the fuck! lol It was a good but incomplete book. If you plan on reading book 1 be sure to have book 2 there to delve into right away and book 1 leaves you hanging. I would like to read book 2 – which I can find to purchase…nowhere. If anyone has a clue where I can buy book 2 please let me know. 3 out of 5

My Book Binge Reviews that posted last week:

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

Between Seasons by Aida Brassington

Happy Reading!

And The Winner Is...

2011-12-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Brita Addams giveaway is:

Commenter #2: Sarah

Congratulations!

Sarah - I'll forward your email address to the appropriate people and get it taken care of!

Review: Brazen by Margo Maguire

2011-12-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

The young and beautiful Lady Fairhaven is Brazen…which is why she is willing to resort to blackmail to coerce a brave, if troubled, captain into helping her rescue her endangered brother.

Captain Gavin Briggs has been looking for the lost granddaughters of the Duke of Windmere who claims he wants to see them before he dies. He’s found one of the sisters and now he’s finally located the second. When he gets to her home, however, she shoots him! Not on purpose but it doesn’t exactly put him into a good mood. What Gavin expected to find, he wasn’t sure but it certainly wasn’t a woman practicing her shooting.

Christina Warner, Lady Fairhaven is practicing her shooting because she plans to head to London and take care of the person who is blackmailing her. She’s shocked to find out about a sister – a twin even! – but it can’t currently stop her from her mission. She has to take care of the man who is blackmailing her and then she can take the time to get to know this sister she never knew she had. Gavin tries everything he can think of but instead of getting Christina to head to Windmere she talks him into helping her with her blackmailer. They head off to London but on the way they discover that maybe they don’t dislike each other as much as they thought.

I really liked book one (my review of book 1 here) but I kind of felt that it was supposed to have more. I thought that maybe the two books were one book cut in two but this book didn’t have that feeling at all. Yes, it continued the story but it was pretty self-contained and a good stand-alone novel.

Gavein Briggs was a great hero. He was exasperated at Christina but not willing to lose her now that he’d found her. When he gets her to her grandfather he will get ten thousand pounds and he needs that money to buy a home for him, his sister and her daughter. He wants a quiet life and Christina is standing in his way. But he’s also kind of curious to see exactly what is up with the blackmailing. Christina’s adoptive brother died in an explosion 3 months earlier but the blackmailer says that he knows where the brother is and what he did. Does that mean he’s alive? Gavin is sure that Christina is being set up for even more heartache when finds out Lang is indeed dead but when Gavin discovers that he can’t quite let her go he admits that he wants to know what’s up as well.

The bulk of the story if the travels between Christina’s home and London and while I love romances with road trips in them I admit this one did get a bit tiring at times. The budding relationship and the wonderful sex between the hero and heroine was wonderful and I loved that part, but there was so much inner struggle for both Christina and Gavin and that struggle was repetitive. I think I just got a bit tired of them wondering what would happen in London once they got there – and the same thoughts.

Once the couple got to London the story really picked up with the blackmail issues as well as Windmere’s heir who was not happy about having to share his inheritance with the granddaughters. Gavin was wonderful in his strength and I just loved him! Christina was emotionally strong but she was kind of stuck in her house as people were after her and I didn’t like that part as much. I think it diminished the strength she’d shown us throughout the book. At least she didn’t pull a TSTL and tried to fix it all herself! Lol

There was also a small part of the story that involved Gavin and Christina saving a small boy along their travels from his vicious uncle. Theo was adorable and I loved seeing the softer side of both Gavin and Christina when they were with him.

In the end it was a very good story with a lovely romance and a pretty darned good suspense story. I like Maguire’s writing and will look forward to more from her in the future.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Margo Maguire
Avon

Saturday Song

2011-12-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

Trying to get into the Christmas spirit is not always easy. People are frantic and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. We've been doing a lot of shopping from the computer the last couple of years to try and avoid the "crazies." Of course this doesn't always get me into the swing of things because I'm not seeing the decorations and all the new wonderful things that are out...listening to the muzac piped in to the stores. lol Today I will venture out with the kidlets to run a few errands and get a few gifts. We'll see how it goes. I have this song and others like it playing in the background trying to enjoy the calm before the storm. lol Here's Dean Martin and ??? singing Baby, It's Cold Outside. Why the questions marks? I can't quite figure out who it is. Youtube info says Martina McBride in tiny little letters but I'm not sure. Whoever it is, I like it. Hopefully you will too. Enjoy

Mini-Review: Once Upon A Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare

2011-12-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Warning: Some spoilers

Some wallflowers bloom at night...

Violet Winterbottom is a quiet girl. She speaks six languages, but seldom raises her voice. She endured bitter heartbreak in perfect silence. The gentlemen aren't beating down her door.

Until the night of the Spindle Cove Christmas ball, when a mysterious stranger crashes into the ballroom and collapses at Violet's feet. His coarse attire and near-criminal good looks would put any sensible young lady on her guard. He's wet, chilled, bleeding, and speaking in an unfamiliar tongue.

Only Violet understands him. And she knows he's not what he seems.

She has one night to draw forth the secrets of this dangerously handsome rogue. Is he a smuggler? A fugitive? An enemy spy? She needs answers by sunrise, but her captive would rather seduce than confess. To learn his secrets, Violet must reveal hers—and open herself to adventure, passion, and the unthinkable... Love.

Violet took herself off to Spindle Cove in order to hide from her family. She had been indiscreet and wanted to be away from them to see if she was pregnant. It’s been a year now and she has learned so many things about herself. She’s stronger than she thought, she’s certainly not the wallflower she believed herself to be and she’s still in love with the man who took her virginity.

Christian Piece risks his life and his career making his way to Violet to let her know what she means to him. Violet certainly doesn’t believe him at first but Christian is terribly convincing. Throughout a harrowing night of hiding in Spindle Cove the pair figure out what happened between them all those months ago and where their relationship, if any, could possibly go from there.

It’s no secret that I really like Tessa Dare’s writing. I’ve not read one of her books that I didn’t enjoy thoroughly. Saying that I do have to admit that while I have the first book in the Spindle Cove series on my shelf I haven’t actually read it yet. I guess it’s just a case of too many books, too little time. I did have time, however to pick up and read this wonderful novella that is the second installment in the series and it was wonderful!

While our hero’s character was a bit shady at first I loved the passion he showed for Violet, his family and his work. He was a man who had made a change in his life to try and assuage guilt and grief and ended up becoming a better man for it. The way he went about it wasn’t all that honorable but he had realized his mistakes and was trying to make up for them. I believe he did a fabulous job doing it!

Violet’s character was so great. I loved that she questioned things and was such a strong heroine. She didn’t take things at face value – she questioned actions and words – as she should. She certainly didn’t just take a pronouncement of love and go all gooey. I loved her strength and her cleverness.

The romance in this book is very different but I appreciated the inventive way Dare went about it. This is definitely not your typical boy meets girl with a bit of courtship – it was so much better. For such a short story this book had a lot of punch and I loved it.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tessa Dare
Samhain Publishing

Review: Desired by Nicola Cornick

2011-11-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

Her wicked ways were the talk of the ton

Teresa, Dowager Marchioness of Darent, is rumored to have exhausted her four deceased husbands with her insatiable needs. So it's no surprise that every rake in the ton wants to bed her. If they only knew…through clever marriages to men who would ask nothing of her physical self, Tessa has remained rather innocent in the ways of the bedroom. But now she's on the verge of losing everything and wants to take care of the stepson she's grown to adore.

Enter Captain Owen Purchase. The handsome American adventurer has come into the title of Viscount Rothbury. And the rumors surrounding his injuries at sea suggest that he could fit Tessa's requirements. But little does Tessa realize that the gossipmongers are wrong. She just might lose her heart, and her desires, to the most unlikely of men….

Tess Darent is seen as a featherbrained member of the ton whose reputation is basically in the toilet. While she hates the fact that her rep is so damaged she wants everyone to think she doesn’t have a thought in her head - that way she can continue with her reformist cause and no one will be the wiser.

Tess is visited by a member of the Ton who wants to marry her step-daughter. Her step-daughter is only 15 however and Tess is not about to let some old lecher touch her family. She approaches Viscount Rothbury with a marriage proposal for numerous reasons. First and foremost on her mind is her step-daughter and the fact that she thinks that marrying Rothbury would protect Sybil from the lecher and clean up her reputation. Second is that since he is looking for the cartoonist who is wanted for sedition and if Tess marries him he won’t be able to testify against her. Third, and most important to Tess, is the fact that she thinks that he is impotent – since she wants a marriage in name only, this is perfect.

Owen Purchase is an American who inherited his title. He feels a bit hemmed in with all the rules and regulations of the Ton but he is a rule follower so he adjusts. He is helping at the Home Office and looking for Jupiter who is the cartoonist who is pushing for reform. The head of the Home Office isn’t putting up with it and wants Jupiter no matter how he gets him. Owen figures out pretty quickly that Tess is Jupiter so feels she’s completely bluffing when she proposes marriage. When Owen sets out to make her come clean he realizes that Tess isn’t the person she’s thought to be…by anyone – even her family. She’s fun, loving, adventurous and quite intelligent. He finds himself liking her but still confused as to what to do about her and the fact that she’s Jupiter.

Jupiter aside the couple find themselves liking each other more and more. When Owen moves to kiss her however Tess figures out that she was very wrong on the impotent issue. This opens a whole other can of worms between Tess and Owen. When Tess is betrayed and it comes to light that she is Jupiter what will happen to her, to Owen and to everyone else involved in the reformers movement?

Let me start off with our hero, Owen. He was wonderful. He was written as having temper issues from his past that he had come to terms with and conquered but we didn’t really see but a handful of anger issues. He was really a great guy who could see people for who they really were and not just what was on the surface. It would have been so easy to dismiss Tess as being a dimwit but he took the time to listen and observe it made me like him that much more. He was just a great hero!

Tess had issues galore! She had had a horrible past with a nasty ass husband who treated her like an object and a plaything and that had made her have a horrible fear of intimacy. She didn’t like to be touched, she didn’t have a great relationship with her sisters because she was not only jealous of them but she couldn’t be forthright about her past because she was ashamed. She had almost embraced her bad reputation because it allowed her to be sneaky and look like she was going off with her lover when really she was sneaking off to do reformist duties. She was a complicated woman but I found myself liking her strength along side her vulnerability. It was a well written combination.

The story had its ups and downs for me with slower parts of the novel then followed up with more interesting ones. I thought that the parts about Tess and her reformist issues were ignored for too long in the middle of the book while the romance was taking place. While I really liked the romance a lot I would have liked to have seen them blend a bit more. As far as Tess’s intimacy issues – I thought they were settled rather quickly. For someone who didn’t even liked to be touched Tess gave into her lusts with Owen faster than I thought she would. I think it was the fact that she knew he loved her that made the difference but it felt a bit rushed. to me.

This is my first novel by Ms. Cornick and I have to say I liked it. The romance was quite sweet and touching and I loved Owen and Tess together. I can definitely say that I’ll be reading more from this author in the future.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Nicola Cornick

HQN Books

What I Read Last Week

2011-11-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great weekend. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the states I got a long 4 day weekend (that's just never long enough! lol) that I thoroughly enjoyed. I got a lot of reading done, lots of game playing, movie watching and bowling were done as well.

On Thanksgiving we went to my hubby’s parent’s house with one of his brothers and his 5 children. I was also quite lucky in that my parents, brother, niece and sister-in-law also came along so it was one big happy family.

On Saturday I also got a great text from my 27 year old niece that her boyfriend asked her to marry him. All together now, "Awwwwww." She of course said yes and sent me a picture of the ring. *sigh* Ah, young love. lol

The giveaway by Brita Addams is still open until the 30th. Just leave a comment on this post to enter to win. (see details about what books are up for grabs on the post)

So what did I read last week?

I started off with Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh. This is book 4 of the Royal House of Shadows series – all by different authors – and I have to say it was my favorite. I liked all the books but the series got better with each book, imho. I know they were Nocturnes but I think they all would have been better had they just been a bit longer. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

Next was Her Christmas Pleasure by Karen Erickson. This was a historical novella that had the son of a servant who was practically raised with a nobleman’s family in love with his friends’ widow. It was my first historical read by this author but I liked it. You can read my review here. 3.5 out of 5

My next book was a short called Reckless night by Lisa Marie Rice. This was story about a time in the life of a couple from a previous book. It was really good though and definitely made me want to go back and read the other stories. You can read my review here. 3.75 out of 5

Next was A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch. First off let’s talk about the title – not a think to do with the story. Who comes up with these? Anyway, the story itself was about a woman who’s dead husband was an inveterate gambler and died and left her penniless. She’s decided to get it all back by starting a gentleman’s club in London. She gets money from the one man who she can blackmail into playing along but their past can’t be laid to rest that easily. I liked this book a lot. I thought that there wasn’t enough romance in it but I liked the other parts so well that I almost didn’t mind. Definitely a good start to the series. 4 out of 5 (read for The Book Binge)

Snow on the Mountain by PD Singer was next and this is the continuing story of Kurt and Jake from Fire on the Mountain. It’s now winter and Jake is working as a lift operator while Kurt is working at a prestigious ski school. Kurt however discovers that there’s more to the ski school than he knew while Jake is playing babysitter to the resort owners kids. This one has action, suspense, sex, misunderstandings and lots of snow. lol I really liked this one and will definitely keep reading this series. 4 out of 5

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas is book 3 in the Harmony series. This book brought us back to Harmony to visit people we’ve met in previous books as well as introduce us to new and interesting characters. It was a really great story with a bit of unfulfilled love which I didn’t like at all. I want my HEA’s dammit! lol Still definitely worth the read. 4.5 out of 5 (read for The Book Binge)

Simple Gifts by LB Gregg is her newest book in the Cornwall series. This story introduced us to Jason who had a relationship with Robb years before. Now Robb is back from the service and not looking so good. Jason’s not quite sure how to act but before he can get his shit together enough to figure it out he gets hurt. Robb is there to care for him. The pair get to discuss their lives but what does this mean for the future? This was a short sweet novella that I really loved. There’s no sex in the book (which is a bummer since LB writes it so well) but the story was so good that I just didn’t mind. 4.5 out of 5

My next read was To Wed A Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries. This is book 4 in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series and I really liked this one as well. I guess I just really like the Sharpe family because their story is just really appealing to me. This was Gabe’s story and was about him, his guilt, his desire to assuage that guilt (and gain an inheritance) by marrying his best friend’s sister. His best friend died 7 years prior though and the guilt is because of the way he died. The sister doesn’t want to have anything to do with Gabe because she thinks he’s responsible for Roger’s death. When truths start to come out the pair come together. Just a good story. 4.25 out of 5 (read for The Book Binge)

My Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week was Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. This is a fantasy/paranormal story about the King of the Dark Court (Faerie), Irial, who manages to get his blood into Leslie while she’s getting a tattoo so that he can siphon feelings through her to feed his court. Only he’s not the horrible person that you would think and truly ends up falling in love with her. She is already in love with Niall, however, who was once part of the Dark Court and is now a guardian of the King of the Summer Court. She can’t be with him though because he’s the type of faerie that can make humans addicted to him. I think I make it sound more complicated than it is. Don’t get me wrong it’s not an easy read but there’s so much more going on than that. The love triangle between Leslie, Niall and Irial is really good but there ends up being some unfulfilled love in this book as well and I just wanted it to work out for everyone. 4 out of 5

Stopping Time by Melissa Marr is a novella that is a continuation of the love triangle between Leslie, Niall and Irial. It really shed some much needed light on the relationship between Niall and Irial that I didn’t get at all from Ink Exchange. I was a bit disappointed that the love between the two men wasn’t explored or explained more in IE. It also showed more between the men and Leslie which while still sad was very good. 4.25 out of 5

My Book Binge Reviews that posted last week:
Heartbreak Creek by Kaki Warner

Happy Reading!

Mini Review: Reckless Night by Lisa Marie Rice

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

What do you give your beautiful wife when you’ve got all the money in the world but can’t spend it?
Victor ‘Drake’ Drakovitch used to run a criminal empire, but he gave it all up for the woman he loves. Grace, an accomplished artist, abandoned the life she knew in order to be with the one man she could never live without. Exiled to an island far from their former lives, the stay safe from the watchful eye of Drake’s many enemies. This Christmas, Drake wants to show Grace how much her sacrifice means. But what can he give a woman who shuns gold jewelry and diamonds, furs and expensive cars? Grace doesn’t want fancy things; she wants what Drake can give her—unquestioning devotion, fierce protection… and the best sex a woman has ever had.

Until danger strikes and Grace realizes that the best gift of all is a dangerous husband.

Drake is a criminal who is hiding with his wife who is the love of his life. He wants nothing more than to give her the perfect gift as she gives him every holiday or celebration. But Drake isn’t creative and he’s just frustrated by not being able to please Grace. He’s forced her into a semi-seclusion by faking their deaths and moving to a remote island. Yes, they have friends, which he’s not used to and it still freaks him out a bit, but it’s just not the same as the life they led before.

Drake has a brain storm and decides to take a chance. Drake takes Grace to Sydney for Christmas and a weekend of opera and shows. Grace is more than thrilled they’re taking a chance and they head to Sydney.

But will everything be as calm as the couple wants it to be.

I picked this one up from Netgalley when it was offered by Avon Impulse. I’d read the second book in the series but was intrigued by the blurb on this one. Even though I wasn’t familiar with Drake and Grace I very much enjoyed the story.

I loved how much the couple loved each other and wanted to take care of each other. I know that Drake was a criminal but I really liked the guy! He was getting used to a new life and new ways of doing things but he still seemed like he was a good person.

This story has made me want to go back and read all of the stories in the Dangerous series – I think they’ll be as good as this one.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Lisa Marie Rice
Avon Impulse

Mini Review: Her Christmas Pleasure by Karen Erickson

2011-11-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Damien Morton is madly in love. Unfortunately, it's with his best friend's widow, Lady Danver. Damien is not worthy of Celia. Or so he thinks. Desperate to escape his feelings for her, he plans to leave the country at the first of the year. Celia treats him as a family friend and nothing more—until they share a heated kiss beneath the mistletoe...

Celia is shocked by the passions that surge within her at her dear friend's kiss. One touch and one taste aren't enough to satisfy her cravings, and she is startled into action. Damien has stirred something inside her that she never expected to experience again, and she must have more. Full of shameless desire and emotions newly discovered, she decides to pursue Damien and won't be deterred. Will she be able to convince him to stay—both in her heart and life—forever?

Damien is so in love with his best friends widow but he knows that there are many things standing in their way of being together. For this reason he just knows that he can’t tell Celia how he feels about her. He plans to head off to France because he just can’t take being around her and not showing her his love.

A chance meeting under the mistletoe has Celia and Damien kissing. Celia discovers that the notice that she’d taken of Damien in the past few months is not just notice but attraction and real feelings for him. But what will he do if she tells him and he rejects her? Should she take a chance.

Both hero and heroine are afraid to confront the other but they soon learn that there is more to their kiss under the mistletoe than the other thought.

This was quite a short story but just a lovely little piece. We got a great introduction to the Merry Widows series that Erickson will be coming out with and we also got a short but sweet romance.

Damien is just tortured and since he’s the son of a servant he believes that he can never be with Celia as she was a Countess and the mother of a future Earl. But Celia, as well as the current Earl (Celia’s father-in-law) both show him that it can work out.

Besides the feelings and short romance we also got some smoking sex scenes. Erickson never lets us down with her sex scenes in her contemporary novels and she didn’t in this historical either. I loved seeing the inhibitions of both main characters fly out the window once they got together. Just good stuff.

I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Karen Erickson

Carina Press

Saturday Song

2011-11-26T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is a song that's been playing in our house non stop recently. I love Maroon 5 (why have they never had a Saturday Song before this? IDK!) and of course I've always loved Mick Jagger. There's just something about him that has fascinated me since I was a young teen. Here's Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5. Enjoy!

Review: Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Liliana uses a blood spell to send herself straight into the Black Castle where the Lord himself resides. Yeah, she didn’t exactly mean to get quite that close to the castle. Unfortunately the Lord is in his throne room when she arrives and she’s sent directly to the dungeons – but that’s after Liliana, who pretends not to be cowed by the Lord, has a staring contest with him.

The next day Liliana is brought again to the throne room and though she’s a bit mouthy she talks herself into the kitchens where she cooks for him.

The Lord of the Black Castle – who doesn’t know himself as Micah – is intrigued by this woman who isn’t afraid of him. She’s certainly nothing to look at with her eyes too close together, her mouth that is too large for her face, her limp and her hook nose, but there’s something about her that can’t stop Micah’s thoughts about her.

Liliana knows that she must somehow get Micah to remember who he is so that she can get him back to Elden in order to help his siblings take back their kingdom. By telling tales and being kind to the Lord of the Castle – something that had never really happened before – Liliana manages to befriend the man, more than befriend him if truth be told. She falls in love with him and he with her. But what will happen to their relationship when Micah finds out who exactly she is and who her father is.

This was my favorite book of the series – not a shock there. While I really liked book 3, Singh’s story in book 4 was just that much better.

The fact that the Blood Sorcerer’s daughter was involved was extra good and the fact that she wasn’t blindingly beautiful! It’s a lovely beauty and the beast tale only the beauty is the man…in a way. I loved that either the hero or the heroine could be considered beauty or the beast – at least imho.

Micah seemed a bit immature at first but really – he was kind of kept in stasis for years before he became the Guardian of the Abyss. He had no family, no growing up years or experiences so it made sense that he was a bit demanding and spoiled – no one had ever nay-sayed him. Liliana comes along and bam here’s this woman who gives as well as she gets. It was a great combination and I loved reading the witty banter between the couple.

I thought it was a pretty good series that got better with each book. I kind of wish the last battle with the Blood Sorcerer and his minions would have shown more of each sibling’s fight but it all worked out in the end. I was definitely happy with the overall HEA.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Nalini Singh

Harlequin

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my friends in the US and Canada who are celebrating and being thankful today a wonderful Thanksgiving!

This year I'm thankful for so many things - mainly my family for their love and support in all things. I'm thankful I've survived the last year with my oldest daughter, lol. I'm thankful my kids are happy and healthy and that my husband and I are too. That the hubby and I have jobs and can pay our bills and keep a roof over our heads as so many right now cannot.

I've been blessed with incredible friends and I'm thankful that they are there for me when I need a laugh, a shoulder to cry on, someone to drink margaritas with or just a good book recommendation.

What are you thankful for this year?

Interview with Brita Addams & a Giveaway

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Please give Brita Addams a warm welcome!

First of all where are you from?

I was born and I grew up in Upstate New York, but have lived in Louisiana for many years. I lived in New Orleans (yes, we lived there during Hurricane Katrina) but moved to western Louisiana a couple of years ago, to be nearer to one of our daughters and her family. Now our youngest daughter has moved into the area as well and our son is only a couple of hours away.

What do you like to read?

I love biographies, anything concerning history, particularly American and British history and I love historical romance. I confess I have read some military romance and loved it. I am really into male/male romance now, vampires as well.

Right now I'm reading a lot of books on Hollywood in the 1920's and '30's. Research for a book I have in mind.

What do you love about being an author?

Having always been a person who enjoys creativity, my imagination has always worked overtime. I think being an author allows me to channel that imagination into my characters. I love creating situations and walking my characters through them.

Where do you get your inspiration?

My family is tremendously inspirational. My husband particularly has unflaggingly supported my decision to write seriously and produce the best possible stories. We discuss plot and feasibility, realism etc. My youngest daughter is also helpful. She's brilliant, a prolific reader and she isn't afraid to tell Mama that something doesn't work.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

I get names from my own family tree as well as old census records, but as far as characteristics, I really don't focus on that at all. Each story calls for a unique set of characters and I'd feel funny about creating a character around someone I know and love.

That said, I wrote An Evening at the Starlight and based the story loosely on the story of my great Uncle Roy and Aunt Dorothy. However, the characters are from my imagination as I didn't know Uncle Roy at all and Dorothy only as a frail woman of 82, not at all her young counterpart in Starlight.

If you could meet a paranormal being or character of your choice with no safeguards, what/who would you choose and why?

I love to meet my characters from Love Immortal, Laurent Kinsdale and Sebastian FitzHugh. They are complicated. Laurent is a deep thinker and has learned from Sebastian that sometimes things are quite as complex as Laurent makes them out to be. Sebastian is a bit more carefree, while quite serious when that is called for.

What are your favorite books to read?

My preferences change. Right now, I am reading a lot of male/male erotic romance, but I am crazy about Lisa Kleypas and Mary Balogh as well. I love historical romance, which is also what I write.

My love of history is long-standing. I devour history books, particularly American and British, which is why most of my novels are set in England.

Because I write time-specific historicals, research is a must, but for me, that is no problem. I love learning new things and seem to with each bit of research I do.

Aside from your successes in the writing industry, what in your life has given you the greatest sense of accomplishment?

Well, my husband and I have raised a daughter (now an adult), who was born with a physical disability. She can't bend her arms or legs. That has never kept her from accomplishing what she set her mind to, as seems to have been born with a healthy dose of determination as well. That's not to say we've not had challenges associated with her disability, mainly, how to raise two other children with the same sense of normalcy they'd had before. They are much older – 14 and 10 years older, so they'd enjoyed years of what we all thought of as a "normal" life.

We determined early on, not to adjust our world to her handicap, any more than need be, but rather, to have her adjust to living in a non-handicapped world. She had to clean her room and do certain chores (she loved to wash dishes). She always took her school work seriously, which is probably why she graduated from college, then went back for another round. She has always felt nurtured and cared for, of course, but is now grateful for the lack of concessions. She's quite independent, something the doctors warned us she'd never be.

To see her as the happy, smart and lovely young woman she is, there isn't anything else I've ever done that can match that.

She's a writer too, with her first book due to come out in the next month. Can we say "bursting with pride?" BTW – Her name is Lindsay Marene Ordone and her book is Most Eligible with Decadent Publishing. It's a sweet romance about a guy, a writer, who is roped into a TV reality bachelor-type show. There is humor and angst, and a very, very, good story.

What are your current projects?

I'm writing more installments for my Romeo Club collection at Riptide and I'm researching a book set in 1930's Hollywood. I'm a Hollywood trivia buff and a story has been buzzing around in my head for quite some time. I think it will be fun to write and hopefully fun for my readers as well.

Can you tell us a little about your latest release?

I have several at the moment. I've mentioned An Evening at the Starlight. Here's the blurb for that:

John has a hard time forgiving and forgetting, and his wife Christie's tired of trying.

Doe and Royal's love story reaches through the years and gives hope to a young man who's lost hope in his relationship. An Evening at the Starlight and a tale of a once in a lifetime love that wouldn't die might be exactly what John needs to move past the hurt and cherish the love he has.

Then I have A Minute After Midnight. Click the titles to read an excerpt and to purchase.

A fateful decision haunted Logan Chalmers for years. A high school reunion brings Reid Wright back to the old hometown, but will Reid even remember Logan or has he moved on to the bright future they were to share?

Following the rejection of the man he'd loved for most of his life, Reid moved away to seek his fortune. The hurt and anger allowed him to move on, but years later, only thoughts of Logan could bring him back for the reunion – that, and timeless desire.

Both these novellas are a part of Noble Romance's Timeless Desire collection.

Then I have Romeo Club #1: Surprises at Riptide Publishing. I plan to write several of these six-thousand word shorts. They are pure, unadulterated gay erotica and a great deal of fun. Each one focuses on one man's particular fantasy kink.

Here's the blurb from Surprises:

Are you willing to put yourself in our hands?

Smart, successful, handsome, and thoroughly sick of the club scene, Don ventures into a popular upscale dating service. Aroused and intrigued by the boldfaced sexual queries on the Romeo Club’s application, he finds himself embellishing one answer after the next. Don thinks he’s taking control of his fate, but when he’s done, he ends up turning over a lot more than just his questionnaire to the dominant Adonis who runs the service.

In a private back room, beneath the snick of handcuffs, the slide of silk over his eyes, and not one hot mouth but two upon his skin, Don learns just how much more than matchmaking the Romeo Club has to offer a guy who doesn’t mind a few surprises.

Click the title to read an excerpt and purchase Surprises.

You can also pre-order the second installment, Romeo Club #2: Rubbed the Right Way, which will be released on December 5. You'll never think of erotic massage quite the same way again.

Is there anything else you would like to say to our readers?

Thank you for reading my stories and I hope you'll always find something of interest.

Please visit me at some of these places:

Thank you so much, Tracy, for having me. I hope you'll ask me back again.

T: Absolutely, Brita! I loved having you - you're welcome to visit any time!

Giveaway: One lucky commenter will be able to select any book from Brita's backlist! Does not include Romeo Club books and the newest releases, A Minute After Midnight and An Evening at the Starlight. All other books are available. Contest ends Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7:00pm (pacific)

What I Read Last Week

2011-11-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

This week was another relatively relaxed week. No fires or smoke in the microwave so that was a plus! (Although that smell is still lingering every time we turn on the microwave!). The girls and I just watched movies yesterday and had fun hanging out and being cozy while it rained outside.

The highlight of my week was on Saturday the hubby and I went to a monumental event – my friend Claire’s 100th birthday party. She turned 100 on Nov. 16th and on the day of the party she told us she was 103. We just kind of looked at her funny and she said, “I’m 100 years and 3 days old and I want credit for every minute of it!” lol She’s so funny – and wonderful – and adorable - and I just can’t say enough about how much I love this woman. She has led an amazing life – she was a public health nurse and was in Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. She’s lived in the Philippines, Hong Kong & Hawaii (and Hawaii is one of her favorite places on earth hence the lei’s) as well as many other places in Asia while raising two great sons. She’s taken adventures and just lived a full and happy life. It was a great party and I was so glad I was asked to be a part of it. Here we are enjoying ourselves on Saturday night:

On to the reading…

I started the week with In the Eye of the Beholder by Beverly Cialone. This was the second book that I had read by this author and it was incredibly similar to the first in extreme ways. You can read my reviews for both of this authors books here. 1.5 out of 5

Next up was the book I read for my TBR Challenge which was Heart of Fire by Linda Howard. This was the story of an expedition in the Amazon and a romance that happens along the way. I really liked this book a lot and loved the hero, Ben. I may have to steal his ass from Rowena and Holly. You can read my review here. 4.5 out of 5

Next up was the third book in the Limit War Series by Nico Rosso, The Limit of Desire. This was about a Jessa and Ryder who have had a fling and enjoyed every moment of it but Jessa is Ryder’s commanding officer and though Ryder wants more from the relationship Jessa is hesitant due to many reasons. You can read my review of this very good book here. 4.0/4.25 out of 5

Love, Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas is a re-release that I read for The Book Binge. This book was originally written in 1988 and one of her earliest works. I very much could tell the incredible changes that have been made in her writing since she first began. I actually had to remind myself a couple of times who the author was! The story was right after the Civil War and is about a southern man falling in love with a northerner. They have their many ups and downs and of course a huge lack of communication but eventually work it out. I liked the book but it was definitely my least favorite of Kleypas’s work so far. 3 out of 5

Between Seasons by Aida Brassington was another book that I read for The Book Binge. This was the story of 19 year old Patrick who dies in his home back in 1970. He becomes a ghost there and the story tells of him from 1970 until 2010 (not EVERYTHING! lol) when someone new buys the house. Patrick falls in love with the new homeowner and aches because he can’t be with her in human form. Strange things happen and soon not only can the homeowner, Sara, hear him but she can eventually see him. It’s a bizarre but beautiful tale of love and I very much enjoyed reading it. 4.5 out of 5

Next was the novella, Hopes and Fears, by Rowan Speedwell. This is a follow up story of Brian McCarthy from Finding Zach. Brian has finished his book about Zach but now he’s living in Chicago and trying to deal with his life and the different feelings he’s trying to work through. He meets Jerry who is his physical therapist and is completely interested. Brian however only does hook-ups/one night stands and Jerry only dates men he might consider being with long-term. The story is so good and the tale of their relationship and how the two men get together is just told incredibly well. If you read Finding Zach then I highly recommend you reading this one as well. 4.5 out of 5 (Thanks to Tam for telling me about this one!)

Last for the week was GhosTV by Jordan Castillo Price. I hate to say that this is my Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week (yes, I’ve been sadly falling down on the job with this personal challenge lately) but I have had it for a while. This is book 6 in the series and while I didn’t like it quite as well as the last few it was still very good. The story was about Vic and Jacob heading to California when they find out that their friend Lisa is missing from her school, PsyTrain. They have to deal with people they don’t care to deal with, Vic meets up with someone from his past which is a shock and there are more than a few surprises in the book (not to mention kind of cliff-hanger at the end). It was a really well written and engaging and a definite read if you’ve read books 1-5. (In fact, if you haven’t read books 1-5 then don’t read this one as you’ll be completely lost! lol) 4.25 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:

Vampire in Atlantis by Alyssa Day

Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Happy Reading!

Review: The Limit of Desire by Nico Rosso

2011-11-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Captain Jessa Tok is a veteran soldier, but when an artillery strike separates her from the squad she commands, it may be the end of her career and her life. Then a single Dawn Soldier fights his way behind enemy lines to find her. The last man she’d expect. The one soldier she’d had a fling with and was trying to forget.

Sergeant Ryder Hiltop never thought of himself as a hero. He’s a career soldier, just trying not to get killed. But when his captain is lost during an attack, he has to go find her. And not just for the sake of the other Dawn Soldiers. A shore leave with Jessa left an indelible mark on him, and he’ll do anything to make sure she’s safe. But is it a suicide mission to find her? And if they manage to fight their way to safety, can their brief affair grow into something more?

Jessa and Ryder are Dawn Soldiers in the Limit War. They are currently on Kopol fighting the Dusk Warriors for its inhabitants who can’t fight for themselves. They are cut off from communication and can’t get a message out to ask for reinforcements. Jessa is captain of the team and heads off to try and place an antenna to try to get some sort of distress signal out. What she gets is knocked out by a Dusk Warriors blast. She’s dizzy and out of it but not so much as to not know when 3 Dusk Warriors come across her.

Ryder is a sergeant but it doesn’t really matter what rank he is he fights the same. When the Dawn Soldier squad regroups in the bunker after the latest Dusk Warrior attack and Ryder realizes that Jessa is still out in the open he automatically starts arming himself. He heads out on his own to try and find her. You see, Jessa and Ryder had recently spent some time together on an extended shore leave and though Jessa went right back to being Ryder’s captain, Ryder discovered that he definitely had more feelings for her than just being her subordinate.

Ryder saves Jessa but they soon realize that they can’t return to their bunker. They head the other direction and find the Dusk Warrior encampment, deciding to do a little covert damage to their equipment as long as they’re there. The couple stealthily move around and through the Dusk Warrior’s soldiers and silently disable the guns that keep the Dawn Soldiers from receiving aerial assistance.

Throughout the time that they are separated from their comrades they talk – not only about their backgrounds but also about their relationship and where it’s going, if anywhere. Jessa has serious reservations about making any type of relationship known within the ranks because of what happened to a friend in the past. Ryder is positive that all can be worked out. Can they get off the planet alive in order to find out what will happen in the future?

This is the third book in the Limit War series and definitely my favorite so far. While the other books were good this one had such a great blend of romance and fighting (a war) that once I picked it up I didn't want to put it down.

I really enjoyed getting to know both Jessa and Ryder and their different personality quirks. I loved that Ryder thought Jessa was just as sexy being a soldier and fighting as he did when she was wearing nothing in a hut on the beach. His honest admiration for her and her capabilities was definitely a very attractive part of this hero.

Jessa wasn’t quite as open as Ryder at first but she soon realized that she loved this man and that she needed to do what she felt was right in all ways. She was a strong soldier and she let that strength move into her personal life as well. She took the chance that she wouldn’t get hurt and it paid off for her in the end.

In addition to the romance in this story we also had a fierce battle going on – which was woven into the romance seamlessly. Rosso did a fantastic job of making me want to read about the fight with the Dusk Warriors almost as much as I wanted to read about the romance. Both romance and battle scenes were well written and I got very caught up in the fight between the two factions.

Overall I thought it was a very good book and I just wish it were longer!

Rating: 4/4.25 out of 5

Nico Rosso
Liquid Silver Books

Saturday Song

2011-11-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

This week was a week of listening to Santana and it was a good one. I really love their music and of course I love their different lead singers. It just works for them - it appears it works for me too! lol Here's Why Don't You and I featuring Alex Band (of The Calling).

I still haven't figured out why he's flying! :)

Review: Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.

Eric Donovan hasn’t seen Beth Cantrell in 6 months but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t thought of her often. When she shows up at a party that is being held at his family brewery he gets a bit nervous that she’s find out the truth about exactly who he is. He lied and told her that he was his brother and still had sex with her.

As with most lies the truth come out and Beth is more than pissed. It doesn’t stop her, however, from inviting him over and having the hottest sex she’s had since she was with him last time. But she’s a bit torn. You see she runs a women’s lingerie and sex shop (high end and tasteful, of course) and she’s seen as a completely knowledgeable about sex woman. She’s not. Yes, she’s done research for her job but she’s really not all that adventurous – or hasn’t been until Eric. He relaxes her and she can be herself with him. But they both keep telling themselves, as well as others that sex is all they want and they don’t either really like or trust the other.

They each have their own issues beside their relationship. Beth’s father doesn’t have a clue where she works and her mother wants to keep it that way. Because of an incident when Beth was in High School she’s on tender ground where her sexuality and her father are concerned.

Then there’s Eric and his feeling of losing his grasp on where the brewery’s headed in the future and what that means for him and his place in it. When he finally comes clean about his feelings to his siblings they are shocked and they all have to figure out their places.

I have to admit that while I really liked Eric in the Guy Next Door anthology I really didn’t care for him all that much in the following novels. He seemed like such an ass to Jaime and while we had a slight clue as to why, we didn’t know for sure what his true feelings were. This book obviously shed some light on his thoughts and concerns and his insecurities but he still didn’t come through in the end as a completely likeable guy for me.

Beth was definitely more of a character that I could like. She was confused about her job and while she loved it when she had the opportunity to completely change things she did. It took some time for her to decide what to do but when she did she wasted no time and got to work.

I wish there had been a bit more in the romance department in this book. Yes, there was a relationship and yes there was sex but I found myself longing for the aspect of the book that would have the h/h really getting to know each other.

So while I liked to book, I didn’t love it. I did like the conclusion to the series, that’s for sure as I thought it brought the Donovan siblings closer together in the end and that was a definite bonus.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Victoria Dahl
HQN Books

Beverly Cialone reviews: Two for Thursday

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Coming Home

After being apart for many years, Nick learns of the death of Ashley's parents, and flies back to his old hometown to be by her side. Concerned over how distraught Ashley is, he decides to bring her back home with him, where their relationship picks back up and heats up in a hurry. However, Nick has a secret but jealous admirer, and when Ashley is kidnapped, Nick discovers that Ashley is pregnant. Will they get to her in time? What will become of Ashley and her baby?

Nick reads about the death of Ashley’s parents in the paper and he doesn’t hesitate for a minute before he decides that he needs to be with her. He finds her at her parents’ house barely dealing with the emotions that are rioting through her body. Nick pretty much takes over and takes Ashley to his hotel to get some food and rest. He forces her to eat and to take care of herself and eventually she comes out of the fog she's in.

Nick is there with Ashley during the very difficult funeral and when Ashley decides that she can’t stay in her town any longer without her parents Nick offers his home as a place to lay her head. Ashley takes him up on this and due to their close proximity their relationship soon blooms into something more than friendship.

Ashley falls hard for Nick but she’s not sure how Nick feels. When she finds out she’s pregnant she’s not positive Nick will be happy about the baby but before she can tell him, a psycho ex-date of Nick’s decides to take Ashley out of the picture in order to put herself into it.

This is my first read by this author. While I liked the premise of the book the story fell a bit short for me. I liked Nick but frankly by the end of the book knew very little about him. I liked Ashley as well but besides the death of her parents I knew nothing about her either. There was very little characterization and sadly I didn’t feel like there was any true emotion in the book. They almost felt like characters who were playing out a part and just saying their lines - and not well. The writing itself didn’t delve into the major emotions that this book could have developed.

The part when Ashley is kidnapped is probably the most intense part of the book but it was very short lived. Allison, the psycho kidnapper, had such hatred and while I felt that we really didn't get too much background on why she would act this way except that she'd had a few dates with Nick. I felt Nick’s relief at finding Ashley but even with all the major events that were happening in the book the intensity didn’t come through. Overall the book was just ok for me.

Rating: 2 out of 5

In the Eye of the Beholder

Hi, my name is Ashley. I never thought I would get this lucky - to meet a handsome doctor named Adam and fall madly in love. But I did. The only problem is that Adam is blind and I already have major self-esteem issues. Add to that a spiteful ex-wife and a reserved live-in housekeeper, and my story makes for a very interesting read! Go ahead, lose yourself in my adventure; I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

Ashley, our narrator, has lived in the town for a mere 6 months. She doesn't date and she's a bit lonely. She works at the hospital and one day while eating lunch in the cafeteria she sees Adam. She's instantly attracted to him and since he's reading a book she decides that that would be a perfect conversation starter. She heads over and has a great conversation with Adam and they decide to meet the next day for lunch. Ashley is beside herself! She doesn't feel that's she's pretty or attractive in any way so she's shocked that Adam would be interested in eating lunch with her since he's so gorgeous.

Ashley and Adam seem to hit if off and end up meeting for lunch on a regular basis for at the hospital (he works there as a doctor) and they spend a couple of weekends having fun and getting to know each other. After they'd been dating for a bit Adam decides to come clean - he's blind and has been for the past 5 years. He handled himself well so she didn't know (although there would have been clues, I would think - especially reading by Braille, right?). She's not bothered by the blindness and their relationship grows deeper until Adam become eligible for an optic nerve transplant. He is suddenly a seeing man again and this makes Ashley's self-esteem (of which she has little to none) hit the skids. Adam, however, knows that he loves Ashley for more than looks and even when he sees her is completely in love and thinks she's beautiful.

Ashley still has doubts though and when Adam's ex-wife shows up she's even more unsure of her future with Adam.

I have to say that this book was much more enjoyable for me for the first part of the book. While I didn't get a ton of background on either character I got some and it was enough to pull it all together. I really liked Adam and his love for Ashley.

I have to admit that Ashley's self-esteem issues started to grate on my nerves more than a bit. She wanted nothing more than a man to love her for who she was, etc., etc. and she had that with Adam!! I didn't want her doubts any longer as he did everything in his power to let her know that she was loved and wanted.

The second part of the book was where things really started to go wrong for me. Maybe if I hadn't read Coming Home I wouldn't have had a problem with it but frankly it was almost the same book rewritten.

The hero is a doctor and know exactly how to sooth the virgins aches and pains after their first time having sex - with ice straight in the vagina.

The heroine has a sudden attack of appendicitis and has to be rushed to the hospital where, of course, the hero will perform the surgery.

The heroine is slapped around by a jealous crazed woman.

The heroine's parents die in a crash and she must be consoled by the hero and forced to eat.

The heroine becomes pregnant and is reluctant to tell the hero but when she does he's thrilled. She's terrified of pregnancy but it's ok because the hero is doing the delivery himself and taking care of it all - at home.

All of the above was in both books with just slight variations in settings and dialogue! I honestly had to wonder if the author's other books had the same plot points. *sigh*

I had a good feeling about the book at first but it soon dissolved and I was left disappointed in reading the same novella over again.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Beveryly Cialone
ireadiwrite Publishing