The Reading Spot

I am not going to be around much this week. We are moving this week so am not going to get much reading done. Currently reading Bound by Sasha White (very HOT), Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (not sure if I like yet) and Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey (third in a Valdemar trilogy)

The Devil and Ms Johnson by Hannah Murray
A government agent, Devon Bannion is burnt out. He just wants to retire and join his best friend and ex-partner Ian in his Chicago security business, but Uncle Sam demands he complete one last job. He gets to Chicago too late to be best man at Ian's wedding but just in time to discover the maid of honor asleep in his borrowed bed. Lacey Johnson, a web designer and hacking consultant for the FBI, got a little smashed at the wedding and crashed in the wrong bedroom. Lucky thing, otherwise her first encounter with Devon, a man she knows only from photographs and the fantasies they inspired, probably wouldn't have involved a bet and sweaty monkey sex. Because the next morning, Devon discovers his partner for his last job is Lacey, and he's not happy about it. Having her for a "civilian" partner certainly isn't his first choice, but he decides there are definite advantages to playing happy couple at a resort with Lacey. But what was supposed to be a simple assignment soon goes dangerously awry, and it will take all of Devon's skill and Lacey's ingenuity to get them out alive.

This was a fun book. It was a contemporary book with a little action and some comedy and lots of hot romance. The characters were a lot of fun, Lacey cracks me up. There is a book before this one called Jane and the Sneaky Dom that I have to read now. It is not imperative that the book be read in order. This was the first book that I have read by Ms Murray, but it won't be the last.

All Jacked Up by Penny McCall
A steamy debut that pits a book-smart beauty against a buff FBI agent. Since Jack Mitchell barged into her life, librarian Aubrey Sullivan has been abducted at gunpoint, taken on a death-defying car chase, and kissed within an inch of madness. If only she does what he says, they might just get out of this mess alive. That is, if they can keep their hands off each other long enough to think straight.

Not a bad book, not my favorite, but not bad. At one point I was thinking about the energizer bunny wondering if this book was ever going to end. There is another book coming out called Tag, your it (hero's name is Tag), I will probably try this one, because this was my first book by her and I try not to rule someone out after one book.

White Heat by Cherry Adair
Never have the stakes been higher. Never have two people faced greater risks or grappled with deeper desire. Never has Cherry Adair–award-winning author of Hot Ice–burned the pages with so much blazing action and blistering passion.
Professional art restorer Emily Greene is in no mood to see the devil-may-care Max Aries. She hasn’t forgotten–or forgiven–the way Max dropped into her life a year ago, stole her heart, then vanished without a word. Max hadn’t kept in touch with his father, Daniel, either. Daniel Aries had been a master of art restoration and reproduction, and not only Emily’s longtime mentor, but a trusted friend. His unexpected suicide devastates her. And when the prodigal playboy Max returns, her welcome is less than warm–even though his timely arrival in her bedroom saves her from a lethal intruder. But her fury gives way to fear when Max reveals that his father’s death was actually murder . . . and that Emily’s life is now in danger. Like it or not, to stay alive, Emily must put herself in Max’s hands. And once upon a time, that wasn’t such a bad place to be.
But what killer would target professional restorers of Renaissance artworks? Max suspects that a pencil sketch found in his father’s studio, inscribed with a cryptic code, may hold the key. His hunch is confirmed when intel from his control at the counterterrorist organization T-FLAC reveals that the Black Rose terror cell is involved–a chilling revelation that elevates the threat level almost as high as the tension that’s bristling between Max and Emily. Max isn’t about to take his eyes off Emily–though only partly for professional reasons–and even Emily’s rage over Max’s take-charge attitude can’t compare to her anger at herself for so long denying the truer, deeper feelings she has for him. As they crisscross Europe, piecing together the shocking clues to an insidious international plot, dodging increasingly lethal traps, and passionately making up for too much lost time, they realize that–in more ways than one–they can’t live without each other. With no chance of turning back, Max and Emily must put their lives on the line, put their true feelings to the test . . . and get ready to take the heat.

I have noticed while reading this book that i really enjoy books that take place in the art, dance or music world. This one was no exception. This was a great book in her T-FLAC series. Though I had to try to remember what happened before the Edge trilogy. So that was a little difficult. Max was a great hero and I loved Emily, she was cool. She was not a kick butt heroine but she was not whiny or one who is positive that her way is the right way and ends up getting herself into even more trouble. She is trust into a world that is scary and where she sees death first hand and I think that she handles it pretty well.

The Devil's Temptation by Kimberly Logan

A debauched ball, packed with London's seediest revelers, is no place for the decent young woman I've tried so hard to be. But if I'm to avoid my mother's shameful scandal that led to her still-unsolved murder-I, Lady Maura Daventry, must be willing to hunt everywhere for the truth about her killer. But I never expected I would encounter the devil himself: the Earl of Hawksley (Gabriel Sutcliff), a wicked, charismatic rakehell who has set ton tongues wagging by bedding women all over London . . . and whose father was the prime suspect in the murder of his married lover - my mother.
But new evidence seems to suggest another culprit was responsible-and the only man offering to assist me in my hunt is the dangerously seductive Hawksley, who, alas, grows more intriguing to me by the hour.
I have heard the stories of his grand indiscretions. But I never dreamed I would become one.

Stray by Rachel Vincent
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

For Pete's Sake by Geri Buckley
The death of her grandmother--the beloved matriarch of Langstown, Florida--has thrown Pietra "Pete" Lang's preparations for the Fourth of July into chaos. But nothing is going to stop her from throwing the most fabulous party ever. Not the fireworks igniting between her and her brother's infamous divorce attorney. And especially not the dead body in the freezer.

Was not a big fan of this book. The heroine annoyed me and the plot annoyed me. The plot and character issues for me were moral and legal. They find a dead body in her grandmother freezer after she dies but Pete refuses to contact the police because of how it would affect her dead grandmother's reputation, and the lawyer boyfriend went along with that (he did eventually tell but still it bugged me). I guess maybe I watch too many crime shows where I know that it is illegal to not report a body.
Well, I finished it because I was at camp and this was my last book. It did grow on me a little to where I did not put it down even thought I had nothing else to read but it was not my favorite read of the week. But hey it was $1 at Save-a-lot so at least I did not pay full price for it.

Well, I am back from camp and am now a home owner. Yeah!! busy times.
When I packed for camp I remembered that last year I brought three books an finished them by Tuesday and had nothing else to read. So this year I brought 5 books thinking I would be covered. No luck I finished them by Wednesday and then started re-reading. So I read Promises Keep twice. My hubby is the director for that week of camp and the only responsibility I have is to play with my kids, so this is like my vacation time. But after the kids go to bed at 8pm I am alone with no tv or internet for three hours until the hubby gets done with the campers. So I read. And I love it, but I need more books. Lots of reviews coming up.

Anyway, you know how hard it is to close on a house when you are out of town. Well that is what we did. We closed by Fed Ex. Now we have a house and are spending way too much time at Lowe's buying things to fix the house up. It is fun but stressful at times. You have all these ideas but limited budget and time. We are excited though.

The Promises Trilogy by Sarah McCarty
I loved these books. I do not have too many westerns so they are always a treat to read. These were nice and hot so that was even better. I loved the characters and had a lot of fun with them. Thank you zeek!!
The books need to be read in order because the characters visit in each book. Warning about the second book, Promises Keep, it starts out rough, but stick with it.

Promises Linger by Sarah McCarty

Elizabeth Coyote will do anything, anything at all, to save the ranch she loves, including marrying Asa MacIntyre, a broad shouldered, lean hipped silver eyed gunslinger with a ruthless reputation for getting the job done.
Asa dreams of a place of his own, a wife, and the respect that comes with both. Marrying Elizabeth may have started as a means to an end, but nothing in Asa's wildest dreams prepares him for the excitement of unleashing the carnal woman beneath his wife's prim and proper exterior.

Being kidnapped into a bordello has a way of changing a woman’s focus. On the day Mara Kincaid escapes the Pleasure Emporium, she vows to start living for herself. Rebuilding her life isn’t easy as the town isn’t fond of reformed fallen doves, but she’s a Kincaid and Kincaids are known for their stubbornness. She’s successful right up until the notorious ex-marshal Cougar McKinnley comes into town.
As big as a mountain, dark as sin, and wearing a reputation as deadly as the knife strapped to his thigh, McKinnley is a man who knows what he wants. By rights, she should be shaking in her shoes when he approaches her, but when the powerful half-breed turns his dark gold eyes on her, it isn’t fear that has Mara trembling, but rather an overwhelming desire to be the kind of woman Cougar needs to satisfy his deepest desires.

Promises Prevail by Sarah McCarty

Jenna never planned on getting married again, not only because her first husband had been a brutal monster, but because no man would want a crippled barren woman, but when fate sends her a helpless little baby to love, Jenna vows to do whatever she needs to in order to keep her daughter, even marrying Clint McKinnely. Big, dark and simmering with a deadly intensity, the exotically handsome ex marshal could put fear into the devil. He certainly strikes fear into her, but though she accepts his offer of marriage in the same practical vein it's made, Jenna soon discovers the man behind the reputation is a man like no other. A man to whom a woman could trust her heart.
Clint McKinnely is a man made hard by life, burned out by the choices he's made, looking for a reason to go on. He finds one in Jenna Hennessy. Lushly plump, sweet and shy, innocent in ways that have nothing to do with inexperience, she calls to him on the deepest levels. Still, he never would have touched her except for the vagaries of fate. When the town fathers threaten to take away the daughter she loves, Clint steps forward. While he can't offer Jenna love, he can offer her a home in which to raise the baby and the child the protection that comes with being a McKinnely. Having Jenna and Brianna in his home brings Clint a peace and satisfaction he's never known before, but even as he ferrets out the secrets that haunt Jenna's nightmares, Clint keeps his own close to his chest, knowing this is temporary, because even though Jenna is a woman with an incredibly generous heart, there are just some sins a woman can't be expected to forgive.

“Lords of the Were” (Tales of the Were Book 1) by Bianca D'Arc
I liked this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. It was a good intro book to the series.

An ancient evil is stalking the twin alpha rulers of the werefolk and the half-were woman who is destined to be their mate if she lives long enough. First in the Tales of the Were. Fulfilling her mothers dying wish, Allie climbs a wooded hill just before midnight on Samhain, All Hallows Eve. At the top, she finds an overgrown, magical stone circle, and her destiny. Waiting for her there are twin alpha werewolves who will be her sworn protectors, her mentors and the loves of her life. If she lives long enough. Overprotective is just one word to describe Rafe and Tim. Sexy is most definitely another. But their newfound love and all their skills both mundane and magical will be tested by an ancient evil. A hostile human mage and a misguided vampire hunt them, servants to secret plans of the ancient Venifucus, a society dedicated to destroying women like Allie. They will earn unlikely allies, including a half-fey knight imprisoned Underhill for centuries. But will it be enough to battle the evil that stalks them? Will Allies men be strong enough to let her aid them in her own defense? Only together can were, fey and vampire defeat this latest threat and learn that love does truly conquer all.

The Lost Wolf Warrior by Rae Monet

I enjoyed this story a lot. I had never read her before and won a book from her at the TRS giveaway and decided to get this one. You know I love werewolf books and that is what I thought this one was, it was not but it was still very good. It was about a group of people who have an affinity to wolves and can communicate with them telepathically. All the warriors have a birthmark tattoo of a wolf and there are some other marks depending on your gifts. This happens at the time when Edward rules England and decided that wolves were menaces and they all needed to be killed. So these people hid to protect the wolves and themselves. But in one battle, a little boy was lost and never seen again. Thus the name of the story. This is the first in a series and I am interesting in reading the rest of them.

The year is 1311. Serena de Reincolt, a young Warrior of the Wolf, is tasked with a quest: Retrieve the sacred scrolls of Solaria and the outlawed murderer, Ziem. Failure means certain death for the Solarians. Found at age six in the Forest of the Dean with no memory of his former life, Lord Roan Aston, the Wolf, has always felt a part of him was missing. One thing Roan knows for certain--he is finished with warring. Taking up King Edward's offer to protect a castle on the Scottish border, Roan is as content as he can be. It wasn't until Roan met an incredible woman in the most extraordinary circumstances that he pieced together his purpose in life. But their journey is fraught with danger and a vengeful King who will stop at nothing less than eradication of all those he feels threaten his rule. Suddenly, Roan and Serena are protecting more than a society of gifted people; they are fighting for their lives, their love, and a fantastic legend.

These stories were both a case of Too much sex. I am going to come back later to post the book cover but I am at camp and cannot get the pic to copy.


Bad as She Wants to Be by Thea Devine
I would classify this one as erotic but I would not call it erotic romance. There was not very much romance in it. I did not like it very much. I had to force myself to finish it and I was hoping that it would get better. It did get a little better toward the end but not enough to make me want to try it again later. The whole story was her going to orgies and sleeping with everyone she came into contact with. The story did nothing for me at all.

One hot summer's day, everything changes for Frannie Luttrell after she rescues rich, young Marianne Nyland from drowning. An innocent small-town girl from the other side of the Bar Harbor tracks, Frannie is rechristened "Frankie" and swept into Marianne's glamorous world of wanton sensuality and expensive fun. Soon she is enjoying decadent pleasures beyond her wildest imagination with any and every guy she desires—except for the man she really wants, the ever-aloof Dax Cordrey, who disapproves of her new, indulgent life.
Offered a job as Marianne's personal assistant (aka permanent party pal) in New York City, Frankie and the insatiable Marianne hit the town on exotic nightly sexcapades, fulfilling their wildest fantasies. But when Marianne is found dead—and Frankie is named her sole heir—gossip flies like wildfire and a steamy sex tape featuring the Cinderella heiress suddenly appears. Deciding to make the most of her fifteen minutes of fame, Frankie acts the part of a publicity princess—while trying to prove to Dax that she's not the scandalous vixen she's been made into. She's only as bad as she wants to be...for the right person.


The Supplicant by Lucinda Betts
This story I liked more. It still had too much for me (which says alot) but it was not as bad as the above book. It is a fantasy book and was very interesting so I did enjoy reading it, but it is very explicit and do not read if you do not like the heroine sleeping with other people (females included). I will post the description later because I cannot get it on this computer.

Rises the Night (The Gardella Vampire Chronicles Book 2) by Colleen Gleason
This is the second book in the series and it was intense. I spent the whole book trying to figure out whose side Max was on. The info about Sebastian was very interesting too. Can't wait for the next book.

In Italy, a powerful vampire is amassing the power to control the souls of the dead. Lady Victoria Gardella de Lacy-a vampire slayer for just over a year-races across Europe to stop what could be the most deadly army the Gardellas have ever faced. She is accompanied by Sebastian Vioget, a man as tempting as he is untrustworthy.
But when Victoria discovers that she has been betrayed by one of her most trusted allies, the truth will challenge all her powers as a Venator-and as a woman.

Hidden Agenda (Tempting SEALs Book 4)by Lora Leigh
I liked this book alot, but I will say that i think the weak point is the heroine. She is a little whiny. She actually gets a backbone and stands up to her dad half way through the book, but she still whines a bunch. The next book (Killer Secrets) looks great, I can't wait for it.

SAVING LIVES IS HIS MISSION. Tough-as-nails Navy SEAL Kell Kreiger is the best there is at searching, rescuing, and taking no prisoners…yet even the rush of ever-more dangerous missions isn’t enough to satisfy him. Haunted by a tortured past, Kell seeks distraction in a secret world of dark intimacies. But when Emily Stanton, the one ray of light in Kell’s shadowy existence, is pursued by a ruthless drug lord, the rules of the game suddenly change—and Kell will have to go deeper undercover than he ever imagined... SAVING HER IS HIS PASSION. Emily has loved Kell ever since her father, a prominent politician, rescued him from a brutal life on the streets. They were kids then, too young to act on what was growing between them…but now that Emily is ready, the handsome, headstrong SEAL has decided he’s no good for her. Ever since he rescued her from Diego Fuentes’ compound, Kell’s only duty has been to keep Emily safe. But Fuentes isn’t finished with Emily—or Kell. And to protect Emily, Kell has no choice but to lay himself—body, soul, and secrets—bare…and fight against evil with all his heart.

One of seven daughters in a line of extraordinary women, Hannah Drake has been the elusive object of affection for Jonas Harrington for as long as the young man can remember. If only the stunning super-model was driven by a passion other than her career. But Jonas isn’t the only one with desires for Hannah.

From the shadows has emerged a vengeful figure who stalks the beauty with one terrifying purpose: to strip her of all she is and destroy her. Only one man was destined as her protection. Now, out of a storm of danger, Jonas must guide the woman he loves from a sinister darkness that threatens not only Hannah, but the entire Drake family.

I think I heard about this series from nath and found out that my library had them, so I requested the first book. It took about 2 months to get it but I got it last week while I was out of town and read it Sunday. I loved it. It took me about a quarter of the way through the book to get used to reading right to left, but I got it now. Then I went out the other night and got the second one. Of course since I do not have the next one handy this one ends in a slight cliffhanger, mid-conversation. But I have the next two on request. Hopefully they will get here faster than last time. But thank you for introducing me to them, nath, I love them.

The series is (so far) about two teens, Rei and Kira and their relationship. Rei is the school bad boy and Kira is a shy artist.

SET A CRIMINAL TO CATCH A CRIMINAL
Christopher St. John and Maria, Lady Winter are infamous in Society for their misdeeds and their charming allures. Wherever they go, scandalized whispers and covetous glances follow. A ruthless pirate and a widow whose two husbands have met untimely deaths, the wickedly renowned figures are even more intriguing to the authorities. Now they've been set on the most provocative of tasks--St. John is released from prison to learn the "Wintry Widow's" intimate secrets, while Lady Winter is charged with performing a similar deception in reverse.

One will succeed. One will hang.

FROM BALLROOM TO BEDROOM, THEY'RE PERFECTLY MATCHED With the fate of loved ones in the balance, the unlikely couple embarks upon a battle of wills and wits that takes them from glittering ballrooms to the depths of the underworld to the candlelit pleasures of the bedroom. As they fall helpless to a desire and startling affinity neither expected, the deadly web of their subterfuge closes in, forcing them to make a choice. Individual freedom? Or an audacious scheme to keep an impossible yet irresistible love...

Happy 4th of July everyone. Hope you have a great day. Oh, I also read my first manga this week and will post about it later.

How to Conjure a Man by Nancy Lindquist
This was a cute book. At first I thought it might be a paranormal genie thing, but it was not. It was a nice hot love story.

When all else fails, what's a girl to do? Conjure your own man, of course! Becky Blake is through with vibrators. Well, to be honest, her vibrator's through with her. The damn thing actually conked out, mid-fantasy. Time for desperate measures. Armed with thirty pounds of candles and a spell created by her best friend and strip mall witch, she heads into the desert to conjure a man. It's freezing, dark and more than a little creepy. On top of that there's a coyote hanging around howling loud enough to scare her to bits. Please, let this spell work. Rick Frazier's done with manipulative women. His ex-wife is bleeding him dry. His wallet is almost as hungry as he is. It's time to get a second job, as a bartender at 'The Buckin' Bronco All Male Review'. At least it will pay the bills until he sells his software program. Back in the real world of work and lonely routine, Becky has nothing to show for her desert efforts except an erotic dream that leaves her more frustrated than fulfilled. That is until her new employee shows up. It doesn't take long to put two and two together. Rick, her new bartender, is the man she conjured in the desert. Their chemistry is magnetic, drawing them together in a lightning blast of hot passion and incredible sex. Is this true love or the result of a magic spell cast on a cold dark night?

Into the Dark (The Bodyguards Book 6) by Cindy Gerard
Yea, we got Dallas and Amy's story, it has been a long time in coming. It took me a minute to recap in my head everything that had happened so far in the series because it had been so long since I had read them. Great suspense series. I have really enjoyed reading it. If you haven't read it yet, the first book is To the Edge.

Amy Walker endured unspeakable horrors while being held as a hostage before she was rescued by Dallas Garrett and his brothers from E.D.E.N., Inc. Amy is determined to leave the past behind…but only after she gets some answers to the questions that haunt her: Why was she abducted by the terrorists? Why is her mother locked up in a mental institution? Dallas wants Amy to know he’s a man she can trust. He’s incapable of offering her his love but promises his sworn protection while she embarks on her quest to discover the truth about her family…and herself. Working on a lead, Amy and Dallas team up with an investigative journalist and an unlikely accomplice whose motives are as murky as his past. Soon they are drawn into the depths of a secret organization that practices non-consensual mind-control experimentation—one that Amy’s own grandfather appears to be involved in. With a ruthless enemy closing in fast Amy and Dallas race against time and risk their lives to expose these crimes against humanity…and share a passion neither of them could have expected.


Virtually His (Virtual series book 1) by Gennita Low

This was a DNF for me. I could not get into it at all. I have loved her other books so I will try it again later, but I am putting it away for now. I hope others have better luck than me with it.

Taylor Moore is an artist. With the bold colors of her palette, she gives life to her passionate memories of Jake Farrell. It's been ten long years since the dark-haired, green-eyed football player left town. In that decade, Taylor has been married to and divorced from the bitter man who always stood between them.
After all this time, she still aches with hunger for that ruggedly beautiful boy from her past, unable to love another. But when Jake suddenly comes home, all grown up and claiming to have returned for her, Taylor's not buying it. She's more than ready to trust the gorgeous man with her body, allowing his dominant sexuality full control; she just refuses to trust him with her heart.
But Jake's been waiting a lifetime for this woman, and he's not about to accept half-measures. He wants her full surrender, and Taylor must finally find the courage to stop waiting for it—and start living for love.

I am back!!! I had a great time at my class, I learned tons and cannot wait to apply when school starts. I also got some reading done and I know I am so backed up on my posting now but I will post about these two that I read while I was out of town. Now I have got some major blog catching up to do :)

Meet the D’Artigo Sisters—three half human, half-Faerie, wild and sexy members of the OIA—the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Camille, a witch, Delilah, a werecat, and Menolly, an acrobat extraordinaire turned vampire, are sent Earthside to keep them out of trouble by their superiors, who consider the girls nothing but a bunch of bumbling half-breeds. But the girls soon find themselves smack in the middle of Demon-Central when Shadow Wing, the leader of the Subterranean Realms, decides to attempt a coup on both Earth and Otherworld.