The Reading Spot

Spring Break this week. Yeah. And my parents are taking the kids for a couple of days the end of the week, double yeah! They asked me on Easter if I would mind if they took the kids for a couple of days and I jumped on it. This week my project is to combine the kids playroom into their bedroom and turn the playroom into the nursery. Lots to do. But I sure I will still make time for reading ;) Have to rest occasionally. My pregnancy is going well. My next appointment i have to take the glucose test and that sucks. I hate that test. My first pregnancy I had to take the long version and it was sooo not fun. But that is not till the end of the month. I hope that everyone has a great week.

Sweet Surrender by Maya Banks

Under Faith Malone’s deceptively soft exterior lies a woman who knows exactly what she wants. A strong man who’ll take without asking—because she’s willing to give him everything…
Dallas cop Gray Montgomery is on a mission: find the guy who killed his partner—and bring him to justice. So far, he’s found a link between the killer and Faith—and if Gray has to get close to her to catch the killer, so be it.
Faith is sweet and feminine, everything Gray wants and desires in a woman, but he suspects she’s playing games. No way she would allow a man to call the shots in their relationship. Or would she?
Faith sees in Gray the strong, dominant man she needs, but he seems determined to keep her at a distance. So she takes matters into her own hands to prove to him it’s no game she’s playing. She’s willing to surrender to the right man. Gray would like to be that man. But catching his partner’s killer has to be his first priority. Until Faith is threatened and Gray realizes he will do anything to protect her.

I love her books more and more as I read them, she is becoming an auto buy for me. This was a HOT suspense. Faith is a strong woman looking for a man who can Dominate her. She is surrounded by Alpha males in her father's security company, but no one that has that spark. Gray has just lost his police partner and is looking for answers that his home precinct has given up on. This leads him to Faith's father's firm.
I liked watching them each dancing round each other. They were fun characters to follow through the story. This was a great erotic suspense and I very much recommend it if you like your books spicy.

For Her Pleasure by Maya Banks

Three novellas. Two interlocking stories. One sizzling read. Nice set up: one spirited woman in Kit Townsend, and two hot buddies, Ryder and Mac, who take turns giving Kit what she needs. It's the perfect no-strings triangle and while it doesn't exactly follow the rules, neither does Kit. But when love unexpectedly throws these three friends for a loop, can they still have a happy ending?
And then there's Mia Malone, a sweet Dallas girl who had big dreams for the future when she first met Texas Ranger Jack Kincaid. That fairy tale was a lifetime ago. Today, framed for drug possession, she's forced to work undercover at a strip joint where several working girls have disappeared. Then in walks Jack—her protector, savior, and lover.

Labels: contemporary

Moving Target by Cheyenne McCray
Ani King left her entire life behind when the Russian mafia brutally murdered her family. The Witness Security Program has kept her safe for two years, but with one simple phone call her cover is destroyed-and there is only one man left who can save her.Protecting the brave, beautiful Ani became more than just a job a long time ago for Deputy Marshal Daniel Parker. And now, just days before the trial where she's slated to give a damning testimony, the criminals who want her dead are on her trail. To keep Ani safe, Daniel has to keep her close-and her enemies closer. Because soon there's nowhere for Ani to hide...but in his arms.

This was a very good book. It is the second of her suspense books. I am enjoying them very much. The action is good, the love scenes are hot. It is a great balance.



Killer Secrets (Tempting SEALs Book 3) by Lora Leigh
As the illegitimate son of Diego Fuentes, Ian Richards faces danger at every turn. Neither his father nor his fellow Navy SEALs knows which side he's fighting for-or against. Which is exactly how the game must be played...until Agent Porter enters the picture. Kira Porter, undercover agent for the Department of Homeland Security, shadows Ian on his journey. She thinks she can see the real man beneath Ian's bad-boy exterior...but the ever-elusive Ian keeps her guessing at every turn. Is his goal to protect the Fuentes cartel from French terrorists? Or to do his father in for good? The only thing Kira does know is that her attraction to Ian is a time-bomb waiting to explode. With time running out on the Fuentes mission, she and Ian are drawn ever close to the edge of desire-and even closer into the line of fire...

I enjoyed this book. This series is a nice read. The other books are Dangerous Games and Hidden Agenda. This was a good addition to the series. I liked the hero and heroine and thought they were a nice match for one another. Though this series is not the Breeds, I am still enjoying it. Though one thing that did kind of bother me was how accepting Ian's father was of him when he was constantly belittling him and when his father was supposed to be this hard nosed drug lord. The book, to me started out a little slow (but I was also trying to remember what happened in the other books) but then it picked up. Over all I enjoyed it. I do not think I would give it an A but it was a nice hot read.

Labels: action, contemporary

Out of the Darkness by Jaci and CJ Burton
Harlee has lived as a human her entire life, working as a psychiatrist on a secret government project evaluating captured werewolves and vampires. Then one night two strangers jerk her from her bed, blindfold her and turn her world upside down. She is taken deep into the realm of lycans and vampires and told an unbelievable story—that she is the daughter of a forbidden union between a vampire and a werewolf and now possibly the future leader of both their clans. She doesn't believe them. Vampires and werewolves are the enemies of humans. She hangs onto her humanity, her one and only goal to escape from her sexy and enigmatic captors before she loses her heart and possibly her very soul. The vampire's and the lycan's goals are entirely different—to mate with the fiery beauty and determine whether her dominant blood is vampire or werewolf. One merely desires her. One will claim her for all eternity. But dark forces turn what begins as a search for identity into a struggle for survival.

I won this at Jaci's Blog and was very excited. I was not disappointed. I enjoyed the storyline and the sex was very HOT. The characters got me involved and I looked forward to finding out the ending. There is a menage scene, but she ends up with one of them for a mate. The who done it aspect was good as well. Someone is trying to kill off high ranking people in both groups and I had suspicions but no positives about who was doing it. Very good book.

Labels: paranormal, vampires, werewolves

Witch Fire (Elemental Witches Book 1) by Anya Bast
After a chaotic marriage and a rough divorce, all Mira Hoskins wants is stability and normality. But when sexy Jack McAllister enters her life, she discovers that what you want isn't always what you need. Jack is a powerful witch with the ability to command fire and is anything but normal. As the head of a security detail for The Coven, a national organization that governs national witches, Jack has been assigned to watch over Mira. She is a natural born witch with the ability to call the air. And although she is unaware of her talent, a group of renegade witches has discovered her existence and are determined to steal her power--and her life.



Witch Blood (Elemental Witches Book 2) by Anya Bast
Water witch Isabelle Novak must form an uneasy alliance with earth witch Thomas Monahan to hunt and destroy a demon of tremendous power, even though Thomas's very presence stirs deeper desires than she ever knew she had.

Both of these books were very good. I am enjoying this series very much. The storyline is interesting, the characters bring me back for more and the love scenes are HOT. Cannot wait for more.

Labels: magic, paranormal

Predatory Game (Ghostwalkers Book 6) by Christine Feehan
Saber Wynter is running from her past when she meets Jess Calhoun, an ex-Navy SEAL who is physically and emotionally compromised by his own mysterious and violent history as a GhostWalker. What Jess senses in Saber is a kindred spirit, a lost soul desperate for sanctuary. He offers her a home, job, and a haven where she can safely reveal the secrets that shadow her. But danger follows her, too. Now, the riddles of both their pasts are about to collide, shattering the promise of their future with the ultimate betrayal.

Great book. A lot of time this series is hit or miss with me (I love the Norton twins books) and this was one that I really enjoyed. I think one of the main reasons I liked it was that the hero was in a wheelchair. I find very few books where that is the case, so it always intrigues me.

Labels: contemporary, psychic

Well, eventful weekend here. My oldest turned 6 so we had her birthday party at our house. The day was beautiful temp wise. But it was windy as all get out. We had to get packing tape to tape the tablecloths down to the tables. Scotch tape was not doing it. We alternated in and out of the house, because the candles would not have survived outside. And unwrapping presents would have been interesting. The kids had a blast though.
The pregnancy is going well. I will try to post a sonagram pic this week. But they say it looks like a girl. My husband is a little overwhelmed by the thought of three girls. He is excited just a little tired at the thought of doing this all over again now that the youngest is potty trained and eating correctly and all that stuff. He is stressed out about work. The place where he was working is closing so he has been helping with packing up all the inventory and it is just sad. So that is not helping his stress level. Prayers please for him.

The Song (Sons of Destiny Book 4) by Jean Johnson
Evanor lost his powers-and his voice-in a terrible battle that defeated his family's greatest enemy and gave his sister-in-law her freedom. The advanced magical healing that would restore his voice and powers is beyond their means-but not beyond the ability of the lovely healer Mariel. Mariel can restore what was torn from Evanor-and possibly repair her own broken heart in the process.

I am really enjoying this series. It is a light fantasy romance. It is not high fantasy with some romance. Rather romance with a fantasy setting. It must be read in order because the books build upon one another. I just recently found out that the first book (The Sword) was just release in mass-market size.


Grimspace by Anne Aguirre
As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her...for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order.

This was a cool book. It was a good sci-fi book with some nice romance in it. I real enjoyed it. If you liked Linnea Sinclair's books (Gabriel's Ghost and Finders Keepers) then you will love this one. The world that she has created was very cool. The characters are a nice variety. The hero, March, is a nice tortured hero role. And Jax is a nice combination of strength and vulnerability. This is her first book and it was great, I look forward to reading more of her books.

Labels: fantasy, futuristic, sci-fi

Dead Over Heels by MaryJanice Davidson
I did not now this until I got it that it was an anthology or three stories. The first story is a Betsy story. It occurs while Betsy and Sinclair are on their honeymoon in NY. It was fun and a good addition to the series. The second story I did not read because it was from her Fred the Mermaid series. I read the first book and had no real desire to continue with the series. The third story was a Wyndham werewolves story. Were wolf Cain is tired of seeing all of her pack settling down and getting mated before her. She she decides that it is time for her to find her mate. She conscripts her best friend Saul to set her up with some eligible werewolves. Little does she know that Saul has his own ideas about her mate.
I enjoyed the two stories that I read. Her stories are fun to read.
Side note: she seriously needs to update her website.



The Accidental Werewolf by Dakota Cassidy
When Marty Andrews gets bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle, her blond hair darkens, the hair on her legs starts growing at an alarming rate, and her mood swings put her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics in serious jeopardy. Then a drool-worthy man shows up at her door claiming that he accidentally bit Marty. And since he's a werewolf, she is now, too. Thinking Keegan Flaherty is clearly insane, Marty refuses to believe a word until a kidnapping makes her realize there's more at stake than just her highlights. And she must put her out-of-control life in the hands of the man who makes her blood run wild in more ways than one...

Was not a huge fan of this one. It was funny, but it seemed to drag and I could not really get into it. I have heard good things from other people so I will try some of her other books, but this one did not do it for me. I think that if you love MJD's Betsy books then you would enjoy this one. I am kind of eh about the Betsy books (I read them but do not love them, they are like watching a sitcom to me) so this one was okay for me.

Labels: paranormal, vampires, werewolves

A Reason to Sin by Maureen McKade
A former well-to-do young woman (Rebecca Colfax) winds up alone, homeless, and desperate to get her son back. Little does she know that she'll encounter a man (Slater Forrester) destined to change the course of her life.

This is the third in the trilogy of the Forrester brothers (the other two are A Reason to Live and A Reason to Believe, read during internet hiatus). Great book, I loved it. It was a great addition and closing to the trilogy. The heroine has to get a job to support her search for her wayward husband. The only job she can find is at a saloon dancing with the customers. The other ladies earn extra money on their backs but she is determined that she will not have to stoop that low. Her absentee husband has spent all of her family's money and then took off, not knowing that she was prego. So she is determined to find him to let him know about his son. Slater works at the saloon as a dealer and quasi bouncer. He is the middle brother of the three brothers. These book can be read as a stand alone but when they meet up with the other brothers it adds more if you have read their stories.


The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long

A rescued rogue . . . Scandal has rocked the city of London. Colin Eversea, a handsome, reckless unapologetic rogue is sentenced to hang for murder and, inconveniently for him, the only witness to the crime disappears. Then again, throughout history, the Everseas have always managed to cheat fate in style: Colin is snatched from the gallows by a beautiful, clever mercenary. A captivating captor. . . Cool-headed, daring Madeleine Greenway is immune to Colin's vaunted charm. Her mission is not to rescue Colin but to kidnap him, and to be paid handsomely for it. But when it becomes clear that whoever wants Colin alive wants Madeline dead, the two become uneasy allies in a deadly race for truth. Together, they'll face great danger—and a passion neither can resist.

I have loved all of her books since her debut. This one was good and i enjoyed it, but it was not my favorite. It may have been my mood but it dragged for me at times. I think part of it was I have read so many very steamy books lately and in this one nothing happened until like page 300. Which is not a bad thing, so I guess it was jut my mood.

Labels: historical, western

What Mattered Most by Linda Winfree
A man in the worst place he can be-between two women-and forced to choose which one lives or dies. Houston homicide detective, John O'Reilly, is torn between two women. One is the woman he's loved without hope for years. The other carries his unborn child. Now, a man bent on revenge wants O'Reilly to choose, and any choice he makes could cost him everything. Gutsy sheriff's deputy, Lanie Falconetti, is determined not to repeat her mother's mistakes in love. Her no-strings attached affair with John O'Reilly leads to an unexpected, but joyfully welcomed pregnancy. However, the shadow from John's past threatens not only her chance at happiness, but her life and that of her unborn baby as well.

I have heard that this is kind of a prequel to a series that she has. I will have to look into that. On the whole I liked the book but there were some things I did not like. One, From the description on the back I was expecting the whole hostage thing to be a little more important in the book. But it was over by page 70. The rest of it was him trying to win her back and her learning to trust again. I thought it dragged on a little bit. Those were the two things that bugged me a little. But I am going to look for the other books by her.

Barely 30 and already washed up, rodeo cowboy Jay Turner has nothing to show for his 12-year career except a few gold buckles and a busted-up knee. The very last thing he needs is career advice from his orthopedic surgeon, a chilly woman who obviously has never been thrown off a bucking bronco. Instead, Jay decides to lasso the beautiful lady doc with an intimate proposition. Dr. Helen Kinsale’s own fast-track career is hanging by a thread as past mistakes and her ex-husband are threatening her professional reputation. When Jay offers a no-holds-barred affair, she eagerly accepts the erotic escape from her narrow world. But the affair quickly turns into something else as they discover a dark sexual compatibility that leads them into new erotic situations and extreme sensations.

Well this threw me off at first. It took me half the book to figure out that the Grayson in this book was the Grayson from Where Have all the Cowboys Gone? This book comes second but in the timeline it is first. Because it is before Grayson has even built his ranch that we see in the other book. I liked it, it was a nice story. Good contemporary with a cowboy hero (even though he does not ride after the first chapter).

Sin Club by Rachelle Chase
Night after night, his voice goes out over the radio waves, helping the lovelorn and the heartbroken. But Dr. "Love" takes his advice one step further, urging his listeners to take their lives into their own hands--and pursue what they desire... One Sin At A Time... Bored with a dull lover, determined to settle for casual sex, too focused on the sex lives of celebrities to worry about her own--Jessie, Sharice, and Alyssa are ripe for Dr. Love's advice. But Jessie's erotic striptease is observed by the wrong man--until she realizes that hunky new neighbor Nick is exactly the lover she needs. Making a spur-of-the-moment booty call, Sharice unknowingly dials a wrong number--but the mouthwatering man who answers touches all her hot buttons in just the right ways. And Alyssa finds that being the "perfect date" to the powerful, and powerfully sensual, Tony is easy when he reveals the raw desire simmering just beneath her little black dress... If sinning is wrong, they don't want to be right.

A nice steamy anthology. Fun to read.

Riding Wild by Jaci Burton
Mac Canfield was the last man Lily West expected to see again, never mind aim her gun at. But there he was, the bad boy who'd broken her heart years ago-still a thief, hijacking a priceless artifact-and it was all she could do to push aside the memories of how it felt to have his perfectly chiseled body next to hers.
Mac was no less shocked to see the beautiful girl next-door again, threatening to shoot him. Little did she know she was blowing his cover. He had to get her out of harm's way without succumbing to his desire to take her on a hot trip down memory lane.
But Lily has no intention of going anywhere with Mac, which means he'll have to resort to kidnapping. Unless she agrees to let him take her for the kind of ride destined to drive them both unbelievably wild.

This one has to go into the category of: I liked it, but I like her others better. The sex scenes were HOT and I loved them, but I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. It was a fun book though.

Labels: contemporary

Sorry it has been so long since a post. Been Busy. My oldest turns 6 this coming weekend so we have been trying to get our backyard read for that. Then my oldest had the 24 hr flu this weekend. To top it off, when I took her to the doctor on Monday, turns out she has Strep Throat as well. Luckily the youngest has not gotten wither yet, but I am waiting for that she to drop. It is probably waiting until her sister's B-Day party this weekend to truly mess me up. I have been reading though. I will probably end up posting them as lightening reviews because i am so behind on my posts. Hope everyone else is doing well.

PS. I found this through Lauren Dane's Blog. It is a post that Sherrilyn Kenyon wrote on her MySpace page and it was very touching, I cried. Check it out.

Labels: misc

I also have a buddy review with nath on Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop posted at Breezing Through.



Wild (Pack of St. James Book1) by Noelle Mack
Kyril. Marko. Semyon. Brothers like no other, sworn to lead the Pack of St. James and defend the English crown, though the blood of Russian wolves runs in their veins. In 1815, every woman in London has heard of their legendary passion for seduction--but no one knows of the supernatural powers that raise them far above the ranks of mortal men.

Dangerous Lover
In pursuit of a priceless treasure stolen from his homeland, Kyril commands the Pack to gather in secret. A rash act by one woman--one extraordinary woman, the sensual and utterly alluring Vivienne Sheridan--has put their ancient clan in peril. He vows to find her--and find out her every secret--before it is too late...
Hidden in a ruined mansion, concealed by the shadows of a moonlit night, Vivienne comes forth, drawn to Kyril by a mysterious magic she is unable to resist. In his powerful embrace, Vivienne senses the wild nature beneath his gentlemanly façade--and she surrenders to his intimate touch. Whatever he wants, she will give...with all the passion of a woman mesmerized...

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice change of pace in historical werewolf books. Most that I read have the hero cursed to be a werewolf and he spends the book trying to break the curse. This one takes a different route. It is a genetic thing and they are proud of their heritage. The heroine has a nice backbone but is not unable to say when she is out of her depth, I like that. There is one part that kind of lost me for a while when he stayed away from her for a time to keep her safe. I do not know if I was just distracted and not reading it fully or the way it was worded, I will have to re-read this at another time. I also liked how it was not your typical, girl gets captured by the bad guys and hero rescues her. There is a nice spin to it. The scenes were nice and hot and the storyline was well thought out. I liked it. The next one is about his brother.

Labels: historical, paranormal, werewolves