The Reading Spot

Chantal, Ames and I have a joint review of Nauti Intentions by Lora Leigh up at Breezing Through. I liked it more than they did, but that is okay. :) You can read it here.

Labels: contemporary

Relentless by Lauren Dane

Since the first settlers came through the portals from Earth, fifteen Families have held the rule of the Federated Universes in their hands. There’s never been a better time than now to throw out the old and usher in a new order. Give voice to the unranked. Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. A fighter, she’s always been too busy and driven to pay much attention to finding love. But when she’s granted audience with Roman Lyons, the head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, her instant attraction catches Abbie off-guard…

It’s common knowledge that the Known Universe revolves around Ravena—and that Ravena revolves around Roman Lyons, bred to lead since birth. Roman dreads his meeting with a defiant—if stunning—rabble-rouser. But, sometimes, headstrong personalities in the conference room make for hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private….

Now, Abbie will show Roman the parts of her world he wouldn’t otherwise get to see. And he’ll give her a glimpse of the Families’ age old tradition and unleash a sexuality he’d never given rein to before.

This book releases May 5th and comes after her previous book Undercover. I loved Undercover so was very excited to read this. I was not disappointed.
The blurb for this was a good summary so I do not have anything to add to it. Abbie and Roman fall in love but are separated by class, how will they span the gap to be together.
Very hot scenes and very poignant scenes in a tough situation, I cried at one point. Great storyline and great characters.
Abbie is a strong heroine who knows what she wants in her personal and professional life. She wants a voice for the people in her society. I loved her character. Her society is a a class system and you are either one of the "Families" or you are not. The Families rule and make all the rules for everyone. Abbie believes that there should be a panel of the "common" people to give the opinions and thought and wishes of the common people. The Families are very stuck in tradition and many will stop at nothing to keep this from happening.
Roman is also a very strong man that has been raised to lead. He needs someone like Abbie to challenge him and keep him grounded. He was a very sexy but conflicted guy.

You do not have to read Undercover to follow the storyline but it is slightly helpful because one of the issues that Roman is dealing with is fallout and the politics and justice of what happened in Undercover.

I had a hard time putting this one down, I give this story an A.

Labels: futuristic

Well I could not afford the RT convention but I get to go to the book signing today. I am excited. I have never been to a book signing before and this is one on a massive scale. I am also supposed to meet up with Jill D. and that will be fun to meet her in person too. I will post more later and let you know how I did. My goal is to actually talk to some people and not stand in the corner and gawk. I do not do well in crowds and will be very tempted to do that. See ya later :)

Labels: misc

Animal Attraction by Charlene Teglia review here at Book Binge
Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty review here at Book Binge
Shadow Rider by Kathrynn Dennis
The Man for Me by Gemma Bruce

Labels: werewolves

This is my Oldest singing in Church on Sunday. She is the one in the white dress.

Labels: misc

Madeline Brewster practically owns Plum City, Colorado. But at thirty-two, she knows she has missed any chance for happiness. Until she finds a tall, strong, handsome Irishman on the wrong end of the hangman's noose. Suddenly this unconventional woman comes up with an outrageous idea...Teague O'Neal has rugged cheekbones, tousled black curls, and eyes as blue as the sky, even if he is caked in Colorado mud. The men insist they caught him horse-thieving, and there's something desperate about him that says he'd do anything for a buck. Maybe it was pure chance, or maybe it was something more that brought Madeline and Teague together. But one thing's clear, between a woman who has just about everything she could ever want, and a man who's lost that and more, they might find something in between worth living for.

This was a very HOT western romance. It had an intriguing storyline. The heroine is very wealthy but very single and has no prospects because of her size (she is 6 feet tall). She enlists the aid of a man who is being tried for horse thievery but claims that he is innocent. He is taller than her and she wants him to teach her about sex. But then they also have to deal with two men in town who want her money and are discrediting her name to get it. Great storyline, very in depth characters, definitely recommend if you want a hot western.


Jules Kingston is a WereLion destined to be the next Lioness of the White Sands Pride. Her fathers, having decided to step down as Leos, have put out a call for a pair of lions to mate with their daughter. Before settling down with mates and a litter of cubs, though, Jules wants to spread her wings.

Of all the Lions in the Pride, Gabriel and Lucas Beckett are the only two who make her panties wet-and the last two she would ever take on as mates. When the brothers stake their claim, she runs, cursing her hormones for reacting to such prime specimens of her species.

Gabe and Luke have known for years that Jules is meant to be their mate. The trick will be to convince their woman she belongs to them. As expected, Jules leads them on a merry chase.

Then a mate fight and hunt is called by a rival pair. To win Jules as their own, Gabe and Luke must prove their dominance over the Pride-and their woman.

This is a nice erotic shape shifter story. It reads almost like a prologue to a series (maybe it is and i just don't realize it). It is time for Jules to pick a mate whether she wants to or not. Gabe and Luke have already picked her, she just does not know it yet. Good storyline. It was not drug out at all and I liked the emotional aspect that was addressed. I liked how the boys admitted that they might have gone about things the wrong way. Because that is one thing that annoys me occasionally about the over Alpha male. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Labels: historical, shape-shifter, western

If you have not heard of Susan Boyle then you need to check this out. She is a part of Britains Got Talent 2009. When she comes on stage everyone is snickering at her appearance, when she starts singing, no one is laughing now.


This is another Britains Got Talent contestant. This group is called Flawless and their dancing is awesome.


This is the last one and it is amazing as well. the chick does a pirouette on her partner's shoulder. She is incredibly flexible too. There are a few other youtube videos of her (most listed under "acrobatic ballet") and they are amazing.

Well I had a minute to post this so I am going to go ahead and do it and not wait til this weekend. Here is what I have been reading lately.
Nauti Intentions (Nauti Book 4) by Lora Leigh review to come at Breezing Through
White Star (Star series Book 2) by Elizabeth Vaughan (A) review here at Book Binge
Bad Boy (Bad book 2) by Maya Reynolds (B-) review to come at Book Binge

Labels: contemporary, fantasy

The First Sin (Lexi Steele Book 1) by Cheyenne McCray (A-) review here at Book Binge.
Marked by Passion (Book 1) by Kate Perry (A-) review to come at Book Binge

I also have a review for The Mage (Sons of Destiny Book 8) by Jean Johnson posted here.

Labels: contemporary, paranormal

A great contest from some great ladies. Check it out here.

Labels: misc

Strikingly handsome, wealthy, and accomplished, Brian Donovan has succeeded in everything he puts his mind to - except marriage. Now, as a favour to his former military commander Teddy Roosevelt, Brian is investigating a powerful new weapon invented in the small European country of Eisengau. The task carries prestige, danger, and an enticing complication in the lithe form of Meredith Duncan. With her deliciously candid approach to all things sensual, Meredith is unlike any woman Brian has known. In fact, she wants him to ruin her reputation - and Brian eagerly obliges, initiating a passionate, playful, and wildly erotic affair...A feminist who believes in free love, Meredith has always battled convention. When her parents urge her toward an odious marriage, Meredith turns to the dashing, thoroughly masculine American who could be her only hope of escape. But nothing is as simple as it seems, and as competition to acquire the new weapon turns deadly, two lovers are drawn into a treacherous game where the stakes run as high as their raw, mutual desire, and the greatest risk of all may lie within an untested and all-consuming love...

This is about William and Viola Donovan's son (one of them anyway). Interesting setting, middle of Europe in 1893. Not your typical historical setting, nice change. Very strong heroine who is trying to change things politically in how the workers/laborers are treated where she is at. It is very hot, like all her books are, but the blurb made me think of her as this very open woman (kind of like a Susan Johnson heroine), but she just is not against sex before marriage, she has had a total of two partners before him.
The other books in this series are nice to read before hand but not necessary, this one stands alone fine. This gets a C+ from me. This was good, but I liked some of the other books by her more.

Labels: contemporary, historical

Well, I was going to put this out on time but the travelling internet gods were not with me. Hubby and I went to Alabama for a week leaving the kids with my mother (i love her). And the friend's house that we were staying at had very spotty internet so I was not able to be online except in short spurts. But I got to read alot :) I finished a book a day while I was away. I will tell you about those in the next post.

This post is about my re-reads. I picked a Johanna Lindsay trilogy that has been on my shelf for a few years. I originally read them out of order (2nd, 3rd, 1st then went back and read the 2nd one again because then it made more sense). These are very spread out in publication dates and the writing style shows it.
The worldbuilding confused me some. I thought from the way the first book was written that Tedra lived on a futuristic Earth just renamed, but in the third book he had to travel for 2 months to reach "Earth". I guess it makes sense and i just read it wrong, could be and would not be the first time.

Where Warriors Rule. . .

In search of a true and gentle love, fiery Shanelle Ly-San-Ter flees the lustful advances of the blue-eyed barbarian who has been chosen as her lifemate--confused and frightened by the fevered yearnings the handsome brute has awakened in her innocent soul.

Where Passion Reigns. . .
A warrior, virile and magnificent Falon Vanyer is overwhelmed with intense desire for the spirited beauty who has vowed never to be his. And though the heavens themselves conspire against him, he will pursue his sensuous prize--and brave any peril to conquer and claim the keeper of his heart.

Came out in 1993. This is my favorite of the trilogy. This is Tedra and Challen's daughter. She has grown up with the Kan-is-tra but does not want a warrior for a lifemate. They are too arrogant and uncompromising for her. Also she is terrified of the punishments that a warrior gives his woman. All she knows is what she hears and she wants nothing to do with it. The warriors in her culture use sexual frustration as a punishment technique. Which actually makes the next book more interesting in that aspect.
But anyway, the hero in this one is still an Alpha but I like him more than Challen. I think he is a little more compromising than Challen. She got on my nerves occasionally with her whining. But then got a little better.


Stunning statuesque Brittany Callaghan isn't used to seeing Nordic gods in her tiny California town. But when the spectacular blond Viking -- whose name is Dalden -- turns up at her doorstep, Brittany knows her dream man is very real. Dalden claims to be a barbarian warrior -- since Brittany's passion has been running red-hot since she first saw him, the sexy giant can fancy himself anything he pleases! The truth is a very rude awakening -- for Dalden is exactly what he claims to be: a warrior to the depths of his soul from a place where the women always obey. Intelligent, independent Brittany isn't about to be subservient to any male -- not even one who's everything she ever wanted in a lover. But the proud, powerful barbarian is accustomed to fighting for what he wants -- and winning. And what her wants most of all...is Brittany.

Came out in 2002. This one was good and is the story of Tedra and Challen's son, Dalden. This story took a regular and very skeptical American girl and put her into a fantasical situation. Two months after being involved with Dalden and flown to another planet, she still thinks that it is all an elaborate hoax and that it is a sociologcal study that someone is doing, observing her reactions to the odd situation. Her skeptcism did get a little old after a while but I can think of many people that might have the same reaction. Of course by the time she figures out that it is not a scam, she is stuck on another planet with a man who will never let her go back, a little creepy, but he is very cute. She is not complaining too much though, she just starts making changes there.
The punishment part is funny in this book because he goes to "punish" her and she thinks it is hilarious that that is the punishment, modern people on her planet make themselves sexually frustrated all the time, it is called "dating". That made me smile.
Good book, will keep on my keeper shelf.

Labels: re-read, sci-fi