The Reading Spot

This is a deal/giveaway that Kate Rothwell is doing from her blog

Cool Stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't this an awesome giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!
(sorry, I get carried away with exclaimation points when excited.)

But here goes.......

__________________________________________________________________

Official Have I Got A Deal For You

It's official because I've got the updates put in and thus made it easier for you to use!

THERE ARE TWO CONTESTS! Both end JUNE 19, the day Revealing Skills comes out in print.


For CONTEST ONE, you don't need a website or blog. You can just email me or post a comment. (although if you do have a blog or website and you did post the review, I'd be grateful. Unless, of course, you compare the book unfavorably to horse manure)
For CONTEST TWO, you need a website or blog. (This is a change because, as someone pointed out, anything else is too spammy)

CONTEST ONE: Review a book and be put in a drawing to win a thirty dollar gift certificate from Barnes and Noble, Amazon or Samhain, your choice.
Here's how it works: I'll send you any one of my books. See the list below. You then write a review and put it in your blog or somewhere online. If you don't have a website, you can post the review in my blog under comments or email it to me. (my email address is on the right side of the page under OTHER PAGES WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME)

You hate the book, well, I'll survive. And you'll be put in a pool to win a gift certificate ($30) at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. The only book not included in this offer is Taming Him.


CONTEST TWO: Announce this contest--along with a link to this blog--on your blog or website, alert me and show me the link, and I'll put you in a drawing for everyone's favorite, a THIRTY DOLLAR! gift certificate for Barnes and Noble, Amazon, OR Samhain, your choice.

Don't forget to give me an email address/snail mail address for CONTEST ONE and/or a link for CONTEST TWO

That's not so complex, right? And for the first one, you also get a free book by me!

To reiterate (literally "repeat in another color"):

1. Get a free book by Kate and or Summer and write and post something about it ("I loved/hated this book by Kate and/or Summer. You should/shouldn't buy it and read it because_____. Don't ask me to send my copy, because this one happens to be an ebook and we don't share our ebooks.")

Be put in a drawing pool for a THIRTY DOLLAR GIFT CERTICATE.
You have to write something that indicates you at least looked at the thing, for heaven's sake. Also I reserve the right to lift really good comments from your great reviews and the right to use author calming visualizations if you post how and why you loathed the book. Either way you'll be entered in the contest--and the winner is picked by random drawing.

AND/OR

2. Post this offer on your site or blog Send me a link to your post and be put into yet another drawing pool for another THIRTY DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE.

Do both and be put in both pools.


Here're the books you can review--I've linked to descriptions of the titles:
by Kate Rothwell (both are print books)
Somebody Wonderful
Somebody to Love

Books by Summer Devon
Only ebooks, although I do have one meh paper copy of Learning Charity. Revealing Skills will be out in print--but the book is released the day the contest ends so...um, no, only ebooks unless you pick up a copy of Taming Him or, maybe, if you beg me prettily, I'll send you Taming Him. But you must be eloquent.

at Ellora's Cave:
Perfection
Futurelove
Invisible Touch

at Samhain:
Learning Charity
Revealing Skills

And here's one more by Kate,a rather peculiar ebook That's here, at booksforabuck, a great place, btw. Go Rob!

Have I left out any details? Let me know.
And don't forget to LET ME KNOW (and give me the appropriate information) if you're entering!

Labels: misc

Hell's Belles (Hell on Earth Book 1) by Jackie Kessler
Interesting. I enjoyed this one. I had been hearing a lot about this one and how great it was and I was not disappointed. The only thing that threw me was the first time that she time shifted in the chapters telling you the backgroud of the story and Jezebel. You would be reading and then the next chapter took place before "The Announcement". The story revolves around "The Announcement" that Lucifer made and you go back and forth pre- and post- Announcement. So the first time that threw me until I started paying attention to the chapter titles and looking for it. But it was a fun and hot book. (The next book The Road to Hell comes out in November.)
Warning: because I know some of you in my blog world do not like it when the heroine sleeps with someone other than the hero, she does.

She's A Hot Demon On The Run From Hell-- Which Isn't Easy To Do In Heels.
Once upon a time, Jezebel was a powerful succubus, capable of seducing men and sucking out their souls. But that was before Hell put a bounty on her head. Now her only chance to escape a fate far worse than death is to live as a mortal, losing herself in a sea of unfamiliar humanity, in a place where sinners walk hand-in-hand with saints--a place like Belle's strip club in New York City.
Working as an exotic dancer is a piece of cake for a former demon who once specialized in sex. Taking money from men? Please. It's like leading lawyers to the Lake of Fire. Plus the lingerie is great. But she hadn't counted on meeting sexy Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Good-bye, succubus; hello, lovestruck. Learning all about how complicated--and pleasurable--love can be, Jezebel thinks she's turned her back on Hell.
But Hell hasn't stopped looking for her. The secrets Jezebel holds are the most dangerous of all, the kind every demon in the Underworld would do their worst to protect. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it's her love for Paul that's going to have deadly consequences...

Labels: demons, paranormal, succubi

Bled Dry (Vegas Vampires Book 3) by Erin McCarthy
We finally get Brittany's story, yeah. Good addition to the series. I am enjoying this series a lot. It is a nice fun vampire series. If you like lighthearted vampire books these are great. The others in the series are High Stakes and Bit the Jackpot.

Hooking up with a vampire has its risks-but getting pregnant usually isn't one of them. Tell that to Brittany Baldizzi, who finds herself in the family way with no father in sight. After their one night of passion, vampire Corbin Jean Michel disappeared off the face of the earth-or at least off the Vegas strip. Corbin is a vampire with a cause, secretly trying to find a cure for his condition. But when he finds out Brittany is pregnant with his child, Corbin can't keep his paternal instincts from trumping his bloodsucking ones. Even when showing his hand could cost him the woman he can't help but love.

Labels: paranormal, vampires

Be Mine Tonight by Kathryn Smith
I kept hearing great reviews about Night of the Huntress which is the second book in this series and then realized that I had the first book in the series sitting in my tbr pile. (I also realized later that this was the same author who wrote Game of Scandal and I enjoyed that book very much). So I moved it up. It was interesting. I enjoyed it. The heroine was a bluestocking but unique to me in that she was dying and looking for possibilities to make her life a little longer. It takes place in 1899 Cornwall, England and Pru has cancer so she thinks that finding the Holy Grail and drinking from it will heal her, so that has become her goal. This was a great story you had that inner struggle of the vampire trying to figure out if he was good or evil and what his standing was with God. Plus a great love story. I very much recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read the next one.

I am called Chapel . . .
For nearly six centuries I have roamed the night, a mortal man no longer. Would that I could undo the past -- when I entered the sanctuary of the Knights Templar to wrest from them the Holy Grail, only to discover the chalice I raised to my lips was not the sacred relic but a hellish cup of damnation. Now I shun the day and all things human, driven by an ungodly thirst. And yet...
Never have I known a maiden the like of Prudence Ryland, whose beauty and spirit awaken a heart I feared long cold and dead. But her young life is slipping away, and she also seeks the deliverance of the Grail -- unaware that the cost of her search could be her soul. I must help Prudence, for in six hundred years, no other woman has stirred my passions so. But dare I tender to my beloved that which she most desires -- the sensuous "gift" of forever that is both rapture and a curse: my immortal kiss?

Labels: historical, paranormal, vampires

I am feeling better today, yeah!! But on the good side of being sick, since I was only relatively comfortable when I was laying down, I got a lot of reading done, I read Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy and Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind by Karen Kelley.

Fortune's Fool (A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey
I really liked this book. I did not finish The Fairy Godmother and did not read the second book. One Good Knight, at all but I really liked this one. Starting the first book did help a couple times because Godmother Elena was mentioned and her strange horse, ??? cannot remember its name off hand, was in this one. So reading only half of the first book did help a little. Later I know I will go back and try the first one again, I think I was just not in the mood for it at the time. This was a nice warm fantasy adventure with romance, so I thought it was a delightful read.

As the seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina had a wonderful life—but also a lot of responsibility. Her special gift for moving around on land made her the perfect emissary from her father to check out interesting happenings on the surface. In short, she became the family spy.
On one such reconnaissance mission, she encounters Sasha—the seventh son of the king of Belrus. Though everyone sees his talent at music, they also consider him a fool. Ekaterina suspects something more powerful lies behind his facade. But before she can find out what, Ekaterina is kidnapped!
Carried off by a whirlwind and trapped in a castle with other kidnapped princesses at the mercy of a possessive Jinn, Ekaterina knows her chances of being found are slim. Which means that fortune, a fool and a paper bird are the only things she can count on. Oh, and of course her own clever mind and manipulative abilities…

Labels: fantasy, magic, mermaids

The Dead Girls' Dance (The Morganville Vampires book 2) by Rachel Caine
This is the second in the Morganville series, the first is Glass Houses. This is a decent series, but it is an ongoing one (i.e. her Weather Warden series is the same) so if you like a solid ending to your book/series then you need to wait and read them together. I am enjoying it but I do not think that they will be keepers for me. But I know people who rave about her other series and that was not a keeper for me either (though I will continue to read them).

Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favors beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Labels: paranormal, vampires, young adult

I found a new reading friend at work. I noticed her reading a book by Beverly Jenkins and i said that i enjoyed her books and she looked at me and said, "You read too? " And I said "every chance I get". So we started talking more and she is lending me a bunch of books that are on my want to read list. She buys them as soon as they come out and has quite a few that I have been dying to read but cannot afford and the library does not have them. Yeah!!! Off the bat she lent me Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy, Devyn Quinn's The Flesh and the Devil. This was a great part of my day which had been crappy. Try being sick to your stomach and dizzy while trying to organize class after class playing Tug of War in the hot sun. Not a pretty picture. So that was a great time to sit and chat about romances. Okay, on with the book...

Strip Search by Shelley Bradley
This is the sequel to Bound and Determined (good book as well). It has been a while since i read that one, but I think I liked this one more. The hero is the brother to the heroine of BaD. I love books with dancers. One of my favorite parts is when he auditions for her to be hired. Great scene. I have enjoyed her books and really, really, really want to read Wicked Ties by her (released under the name Shayla Black).

THE BEST WAY TO GO UNDERCOVER…IS TO TAKE IT ALL OFF.
If the Feds want to nail a Mafia kingpin, they need a slick trap to catch him. Enter Mark Sullivan, built for the job—to go undercover as a male stripper in the mobster’s Vegas club. The perk? The club’s owner. Sure she’s got some unsavory connections but how can anyone with those legs be all bad?
When it comes to business, Nicola DiStefano’s a pro. As for pleasure, she’s been out of commission too long to care. If anyone can strip her of her inhibitions it’s the new guy who’s stirring her wildest g-string fantasies. But Mark and Nicki have more in common than sizzling sexual chemistry. They each have their share of secrets and motives, and with the mob closing in, what gets exposed is as irresistible as it is dangerous.

Labels: contemporary, suspense

Nobody's Baby but Mine by Susan Elizabeth Philips
I liked this one a lot better than the others (It Had to be You and Heaven, TX). It did not take me as long to get into it. The only that I wish was different about it is that I wish there had been more mentioned about her homelife as a child. Maybe I missed it but I don't remember it being mentioned that much, and for it to have as much affect on her as it did, I wanted to see more of it.

The Plan
Genius physics professor Dr, Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. But finding a father won't be easy. Jane's super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up, and she's determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone . . . well . . stupid.

The Target
Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars' legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane learns too late that this good ol'boy is a lot smarter than he lets on -- and he's not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy baby-mad schemer.

The Explosion
A brillant, lonely woman who dreams only of motherhood . . . A take no-prisoners tough guy who'll settle for nothing less than surrender . . . Can passion and physical attraction propel two strong-willed yet vulnerable people to a totally unexpected love?

Seduction by Chocolate anthology by Thea Devine, Penelope Neri, Lisa Cach and Nina Bangs
This was a nice quick read. I enjoyed it. I like to do anthologies as a break from whatever book I am reading at the time. If I am getting a little bored or need a brief change of pace I read a story in an anthology. I think my favorite in this book was a tie between Sweet Sin and Meltdown.

Since you know I do not like writing sumaries and the book description was not posted at Amazon I borrowed this from one of the reviews posted by Harriet Klausner.

"Sweet Sin" by Nina Bangs. Matt Davis persuades his partner Ann Hawkins to make a statue out of chocolate of a naked man for a bachelorette party they cater. Ann agrees only if Matt is the subject.

"Eliza's Gateau" by Lisa Cach. In Brussels, sophisticated restaurateur Sebastian St. Germain notices the pretty naive American female traveling by herself with too much baggage. Eliza Mandish on a European trip sees the stylish Sebastian and knows he is out of her league.

"Meltdown" by Thea Devine. Event planners Donna Cavalero and Jessica Demont work extra hard to insure that the political fundraiser for Matt Greer is a success. However, both females learn that measuring success may not be in the amount of money raised, but in the respective hunk they desire.

"Seducing Sydnee" by Penelope Neri. Agricultural engineer Sydnee Frost travels to Costa Rica to help Cord Westridge save what is left of his cocoa plants. Upon meeting Cord, Sydnee wonders who can save her heart.

These four tales of SEDUCTION BY CHOCOLATE are delicious reprint of a 2000 anthology starring likable lead characters who understand death by sex and chocolate (you will not believe some of the applications that sound sinfully sweet and salty).

Harriet Klausner

Labels: contemporary

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
This is the second book in this series (the first is The Raven Prince) though the books can be read independently. I really enjoyed it and will continue to read her books. They are fresh and fun and she has a great voice. The next book and last book, The Serpent Prince is due to come out Sept 1st.

Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man. Harry has known many aristocrats-including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms. Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar.

Labels: historical

I just got four books today (two from Amazon and two from a library sale) YEAH!! I love getting new books. well the first one was more new to me, it was one that I had been wanting for a while by Andre Norton and Piers Anthony called If I Pay Thee Not in Gold (it is a fantasy). Then I also got Tease by Suzanne Forster, Again by Sharon Cullars and Captive Dreams by Angela Knight and Diane Whiteside.

Well, this post is to get rid of all the little Harlequins on my "to post about list" so here goes...

A Man Like Mac (Super Romance #911) by Fay Robinson
This is one of my favorite SuperRomance series books. I read it a couple years ago and loved it because it was such a heartwarming story to me. It was the first romance I had read where the hero was physically disabled. He is in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the waist down. This was a great book and I kept an eye out for it at every ubs I was at. I found it last week in a "to be processed" box at my ubs. Yea! But I love this book and highly recommend it if you ever get a chance to read it.

When Keely Wilson turns to Mac McCandless for help, an intense but unacknowledged attraction between them is rekindled. First, though, Keely has to accept a devastating change in Mac's life and face the loss of the career she mistakenly believes defines her as a person. A Man Like Mac is a powerful story of courage, acceptance, and the ability of love to heal the wounded heart.

And I liked what was posted at Amazon that the author said:
In A MAN LIKE MAC, I've explored the relationship between a disabled man and an able-bodied woman facing a terrible injury. My research led me to some incredible real-life heroes and heroines, people who shared their experiences and answered questions about difficult subjects. I was profoundly changed by what I learned. Courage has a new meaning for me now. The heart of this story is romance. Mac McCandless has loved Keely Wilson since she was 17, but he was her coach and teacher and such feelings were forbidden at the time. She's now 27 and locked in a battle for her emotional survival. Mac can't help her without reviving those old feelings. But he's not sure his heart can take losing her again. I hope you enjoy the story. This is my debut novel.


Talking about Sex (Blaze #210) by VLT
This was cute, not my favorite by her but it was okay. It did not draw me in like her other books.

It's Katie Peterson's job to be a mouthy DJ, but being mouthy just got personal. Jess Harkins has started construction on a sixty-story office tower next to Katie's quaint local radio station. She'd hate his building anyway who needs another high-rise? But Katie especially dislikes having her view blocked by the guy who turned down the chance to be her "first". So it's time for a little payback only Jess is ready for action.

Chance Encounter (Men of Chance series; Temptation #822) by Jill Shalvis
I love Jill's writing it is always fun and a good read. This one did not disappoint.

T.J. Chance is a wild, uninhibited adventurer. Ally Wheeler is one scared little mouse. But she's determined to change all that, and T.J. is her ticket to a brand-new life. If she can hold her own with this sexy rebel, she can do anything!

No way is Chance going to be responsible for some city girl who want to dog his heels and have "adventures." Of course, if she's looking for a wild time, he can certainly deliver. And the longer Ally stays in Wyoming, the harder it's going to be for him not to do the wild thing with her...

Shadow Hunter (Intimate Moments) by Linda Conrad
This is the third in a series. I had grabbed it for $.50 from the library and now I am off to get the others in the series. It is paranormal in that it has shapeshifter bad guys and good guys with psychic powers. Good book, I am interested in the third book about his cousin though. I just checked it out from the library today. Forgot to mention the others in the series are Shadow Force, Shadow Watch, this one, Shadow Surrender and Shadow Warrior.

Navajo Tribal Special Investigator Hunter Long couldn't believe the news. Spoiled beauty Bailey Howard, abducted with a baby? Well, the woman who'd caused him no end of heartache wouldn't be in danger for long. Hunter was the best tracker on the reservation--he'd save them both. Without letting Bailey get under his skin again.

But rescuing both at once became impossible. For the kidnappers belonged to a group of mystical and deadly shape-shifters, and even Hunter couldn't easily escape them. Together, they might stand a chance--if he could resist the force of this new Bailey, no longer spoiled heiress, but all woman….

Labels: contemporary

Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair
When I first picked this up I thought that is was going to contain an actual ghost, but no it didn't. Not a bad thing just what I expected from the title. That is what happens when you don't read the back summary. I enjoyed this book a lot. I read her book Finders Keepers and knew that I had to find more by her. She writes very good sci-fi romance. Now I need to find Games of Command because I have heard really good things about that book as well.

After a decade of piloting interstellar patrol ships, former captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’t commit–and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.
Gabriel Sullivan–alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue–is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom–for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding jukors: vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates Imperial space. The mission means putting their lives on the line–but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all.

Labels: futuristic, sci-fi

Raintree: Inferno by Linda Howard

Well if you are one of those that can buy the book and then wait for the rest of the series/trilogy then do it. The book ends on a cliffhanger. It was good and I do recommend it if you like books about psychics, but I am going to be very impatient until the next one comes out. The next ones are Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (comes out June 1) and then Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton (comes out July 1). One observation about this installment is that you only get to know those two characters, the other characters are scenery at the moment. The story is definitely not finished, but I am sure that the other two authors will finish it up well, they are both very good.

Two hundred years after the Raintree clan defeated and abandoned them on a small Caribbean Island, the Ansara wizards are rising again to take on their bitterest foes. Despite their extraordinary powers and supernatural origin, the Raintree have largely blended into the modern world. They are bankers, cops, husbands, wives and lovers in the society of humankind. But now, from Nevada to North Carolina, the rejoined battle will measure the endurance of their people. It will test their loyalties and relationships. And it will force upon them all new lives they could barely have imagined before.

This description tells about the trilogy but not about the book. The hero in this one is Dante Raintree. He is the "King" of the Raintree family. His gifted area is fire and light. He owns a casino and hotel in Reno called The Inferno. He meets Lorna Clay after it is noticed that she is consistently winning at his casino. As they are discussing her "good luck" a fire breaks out in the casino, and he is having a very hard time controlling it, why?
The next book is about his brother, Gideon whose gift is electricity. The third book is about their sister, Mercy who is a very talented empath and telepath. All of the books string together and build upon one another.

Labels: paranormal, psychic

Loving Evangeline by Linda Howard
This is the sequel to Duncan's Bride that I read a while ago. I had already read these but never in order and I do not think that I realized they were related at the time. So I was revisiting. I think I liked Duncan's Bride better only for the fact that I don't know if I could forgive Robert for everything that he did if it was me. She's a better person than me.
I do not like writing summaries so I borrowed this one.

"Robert Cannon has developed his computer software company into one of the most successful in the industry, often working on highly confidential, government contracts. Cannon uncovers proof of corporate espionage. When he contacts the FBI, it is revealed they have already been investigating the sales of classified software from Cannon's corporation to foreign governments. The FBI's only trail leads to Evie Shaw.
Cannon's determination to handle his own investigation leads him Evie Shaw's small hometown in Alabama. From the picture provided by the FBI, it should not be too difficult for one of New York City's most powerful and successful bachelors to seduce this female, hick, wrestler into admitting her treasonous activities and conspirators. But is everything as it really appears? When he sees her for the first time, she is nothing that he expects. As he tries to untangle the conspiracy, he gets caught up in his own manipulations. He begins questioning the facts and his reasons for spending so much time with her. Is she a traitorous spy or just an unsuspecting victim…… "
Christa Heins (www.allreaders.com)


Against the Rules by Linda Howard
My library had this one on their sale rack and i had not read it so I grabbed it. Linda is always a good read and it was $.50 what is not to like.
Well, it is not my favorite by her but it was not bad. The two things that annoyed me while I was reading this was one, the hero's name, Rule Jackson. Now this is not a horrible name but I have heard so much from many people about a hero named Jackson Rule by Dinah McCall that I kept calling him that through most of the book and had to keep correcting myself. The other thing that bugged me was the hero himself to some extent. He was so controlling, I do not blame the chick for leaving home as soon as possible if he was canceling her dates and spanked her for disobeying him when she was 17. I ended up liking this book but he annoyed me until about halfway through the book then I was able to see past his arrogance

Labels: contemporary

This week has been insane. And I had no internet at home. So I am so behind on alot of my online bloghopping and such. I have internet at work but many of the sights are blocked or I just cannot comment on them because of the filter at work. But my connection is currently back, so YEAH!! I have so many books to catch up on. Because since i could not get online, guess what I was doing...too much reading. Well here is one post to get me started.

Warlord (Book 3 in the Chronicles of the Warlands) by Elizabeth Vaughn

This was a good ending for the trilogy. There might be more stories from this world but not from this couple. In case you did not read them the first two books are Warprize and Warsworn. The story is a romance that is also a fantasy. The trilogy as a whole I thought was a great read. There were some slow points but the rest I thought was very enjoyable.

Labels: fantasy

Before I start I wanted to mention that I did not post covers for these because the covers that they had at Amazon were not the covers that I read and one of the reasons that I put the covers it to help me remember what book it is that i read. So on with the post...

It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
This is the first book in her Chicago Stars series. I had never read her before, but I have heard about her many times (and April was a slow new release month) so I broke down and decided to try her. She was a nice read. I do not think that she will be a keeper or auto buy at this point, but I did enjoy her. She might be one that will grow on me as I read more of her. I do not know yet.

The Windy City isn't quite ready for Phoebe Somerville -- the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars' head coach Dan Celebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Celebow is everything Phoebe abhors. And the sexy new boss is everything Dan despises -- a meddling bimbo who doesn't know a pigskin from a pitcher's mound.
So why is he drawn to the shameless sexpot like a heat-seeking missile? And why does the coach's good ol' boy charm leave cosmopolitan Phoebe feeling awkward, tongue-tied....and ready to fight?

Heaven, TX by SEP
I think I liked the other one better. I had to force myself to continue on because Bobby Tom was annoying. But then more than halfway through the book I started to like him more so he was redeeming himself. So far though this series is not doing it for me. But knowing me, I will continue on anyway.

Come heck or high water, Gracie Snow is determined to drag the legendary ex-jock Bobby Tom Denton back home to Heaven, Texas, to begin shooting his first motion picture. Despite his dazzling good looks and killer charm, Bobby Tom has reservations about being a movie star -- and no plans to cooperate with a prim and bossy Ohio wallflower whom he can't get off his mind or out of his life. Instead, the hell-raising playboy decides to make her over from plain Jane to Texas wildcat.

But nothing's more dangerous than a wildcat with an angel's heart in a town too small for a bad boy to hide. And all hell breaks loose when two unforgettable people discover love, laughter, passion -- and a match that can only be made in Heaven.

Labels: contemporary

New Moon by Rebecca York
I always have enjoyed this series. ( Other books in the series, Killing Moon, Edge of the Moon, Witching Moon, Cravings anthology story "Burning Moon", Crimson Moon, Shadow of the Moon.) She started in the last book, and continued in this one, to expand the world that she has created. Now there is an parallel universe to ours that has shifters and other magic users. I enjoyed this but I am not sure if others will.

It's in one man's true nature to remain by the side of the woman he loves, rather than live without her in his own universe...
Landscape architect Logan Marshall is out for a jog-in his werewolf form-when a trap catches his paw. As it saps his strength, he is saved by another werewolf, who-to Logan's amazement-is female.
Female werewolves aren't supposed to exist. But Rinna is a shapeshifter from another dimension who's traveled through a portal to this world. And the trap that ensnared Logan was set by her former captor, and meant for her...
But as soon as Rinna and Logan touch, an electrifying bond forms between them. Unable to resist his desire for Rinna, in all her many forms, Logan will have to earn her trust, and travel through both dimensions to save her-and earth-from the wrath of her enemy...


Dangerous Games (Riley Jensen, Guardian Book 4) by Kerri Arthur
I thought this was going to be the last book, but I was wrong. There will be more. I don't know how I feel about that. (There seem to be a few things I am not sure about bookwise right now) I was looking forward to an ending and a resolution, but I am not going to get it yet. Oh well. Darn I will have to read more Riley stories ;)

In Melbourne’s urban underworld, there’s a nightclub for every fantasy and desire. But for Riley Jenson, one such club has become an obsession. Riley, a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, hasn’t come in pursuit of pleasure but of an unknown killer who’s been using the steamy nightspot as his hunting grounds.
Leave it to Riley to find the only ticket into the heavily guarded club: Jin, a deliciously hot-bodied bartender who might just provide the key to unmasking a killer unlike any other in the Directorate’s experience. Taunted by a former colleague turned rogue, distracted by an ex-lover’s attentions, Riley follows Jin into a realm of pleasure she could never have imagined. And as danger and passion ignite, a shocking mystery begins to unravel—one where Riley herself becomes the ultimate object of desire....

Labels: paranormal, shape-shifter, vampires, werewolves

I have been meaning to post this for days but it has not happened. But anyway... These are the second and third books in her Atlantis series. The first book is Heart of the Dragon, which I have not read yet but am going out to buy this week. It also has a link to The Stone Prince because the hero in Jewel is the brother to the heroine in TSP.

Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter
Very interesting book. I am really enjoying this series. Now I have to go find The Heart of the Dragon. I think that I liked this one better than The Nymph King (see below) because it had more action in it and the story line seemed to move better to me.

All Atlantis seeks the Jewel of Dunamis, which legend claims can overcome any enemy. Grayson James, human agent of the ultra-secret Otherworld Bureau of Investigation, has orders to keep it from the wrong hands -- or destroy it. What he doesn't know is that Jewel is a woman, not a stone! But once he meets this precious gem, destroying her is the last thing on his mind . . .
Jewel, part goddess, part prophet, is a pawn in Atlantis's constant power struggles. She needs Gray's help to win freedom and uncover the secrets of her mysterious origins. Gray needs her wisdom to navigate monster-ridden Atlantis. But need blossoms into passionate love as they fight demons, dragons, vampires -- and a prophecy that says the bond between them could destroy them both.


The Nymph King by Gena Showalter
Her latest release and a great book. The heroine annoyed me at times ("The Lady doth protest too much" syndrome.) but I still enjoyed the story.

Females young and old, beautiful and plain crave Valerian's touch. None can resist his blatant sensuality and potent allure…until he steals Shaye Holling from a Florida beach and holds her prisoner in his underwater kingdom.
The cynical Shaye wants nothing to do with the mighty warlord, but she's inexplicably drawn to him. For underneath the warrior's arrogant beauty lies a complex and powerful man. A man whose caress is like fire…
Now Valerian must fight for the privilege of claiming her as his own. Because there's one thing Shaye doesn't know.…
That when a nymph discovers his true mate, she's his for life.

Labels: Atlantis, nymph, paranormal, psychic

Visions of Heat (Psy-Changling series Book 2) by Nalini Singh
I liked this book. I think I have to say I enjoyed the first one more (Slave to Sensation), but I still really liked this one. I do love the concept for this series. I think that it is a great world. A lot of fodder for stories.

Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous-aching need...exquisite pleasure. But so powerful is her sight, so fragile the state of her mind, that the very emotions she yearns to embrace could be the end of her.
Changeling Vaughn D'Angelo can take either man or jaguar form, but it is his animal side that is overwhelmingly drawn to Faith. The jaguar's instinct is to claim this woman it finds so utterly fascinating and the man has no argument. But while Vaughn craves sensation and hungers to pleasure Faith in every way, desire is a danger that could snap the last threads of her sanity. And there are Psy who need Faith's sight for their own purposes. They must keep her silenced-and keep her from Vaughn...

Labels: futuristic, paranormal, psychic, shape-shifter

I got this from chantal at her blog.

Look at the list of books below: *Bold the ones you’ve read* Italicize the ones you want to read* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18 The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) (saw the movie)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44.The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) (saw the movie)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) (saw the movie)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58.The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) (my mother loves this movie)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding) (saw the movie)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving) (the movie was cool)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96.The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch) (saw the movie)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Labels: misc

This series is a fun read. It has been a great lighthearted vampire series. It has a little action in it, but it is not dark like a lot of series. The third in the series just recently came out and I read the first two last month but decided to post them all together. They need to be read in order but they are not cliffhangers or anything. You just meet the characters in each story and have contact with the characters throughout the series, which I love. That is one thing I love about reading series is seeing the characters after they are together and how they are doing later. I have not decided if they are absolute keepers yet, but they were fun to read.

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake series Book 1) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Kerrelyn Sparks introduces readers to a demon world that is curiously parallel to the human world. There are vampire cable channels that feature talks shows, soap operas and a celebrity magazine called Live! With the Undead. But as a human female crosses boundaries into this new reality, the results can be dangerous and hilarious...
So what if he's a bit older and usually regards a human female as dinner, not a dinner date? Yes, Roman Draganesti is a vampire, but a vampire who lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.
Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan either…After witnessing a gruesome murder by the Russian mafia, she's next on their hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her…

Vamps in the City (Love at Stake series Book 2) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Who says a vamp can't have it all?
Darcy Newhart thought it was a stroke of genius - the first-ever reality TV show where mortals vie with vampires for the title of The Sexiest Man on Earth. As the show's director, Darcy's career would be on track again. And she can finally have a life apart from the vampire harem. Okay, so she's still technically dead, but two out of three's not bad. Now she just has to make sure that a mortal doesn't win. If only she wasn't so distracted by a super-sexy and live contestant named Austin...
But Darcy doesn't know the worst of it. Austin Erickson is actually a vampire slayer! And he's got his eye on the show's leggy blond director. Only problem is, he's never wanted any woman - living or dead - as badly. But if he wins her heart, will he lose his soul? And if it means an eternity of hot, passionate loving with Darcy, does that really matter anyway?

Be Still my Vampire Heart (Love at Stake series Book 3) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Be Still my Vampire Heart... If it was still beating. Angus MacKay has been undead for almost five hundred years and it's not often something, or someone, surprises him. Until Emma Wallace. The sight of this luscious agent from the CIA's elite Stake-Out team was enough to stop Angus in his tracks. But then he discovers that she's a vampire slayer, intent on killing the "monsters" who killed her parents. And it's Angus's job to stop her.
The only good vampire is a dead vampire. It's been Emma's motto since she committed her life to the destruction of these things. Now Angus MacKay wants to convince her differently.
Sure, he's a sexy Highland warrior who seems to have stepped off the cover of a romance novel, complete with brogue, kilt, and sword, but he's also one of them. And it's her job to kill him.
The war is on, but will it end in the destruction of one or both of them . . . or in total surrender to a passion for the ages?

Labels: paranormal, vampires

HAPPY EASTER everyone!!!

I got tagged by zeek for a Scategory type meme so here goes...
Rules: Use the 1st letter of your middle name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names,things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

.....Your Middle Name: Annette

1. Famous singer: Aliyah
2. 4 letter word: ally
3. Street name: Avalon
4. Color: Azure
5. Gifts/presents: A-line dress
6. Vehicle: Acura
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: animal (stuffed)
8. Boy Name: Arthur
9. Girl Name: Anna
10. Movie Title: Ants
11. Drink: Alcohol
12. Occupation: Anthropologist
13. Flower: Azalea
14. Celebrity: Anna Nicole Smith
15. Magazine: Allure (I think that is a magazine)
16. U.S. City: Atlanta, GA
17. Teams: A's (Oakland A's)
18. Something Found in a Kitchen: Apples
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: Accident
20. Something You Throw Away: Ashes
21. Things You Shout: Attack!
22. Cartoon Character: Alvin Chipmunk (you know, Alvin, Simon, Theodore)
23. Food: Antipasto salad


I tag nath and chantal.

Labels: misc

There was a conversation going on the Romantic Times Forum and it brought up a few books by Linda Howard that I could not remember if I read, so I wandered down to my library and grabbed them. It turns out that I had read them, but Ms Howard's books are always good for a re-read. I hope everyone has a great Easter!!

Duncan's Bride by Linda Howard
Duncan was a great hero. Maddie was a great heroine as well. She has a great backbone and love of life. I loved re-reading this book. It is basically a marriage of convienence book and I enjoy those. Great classic Howard.

Hoping to meet a no-nonsense wife who will help him on the ranch while raising a family, Reese Duncan simultaneously hopes to avoid a woman like his crushing first wife and finds more than he bargained for in Madelyn Patterson.

Mr. Perfect byLinda Howard
I love Ms Howard's heros, they are so alpha but able to humble themselves when they meet the right woman. I remember the first time I read this I was crying with them at the funerals, I hadn't read many suspense books and was not used to any of the characters dying.

"What would make the perfect man?" That's the delicious topic heating up the proceedings at a certain table of professional women at their favorite restaurant, Ernie's, tonight: Mr. Perfect. What qualities would he have? Would he be tall, dark, and handsome? Caring and warmhearted -- or will just muscular do? Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends start off with the basics -- he'd be faithful and reliable, the responsible type, with a great sense of humor.
But as the conversation picks up momentum, so do the quartet's requirements for Mr. Perfect -- and they write down a tongue-in-cheek checklist that's both funny and racy. The next thing they know, the List, as it has come to be called, spreads like wildfire throughout their company and sizzles along e-mail lines. And it doesn't stop there: the List becomes an overnight sensation, grabbing the interest of local newspapers and television coverage. No one expected this avalanche of attention for something that began as a joke among friends. And the joke turns deadly serious when one of the four women is murdered...
The prime suspect in the case is the victim's boyfriend, who was one of a number of men who found the List sexist and offensive. But an impenetrable alibi gets him off the hook. Now, with the help of Jaine's neighbor, an unpredictable police detective, the puzzle must be solved -- and time is running out as a deadly stalker targets the three remaining friends. Now, knowing whom to trust and whom to love is a matter of survival -- as the dream of Mr. Perfect becomes a chilling nightmare.

Labels: contemporary, suspense

A Babe in Ghostland by Lisa Cach
Cute book. I haven't read many haunted house books lately. This one actually had me thinking of Stephen King's Rose Red (the movie/mini-series, I never read the book). But I enjoyed reading it. Good book if you like hauted houses.

Megan Barrows has retired from a brief career as a ghostbusting psychic and now uses her sixth sense to fill her Seattle antiques store with objects with happy pasts. After once nearly having the soul sucked out of her by a malevolent spirit, she prefers a quiet life.
Case Lambert is a real estate prospector who restores old houses, then sells them for profit. He has just bought a dilapidated mansion so amazing that he wants to keep it for himself, but the house appears to be haunted. Seriously haunted. A few inquiries lead him to Megan Barrows. Megan at first refuses to help, but Case is a master of persuasion. Moving into the mansion, they discover that one of the ghosts has a thing for Case -- and there may be even more amorous spirits inside this veritable paranormal vortex. But it soon becomes clear that no one -- dead or alive -- can stop Megan and Case from ending up in each other's arms. . . .

Demon's Delight anthology by MaryJanice Davidson, Emma Holly, Vickie Taylor, and Catherine Spangler
I borrowed this book from the library and I am glad that i did. I did not think it was bad, just not a keeper for me. I wanted it for Emma Holly's story because it is in her Demon world series. They were all decent stories just not as good as I hoped.

In the realm between the living and the undead, between human and immortal, four of today's most thrilling authors explore the delight that ensues when opposites come together... New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson challenges a charlatan exorcist with a sexy dead woman-and an unnatural romance. ("Witch Way" Rhea (witch killer) and Christopher (warlock))
USA Today bestselling author Emma Holly introduces a beautiful scientist to the realm of the Demon World...and an irresistible male she has experimented on. ("The Demon's Angel" Harry and ??)
National bestselling author Vickie Taylor throws a hell-bent man into the arms of a beautiful dark angel who is driven by ethereal desires of her own. ("Angel and the Hellraiser" Zane and Rosemary)
And award-winning author Catherine Spangler gives a vampire prostitute a last chance at redemption when an angelic hunk offers her a night of divine lovemaking. ("Street Corners and Halos" Gabriel and Rachel)

Deadly Game by Christine Feehan
The previous book in this series (Conspiracy Game) was making me wonder if I should start collecting these, but now I am glad that I did not go back and buy the rest. I liked the previous book better. I think that I will continue to borrow these from the library and stick to collecting the Drake sisters series.

It begins as a mission to protect a politician from an assassination threat. But the operation takes an unexpected turn when Mari, a mysteriously beautiful GhostWalker, is taken hostage. At the same time, Ken Norton, expert assassin and himself a GhostWalker warrior, is on a mission of his own-one that reaches into Mari's own past. No stranger to the ways of violent warfare, Mari must join forces with Ken and trust his every move-each one more intimate than the last.

Labels: demons, ghost, paranormal, psychic

I am not going to be writing much in the next few posts because I am catching up on my posts and getting though all my March reads before we get too far into April.

Chosen Prey by Cheyenne McCray
This was a nice suspense book. I have only read Ms McCray's paranormals before but I enjoyed this one as well. Her writing reminds me of Beverly Barton's writing actually, which is a good thing for me I enjoy her as well, so if you enjoy Ms Barton's books then I think that you will like this one as well.

Coming Undone by Stephanie Tyler
This was a cool story. I loved how they met, I do not hear that beginning often. The story was very well told and liked her unique story. She is a surfer who is a afraid of the water. Hunt is a SEAL (at home in the water) and is going to try to get her back in her game. The story was nice and HOT and I love SEAL heros, sigh.

Surfer—make that ex-surfer—Carly Winters can't believe she accidentally faxed an erotic letter to…a secure military line? Now navy SEAL Jonathon "Hunt" Huntington is at her door, fax in hand, asking her how the fantasy ends.

Because Carly's parents think Hunt is her new boyfriend, and Carly does need a wedding date ASAP, Hunt's ready to play—only on one condition. Carly's got to teach him to hang ten. Problem is it's been a while since Carly's career-ending accident and she's terrified of anything aqua. But with Hunt, letting go just may make her fantasy a reality!

Labels: contemporary, suspense

Kitty Takes a Holiday (Book 3 in the Kitty series) by Carrie Vaughn
I actually did not finish this book. I hit the halfway point, started to lose interest and just skipped ahead and read the ending. I will probably try this one again later because i have enjoyed the rest of the series, but it just wasn't happening at this time.

After getting caught turning wolf on national television, Kitty retreats to a mountain cabin to recover and write her memoirs. But this is Kitty, so trouble is never far behind, and instead of Walden Pond, she gets Evil Dead. When werewolf hunter Cormac shows up with an injured Ben O'Farrell, Kitty's lawyer, slung over his shoulder, and a wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes starts sniffing around the cabin, Kitty wonders if any of them will get out of these woods alive...

Vegas Bites anthology by L. A. Banks, J. M. Jeffries, Seressia Glass, and Natalie Dunbar

This book is put out by Noire Allure and I thought it was excellent. The characters were great and the stories carried together well (except maybe the last one). It is a collection of four stories about a werewolf family that runs a casino in Vegas. All the stories deal with members of hte family (though the last story is about a cousin who you do not meet in the previous stories like the other ones). I was very much caught up in the world that they created and would like to read more from it. I really want Malcolm's story, but it has not been told yet and I do not know if it will be or not (I emailed to ask but have not gotten a reply yet). All of the stories were connected and it was nice to revisit the characters from story to story even though they were by different authors. If you enjoy good werewolf books then I think that you would like this one.

Book Description:
Vegas Bites, a werewolf anthology comprised of four romance novellas, takes place in the French Quarter casino—the only black owned, werewolf casino in Las Vegas. With a backdrop of a weeklong Texas Hold’em tournament, the full moon approaching and the retirement of the alpha couple, battles of love, loyalty, and lust abound.
Join L.A. Banks, J.M. Jeffries, Seressia Glass and Natalie Dunbar in exploring this high roller fantasy world of feuding werewolf packs, high-stakes thieves, a sexy djinn and a mystical medallion. (description from Parker Publishing website)

Labels: genies, werewolves

The Wolf (Sons of Destiny Book 2) by Jean Johnson

Yea, the second book, ( the first book is The Sword) I was so excited when it came. The series is in trade size which stinks for the price though (I love my library system). I think I read it in two days. I am really enjoying this series. I think I still liked the first book better but this one was still good. The only thing that I wish had been different was the climax of the story, I wanted it to be longer than it was. Besides that I though the story was very good.

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day-they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. To avoid tempting their destiny, the brothers are exiled to Nightfall Island, where women are forbidden. When a childhood friend seeks refuge among the brothers, it triggers a confrontation with their mysterious enemy.
Alys arrives desperate and afraid, but welcomed by Wolfer, the second-born brother who harbors deep feelings for Alys. But she harbors a secret: her own uncle is tormenting the exiled brothers, and seeks to kill them to secure their ancestral inheritance for himself.
Confessing her uncle's plan to the brothers puts them at even greater risk, for their resistance against the evil mage has stirred his wrath. Alys fears her uncle is determined this time to exterminate the brothers once and for all-destroying the star-crossed lovers as well.

Labels: fantasy, magic, shape-shifter

Freedom's Price by Suzanne Brockmann

I heart Suzanne Brockmann, her books are wonderful. I saw this book at my ubs and she was getting ready to list it online and I talked her into selling to me instead :) YEA!!! Her older books are so hard to find. I enjoyed this one, it is an older Loveswept and I was so thrilled to get it. It was really good, but I don't think that I have really read anything bad by her yet. Here is the description:

Could a revolutionary used to running wild win the heart of a world-weary journalist?
Liam Bartlett had nearly lost his life in San Salustiano, and for five years the correspondent had done his best to silence his ghosts. But when Marisala Bolivar arrived in Boston, all his memories returned--along with a white-hot hunger for the young rebel who'd hidden him and kept him alive! Marisala ached for Liam's touch, so long forbidden but now hers to fight for with a woman's fierce need. Could a love once forged in fire at last burn true?
In this unforgettably sensual love story, Suzanne Brockmann creates a portrait of two daredevil survivors, tested by sorrow and bound by destiny to heal each other's wounds. A flame who beckoned him out of the darkness, she understood his pain as no one ever would, but could he soothe her hidden scars by offering her his soul?

PS. My blogiversary was yesterday. It is hard to believe that a year has past already.

Labels: contemporary