The Reading Spot

Some very good books this month.  Great additions to some good series.

Delusions in Death (In Death Book ???) by JD Robb  Great addition and also got the newest one from the library yesterday and am half way through already :)
The Seduction of Elliot McBride by Jennifer Ashley
Hot Ticket (Sinners Book 4ish) by Olivia Cunning
Midnight Playground by Eliza Gayle
Going Under (Bound by Magick Book 3) by Lauren Dane
Jungle Inferno by Desiree Holt (phoenix Book 1)


Re-read
Backstage Pass (Sinners Book 1) by Olivia Cunning
Double Time (Sinners book 3) by Olivia Cunning
Heart of Darkness (Bound by Magick Book 1) by Lauren Dane
Chaos Burning (Bound my Magick Book 2) by Lauren Dane

Well this month was my birth month and I got a Kindle gift card (so happy) so I bought

The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly
Double Time (Sinners Book 3 (or 5)) by Olivia Cunning
Try Me (Sole Regret book 1) by Olivia Cunning
The Regelence Rake by JL Langley

I also got Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks from the library, and I finished it in one day.  Very good read.  The heroine is deaf because of a fall three years before and is thought to be addled.  But she  is just fine mentally.  Ms Banks writes an acknowledgement at the end of the story that the character's ailment was loosely based on her husband who had gone through college without anyone knowing that he had a hearing issue because he could read lips.  So I thought that was neat.

I re-read Laid Bare by Lauren Dane and Undercover by Lauren Dane because I was wanting a Lauren Dane fix.
I also won a free e-copy of Missy Martine's Changing Their Wolfen Heritage (Wolfen Heritage Book 3). I have not read any of the others in this series but I still enjoyed it.  Abused heroine, protective shifters, menage, what is not to like :)

I was feeling an urge to re-read My Fair Captain and The Englor Affair by JL Langley (really good m/m sci-fi historical) and so I did and then realized that she had released the third book recently so I went and grabbed that one.  The Regelence Rake was a decent addition.  It is not my favorite of the series but it was good.  The series is based on two worlds that were started with a desire to live in the Regency period of England.  so the whole social structure of their worlds are based around that time period, the dress, societal rules, names of places and their manner of speaking.  But they are in a technological age to have to deal also with spaceships and computers.  I have enjoyed reading about this world.

Also got used copies of Cherished by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane, two of my favorite authors, and Tart by Lauren Dane.  Yay! :)  At this point I have read Cherished and really enjoyed both stories and now am in the middle of Tart.

Sorry this post is so late, we were on vacation the last week in June and trying to be as unplugged as we could then when we returned found out that our internet was down.  So did not get it back on until recently.  Well June was mainly about finishing school, getting ready for summer and vacation so I did not do that much reading.  And since I was also following the Digital First reading challenge, the majority of the books I read were ebook and posted on my goodreads page.  Plus digital reading is much better for traveling (and makes for much lighter baggage :)

Captivated by Lauren Dane
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh
Chaos Burning by Lauren Dane
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
All were great books!!

Re-reads
Hot Fantasy anthology
Fantasy Anthology

Angel's Flight (Archangel anthology) by Nalini Singh

Seduce Me in Dreams by Jacqueline Frank
Seduce Me in Flames by Jacqueline Frank

Forget Me Not by Elizabeth Lowell (has been on my shelf for a loooong time) Did not realized I had not read it.  I enjoyed it but it will not be a keeper for me, so it is also going to the UBS.

The Duke's Perfect Bride (Cameron Brothers Book 4) by Jennifer Ashley  Love this quartet!

Heart of Darkness by Lauren Dane For some reason, I thought I had read this so had not picked it up.  Apparently I had not, so I am glad I grabbed it.  Thought it was very cool that the De la Vega cats and the Cascadia wolves were mentioned in this series so I may hope for some crossover later, maybe :)

Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston This series is so fun, the characters are just so over the top, it is very entertaining to read!

Celebrity in Death by JD Robb Good addition to the series.  So surprised that I am still loving it after all of this time and the amount of books in it.  Usually after about the 15th book I am looking for an end to it, but this one, not so much.  :)

Besides these i have a bunch of ebooks that I keep track of at Goodreads.

Queen of Song and Souls (Tairen Soul Book 4) by C L Wilson

What a Dragon Should Know (Dragon series Book 3) by G. A. Aiken (A)

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.

Since I have sucked at posting this month I am making a list of books read this month. I hope to get more of these reviewed but hoping and actuality are not always the same.

Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis (review to come) A
Destiny (Rogue Angel Book 1) by Alex Archer
Jaci's Experiment by Bianca D'Arc
Deep in the Valley (Grace Valley Book 1) by Robyn Carr A
Just Over the Mountain (Grace Valley Book 2) by Robyn Carr A
Bound by Light (Dark Crescent Sisterhood Book 3) by Ana Windsor B-
Sweeter than Wine by Bianca D'Arc B
Be With Me by Maya Banks
Tequila Truth by Mari Carr
Salvation in Death by JD Robb
Mercury's War by Lora Leigh
Out of this World by Jill Shalvis B
Nauti Dreams by Lora Leigh B
Master by Colette Dane
Strands of Sunlight by Anya Bast B-

Update: Another November read of mine (Heartbeats by Susan Rae) is posted at Book Binge here

Well I am home for the week because of Thanksgiving which is good because my throat is killing me and I cannot talk. Went to the doctor but they said it was not strep and likely due to my allergies, so I am to take three Advil and suffer until it goes away. :( I am not happy. As long as it goes away by Thursday so I can eat comfortably :P That is the important thing.

Update: forgot to mention that I had a review for Bond of Darkness by Diane Whiteside up last week at Book Binge, if interested go here.

Salvation in Death (In Death series Book ?? I have lost track) by JD Robb
In the year 2060, sophisticated investigative tools can help catch a killer. But there are some questions even the most advanced technologies cannot answer.

Her latest thriller sets a new standard for suspense, as the priest at a Catholic funeral mass brings the chalice to his lips—and falls over dead. When Detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas confirms that the consecrated wine contained potassium cyanide, she’s determined to solve the murder of Father Miguel Flores, despite her discomfort with her surroundings. It’s not the bodegas and pawnshops of East Harlem that bother her, though the neighborhood is a long way from the stone mansion she shares with her billionaire husband, Roarke. It’s all that holiness flying around at St. Christobal’s that makes her uneasy. A search of the victim’s sparsely furnished room reveals little— except for a carefully hidden religious medal with a mysterious inscription, and a couple of underlined Bible passages. The autopsy reveals more: faint scars of knife wounds, a removed tattoo—and evidence of plastic surgery, suggesting that “Father Flores” may not have been the man his parishioners had thought. Now, as Eve pieces together clues that hint at gang connections and a deeply personal act of revenge, she believes she’s making progress on the case. Until a second murder—in front of an even larger crowd of worshippers—knocks the whole investigation sideways. And Eve is left to figure out who committed these unholy acts—and why.

Another good addition to the series. Not my favorite in the series but a good addition. I wanted more action outside of the case. I missed seeing all the other people in this world. She had one phone conversation with Mavis and that was all we got of her and did not see Charles and Louise at all. It was mainly the case for this book. The case was very good so I still enjoyed the book, just not as much as some of the others.

Well, today is my b-day. Had a nice day. Hubby took me (and the littles) out for pizza. Had a good day at school and my mom is taking me shopping tomorrow. I am doing well :) Especially if she takes me to Borders, then I will be ecstatic. I am going to spend time with Hubby and then go to sleep. Have great night everyone :)

• Jaci's Experiment (Resonance Mates Book 3) by Bianca D'Arc
  

Before the aliens came, cousins Mike and Dave used their psychic abilities to their advantage in business dealings. Now they use them to stay alive, keeping a sharp telepathic eye out for ways to help themselves and others improve their lot... or escape. Their friendship with Jaci has always been more than simply captives and caretaker. Now that her DNA has changed, their shared resonance is the stuff of legend.

Destiny (Rogue Angel Book 1) by Alex Archer
An ancient order tied to the Vatican... A blood fortune buried in the caves of France... A conspiracy of power, greed and darkest evil... Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudan hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny; a brotherhood of monks willing to murder to protect their secret; and a powerful black-market occultist desperate to put his own claim to centuries-old blood money. Annja embarks on a high-tension race across Europe and history itself, intent on linking the unholy treachery of the ages with the staggering revelations of the present. But she must survive the shadow figures determined to silence her threat to their existence.

This book was interesting. I had heard good things about it but never got around to trying it. She is basically a female Indiana Jones. She travels around the world trying to prove/disprove legends and other historically fascinating things. I thought that it was a fun book, lots of action and a great heroine. I read someone describing this book as having a multi-layered plot and that is a great description for it. I was trying to tell Hubby about the plot line and had a hard time telling it coherently because it was so complex to explain in a quick synopsis with out it sounding hokey.
I did not realize until I started looking at the series more, how many books there already are in the series. There are 12 out so far. Did not realize that when i decided to try this series. Don't know if I have the will to start another series. It was a good story but I am not sure if I will continue the series.

Well, work is kicking my butt at the moment. They cut my counter part at school and have doubled up my classes in K-3rd. So I have two classes at the same time and they have given me a aide to help. It is not going too badly, but I am so worn out. Kindergarten was scaring me, but I think that we have worked out a workable solution. I have the classes two at a time, but it is staggered because of the previous schedule. So one day I have classes A and B and the next day I have classes B and C, and the next, C and D etc. So that make lessons not ideal because I cannot build on the lessons they way I wish. They say that it is probably only for the semester then they can try to make it better in January. By then I will be used to it, I hope, and it will not matter. It is just difficult adjusting, it is a new challenge. Okay i am done with my whining.

The kids are all doing well. The baby is growing like a weed. She is up to 14 lbs. The middle one is amazing her daycare teacher with her energy and ability to lie. The oldest is doing very well in school and getting ready for soccer to start. They all impress me and stress me everyday, it is great. :) I hope that everyone is doing well.



Davin's Quest (Resonance Mates Book 2) by Bianca D'Arc

Which man will Callie choose, the alien or the warrior? Or can she have both?

For each Alvian, there is one perfect match—a Resonance Mate whose soul blends in perfect harmony. Unlike the rest of his race, Davin has emotions and suffers for it. Without a mate, he is doomed to go mad. Searching for answers and understanding, he seeks out Callie O’Hara, a human woman with strong empathic gifts. Could this fragile human be his Resonance Mate?

Rick St. John is a tough-as-nails survivor of the Alvian occupation of Earth. He doesn’t believe in much, but when he sees Callie for the first time, he starts to believe in love at first sight.

The Governing Council is gunning for Davin, the upstart who dares to defy them. And they’ll kill anyone who gets in their way. Davin and Rick must come to terms with their feelings for Callie in order to keep her safe, while she has to find a way to save them both... with her love.

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.

I forgot to tell you about a movie I watched the other day. It was Freedom Writers I loved this movie. It was interesting as a teacher and as a person. It reminded me a lot of Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfiffer, but I think I liked this one better. I liked what she did with the students and made history come alive and relevant to them. I looked at my library and they have the book by them so I requested it so I can read it.
It is a based on true story account of a teacher named Erin Gruller who started her teaching career at a very tough high school in LA. It starts in 1994 when gang violence is extremely high and she is a first year teacher. She has very difficult classes where the students are all in one gang or another and the classrooms are just another turf to fight over. Because of a picture that is drawn in class to make fun of another student because of his race, it spurs a memory in her about the Nazis, the ultimate gang. Thus begins their journey to break down their gang lines and become a family. Awesome movie.

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.

Born in Death by J. D. Robb

Good addition to the series. Not my favorite of the series but it was a good installment. It is neat to see Roarke and Eve's relationship grow as the series continues. You never get that in the usual series because their story ends at the HEA. Even in most series (I typically read romance series which probably explains this) you might see the characters from the previous books, but they just make a small appearance and then are gone again. Eve has some issues, but she makes me laugh with her total not understanding of Mavis and the baby.

Eve Dallas has a grisly double homicide to solve when two young lovers-both employees of the same prestigious accounting firm-are brutally killed on the same night. It doesn't leave Eve a lot of leftover time to put together a baby shower for her buddy Mavis, but that's supposedly what friends are for.
Now Mavis needs another favor. Tandy Willowby, one of the moms-to-be in Mavis's birthing class, didn't show up for the shower. A recent emigrant from London, Tandy has few friends in New York, and no family-and she was really looking forward to the party. And when Eve enters Tandy's apartment and finds a gift for Mavis's shower wrapped and ready on the table-and a packed bag for the hospital still on the floor next to it-tingling runs up and down her spine.
Normally, such a case would be turned over to Missing Persons. But Mavis wants no one else on the job but Eve-and Eve can't say no. She'll have to track Tandy down while simultaneously unearthing the deals and double-crosses hidden in the files of some of the city's richest and most secretive citizens, in a race against this particularly vicious killer. Luckily, her multimillionaire husband Roarke's expertise comes in handy with the number crunching. But as he mines the crucial data that will break the case wide open, Eve faces an all too real danger in the world of flesh and blood.


Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

This was a decent young adult book. Not my favorite but not the worst I have read. For curiosity's sake, I am going to let my sister read it to get her opinion as well, from a teen POV.

Welcome to Morganville, Texas.
Just don't stay out after dark.
College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.
When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

The couple things that I do not like about the synopsis are that part of the reason that Claire is an outcast is that she is a genius, She is 16, a freshman in college, and taking all high level courses. She was accepted into Yale and MIT and such but her parents would not let her go that far away from home at 16. Instead they sent her to a town that is (unknown to them) run by vampires. Her roommates at the Glass house are Eve, Shane and Michael.

This is a fun series. The fourth book (The Quest) just came out, but I have not read it yet. This series is futuristic and pretty good. There is not alot of sci-fi jargon and a pretty good story line,if you are not a great lover of sci-fi. You do not have to read these three in order, but there are characters that are mentioned in both so it does help. It is not the best sci-fi I have read, but I liked it.

The Challenge by Susan Kearney (Book One)
She was shot protecting the president, and woke up naked, in the arms of a hunk....A hunk named Kahn (a Rystani leader/warrior), who told Secret Service agent Tessa Camen an outlandish story about traveling through time, saving the world, and a Challenge only she can accept. Kahn offers her proof she can't refute: Tessa has been brought forward through time to save Earth by winning an intergalactic challenge. Kahn only has a few weeks to train Tessa to use the psi-abilities he insists she has. He is confident in the success of a time-honored method that uses sexual frustration to bring out her powers, but Tessa is dubious. She's a martial arts expert and can fight her way through anything, but she's never had much luck with emotions. Luckily for Earth, Kahn can be very convincing....


The Dare by Susan Kearney (Book Two)
Dora wants to make love. Specifically, Dora wants to make love with the handsome Rystani warrior-pilot Zical. But since Dora is a computer-albeit a sentient computer-she cannot experience touch, taste and true desire. Dora's logic functions refuse to accept this, so she uses the advanced technology of the 24th century to build herself a body specifically crafted to appeal to Zical, and downloads her computer brain into it. But Dora's sassy attitude makes her too different from the women of Zical's culture. He's attracted to Dora, but he won't make love to her. And while it would be easy for Dora to adapt to his desires, she likes being smart and funny; she's becoming good at being human. When Zical accidentally summons the ancient machines that protect the galaxy from invasion, Zical and Dora's mission is to intercept them and bring them back to the galaxy's rim. Fortunately for Dora, this puts her and Zical into very close quarters for a very long time. But much has changed, and as Dora learns more about human emotions and what they mean, she realizes that she doesn't just want to make love with Zical--she wants to love him. And be loved in return.

The Ultimatum by Susan Kearney (Book Three)
Dr. Alara Calladar needs a man........but she sure as krek doesn't want one. If Alara doesn't make love soon, her cells will fail to regenerate and she'll die. Unfortunately, her only option is an enemy--Rystani starpilot Xander, her abductor.... and a member of the race who has been battling hers since the beginning of time (she is Endekian). Xander issues an ultimatum: He'll make love to Alara only if she will use her psi-talent of identifying DNA to help him find the cure for the deadly Terran virus spreading across the galaxy. Alara is trapped. She gives Xander what he wants--and gets when she needs. But Alara holds a pair of secrets: the more they make love, the more Alara's cells adapt to Xander's body, until the only person she can make love with is him--and the more time they spend together, the more Alara likes Xander. When it seems that all the forces in the universe have aligned against them, can Alara trust Xander with her life.... and her heart?