The Reading Spot

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

One will succeed. One will hang.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Virtually His (Virtual series book 1) by Gennita Low

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

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

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

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

I have a class out of town that I am taking the next two weeks so my posts are going to be very spotty if at all.

I am being generic and posting these together. They were all pretty good. I am enjoying this series. The series is called Special Ops and is about a Special Ops team comprised of men and women with psychic talents. The other books in the series are Down to the Wire, Against the Wall and Under the Gun. I have read them all and enjoyed them as well, but they all came out about two years before these, and I do not remember the first three having any psychics in them. So maybe they are just tentatively related to these. Like a different branch in the same group like what Cherry Adair did with her TFLAC books. It has been too long since I read them.


Straight Through the Heart by Lyn Stone

Special Agent Eric Vinland is in one hell of a fix. Because Dawn Moon saw the killer who'd murdered her boss and stolen valuable information, she would be masquerading as his wife on a Greek Island where they hope to outbid "other" terrorists for the secrets.
He can't deny that Dawn does something powerful to him. Sexual attraction sparks between them, interfering with his telepathic ability. Without that, he and Dawn might not survive Day One...

From Mission to Marriage by Lynn Stone

Determined to stop a bitter man from decimating a mountain community, Special Ops agent Clay Senate pairs with FBI agent Vanessa Walker. Clay is a loner, but Vanessa's beauty and outgoing personality soon undermine his defenses. It's not long before her appreciation for their shared Native American heritage unleashes a long-denied need in him.
Vanessa senses that Clay is hunting for more than just a killer. Accustomed to taming wild animals, she thinks she can tackle both his needs. But as the hunt grows deadly and passions flare, Vanessa faces her most challenging assignment—turning this temporary mission into a lifelong marriage.

Special Agent's Seduction by Lyn Stone

Agent Dani Sweet wanted one normal vacation.
And not one where she had a gun to her head. She had come to the bank to open a savings account, not play hostage in a robbery.
But the gunman had other ideas. So did the gorgeous bank manager Ben Michaels. Collected yet predatory, he disarmed the robber just in time. And while appearing to be a buttoned-down office type, Ben soon convinced Dani to hunt down those responsible for the mayhem.
The danger of an investigation she could handle—it was the tingle Ben caused in her stomach that had her feeling like a rookie again. Did she dare get on this roller coaster?

Sudden Pleasures (Pleasures Book 3) by Bertrice Small
This is the third book in her contemporary Pleasures series ( the other two are Private Pleasures and Forbidden Pleasures and I am just finding out that I never wrote about them, I will have to correct that.)
I liked this book, but it (and the rest of the series) is not for everyone. If you have read her before and like her style then you might like this.
This is a book about an modern arranged marriage. Both the H and h have to marry or lose their fortunes because of a clause in two wills. So their lawyers team up and put them together. I enjoyed this one. The morality issue that I had with the other books was still in this one. Is visiting The Channel considered cheating... I think that I can still read them because i n the end she gives up The Channel because she no longer needs it. But she does visit it after she is married, so she does have sex with men other than the H. So I know some people who would have a problem with that. But I do not think this one crosses my adultery line yet, but it is teetering on the edge. If anyone else has read it please let me know what you thought.

Ashley Kimbrough has everything a woman could want. Not only is she wealthy and successful, she has a more than satisfying sex life in The Channel, a secret network that allows women to live out their wildest fantasies. But if she doesn't find herself a husband she could be in danger of losing it all. Then multi-millionaire Ryan Mulcahy enters Ashley's life. With that Celtic warrior's body and drop-dead gorgeous face, he makes her fantasies run wild. Although their marriage is one of convenience, Ashley is starting to wonder whether she can use everything she learned from The Channel on her unsuspecting husband.

The Gift (Malloy Family Book 5) by Beth Williamson
My first Beth Williamson book. And gratefully it could be read out of order. I have been wanting to read her for a while but currently am not able to buy any books (because of moving costs and such) and was so excited when friend let me borrow this. I was not disappointed. The story was good and the characters were fun to read about. Now I want to read the rest of them it is the only downfall of series, they get me hooked and then i have to spend more money, borrow them or live without until I have money. Choices ;)

One part gambler, two parts charmer, Trevor Malloy has finally met his match. Book 5 of the Malloy family series. Trevor Malloy loves women of all shapes and sizes. When he bets a small fortune on a hand of poker only to lose to a lady gambler he cant seem to charm, he finds himself beholden to a woman for the first time. Adelaide Burns refuses to fall under Trevors spell and is determined to make him pay every cent he owes herin muscle and sweat. Like sparks from flint and rock, Trevor and Adelaide nearly set the sheets on fire. Together they find heaven in each others arms, fight for Adelaides saloon, and face a future that only the luck of the cards will tell.

Master of Dragons (Mageverse Book 8) by Anglea Knight
Good book. I got into it a lot easier than the last book and I enjoyed it more. I love this series. You did not get the whole vampire and witch match going, but you got a nice sidhe and dragon thing going. I am getting a nice appreciation for dragon heros. This was a great installment for the series and carried the storyline nicely.

NOTE: in the back of the book, it said she had a new book coming out called Warlord and I was excited until I read the rest and it said it was a release of Jane's Warlord and her novella Warfem (in the Kick @$$ anthology) in one book.

I do not like the description on the back of the book and I cannot find it to copy anyway so I am going to write my own summary.

Sidhe princess, Nineva Morrow has been in hiding all of her life on Earth. She has been on the run since Ansgar's soldier's killed her parents 12 years ago. Nineva is the Avatar of Semira, fated to save Semira from her imprisonment but now there is a rebellion that has formed and is trying to use her to their advantage. Her only hope is the dragon, Kel, now a knight but who had trapped for centuries in a sword and has been cutting a swath through the witches of Mageverse to make up for lost time. He has been sent by the god, Cachamwri, to help her. Now the Dark Ones are coming and the future is uncertain.

I got these from the library after having read Shadow Hunter in this series. I still have to read the first and latest books in the series, but the order for the books are: Shadow Force, Shadow Watch, Shadow Hunter, Shadow Surrender and Shadow Warrior.

Both of the books are good with Native American spiritual elements. Nice use of psychic powers and bad guys who are shape-shifters. I wish they had been a little longer and a little more suspense in them, but that is a preference, they were both good withut changing those things.

Shadow Watch by Linda Conrad

From the moment Dr. Victoria Sommer laid eyes on sexy Navajo medicine man Ben Wauneka, her dreams filled with images of Ben protecting her, holding her – making love to her. But Tory had a lot to learn about Ben's world, and with an eerie enemy stalking her, she had to learn fast. Evil shape-shifters Ben had sworn to destroy had targeted Tory. And while she had captivated him, he couldn't forget the vow of celibacy he'd made to protect his people, nor the secret he had to hide as long as he could. With their beliefs clashing and desire rising to fever pitch, Ben had to choose between duty and the woman he was forbidden to love.

Supremely sensible Emmaline Dove wishes to share her etiquette expertise with London’s readers, and as secretary to Viscount Marlowe, Emma knows she’s in the perfect position to make her dreams come true. Marlowe might be a rake with a preference for cancan dancers and an aversion to matrimony, but he is also the city’s leading publisher, and Emma is convinced he’s her best chance to see her work in print…until she discovers the lying scoundrel has been rejecting her manuscripts without ever reading a single page!
As a publisher, Harry finds reading etiquette books akin to slow, painful torture. Besides, he can’t believe his proper secretary has the passion to write anything worth reading. Then she has the nerve to call him a liar, and even resigns without notice, leaving his business in uproar and his honor in question. Harry decides it’s time to teach Miss Dove a few things that aren’t proper. But when he kisses her, he discovers that his former secretary has more passion and fire than he ever imagined, for one luscious taste of her lips only leaves him hungry for more…

Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones
This trilogy is kind of a sequel to her witch trilogy (Sun Witch, Moon Witch and Star Witch). It is about their children. I have not read the witch trilogy but have been wanting too. I do not think that it is imperative to read the other trilogy first. I was not lost at all. But they do mention the other witches a bunch.
I enjoyed this one alot. And cannot wait to read the next stories, Prince of Fire and Prince of Swords. I think this was actually the first thing that I have read by her ( I read Raintree: Haunted right after, now I am playing catch up with my posts). In some ways in reminds me of Nora Roberts' Circle trilogy.

The firstborn children of the Fyne witches have finally come into their own, each with a special gift...
Independent Ariana Kane Varden, daughter of the Sun Witch, has never let family duty keep her from reaching her dreams. She learned the practice of her gift, the power to heal others, at her mother's knee. And now she is the Palace healer, tending to her emperor...
The last prophecy of magician Sian Chamblyn's late grandfather points to Ariana as the one to save Columbyana from a growing evil. Sian has hightailed it from lands afar to deliver the message. When he must prepare her for the fight of her life, Sian intends to remain undistracted by his sensuously beautiful protege. But in the heat of battle-and passion-diligence might be his downfall...

Raintree: Haunted (Raintree Trilogy book 2) by Linda Winstead Jones
Great book. I liked this one much more than Inferno. The storyline was good, the characters were well suited and the story was very cohesive. If the first book turned you off, give this one a try. I am looking forward to the final installment, Raintree: Sanctuary by Beverly Barton.

Spoiler (highlight to read) ( haven't tried this yet so here goes...)
This book takes place during the same time period as Inferno (phone calls from Dante show that. And it ends the same time as the other book with the call and feeling that Gideon needs to get to Sanctuary NOW. And then the story ends but you do get the conclusion of the couple, they do get together and such before then end of the book.

It's more than a last name; more than a notation on a family tree. It's a mark of destiny. Each family member has a special gift, an otherworldly talent.
Gideon Raintree, a homicide detective, can harness electricity and talk to ghosts. He will need to wield gifts he's kept hidden to solve his newest case—a relentless serial killer unleashed by the dark Ansara wizards. But first he must deal with his reaction to Hope Malory, his alluring new partner. he'd never planned on love in the midst of battle. With evil lurking at every turn, Gideon and Hope are in a race against time to save their love, their family—and their newly conceived child.

I am jumping ahead of some other posts and doing my latest read,

The Harlequin (Anita Blake Book 15) by Laurell K. Hamilton
I enjoyed this one much more than the last book. The previous book, Danse Macabre, just had way too much sex in it and too little story line. This one was much different. I can only remember like two scenes and there was much more story to it. So this one is much better than the last couple books. If you read the series and weren't sure if you were going to pick this up, reconsider, it was very good (or at least check it out from the library until it comes out in paperback like I did/am doing).

Anita Blake is about to face the challenge of her life. Into her world-a world already overflowing with power-have come creatures so feared that powerful, centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names. It is forbidden to speak of The Harlequin unless you've been contacted. And to be contacted by The Harlequin is to be under sentence of death.
Long-time rivals for Anita's affections, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, and Richard, alpha-werewolf, will need to become allies. Shapeshifters Nathaniel and Micah will have to step up their support. And then there's Edward. In this situation, Anita knows that she needs to call the one man who has always been there for her...