Friday, March 26, 2010

Book Blogger Hop March 26th 2010

This was started at Crazy For Books. A totally fantabulous idea and one that I hope to participate in for a long time. Here is what she had to say over at her blog about The Hop.

It's Friday! Time for another Book Blogger Hop!!


First things first, I'm sure you noticed the new graphic!! Don't you just LOVE it?! I burst out laughing when I first saw it! Louise from Adori Graphics is such a talented artist and I highly recommend her!! So, feel free to grab it and use it on your blog!!


Onto the rules. PLEASE READ THE RULES BEFORE ENTERING YOUR LINK!!!

I don't expect everyone to visit and follow every single blog listed on the Hop MckLinky. Believe me, my Google Reader is out of control, so I understand! The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs. It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest. So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week. This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine! We'll see you next week!






If you sign MckLinky, please share the love and POST ABOUT THE HOP ON YOUR BLOG! How else will anyone else find out about it and come join the party? I've visited lots of blogs, but have seen quite a few not sharing the love and it bummed me out a bit.






PLEASE USE THIS NEW FORMAT WHEN ENTERING YOUR LINK BELOW:

A "new" blogger is defined as a person who has been blogging LESS THAN 3 MONTHS OR has LESS THAN 50 FOLLOWERS!


(Old or New Blogger) Blog Title (Genres Reviewed)




example:


(Old) Crazy-for-Books (Variety, not paranormal/scifi/fantasy)






I'll setup MckLinky to allow extra characters in the post, but don't go crazy. I have a wide range of genres I like, but I don't read paranormal/science fiction/fantasy, so it was easier for me to state what I DON'T review! LOL

About the Hop:


This is a weekly event, hosted here, where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends! Every day I seem to find another book blog that I start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!

Pretty please - Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.


If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know! Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added! And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

So, let's do the Hop!


P.S. BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR LINK - DID YOU READ ALL OF THE RULES ABOVE??

Ok, so now you know what to do. I have given you the link to her blog but here is a like to the specific post...Book Hop

The Friday 56

I am horribly addited to finding new memes. This one has been making the rounds. I found it on readingatthebeach blog but she links back to Tonya's blog at storytimewithtonya. No matter who started it I love the idea of a shared scheduled specific glimps at a random book. So, here are the instructions.....




Rules:




* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.


* Turn to page 56.


* Find the fifth sentence.


* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.


*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.


* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


HAPPY FRIDAY!
So, the closest book to me right now is...

Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz

Page 56 lines 5, 6, 7 and 8....

"Zackary Jones. Call me Zack. I'm here to make a deal with you."
Okay, obviously she had just fallen down the rabbit hole.


Strange but true...I was reading this book earlier today and brought it down in case the family race to the computer didn't pan out well for me. I am currently on page 54.. It is now drilling through my OCD (undiagnosed....close friends say that I'm just super anal) brain that I have to stop what I am doing so I can read the book up to the end of the chapter now that I have teased myself with this meme. Oh, the end of the chapter also happens to be page 56.

Anyway, this book is part of the Arcane Society series written by Jayne Ann Krentz and her pen name Amanda Quick. This is the second book in the series that I have/am reading. The first one was White Lies which I really liked. This will link you to my review if you are interested....White Lies

If you would like to purchase this book it is available at amazon Sizzle and Burn

A-Z Wednesday....on Friday

So I didn't get a chance to post my A-Z Wednesday so I am a couple days late but wanted to continue with this meme for fear it would crash and burn and only in it's 3rd week here on my blog. Anyway, here is some info on the meme....

Technically this was started by another blogger (her link is located in the directions below) and I like it so much I decided to "borrow" the idea. So I give her props and high fives on the idea and make sure you take a look at her blog. She has such interesting things to see there.


Here are the directions to A-Z Wednesday....

This is a fun meme hosted by Reading At The Beach

Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!


To join, here's all you have to do:

Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.


Post:


1~ a photo of the book


2~ title and synopsis


3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)


4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.


Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment. (We all love comments, don't we?)


Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

Fabulous right? So without any more hesitation I bring you this week's letter....C

I chose Causing Havoc by Lori Foster for this week's book. I read this book last month. Normally I might have chosen one I haven't read yet but I read this one not that long ago and thought it was super fabulous.

You can purchase the book at amazon here.

Description from Shelfari....
Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve-who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight belt was hard.


My review on this book can be found here.... Causing Havoc

Blood Sins by Kay Hooper

I have been a long standing fan of Kay Hooper. Last year I read an older book of her's called The Wizard of Seattle which I really enjoyed even. This must be why was I so surprised that this book was barely average? Although when looking back at last year's books read I did notice that I read the first book in this trilogy sometime between January and March of 2009 which isn't really that long ago and truth be told I can only remember one detail about it. Nope...not the character's names but the fact that the heroine wakes up covered in blood with amnesia. Yep that's it. So, why again knowing that the last book I read in this series was forgettable was I so disappointed while reading this one? Maybe it was because I really wanted it to be fantabulous. Maybe it was because I love paranormal books that are about psychics (maybe even more then the vamp ones). Maybe it was because I liked the color of the cover. Whatever the reason, I found this book to be a middle of the road read. One where during the course of the book it could go either way. A half a star given for a particularly witty exchange of words between the characters. A loss of a whole star for having a crazy cult leader called "Father". Ok, anyway, on to the book description and my thoughts (or rather more of my thoughts).

Book Description compliments of paperbackswap.....

Young, vulnerable, attractive, Tessa Gray made the perfect victim. Which was why Noah Bishop of the FBI’s Special Crimes Unit recruited her to play the role of grieving widow. As the supposed new owner of land coveted by the Church of the Everlasting Sin, she'd be irresistible bait for the reclusive and charismatic Reverend Samuel. His fortified compound in the mountains near Grace, North Carolina had been the last known residence of two women murdered in ways that defied scientific explanation.

Though hardly as naive or as vulnerable as she appears, Tessa knows she has a lot to learn about using her unique gift. She also knows that Bishop and the SCU have to be desperate to rely on an untried psychic agent in an undercover operation so dangerous. And desperate they are. For the killer they're hunting is the most terrifying they've ever faced and shakes even the most seasoned agents: a soulless megalomaniacal cult leader who can use their own weapons, talents, and tactics against them.

By entering the cult’s well-guarded compound, Tessa will be exposing herself to the dark magnetism of a psychopath on an apocalyptic crusade of terror that spares no one, not even the youngest victims. And Samuel has protected himself within a fanatically loyal congregation, many of whom occupy surprising positions of power within the community. Even Grace's chief of police, Sawyer Cavenaugh -- a man Tessa will have to trust with her life -- may be unable to protect her. Because no one, not even Tessa herself, can guarantee she’s strong enough to resist temptation -- or powerful enough to battle a killer who's less than human.

My Thoughts.....

You ever read a book that had more characters then you can actually keep track of? How about one that throughout the course of the book became more of a "family" reunion then a book about 2 specific characters. Well, this book is one of those...on both accounts.

As I mentioned earlier I actually read the first in this trilogy last year. By the way Blood Sins is book two in the trilogy but really book 11 of the Bishop/SCU series. Separated by themes but connected by one super psychic named Bishop and his band of merry men/women. Ok so, read the first in the trilogy last year, check. I remember pretty much nothing of the book, yep, check. I remember reading all the other 10 books in the "series" over the last 13 years...at least I remember adding them to my mental "I read that book" list. But really don't remember any of them in detail except book two of the Shadows trilogy (Hiding in the Shadows) which I thought the ending was sucky....just not my cuppa whatever (tea? tequilla?). Needless to say when a dozen characters from previous books started showing up for a big nasty good vs. evil showdown in this book I ended up being a little overwhelmed. It's like making chicken soup for you and a friend but then that friend invites a friend who invites a friend and so on and next thing you know you are adding 17 cups of water to the soup and making sure when dishing it up everyone gets one noodle and half of a slice of carrot in their bowls. Yes there is enough to go around but let's face it....it's just not satisfying.

Yes this book gives you a few hours of reading happiness. Let's face it, a bad day of reading is better then a good day at work right? But it blows just a little bit when you know your reading happiness could have been so much more had you just picked up the second book from the top of your to be read pile instead.

Back to the book...I am seriously getting off on tangets tonight. Once all the players were involved I kept having nagging thoughts that some of them I really should know. Hollis was a major player in this book (not the "leading lady" however). So why can't I remember her? Hooper does do a good job of "reminding" us readers what special ability each person has (half a star in the plus side for that Kay!) Dani is a super kick butt psychic who "Father" should fear....yep....I got nothing....don't remember her at all. Tessa is a secret under cover spy who might work for Bishop's SCU or maybe the private company of Haven either one maybe both. I have no idea. Did I mention I was confused?

What I did like was that Hooper kept the story moving along at a breakneck speed especially towards the last half of the book that made me want to add an extra ten minutes to my break at work so I could read just a little bit more. Or maybe I was literally reading at a breakneck speed which is why I was getting confused.

What I didn't like was the enormous cast of characters. It just felt enormous which to me says there were way too many. I didn't like that her books are now focusing on the mystery instead of the romance. Even though there really isn't much of a mystery other then why a hardcover book like the one I read retails for $25 US dollars. So, no romance. This part is actually what I thought sucked the most. There was an attraction between Tessa and Sawyer but nothing panned out. The whole book took place in a matter of days so I suppose its for the best. Had the characters professed their undying love for each other after 2 days I might have thrown up a little bit. I hate those types of romances. When it came to ending the bad guy....although Tessa played a major roll (this was after all "her" story) someone else did the deed. I never really got a good grasp on what Tessa could do by the way. They talked a lot about their powers growing at a fast rate during the course of the book but it seemed to me she ended up with a few powers that she didn't have a week before the book started.

Ok, so, after some adding and subtracting and a double shot of whiskey I ended up giving this book 3 stars. I enjoyed it too much to put it into the 2 range but hell if I thought it was worth 4....oh sorry the whiskey is making me a little testy (I should have stuck to tequilla). So, I borrowed this book from my local library. Yep I went the free route with this book and am glad I did. If you insist on reading this book borrow a copy from someone. I would recommend that you don't read this book if you are new to Hooper. Definitely start with one of her other books (maybe even ones in her Shadows trilogy) even her short really old LoveSwept books are not bad (not bad=better then this one).

Thursday, March 25, 2010

My latest random rambling....

While getting reading for tomorrow's new Blog Hop I finally realized that I picked up one or two new followers since the last one I participated in. Not only was I giddy with excitement upon seeing that I then got an excellent message from a pip of a gal named Bella over at paranormal-obsession. She is not only following me, she gave me a blog award. It's my first. Its a super special gift that I will always treasure. When she has someone bestow an award upon her blog (which is uber fab by the way) she spreads the love and gifts others with awards too. How cool is that???



Anyway, I am now the proud recipient of The One Lovely Blog Award. Granted many people have been given this award but, really....how many Oscars have they handed out over the years? It's still pretty awesome. So I'd like to take this time to say Thanks to all the people who have helped me reach this point. Wonderbunny and Angel for trying to help me make pretty links, Candace for sharing a special thread just to promote ourselves over at our Shelfari paranormal group, my 11 other fabulicious followers (Bella, Kathy, Lisa, Morgan, Mae, Beth, Tweezle, Pabast, Reyshy, Heather and Chrissie), my family who thinks I spend way too much time online (this is me sticking my middle finger up....sister dear), all the amazing authors who write books just for me to read and review, Blogger for making easy to follow blog start up directions that even a caveman can do it. And finally Thank You to Al Gore for Creating the Internet. Without you I might still be watching movies at home on Beta and playing video games on my Commodore 64.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Book Blogger Hop

Another book blogger told me about yet another book blogger who is hosting an interesting way to meet new book bloggers. You can find her here....Crazy-for-Books. Every Friday she makes a new post where anyone with a bookish blog can come and sign up using her MckLinky. We followers then can peruse dozens of other book lovers blogs to find new friends and maybe get a few new followers in the process. Pretty fabulous idea actually. Check it out!

If you comment here and follow me I will follow you too!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Deadly Gamble by Linda Lael Miller

About the book....She's got an uncanny knack for winning at slots, but her home-sweet-home is Bad-Ass Bert's Biker Saloon. She'd love to go deep undercover with an irresistibly hot cop, but he's got baggage as big as his biceps. She's survived a mysterious tragedy, but Mojo Sheepshanks hasn't quite figured out who she really is or how to get on with her life. And now the wisecracking Mojo is seeing ghosts-the real, ectoplasmic kind-and turning up baffling clues to her real identity. Suddenly a wealthy man is claiming to be her long-lost uncle . . . and she's being shadowed by an ex-con brother with a talent for killer mind games. As Mojo races to finally uncover the facts, she'll need all her savvy and strange new talent to keep someone from burying her-and the truth-for keeps.

My thoughts....Having been a fan of paranormal for many years I have read tons of vampire/werewolf type books and although many are so wonderful they tend to spend all eternity on my keeper shelf I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for other types of paranormal books. The ones that center around some sort of psychic activity really intrigues me. I admit, I love shows like Medium and The Ghost Whisperer and reading books along the same lines is just right up my alley.

Mojo Sheepshanks wakes up one day (or night as it actually happened to be) laying next to her dead ex-husband. So starts her life as a person who can see ghosts. Understandably she is a little shaken and this book relives her emotions and experiences of that first contact. The story does seem a little out of whack a bit because it takes place in the first person where Mojo is actually telling the story of her first encounter with the dead. I was a little confused at first because although she is telling us about seeing dead people I couldn't figure out why seeing her dead ex was so traumatic. When I figured out this was her recap for the readers benefit the lightbulb came on and I really started to enjoy the book from that point on.

I was a little uncomfortable with Mojo's name....I kept reading it as...Mojo-jojo which is a character from the Power Puff Girls. But after awhile I got used to her name as I got used to the first peson narrative also.

The suspense of the book kept me reading as much as the paranormal woowoo stuff did. Mojo's background is unknown to her and the mystery of her childhood that she forgot is very intersting as is her adoptive family. She has two sisters who couldn't be more different from her. Both are as interesting as Mojo herself.

After a little bit of a rough start this book just took off and kept me reading late into the night. Right after having finished this book I immediately picked up the second in the series to read more about Mojo.

Although a great book I am not keeping this one, I might read it again at a later time but will get it from the library should I chose to do so. So, I would recommend that you find a copy either at the library or a used book store. Definitely a book you would like especially if you enjoy books like Victoria Laurie's Abby Cooper Psychic Eye series and her Ghost Hunter books.

Causing Havoc by Lori Foster


From the back of the book:

Sexy, sculpted extreme fighter Dean "Havoc" Conor has knee-melting good looks--and thick skin. But not from his brutal sport's enclosed rings. Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, he has no family. That is, until he gets a letter revealing how much the once-little girls want him back in Harmony, Kentucky.



To stop one of his sisters from marrying a man as sleazy as he is wealthy, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve--who's heard of "Havoc's" reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight cage fighting belt was hard...
 
My Thoughts.....
 
This is the second SBC book I have read and both were just wonderful. Normally I am not a sports kind of gal. I don't watch them. I don't talk about them and I usually tune out those who do. I found myself fascinated by this book despite that Dean is an SBC fighter. Maybe because it isn't necessarily about his fights or the sport but the developement of the relationships between Dean and his long lost sisters.
 
Strangely enough although both part of the same series, the first one I read (My Man Michael) and this book are so different. Heck, they don't even take place in the same time. For those who don't know, My Man Michael is technically a time travel book. They do have a common theme though. Super alpha men and strong independent women.
 
I have read a few of Lori Foster's books...many won high marks from me. She writes characters that you might not have anything in common with but somewhere along the line connect with emotionally. She also has a knack for creating mouth watering men. I want my own Dean!
 
So anyway, this book is the first in the series and although many people just "have" to read series books in order (typically I am one of them) you don't have to worry about that. I read this one second and didn't feel disjointed or lost at all.
 
I honestly don't know what else to say about this book other then pick one up, try it, you'll like it. I own this one and might keep it to read it again later. You should find a copy where ever you can, even if it means paying cover price.
 
My rating.....4.5 Stars.

A-Z Wednesday


Technically this was started by another blogger (her link is located in the directions below) and I like it so much I decided to "borrow" the idea. So I give her props and high fives on the idea and make sure you take a look at her blog. She has such interesting things to see there.



Here are the directions to A-Z Wednesday....





This is a fun meme hosted by Reading At The Beach



Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!



To join, here's all you have to do:


Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:
1~ a photo of the book
2~ title and synopsis
3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)
4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.


If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment. (We all love comments, don't we?)


Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.



Ok so, now that the directions are out of the way...the letter of the week is..."B"



Blood Sins by Kay Hooper

Synopsis courtesy of Shelfari...
Some sins can’t be forgiven… because some sins no one survives. New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper has touched our darkest fears but none so dark as in her latest thriller. Here’s a psychopath who lures his victims with a promise no one can resist…and demands a price no one would knowingly pay. Young, vulnerable, attractive, Tessa Gray made the perfect victim. Which was why Noah Bishop of the FBI’s Special Crimes Unit recruited her to play the role of grieving widow. As the supposed new owner of property coveted by the Church of the Everlasting Sin, she’d be irresistible bait for the reclusive and charismatic Reverend Samuel. His fortified compound in the mountains near Grace, North Carolina, had been the last known residence of two women murdered in ways that defied scientific explanation. Though hardly as naive or as vulnerable as she appears, Tessa knows she has a lot to learn about using her unique gift. She also knows that Bishop and the SCU have to be desperate to rely on an untried psychic agent in an undercover operation so dangerous. And desperate they are. For the killer they’re hunting is the most terrifying they’ve ever faced and shakes even the most seasoned agents: a soulless megalomaniacal cult leader who can use their own weapons, talents, and tactics against them. By entering the cult’s well-guarded compound, Tessa will be exposing herself to the dark magnetism of a psychopath on an apocalyptic crusade of terror that spares no one, not even the youngest victims. And Samuel has protected himself within a fanatically loyal congregation, many of whom occupy surprising positions of power within the community. Even Grace’s chief of police, Sawyer Cavenaugh—a man Tessa will have to trust with her life—may be unable to protect her. Because no one, not even Tessa herself, can guarantee she’s strong enough to resist—or powerful enough to battle—a killer who’s less than human.




You can purchase this book at Amazon here

Friday, March 5, 2010

White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz


Synopsis....
Petite, thirtysomething Clare Lancaster is a Level Ten para-sensitive-and a "human lie detector." Over the years, she's come to accept that someone with her extraordinary talents is likely to have trouble in the relationship department. And she's even resigned herself to the fact that everyone, to one degree or another, hides behind a faςade...

And now it seems that meeting the half sister and family whom she never knew until seven months ago was a mistake. Her father summons her from California to play a role in his business empire, and Clare doesn't intend on making the same mistake twice. But after meeting Jake Salter, Archer Lancaster's "financial consultant," Clare is convinced that things aren't what they seem. Salter's careful conversation seems to walk a delicate line between truth and deception, revealing and resisting. Something sparks and sizzles between them-something more than the usual electricity between a man and a woman.

Caught in a dizzying storm of secrets, lies, and half-truths, Jake and Clare will plunge into an investigation that demands every bit of their special gifts-together they must overcome their mutual distrust in order to unravel a web of conspiracy and murder.

My Thoughts....
White Lies is part of Jayne Ann Krentz's Arcane Society books. I had read book a while back that mentioned the Arcane Society (not part of the series but mentioned the Society) it didn't go into details so I ended up confused as to what The Arcane Society was and why it was even really mentioned. This book is technically the second in the series (the first is actually a historical written under her pen name Amanda Quick) but it explained the Arcane Society so I am not confused anymore.

I have a few reservations about an author who writes a series of books switching time periods. The first book is an Amanda Quick and it is historical romance. This second book is contemporary. The third is once again an AQ historical and so forth. I have only read one Amanda Quick book and thought it was barely average. I didn't hate it, but really had no feelings about it either way. So I am a little concerned with this authors other offerings especially in a series that I might enjoy a lot (at least the ones written as JAK). I know JAK isn't the first author who has done this (Linda Lael Miller's McKettrick series comes to mind) but to alternate the time periods is new, different, a little weird. I won't rule it out though....I just wanted to mention I think it is a little strange.

Ok, so back to the book. I was impressed with book to the point that I went to the library and checked out all the rest of Arcane books that were available. I love paranormal woowoo storylines and this one was right up my alley. The heroine is a human lie detector of such extreme talent making her one of the rarest of the psychic community. Unfortunately not many human lie detectors remain ballanced because everyone lies to a certain degree. Being bombarded everyday by thousands of people lying usually drives these types of psychics crazy. Clare, in this case is such a strong person that she not only can handle her gift but has such a great outlook on lying that it surprises Jake. Jake by the way is super Alpha. Who doesn't love an Alpha Male??

This book had a great balance between romance and suspense. Krentz also was able to create characters so physically attracted to each other that I was on the edge of my seat waiting for them to bust loose and have hot monkey sex where ever they might have been. Those hot monkey sex scenes were believable and didn't feel gratuitous, nor did they take over the storyline.

There is a secondary storyline that takes place in this book too. Not only do you see the main one that carries the plot along filled with suspense and intrigue but a background one is also apparent while reading.

Clare is actually the biological daughter of one of the more poweful men in the area and with her knowledge of her father Claire also gets a sister. The sisters have an interesting relationship and I hope that it continues into other books. With the knowledge of Clare's existence, her bio dad's wife feels the betrayal of it all and doesn't make it easy for Clare in the family. This dynamic makes for interesting scenes and dialogue between all the parties involved.

Over all a good book. 4 Stars and a happy reader who is looking forward to more Arcane Society books....maybe I'll even read the historical ones by Amanda Quick.

A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr


Synopsis.....Last Christmas Marcie Sullivan said a final goodbye to her husband, Bobby. This Christmas she's come to Virgin River to find the man who saved his life and gave her three more years to love him. Fellow marine Ian Buchanan dragged Bobby's shattered body onto a medical transport in Fallujah four years ago, then disappeared as soon as their unit arrived stateside. Since then, Marcie's letters to Ian have gone unanswered. Marcie tracks Ian to the tiny mountain town of Virgin River and finds a man as wounded emotionally as Bobby was physically. But she is not easily scared off. As Marcie pushes her way into his rugged and reclusive life, she discovers a sweet but damaged soul beneath a rough exterior. Ian doesn't know what to make of the determined young widow who forces him to look into the painful past and, what's worse, the uncertain future. But it is, after all, a season of miracles and maybe, just maybe, it's time to banish the ghosts and open his heart.

My thoughts.....Having read 2 other books in the Virgin River series by Carr I knew I was in for a good read. Marcie is the young widow of a Marine who's husband was gravely injured during the war and Ian was the man who carried him out alive. Marcie views Ian as a hero who gave her enough time with Bobby to say goodbye. Ian doesn't see it this way and seeks out solitude in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. After Bobby's death Marcie goes out in search of Ian....to thank him and make sure he is ok. Ian wants none of it....he doesn't think he deserves her kindness and doesn't want her there at all....she stirs up memories that he hasn't dealt with and doesn't want to.


A shorter book then other Virgin River books this one comes in at just under 300 pages but the story doesn't lack because the length nor....I might add...does any of the other books that I have read from this series feel too wordy because they are longer. I have not read one of Carr's books that I haven't liked. I did feel that this particular book was not quite as good as the others but maybe because the characters were not really part of Virgin River. Marcie did end up becoming part of the town dragging Ian with her but for the most part both Ian and Marcie spent the majority of the book out at a run down shack that Ian had inherited.

This was a very good book and even if you haven't read any other books in the Virgin River series you could still read this one and enjoy it a lot.

Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr


Synopsis....At twenty-five, after five years as her mother's caregiver, it's time for Shelby to experience freedom and adventure. Time for travel, college and romance. But when she visits Virgin River, she runs into Luke Riordan, decidedly not whom she has in mind. A handsome Blackhawk pilot, Luke exited the army after twenty years, four wars and having been shot out of the sky three times. At thirty-eight he's tough and jaded. His major was in one-night stands, with a minor in commitment avoidance. Technically, these two are all wrong for one another. But sometimes what you want and what you need are two different things…two very good things.


My thoughts....I don't think Robyn Carr could write a bad book. This is the second book I have read by her and it is part of her Virgin River series and although I didn't connect with the characters as well in this one as I did in her first book of the series I totally enjoyed this one. Not normally my cuppa this book is a May/December relationship type of book. Luke is 13 years older the Shelby and Carr did an excellent job of acknowledging it. She managed to create a storyline that, granted, had been done in the past with a younger inexperienced woman and an older worldly man, but made it fresh and didn't feel like a 1970's Harlequin Presents. Not that I am dissing those books....I cut my teeth on them, but after so many years my romantic tastes in reading material have grown and matured with me. I didn't think that I would or could like a book where the hero and heroine were so different but I did.
 
As far as the couple goes....Luke didn't stand a chance against Shelby. She set her sights on him and he tried to resist....tried really hard but in the end gave in (not such a hardship really). Shelby, although inexperienced in relationships she wasn't naive which I appreciated. I liked both Shelby and Luke.
 
During the course of the book, typical of the series, we experience life in Virgin River, see old friends, meet new friends and witness a major happening that brings that town together. From the books I read, this is a standard theme. I don't mind. It works. But this isn't all that happens. Carr carries the story of Virgin River along where it really doesn't feel formulaic at all. There are plenty of new happenings to keep the series fresh which is good because from what I hear she is continuing the series bringing three new ones out this year and next year....possibly the year after too. Great news for fans.
 
I cannot recommend this series enough to my fellow romance lovers. I often compare them to Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove books which I also really like.

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles


Synopsis....Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?


Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her fi rst one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fi erce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?



My Thoughts.....I finished Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles. I really really enjoyed this book. Not one usually for super steamy... I tend to cringe a little when the storyline contains an enormous amount of sex because in many cases the more sex the less actual romance the book contains. I love when a book makes me go Awwww but hate when a book makes me go Ewwwwww. With that said Gentlemen was really good. Yes there was a lot of sex but in this case the storyline supported the sex and the sex supported the storyline. Succubi are all about sex. It's how they live. It's how they survive. It worked for this book. Although there were little to no romance in this book I didn't find myself getting pissed because of the lack of it. Like I said, the book had an interesting storyline and it worked.

Jackie is a very good character who was thrown into the succubi world with no intro or anything. She struggles with who she has become and tries to fight it...she hates the thought of having to be a slut. The men in her life are ooo laaa laaa. Noah is a fallen angel. Zane is a vampire. Out of the two I have found my new obsession with Zane. A bad boy to the max. Perhaps with a heart...maybe not. His character is what I am looking forward to reading about in the next book.

Over all this might have been a 5 star read if it weren't the fact that Jackie's vampire master, when changing her left her in a dumpster in an icky alley. I don't think this was resolved well. If it were me I would definitely hold a grudge against the master. He left her in a dumpster!!! I wouldn't forgive that easily. She seemed to have forgotten in towards the end. Oh well. Still a 4.5 star read. Can't wait to get to the next one. Unfortunately with my reading schedule this month not sure if I can fit it in until April.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

National Procrastination Week

Yep, the second week in March starts National Procrastination Week. I meant to post this on Monday but I put it off. What cracks me up is this is National Return Borrowed Books Week too. So, make sure you take your borrowed library books back. Better do that next week though...wouldn't want to mess up Procrastination Week.

A-Z Wednesday




Technically this was started by another blogger (her link is located in the directions below) and I like it so much I decided to "borrow" the idea. So I give her props and high fives on the idea and make sure you take a look at her blog. She has such interesting things to see there.




Here are the directions to A-Z Wednesday....




This is a fun meme hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!


To join, here's all you have to do:


Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.


Post:


1~ a photo of the book


2~ title and synopsis


3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)


4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.




If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.


Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment. (We all love comments, don't we?)


Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.




Ok so, now that the directions are out of the way...the letter of the week is..."A"




My book for the week is


synopsis courtesy of Amazon.com


Four years ago, Air Force sweethearts Franci Duncan and Sean Riordan reached an impasse. She wanted marriage and a family. He didn't. But a chance meeting proves that the bitter breakup hasn't cooled their sizzling chemistry.
Sean has settled down in spite of himself—he's not the cocky young fighter pilot he was when Franci left, and he wants them to try again. After all, they have a history…but that's not all they share.
Franci's secret reason for walking away when Sean refused to commit is now three and a half: a redheaded cherub named Rosie who shares her daddy's emerald-green eyes. Sean is stunned—and furious with Franci for the deception.
News travels fast in Virgin River, and soon the whole town is taking sides. Rebuilding their trust could take a small miracle—and the kind of love that can move mountains



You can purchase this book at Amazon here


I haven't started reading this book yet. I am still listening to Shelter Mountain book 2 in the series and just started Forbidden Falls. I am hoping to get to this book by the end of the week though so I can add my thoughts to the book here. On my very first A-Z Wednesday.