RYOB Challenge 2010--update

Well, it is almost December and I am trying to get all my ducks in a row and figure out how many challenges I have met and completed this last year. I joined many many many of them and probably forgot about some. This is an update on my RYOB Challenge for 2010. I read 3 novellas and am not sure if those are allowed or not. I own them so I think they count, if not I will try to read above my goal, which was to read 60 of my own books this year. As of the end of November I have read 53 of my own books. I was thinking that I read more but I guess not. I have read 126 books so far and it's hard to believe that 72 of them were library books but I guess they were. One book was a re-read by the way and it is not allowed so it is not listed. To reach my goal I need to read another 7 books of my own (or 10 depending on if the novellas are not allowed.)

**Updated--goal reached for 2010**

1-Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (4 Stars)
2-Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann (5 Stars)
3-Secrets by Jude Deveraux (1 Stars)
4-Forever Blue by Suzanne Brockmann (4 Stars)
5-Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep (4.5 Stars)
6-Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich (2 Stars)
7-Out of the Dark by Sharon Sala (3.5 Stars)
8-When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy (3.5 Stars)
9-The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts (3 Stars)
10-Marked by Elisabeth Naughton (2 Stars)
11-Dangerous Tides by Christine Feehan (4.5 Stars)
12-Smitten by Janet Evanovich (3 Stars)
13-Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn (4 Stars)
14-McKettrick's Heart by Linda Lael Miller (4.5 Stars)
15-Lover Enshrined by JR Ward (4.5 Stars)
16-Remember When by Nora Roberts (3.5 Stars)
17-One Night of Scandal by Teresa Medeiros (5 Stars)
18-Deadly Deceptions by Linda Lael Miller (4 Stars)
19-Master of the Night by Angela Knight (2 Stars)
20-Public Affair, Secretly Expecting by Heidi Rice (4 Stars)
21-The Hollow by Nora Roberts (4 Stars)
22-Bit the Jackpot by Erin McCarthy (4.5 Stars)
23-Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux (2.5 Stars)
24-At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost (5 Stars)
25-Fling or Wedding Ring by Mira Lyn Kelly (2.5 Stars)
26-Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris (4 Stars)
27-The Bride and The Beast by Teresa Medeiros (4.5 Stars)
28-A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole (5 Stars)
29-Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost (5 Stars)
30-Dead Sexy by Kimberly Raye (3 Stars)
31-Aphrodite's Secret by Julie Kenner (4 Stars)
32-If you Deceive by Kresley Cole (5 Stars)
33-Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan (2 Stars)
34-Irresistible by Susan Mallery (4.5 Stars)
35-Second Sight by Amanda Quick (4 Stars)
36-Crossroads by Keta Diablo--novella (2 Stars)
37-Crossroads Revisited by Keta Diablo--novella (3 Stars)
38-Seeing You by Dakota Flint--novella (4 Stars)
39-McKettrick's Luck by Linda Lael Miller (3 Stars)
40-The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine(4 Stars)
41-Mackenzies Mountain by Linda Howard (4.5 Stars)
42-The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands (4 Stars)
43-Imitation in Death by JD Robb (4 Stars)
44-Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (5 Stars)
45-White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz (4 stars)
46-Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (4 stars)
47-Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (3 Stars)
48-Once and Always by Judith McNaught (4 Stars)
49-Street Game by Christine Feehan (3 Stars)
50-The Bewitched Viking by Sandra Hill (2 Stars)
51-Causing Havoc by Lori Foster (4.5 Stars)
52-Deadly Gamble by Linda Lael Miller (4 Stars)
53-The Warrior by Kinley Macgregor (2.5 Stars)
54-Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (4.5 Stars)
55-Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands (4 Stars)

56-Sizzling by Julie Garwood (3.5 Stars)
57-Forbidden by Suzanne Brockmann (5 Stars)
58-Visions of White by Nora Roberts (3.5 Stars)
59-Prince Charming, M.D. by Susan Mallery (3.5 Stars)
60-Sleepless in Scotland by Karen Hawkins (4 Stars)
61-Match Me if You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (5 Stars)

Out of the Dark by Sharon Sala

Synopsis courtesy of Shelfari....

In the darkness of her memory terror lurks Street artist Jade remembers little of her childhood except for the time she spent under the ruthless control of a cult leader, a time marked by terrible abuse and suffering. For fifteen years since she escaped his grasp, she has survived by living on the streets and never putting down roots. Ex-cop Luke Kelly knows his friend Sam Cochrane wants nothing more to find his daughter, Jade, who was taken from him as a child. So Luke uses all his connections to make that happen, not knowing that by reuniting Jade with her father he is exposing her to a deadly peril. In the healing embrace of her father's home, Jade -- with Luke's loving help -- begins to put fear behind her. But somewhere in the darkness, a man is prepared to kill rather than let Jade reveal the secrets of her childhood. And when her story makes the national news, that someone finally knows where to find her.

My thoughts....

This was my first book read by this author and it was good for the most part. Quite a bit of faith in God thrown in....not completely preachy but more than I care for. After awhile it kind of felt like product placement....think I'm going to H.E double hockey sticks for comparing God to Chex Mix? Anyway, the last 100 pages seemed to drag and I thought as traumatized as Jade was, I felt that her couple months of therapy that turned her into a woman emotionally available for a full on relationship with a man seemed abrupt and not real. The suspense was drug out even though technically Jade was safe for the last hundred pages or so making the story feel longer than it really was. I felt, however, that the situations within the book (the childhood physical and sexual abuse and the emotions that came with it....up until the last part of the book) were spot on and Sala did a great job of convincing me of Jade's plight. I was as emotional as Jade was through much of the book. Overall, as I said, a good book. 3.5 Stars. I will read more of Sharon Sala in the future....at least to get a better feel of her writing.

Wild Fling or Wedding Ring? by Mira Lyn Kelly

Description:
On her first night in Chicago, Cali McGovern meets seriously sexy surgeon Jake Tyler. Since she's still sore after her last relationship, her head's yelling Run —but her body's screaming for his touch…. For the first time ever, her head gets overruled! Jake isn't looking for a wife—been there, done that. But his hot new neighbor is in town just long enough for a wild fling…perfect! Yet when the time's up, he can't say goodbye. Is that just because of their sizzling chemistry—or something a whole lot scarier?

My thoughts:
I haven't read a Harlequin Presents in, oh, about 20 years and have to say that I probably went into this with not quite the open mind that I should have. I remember the Presents from back in the day, where the women were poor working their fingers to the bone virgins and the men were players with lots of money. They all really started sounding familiar book after book after book.

Anyway, I struggled through the first 10 pages for 2 days. This book should have only taken me 2 hours tops to read and it sat on my headboard taunting me for 48 hours. Within the first 10 pages I had not only one instance where my anal retentive ways sounded it's alarm and wouldn't let me continue on but then there were two. Most people probably wouldn't pick a statement apart and make it literal. I do.

Here is my example.....In the jazz club where Cali and Jake just happened to meet and spend an interesting couple of hours chatting and laughing away, Jake receives a phone call that he takes down the hallway. For a busy heart surgeon this is probably pretty common. Cali, completely gun shy decides it is time to head to the restroom then make a break for it. As Jake comes back down the hall, Cali comes out of the restroom and runs smack into Jake. This is where it got wonky on me. Wonky because instead of a shoulder bump of an encounter or even a body check where Cali unfortunately bounces back into the restroom the author elaborates to say that their legs tangled. Does that ever happen? I had visions of Cali jumping out of the restroom in full on flying bicycle kick.

Second example.....when Cali and Jake kissed (right around the leg tangling) she shuddered. In Mira Lyn Kelly's mind a shudder is an example of passion. In my mind a shudder is another way of saying "Ewwww. This isn't going to work for me, dude. I swallowed a little bit of my own vomit when attempting to snog you."

Not everyone would ever think these things were wonky with the book. I know, I'm anal. But now I bet you will think about it if you do read this book.

Once I ignored the issues I had with the first part of the book it did get better. I really liked Jake. Cali was just so-so but not unlikable. I liked the conflict that both of them had with themselves. Jake just didn't want commitment and Cali didn't want to risk her job. Oh did I mention that Cali's boss knows Jake and actually refers to him as "her Jackson"? I liked that when Cali explained her past experience with Jake the author could have kept it simple and standard that the evil ex used and then threw Cali away leaving her destitute, jobless, and alone but she didn't. Yes Cali's ex was a jerk-off but Cali was woman enough to admit that even though the ex was an ass it was her that allowed it to happen. I liked that. To tell the truth I was expecting to read the first version and was pleasantly surprised when it didn't happen.

I do wish that Cali's boss would have been a little more involved with the whole Jake and Cali thing. At least to give some closure. Her blessing or even the opposite. Personally if my star employee started dating "my Jackson" I would have something to say about it.

Overall this really was an OK book. It is the author's first and it does show but with time and experience she could really polish up her writing and start putting out really good books.I am giving this book 2.5 Stars and would say that if you were going to read it find it used or borrow it. I got my copy from Tellharlequin.com free for my opinion on it.

On a side note if you noticed there are two covers of this book mine actually didn't come with a picture on the cover at all. Just a plain white book with black lettering. Still not sure why unless these are Harlequin's ARCs. The white one is the Harlequin Presents American cover and the blue one is the Mills & Boon copy from the UK. I really like the blue book better. I think it makes Jake look super hot. The White one is actually a little closer to Cali's description as she has lots of curly hair. Unfortunately, neither one got the color right. Cali actually was described as having ginger and dark cherry hair....which doesn't sound blonde to me.

Sweet Liar by Jude Deveraux

Book Description....


It was her father's dying wish that Samantha Elliot search for her grandmother, who'd disappeared from Louisville when she was a baby. So here she was, in big, dirty New York City...her parents were dead, her divorce was final, and she was all alone....



Michael Taggert was Samantha's landlord, and he was easily the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. He was charming, too -- his zest for life was so contagious that in his presence Sam bloomed like a flower after the rain. Yet Mike could only get so far with her -- when he tried to get closer, it was like running into a brick wall.



But Mike wouldn't give up. As they probed her grandmother's past, he was slowly uncovering the joy and affection Samantha had buried long ago -- and leading them closer to the dangerous truth about a bloody spring night in 1928, and a seductive blues singer named Maxie....

My Thoughts......
 
I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. I didn't like Samantha. Deveraux tried to make her such a complex character that when it all came down to it the reasoning behind her attitude towards Michael it was a bit of a let down. I wont get into the specifics but Samantha is not a strong female lead. Over the years my tastes in romance have matured to a point that I need a kick ass woman, one that takes the crap that life can throw at her and kick it in the balls. Samantha is not this woman. After losing her mother and her grandfather she took care of her father while still a young girl. When she became an adult she married and then took care of her husband. When her marriage failed she went back to her father only to find he was dying. Once he was gone, to fullfill his will she had to move to New York and live in the apartment her father set up for one year while looking for her long lost grandmother. Michael Taggert was the owner of her new apartment.
 
When faced with these obsticles in life Samantha rolled over and sank into a depression. She also was afraid to walk around the block in her new city. Not exactly sheltered growing up I am still not sure what in her character would terrify her of stepping outside her door. She grew up in Santa Fe. Not a tiny farming town in the middle of the country.
 
Now for Michael....Never really got a good grip on him. It starts out with Sam meeting Michael while he had been playing football with some buddies and that he was toned and obviously worked out. Later in the book Sam was thinking about how much she loved his body builder's body. To me, a man who works out and in shape is completely different than one who is a body builder. But whatever. The big issue I had with Mike was that he liked Samantha. I couldn't see the connection. I didn't understand him wanted to pursue her. She would let him kiss her then run for the hills. She would spend days ignoring him. She was either hot or cold....mostly cold. I don't even know if it was the puzzle of her psyche that intrigued him.
 
There are two things in this book that I found very redeeming.
 
1-The Taggert/Montgomery Clan--They came for a visit to "meet" Samantha because finally Michael was interested in someone. I loved the picnic scene. I liked his whole family. His twin brother Kane was so very interesting by the way. I think I liked him more than I liked Michael.
 
2-The Mystery of Maxie--Although I was initially confused as to the timeline of her disappearance overall the mystery was intriguing. She disappeared when Sam was a baby but in New York Sam and Mike were investigating what happened when she disappeared in 1928 which would make the entire timeline wonky. It would make Sam 70 odd years old. It really took me forever to figure out that Maxie had indeed disappeared in 1928 when she then met and married Cal, Samantha's Grandfather. Almost 40 years later she disappeared again. So, Sam is trying to find out why she ran away in the late 60s but also trying to find out what happened in 1928. Crystal Clear. Once I figured that out I was really interested in reading about Maxie and her life as a gangster's girl. Super interesting.
 
Unfortunately these points were not enough to redeem the book for me. If I can't like the characters it is hard for me to enjoy the book. I will have to read Kane's book though....he sounds yummy. My Rating 2.5 Stars.

Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan

I cut my paranormal teeth on Christine Feehan's Dark Prince. It forever holds a spot in my heart because of this. I love that book. Over the years I have read every book that came after it with excitement and glee. After a point though I noticed I wasn't enjoying them nearly as much as I did at the beginning. I am honestly not sure if this is because I am growing and maturing as a reader or that the books just aren't or possibly both.

Carpathian Males by nature, are completely Alpha. Expecting their women to cower behind them and stay put because they decree it. In my ripe old age of Thirtysomething I now expect my heroines to be assertive and fully capable of kicking some vampire butt along side their men.

These books are still in the dark ages and all the men still beat their chests and grunt at their women to obey them (with the exception of two women who were not brought up Carpathian the women do listen too...for the most part.) But what I want to know is what is the point of being able to dissolve into mist, shift into an eagle or a wolf, or call down lightening if the XY's in your life won't allow it when it comes to fighting for your people's future.

Anyway, I should probably talk about this book now....

Dark Celebration is the 14th or the 17th book in the series, depending on if you count the 3 novellas published in separate anthologies. It is a full on Carpathian Reunion which sounds super cool unless you are like me and read the last book in 2006 and can't remember all but a handful of the characters. While reading the book I often had to stop and reflect (actually stop and try to remember)who certain characters were.

I read the hardcover edition of the book and there were approximately 300 pages of actual storyline. There were quite a few recipes after the end of the book submitted by Feehan Fans around the world. The recipes were a tie in to the Christmas celebration the Carpathians were having. I didn't really pay much attention to them to tell the truth.

In the book there were so many couples that I had a hard time keeping them straight. Also every couple had sex at least once. I also think that once a couple of them had sex we never heard about them again. It all felt a little gratuitous. Because every couple was engaging in some hot lovin' Feehan made each couple repeat that the other was their lifemate and without their other half they would be lost. After having read all of the books prior to this, I started getting annoyed with the repetitiveness of it all. Granted had I not read any of the books before this one some of it might have been good to know but even then a newbie to the series would have been irritated too.

Problem number one I had with this book....
Way too many characters. Seriously. There were at least 13 couples in addition to 2 couples not yet joined, one family friend, parents of two of the girls, one teenage Carpathian, and at least 10 children. So, I lost count at 44 people in this book.

Problem number two I had with this book....
No resolution to the big bad evil that was stalking our Carpathian women. They were all in very real danger but other than a couple battles that didn't actually take out the big baddie there was no real ending. Also a storyline was started and I have to assume it will continue in the next book Dark Possession and yet another storyline started with a 16 year old and her lifemate that I have to assume will be completed in the future as she is too young at this point to have a credible storyline.

So I honestly have only two really big complaints about this book. But they are doozies. In general Feehan's Carpathian books are all stand alone books because each one is about a different couple. This book, however cannot be enjoyed as a stand alone. Someone not familiar with the series could not fully appreciate it and would be very confused. Heck, I have read all the books and found myself confused.

So, my recommendation is....

Read it if you are already a fan of the series. Get the book from your local library. Unless of course you are like me and collect all her books. When purchasing it you might want to scour your Used Book stores and Thrift Stores looking for it. I honestly don't think it is worth full price.

My rating: 2/5

Second Sight by Amanda Quick

Synopsis courtesy of fantasticfiction.co.uk....
Financially straitened and on the path to spinsterhood, Venetia Milton thought her stay at the remote, ramshackle Arcane House would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engineer her own ravishment. She was there to photograph the artifacts collected by a highly secretive organization, founded two centuries earlier by an alchemist. And the alchemist's descendant-her employer, Gabriel Jones-has the eyes of a sorcerer.


But despite Venetia's intent to seduce Mr. Jones and move on, she is shattered upon her return home to read in the press of his violent demise. Using the sizable fee Mr. Jones paid her, Venetia establishes a new life, opening a gallery in London. Of course, posing as a respectable widow makes it easier to do business, so-in a private tribute to her lost, only lover-she assumes the identity of "Mrs. Jones."

Her romantic whim, however, will cause unexpected trouble. For one thing, Mr. Jones is about to stride, living and breathing, back into Venetia's life. And the two share more than a passionate memory-indeed, they are bonded by a highly unusual sort of vision, one that goes far beyond Venetia's abilities as a photographer. They also share a terrible threat-for someone has stolen a centuries-old notebook from Arcane House that contains a formula believed to enhance psychic powers of the kind Gabriel and Venetia possess. And the thief wants to know more-even if he must kill the keeper of the Arcane Society's treasures, or the photographer who catalogued them, to obtain such knowledge.


My Thoughts....

This is the 1st book in the Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick crossover Arcane Society series. I have read all the ones by her JAK name and am now working on the rest. After having read one previous AQ book (Lie By Moonlight) and being far from impressed I was hesitant to read more. But as I found I really liked the Arcane Society books I felt that I needed to read all of them and not just the contemporary ones.

Originally I started listening to this on unabridged audio and found that I was not enjoying the reader. I thought that her voice made the heroine sound like an uppity bitch which is a far cry from what Venetia really was. After listening to half of it and finding my opinion of the book was not good I opted to grab the paperback copy I had and finish it off. I should have done this in the beginning really.

Once I started reading it myself I found that I enjoyed the characters much more and Venetia's stubborn stand on independence was acceptable whereas when I listened to it on audio she came across as childish to me. Her siblings (Amelia and Edward) also vastly improved in my eyes. The reader had Edward sounding like a child barely out of nappies (at least that is how I perceived him to be while listening.) Gabriel also came across as more of a hero than an overbearing bully.

Amanda Quick does an excellent job of combining romance and intrigue in this book. The mystery behind who stole the artifact from the Arcane house was compelling even though the reader does have the baddie's identity early on. In addition to the main baddie it appears there are others involved and many people are not exactly who they appear.

As this is a historical romance that has a female lead who supports her family with a photography business we as readers are reminded by character actions and statements that this is an unusual event and once Venetia's "husband" come back from the grave so to speak it is a society "given" that he will take over the business end of her studio. Venetia struggles with this on a personal level even though she knows that this is custom and it grates on her that women are still "lessers" in the eyes of society and men in general. Her way of coping with it is to assure her clients that her husband is a modern thinking man and has no problem with her continuing to run her business as she sees fit. Although this information is rehashed many times throughout the book it doesn't seem repetitive because had this been a piece of non-fiction we would have seen the same struggle from our heroine because of the time it took place. Although the book did not give a specific date it does say it takes place mostly in London during the latter part of Queen Victoria's  reign. So my guess is that it takes place almost at the turn of the century somewhere between 1885-1900.

Overall, I would say that this was a pretty good book. I wish I had just read it myself because it might have been even better. I am giving this book 4 stars. I will get the next one in the series also by her Amanda Quick persona called The Third Circle. I am looking forward to it.

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

Synopsis courtesy of Shelfari.com....

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.


This is the 2nd book in the YA Morganville Vampire series.
 
My thoughts.....
 
This book starts right up where the first book ended. It ended in such a cliff hanger I have no idea how I managed to go a full year without picking up the second.
 
What I didn't like....Now normally I would start out by posting the positive but today I am going to do just the opposite and start out with what I didn't like. I thought the beginning started pretty slow. It does start off where the cliff hanger ending of book 1 ended but it almost felt as if after the big bang the story came off of an adrenaline rush and crashed a bit. It wasn't until about half way through that things picked up. They picked up in almost a breakneck speed actually which can be good but also bad. Bad is if so many things are happening so fast the reader might get lost a bit in the shuffle. This actually happened to me once or twice and I had to go back and read a page or two because I kept missing things like "Claire jumped out of the car" and wondered how she ended up in the house when she was just driving. These things are technically minor and probably my own fault. Not only was the storyline taking off at breakneck speed I found I was reading at breakneck speed to keep up with the action.
Also one of the players in the 1st book indirectly affected one of the plots in this book (I don't want to go into great detail as to not spoil this book for those who haven't read it) and for the life of me I couldn't recall this player at all from the first book. Caine actually does do a good job in reminding the reader of specifics without completely spoiling the book for people who read series books out of order but to me the dude was really minor and it was hard for me to accept that he could change the lives of Claire and her roommates so drastically.
The title is misleading. Yes there is an event called The Dead Girls' Dance. Yes it took place within the book. But it wasn't a major event. It took up all of one chapter if that. Claire and Eve head to a frat party to see if they could get some info from a vampire they knew would be there and a new plot emerges which really doesn't tie in to the main one at all. I kind of felt as if I were reading two different books about the same cast of characters.
These books are definitely written to be a series. You really can't pick a random one up and enjoy it for it's own storyline. I think reading them in order is a must too. As I mentioned Caine does a great job of filling the reader in without spoiling the complete first book but there are some things that would be spoiled anyway so you really need to read these in order.
 
What I liked.....
Despite that it originally felt like none of the characters grew or matured, after finishing and reflecting I decided that they really did. Claire is still young but you see that she emerges more spunky and doesn't completely feel like a little girl playing dress up. Eve has always seemed pretty deep and we get a little more background on her life before moving into Glass House with the group. She sometimes seems young and easily upset and other times she takes control of the situation to help Claire through things. Shane's character also reveals more depth and additional background that helps Claire and the reader understand him more. Michael's character perhaps makes some of the most drastic changes. I am not sure if his changes are for the best or not but that is part of any series character's charms.
The last half of the book really pushed the book up from average to good. The action (although at times I had a hard time keeping up) was seriously there to keep my on the edge of my seat. The conflict between good and evil was there and the lines were completely blurred as to who was on what team which was very intriguing. Baddies from the first book might actually prove to be not so bad in the second which is an interesting concept.
I thought the ending was OK. It certainly wasn't much of a cliff hanger (thank goodness because I totally hated that!) but we as readers were definitely wondering what Claire would do next.
 
So, overall 4 stars. Not as good as The Glass House but definitely a good read.

Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

I tried to find a synopsis from both Shelfari.com and Amazon.com but all they said was..Wolf Mackenzie is a loner who has a way with horses and a deep distrust of outsiders - until one woman dares to venture onto Mackenzie's Mountain. Schoolteacher Mary Elizabeth Potter is determined to keep Wolf's teenage son from abandoning his dreams . . . and finds herself rescuing Wolf along the way. 

Now, I don't know about you but that isn't a synopsis to me. That is more of a generic sentence used probably more times then not to describe hundreds of romance novels.

So, let me tell you a little more about the book.

Mackenzie's Mountain was written in 1989 by the great Linda Howard. It has been a tried and true romance recommended by one romance lover to another for years. It is the first book in the Mackenzie saga.

Wolf Mackenzie is a quite man who has isolated himself just on the outskirts of a small one horse town on what he considers "his" mountain. The town distrusts him and treats him like a common criminal and in return he rarely ventures to town and doesn't really care to mingle anyway. His 16 year old son Joe has learned to be indifferent towards the town just as his dad does because the town treats him the same way they treat his dad. When Joe decides that he can't even get a decent education because of the poor opinion the town has on the Mackenzies he opts for dropping out of school to help his dad train horses. The new school teacher has other plans and makes it her mission to get Joe back into school and educate him into a better life. And if she has to spend more time around Wolf Mackenzie that wouldn't be such a bad thing either.

My Thoughts.....

After having this book in my TBR pile for years and years I signed up for a reading challenge where I challenged myself to read 24 books (which I pre-selected before the start of the year) from this pile. This was one of the books I put on that list. It's about time I read it too. As I mentioned it has been almost a "staple" of romance readers top favorites for years now and it has been recommended to me time and time again.

What I liked....

I went at it was extremely high expectations and overall I was not disappointed at all. Wolf is an interesting character. Proud, strong, intelligent. It first appears that he is antisocial and is maybe not the hero that you expect from a romance novel. And to tell the truth he isn't. What he is, is a man who has isolated himself based on the reactions from other people for self preservation.

I think what complicates the story is Joe, Wolf's son. At first I had a hard time with the concept of Wolf letting his son drop out of school to help with the horses. That seemed so....wrong. A 16 year old should never drop out of school. I know it happens. My rose colored glasses broke years ago. But I am used to reading books where it is very black and white. Good parents raise their kids to go to college. They raise smart, funny and beautiful children. Bad parents run out on their kids. They let them drop out of school and do who knows what because bad parents don't care. This book does not fall into the black or white. Once I accepted that I was able to really embrace this book.

Mary is a strong female character who is intelligent yet knows her limitations. She sets her sights on getting Joe his education and like a bulldog she stubbornly refuses to give in. She also sets her sights on Wolf. She finds him attractive, intriguing and mistreated by town. She ends up being the Mackenzies' champion when it comes to staring down the town and putting the town folks in their place.

In addition to an interesting set of characters there is a little bit of a mystery and danger involved which always makes a story even better for me.

What I didn't like....

I didn't understand the big Tah-doo about Wolf being an Indian (Howard continued to refer to Wolf as either an Indian or a Breed...usually when either Wolf referred to himself or one of the town's people referred to him or Joe). Anyway, this book was written in the late 80's (on the cusp of the 90's) and was set as a contemporary romance. With this in mind, why on earth would an entire town and Wolf himself feel the need to continually point out his being Native American? And in such a negative way too (trust me on this....they do). It really confused me. In addition, Mary (although I really liked her character) was something straight out of the 1800's. She felt better in long dresses and sensible shoes. She is in her late 20's but yet still a virgin and I believe she thought herself a spinster.

Between Wolf being a "dirty Indian" and Mary being a spinster if it hadn't been for the fact that Mary drove a car up Mackenzie's Mountain in the opening I would have sworn I was reading an historical romance. Don't get me wrong, I love historicals, but this wasn't one and I think that any book should follow certain rules. This book was written about a 1990 relationship between a white woman and a Native American and I expect the attitude of the characters to reflect what is socially acceptable at that time. If a book were written about a white person dating an African American in 1950's America I would expect a small town of folks to be outraged and hateful (I am not condoning this, just acknowledging that this was the way things were at the time).

So, despite the weird little timeline issue I am overall pleased with the way the book progressed. I am glad I read it. Not sure if I would read it again. I think I might actually if she decided to release another Mackenzie book (there are 4 and I have only read 2 by the way). I think that I would read them all in anticipation (or a quick reminder of who and what each book was about) if she ever did release another one.

My rating 4.5 Stars.

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.

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.

Street Game by Christine Feehan

Synopsis courtesy of http://www.christinefeehan.com/.....
For Mack McKinley and his team of GhostWalker killing machines, urban warfare is an art. But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets, Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong. Danger was just another part of the game—and now he’s come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough.

She’s Jaimie, a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man. Years ago she and Mack had a history—volatile, erotic, and electric. Then she vanished. Now she’s walked back into Mack’s life, as a spy with more secrets than are good for her. Against all odds, she’s hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.

My thoughts....

So, I have been a fan of Feehan since I picked up Dark Prince, the first book in her Carpathian series. I read one after another until I found myself eagerly waiting an entire year for the next delicious book to come out. Thankfully she has given her loyal fans several other series to snack on during the Carpathian lulls. One of which is her GhostWalker books. It took me a while to actually pick up the first in the series Shadow Game though. It was almost as if by picking up a book other then her Carpathians I was somehow cheating on them. Luckily the waiting for the next Carpathian book produced such a withdrawal I had to bite the bullet. I sighed and picked up Lily and Ryland's story and was hooked.

Once again Feehan introduced me to a fascinating world where not only are the men super Alpha but the women are equally capable. Both genders in her GhostWalker books can do extraordinary things. From mental telepathy to telekinesis they have it all. These are the characters that I was fascinated with my whole life. I wanted to be them....I wanted to wear Wonder Woman Underoos under my clothes to school. I wanted to be special.

So now you know my pathetic background let us jump to Feehan's latest installment of her GhostWalker series. Book #8 Street Game.

I really wanted to love this book. To not love it would be so wrong. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I was just OK with it. It was a pleasant way to spend a few hours of my life. I don't regret reading it but I wasn't blown away by it either.

I found myself a little lost when starting the book because this book was about a totally different team of GhostWalkers that I knew nothing about. I really liked the old GhostWalkers....these were new ones. I wasn't comfortable with the new ones. OK, so I don't take to change very well. I recognize this flaw in my personality. While reading this book I just didn't feel the need to work on that particular part of me in order to like the book better.

I just didn't like Jaimie and Mack that much. Oh there was probably nothing wrong with them. But they weren't Gator and Flame. Although I did keep picturing Gary Sinese's character "Mack" from CSI:NY as this particular Mack. So I have a weird obsession with him. I think he's hot.

Anyway, even though I didn't like the main characters that much, I did find that the rest of this new GhostWalker team was super interesting. Javier really caught my attention. I can't wait for his book. Kane was another one. Oh, and don't forget about Joe.

I found the book easy to put down while I went about my business, often starting other books along the way. The steamy scenes were easy to skim (just an FYI I never skimmed Gator's steamy scenes....I'm pretty sure I read every word of every sentence. When I was done I went back and read them a second time even.) Most of the book smacked of crazy conspiracy stuff that normally would have resulting in major eye rolls and sarcastic remarks but knowing the background of Whitney and many of the baddies I was able to just go with it. I am afraid that if a new to The GhostWalkers reader would pick this particular book up they might never try another.

So, what did I like about this book??? After getting over the initial shock of not knowing any of these characters I was able to enjoy many members of this new team. I liked that even though none of my favorite past heroes were in this particular book there is hope intermingling. Jaimie did mention that she is in contact with one of the other ladies via computer. I want a giant family reunion (or would that be just union since most have never met) between all the GhostWalkers.

My advice is to read this book if you are a tried and true fan of the GhostWalker books. If you are new to The GhostWalkers you might want to start with an earlier one.

This is the spot where I tell you where to pick up your copy. A great book would get you a "Run right out to your local book store and dish out whatever they are asking. It's worth it". But since this is just an OK book I would advise you to get this book where ever you want. I keep all mine so prefer them brand spanking new (usually at Walmart prices) but I am a big advocate of the public library and that option will serve you well too.

Once and Always by Judith McNaught

Synopsis compliments of shelfari....
Across the vast ocean sailed Victoria Seaton, a free-spirited American beauty left suddenly orphaned and alone. Eager to claim her long-lost heritage, she was amazed at the formal elegance of Wakefield, the sumptuous English estate of her distant cousin...the notorious Lord Jason Fielding. Sought after at plays, operas, and balls by London's most fashionable ladies, Jason remained a mystery to Victoria. Bewildered by his arrogant demeanor, yet drawn to his panther-like grace, she came to sense the searingly painful memories that smoldered in the depths of his jade-green eyes. Unable to resist her spitfire charm, Jason gathered her at last into his powerful arms, ravishing her lips with his kisses, arousing in her a sweet, insistent hunger. Wed in desire, they were enfolded in a fierce, consuming joy, free at last from the past's cruel grasp. Then, in a moment of blinding anguish, Victoria discovered the shocking treachery that lay at the heart of their love...a love she had dreamed would triumph... Once And Always.

My thoughts....
Most of the way through the book I was so absorbed in it that I though for sure it was a 5 star book. The last 50 pages or so, unfortunately, dropped the book to 4. Still a good book, bordering on very good. While written 20+ years ago it does have a slight dated feel but definitely not too bad. Things that were "accepted" in the 80's in romance books are not the norm now. For example, a rape scene. Many modern romances do have rapes in the books but back in the day the rape was usually a whole Luke and Laura from General Hospital thing instead of today's rape scenes being about the heroine being raped and the hero coming to her emotional or physical rescue. I really had to take the book for what it was back in the 80's and try not to compare it to my today standards.

This alone was not why I rated the book a 4 instead of a 5. I really liked Victoria. She was strong, intelligent and witty. I loved Jason (tortured hero anyone?) and completely understood his actions. I could see Tory's influence in Jason and could see him opening up to Tory and experiencing fun and laughter that his life had been missing. Then something would happen and set him back to square one. After seening this pattern happen through a good chunk of the book I was pretty surprised that towards the end, it was if a switch was flipped and he had some kind of life altering epiphany which I felt I had missed. Oh there was an epiphany, but his about face came before it. Of course he declares his love for Tory but then says to her that he has loved her since she arrived at his doorstep. Yet no declariation of him admitting he was a shit and the reason why (maybe scared?). His background, which had been explained previously, was to just expain away his being an ass with no inner reflection on his part. Totally 80's.

Together I though they were fantastic friends. Unfortunately I found their interactions as friends part of the book was better then once they were married. Once they were married the friendship ended. This was part of McNaughts plot plan but I would have loved to see more romance once the I Do's were stated. These things might smack of a very low rating but honestly most of the book was just fabulous. I would encourage others to try this book unless of course rape scenes makes them too squeemish.

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Synopsis: A Desperate Young Mother Rachel Stone's bad luck has taken a turn for the worse. With an empty wallet, a car's that's spilling smoke, and a five-year-old son to support, she's come home to a town that hates her. But this determined young widow with a scandalous past has learned how to be a fighter. And she'll do anything to keep her child safe -- even take on. . .

A man With No Heart Gabe Bonner wants to be left alone, especially by the beautiful outcast who's invaded his property. She has a ton of attitude, a talent for trouble, and a child who brings back bad memories. Yet Rachel's feisty spirit might just be heaven-sent to save a tough, stubborn man.

Dare To Dream--Welcome to Salvation, North Carolina -- where a man who's forgotten what tenderness means meets a woman with nothing to lose. here two endearing lovers will set off on a funny, touching journey of the heart. . .to a place where dreams just might come true.

My thoughts....

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been a favorite among romance readers for years and I have found myself looking into the pool trying to decide if I should jump or just dip my toe in when it comes to her writing. After reading this book I have decided to put on my goggles, plug my nose and jump.

This book was fabulous.

I judge a great romance by how well I connect to the characters and if the story can play my emotions like a violin. This book does both.

Rachel is a character that you are able to laugh with, feel outrage for, and just plain old like. You can put yourself into her place and feel her desperation and pride, her love of her son and her need to stand with her head held high and her back straight.

Gabe is a little bit of a mystery at first. He appears angry and mean. Constantly snapping at Rachel and her young son. But he has a painful past that has made him the shell of a man that Rachel meets upon her arrival back in Salvation. It is this past which helps us readers understand who he was and who he has become.

These types of characters are what makes Phillips's books so wonderful. They are complex and interesting and guaranteed to keep the reader wanting to find out more.

Aside from the fantastic characters the storyline was also terrific. I don't want to get into too many details because I don't want to spoil anything for other readers but just know that if you have read Phillips's other books (Kiss an Angel in particular) and liked them, you will love this book.

RYOB reading challenge for 2010

MizB is hosting the RYOB Challenge for 2010. The title to this blog will actually take you to her original blog post but for now here is what she had to say....

For 2010, I am planning to continue with the RYOB (Read Your Own Books) challenge! The rules are simple:
Pick a number of books you’d like to read in one year
Choose those books from your OWN collection
Read them between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010
And, that’s it!
Some other guidelines for this challenge:
Re-Reads are NOT allowed (the challenge is to get more of your own books read that have been sitting there waiting!)
Audiobooks & e-books ARE allowed
You do NOT need a blog to participate — you can leave comments on this post with your progress
Stay tuned! On January 1st

So, I am now trying to decide how many books to read from my own collection. Reading from my own stash isn't too hard because I have many to chose from. I don't get many from the library so pretty much everything I read I own. So.....I am going to say that I am going to read 60 books that I own during 2010.

I will be doing this challenge and several other ones that will over lap.