tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90555178044109623402024-02-19T01:12:56.222-07:00Leslie's PsycheLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.comBlogger904125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-37231985749431207512017-02-28T23:00:00.000-07:002017-02-28T23:17:42.092-07:00Review: Hooked ~ Brenda Rothert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30530389-hooked?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>Hooked</b></a><br />
<a href="http://brendarothert.com/" target="_blank"><b>Brenda Rothert</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Loveswept/December 6, 2016</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Miranda</b>: Even though I’m broke, putting myself through college, and working two jobs, I’m trying to make the best of it. Meanwhile, Jake Birch, hockey’s hottest bad boy, lives in a luxury hotel in downtown Chicago—and still complains about every little thing in his penthouse. But after I tell him off, instead of getting me fired, Jake requests me as his personal housekeeper. Then he starts flirting with me. Only I’m not flirting back . . . at least, I’m trying not to. Did I mention that he’s hockey’s hottest bad boy?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Jake:</b> I’ve met the best woman at the worst possible time. Miranda is the fire to my ice—a sexy, charmingly candid spark who breaks down my walls and reminds me what it’s like to feel again. But I’m being forced to date my team owner’s daughter to keep my job, so I can’t be caught with Miranda. Still, we’re getting closer—until Miranda finds out about my “girlfriend.” And that’s not the only secret I’ve been keeping. But Miranda’s the one I want . . . even if she doesn’t believe me.</span></i><br />
<br />
I've been into hockey heroes lately - with some excellent results! I love the premise of this romance. Hard working Miranda doesn't bow to hockey hero Jake's super sexy hotness. She's not denying his hotness, she's just not playing the part of super fangirl. Miranda shares her smartass attitude with Jake but he finds Miranda refreshing. I did too!<br />
<br />
Their relationship has some major hurdles to overcome. They have to hide their relationship from everyone or else Miranda could loose her job. Jake offers to help her out financially but Miranda is a proud woman and doesn't want Jake's money to come between them. She likes him in spite of his wealth and his pickiness. In truth, he can be a real ass when it comes to having things exactly how he wants them. The big hurdle is the batshit crazy woman who wants Jake as her boyfriend. Unfortunately, she is the daughter of the team owner. This woman made me feel sorry for Jake and considering how he met her, that's saying a lot. She was about to go down on him, they were interrupted and later, he didn't remember her name. Manslut thy name is Jake. But, he is different with Miranda. He's smart enough to know she's worth making some serious changes to his life and leaving his manwhore ways behind.<br />
<br />
Jake was a better person after meeting Miranda. It's cliché but it worked well in this story. And while there are points when Miranda and Jake should have talked things out instead of keeping quiet, they still acted like mature adults, which can be incredibly refreshing. Characters acting their age, yes please! The way Jake and Miranda's relationship develops is believable even though they come from different worlds and must hide their relationship.<br />
<br />
This is my first novel by Ms. Rothert but certainly won't be my last. And as luck would have it, she has a lovely backlist with more on the way!<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: B+</b>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-7930140309702590742017-02-16T19:37:00.000-07:002017-02-16T19:37:07.662-07:00Review: The Hook Up ~ Kristen Callihan<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24852488-the-hook-up" target="_blank"><b>The Hook Up</b></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.kristencallihan.com/" target="_blank"><b>Kristen Callihan</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance/New Adult</b><br />
<b>Plain Jane Books/September 7, 2014</b><br />
<b>Game On/Book 1</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.All’s fair in love and football…Game on</span></i>.<br />
<br />
So happy I picked this one up! I've been into sports romances lately, but hockey has been the game of choice. But I read and enjoyed Kristen Callihan's <i><b>Idol</b></i> and <i><b>Managed</b></i> novels so she has now gone my to-read list. So while these heroes are not hockey players, football is still better than baseball. Or golf. I don't think I've ever seen a pro-golf hero/heroine story.<br />
<br />
This is a new adult but really, the new adult novels I've read are only different in that the characters are college age. There is explicit sex so other than the age and location, this might as well be an adult contemporary. And not all of the books in the series are new adult. The characters graduate from college and go on to their adult lives. So if you think new adult is now for you, don't let that designation stop you from checking out this series.<br />
<br />
Star football player and quarterback, Drew Baylor is good looking, smart and a decent guy. Almost too good to be true. And when he sets his sights on Anna Jones, she doesn't believe his interest is genuine. She doesn't think she's his type. She's not a cheerleader, nor a tall, slim model type. Anna has the looks of a sexy pinup of the 50's. Which works well for Drew. Their chemistry is enough to set off alarms and their snarky banter made me laugh out loud.<br />
<br />
While Anna says she only wants a hook-up, Drew is of a different mind. He wants Anna. Period. Sure, he wants the hot sex. He's a guy. But he also wants that relationship that Anna is so against. So Drew decides to change Anna's mind. I loved these two together! Yes, I got frustrated with Anna and even Drew, but they are such a cute couple! I couldn't help but root for them.<br />
<br />
This wouldn't be a sports romance without the ball players. Drew's teammates are players. But they're also good friends to him, like brothers. I enjoyed the dynamics of these guys. They tease each other mercilessly but they'll also be there for each other, no matter what.<br />
<br />
This isn't all fun and games. I was pleasantly surprised at how emotional the story was. Both Drew and Anna have been through tough times and they are still in for some emotional damage that they survive and become stronger for it. After finishing <b><i>The Hook Up</i></b>, I headed straight into <b><i>The Friend Zone</i></b>, book two in the series. And guess what I read after I finished <i><b>The Friend Zone</b></i>? Yep! <b><i>The Game Plan</i></b>! Highly recommend this addictive series. I only hope we don't have to wait too long for the next book!<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: B+</b><br />
<br />
Game On Series~<br />
<br />
The Hook Up<br />
The Friend Zone<br />
The Game PlanLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-26173858830391019052017-02-08T21:24:00.000-07:002017-02-08T21:37:41.939-07:00ARC Review: Wild Horse Springs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Wild Horse Springs</b><br />
<a href="http://www.jodithomas.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jodi Thomas</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Ransom Canyon/Book 5</b><br />
<b>Harlequin Books/January 24, 2017</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">In the heart of Ransom Canyon, sometimes the right match for a lonely soul is the one you least expect. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Dan Brigman may not lead the most exciting life, but he's proud of what he's achieved: he's a respected lawman, and he's raised a bright, talented daughter on his own. But finding a lone, sparkly blue boot in the middle of a deserted highway gets him thinking maybe the cowgirl who lost it is exactly the shake-up he needs.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">After losing her baby girl, Brandi Malone felt like her soul died along with her daughter. Now singing in small-town bars to make ends meet, she's fine being a drifter until a handsome sheriff makes her believe that parking her boots under his bed is a better option.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">College grad Lauren Brigman has just struck out on her own in downtown Dallas when a troubling phone call leads her back home to Crossroads. Her hometown represents her family, friends and deepest hopes, but also her first love, Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren's homecoming be another heartbreak, or a second chance for her and Lucas?</span></i><br />
<br />
I've said it before, reading Ms. Thomas' stories are like coming home. They are filled with wonderful characters who feel like family and good friends the more you read about them. The newest addition to the Ransom Canyon series is no different. <i><b>Wild Horse Springs</b></i> catches up with some familiar characters while introducing a few new ones as well. <br />
<br />
As previous novels in the series did, <i><b>Wild Horse Springs</b></i> doesn't solely focus on one story line but starts new plots as well as following up with established story lines. Some plots grab my attention more than others but I always leave satisfied when I am finished.<br />
<br />
Sheriff Dan Brigman has been there since the beginning. He's been a stable, intelligent figure lending his control and experience to help his community. Sheriff Dan enjoys his life, even if it is rather predicable. Then he makes one small change and he could not have predicted the effect it would have on his life. I liked seeing Dan, in essence, come out of his shell. We get to see more of the man behind the lawman. And this is a romance so it's no surprise the change in Dan's life is caused by a woman.<br />
<br />
Leaving your old life behind and starting fresh somewhere else. It's a romantic notion, one many of us have most likely had at one time or another. But the romance ends when that leaving is brought about by tragedy. This is the case for Brandi Malone. Brandi is running from her tragedy but it continues to follow her. She has no desire to settle in any one place so she keeps moving. Then she meets a man with a boot, her boot.<br />
<br />
I loved how Dan and Brandi's meeting came about. How Dan envisioned what the owner of the boot might be like. And how pleased he was when he met Brandi. I did like their romance but at the same time, I found myself more drawn to what was happening between Lauren, Tim and Lucas. Or perhaps I should say what might happen with Lauren and Lucas. Their intertwined relationships have been going on for so long, it is almost as if they will never be fully resolved. But... I have hope that the next book will have Lauren and Lucas back together. Please.<br />
<br />
Thatcher Jones. Just saying his name makes me smile. He's such a likable character. I dare you not to like him. He has this way of speaking his mind that is so refreshing. His outlook on life is different from the other characters because of his rough upbringing. Thatcher has this solemness about him. He has such a strong sense of right and wrong. For all his "country boy" charms, he also has this air of nobility. I can't wait to see more of Thatcher in future books.<br />
<br />
And then there's Cody Winslow. He lives on the edge. On the edge of town and on the edge of life. He is rescued from his lonely existence by some of the most unlikely heroines. Yes, that's heroines, plural. Cody's life is turned upside down and inside out. And it turns out, he's okay with that. This romance was such a treasure to read. The characters of Cody and Tess are an entertaining mix of lonesome cowboy and take charge park ranger. I loved how their relationship started with Tessa saving Cody and basically taking over his life. While Cody is busy feeding the local gossip mill. Things get a little out of control but Cody and Tess work it all out and give the town even more to talk about.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Wild Horse Springs</b></i> is small town romance set in a charming town with enjoyable characters that leave the reader wanting to come back for more. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating: B+</b><br />
<br />
Ransom Canyon ~<br />
<br />
Winter Camp (novella)<br />
Ransom Canyon<br />
Rustler's Moon<br />
Lone Heart Pass<br />
Sunrise Crossing<br />
Wild Horse SpringsLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-17135028138018912682016-11-29T21:21:00.001-07:002016-11-29T21:21:30.235-07:00ARC Review: Fall ~ Karina Bliss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Fall</b><br />
<b><a href="http://karinabliss.com/" target="_blank">Karina Bliss</a></b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Rock Solid Series/Book 2</b><br />
<b>Karina Bliss/November 15, 2016</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Keep Rage together at all costs...</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Powerhouse PA Dimity Graham is off her game. Her career is everything to her and she never lets anything personal mess that up. So how can she explain getting busy between the sheets with Rage's nice-guy drummer Seth Curran? She's supposed to be keeping this band out of trouble, not getting into it.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But before she can put everything back where it belongs, Seth needs her help.Faking a relationship seemed like a good idea that night, right before they fell into bed together. But standing on New Zealand soil, facing the people he disappointed to pursue his dream, Seth doubts he and Dimity will convince anyone they're hot and crazy for each other. To his surprise, Dimity is working her magic on everyone and they're all convinced this is the real deal. The problem is, he's almost convinced, too.</span></i><br />
<br />
After reading and loving <i>RISE</i>, the first book in the series, I was thrilled to get my hands on <i>FALL</i>, Seth and Dimity book. Seth and Dimity at first glance may come across and fire and water but there is so much more to them as we find out.<br />
<br />
Dimity Graham is a whirlwind who can kick ass without breaking a sweat. She may come across as aloof and all business, but in her heart, she is all about taking care of the people she loves. Those people are the family she has found in the band members of <i>Rage</i>. The ability to bring this rock band back to life and achieve world wide popularity is not just due to the band members but to Dimity's ability to manage all aspects of their lives as rock gods.<br />
<br />
I loved how we see Dimity as the intelligent, tough business woman and then see how she does so much for the band not only because she wants them, and her, to be successful but because she truly cares about them. It's not a persona most of the people she interacts with ever get to see. Only a select few, and even then she would most likely deny it. She's a strong, gutsy heroine who works as a perfect match for Seth.<br />
<br />
Seth Curran is the easy going drummer of <i>Rage</i>. Drummer's keep the beat and Seth is, in a way, the heart beat of the band. While the other members tend to act more erratic, more like rock stars, Seth is down to earth and makes himself easily approachable to his fans. He doesn't go for the diva attitude but when he does take a hard stand on something, you know it's important to him. I liked him a lot and thought his easy going personality is just what Dimity needed in her life.<br />
<br />
The other members of the band are present and it was interesting to see not only how they all interact but how they support each other and have formed not only a band but a family in the short time they have been together. We get more insight to what makes both Dimity and Seth reach for their goals and we see it's not all about the fame and fortune. Their families, as many families do, had a great impact on them. I also enjoyed seeing a little more other the other band members, Jared and Moss. Jared's story is in the anthology <i><b>You Had Me at Christmas</b></i> (loved it!) and Moss' story I hope is next. I'm extremely curious to find out more about him and his backstory. And I can't forget catching up with Zander Freedman. We get to see how he and Elizabeth are doing. Loved seeing them again!<br />
<br />
Ms. Bliss keeps the plot moving along at a good pace. The romance between Dimity and Seth has that friends to lovers quality I love! It was obvious from the beginning that they cared for each other and the writing made it easy to believe that friendship could and did lead to a more intimate relationship. If you love rock and roll, romance and great friendships, you'll love this series.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: A</b><br />
<br />
Rock Solid Series ~<br />
<br />
Rise<br />
Play (novella in You Had Me at Christmas)<br />
Fall <br />
<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-24407766031586062982016-11-14T23:03:00.000-07:002016-11-14T23:03:22.545-07:00This Week's New ReleasesThere are plenty of wonderful releases to look forward to this week. Here are the ones on my list. What's on your list?<br />
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<br />
First up is the second full length novel in Karina Bliss' Rock Solid series. I fell hard for arrogant rockstar Zander Freedman, hero in the first novel, <i><b>Rise</b></i>. This time we get to find out if good guy Seth Curran is too good to be true. And fiesty, kickass Dimity Graham is not a typical heroine. I just finished this one - highly recommend!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28230419-fall" target="_blank"><b>Fall</b></a><br />
<a href="http://karinabliss.com/" target="_blank"><b>Karina Bliss</b></a><br />
<b>Rock Solid Series</b><br />
<b>Book 2</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Keep Rage together at all costs...</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Powerhouse PA Dimity Graham is off her game. Her career is everything to her and she never lets anything personal mess that up. So how can she explain getting busy between the sheets with Rage's nice-guy drummer Seth Curran? She's supposed to be keeping this band out of trouble, not getting into it.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But before she can put everything back where it belongs, Seth needs her help.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Faking a relationship seemed like a good idea that night, right before they fell into bed together. But standing on New Zealand soil, facing the people he disappointed to pursue his dream, Seth doubts he and Dimity will convince anyone they're hot and crazy for each other. To his surprise, Dimity is working her magic on everyone and they're all convinced this is the real deal. The problem is, he's almost convinced, too.</span></i><br />
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Next is another second in the series. This time it's J. M. Stewart's <i><b>Nic</b></i>. This is the story of the brother of Luc, hero of the first book in the series. I read and enjoyed Luc's story. Luc is a single father and falls for a woman ten years older than him. If you like that set-up, definitely give it a try. I liked what I saw of Nic in the first book and can't wait to see how he finds his HEA.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31484477-nic" target="_blank"><b>Nic</b></a><br />
<a href="http://authorjmstewart.com/" target="_blank"><b>J. M. Stewart</b></a><br />
<b>Rossi Brothers Series</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Single father Nic Rossi’s only desire is to raise his little girl with the same love and security his grandparents gave him and his siblings. That is, until Anna Thompson and her frightened daughter walk into his family restaurant, looking for employment, and turn his carefully ordered world upside down.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">On the run from her abusive ex, Anna wants one thing: a quiet place like Angel Bay to raise her daughter. But she needs a job to pay for that dream, even if her new boss is a man whose sheer size makes her tremble. Yet Nic’s capacity for kindness leaves her feeling safe for the first time in years, and the gentle giant slowly awakens her long-dormant passion.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Then her ex-husband turns up like a bad penny, threatening not only Anna’s safe haven but Nic’s daughter in the bargain, forcing them to choose between love and family.
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I was first introduced to Sawyer Bennett through her Cold Fury Hockey series. Sexy, athletic heroes and equally incredible heroines. Her newest release is a stand alone contemporary novel about a rock star and a lawyer. Should prove to be a combustible combination.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31135325-sexy-lies-and-rock-roll" target="_blank"><b>Sexy Lies and Rock & Roll</b></a><br />
<a href="http://sawyerbennett.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sawyer Bennett</b></a><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">When you're a rock god, fame and fortune are your two best friends, but they can be fickle bed mates. It seems everyone wants a piece of me. I'm being sued, pressured to sign contracts, and fending off rabid women who want to steal my virtue. Just kidding on that one. We all know I don't have much virtue left.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">That's why I need Emma Peterson. The sharp-as-a-tack and sexy-as-sin lawyer saved my ass before and I know she can do it again. The only problem is that sweet, prim and totally straight-laced Emma doesn't want anything to do with me. Not professionally, and certainly not personally.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But c'mon. Everyone wants me, and even though it would take a crow bar of epic proportions to get her to spread those sexy legs for me, all I want is her mind. I swear. Her beautiful, brilliant mind to make sense of my crazy world. Good thing I have something up my sleeve to get her to say “yes”. Some might call it blackmail. I call it SOMETHING ELSE.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Looks like Emma Peterson just became my biggest defender. If only I can resist wanting to screw my attorney six ways to Sunday.
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If you think I've been reading a lot of contemporary romances, you'd be right! It seems like I'm either into contemporary romances or historical romances. I do hope to get back to fantasy but for now, I bring you another contemporary romance.<br />
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<a href="http://authorkarinahalle.com/" target="_blank"><b>Karina Halle</b></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31835516-heat-wave" target="_blank"><b>Heat Wave</b></a><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">They say when life closes one door, another one opens.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">This door happens to lead to paradise.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">And a man I can never, ever have.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Still grieving the loss of her sister who died two years ago, the last thing Veronica "Ronnie" Locke needed was to lose her job at one of Chicago’s finest restaurants and have to move back in with her parents. So when a window of opportunity opens for her – running a kitchen at a small Hawaiian hotel – she’d be crazy not to take it.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The only problem is, the man running the hotel drives her crazy: Logan Shephard. It doesn’t matter that he’s got dark brown eyes, a tall, muscular build that’s sculpted from daily surfing sessions, and a deep Australian accent that makes your toes curl.Kind of an asshole, too.And gets under Ronnie’s skin like no one else.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But the more time Ronnie spends on the island of Kauai, falling in love with the lush land and its carefree lifestyle, the closer she gets to Logan. And the closer she gets to Logan, the more she realizes she may have pegged him all wrong. Maybe it’s the hot, steamy jungles or the invigorating ocean air, but soon their relationship becomes utterly intoxicating.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">There’s just one major catch.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The two of them together would incite a scandal neither Ronnie, nor her family, would ever recover from.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Forbidden, Illicit, off-limits – sometimes the heat is worth surrendering to, even if you get burned.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Note: this is a standalone novel, unrelated to any previous books. It does NOT contain cheating of any kind.</span></i><br />
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Hey, look! It's a new release that is not a contemporary romance! I love the premise. It sounds cool and funny and creepy and certainly different.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220687-extreme-makeover" target="_blank"><b>Extreme Makeover</b></a><br />
<a href="http://thedanwells.com/" target="_blank"><b>Dan Wells</b></a><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">The satirical new suspense about a health and beauty company that accidentally develops a hand lotion that can overwrite your DNA.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Lyle Fontanelle is the chief scientist for NewYew, a health and beauty company experimenting with a new, anti-aging hand lotion. As more and more anomalies crop up in testing, Lyle realizes that the lotion's formula has somehow gone horribly wrong. It is actively overwriting the DNA of anyone who uses it, turning them into physical clones of someone else. Lyle wants to destroy the formula, but NewYew thinks it might be the greatest beauty product ever designed--and the world's governments think it's the greatest weapon.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells brings us a gripping corporate satire about a health and beauty company that could destroy the world.</span></i><br />
<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-59816255803036247282016-09-19T20:08:00.001-07:002016-09-19T20:08:21.819-07:00This Week's New ReleasesSo is it cooling off where you live? Here, it's actually cool in the mornings, only in the 70's. lol Still hot during the day but in another month we'll stop having to run the air conditioning, at least at night.<br />
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She writes historical romances beautifully. She writes romantic suspense amazingly. With her spin-off from her successful I-Team series, she started her Colorado High Country series. I just finished the first book, <i><b>Barely Breathing</b></i>, and can't wait to read Vic and Eric's story!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31819246-slow-burn" target="_blank"><b>Slow Burn</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.pamelaclare.com/" target="_blank"><b>Pamela Clare</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Colorado High Country series/Book 2</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Victoria Woodley is done with men. Fresh off a dating nightmare, she flies from her home in Chicago to Scarlet Springs to take part in her best friend’s wedding. Who picks her up at the airport? Eric Hawke. Of course. She made a fool of herself over him last time she was here. He’s cocky, charming, and sexy as sin. But the fact that she’s attracted to him is all the proof she needs that he’s bad news. She would ignore him if she could. But he’s the best man, and she’s the maid of honor. She can’t just tell him to jump in a lake—especially not when her lips are locked with his.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Eric isn’t looking for a relationship. Between running the firehouse and volunteering for the county’s search and rescue team, he has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need to get tangled up with a woman from the big city, especially one whose idea of roughing it is going without designer coffee. Yet from the moment he looks into Victoria’s big brown eyes, the attraction he feels is too strong to deny. Faster than he can imagine, the spark of desire that has smoldered between them since the first day they met will flare into full-blown passion.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But can Eric convince Victoria to set aside her doubts and trust him with her heart before their time together runs out?</span></i><br />
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Oh, this sounds chillingly different! Something out of my usual comfort zone. Yes, this will no doubt find it's way to the TBR pile.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25812109-the-female-of-the-species" target="_blank"><b>The Female of the Species</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.mindymcginnis.com/" target="_blank"><b>Mindy McGinnis</b></a><br />
<b>Young Adult/Suspense</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it. When her older sister, Anna, was murdered three years ago and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best. The language of violence.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">While her crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people, even in her small hometown. She relegates herself to the shadows, a girl who goes unseen in plain sight, unremarkable in the high school hallways.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But Jack Fisher sees her. He’s the guy all other guys want to be: the star athlete gunning for valedictorian with the prom queen on his arm. Guilt over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered hasn’t let him forget Alex over the years, and now her green eyes amid a constellation of freckles have his attention. He doesn’t want to only see Alex Craft; he wants to know her.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">So does Peekay, the preacher’s kid, a girl whose identity is entangled with her dad’s job, though that does not stop her from knowing the taste of beer or missing the touch of her ex-boyfriend. When Peekay and Alex start working together at the animal shelter, a friendship forms and Alex’s protective nature extends to more than just the dogs and cats they care for.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Circumstances bring Alex, Jack, and Peekay together as their senior year unfolds. While partying one night, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting the teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.</span></i><br />
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A favorite series, Kate and Curran are also a favorite couple of many a reader. Hard to believe this is the ninth full length book in the series.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17333174-magic-binds" target="_blank"><b>Magic Binds</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.ilona-andrews.com/wp-signup.php?new=ilona-andrews.com" target="_blank"><b>Ilona Andrews</b></a><br />
<b>Urban Fantasy</b><br />
<b>Kate Daniels Series/Book 9</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…
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I have not read anything by this author, but have heard good things about her novels. The blurb intrigues and it's the first book in a new series so I won't be starting behind!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25036395-the-queen-of-blood" target="_blank"><b>The Queen of Blood</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sarah Beth Durst</b></a><br />
<b>Fantasy</b><br />
<b>The Queens of Renthia Series/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it’s bathed in blood.
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When I was little, maybe 6 or 7 years old, I was fascinated by the bookmobile. I wanted to <i>be</i> the bookmobile lady when I grew up. To drive around all day, surrounded by books, pure joy! This next release is the adult version of that dream.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28372019-the-bookshop-on-the-corner" target="_blank">The Bookshop on the Corner</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jennycolgan.com/" target="_blank">Jenny Colgan</a><br />
Contemporary<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Nina Redmond is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile—a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-70130350494369196282016-09-15T22:33:00.000-07:002016-09-15T22:33:28.914-07:00ARC Review: Sunrise Crossing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Sunrise Crossing</b><br />
<a href="http://www.jodithomas.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jodi Thomas</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Ransom Canyon/Book 4</b><br />
<b>Harlequin/August 30, 2016</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Yancy Grey is slowly putting his life back together after serving time for petty theft. As he rebuilds an old house, he finally has a sense of stability, but he can't stop thinking of himself as just an ex-con. Until one night, he finds a mysterious dark-haired beauty hiding in his loft. But who is she, and what secret is she protecting? </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /></span></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>The art gallery Parker Lacey manages is her life—she has no time for friends, and certainly not lovers. But when her star artist begs Parker for help, she finds herself in a pickup truck, headed for the sleepy town of Crossroads. A truck driven by a strong, silent cowboy… </i></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;" /></span></i>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>Gabe Snow has been a drifter since he left Crossroads at seventeen after a violent incident. When he accepts a job in his hometown, he'll have to decide whether he can put the worst night of his life behind him and build a future in the community that raised him.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I love this series! Every time I visit Crossroads, Texas it's like going home. It is that welcoming feeling you get when you know you can simply relax and enjoy yourself. No stress, no worries, just sitting back and taking in the goings on. That is how Ms. Thomas' stories make me feel. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Yancey Grey has been a character since the first book. I was pleased to see he was getting his own story since I have been curious about him and his background. More as the series progressed. He is a different hero, having been in prison and now trying to live his life so he can be proud of himself. He's become a familiar face in Crossroads and has many friends. He's an easy character to like and Ms. Thomas did well in creating his backstory. His romance is a slow burn beginning with friendship, companionship and then leading to romance. I loved it!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Parker Lacey is in love with her life but she also feels there is something missing. She can't figure out what, then she travels to Crossroads and meets a grumpy, sexy cowboy who seems to be her complete opposite. But it turns out in their case opposites do attract. Parker and her cowboy have a romance of physical attraction but it leads to a more deeper friendship and love. It was fun to see the quiet, sometimes cranky cowboy come around to not only enjoying spending time with Parker but needing to spend time with her. This was a romance between two people who have lived through some hard times and are used to depending on themselves. You could say they were both loners in a way. I liked seeing how they turned that into a couple who learned to depend on each other. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">A trip to Crossroads wouldn't be complete with a some suspense, danger and a little mystery. Ms. Thomas knows how to blend all these things together, along with the romance, to make a beautiful story that draws the reader in and makes you believe these people and this place truly exists. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Rating: A</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Ransom Canyon Series </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Winter's Camp (novella)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Ransom Canyon</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Rustler's Moon</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Lone Heart Pass</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Sunrise Crossing</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-51696130728856114732016-09-12T23:25:00.001-07:002016-09-12T23:25:15.072-07:00This Week's New ReleasesIt's Monday... is there anything positive to follow up to that? I did have a great weekend. Didn't do much but reading and shopping. Which is good right? This week is a mix of contemporary, mystery, women's fiction and young adult. It's a short list which is good for my wallet and my TBR pile. How's <i>your</i> TBR pile?<br />
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I was happy to hear the show Longmire would be continuing on Netflix with season five starting September 23. I've enjoyed the show but, as books to movies and TV shows, the book(s) is usually better. So while I'll still watch the show, I also get to look forward to the books!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27774703-an-obvious-fact" target="_blank"><b>An Obvious Fact</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/" target="_blank"><b>Craig Johnson</b></a><br />
<b>Mystery/Western</b><br />
<b>Walt Longmire Series/Book 12</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">In the midst of the largest motorcycle rally in the world, a young biker is run off the road and ends up in critical condition. When Sheriff Walt Longmire and his good friend Henry Standing Bear are called to Hulett, Wyoming—the nearest town to America's first national monument, Devils Tower—to investigate, things start getting complicated.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">As competing biker gangs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; a military-grade vehicle donated to the tiny local police force by a wealthy entrepreneur; and Lola, the real-life femme fatale and namesake for Henry's '59 Thunderbird (and, by extension, Walt's granddaughter) come into play, it rapidly becomes clear that there is more to get to the bottom of at this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally than a bike accident. After all, in the words of Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the Bear won't stop quoting, "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact."</span></i><br />
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Alice Clayton's Cocktail series is such a fun adventure in sexy romances. Now Clayton is teaming up with Nina Bocci to bring the new series, Broad Abroad, to life. I loved the movie <i>Under the Tuscan Sun </i>so the idea of starting over, in a foreign country tempts me to no end. <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27276297-roman-crazy" target="_blank"><b>Roman Crazy</b></a><br />
<b><a href="http://aliceclayton.com/" target="_blank">Alice Clayton</a> & <a href="http://ninabocci.com/" target="_blank">Nina Bocci</a></b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Broads Abroad Series/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, <b>Roman Crazy</b> is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.</span></i><br />
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Carolyn Brown is known for her western romances featuring hot cowboys. This is not a romance but a about a second chance that is long over-due. Love the sound of this blurb!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29373539-the-lullaby-sky" target="_blank"><b>The Lullabye Sky</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.carolynbrownbooks.com/" target="_blank"><b>Carolyn Brown</b></a><br />
<b>Women's Fiction</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.</span></i><br />
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A young adult to round out the short list this week. This sounds like a story that could easily pull me in fast and not let go until the end. Love the premise!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28691932-the-forgetting" target="_blank"><b>The Forgetting</b></a><br />
<a href="http://sharoncameronbooks.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sharon Cameron</b></a><br />
<b>Young Adult/Fantasy</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-80921463686087367632016-08-29T18:50:00.001-07:002016-08-29T18:50:07.903-07:00This Week's New ReleasesAugust is almost over and it is going out with a bang! So many new releases this week - how on earth will I ever catch up on my reading? Well, I'm ready if the Zombie Apocalypse ever happens. I can survive with my Gardetto's and my TBR pile. :)<br />
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I've been looking forward to this one. I've truly enjoyed the previous books in this series (can't believe I'm actually current!) Can't wait to see how Denys and Lola find their Happy Ever After.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20047010-no-mistress-of-mine" target="_blank">No Mistress of Mine</a></b><br />
<a href="http://lauraleeguhrke.com/" target="_blank"><b>Laura Lee Gurhke</b></a><br />
<b>Historical Romance</b><br />
<b>An American Heiress in London/Book 4</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">After spending his youth as one of the wildest rakes in the ton, Lord Denys Somerton has devoted the past six years to putting his past behind him. He is determined to fulfill his duties, find a suitable wife, and start a family, but that plan changes when Lola Valentine—the red-haired temptress from his past—returns to London, sparking the same irresistible desires that almost ruined his life once before.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Lola is a woman with no romantic illusions. She knew love would never be enough for a British lord and an American girl from the wrong side of the tracks. For Denys’s sake, she walked away from him and the glittering life he offered. But when an unexpected inheritance brings her back to London, Lola discovers the passion between them is as hot as ever. Can they vanquish it, or will it burn out of control again and destroy them both?</span></i><br />
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I have not read anything by Emma Cane but I like the blurb and the hero is a professor and an author. Not the most common of hero occupations. Could be interesting!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28115549-at-fairfield-orchard" target="_blank"><b>At Fairfield Orchard</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.emmacane.com/" target="_blank"><b>Emma Cane</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Fairfield Orchard Series/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">For Amy Fairfield, the family orchard is more than a business. With its blossom-scented air and rows of trees framed by the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s her heritage and her future. But right now, it’s also a headache. Putting a painful breakup behind her, Amy has come home to help revitalize Fairfield Orchard. She doesn’t have time for the handsome—distracting—professor who wants to dig into her family’s history for his research.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Jonathan Gebhart knows he needs the Fairfields’ cooperation to make his new book a success. As for Amy—nothing in his years of academia could have prepared him for their sudden and intense attraction. He doesn’t want to complicate her life further, especially since she seems uneasy about his poking around in the past and he knows he’s not the sort of man built for forever. But some sparks can’t help but grow, and Jonathan and Amy may just learn that unexpected love can be the sweetest of all.</span></i><br />
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I couldn't help but laugh after reading the first sentence of the blurb. It sounds like something that might happen to me, except I'd go into anaphylactic shock since I'm allergic to almost everything. I do like the cover - it has a festive look to it. I imagine this will be a "feel good" romance. Something we can all use.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28119216-run-to-you" target="_blank"><b>Run to You</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.rachellacey.com/" target="_blank"><b>Rachel Lacey</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Risking it All Series/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">ONE LITTLE LIE. A WHOLE LOTTA TROUBLE.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Moments after meeting the most gorgeous guy ever, Gabby Winters promptly gets stung by a zillion yellowjackets and falls-not gracefully-into a stream. Yup, Ethan Hunter is trouble with a capital "hot," and Gabby definitely needs to keep her distance. Except in the small town of Haven, there's nowhere to hide from Ethan's sexy, infectious grin . . . and all the residents are conspiring against her.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">At the center of the town's matchmaking is Ethan's grandmother, who's convinced their relationship is a done deal. Rather than break her heart, Gabby and Ethan find themselves cornered into pretending to be falling in love. The problem: there's serious sizzling attraction between them. And if this charade continues, they won't fool just the entire town - they might fool themselves too . . .
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I've been enjoying this series from the beginning and eagerly waiting for Yancy's story. The wait is over! And the cover - like this one too! It's so pretty!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28507385-sunrise-crossing" target="_blank"><b>Sunrise Crossing</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.jodithomas.com/index.html" target="_blank"><b>Jodi Thomas</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Ransom Canyon Series/Book 4</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Yancy Grey is slowly putting his life back together after serving time for petty theft. As he rebuilds an old house, he finally has a sense of stability, but he can't stop thinking of himself as just an ex-con. Until one night, he finds a mysterious dark-haired beauty hiding in his loft. But who is she, and what secret is she protecting?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The art gallery Parker Lacey manages is her life—she has no time for friends, and certainly not lovers. But when her star artist begs Parker for help, she finds herself in a pickup truck, headed for the sleepy town of Crossroads. A truck driven by a strong, silent cowboy…</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Gabe Snow has been a drifter since he left Crossroads at seventeen after a violent incident. When he accepts a job in his hometown, he'll have to decide whether he can put the worst night of his life behind him and build a future in the community that raised him.</span></i><br />
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I've read the first book, which is a novella, have the first complete book on the TBR pile so of course I'll be getting this one. I like this author's writing style -funny, sexy and with just the right amount of snarky humor!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27276194-for-better-or-worse" target="_blank"><b>For Better or Worse</b></a><br />
<a href="http://laurenlayne.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lauren Layne</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Wedding Belles Series/Book 2</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">When small-town girl Heather Fowler finally gets promoted from assistant to actual wedding planner, she’s determined to make it as one of Manhattan’s elite Wedding Belles. Unfortunately, her first client demands an opulent black-tie affair at the Plaza…in five months’ time. Heather’s days quickly become a flurry of cake tastings, dress-fittings, RSVP cards, and bridal tantrums. But what she’s really losing sleep over is the live music blaring from her playboy neighbor’s apartment all night.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Five years ago, Josh Tanner was an up-and-comer on Wall Street, complete with the penthouse and the migraines. But a grim cancer diagnosis made him realize there is more to life than the corner office. If only he could convince his pretty, workaholic neighbor to let loose, too. As Heather lets down her guard, Josh is surprised when he starts falling for the sweet, vulnerable woman hiding beneath those power suits. Soon, it’s Heather’s turn to convince Josh to take the biggest risk of all: love.
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New-to-me author with the first in a series. Small town romance between a former NFL player and a high school physical therapist. Didn't know high school football teams had physical therapists. Interesting...<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26031194-winner-takes-all" target="_blank">Winner Takes Al</a>l</b><br />
<a href="http://www.erinkern.com/" target="_blank"><b>Erin Kern</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Champion Valley Series/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">THE LOVE OF THE GAME</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Money. Fame. Endorsements. Blake Carpenter had it all—before his professional football career spiraled out of control. Determined to rebuild his life, he takes on coaching the high school team in his Colorado hometown. Despite a few fumbles, Blake knows he can lead these boys to victory. As long as he can keep his eyes on the prize and off the team's distractingly gorgeous physical therapist.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Annabelle Turner knows all about the scandal that cost Blake his NFL career, and she'll be damned if she's going to let mistakes hurt her team. What she doesn't count on is the intense attraction that turns every heated run-in they have into a wildly erotic competition. Point by point, play by play, kiss by kiss, they try to keep things professional for the good of the team. But when the score is this close—and the passion this fierce—it's anybody's game...</span></i><br />
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Absolutely, positively LOVED the first book, <a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2016/07/review-ember-in-ashes-sabaa-tahir.html" target="_blank">An Ember in the Ashes</a> and I've been waiting impatiently for this one! You must read the first book before this one.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">***SPOILERS*** in the blurb if you have not read the first book.</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25558608-a-torch-against-the-night" target="_blank"><b>A Torch Against the Night</b></a><br />
<a href="https://sabaatahir.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sabaa Tahir</b></a><br />
<b>Fantasy/Young Adult</b><br />
<b>An Ember in the Ashes Series/Book 2</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Elias and Laia are running for their lives.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Laia is determined to break into Kauf - the Empire's most secure and dangerous prison - to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars' survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene - Elias's former friend and the Empire's newest Blood Shrike.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Bound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own - one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape... and kill them both.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-86814246548490633422016-08-28T19:51:00.000-07:002016-08-28T19:51:59.637-07:00ARC Review: A Promise of Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>A Promise of Fire</b><br />
<a href="http://www.amandabouchet.com/" target="_blank"><b>Amanda Bouchet</b></a><br />
<b>Romantic Fantasy</b><br />
<b>Sourcebooks Casablanca/August 2, 2016</b><br />
<b>The Kingmaker Chronicles/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice… </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her…even if that means falling in love with her.</span></i><br />
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The cover grabbed my attention right off. It's beautiful! I love the colors, the shading and the intense look on Cat's face. It gives the reader an idea of how vivid the action will be. It is action packed but it's also political with different royal families of power. And family plays an important role on both the traditional family represented by Griffin's and the rather non-traditional represented by Cat's circus family.<br />
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Cat is an anti-heroine and she is wonderful! She made me laugh so many times I lost count. She does not want anything to do with heroics. She's a real smartass in the best possible way. In fact, she almost seems to <i>enjoy</i> threatening people who piss her off. But when she truly needs to, she comes through for those she cares about. Even at the point of risking her life to save others. She is a heroine, whether she likes it or not.<br />
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This is a fantasy wrapped in political intrigue with noble families of both Magoi (magical) and Hoi Polloi(non-magical). Cat is from a powerful Magoi family which she keeps to herself for fear she will be found by her more-evil-than-Satan mother. But Cat is incredibly powerful and it is Griffin's luck and perseverance which places Cat in his arms.<br />
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Griffin and his merry band of men are soldiers searching for Cat and when they find her, they kidnap her. Not the best start to a romance but eventually Cat comes around once she gets to know Griffin and his men. They are placed in some epic battles, often with little hope of survival. But Cat is willing to use her considerable powers to save her new friends. I loved the battle scenes and how Griffin, his men and Cat all worked together to defeat overwhelming odds. The times between battles is when Cat learns more about Griffin and what his family hopes to accomplish now that they have won the war for Sinta. Although, they still have more wars to fight.<br />
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The powers Cat and others have are magical, gifts of the Gods. There are numerous references to various gods and Cat even talks to them and they seem to reply back, just not in the usual form. Think more of god-like reply with thunder and lightning. I liked this aspect of the story but also found it a little confusing between keeping up with who's who of the Magoi, Hoi Polloi, the armies, magical creatures and the gods.<br />
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This world Ms. Bouchet has created is complex and entertaining. I look forward to January's release of <i><b>Breath of Fire</b></i> and seeing what happens next in the lives of Cat, Griffin, their families and friends. Definitely a strong start to this new series.<br />
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<b>Rating: B+</b><br />
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The Kingmaker Chronicles ~<br />
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A Promise of Fire<br />
Breath of Fire (January 3, 2017)<br />
Heart on Fire (Fall 2017)Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-67530435450867535222016-08-25T21:38:00.001-07:002016-08-25T21:38:17.710-07:00Review: Signs of Attraction ~ Laura Brown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Signs of Attraction</b><br />
<a href="https://laurabrownauthor.com/" target="_blank"><b>Laura Brown</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Avon Impulse/June 14, 2016</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Do you know what hearing loss sounds like? I do.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">All my life I've tried to be like you. I've failed.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">So I keep it hidden.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But on the day my world crashed down around me, Reed was there.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">He showed me just how loud and vibrant silence can be, even when I struggled to understand.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">He's unlike anyone I've ever known. His soulful eyes and strong hands pulled me in before I knew what was happening. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">And as I saw those hands sign, felt them sparking on me, I knew: imperfect could be perfect. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Reed makes me feel things I've never felt. It's exciting... and terrifying. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Because he sees me like no one else has, and I'm afraid of what he'll find if he looks too closely.</span></i><br />
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I'm so utterly happy for whatever fate lead me to this book! It's a romance about two people who are able to communicate through different means than those of us who can hear well. I wasn't sure what to expect but as I always do, I was hoping for a good story. I wasn't disappointed!<br />
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The heroine, Carli, is hearing disabled. She can hear some but also has some hearing loss as well as horrible headaches. She has always tried to hide her hearing loss, never asking or expecting special treatment. This can make things difficult as Carli is a college student so the noise in classrooms can make learning a challenge. I found it interesting to see how Carli compensates for her hearing loss in the college environment. Over the years she has developed coping mechanisms and you can't help but feel for her and what she's had to endure. So it is a wonderful moment when Reed comes into her life. He opens up a new world for her.<br />
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Reed is not a college student. In fact, he is a teacher and he is such a perfect fit for Carli. He has the patience of a teacher but he's still a guy who notices Carli's beauty and makes her realize she is worth the attention he shows her. Reed is also deaf. While this fact plays a vital role Reed doesn't let his deafness define him. Reed is a hero who shows us that his deafness doesn't make him any less a man. In fact, I think it made him more of a hero for how he doesn't let it hold him back from doing what he loves and loving Carli.<br />
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The romance was sometimes sweet, often hot both physical and emotional. There are tough situations both Reed and Carli have not only come through but are still dealing with. The author does well in depicting how Reed and Carli, as well as their families, deal with the emotionally trying situations. The look into their lives and how hearing loss affected not only Carli and Reed but the people around them is emotional and gives a reader who is unfamiliar with this a good idea of what it is like to not hear this world that can be so loud at times.<br />
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<b>Rating: A</b>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-16958938877609691612016-08-22T22:10:00.000-07:002016-08-22T22:10:23.308-07:00This Week's New ReleasesIt's that time again. This summer is flying past and I continue to find new additions to the TBR pile. Do you know that next month we'll start seeing holiday releases? Speaking of holidays, I'm already seeing Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations and candy in the stores! I resisted the temptation of candy corn purely on principle. I can't think about Halloween when people are still wearing swimsuits!<br />
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First up is the latest from a long time favorite author. Susan Elizabeth Phillips aka SEP, is back to her fan favorite Chicago Stars series with the eighth installment. I'm hoping I like it more than her last release, <i><b>Heroes Are My Weakness</b></i>. Confession time: I couldn't finish Heroes. The heroine having conversations with her puppets? It didn't work for me at all.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24948069-first-star-i-see-tonight" target="_blank"><b>First Star I See Tonight</b></a><br />
<a href="http://susanelizabethphillips.com/" target="_blank"><b>Susan Elizabeth Phillips</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Chicago Stars Series/Book 8</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">A star quarterback and a feisty detective play for keeps in this sporty, sexy, sassy novel—a long-awaited new entry in the beloved, award-winning, New York Times bestselling author’s fan-favorite Chicago Stars football series.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Which is why a good detective needs to think on her feet. “The fact is...I’m your stalker. Not full-out barmy. Just...mildly unhinged.”</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Piper soon finds herself working for Graham himself, although not as the bodyguard he refuses to admit he so desperately needs. Instead, he’s hired her to keep an eye on the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. But Coop’s life might be in danger, and Piper’s determined to protect him, whether he wants it or not. (Hint: Not!) If only she weren’t also dealing with a bevy of Middle Eastern princesses, a Pakistani servant girl yearning for freedom, a teenager who just wants to fit in, and an elderly neighbor demanding Piper find her very dead husband.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">And then there’s Cooper Graham himself, a legendary sports hero who always gets what he wants—even if what he wants is a feisty detective hell bent on proving she’s as tough as he is.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">From the bustling streets of Chicago to a windswept lighthouse on Lake Superior to the glistening waters of Biscayne Bay, two people who can’t stand to lose will test themselves and each other to discover what matters most.</span></i><br />
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Next is a release containing four new novellas, not previously published, by Nalini Singh. These four stories take place in her Psy-Changeling world. I've gotten a little behind on this series but I do remember Dorian. Curious to read his story.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28008158-wild-embrace" target="_blank"><b>Wild Embrace</b></a><br />
<a href="http://nalinisingh.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nalini Singh</b></a><br />
<b>Paranormal Romance</b><br />
<b>Psy-Changeling Series/Book 15.5</b><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Echo of Silence</span></i></b><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">In a deep-sea station, Tazia Nerif has found her life’s work as an engineer, keeping things running smoothly. But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander...</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><strong><br /></strong>
<strong>Dorian</strong></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play...</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Partners in Persuasion</span></i></b><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him…</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<strong><i><span style="color: #990000;">Flirtation of Fate</span></i></strong><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries...</span></i><br />
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This blurb had me hooked! The time period is uncommon, add in the alternate world politics and magic and this could be a favorite! <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27213224-breath-of-earth" target="_blank"><b>Breath of Earth</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.bethcato.com/" target="_blank"><b>Beth Cato</b></a><br />
<b>Fantasy/Historical</b><br />
<b>Breath of Earth Series/Book 1</b><br />
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<strong>After the Earth’s power is suddenly left unprotected, a young geomancer must rely on her unique magical powers to survive in in this fresh fantasy series from the author of acclaimed <em>The Clockwork Dagger</em>.</strong><br />
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In an alternate 1906, the United States and Japan have forged a powerful confederation—the Unified Pacific—in an attempt to dominate the world. Their first target is a vulnerable China. In San Francisco, headstrong Ingrid Carmichael is assisting a group of powerful geomancer Wardens who have no idea of the depth of her power—or that she is the only woman to possess such skills.<br />
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When assassins kill the Wardens, Ingrid and her mentor are protected by her incredible magic. But the pair is far from safe. Without its full force of guardian geomancers, the city is on the brink of a cataclysmic earthquake that will expose Earth’s powers to masterminds determined to control the energy for their own dark ends. The danger escalates when Chinese refugees, preparing to fight the encroaching American and Japanese, fracture the uneasy alliance between the Pacific allies, transforming the city into a veritable powder keg. And the slightest tremor will set it off. . . .<br />
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Forced on the run, Ingrid makes some shocking discoveries about herself. Her powerful magic has grown even more fearsome . . . and she may be the fulcrum on which the balance of world power rests.
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The next is the second in the series. No, have not read the first, but... you know. I have it on the TBR pile. :) I am surprised at the Kindle price of $10.99 but hardcover and paperback are less? Odd.<br />
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<a href="http://www.abbiglines.com/" target="_blank"><b>Abbi Glines</b></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26135139-under-the-lights" target="_blank"><b>Under the Lights</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance/Young Adult</b><br />
<b>Field Party Series/Book 2</b><br />
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Willa can’t erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she’s on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.<br />
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High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa—she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that’s all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.<br />
<br />
Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star—not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn’t care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception—and he understands the girl she’s become in a way no one else can.<br />
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As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love…even if it means losing each other forever.
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This last one is young adult and could prove to be a good read but also a hard one to read given the heroine's diagnosis. This is not something I've ever seen portrayed in fictional writing. I can only imagine that it will be sad, like "Fault in Our Stars" sad but hopefully still good.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23502050-100-days" target="_blank"><b>100 Days</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.nicolemcinnes.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nicole McInnes</b></a><br />
<b>Young Adult/Contemporary</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Agnes</b> doesn't know it, but she only has one hundred days left to live. When she was just a baby, she was diagnosed with Progeria, a rare disease that causes her body to age at roughly ten times the normal rate. Now nearly sixteen years old, Agnes has already exceeded her life expectancy. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Moira</b> has been Agnes's best friend and protector since they were in elementary school. Due to her disorder, Agnes is still physically small, but Moira is big. Too big for her own liking. So big that people call her names. With her goth makeup and all-black clothes, Moira acts like she doesn't care. But she does. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<has acts="" agnes="" all-black="" and="" been="" best="" big.="" big="" but="" call="" care.="" clothes="" disorder="" does.="" doesn="" due="" elementary="" for="" friend="" goth="" her="" in="" is="" like="" liking.="" makeup="" moira="" names.="" own="" people="" physically="" protector="" s="" school.="" she="" since="" small="" so="" span="" still="" t="" that="" they="" to="" too="" were="" with=""><i><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Boone</b> was friends with both girls in the past, but that was a long time ago—before he did the thing that turned Agnes and Moira against him, before his dad died, before his mom got too sad to leave the house.</span></i></has><br />
<has acts="" agnes="" all-black="" and="" been="" best="" big.="" big="" but="" call="" care.="" clothes="" disorder="" does.="" doesn="" due="" elementary="" for="" friend="" goth="" her="" in="" is="" like="" liking.="" makeup="" moira="" names.="" own="" people="" physically="" protector="" s="" school.="" she="" since="" small="" so="" span="" still="" t="" that="" they="" to="" too="" were="" with=""><i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i></has>
<has acts="" agnes="" all-black="" and="" been="" best="" big.="" big="" but="" call="" care.="" clothes="" disorder="" does.="" doesn="" due="" elementary="" for="" friend="" goth="" her="" in="" is="" like="" liking.="" makeup="" moira="" names.="" own="" people="" physically="" protector="" s="" school.="" she="" since="" small="" so="" span="" still="" t="" that="" they="" to="" too="" were="" with=""><i><span style="color: #990000;">An unexpected event brings Agnes and Moira back together with Boone, but when romantic feelings start to develop, the trio’s friendship is put to the test.</span></i></has>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-88896259975678125992016-08-16T09:46:00.001-07:002016-08-16T09:46:21.031-07:00This Week's New ReleasesThis week there is a nice variety of new releases. Contemporaries, of course, but also a World War 1 set fantasy, a futuristic young adult, and a romantic suspense.<br />
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What new releases are you looking forward to this week?<br />
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I love the sound of this! Digital stunt girls? Yeah, this is new. Can't wait to read this one.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114131-vicarious" target="_blank"><b>Vicarious</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.authorpaulastokes.com/" target="_blank"><b>Paula Stokes</b></a><br />
<b>Futuristic/Young Adult</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.</span></i><br />
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I'm fascinated with the Arctic Circle because it is so different from what I'm used to. I hope to someday see the Northern Lights in person. Until then, I'll look at pictures, watch videos and read books about it.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29243822-in-the-barren-ground" target="_blank"><b>In the Barren Ground</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lorethannewhite.com/" target="_blank"><b>Loreth Anne White</b></a><br />
<b>Suspense/Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">In the Barrens, a vast wilderness in northern Canada bordering the Arctic Circle, night consumes every hour of the winter. Humans are scarce; ferocious predators roam freely. Locals say spirits do, too.
Rookie cop Tana Larsson doesn’t mind the dark and quiet. Five months pregnant and hoping to escape the mistakes of her past, she takes a post in Twin Rivers, population 320. Maybe here she can find peace and community for her child.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">But with her superior out of commission, Tana becomes the sole police officer in 17,500 square miles. One bitter night, she gets a call about the fatal wolf mauling of two students, and the only way to reach the remote scene is to enlist the help of the arrogant, irritatingly handsome Cameron “Crash” O’Halloran, a local bush pilot with a shady reputation for smuggling and a past cloaked in shadow.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">When the macabre scene they uncover suggests violence much more sinister than animal, Tana must trust Crash if she wants to protect the town—and herself—from the evil that lurks in the frozen dark.</span></i><br />
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This next one is unique. It is rare to see a fantasy set in World War 1. Side Note: This author also wrote a short story - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18758214-evil-robot-monkey" target="_blank"><i><b>Evil Robot Monkey</b></i></a>. This title makes me laugh and also piqued my curiosity. <br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114291-ghost-talkers" target="_blank"><b>Ghost Talkers</b></a><br />
<a href="http://maryrobinettekowal.com/" target="_blank"><b>Mary Robinette Kowal</b></a><br />
<b>Historical/Fantasy</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Ginger Stuyvesant, an American heiress living in London during World War I, is engaged to Captain Benjamin Harford, an intelligence officer. Ginger is a medium for the Spirit Corps, a special Spiritualist force.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Each soldier heading for the front is conditioned to report to the mediums of the Spirit Corps when they die so the Corps can pass instant information about troop movements to military intelligence.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Ginger and her fellow mediums contribute a great deal to the war efforts, so long as they pass the information through appropriate channels. While Ben is away at the front, Ginger discovers the presence of a traitor. Without the presence of her fiance to validate her findings, the top brass thinks she's just imagining things. Even worse, it is clear that the Spirit Corps is now being directly targeted by the German war effort. Left to her own devices, Ginger has to find out how the Germans are targeting the Spirit Corps and stop them. This is a difficult and dangerous task for a woman of that era, but this time both the spirit and the flesh are willing…</span></i><br />
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Yes, this is the third book in the series but... I have books 1 & 2. I have not read them yet but I have them! I'll get to them but until I do, I'll also have this one waiting on my Kindle for me. I like the premise, which is unusual for me because I've never been into mafia romances.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114139-ravage" target="_blank"><b>Ravage</b></a><br />
<a href="http://tilliecole.com/" target="_blank"><b>Tillie Cole </b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Scarred Souls/Book 3</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Taken by the Jakhua Clan as a teen, 194 was stripped of his name, his identity, and his freewill, meticulously honed to be a ruthless, soulless killing machine, trained solely to spill blood and stop hearts. This is a role he resents with every fiber of his being, but one he embraces to gain back the precious leverage the Georgians wield as their weapon of control: his younger sister, 152.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Mzia Kostava is in shock. After fleeing her mafia family's massacre in Georgia as a child, Mzia lives in secret, hiding from her enemies in the dark shadows of Manhattan. At age twenty-five, believing all her family is dead, word reaches Mzia that her brother Zaal is very much alive... and living with their family's greatest enemy: the Volkov Bratva in Brooklyn.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Yearning to be reunited with her beloved Zaal, Mzia risks her safety and anonymity for the brother she had mourned since childhood. But just as she reaches Zaal's apartment, Mzia is seized and taken captive by a strange man, who is strong, dark, and brutal... Unyielding, he demands her utter obedience as he locks her away in darkness. He is highly skilled in torture and inflicting pain, and demands to know everything about her brother Zaal and everything about her. He is a man that'll do anything to get what he wants.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Sometimes love requires the sacrifice and betrayal of those held most dear. But is finding one's true love worth committing the greatest sacrifice of all?</span></i><br />
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This is the second book in the series, continuing the story that ended in a cliffhanger in the first book. I've got the first book but have yet to read it. Anyone read <i><b>Sugar Daddy</b></i> yet? I'm waiting until the third and final installment is released in October before starting this series since this one ends on a cliffhanger too.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27774345-sugar-rush" target="_blank"><b>Sugar Rush</b></a><br />
<a href="http://sawyerbennett.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sawyer Bennett</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Sugar Bowl/Book 2</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">After posing as an escort for the Sugar Bowl online dating service, Sela Halstead is looking for one thing: payback. She's closing in on the site's heartless founder, Jonathon Townsend, and she needs Beckett North, Townsend's business partner and her lover, by her side. She'd thought that their intimate nights together had forged an unbreakable bond, but after a shocking betrayal, Sela begins to doubt the brilliant bad boy. When push comes to shove, can she trust Beck to do the right thing?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Now that he understands the truth, Beck will stop at nothing to secure the reckoning Sela deserves. But between his desire for her and his disgust for JT, Beck doesn't exactly have a lot of control over his emotional state. Left with no other choice, he must summon all his discipline to maintain JT's trust and pretend that they're still friends. But how far will Beck go to prove his loyalty to Sela? He nearly lost her once. To keep her, Beck might have to kill for her.</span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-14049504702904983872016-08-14T23:40:00.000-07:002016-08-14T23:40:15.878-07:00Kindle in MotionHas anyone seen this? Or maybe I should say experienced this? I had no idea about it until I looked up a Kindle book and got a big shock. This guy was looking at me! I'm probably late to the party but now I know to be on the lookout. And really, it felt a little creepy.<br />
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Here's Amazon's description ~<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">This book can be read on any device, including Kindle E-readers. Kindle in Motion books include art, animation, or video features that can be viewed on certain Fire tablets and the free Kindle app for iOS and Android. You can switch features on or off at any time.</span></i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxeCfZni656wuSGvr9pvlgSqjiwIbzOvwfi4wTznWeAmMgE8s7Or7RbsIvgK_5Nzf8H4NSugTlmqMZ2amEHbw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Click <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B6E6OLW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2JB495559LM9E&coliid=I2SYNIZGBXWG0N&linkCode=sl1&tag=therocstaofro-20&linkId=8b091be295c76213a9d79c80313d0e58#navbar" target="_blank">here</a> for the link if the video doesn't work. <br />
<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-72781278766679261142016-08-12T16:59:00.000-07:002016-08-12T17:05:13.682-07:00The Girl With All The GiftsI read the book, now I want to see the movie. Here's the trailer.<br />
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The book is one that sticks with you long after you've finished. It is fantastically creepy and still has this wonderful story inside the creepiness. It's the story of the relationship between Melanie, the little girl and her teacher, Ms. Justineau. There were plenty of scenes that had my heart racing! I only wish I had reviewed it. I believe it's classified as horror, which I usually don't read but it came recommended so I decided to try it. So glad I did! It is tough reading at times as you might expect if you watched the trailer. Kids feature prominently in the plot and they are not always treated well.<br />
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Here's a brilliant <a href="http://www.impressionsofareader.com/2014/07/the-girl-with-all-gifts-by-mr-carey.html" target="_blank">review</a> Hils wrote. It makes me want to re-read <i><b>The Girl With All the Gifts</b></i>. Even if you don't like horror, think of this as an often terrifying survivalist story and give it a try.<br />
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Scheduled release - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4547056/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">September 23, 2016</a>.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-10337283964975449052016-08-10T15:14:00.000-07:002016-08-10T15:14:03.226-07:00This Weeks New Releases Running a little late this week. No clue how it got to be Wednesday already. I think I might have slept through a couple of days. Sorry about that. I'm sure you've all been waiting for this post before buying any books this week. :) We have some good looking releases - and not all are contemporary romances! As always, if you have any recs, please leave a comment.<br />
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A new series! It's cause for celebration since I seem to keep finding series that have already started. I like the siblings seeking vengeance theme. This sounds like a good start to romantic suspense series.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833807-ruthless" target="_blank"><b>Ruthless</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lexiblake.net/" target="_blank"><b>Lexi Blake</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance/Suspense</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">The Lawless siblings are bound by vengeance. Riley, Drew, Brandon, and Mia believe the CEO of StratCast orchestrated their parents’ murder twenty years ago to steal their father’s software program. And there’s only one way Riley can find some solid evidence...</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Heir to the StratCast legacy, Ellie Stratton hires a new attorney to handle a delicate business matter—and she’s shocked by her attraction to him. Over the course of a few weeks, Riley becomes her lover, her friend, her everything. But when her life is threatened, Ellie discovers that Riley is more obsessed with settling an old score than in the love she thought they were building. And Riley must choose between a revenge he’s prepared for all his life and the woman he’s sure he can’t live without...</span></i><br />
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Susan Wiggs is an old favorite of mine. I've enjoyed some of her historical romance as well as her contemporary romances. This sounds like a heartbreaker with a happy ending. I hope!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27213227-family-tree" target="_blank"><b>Family Tree</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.susanwiggs.com/" target="_blank"><b>Susan Wiggs</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>or Women's Fiction</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Sometimes the greatest dream starts with the smallest element. A single cell, joining with another. And then dividing. And just like that, the world changes.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Annie Harlow knows how lucky she is. The producer of a popular television cooking show, she loves her handsome husband and the beautiful Manhattan home they share. And now, she’s pregnant with their first child.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But in an instant, her life is shattered. And when Annie awakes from a year-long coma, she discovers that time isn’t the only thing she's lost.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Grieving and wounded, Annie retreats to her old family home in Switchback, Vermont, a maple farm generations old. There, surrounded by her free-spirited brother, their divorced mother, and four young nieces and nephews, Annie slowly emerges into a world she left behind years ago: the town where she grew up, the people she knew before, the high-school boyfriend turned ex-cop. And with the discovery if a cookbook her grandmother wrote int he distant past, Annie unearths an age-old mystery that might prove the salvation of the family farm.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Family Tree is the story of one woman's triumph over betrayal, and how she eventually comes to terms with the her past. It is the story of joys unrealized and opportunities regained. Complex, clear-eyed and big-hearted, funny, sad, and wise, it is a novel to cherish and to remember.</span></i><br />
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I've listened to the first book in this series. It's different from the usual romance. I still have the next book and will get this one too!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27970260-burn-down-the-night" target="_blank"><b>Burn Down the Night</b></a><br />
<b><a href="http://www.molly-okeefe.com/" target="_blank">M. O'Keefe aka Molly O'Keefe</a></b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Everything I Left Unsaid/Book 3</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . . to love me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . .
I don’t want to.
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This debut from author Sally Thorne caught my attention with this humorous blurb. It's an office romance and who doesn't like those?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25883848-the-hating-game" target="_blank"><b>The Hating Game</b></a><br />
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SallyThorneAuthor/home" target="_blank">Sally Thorne</a> (link to Ms. Thorne's Facebook, could not find her website.)</b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">2) A person’s undoing</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">3) Joshua Templeman</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She’s charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone except for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they’ve become entrenched in an addictive, ridiculous never-ending game of one-upmanship. There’s the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can’t let Joshua beat her at anything—especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">If Lucy wins this game, she’ll be Joshua’s boss. If she loses, she’ll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she’s got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she’s got Joshua Templeman all wrong.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Maybe Lucy Hutton doesn’t hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.</span></i><br />
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This looks like a good murder mystery! Never read this author but want to give this one a try.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28256372-the-widower-s-wife" target="_blank"><b>The Widower's Wife</b></a><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13482092.Cate_Holahan" target="_blank"><b>Cate Holahan</b></a><br />
<b>Mystery</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Ana Bacon, a young housewife, tumbles off a cruise ship into the dark and deadly waters, but did she take her secrets with her?
Investigator Ryan Monahan is a numbers man. So when his company sends him the Bacon case, which could net a ten million dollar payout, Monahan doubts that her death is just a tragic accident. But the husband has a substantial alibi and a number of witnesses claim to have seen Ana fall. So the official ruling seems to be substantiated.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Still, the more Monahan uncovers about Ana’s life, the more he realizes how many people would kill to keep her secrets hidden. And the closer he gets to the truth, the greater the odds grow that he, too, will take a fatal fall. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Cate Holahan looks at the dark underbelly of a marriage from the perspectives of the detective and the victim in her tense and enthralling page-turner, The Widower's Wife.</span></i><br />
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China Miéville - Yes Please! It sounds kind of crazy but who doesn't like to go crazy sometimes?<br />
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<b><a href="http://chinamieville.net/" target="_blank">China Miéville</a></b><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26042254-the-last-days-of-new-paris" target="_blank"><b>The Last Days of New Paris</b></a><br />
<b>Historical Fantasy</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">THE LAST DAYS OF NEW PARIS is an intense and gripping tale set in an alternative universe: June 1940 following Paris’ fall to the Germans, the villa of Air-Bel in Marsailles, is filled with Trotskyists, anti-fascists, exiled artists, and surrealists.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">One Air-Bel dissident decides the best way to fight the Nazis is to construct a surrealist bomb. When the bomb is accidentally detonated, surrealist Cataclysm sweeps Paris and transforms it according to a violent, weaponized dream logic.</span></i><br />
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<br />Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-52534326649860011452016-08-04T22:54:00.000-07:002016-08-04T22:54:04.715-07:00Review: Don't Tempt Me ~ Lori Foster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Don't Tempt Me</b><br />
<a href="http://lorifoster.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lori Foster</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Guthrie Brothers/Book 1</b><br />
<b>Harlequin/July 26, 2016</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Love comes along when it's least wanted.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Jason Guthrie has no time for entanglements—between helping out his widowed brother and teenage nephew and getting his hometown back on its feet, his days are spoken for. But his nights are another story… And when his lovely new neighbor, Honor Brown, reluctantly accepts his help in remodeling her house, Jason finds himself wishing his handyman skills could knock down the defenses she keeps building around herself.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Martial arts teacher Sullivan Dean knows real danger when he sees it—even when it takes the form of the gorgeous blonde helping her friend move in across the street. After putting his wayward past behind him to focus on teaching control to troubled kids, Sullivan has learned to avoid party girls like Lexie Perkins. But Sullivan can't seem to keep his hands off the real woman behind that flirty charm—or keep his heart from landing at her feet…</span></i><br />
<br />
Honor Brown takes particular pleasure in making her new home all her own. She doesn't shy away from the hard work and what she doesn't know, she tries to learn. Honor is a likable heroine, if a bit closed off. She only has one close friend so when she moves into her new house, she is a little shy around her new neighbors. It seems as though Honor is the lone female on the street of ruggedly handsome bachelors. But it's Jason Guthrie who catches Honor's attention.<br />
<br />
Jason lives next to Honor and is quick to offer to help her move in. Along with Jason is his brother Hogan and Hogan's son Colt. The three of them swiftly welcome Honor to the neighborhood. All three Guthrie males are not only easy on the eyes but genuine nice guys. I liked how Jason was protective of Honor but understands her need to improve her house by herself. Jason is a custom builder and can fix just about anything so he proves to be the perfect teacher for Honor.<br />
<br />
There is a secondary romance of Honor's best friends Lexie and Sullivan Dean, one of those handsome bachelors. Lexie is a whirlwind who speaks her mind without apologizing. She is Honor's opposite but they are as close as sister. It turns out there is more to Lexie than meets the eye. Seeing Sullivan find out that she's more than just a party girl was a pleasure to watch. I liked how their romance unfolded and hope we see them again in the next book.<br />
<br />
Honor and Jason try to spend time together but Honor has secrets and she's not ready to share. When Honor's secrets are revealed they bring her and Jason closer and his protectiveness is in full force. If I had any problems with the story it was the slow pacing of Honor and Jason's romance. There were points when it felt like the plot was lagging.<br />
<br />
The sense of not only family but community is strong throughout the story. Between Honor's love for her grandfather and Lexie and Jason's support of his brother and nephew, family is shown to be the strength that gets us through the rough patches.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Don't Tempt Me</b></i> is a tender romance with some lighter moments as well as a couple of somber ones. I look forward to reading Hogan's story and see how he and his son find their own happiness.<br />
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<b>Rating: B</b>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-65914585376793214342016-08-03T19:10:00.002-07:002016-08-03T19:10:43.815-07:00Review: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me ~ Mariana Zapata<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Wall of Winnipeg and Me</b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.marianazapata.com/" target="_blank">Mariana Zapata</a></b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>February 29, 2016</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?</span></i><br />
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I just finished listening to the audio book, narrated by the talented Callie Dalton. I'm in shock at how much I loved this romance! It's a long book; 16 hours in audio format, 673 per Amazon listing. But it was so good I didn't want it to end! But it did end and left me utterly happy, complete with a smile on my face. : )<br />
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Vanessa has a dream that she is determined to follow. That dream does not include working as an all-around assistant for the demanding Aiden Graves. So when she leaves to follow that dream, Aiden has his own plans. As much as Vanessa wants to say no to Aiden, he makes a compelling argument and convinces her to say yes to his plans. The story is told from Vanessa's POV and her internal dialogue is both honest and amusing. She is a smart and witty heroine and I found her thoroughly enjoyable. <br />
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This is not a typical romance. The romance is subtle. It has a slow build-up with Vanessa and Aiden's relationship moving from boss/employee to friends to lovers. You see what both Vanessa and Aiden do for each other rather than saying words filled with hearts and flowers. They take their time about admitting their feelings first to themselves, then to each other and neither seem to be in a hurry to take that final step. There is also some miscommunication on both Vanessa and Aiden parts. Vanessa admits to herself her feelings for Aiden, unfortunately we don't get Aiden's POV so his feels are not as well know until he admits them out loud. Although Aiden is so closed-mouth that he knew how he felt about Vanessa long before he told her. Vanessa, while physically attracted to Aiden, because she has a pulse, talks herself out of thinking there could be anything more because he just annoys the heck out of her!<br />
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This is a funny, sweet romance even though Aiden does not seem overly romantic. When he does something that seems out of character to Vanessa, you can see it's really his way of showing her how much he cares for her. Vanessa too notices but thinks it's rather odd behavior since it conflicts with her previous experiences with him. Aiden is extremely driven when it comes to his career. He is so incredibly focused on being the best football player that he can come off as self-centered and egotistical. When in fact he is being honest but sometimes to the point of coming off rude at times. Aiden has no use for wasting time being tactful. He simply says what he thinks needs to be said. He also expects this from others which I liked. If he were a real person and asked if he thought he was a hero, I think he'd say no. And most likely think it a ridiculous question. And yes, he would tell you so!<br />
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The interactions between Vanessa and Aiden continued to take me by surprise. Just when I thought Aiden would start wooing Vanessa in a more traditional way... he didn't. But that would have been out of character and he didn't need to change because he was perfect for her just the way he was. I also liked that Vanessa didn't change who she was. Her actions towards Aiden changed as she began to have more romantic feels about him but her core values didn't change. And she didn't need to either. They completed each other.<br />
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<b>Rating: A-</b>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-41320302820378232342016-08-01T23:48:00.000-07:002016-08-01T23:59:30.374-07:00This Week's New ReleasesWhat the heck! How did it become August??? It's still incredibly hot here but my kids go back to school on Wednesday. Yes, this Wednesday, August 3rd. Crazy right?<br />
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Do you make to-do lists? I making book lists. Books to buy. Books to read. Books to review. Books I'm wishing for. I make other to-do lists too but those are work not fun.<br />
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Here are some books to add to your list!<br />
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Julie Cross made me a fan with her novel <a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-letters-to-nowhere.html" target="_blank">Letters to Nowhere.</a> I have yet to read anything by Mark Perini so this should be interesting to see how they collaborate.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27969076-you-before-anyone-else" target="_blank"><b>You Before Anyone Else</b></a><br />
<b><a href="http://juliecrossbooks.com/" target="_blank">Julie Cross</a>/<a href="http://markperini.com/" target="_blank">Mark Perini</a></b><br />
<b>Young Adult/Contemporary</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Model Finley needs someone to help her shed her "good girl" persona, so she'll try Eddie on for size.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">New York City model Finley is fed up with hearing the same feedback at castings: she needs to take some serious action to wipe the "good girl" stamp from her resume if she wants to launch to stardom.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Enter Eddie Wells. He's shallow, predictable…and just as lost as Finley feels. Deep down, Finley is drawn to Eddie's bravado, his intensity. Except Eddie is hiding something. A big something. And when it surfaces, both loving and leaving Finley will become so much harder.</span></i><br />
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Lorelei James has written some sexy cowboy romances. She switches to a more urban setting with this series about the Lund siblings.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27774684-just-what-i-needed" target="_blank"><b>Just What I Needed</b></a><br />
<a href="http://loreleijames.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lorelei James</b></a><br />
<b>Need You Series/Book 2</b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Trinity Carlson might be having the worst day ever. And that was before she started drinking in a dive bar, right across from her ex and his new girlfriend. So when she finally decides enough is enough, she grabs hold of a hot, blond stranger and gives him the kiss of his life.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Walker Lund never expected that a chance at love would hit him right on the mouth. Since the moment his brother decided to settle down, Walker has been dodging his family’s hopes that he’ll do the same. He’s never been interested in following in anyone’s footsteps. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>But when he discovers his sexy assailant has given him a fake name and number he suddenly finds himself in the mood for a little hot pursuit...</i></span><br />
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Colleen Hoover. Have I read anything by her I didn't like? Don't think so. :)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27362503-it-ends-with-us" target="_blank"><b>It Ends With Us</b></a><br />
<a href="https://colleenhoover.com/" target="_blank"><b>Colleen Hoover</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, <b>It Ends With Us</b> is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.</span></i><br />
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Book #26 in the series and I'm still enjoying it. There are similarity with the heroes and the snarky banter is always present but the series is still entertaining and the extensive character descriptions on Kenyon's website help immensely!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjxT4AZypKRZRlAlIUvDkBurbFvUJu1a5SjpozVg1ePn14y9By-ctyCEn2SaQ3n0AbGKcI1cjWld6N6ckO4MD19UTLgeW6gKXC18xChdJLhR67UJK_f4Eb1aJKIrk7hz7OCeFswI6-84/s1600/Dragonmark+sherrilyn+kenyon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjxT4AZypKRZRlAlIUvDkBurbFvUJu1a5SjpozVg1ePn14y9By-ctyCEn2SaQ3n0AbGKcI1cjWld6N6ckO4MD19UTLgeW6gKXC18xChdJLhR67UJK_f4Eb1aJKIrk7hz7OCeFswI6-84/s320/Dragonmark+sherrilyn+kenyon.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492109-dragonmark" target="_blank"><b>Dragonmark</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sherrilyn Kenyon</b></a><br />
<b>Dark-Hunter Series/Book 26</b><br />
<b>Paranormal Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Centuries ago, Illarion was betrayed– a dragon made human against his will, then forced to serve humanity as a dragonmount in their army, and to fight for them in barbaric wars, even while he hated everything about them. Enslaved and separated from everyone he knew and from his own dragon brothers, he was forced into exile in a fey realm where he lost the only thing he ever really loved.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Now he has a chance to regain what’s been lost— to have the one thing he covets most. But only if he gives up his brothers and forsakes the oaths he holds most dear. Yet what terrifies him most isn’t the cost his happiness might incur, it’s the fact that there is just enough human in his dragon’s heart that he might actually be willing to pay it and betray everything and everyone– to see the entire world burn...</span></i><br />
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I'm reading this right now and have been caught up in the story from the beginning. Watch for the review shortly.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27015399-a-promise-of-fire" target="_blank"><b>A Promise of Fire</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amandabouchet.com/" target="_blank"><b>Amanda Bouchet</b></a><br />
<b>The Kingmaker Chronicles/Book 1</b><br />
<b>Fantasy</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Catalia "Cat" Fisa is a powerful clairvoyant known as the Kingmaker. This smart-mouthed soothsayer has no interest in her powers and would much rather fly under the radar, far from the clutches of her homicidal mother. But when an ambitious warlord captures her, she may not have a choice…<griffin abducts="" although="" and="" at="" avoid="" battle="" bringing="" but="" captor="" cat="" coax="" conquered="" dangerous="" destiny="" discovers="" do="" even="" every="" everything="" falling="" for="" griffin="" he="" help="" her.="" her="" his="" if="" in="" intent="" is="" it="" kingmaker="" love="" magic-deprived="" means="" newly="" on="" peace="" people="" power="" prefer="" ready="" realm="" s="" south.="" span="" takes="" that="" the="" to="" turn.="" up="" whatever="" when="" will="" willingly="" with="" would=""><br />
</griffin></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Griffin is intent on bringing peace to his newly conquered realm in the magic-deprived south. When he discovers Cat is the Kingmaker, he abducts her. But Cat will do everything in her power to avoid her dangerous destiny and battle her captor at every turn. Although up for the battle, Griffin would prefer for Cat to help his people willingly, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to coax her... even if that means falling in love with her. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-30519928559596965112016-07-25T23:40:00.002-07:002016-07-25T23:40:59.389-07:00This Week's New ReleasesSo many good contemporaries coming out this week! Since I started this weekly feature I have added a bunch to my TBR pile. As usual, plenty of contemporary romances. I have no problem finding these because it's what I read the most of. I would love to see more historical releases so if anyone knows of any, please let us know in the comments.<br />
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I have read one Lauren Layne book so far (<i><b><a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2016/05/review-blurred-lines-lauren-layne.html" target="_blank">Blurred Lines</a></b></i>) and enjoyed the heck out of it. While <i><b>To Have and To Hold</b></i> is the first book in a new series, there is a prequel of sorts, the novella, <i><b>From This Day Forward</b></i>. I have yet to read it but like the blurb as well as the blurb for this one. And for some reason the term "fancy-pants" has always cracked me up!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27271035-to-have-and-to-hold" target="_blank"><b>To Have and To Hold</b></a><br />
<a href="http://laurenlayne.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lauren Layne</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>The Wedding Belles/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne is the “queen of witty dialogue and sexy scenes” (Rachel Van Dyken)! Now, Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in The Wedding Belles, her sizzling brand new contemporary romance series about three ambitious wedding planners who can make any bride’s dream come true... but their own.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Discovering her fiance is an international con man just moments before they exchange vows devastates celebrity wedding planner Brooke Baldwin's business—and breaks her heart. Now a pariah in Los Angeles, she seeks a fresh start in New York City and thinks she’s found it with her first bridal client, a sweet—if slightly spoiled—hotel heiress. Then she meets the uptight businessman who’s holding the purse strings.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank check and be done with his sister Maya's fancy-pants wedding. Unfortunately, micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving Maya’s fiance is a liar. Standing directly in his way is the stunning blonde wedding planner whose practiced smiles and sassy comebacks both irritate and arouse him. He needs Brooke’s help. But can he persuade a wedding planner on a comeback mission to unplan a wedding? And more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning... is theirs?</span></i><br />
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A heroine named Vivian Leigh? I can't resist! And the hero has a heart attack? I'm curious as to how old he is. And I like what I've previously read from Ms. Gibson. All reasons to add to the list!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23644583-just-kiss-me" target="_blank">Just Kiss Me</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.rachelgibson.com/" target="_blank">Rachel Gibson</a></b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">"Hello, Ms. Vivian . . . it's been a long time.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">And with those words, Vivian Leigh Rochet nearly melted. It's been years since she last saw Harrison Whitley-Shuler. She was a teenager scrubbing houses for a living. He was the gorgeous son of rich parents, not fit for the likes of her.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Vivian had vowed to get out of Charleston, become a big Hollywood star, and stick it to the snooty girls who made her cry.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">She got what she wanted—and more—but why does her glamorous life seem so trivial?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Harrison got out too . . . making it all the way to Wall Street, until a heart attack forced him to trade in his cufflinks for a good set of hand tools.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Making furniture soothes his soul, but escaping the Whitley-Shuler heritage is nearly impossible. And now he's come face-to-face with the one who got away. He's not looking for love. He's not even looking for sex . . . so why is resisting her the hardest thing he's ever done?</span></i><br />
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I decided to get this next release from Netgalley so I have a little head start on reading it. So far, the heroine's experiences with her neighbors are much better than mine have ever been!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27834955-don-t-tempt-me" target="_blank"><b>Don't Tempt Me</b></a><br />
<a href="http://lorifoster.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lori Foster</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>The Guthrie Brothers/Book 1</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Love comes along when it's least wanted.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Jason Guthrie has no time for entanglements—between helping out his widowed brother and teenage nephew and getting his hometown back on its feet, his days are spoken for. But his nights are another story… And when his lovely new neighbor, Honor Brown, reluctantly accepts his help in remodeling her house, Jason finds himself wishing his handyman skills could knock down the defenses she keeps building around herself.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Martial arts teacher Sullivan Dean knows real danger when he sees it—even when it takes the form of the gorgeous blonde helping her friend move in across the street. After putting his wayward past behind him to focus on teaching control to troubled kids, Sullivan has learned to avoid party girls like Lexie Perkins. But Sullivan can't seem to keep his hands off the real woman behind that flirty charm—or keep his heart from landing at her feet…</span></i><br />
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Kasie West is a favorite Young Adult author of mine. She writes characters who are genuine in their feelings and situations. Love the premise of this one. Can't wait to dive in!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25486998-p-s-i-like-you" target="_blank"><b>P.S. I Like You</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.kasiewest.com/" target="_blank"><b>Kasie West </b></a><br />
<b>Young Adult/Contemporary</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart? </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"> From beloved author Kasie West (<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The Distance Between Us</span></span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i><span style="color: #990000;">) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.</span></i><span style="color: #181818;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
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I've been waiting for this book ever since reading the first book in the series, All Hell Breaks Loose. There was enough of a teaser for the second book to make me want it right now.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29479913-hell-breaks-loose" target="_blank">Hell Breaks Loose</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.sophiejordan.net/" target="_blank">Sophie Jordan</a></b><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Devil's Rock Series/Book 2</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Hell hath no hunger like a man let out of a cage . . .</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Shy and awkward, First Daughter Grace Reeves has always done what she’s told. Tired of taking orders, she escapes her security detail for a rare moment of peace. Except her worst nightmare comes to life when a ruthless gang of criminals abducts her. Her only choice is to place her trust in Reid Allister, an escaped convict whose piercing gaze awakens something deep inside her. Reid is nothing like her other captors.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">He’s tougher, smarter…and one blistering look from him makes her hotter than any man ever has.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Reid spent years plotting escape and revenge . . .years without a woman in his bed. For this hardened felon, Grace Reeves isn’t just out of his league—she’s from another planet, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. Escaping Devil’s Rock was tough, but resisting this woman could be the end of him. For a man with nothing to lose, protecting her . . . claiming her as his own, becomes more necessary than his next breath.</span></i><br />
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When I was a little kid, I would fall asleep with my mom while we listened to a radio mystery show. I don't remember any of the stories but I've always loved a good mystery. Maybe that's where I first got my love of mysteries.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26530317-the-unseen-world" target="_blank"><b>The Unseen World</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lizmoore.net/" target="_blank"><b>Liz Moore</b></a><br />
<b>Mystery/Contemporary</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">The moving story of a daughter’s quest to discover the truth about her beloved father’s hidden past. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Ada Sibelius is raised by David, her brilliant, eccentric, socially inept single father, who directs a computer science lab in 1980s-era Boston. Home-schooled, Ada accompanies David to work every day; by twelve, she is a painfully shy prodigy. The lab begins to gain acclaim at the same time that David's mysterious history comes into question. When his mind begins to falter, leaving Ada virtually an orphan, she is taken in by one of David's colleagues. Soon after she embarks on a mission to uncover her father’s secrets: a process that carries her from childhood to adulthood. What Ada discovers on her journey into a virtual universe will keep the reader riveted until
The Unseen World's heart-stopping, fascinating conclusion.</span></i><br />
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Look! It's an urban fantasy!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25500288-thunder-road" target="_blank"><b>Thunder Road</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.sierradean.com/" target="_blank"><b>Sierra Dean</b></a><br />
<b>Urban Fantasy</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Being Chosen was supposed to be a gift. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">That’s what Tallulah Corentine’s parents told her when they handed her over to the Rain Chasers on her seventh birthday. It was an honor to be born with a destiny, to be hand selected by the gods before taking her first breath. She should be overjoyed.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Twenty years later, Tallulah is still waiting for the gift. She might have the power of the storm at her fingertips, but she’s spent her whole adult life living under a cloud. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;"> A cross-country trip to find the wayward son of Seth, god of the storm, turns into a fight for her life when she dupes Death out of a valuable treasure. With only a wily con man, a dangerously handsome bad-luck priest, and a lot of lightning to help her, can she deliver the package and keep herself out of an early grave?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Or will Seth be looking for a new Rain Chaser before it’s all over?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-21145077420191496992016-07-20T16:11:00.000-07:002016-07-20T16:11:43.883-07:00TBR Challenge: Catch of the Day ~ Kristan Higgins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month's suggested theme is appropriately about the RITA Awards. Last Saturday this year's awards were presented but the TBR Challenge has to do with past winners and nominees. Wendy was kind enough to post links to <a href="http://wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com/p/tbr-challenge-2016.html" target="_blank">past RITA winners</a> because, while I might be particular as to how my books are shelved, I don't have a clue which ones were RITA winners.<br />
<br />
When I spotted the Kristan Higgins win in 2008, I knew I had Kristan Higgins books on the TBR pile and luckily found my winner for this month's challenge.<br />
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<b>Catch of the Day</b><br />
<a href="http://www.kristanhiggins.com/" target="_blank"><b>Kristan Higgins</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<b>Gideon's Cover Series/Book 1</b><br />
<b>Harlequin/October 1, 2007</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">First date à la Maggie: Take one lovelorn diner owner (me), a generous helping of nosy local gossips, a dollop of envy at married sister's perfect life, a splash of divine intervention (my matchmaking priest). Combine ingredients with one adorable puppy, add a strong but silent lobsterman with a hidden heart of gold and watch the sparks fly.</span></i><br />
<br />
This is a cute romance set in a small Maine town where everyone not only knows everyone, but they know everyone's business. No need for Facebook in Gideon's Cove!<br />
<br />
Maggie doesn't exactly help things when it comes to the gossip. She is a talker. There are times when she doesn't seem to have control over her mouth. She is funny, with her babbling as well as her internal dialogue showing her insecurities as well as her love for her family, friends and the town itself. Maggie made the mistake of having an insta-crush on the new priest. I do have to give her some slack since she didn't know he was the new priest and he is young, handsome and Irish with a beautiful Irish brogue. The problem is Maggie continues her crush, not too obvious but still... it's a small town and everyone knows. Maggie's dating woes continue with her family and Father Tim (her insta-crush) setting her up on blind dates. It's funny and sad at the same time. I couldn't help but laugh at Maggie's dating experiences and didn't blame her for feeling she had the worst luck in blind dates because she really did!<br />
<br />
Then Malone comes along and he is such an anti-hero it's almost adorable. He is a mono-syllabic, grumpy loner who doesn't let anyone one in. He frustrates and infuriates the hell out of Maggie but she doesn't seem to be able to give up on him. The reality is that he is a true friend and can keep a secret probably better than Father Tim. (Malone's mono-syllabic nature helps!) Malone doesn't come anywhere near looking like a GQ model. He's a lobsterman who works hard and it shows in his choice of practical clothing and general scruffiness. He's also stingy with his smiles, but when he does bestow one on Maggie, she feels like she's been given a gift because it's genuine. I loved Malone!<br />
<br />
The town is small, Maggie tends to walk or ride her bike everywhere. I'd love to live somewhere like that except for the big drawback - the gossip. Maggie is the owner of the local diner plus she grew up in Gideon's Cove so she knows everyone. And they know her and her history with men. I felt sorry for her because she is a good person, always willing to help anyone in need. Thankfully, Malone was in need. But Maggie also needed someone too and while I can't say Malone exactly went after Maggie, he doesn't completely give up on her either. Instead he gives her space and time to figure things out. Some readers might have preferred Malone go after Maggie but I liked his style of leaving Maggie alone for a while and letting her make the decisions she needed to make before they could be a couple.<br />
<br />
Kristan Higgins lets readers use their imagination when it comes to the bedroom scenes. There is plenty of sexual tension and implications making it clear what happens with Maggie and Malone behind closed doors but no detailed description of body parts, etc. I was actually fine with that and focused on the emotional part of the story rather than the more physical.<br />
<br />
The story is fairly predictable but cute and sweet. <i><b>Catch of the Day</b></i> turned out to be a quick, enjoyable read and I look forward to returning to Gideon's Cove.<br />
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<b>Rating: B+</b><br />
<br />
Gideon's Cover Series ~<br />
<br />
Catch of the Day<br />
The Next Best Thing<br />
Somebody to LoveLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-3443007012831448182016-07-19T22:34:00.000-07:002018-09-06T21:59:21.607-07:00Review: An Ember in the Ashes ~ Sabaa Tahir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>An Ember in the Ashes</b><br />
<b><a href="https://sabaatahir.com/" target="_blank">Sabaa Tahir</a></b><br />
<b>An Ember in the Ashes/Book 1</b><br />
<b>Young Adult/Fantasy</b><br />
<b>Razorbill/February 9, 2016</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
</span></i><br />
<br />
I find myself almost wishing I had waited to read this, at least until the second book is released. It was an incredible experience and with only one book, I'm addicted to the world Sabaa Tahir has created. I did in fact listen to the audio book, not once but twice! It was that good! Kudos goes to the narrators as well, Fiona Hardingham and Steve West.<br />
<br />
From the beginning, I was drawn into the lives of Laia and Elias. They both live in different worlds. Laia is a scribe, one of the conquered, while Elias seems to live the life of privilege, the conqueror. But neither have much, if any, control over their lives. Laia is thrown out of her dismal home when her brother is arrested. She barely escapes the Empire's soldiers and seeks out the rebels, hoping they will help her rescue her brother. In exchange for the rebel's help, Laia must become a house slave to the Commandant of Blackthorne Academy. Laia is a teenager, seventeen, but her hard life has given her the determination to overcome horrendous odds in just surviving the Commandant.<br />
<br />
The Academy is where the Martial Empire trains their soldiers. The training starts at age six. The children are brought to the academy and given training many adults would not survive. Sadly, many of the children do not survive the harsh environment of the Academy. The descriptions are brutal, conditions at the Academy are severe. The weak do not survive here. They are eliminated, mostly by the Commandant who takes sadistic pleasure in whipping the boys who disobey her rules. She killed a ten year old who tried to escape, was captured by the Masks and then punished by the Commandant. I absolutely hated her.<br />
<br />
The Masks are the soldiers who have graduated from the Academy. They got their name from the masks they wear, which they are not allowed to remove. The soldiers received their masks while still in training and the masks slowing begin to "bond" to the soldiers' faces. The description is, disturbing, and I had the impression the masks are made out of some type of pliable metal. I don't remember if it was mentioned what exactly they are made of but they gradually attached the the face and head of each trainee until they become a part of the soldier. <br />
<br />
The whole setting of the Academy is brilliantly developed from the grounds, the trainees' rooms, the kitchen and halls, and the Commandant's quarters. It felt like a real place with not only the physical description but the atmosphere. Everyone always ready to follow orders at a moments notice or be punished for the slightest infraction. This was not a happy place, but rather a prison camouflaged as a military academy where most of the inmates think they want to be there and are brainwashed into believing they are doing the right thing for the Empire.<br />
<br />
The character of Laia is a magnificent heroine. She is terribly scared and out of her element when she leaves her home and searches out the rebels. You can feel her terror as she encounters the hostility of the rebels and later the soldiers and the Commandant. You can also feel her resolve to follow through on her mission in the face of the real fear she has for her life. I felt as if I was right there with Laia. The writing is extremely detailed not only the physical components but the emotional turmoil Laia and the other characters go through. <br />
<br />
The secondary characters are well developed and fit like puzzle pieces into the story. There are the other soldiers, Elias' best friend Helene was a particular favorite of mine and will be featured more prominently in the second book. She is currently the only female cadet and worked her ass off to get as far as she has. She is confident in her abilities but holds dangerous secrets that could get her killed. I can not wait to learn more about Helene. There is also Marcus, the Commandant's protégé and Elias' enemy. Marcus is evil and has a sadistic streak that given time, will be on the same level as the Commandant's.<br />
<br />
We also meet some of the rebels. Resistance fighters who have their own agenda and use Laia to get what they want. Then there is another favorite of mine - kitchen girl. She is a sweet, brave young girl who works in the kitchen at the academy and befriends Laia. Cook is also there and can be brisk and even rude but her heart is in the right place. <br />
<br />
The story is told in alternating POV of Laia and Elias. It's interesting how closely their thoughts and feelings parallel each other. They have such different backgrounds and yet have similar moral codes. Laia is a young woman and a slave so you would think she is in the weaker position while Elias is a physically powerful young man, trained in warfare so he must be the more powerful of the two. When in fact, Elias wants desperately to run away from his responsibilities while Laia is embracing hers. Elias is afraid of what he will become if he stays and takes up his role as a Mask.<br />
<br />
When I'm reading an incredibly good book, I get pictures in my head. Pictures of the characters and the setting. I'll also find my body tensing up and my heart will feel as if it's beating faster when the scene is reaching the point where I know something dreadful or shocking is about to happen. This book was like that. There are graphic fight scenes, tense situations, adventurous spying, daring escapes and the passion of friendships both new and old. I absolutely <i><b>loved</b></i> this book!<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: A+</b><br />
<br />
An Ember in the Ashes Series ~<br />
<br />
An Ember in the Ashes<br />
A Torch Against the Night (August 30, 2016)<br />
Untitled (Expected publication 2017)Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-8573117163426372862016-07-18T20:58:00.001-07:002016-07-18T20:58:29.656-07:00This Week's New ReleasesThis week there are some new to me authors and some favorites, both longtime and recent. What new releases are you looking forward to?<br />
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Oh, boy. This is book four in the series and I have read... zero. So not only do I need to catch up on Ms. Singh's Guild Hunter series, I need to start this one. Who here has been reading this series? Like it?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28937797-rock-wedding?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>Rock Wedding</b></a><br />
<a href="http://nalinisingh.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nalini Singh</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love...even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?
</span></i><br />
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<br />
I've been enjoying Vi Keeland's writing lately and <i><b>Bossman</b></i> sounds like what I've come to expect from Ms. Keeland.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30138344-bossman?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>Bossman</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.vikeeland.com/" target="_blank"><b>Vi Keeland</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">The first time I met Chase Parker, I didn’t exactly make a good impression.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">I was hiding in the bathroom hallway of a restaurant, leaving a message for my best friend to save me from my awful date.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">He overheard and told me I was a bitch, then proceeded to offer me some dating advice.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">So I told him to mind his own damn business—his own tall, gorgeous, full-of-himself damn business—and went back to my miserable date.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">When he walked by my table, he smirked, and I watched his arrogant, sexy ass walk back to his date.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">I couldn’t help but sneak hidden glances at the condescending jerk on the other side of the room. Of course, he caught me on more than one occasion, and winked.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">When the gorgeous stranger and his equally hot date suddenly appeared at our table, I thought he was going to rat me out.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But instead, he pretended we knew each other and joined us—telling elaborate, embarrassing stories about our fake childhood.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">My date suddenly went from boring to bizarrely exciting.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">When it was over and we parted ways, I thought about him more than I would ever admit, even though I knew I’d never see him again.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">I mean, what were the chances I’d run into him again in a city with eight million people?</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Then again…</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">What were the chances a month later he’d wind up being my new sexy boss?</span></i><br />
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A new Young Adult from a debut author is a reason to get happy. For me at least because 1) I enjoy finding new authors & 2) I like reading the YA genre, even though I'm no longer a "YA".<br />
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That is one of those things I don't understand when people are: shocked, surprised, confused, as to why I read YA. It seems acceptable for adults to enjoy G rated movies and TV shows whose target audiences are kids. So why shouldn't adults enjoy well written books regardless of the age of the MCs?<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27272341-signs-of-you" target="_blank"><b>Signs of You</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.emilyfrancebooks.com/" target="_blank"><b>Emily France</b></a><br />
<b>Young Adult/Contemporary</b><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Since sixteen-year-old Riley Strout lost her mother two years ago, her saving grace has been her quirky little family in the grief support group she joined as a freshman. Jay, Kate, and Noah understand her pain; each lost a loved one, and they’ve stuck together in spite of their differences, united by tragedies only they understand.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">When Riley thinks she spots her mother shopping in a grocery store, she fears she is suffering some sort of post-traumatic stress. Then Jay and Kate report similar experiences. Only Noah hasn’t had some kind of vision, which is perhaps why he’s become so skeptical and distant.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">When Noah disappears, Riley fears she’s lost another loved one. As they frantically search for him, she, Kate, and Jay are drawn into the mystery surrounding a relic that belonged to Jay’s dead father and contains clues about the afterlife. Riley finds herself wrestling with her feelings for both Noah and Jay—which have become clear only in Noah’s absence. If Riley is to help those she loves, and herself, she must set things right with the one she’s lost.
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Best friends to lovers AND second chance at love? Yes, PLEASE! Two of my favorite tropes! Now if this was a historical and the heroine was a mail-order bride? Trifecta of romance tropes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfblrBLKcfsIYc1rKeGHQfF4m284lKlvD0Vh-0ytnRZbeWXeaD-FpeWBQooxZ2jY5Wr29tY2F_NPz7EntyTJxXd_zNc5GprVZ3wTGnMHseG2DVnhxVwz3PkanCToR77dJhZR8QWMHAfy4/s1600/Until+Harry+L+a+casey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfblrBLKcfsIYc1rKeGHQfF4m284lKlvD0Vh-0ytnRZbeWXeaD-FpeWBQooxZ2jY5Wr29tY2F_NPz7EntyTJxXd_zNc5GprVZ3wTGnMHseG2DVnhxVwz3PkanCToR77dJhZR8QWMHAfy4/s320/Until+Harry+L+a+casey.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28939398-until-harry" target="_blank"><b>Until Harry</b></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lacaseyauthor.com/" target="_blank"><b>L. A. Casey</b></a><br />
<b>Contemporary Romance</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">He was my best friend, my best not-really-big-brother, and my best protector.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">He was my best everything.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">He was mine.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Coming home is hard for Lane. Hard because Harry, her beloved uncle, has died suddenly, but also because of him. Kale.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Kale Hunt has been her best friend since childhood. But it was never that simple. He was Lane’s reason for leaving home and moving to New York. Seeing him with someone else, in love with someone else, shouldn’t have hurt. But it did. It really, really did. So she upped sticks and left, started a new life and cut herself off from her past.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But now she’s back, and all the feelings are right there. As if she had never left.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
Emotions are running high for everyone, and tragedy has a funny way of bringing people together. But is Lane reading the signs right? Are they still just friends, or is there something more?<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></span></i><br />
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The blurb intrigues me and frankly scares me a little. I'm not sure what to make of it. My guess is that Bo and Sofia have mental health issues and the story is about how they survive their daily struggle. I'll have to read it to find out. <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27272505-a-world-without-you?ac=1&from_search=true" target="_blank"><b>A World Without You</b></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.bethrevis.com/" target="_blank"><b>Beth Revis</b></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Young Adult/Contemporary</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><i><span style="color: #990000;">
Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his concerned parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have "superpowers."</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofia, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she's not actually dead. He believes that she's stuck somewhere in time — that he somehow left her in the past, and now it's his job to save her.</span></i>Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-31883064475714074162016-07-17T14:17:00.001-07:002016-07-17T14:17:25.856-07:00RITA Award Winners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past week was the annual Romance Writers of America convention, held this year in beautiful San Diego. The event culminates with the awards dinner on Saturday night. I tend to base my reading selection on friends recs, favorite authors, interesting blurbs or just the cover (yes, I can be shallow at times.) It is interesting to see who the winners are and maybe find a new author or two to add to the reading lists.<br />
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The list of 2016 RITA winners as well as Golden Heart winners can be found <a href="https://www.rwa.org/page/2016winners" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Sadly, I have not read any of the winning books. I do have two on my eTBR pile. <i><b>Brokendown Cowboy</b></i> by Maisy Yates and <i><b>Him</b></i> by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. I've read the first book in Maisey Yates' Cooper Ridge series and enjoyed it which is why I have the second book, <i><b>Brokendown Cowboy</b></i>. Sarina Bowen is a favorite of mine so I'll read anything by her. I have a few of Elle Kennedy's books on my eTBR pile and have read some great reviews of her books.<br />
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I have a feeling I will be adding to my reading list with some newly crowned winners!<br />
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Which of the winning books have you read? Which would you recommend?Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9055517804410962340.post-41316730893574083622016-07-16T22:14:00.000-07:002016-07-16T22:14:43.161-07:00Review: Duke of Sin ~ Elizabeth Hoyt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Duke of Sin</b><br />
<a href="http://www.elizabethhoyt.com/" target="_blank"><b>Elizabeth Hoyt</b></a><br />
<b>Historical Romance</b><br />
<b>Maiden Lane Series/Book 10</b><br />
<b>Grand Central Publishing/May 31, 2016</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">A MAN OF SIN</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Devastatingly handsome. Vain. Unscrupulous. Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, is the man London whispers about in boudoirs and back alleys. A notorious rake and blackmailer, Montgomery has returned from exile, intent on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. But what he finds in his own bedroom may lay waste to all his plans.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">A WOMAN OF HONOR</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Born a bastard, housekeeper Bridget Crumb is clever, bold, and fiercely loyal. When her aristocratic mother becomes the target of extortion, Bridget joins the Duke of Montgomery's household to search for the incriminating evidence-and uncovers something far more dangerous.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY THEM BOTH</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #990000;">Astonished by the deceptively prim-and surprisingly witty-domestic spy in his chambers, Montgomery is intrigued. And try as she might, Bridget can't resist the slyly charming duke. Now as the two begin their treacherous game of cat and mouse, they soon realize that they both have secrets-and neither may be as nefarious-or as innocent-as they appear . . .</span></i><br />
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Ever since Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery first appeared, he's been a curiosity. He's rude, arrogant, beautiful, rich and powerful. He's also without scrupulous - blackmailing when he can, killing when <i>he</i> deems it necessary. I would not call him likable, only fascinating in the way predatory animals are fascinating. You want to know more about them but you don't want to get too close. Bridget Crumb had to get close, and she found out what was behind the beautiful facade.<br />
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Bridget Crumb is an appealing heroine with her practicality and hard work ethics. She didn't grow-up as a pampered lady but started working as household help when she was twelve. She is portrayed as being young (she's 26) but still able to command the household staff with great finesse. She does have a healthy unease regarding the Duke. She knows she must be careful to not be found out by the Duke when searching out his blackmail evidence. She's quite quick with her comebacks when engaging in verbal sparing with the Duke. I do think those were my favorite scenes, with Bridget and Val, sparring with words. Bridget's brilliant riposte of the Duke's parry was like watching a fencing match. Even when she stumbled under the Duke's greater expertise, Bridget still held her own.<br />
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The Duke of Montgomery is a cold, demanding aristocrat who doesn't apologize for his words or actions. I didn't find him likable at the beginning and that had not changed much by the end of the story. I liked Bridget well enough but Val didn't leave me feeling as if he had changed overly much from the first time he showed up in the series. He is fiercely protected of those he cares for, but not at all trustworthy. I'm not sure even Bridget should trust him completely.<br />
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Val loves playing with people, seeing how they will react to his games he enjoys playing so well. It wouldn't be such an issue except he plays with people's lives. You could make a argument in his favor because the people he blackmails are either doing or have done something wrong. But why should Val get to profit form other's mistakes? He did have a horrible childhood, with disgusting parents who should have been locked in a dungeon. When we find out about his childhood, that is when I felt sympathy for him. For the child he was and the reality he was forced to endure. He is justified in taking actions against those who hurt him and his sister when they were children. But does it justify all of Val's actions?<br />
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The plot is centered around Val's blackmailing and Bridget's attempts at stopping him. We do get to see some of Val's sister, Eve, the heroine in the previous book, <i><b>Sweetest Scoundrel</b></i>. But the hero and heroine remain the focal point as far as the relationships go. I did like seeing how Bridget's pragmatic nature warred with Val's impractical one. Val's lifestyle is filled with opulence while Bridget takes pleasure in the smaller joys. She also teaches Val to appreciate the simpler things in life. Val teaches Bridget that she is desirable, not only for her body but for her mind.<br />
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In the end, I was happy to see Val and Bridget ride off into the sunset towards their HEA but it didn't have the same impact as previous books in the series. I will say I am looking forward to the next book, <i><b>The Duke of Pleasure</b></i>. Love what we've seen so far of the hero and heroine.<br />
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<b>Rating: C+</b><br />
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Maiden Lane Series ~<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2010/09/review-wicked-intentions.html" target="_blank">Wicked Intentions</a><br />
<a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-notorious-pleasures.html" target="_blank">Notorious Pleasures</a><br />
<a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-scandalous-desires.html" target="_blank">Scandalous Desires</a><br />
Thief of Shadows<br />
<a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2013/10/review-lord-of-darkness.html" target="_blank">Lord of Darkness</a><br />
<a href="http://lesliespsyche.blogspot.com/2014/02/review-duke-of-midnight.html" target="_blank">Duke of Midnight</a><br />
Darling Beast<br />
Dearest Rogue<br />
Sweetest Scoundrel<br />
Duke of Sin<br />
Once Upon a Moonlight Night (novella)<br />
Duke of Pleasure (November 29, 2016)Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12055116610295076439noreply@blogger.com1