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Showing posts from 2008

Serial Readers Challenge 2009

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Carpool Queen his hosting this challenge. Sign up here http://justyouraveragecarpoolqueen.blogspot.com/2008/11/serial-readers-challenge-2009-as-many.html Here are the edited guidelines: 1. Read books in series/trilogies/related by author. 2. The Challenge will begin January 1st and last until December 31st 2009. 3. Post your list on your blog and link it back to this post. 4. Please rate and review each title on your blog. 5. There will be prizes! 6. To wrap up the challenge next winter, comment to this post linking your wrap-up post by December 31! Prizes will be awarded January 2010! Here is my list: Trust Me by Brenda Novak Stop Me by Brenda Novak Watch Me by Brenda Novak

I Hunger for Demons

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Forensic anthropologist Vivien Cairn has been feeling weird lately. She wakes up having missed hours of time. Dain Hawkins is a sorcerer. He is part of a brotherhood, sworn to protect the space between humans and demons. Dain saves Vivien from a demon attack. For Vivien being rescued is just the start of how quickly things go from bad to worse for her. She gets propelled into Dain’s world filled with demons, sorcerers, succubus and other creatures. Dain has never seen anyone so beautiful as Vivien or felt such a strong attraction. But before Dain can make a move, he will have to stop a killer. There is a succubus killing people. It has no mercy. It only knows one thing…that is thirst. The closer Dain gets to putting a stop to the succubus, the closer he puts Vivien in harms way. Dain may have to make a decision to which is more important to him…stopping a succubus or protecting Vivien. Demon’s Hunger is the second book in The Compact of Sorcerers series by Eve Silver. I found myself

The Monster of Florence

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I want to thank Anna with Hachette for sending me this audio book. The Monster of Florence is based on a true story. The story is surrounding numerous killing that took place in Florence, Italy that transpired in the late seventies and early eighties. The killer was dubbed “The Monster of Florence”. By the time the year 1984 had rolled around, the Monster was the most talked about killer in the world. Around the same time, the killer had already killed about seven couples that the police knew about anyways. The killings went on for many years. The search for the Monster of Florence became one of the longest man hunts. I have to admit that this is the first time I had ever heard about The Monster of Florence. Having said that, from what I heard about the accounts…I thought that Mario Spezi, a former crime correspondent and then newspaper reporter for La Nazione could be credited as one of the most influential people to help bring to light that Italy had a killer on its hands. Author, Do

The Scent of Oranges

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I want to thank Lisa Roe for sending me this book. Linda returns to South Africa to attend her father’s funeral. A lot has changed since Linda has been away. At least one thing Linda can still come home to is….her family’s orange farm. Before Linda’s father passed away, he wrote her a letter. The contents of the letter will change forever change Linda’s life. Her father tells her that years ago, when her brother, Hannes was murdered that her father was so outraged. He wanted justice for Hannes’s murder and didn’t care what methods the police took to capture the killer. Within twelve hours, the police had arrested three black men and they were sentenced to death. Later Linda’s father learned that the police co-horsed the young men into signing a document admitting they were guilty. Now Linda must undertake the difficult mission of locating her brother’s real killer. It won’t be easy as South Africa is ruled by a democracy of ruthless men, who seek power and wish to keep secrets buried.

The Sunday Salon

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I want to share with you all a great new horror book I recently discovered. Everything changed for Carl and his grandfather, Thaddeus; the day “Rita” came into their lives. Carl is the owner of Lenoir Auto Body. He came to the rescue of a horrific car accident. Before the police arrived on the scene and the driver of the vehicle died, he handed Carl an envelope containing a small black box that held a golden car key. Carl gave his grandfather the keys to an old ‘57 Chevy truck. The same truck that only a few days ago would could have been considered unsalvageable but now looking at the truck, you would never know it had been in any accident. Thaddeus takes “Rita” for a ride. After that, nothing is the same. Thaddeus ends up going for the ride of his life. OK, so I have not read many horror stories though I love to watch horror movies. As I was reading The Ride , all I could think about was the movie Christine, adapted from a Stephen King novel. Also, I could help feel some elements of

The Brass Verdict

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After been on sabbatical for about two years, prominent defense attorney, Mickey Haller finds himself in business again. A former colleague of his, Jerry Vincent has been murdered. Now Haller may have just inherited, what could be considered the biggest case of his career. He client is famous Hollywood movie producer, Walter Elliot. Walter has been accused of killing his wife and her lover. Also, Haller is helping to solve the murder of his friend Walter. Someone doesn’t like Mickey sticking his nose in places where it doesn’t belong. For all of Haller’s troubles, he now has Vincent’s killer after him. Police detective, Harry Bosch is on the case to solve the murder of Walter Vincent. IT seems Vincent was dealing something shady on the side. Bosch and Haller don’t really like each other but they do respect one another. Mickey is adamant about not backing down, even if it means partnering up with Bosch. You could call me a late bloomer of author, Michael Connelly . I have seen his books

Forever My Lady

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Dio Rodriguez knows no other way of life then to strike first and strike hard. Maybe that’s why he now finds himself serving time at a prison camp. One of Dio’s bad decisions almost cost him the life of his girlfriend, Jennifer. As Dio waits out his time till his release, the rest of the world is passing him by. Dio believes that no matter how much time or how far, Jennifer and he may be separated, they will always be soul mates or will they? Will Dio come out a changed man or end up the same old Dio. Can or does Jennifer even want Dio back? All these questions will be answered in Forever My Lady . Forever My Lady is Jeff Rivera’s debut novel. Author, Jeff Rivera , brought lots of raw emotions, depth to both the characters and storyline, and a no holds bar attitude. Because of all these elements that worked so well together is why I loved reading Forever My Lady . I really got into the plot as well as feeling like I was experiencing everything Dio went through, right along with him;

For the Love of Pete

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I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays . I hope you are all staying warm. Hopefully you received lots of books. I have a book I think you will like, it is called For the Love of Pete and it comes out Jan 09. Sensational, best-selling author, Elizabeth Hoyt does it again. This time as Julia Harper . She brings readers a new romantic, comedy full of adventure and lots of wacky mayhem in For the Love of Pete . Someone has kidnapped Zoey Addler’s niece, Pete. Zoey will do anything to get her niece back, even if that means putting up with Special Agent Dante Torelli of the FBI. Dante has never had problems with the ladies. He has just never had one jump into the passenger sit of his car and demand he chase after a kidnapper. The next few days will be the craziest ones of Dante and Zoey’s lives. What with being chased by the mob, dealing with a couple of obsessed spice loving ladies and all the while trying to keep from being killed. If For the Love of Pete is any indication of what rea

Gothic Lolita

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Chelsea and Miyo are just two normal girls, except they live on opposite sides of the world. Chelsea lives in Los Angeles and Miyo lives in Tokyo. They formed a bond through blogging. Everything was going good till the day Chelsea disappeared from the cyber world. It has been three years, since Miyo last communicated with Chelsea. She wonders all the time how she is doing. Chelsea has a secret and she is ready to share it will Miyo. What Chelsea has to say, will change Miyo’s live forever. I have to admit that I was some what disappointed that this story read more like one continuous poem and not like the suspense thriller, I was expecting to read when I picked up this book. Miyo in my eyes was the pretty much the one and only main character in this story. She talked about how her and Chelsea’s friendship was formed, along with how the communication between them stopped the day that Chelsea stopped blogging. What I did like was the way Chelsea and Miyo met each other. I can relate as I

Border Moonlight

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The year was 1391 in Scotland. You could call Lady Sibylla Cavers the original runaway bride. Lady Sibylla had already left three men at the altar, one of the men being Simon Murray, Laird of Elishaw. Sibylla’s feels quickly change for Simon when together they rescue a little girl from drowning in the river. Just because Sibylla sees Simon differently does not mean she is ready to become his wife. Simon still feels a little embarrassed and his ego bruised from Sibylla’s rejection of him. He won’t admit that to her. The longer Sibylla and Simon keep company with each other, the more intense the passion between them increases. Neither one of them wanting to give an inch but they just might have to band together. A battle may erupt when Border activities arise and could disrupt Scotland’s truce with England. I found Sibylla and Simon to be very likeable characters. I admire females who are strong and independent like Sibylla. Simon being a Lord could have been stuck up but he wasn’t. He w

This One is Mine

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I want to thank Miriam with Hachette for sending me this book to review. It releases Jan 09. Be on the look out for it. Violet Parry lived the type of life we all would envy. She is married to a rich, famous rock - and – roll manager by the name of David, has a beautiful daughter named Dot and a large, offensive house up in the LA hills. Unfortunately, Violet would trade you places in a heartbeat. All David can do is complain about what Violet doesn’t do like… clean out the dead gopher in the swimming pool or make sure all his favorite foods are readily available to him. Violet is ready to leave her all of it behind and she does when she meets Teddy Reyes, a handsome bass player. Teddy charms his way into Violets heart with they love of music and good conversations. Then there is Sally, who is David’s sister. You won’t be able to tell from looking at Sally that is fast approaching forty years old as she is trim and good-looking. She could have any guy she wanted, so why does she want

The Sunday Salon

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This book releases March 10th, 2009. The town and the people of Innertown have never been the same since George Lister’s chemical plant shut down, especially the woods. There is something evil in the woods. Every year a boy or two disappears, never to be seen or heard from again. The police won’t do anything about the disappearances as there is no sign of foul play. There are a few people who believe otherwise and they are town policeman, John Morrison in addition to Leonard and his friends. It seems that Morrison knows there is evil hiding in the woods but he just like the rest of the authorities will not do anything about it. So it is up to Leonard and his friends to fight the darkness, before it claims the rest of them. Having never read any of author, John Burnside’s other previous works to go off of what type of author Mr. Burnside is; I thought The Glister was a hauntingly dark and gruesome piece of work. That is a good thing. It drew the reader in and enveloped them in Evil.

Try Darkness

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I want to thank Miriam with Hachette for sending me this book to review. Trial lawyer, Ty Buchanan is back again in James Scott Bell’s second novel Try Darkness . He left the glamorous life in LA and can now be found living with Father Bob, Sister Mary Veritas, a nun who can run laps around you on the basketball court, as well as the rest of the nuns at St. Monica’s. Ty may have taken on more then he can chew with his new client. Reatta and her six-year old daughter, Kylie are living in a hotel. They are about to be evicted. Ty instantly takes a liking to Kylie. What Ty learns is that the people in charge of the goings on with the hotel are Ty’s old law firm agency and former best friend, Al Bradshaw. When Reatta is found murdered, Ty finds himself the sole custodian of Kylie. Join Ty as he takes the reader from the courtroom to the streets. As far as lawyers go, Ty Buchanan is one of the good guys but don’t let him know that. Ty thinks of himself as kind of a bad ass. Being the mean

Paranormal 999 Challenge

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Description: 9 books in 9 different categories, all read in 2009. For an added challenge, try completing your books by 9/9/09! This group is to help you track your progress on the Paranormal 999 challenge You choose your own categories.... but you must have 9 categories and they must be paranormal....some examples are: Vampires Werewolves Ghost Witches Wizards Demons Just post here and let us know how you're doing and the books you choose for the categories! Group website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/paranormal999 Or sign up at Library Thing http://www.librarything.com/groups/paranormal999challen . My List: Vampires 1. Be Still My Vampire Heart by Kerrelyn Sparks 2. Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon 3. Stay the Night by Lynn Viehl 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Werewolves 1. Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Witches 1. Death of a Witch by M.C. Beaton 2. Being Familiar with a Witch by Sapphire Phelan 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 Ghosts 1. Marked by Passion by Kate Perry 2. 3. 4. 5. 6

Audio Book Challenge

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I say this challenge on J. Kaye's book blog and seeing as to how I am getting more into audio books, this sounds like a fun challenge. Here are the guidelines: 1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start listening to your books prior to 2009. 2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009. 3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009. 4) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your audiobooks will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed. If you don’t have a blog, leave the URL blank. 5) You do not have to list your books ahead of time. If you decide to, you can change them as you go. 6) Our goal is to listen to 12 audiobooks in 2009. No need to list your books now. You can do so as you go. 7) Feel free to post a link to your reviews in the comment section below. That way, we can visit your blog and read your review. My List: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Murder on the Down Low

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L.A. attorney, Vernetta Henderson is back for an all new case in this drama filled legal thriller titled Murder on the Down Low . Someone is killing successful business and family men. The police are clueless as to who has it out for these men. Vernetta and her partner, Special are helping to seek justice against a lawyer whose secret life has caused the murder of his girlfriend. What Vernetta and Special come to discover is that their case is connected to the murders. Pamela Samuels Young likes to entertain her readers as well as educate them on important topics. Though I can’t say Ms. Young kept me entertained the whole though the book, I can say that she definitely educated me on the subject matter of men maintaining another life on the down low. Why for me I wasn’t interested in the story as I would have liked, is because I didn’t connect with the main characters and feel like I could really join in their world. If I can’t connect with the characters, then for me no matter how go

Simple Wishes

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Adele Martin has not been back to her hometown for many years. That changes one day when Adele learns that she has inherited a cottage from her mother located in small, rural Pennsylvania. When Adele arrives, the first thing she notices is the peace and quiet from the big city of New York. As Adele tries adjusting to her new life; she meets her new neighbor. Jay Westvelt is a bit of a mountain man but he is not your ordinary scruffy man. He is a very talented artist as well as good looking. Now after meeting Jay, Adele is re-thinking her decision to move back to New York so soon. The mountains do have some great things to offer. For someone who has lived in New York, Adele seemed like she either lived a sheltered life or was too busy to stop and enjoy the things and smells around her. It was fun getting to experience things like shopping, watching the sunset, etc through Adele’s eyes. Jay is the type of guy you want to snuggle with during a cold winter’s night. I enjoyed the nice, quie

My Interview with Susan Palmquist

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I am happy to bring to you all a new author. Her name is Susan Palmquist and her first novel A Sterling Affair was just released December 5, 2008 with The Wild Rose Press. I want to thank you for letting me interview you. Please tell everyone about yourself? Also share something about yourself that people would be surprised to learn about. I’m originally from London, England. I’m a freelance writer and once worked as a publicist for a publishing company. I love to cook and sometimes being in the kitchen helps me work out problems I’m having with the plot or characters in my novel. I’m also an avid gardener and dabble with some photography now and then. You’d surprised to know that after all these years of living in the US, I still have my English accent. What is your favorite food to eat? Easy one, chocolate. Do you have a favorite vacation spot? Majorca, one of islands off the Spanish mainland. I used to vacation there when I was a teenager. It’s a bit too far to travel to from the

Interview

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As promised. Here is my interview with author, Maria Murnane. I want to thank you for letting me interview you. Oh gosh, it’s my pleasure. Really! How do you like to start off your morning? Every weekday morning I do the same thing—drag myself out of bed, make a pot of coffee, and sit down and read the New York Times for an hour. I love that time of day—and every morning I look out the window at the sea of cars driving into downtown San Francisco and remind myself how lucky I am that I don’t have to commute in traffic to a job I hate! Then after I’m done with the paper I walk about 20 feet into my office, check my email, and start my day. JWhat was your favorite book growing up? As a kid I read every Beverly Cleary book I could get my hands on, and when I got a little older I also tore through the Judy Blume books. (“ Deenie” was one of my favorites.) I also read a bunch of the Black Stallion books, and I remember being obsessed with “ A Wrinkle in Time,” in fourth grade, although

Nobody's Perfect

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Ok, so I have seen this book popping up all over the internet. I knew I just had to read it for myself. So what is the book you ask? It is Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane. Read my review below and than come back tomorrow for my interview with Maria. Waverly Bryson has just been dumped by her fiancé. Waverly is through with men. Luckily for Waverly she has friends like Andie and McKenna to help her pick up the pieces. Friends are great but nothing beats a couple good stiff drinks. Just one piece of advice and that is “Always drink in moderation”; unfortunately for Waverly she should have followed this advice, especially while attending a business event. Not a great way to represent Jag, the company Waverly works for in the sports public relation’s department. For Waverly not all is lost when she meets Jake. To find out if Waverly and Jake hook up, you will have to read Perfect on Paper for yourself. Waverly has got to be one of the most hilarious characters I have met. When she aro

The Sunday Salon

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I want to thank Mr. O'Brien for sending me this book to review. Carl did not have the best childhood growing up. In fact, his father used to beat him and give him gifts that were not his to keep. Carl can remember the one time when his dad gave him a bike, only to have it have it taken away from him and Carl accused of being a thief. Carl is all grown up now but he has learned his lesson. When he gets something he hides it from the rest of the world, so no one can ever take it away from him again. Young, married couple Paul and Amy McMurray just did the great thing they could ever do as a couple, give born to a baby boy, Eddie. One day something so terrible happened to the McMurrary’s; it can be considered every parents worse nightmare…Eddie gets abducted. It has been about twelve years since Eddie’s disappearance. Paul may have given up hope but Amy will never give up looking for her son. Amy senses in her heart and soul that her son is still alive and out there waiting for her t

I once was Lost but now I am Found

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Abby and her daughter, Cassie has both signed up to be part of a reality show called Lost and Found. Cassie has a secret that she couldn’t hide anymore from her mother. After Abby learns Cassie’s secret, she realizes that they have lost touch with each other. When Abby hears about the show, she hopes that by her and Cassie being a part of it, they can get back what they have lost. Abby and Cassie will be joined by the other teams made up of: Riley and Trent, rich inventors, Juliet and Dallas, TV darlings, and Justin and Abby, who are unusual. It will be a circus and all that is missing is the ring leader, Eli, one of the producers and the star of the show, Barbara Fox, the crazy host. The rules are fairly simple: Fly to a new location, during every segment of the show and following a trail of clues, the teams have to decipher them to figure out what item they have to pick up and take with them. I liked the way this book was set up. Each chapter had a name of a character in the book and

The Mighty Queens of Freeville

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This book does not release till Feburary 3, 2009 but I thought I would share it with you now, so that you can put it on your wish list. The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, A Daughter, and the People Who Raised Them is The Chicago Tribune; advice columnist, Amy Dickinson’s memoir. Amy shares with readers and fans an in-depth and personal look into her live. Nothing is keep back from her divorce to her ex-husband, being a single mother, friends, family and her job. Mainly though this memoir is really about Amy, her daughter, Emily and how they raised and took care of each other. Amy takes us back to her hometown of Freeville, population 458, located in northern, rural, upstate New York. Emily, who is eighteen; one day up and declared her mother, herself, her grandmother and the rest of the women as The Mighty Queens of Freeville for the simple fact that they were all strong, independent women who could take care of themselves. I found Ms. Dickenson’s memoir to be fun, intriguin

The Gates of Trevalyan

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I won this book from LibraryThing. It sounded good when I put my name in for the drawing but that is as far as as good it got, I am sad to say. This story takes place after the Civil War in southern Georgia, particularly the Trevalyan plantation where our two main characters Jenny Mobley and Charles King make their home as they start their married life together. It won’t be easy as they adjust to each other. Jenny forms a friendship with her maid Tacey as well as having an eye for handsome, Alexander Stephens. It is a time when the only thing left to do is make friends. The Gates of Trevalyan is a historical novel that encompasses some romance, friendship and some very famous figures like Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis to name a few. While I enjoy reading historical novels as that genre was one of the first types of books that I had a pleasure reading. Unfortunately I can’t say this is the case with this book. It moved very slowly throughout the whole book. I did finish reading t

The Crown Conspiracy

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I met Mrs. Sullivan on GoodReads. She offered to send me her husband's book for review. See my review. Royce Melborn, who is a very resourceful and skillful thief and Hadrian Blackwater, a talented mercenary make the perfect team. They are so good at what they do that everyone knows they are the go to people, when you want to get the job done right. Every single one of their customers have been satisfied, but Royce and Hadrian’s services do not come cheap. Royce and Hadrian’s have been hired to retrieve the king’s dagger. What Royce and Hadrian soon discover is that they have been set up to take the fall for the murder of the king. Now these two men have only a short time to find a way out of their predicament before they lose their heads. I picked up this book not knowing what to really expect from it. What I got out of it was an adventure of intrigue, suspense, friendship and honor. All great qualities that make a great book as well as interesting, loveable characters. Don’t le

Just what the heck are Rubber Babes?

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I want to thank Mr. Everett Jones for sending me his book to review. Rollo Hemphill is back in another wacky, hilarious adventure. Rollo works for a high profitable charity foundation. One day he is approached by a Mr. Dieter Zittpopper. Mr. Zitt wants Rollo’s help. Mr. Zitt starts to explain to a condition called Keppelhoffer’s Syndrome that effected men. A condition that is very deadly. Keppelhoffer’s Syndrome is caused by Erectile Dysfunction drugs. Rollo agrees to help. What Rollo doesn’t know is that he is being set up to take the fall in a money laundering scheme. You have got to read Rubber Babes: Further Misadventures of Rollo Hemphill in order to find out if Rollo comes out on top. Plus if you don’t read this book, how will you ever discover what Rubber Babes are? Rubber Babes: Further Misadventures of Rollo Hemphill is the sequel to My Inflatable Friend , the first book by author, Gerald Everett Jones to feature clueless but loveable Rollo Hemphill. I have not read the fi

Dark Highland Fire

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Gabriel MacInnes is a werewolf. He has always been duty bound to protect the MacInnes wolves. Gabriel is a leader and good at what he does even if this means sacrificing waking up with a warm body in his bed. Now he must do everything he can to defend the wolves from Lucien Andrakkar, an ancient and pissed off dragon. Even if that means taking Rowan an Morgaine under his care. Rowan is a head-strong, princess. She never asked for Lucien to select her as his wife. Now she is learning just how much Lucien wants her. He will destroy anyone who stands in his way. So what happens when you pair up a werewolf and a princess to fight a dragon…you get a Dark Highland Fire. Dark Highland Fire is a great afternoon read. There have been only a few werewolf books that I have come across that I actually enjoyed reading. I am happy to report that this book can now be added to me list as a favorite. This could not be made possible without Kendra Leigh Castle fantastic writing style. She made reading

The Sunday Salon

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Everybody’s favorite witch, Jasmine Tremaine and her vampire and cop lover, Nikolai Gregorovich are back again in Linda Wisdom’s Hex Appeal. Jasmine and Nick’s have started having some speed bumps in their relationship, which in turn is causing them to fight. Everyone has had nightmares once or twice in their life even witches but nightmares that fight back, now that is a new one. Someone has poisoned Jasmine’s dreams. It’s now getting harder to tell where the nightmares end and reality begins. Jasmine and Nick will do everything they can to get to the bottom of who is behind all this mayhem and why. They will have to move quick as time is not on their side. Jasmine is not your run of the mill witch. She is a fashionista, sassy, and in charge. Ok so I am not a big shoe person but Jasmine has got two of the best kinds of shoes around that even I wish I owned a pair of each. The first are a pair of killer bunny slippers. These slippers should come with a warning “Beware of Fangs”. Fluff

Romeo, Romeo

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Rosalie Ronaldi is a very career-driven, independent woman. She doesn’t really have time for men, much less her dog, Dave. You could tell this by the way Rosalie’s house looked when you stepped inside. Rosalie believed that if you ate over the sink than you didn’t have to contend with dirtying a dish. Nick Romeo is not your typical guy but when he meets Rosalie, he is dressed as a mechanic. He decides to let Rosalie go on believing he is a mechanic. Rosalie never thought it would happen that she would fall for guy that she doesn’t mind having around. Before Rosalie can comprehend what is going on; Nick has moved in. Rosalie has started seeing the benefits o having Nick around. He has cleaned her house and is even bring her breakfast in bed! Robin Kaye has a winner on her hands with Romeo, Romeo. Mrs. Kaye infused this book with tons of laughs, romance, and plain old goodness. Every once in a while women need a guy to take care of them like Nick. Nick is a great man to have around.

Jane Porter

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I want to thank Miriam with Hachette for letting be be a part of hosting Jane Porter and her book, Flirting with Forty. The book was made into a Lifetime movie that features Heather Locklear. So make sure your plans for tomorrow night involve watching Flirting with Forty. What you still haven't decided if you are going to watch the movie or not? Well hopefully after reading my review you will have no doubts about watching it. For Jacqueline “Jackie” being a single mother is not easy. Her ex-husband, David has a hooked up with a younger woman. Jackie is ready to get away from everything for a little while and that is why she and her friend, Anne have been planning a trip to Hawaii. The day is here when it’s time for Jackie and Anne to head to Hawaii for fun and sun. Anne can’t go but she convinces Jackie to still go without her. While in Hawaii, Jackie meets Kai, a hot, young surf instructor. Jackie starts spending time with Kai, out to dinner, and even learning to surf. Jackie ca

Pemberley by the Sea

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Cassie Boulton is a Marine Biologist. She has worked hard to get where she is today. So when dashing, rich Calder Westing the third arrives in her lab, she has nothing but annoyance for him. Calder convinces Cassie to give him a chance. She agrees but what seems like a great idea should have stayed an idea. Both Cassie and Calder’s families do not approve of each other dating. So their family’s mending ways get the better of Cassie and Calder and they break up. Now Calder will do everything he can to convince Cassie they belong together; even if this means he has to write himself as Mr. Darcy and Cassie as Elizabeth Bennet in his own version of Pride and Prejudice. I have never read Pride and Prejudice so I can’t compare Pemberley by the Sea to the original but I did think that this version by author, Abigail Reynolds was a good one. Cassie stood up for what she believed in and that was marine life. She is also not afraid to voice those opinions. Like the time she criticized Calder

Dating da Vinci

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I want to thank Danielle with http://www.sourcebooks.com/ for sending me this book to review. Ramona Elise Griffen is thirty six years old and a widow of two boys. Ramona teaches English. Ramona was preparing for her class like any other time when he walked in. His name is Leonardo da Vinci. He is Italian like the other Leonardo but that is where the similarities end. Leonardo is a college student and he recently moved to Austin, Texas. Ramona takes Leonardo in as her houseguest. Soon after Ramona and Leonardo develop feelings for each other. Ramona starts viewing the sites and smells of Texas in a whole new light with Leonardo’s help I thought Dating da Vinci by Malena Lott was a great upbeat and refreshing novel. Here Leonardo was a guy who could barely speak English and knew very little about America; yet he was teaching Ramona how to let go and live again through the power of friendship and love. This Leonardo may not be the famous artist we all know but Ramona’s Leonardo was a

The King's Daughter

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I want to thank author Sandra Worth for making sure I received a copy of The King's Daughter to review. Seventeen year old Elizabeth of York loved and adored her father. She and him were very close. So she had no reason to doubt that her father's predecessor would be a just and trust worthy man, especially when that man is her uncle. Richard of Gloucester has barely become the new ruler of England and already hings are going very badly for Elizabeth and her family. First Elizabeth learns that her father was a bigamist; which you can imagine made Elizabeth very irate as she thought her and her father had no secrets between them. With this new piece of information, the problem arises now that Elizabeth, her brothers and sisters are all illegitimate children and now no longer eligible to be considered for the throne. As if being declared a bastard isn't bad enough; Elizabeth's brother are taken into Richard's custody and supposedly killed. How can Elizabeth ever resp

Book Contest

I wanted to let you all know about a contest my friend is holding over at http://grammasreads.blogspot.com/ . She is giving away 5 copies of Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. Courtesy of Hachette books. You know the drill. Open only to US and Canada and no PO Boxes. So if you didn't win a copy here or abywhere else you still have a chance but hurry as this contest ends December 15th.

Ransom My Heart

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I won this book from HarperCollins First Look program. This is the first time I have won anything from them since I joined. Yay me. Mellana, Fiona’s sister has spent her whole dowry on trinkets. So now it’s up to Fiona to come up with lots of money quick. Fiona comes up with the perfect plan. She kidnaps a knight by the name of Sir Hugo Fitzstephen. Hugo is now Fiona’s prisoner and the only way he will be free is if he pays the ransom. Fiona successfully kidnapped Hugo but unfortunately she has a problem on her hands. Hugo feels an instant attraction to Fiona and enjoys being her prisoner. He knows Fiona feels the same way about him. Hugo will get her to admit it one way or another. Ransom My Heart is the last book in author, Meg Cabot’s famous Princess Diaries series. This book is Fiona and Hugo’s story. Hugo and Fiona will win your hearts over with their story. Fiona may look like a lady but she is just as good with a sword as any man. Hugo is a dashing knight with a killer smile.

The Sunday Salon

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I want to thank Rai Aren for sending me Secret of the Sands to review. Alexandra "Alex" and Mitch are both archaeologists.They have been on many dig sites but none of them have been as exciting as this latest dig at never the Great Sphinx at Giza in Egypt. Alex and Mitch discover a chest. Hidden inside of the chest are some cylinders. One of the cylinders contained a book filled with paintings and writing in as well as many other artifacts, dating as far back as 12,000 B.C. This is a great discovery for Alex and Mitch but there is just only small problem...these artifacts should even exist, so what does this mean? Strange things have started happening. Alex's dreams are filled with people, she doesn't know, living in another world. Alex and Mitch try to figure out how these artifacts came to be here as well as what Alex's dreams are trying to tell her. These are the types of questions Alex and Mitch will try to answer in Secret of the Sands. Authors Rai Aren &a

The Scoundrel Days of Hobo Highbrow

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I want to thank Annette with Schwindt-PR http://www.schwindt-pr.com/ for sending me this book to review. Hobo Highbrow lives by himself. He is a writer. He keeps pretty much to himself works except for occasionally going out with friends like Helle. She was the girl of his dreams. The one thing you can always count on with Hobo is that he is consistent. You could set your watch by him. So you could imagine what happens when Hobo’s life gets shook upside down and things start unraveling. Hobo turns to the one thing that can help him cope with this ordeal and that is...listening to a-ha music. Mr. Jon Buscall's translation from Norwegian to English is pretty good. Hobo Highbrow seemed a little narcissistic to me in the way that he had to have everything looking, sitting, feeling, acting a certain way. For Hobo this worked for him as he always had a reason for his madness, which is why I found him to be so interesting. I found this book interesting. For me as I was reading it, I fel

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

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Here is another book that releases January 2009. By the time Truly was born, she had already been big news. Truly’s mother died giving born to Truly that it was speculated that Truly killed her mother. Dr. Morgan said Truly’s size was a new record. Truly and her older sister, Serena Jane are complete opposites. Truly is a big gal, that when she was growing up she had to wear boy’s clothing; where as her sister, Serena Jane looked like a china doll with her blond hair and petite frame. Truly turned out to be the star of Aberdeen but not the kind of star anyone wants to be. While Truly tries to get by day by day; her sister Serena Jane has caught the attention of Dr. Morgan’s son, Robert. Robert thinks Serena Jane s the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and he wants her for his own. He will do anything to keep her. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County is a charming, endearing read. In my opinion Truly was the prettier of the two sisters. Truly is beautiful both on the inside as well

Can you Beat the Reaper

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First I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Day and if you don't celebrate, I hope you have a great rest of the week. My treat to you is a brand new book that you will want to add to your wish list to get when it releases in January 2009. Peter Brown is not your normal Manhattan ER doctor. When it comes to skeletons in the closest, he has tons. One of those skeletons he forced him to enter into the Witness Protection Program. Peter has been fighting with his demons for years. Peter was ready to start his day out like any other morning…with a walk in the park but there he gets mugged, than he receives an invite by a sexy pharmaceutical nurse for some TLC, and finally as if Peter’s day couldn’t get any worse, he new patient has tie ins with the Mob and is someone who happens to know who Peter Brown really is from his prior life. Now Peter his to keep his new patient from dying or pay the consequences. Josh Bazell is one of the freshest new authors I have read. Beat the Reap