Thursday, November 10, 2011

The Scent of Shadows

Hello, my fellow readers! The next book I read before the 'Readers and Ritas' event was "The Scent of Shadows", by Vicki Pettersson. This was another first for me by Vicki. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the previous event, 'Boas and Tiaras' so I'm looking forward to speaking with her about this book.

The heroine, Joanna, has a traumatic experience growing up and she uses that as motivation to learn how to defend herself. She is definitely someone I would not want to get on the bad-side of because she won't have any regrets kicking your butt! Now that she is grown up she is faced with another challenge that fuels her even more to fighting evil shadows. In order to survive she had to take the identity of someone who she thought was her opposite. However she realizes they were closer alike than she would have imagined. I really enjoyed the description in some of the scenes that Vicki used. She was able to make you visualize them in your mind This book was definitely a page turner and I look forward to reading what happens to Joanna in the next book!

Next up I started reading "A Single Thread", by Maria Bostwick.

Stay tuned...

Charmed and Dangerous

Hello, my fellow readers! The next book I read was, "Charmed and Dangerous", written by Candace Havens. She will be a speaker at the 'Readers and Ritas' event I will be attending this weekend.

I liked the writing style Candace used for this book. It was set up as a journal by the heroine, Bronwyn. She is a 'take matters into her own hands' witch. I liked her 'take no prisoners' personality. She stood up to what she believed was right and fought evil. This book definitely made me want to kick some butt!

Next up is Vicki Pettersson's, "The Scent of Shadows".

Stay tuned...

Can't Stand the Heat

Hello, my fellow readers! Only 1 day away until I'll be in Allen, TX for the 'Readers and Ritas' event put on by Fresh Fiction. I am looking forward to this :) I haven't been able to read a book by each author attending the event however I have read more since the last event they hosted. So I figure it's a step up.

The next book I read was "Can't Stand the Heat" by Louisa Edwards. Again this was another first for me by Louisa. I could not get enough. The heroine, Miranda, has a spit-fire personality to match her red hair! I liked how she never backed down from a challenge even when the hero, Adam, goaded her into one. Even though Miranda is a food critic she is not a cook. Therefore when Adam found this out he decided she needed some lessons. Between the two of them things started to heat up in the kitchen and it wasn't just the stove :) I hope you enjoy these characters and this story as much as I did!

Next up is Candace Havens, "Charmed and Dangerous".

Stay tuned...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Pleasure Slave

Hello, my fellow readers! I have been busy these past few weeks reading books by authors who I will meet in just one week!! I am attending the 'Readers and Ritas' event put on by Fresh Fiction. I have only read a few so I'm hoping to read as many authors as I can before the event so I am able to put a face to the name.

I have finished Gena Showalter's, "The Pleasure Slave". This is the first book I have read of hers. To be honest it was not one of my favorite's. I liked Gena's writing style, however the book just didn't grab my attention. The heroine, Julia, had a bad date experience when she was young and ever since she has been self conscious about her looks. She is an average sized woman but doesn't feel she deserves someone who is movie-star gorgeous. Luckily her sister has always backed her up and been her support system. When the hero, Tristan, comes into the story Julia is overwhelmed by his good looks. Instead of setting her sights on him, she sets her sights on her neighbor who Tristan calls 'Puny Peter'. I liked how Tristan was vulnerable to opening himself up to Julia. He has a past where he doesn't believe in love, however he notices Julia is different than other women. Even though this book was not my favorite it has not put me off of reading Gena. Once I finish a few more authors for 'Readers and Ritas' I will come back to her!

Next up is Louisa Edwards, "Can't Stand the Heat".

Stay tuned...

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Twilight Saga and Jeweled

Hello, my fellow readers! It has been a while. It took me two weeks to finish the 'Twilight Saga' by Stephenie Meyer. Although the books were quite long, I enjoyed her attention to detail. With this series my least favorite book was #2. I got annoyed with how much Bella kept pitying herself when Edward left. I understand the heartbreak of your first love, most of us have been there, but after a while it's time to move on. Unfortunately in this book, I think Bella took heartbreak and self loathing to a whole new level. Having said that my favorite book was #4. At first I was creeped out that Jacob had imprinted on Nessie but then got used to the idea and I'm glad he finally found someone. Lucky for him she will grow up fast. I also enjoyed the fight between the Cullens and the Volturi. The twist with Alice was a nice turn of events. Stephenie ended the series well but she did leave herself open to continue the series so I hope she continues to do so! As for my vote on team Edward or Jacob...Edward all the way :)

After reading the 'Twilight Saga' I completed Anya Bast's, "Jeweled". This is my first book I have read of hers and I was not disappointed. Anya has a way with making you want more! Her characters in this book were very compelling and their stories quite touching. The relationships are between a woman, Evangeline, and two men who she has come to love, Anatol and Gregorio. The world she once lived for has come crashing down around her, luckily Anatol comes to her rescue. And when she returns the favor to save Anatol she seeks Gregorio's help. The three of them come into a relationship together. However Evangeline is unsure of her new feelings she has towards both of them. Is she willing to stay and give love a chance or does she doubt her emotions and leave before she can be rejected by Anatol and Gregorio? This book was definitely a must read :)

Next up is my first book by Gena Showalter, "The Pleasure Slave".

Stay tuned...

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Only His, Sexiest Vampire Alive, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Hello, my fellow readers! It has been a while since I have posted anything. I have been out of town so I apologize for the delay. I have read several books so bare with me while I play catch up. After finishing Michele Bardsley's, 'Broken Heart' series, I started on Susan Mallery's newest to her 'Fool's Gold' series, "Only His."

"Only His," featured Nevada Hendrix and Tucker Janack. Nevada is trying to go out on her own when it comes to her career. However when interviewing for a new job she didn't think she'd run into her past, Tucker. Years ago, she had a crush on Tucker however he was dating Cat at the time. Thanks to Cat, Nevada had one night with Tucker but when it was over he didn't even know her name. Due to embarrassment and heartache she never talked to either of them again. Now Tucker is back for a while in Fool's Gold and Cat has managed to come for a visit as well. Will Nevada and Tucker manage to have a relationship this time or will Cat interfere again? Nevada isn't the only one falling in love...Jo, the owner of the local bar, meets Will, one of Tucker's workers. Jo has guarded her heart due to mistakes from her past however she lets down her wall for Will. When she finally comes clean with Will, is he able to handle her past even though it reminds him of his own?

I really enjoyed this book because of the different love relationships between several of the character's. Susan is an excellent writer, she knows how to dazzle you with words and dialogue. I cannot wait to see what's next for Fool's Gold!

Up next is Kerrelyn Sparks new book "Sexiest Vampire Alive." Gregori is a bottle-fed vampire, meaning he has never bitten a mortal for food. When a video is leaked showing vampires are real, Gregori is asked to be their spokesperson. When he goes to meet the President, he didn't count on falling for the President's daughter, Abigail. Abigail is a scientist working on a cure to help her mother. When she finds out Gregori has special abilities they go on a trip together to find plants to help with her research. Along the way not only do they run into trouble and a near death experience but they also fall in love. In the end is Abigail able to forgive Gregori for a mistake he made in order to protect vampires? This book was full of strong characters, witty dialogue, and of course twists and turns! I look forward to Kerrelyn's next book for this series.

The next book I read was for book club, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," by Rebecca Skloot. This book was very interesting especially since it is a true story. I enjoyed learning about Henrietta and how her cancer cells were the first to live and duplicate. They were used for many things and one was to help find a cure for polio. Rebecca was able to capture as much as she could in regards to how Henrietta lived and how she was treated medically. Many people today do not know what HeLa cells are and how they have benefited medical history. As for her family it was an eye opener to see how they grew up and how they were treated. Definitely a good book to discuss!

Now I have started the 'Twilight Series' by Stephenie Meyer. I have completed books 1, 2, and 3. I will tell my thoughts once I have finished book 4. So far I am intrigued with the series and look forward to seeing how it will end.

Stay tuned...

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Special: Cross Your Heart and Must Love Lycans

Hello, my fellow readers! I have finished Michele Bardsley's 'Broken Heart' series. I hope she will continue this series with new characters because I thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

"Cross Your Heart," brings together Elizabeth Bretton, a vampire and also grand-daughter of an original founder of Broken Heart, and Tez Jones who happens to be a detective and the last of his kind, a were-Jaguar. The two work together to solve a 150-year-old murder/mystery and save the town from a ghost. Tez was invited to Broken Heart by the were-cat colony to join the group and take over as alpha. Since he's the last of his kind the colony expects him to mate with a were-cat. Since Elizabeth knows the score she's doing what's best for him to hold back her emotions. However when a were-cat is out to mate with him will Elizabeth finally succumb to her feelings and challenge her to win Tez over? Also will the ghost out to get revenge on the town ruin all of the happily-in-love couples or will Tez and Elizabeth be able to stop him?

In Michele Bardsley's "Must Love Lycans," Damian has been captured and is in a mental institution where he meets Kelsey a psychotherapist. Kelsey wants to help Damian get well so he's able to leave however believing he is a werewolf is a bit much. Kelsey starts to ask questions to Jarred, her boss and owner of the facility, and when he is not forth coming with information she starts to question his motives to keeping Damian and why she was hired in the first place. Jarred has secrets of his own and Kelsey realizes the facility is not what it seems. She decides to leave the facility and take Damian with her. Can her and Damian get away from Jarred? Is he willing to do anything to save her including confronting his past?

Out of these two I enjoyed "Cross Your Heart" the best! I really liked Tez's character and his naughty persona :) I also enjoyed the plot line and having the story behind how 'Broken Heart' received its name. I look forward to what Michele and Broken Hearts comes up with next!

Since I have finished this series, I have started Susan Mallery's newest in her 'Fool's Gold' series, "Only His." I love this series and enjoy the characters in it. I am glad it's finally Nevada's turn :)

Stay tuned...