A Winter's Scandal by Candace Camp {review}

A Winter Scandal

(St. Dwynwen #1)
by Candace Camp

Mass Market Paperback, 431 pages
Published October 25th 2011 by Pocket Star

New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp weaves a heartwarming tale, first in a thrilling new series, of Christmastime love, discovery, and scandal. . . .
When plain and proper Thea Bainbridge stumbles upon a baby in the manger of her church’s nativity, she is understandably shocked. Discovering a brooch bearing the insignia of Gabriel, Lord Morecombe, hidden among the child’s clothing, she is certain the dissolute rake is to blame. Incensed, Thea sets out to reproach the arrogant lord—only to find herself utterly swept away.

Gabriel is intrigued by the vivacity in Thea’s flashing gray eyes when she accuses him of fathering the orphan, even as he adamantly maintains his innocence. The brooch is one he remembers all too well, however, and Gabriel is determined to find the mother of the missing child. As the mystery around the baby deepens, Gabriel is continually thrown together with Thea—and finds himself growing more entranced every day.

Even with whispers of winter scandal swirling around them, they cannot deny the longing in their hearts. A longing which promises the best gift of all: a shelter from the storm . . . in each other’s arms.

First Line(s): The Squire's house was ablaze with lights in the crisp December evening, and the boughs of evergreen branches festooned across the lintel added to the festive air.

My Review: This is my first time reading anything Candace Camp wrote and I agreed to reviewing this book with having no prior knowledge on any of her past work.

I thought I got myself in over my head the first 3-4 chapters but I am so glad I stuck through because it was an amazing read! In fact the slow moving first few chapters is the only bad thing I can think of and that makes this a pretty awesome book by that standard alone.

This book had a little of everything in it... romance, mystery.. it was a well written book.

I am so thrilled that this is a first in a series, nothing makes a book blogger happier than coming across the first book in what proves to be the stuff great series are made of.

Kudos to Candace Camp!


My Review:

Until next time...Happy Reading!

In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks {review}

In Bed with a Highlander

(McCabe Trilogy #1)
by Maya Banks

Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Published August 30th 2011 by Ballantine Books

Bestselling author Maya Banks’s beguiling new trilogy features three unforgettable brothers risking everything to save their clan and their legacy—and to surrender their hearts to love.

Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer.

The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

First Line(s): Mairin Stuart knelt on the stone floor beside her pallet and bowed her head in her evening prayer.

Favorite line(s): "There's little decency to good loving" Maddie said. "If 'tis decent, it isn't much fun"!”

My Review: Maya Banks brought my love back for a good Highlander book!
I loved that we didn't have to wait too long for the hot lovin'! It wasn't anything overly graphic, but it's steamy nonetheless, I mean you did get that this is a Highlander novel, right? What more do you need? Ewan has no problem teaching Mairin the arts of love making, wowzer!

I also love that the books in this series were released back to back, no wating for the next book on the hot McCabe brothers.... I adore when authors do this, thanks Maya Banks!

My Rating:

You all know the drill by now, if the review is on a book that I read on my own free will and was not asked to review you are getting a short and sweet review. Stay tuned for A Winter's Scandal by Candace Camp which will be a full review. Also stay tuned for an important Dear Reader's question, dying to pick your lovely brains!

Until next time...Happy Reading!

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot {Review}

Size 12 is not Fat

By Meg Cabot

Paperback, 345 pages

Published January 1st, 2006 by Avon Trade

Heather Wells Rocks! 

Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. 

The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knowsteenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! 

But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .

First Line: "Um hello. Is anyone out there?"

Favorite Line: "Because size 12 is the size of the average American woman," I point out to him.  (Page 6)

My Review:

I have to say this book was just what I needed after the last couple books I have read.  It was a light, humorous read with a side of suspense.  Heather Wells is such a comedic character. You can’t help but squirm in your seat in hopes she gets out of the tough spots she gets herself into.  There are so many other colorful characters that you can’t help but love and others you can't help but hate. 

I absolutely loved that this book had two things I like to have in a book, drama and comedy. It may not be hard-hitting literature, but who can go wrong with a book that has you laughing out loud. This is one of those books that will go great with a glass of wine on the side. Nothing beats that! 

My Rating:

Until next time... Happy Reading!

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas {Review}

Mine Till Midnight

(The Hathaways #1)
by Lisa Kleypas

360 pages
Published October 2nd 2007 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

When an unexpected inheritance elevates her family to the ranks of the aristocracy, Amelia Hathaway discovers that tending to her younger sisters and wayward brother was easy compared to navigating the intricacies of the ton. Even more challenging: the attraction she feels for the tall, dark, and dangerously handsome Cam Rohan.

Wealthy beyond most men's dreams, Cam has tired of society's petty restrictions and longs to return to his "uncivilized" Gypsy roots. When the delectable Amelia appeals to him for help, he intends to offer only friendship--but intentions are no match for the desire that blindsides them both. But can a man who spurns tradition be tempted into that most time-honored arrangement: marriage? Life in London society is about to get a whole lot hotter….

First Line(s) Finding one person ina city of nearly two million was a formidable task.

Favorite Line(s) “I'm not the marrying kind -"
St. Vincent snorted. "No man is. Marriage is a female invention.”
and
“The Rom believe you should take the road that calls to you, and never turn back. Because you never know what adventures await." ... "So we're going to take this road," he murmured, "and see where it leads.”
and
“She shook her head as she confessed, "I want it so much, I'm afraid to hope."
"Never be afraid to hope," Rohan said gently. "It's the
only way to begin."

Seriously I could keep going!

My Review: Where oh where do I find megypsy lover like Mr. Cam? Sign me up and I will travel the world to find him!

I loved, Loved, LOVED this book! Mine Till Midnight was pure entertainment, sexy as hell and beautifully descriptive ( I really felt like I took a trip via a time machine). . Cam and Amelia were what 5 star couple's are made of, they had a amazing chemisty.

I always do the happy dance when I finally start a serious that has so much hype and is complete ( means I don't have to wait), and more importantly a series that lives up to the hype!

Mine Till Midnight was my first book read by Lisa Kleypas! Next up is The Wallflowers. I am reading backwards but that is okay, I will live.

My Rating:

Do you see that my loves... a 5!! I can't even remember the last book I gave a 5 to. Wit woo!!

Until next time...Happy Reading!

Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis {Review}

Instant Attraction

(Wilder #1)
by Jill Shalvis

302 pages
Published February 1st 2009 by Brava

The first in a sensational new series, Jill Shalvis introduces Cameron, Stone, and T.J. Wilder—three bad-boy heroes who effortlessly mix breathtaking adventure and scorching sex appeal...

Get Wild...And Then Get Wilder...

Accountant Katie Kramer is a quintessential good girl—working hard, recycling diligently, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that she doesn't fit in anywhere. That's all she wants. Well, that—and amazing sex, and the kind of daredevil escapade she can look back on when she's crunching numbers in a dusty cubicle. Which explains why she just took a job in Wishful, California, working for Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. Waking up to find a magnificently built stranger towering over her bed—that part defies explanation...

After wandering the planet for months following a life-changing accident, Cameron Wilder has come back to the only home he knows. Under other circumstances, he might be thrilled to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in his cabin, but now, while he'll risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits. Still, Katie's killer smile triggers something deep in his gut...among other places. Showing her how exhilarating it can be to stop balancing her life as if it was a checkbook is the biggest rush he's ever felt—and an adventure Katie's wishing would never end. . .

"Jill Shalvis sweeps you away."—Cherry Adair

First Line(s): "Live life balls out," Katie Kramer told herself every night and even though she didn't own a pair, she hoped the manta would keep the nightmares away.

Favorite Line(s): “Who’s there?”
“The scratcher of your itch,” he said.
She opened the door a crack and stuck her nose out. “Was that supposed to be romantic?”

My Review: First thing first... the cover model threw me off on what I thought Cameron Wilder looked like from the story. I normally don't put entirely too much thought into the cover models but for some reason I couldn't stop comparing the Cameron Wilder on the cover and the Cameron Wilder in the story. Just putting that out into the universe, ha!

Instant Attraction was sexy, funny, and an overall fun read! The H/h were so believeable in their quicky ways they played off each other. Cameron poked, Katie poked right back. I loved that this story was full of overcoming things life throws at you and making the most of each day. This story was solid and a perfect start to the Wilder Series.

Jill Shalvis is my new go to author, as you all can see I am on a roll with her books and I just started reading her books in the middle of the summer. She has yet to fail me and I would be blown over if she ever does. She just might be queen of Contemporary Romance for me right now!

My Rating:

Stay tune, the other two books in the Wilder Series are coming to CBS for a review!

Until next time...Happy Reading!

Double Play by Jill Shalvis: { Review}

Double Play

(Pacific Heat #1)
by Jill Shalvis

Paperback, 282 pages
Published July 7th 2009 by Berkley

Pace Martin is the ace pitcher for the Pacific Heat. He's got the arm, the experience, and the wins. He's also got the pain, the pressure, and the possible end of his career looming over him. The last thing he needs now is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defences.

Holly Hutchins knows a good story when she sees one, and the tall, dark, and slightly attitude-challenged Pace Martin fits the bill. But when she realizes there's more at stake than just a win, shouldered jock in a different light.

Pace and Holly begin a seductive game, but in the face of unexpected betrayal and challenges, they'll have to find the courage to swing for the fences...

First Line: If Pace Martin had the choice between sex and a nap, he'd actually take the nap, and wasn't that just pathetic enough to depress him.

My Review: What attracted me to Double Play was it was a sports themed romance novel ( and I am looking to finish my 2011 Men in Uniform Challenge) and of course it being written by Jill Shalvis. Of course the yummie cover didn't hurt my decision, yum-o!

Double Play's story did not disappoint me, it was a fun, sexy, witty and fast read. Score!Jill Shalvis writing in Double Play was funny and light till the last page, which made this a light and enjoyable read. The relationship between all characters was funny and down to earth... real. I love when the characters just seem like your everyday people, makes them very appealing and real to me. While this story was witty and fun in also had depth, Jill Shalvis gave us a perfect look into the characters background history before we met up with them.

I also love that Jill Shalvis used an area that I am familiar with and wrote of the area so beautifully, makes me want to pile into the car for a quick weekend giveaway, maybe I can run into Pace... ha ha ha!

I could have gone for a bit more steamy action but the amount given was just enough to get the engine roaring and your imagination to kick in. I really enjoyed Double Play.
My Rating:


Stay turned for Slow Heat, the second installment in the Pacific Heat series!


Until next time...Happy Reading!

Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis { Review}

Smart and Sexy

(Sky High Air #1)
by Jill Shalvis

Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
Published April 1st 2007 by Brava

Noah Fisher has worked for months to make Sky High the most prestigious charter airline in California. He's long overdue for a break - something involving ski slopes, cold beers, and hot ski bunny babes, not necessarily in that order. The itinerary doesn't include being hijacked by Bailey Sinclair, gorgeous widow of one of Sky High's wealthiest (ex-) clients. But here they are, and being crammed in a cockpit with the scared, stubborn, unbelievably sexy former model he's been fantasizing about invokes Superman tendencies that could get Noah in serious trouble. Bailey is desperate to find the stash of money hidden by her conniving, thieving late husband - before the bad guys he owed find her. It's a long shot, but nothing compared to the gamble she's taking by being so close to Noah. Every minute in his company has Bailey thinking about doing crazy, reckless things like touching, grabbing, kissing...and oh wow, being kissed right back. Suddenly, seat-of-your-pants seems like the only way to fly, and maybe it's the altitude playing tricks, but this is one trip she never wants to end...

First Line: Noah Fisher needed a double diamond ski slope, a hot ski bunny babe, and a beer, and not necessarily in that order.

Favorite Line: “Hey,” Shayne said through the door. “You going to stay in there all night, because we’re getting tired of trying to eavesdrop from out here. Can’t hear a damn thing.”

My Review: Okay we have already discussed that Jill Shalvis is one of my new ( to me) favorite authors!
Smart and Sexy is the first in a trilogy about three men who own and run a private airplane business. This book was good and this just might be the first book/series I have ever read where the main hero is a pilot. It worked for me, I get it, pilots = sexy! Smart and Sexy is one of Shalvis’ earlier books and it is more on the suspense side of things, but don't fear she still works the sexy into it perfectly.
All Shalvis' books have witty storylines and entertaining fun characters. I adore the way Shalvis writes and I am both happy to have started reading her books and bummed it took me this long to find her.

It was nice to read one of Shalvis older pieces and to see how she writes suspense, it worked for me!

My Rating:

Have you read Smart and Sexy? Would love to hear your thoughts? If you haven't read it, will you now?

Until next time...Happy Reading!

How Sweet It Is by Sophie Gunn { Review}

How Sweet It is
by Sophie Gunn

Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages
Published January 1st 2011 by Forever

Single mom Lizzie Bea Carpenter learned long ago that no white knight was coming to save her. A hardworking waitress at the local diner, she's raising her daughter to be like the independent women in her "Enemy Club"—high school rivals turned best friends, promising to always tell each other the whole truth and nothing but!

Yet part of Lizzie wishes she did have a man's help, just for small stuff, like fixing up the house. Her fairy godmother must have been listening, because Dante "Tay" Giovanni soon appears. He's sexy, kind, and offering assistance—no strings attached.

Slowly, steadily, Lizzie's heart opens. But the grip of the past is fierce, and nothing in life is ever really free. Tay has his own tragedies to overcome, but if he can, he'll fix more than Lizzie's home. He'll show her just how sweet it is to be loved by him.

First Line: For over a week the envelope sat on the dinning room tbale unnoticed, buried under a stack of birdseed catalogues and household bills like a bomb waiting to go off.

My Review: I adored the humor in this book. It was such an easy read from the start. I loved the depth of the story, the realness of the characters hw you could feel the small town vibe entwined in the whole story. How Sweet It Is has everything you would hope to find in an A+ book!

Reading How Sweet It Is will leave you with the fuzzy feeling you get with either love or a few drinks. It's an endearing, sweet and lovely contemporary romance novel. You can find love, forgiveness, redemption and closure in this book, and I believe we can all use a little more of those things in our lives.

Stay tuned in a few days when I review the next book in the series where we meet another member of The Enemy Club!

My Rating:

Until next time...Happy Reading!

Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis {Review}

Animal Magnetism

(Animal #1)
by Jill Shalvis

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Published February 1st 2011 by Berkley

Co-owner of the town's only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire.

It's Brady's nature to resist being tied down, but there's something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more.

First Line: Brady Miller's ideal Saturday was pretty simple- sleep in, be woken by a hot, naked woman for sex, followed by a breakfast that he didn't have to cook.

My Review: Animal Magnetism is a fun romance that held my attention and kept me reading page after page. I just could not get enough of the main characters Brady and Lilah! I love how the two of them played off one another. Brady being ex-military is rough around the edges while Lilah is the type who appears to wear her heart on her sleeve. Jill Shalvis keeps everything about her books real, and how I love this in a book. The characters seemed real, like run into them on the street real and her story line was endearing and heart warming.
Animal Magnetism had me from the first word (Brady) and left me longing for the next book in the series. I not only highly recommend this book I recommend Jill Shalvis all together, she has yet to fail me and as I mentioned before she is kinda my author crush at the moment!

My Rating:

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Long Hard Ride {Review}

Long Hard Ride

(Rough Riders #1)
by Lorelei James

ebook, 267 pages
Published April 1st 2007 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (first published 2007)

Channing Kinkaid itches for a wild western adventure with an untamed man. Enter Colby McKaybull rider, saddle bronc buster and calf roper. He knows hes found a woman whos up to the challenge of cutting loose. Intrigued by Channings bold proposition to "horse around" on the road, Colby proposes sexual escapades not only in his bed, but in those of his two rodeo traveling partners. Can Channing give up total control? Especially when not all is as it seems with the sexy trio?

First Line(s): On a drunken dare after too many kamikazes, Channing Kinkaid found herself standing on a shelllacked bartop while a bartender named Moose sprayed her chest with ice-cold beer.

My Review: Long Hard Ride is Channing and Colby’s story. Colby is a rodeo star, on the road competing. He’s got a thing for Channing who is traveling with another competitor. When she finds out her ‘travel mate’ is married Colby offers the new daring Channing the chance of a lifetime. Hit the road with him and his two travel buddy's, live the rodeo life for a few weeks and keep their bed warm…all three of them. I love erotic romance ( guilty pleasure of mine) but with that said there has to be a good solid emotional relationship in order for me to enjoy the storyline. Lorelei James not only delivers an intense emotional relationship with Channing and Colby, she also gives a good introduction into a secondary relationship as well. (m/m alert, so if this is not you cup of tea... stop reading now). The relationships are intense as well as sexy as can be! I have been eye balling this series for some time now and when Long Hard Ride came up as free on Kindle ( yes I said FREE) I knew it was time to get cracking on this series. Upon finishing this book I got the second in the series the same night ( stay tuned for that review).
Two books into the Rough Rider's series and I can honestly say it has become one of my favorites!


My Rating: 4 stars



Giddy up now, git’cher cowboy on, it's free if you have a kindle ( I read mine on my iphone)

Until next time...
Happy Reading!

Ravished by a Highlander {Review}

Ravished by a Highlander

(Children of the Mist #1)
by Paula Quinn

Mass Market Paperback, 337 pages
Published May 1st 2010 by Forever (first published 2010)

FORBIDDEN LOVE

Davina Montgomery is no ordinary English lady. For her own protection, she's been locked away from society, her true identity the Crown's most closely guarded secret. Until a shocking betrayal--and a bold rescue--land her in the arms of a fierce Highlander, a powerful warrior whose searing gaze and tantalizing touch awaken her body and soul.

UNDENIABLE DESIRE

As the firstborn son of a powerful Scottish laird, Robert MacGregor has no loyalty to the English throne, but he's not the kind of man to leave a woman in distress, even if she is English. He vows to deliver Davina to safety, unharmed and untouched. Yet one stolen kiss leaves them both smoldering with desire...and desperate for more. With Davina's secret threatening to destroy his clan, Rob must choose between everything he holds dear and the one woman he can't live without.

RAVISHED BY A HIGHLANDER

First Line(s): High atop Saint Christopher's Abbey, Davina Montgomery stood alone in the bell tower, cloaked in the silence of a world she did not know.

My Review: Ravished by a Highlander was so full of anticipation and surprise. I found myself sitting on the edge with each turn of the page. Davina was so naive in the ways of the world but one can hardly blame her for the way she was raised away from said world. With that said, her being naive didn't make me cringe at the thought of her being weak because that thought never entered my mind while reading Ravished by a Highlander. Robert, oh my sweet Robert, he was what every main male character in a Highlander novel should be. Strong, sexy, a good warrior and protective of what is his! I loved that Paula Quinn kept us waiting for Davina's secret to be revealed ( although a part of you knew to some degree what it was going to be). While waiting for said secret to be revealed Paula Quinn wrapped us into other story lines that kept us on our toes and wanting more. The anticipation of waiting was rewarded with a fantastic story. I can't wait for the next in the series.

My Rating: 4 stars!!

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Infinite Betrayal { Review}

Infinite Betrayal
by Gayle Donnelly, Robyn Mackenzie

ebook
Published March 21st 2011 by Liquid Silver

Mina Roarke had always been told she was special. In what way, she never fully understood until circumstances led her down a path of adrenaline-charged danger, blazing sexual heat and ultimate betrayal.

Mathias, a warrior for a secret shifter race known as The Coteri, has been ordered to protect Mina at all costs. Although his oath to protect her is paramount, can he rein in his animal instincts long enough to not claim the one person he’s forbidden to have?

First Line(s): The cold mist of the morning air did nothing to clear away the hurt and confusion that filled Mina's mind.

My Review: This is an fantastic story with shape shifter action, romance ( and at times hot crazy lust!), suspense, and the battles one faces when trying to learn who you really are and finding a family you thought was never going to be. If your cup of tea is paranormal romance that goes beyond the romance and has great details, look no farther than Infinite Betrayal!
I cannot wait until the next book in this all new series comes out. Dying to learn who will survive, who won't and of course to read more of the steamy romance scenes.There are so many characters involved in this new series that I hope we are in for many books to come.

My Rating: 4 stars!!!

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Captured by the Highlander: Julianne MacLean {Review}

Captured by the Highlander
( First in a new series!)
by Julianne MacLean

\Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
Published March 1st 2011 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

Lady Amelia Sutherland would rather die than surrender to a man like Duncan MacLean. He is the fiercest warrior of this clan-her people’s sworn enemy-and tonight he is standing over her bed. Eyes blazing, muscles taut, and battle axe gleaming, MacLean has come to kill Amelia’s fiance. But once he sees the lovely, innocent Amelia, he decides to take her instead...Stealing the young bride-to-be is the pefect revenge against the man who murdered Duncan’s one true love. But Lady Amelia turns out to be more than a pawn of vengeance and war. this brave, beautiful woman touches something deep in Duncan’s soul that is even more powerful than a warrior’s fury. but when Amelia begins to fall in love with her captor-and surrenders in his arms-the real battle begins...

First Line(s): Monstrous and mighty, teeth bared like a feral beast, the Butcher rose from his battle lunge and watched English soldier drop lifelessly to the floor at his feet.

Favorite Quote(s): n/a

My Review: My Review: I enjoyed this book! I am back on my Highlander saddle, can't get enough of them. I admit I picked this book up blindly ( not really, did you not see the abs on the cover?), I had never read anything by Julanne MacLean... well let's just say after reading this book I went out and got the second book in this new series!

I love Julianne MacLean's writing style, the storyline and the flow of Captured by the Highlander. Duncan and Lady Amelia worked well together and played off each other as if they were real people standing in front of you, they meshed!

I found Amelia to be a compassionate person who came off a bit naive at times but with her back story I think that is how she was suppose to come off as, she had lend a pretty shelter life up to the point on meeting Duncan. Julianne MacLean includes the reader in Amelia's own personal adventure of learning to not believe what you are always told but to get the facts for yourself. A true life lesson!

If you want a steamy, fast and solid read, this is your book!

My Rating:

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

DarkFever: Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever

(Fever Series #1)

by Karen Marie Moning

Product Details
Pub. Date: October 2006
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Format: Hardcover , 320pp

Synopsis:

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

First Line(s): My philosophy is pretty simple- any day nobody'svtrying to kill me is a good day in my book.

My Review: Okay, okay so I am late reading this series but that should not suprise anyone. I get to everything just on my own time!

I am glad I finally started this series. While I thought this book was slow at points it did pick up, and I love how Karen Marie Moning always uses so much details in the stories she writes. I had no problems picturing Mac in my head or Barron's.

Coming into this book I will admit I knew nothing about this series except fellow bloggers and friends raving about it and of course the author ( she is fantastic).

The second I finished this book I raced over to my book shelf and picked up the next book in the series. I can NOT wait to see what happens next to Mac and Barrons ( I hope they finally hook up... I am sure they do, but don't know for certain so hush)!

My Rating: 4 stars

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Born at Midnight: C.C. Hunter: Review

Born at Midnight

{ Shadown Falls #1}

by CC Hunter

416 pages

Publisher Date: Expected publication: March 29th 2011

by St. Martin's Griffin

Find it at Goodreads or Amazon.com

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

~~ from GoodReads.

My thoughts: I enjoyed that this book was unlike anything I have read before ( not to say there isn't books like this already on the market, just not any I have read). Being a teenager is hard enough for a "normal" teen, add in the fact that you just learned paranormal things do indeed extist and it just might push you over the edge. I was a bit worried when I started this book because in the short period between requesting to review this book and getting it I have falled off the YA wagon ( I am never on a wagon long). but I was hooked to this book from the beginning. C.C. Hunter brought every character in this book alive and made you feel for them on many levels.

If you are looking for a fun, new and fast read this is the book for you! I can't wait to see where C.C Hunter takes us next.

My Rating: 4 stars

A special thank you goes out to DAC for allowing me the chance to review this book!

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Simply Irresistible- Jill Shalvis

Simply Irresistible

( A Lucky Harbor Novel)

by Jill Shalvis

In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend ( her decision) and her job ( so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother- a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddies sees the potential for a new home and a new career- if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.

The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes- and mouth- are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

First Line(s): Maddie drove the narrow, curvy highway with her past still nipping at her heels after fourteen hundred miles.

Favorite Line(s): "She's drunk dialing contractors," Chloe said to Tara. " Someone should stop her."

My Review: I am dropping everything and moving up to Lucky Harbor! Hey, I could totally be Maddie, we have so much in common. Well, we have L.A. in common, what else is there? I smiled the whole way through this book. It was fresh and real! Characters were honest and so easy to like because you can put a face to them from a person you hang out with in your day to day life.

This was my first novel I have read by Jill Shalvis and while I wait for the second book in the Lucky Harbor series to come out this spring I will be reading many of her other books. What an adventure she took me on in this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone and anyone!

My Rating: 5 stars!!

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

Vixen: Book Review

Vixen

(The Flappers Series #1)

by: Jillian Larkin

Pub. Date: December 2010
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
421 pages

Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

Favorite Quote: "All life is just a progression toward,

and then a recession from, one phrase--- I love you."

First Line(s): She didn't feel like wearing a garter tonight

My Review: This was a fun book, I am not sure I have ever read a book about Flappers. All the characters were wonderfully written. They came to life on the pages. The trio of woman were belivable in the fact that if you look in a group of girls, you have the outspoken loud one ( Lorraine), a shy girl who gets overshadow and is dying to break free ( Gloria) and one who is not at all what they seem ( Clara).

While reading this I could picture the dresses, the music and the dancing in vivid color.

This is a series I will see to the end, can't wait for the second book to be released.

My Rating: 4 stars

I got to read this book because I took part in a DAC tour.

Vixen falls into these 2011 reading challenge...

2011 100+ Challenge

2011 1st in a Series

2011 50 states ( Illinois)

2011 Young Adult

Until next time...

Happy Reading!

2011 1st in a Series Challenge

Guidelines for the 1st in a Series Challenge 20111.

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. If you're not a blogger, leave your information in the comments.

2. There are four levels for this challenge:

Series Novice: Read 3 books that are the first in any series.
Series Lover: Read 6 books that are the first in any series.
Series Expert: Read 12 books that are the first in any series.
Series Fanatic: Read 20 books that are the first in any series.

You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you. Any genre counts.

3. The challenge runs from January 1 through December 31, 2011.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2011.

5. If you're a blogger, write up a sign-up post that includes the URL to this post so that others can join in. Feel free to use the button above. When you sign up in the Linky, put the direct link to your 1st in a Series Challenge sign-up post.

Our List:

1. 
   
   Vixen: Jillian Larkin
2. 
   
   Simply Irresistible- Jill Shalvis
3. 
   
   Born at Midnight- C.C. Hunter
4. 
   
   Dark Fever- Karen Marie Moning
5. 
   
   Captured by the Highlander- Julianne MacLean
6. 
   
   Abandon- Meg Cabot
7. 
   
   Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis
8. 
   
   Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
9. 
   
   Mine Till MIdnight by Lisa Kleypas
10. 
    
    Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis
11. 
    
    Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis
12. 
    
    Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James
13. 
    
    Ravished by a Highlander by Paula Quinn
14. 
    
    Infinite Betrayal by Gayle Donnelly & Robyn MacKenzie
    
    
15. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

Will you be joining?

Until next time...Happy Reading!