Review # 1

REVIEW FOR HEALING LUKE BY BETH CORNELISON

I started writing reviews on a lark. I thought it would be fun to express my opinions on books I’d read and to tell the world about books I really enjoyed. And then I got contacted by a lovely woman named Danielle who offered me an opportunity to review for her company. I’ve been lucky enough to read some great books and some not-so-great books. Healing Luke falls somewhere in the middle.

Healing Luke is the story of Luke Morgan and Abby Stanford. Luke was horribly disfigured in a freak accident; taking him from heartthrob to freak (his words). Since then, he’s lived in a world of blame and horror, making the lives of those around him pretty hellish.

Abby is on vacation alone after finding her fiancé in bed with another woman, her self confidence and belief in herself less than stellar. She meets Luke when she stops by the Marina and she has to deal with his surliness and he’s struck by the freshness of her beauty (of course).

And what a coinky-dink! Abby is an occupational therapist. And what do you know? She can help Luke get over his injuries! Shocking!

Okay, I’m being facetious and I shouldn’t be. However, it’s really hard to be ecstatic about a book that’s so similar to so many others of the same type. Bubbly, good-hearted woman scorned by a “bad” man falls for a wounded, bitter hero who is healed by her love. It gets old after awhile.

Saying that, I did enjoy Ms. Cornelison’s writing. I thought her style was nice and the story moved along quickly. I did not like the side story of Luke’s brother and Abby’s best friend. I hope it doesn’t go in the direction I think it will.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad book. It wasn’t AMAZING, but it was a well-written story. If you like the uber-bitter heroes who fall for good-hearted heroines, then this would be the book for you.

Overall Rating: C+

Scratching My Head

No, I don't have lice! :~P I've got a question. There have been many debates over the reality of sex in romance novels and I've come across one thing in particular that I've been scratching my head over for years.

I'm a big believer in some sort of reality in my contemporary novels (specifically) when it comes to birth control. I like hearing about heros who grab a condom before getting it on with the heroine, but what about oral sex? Ever since the idea of AIDs and HIV came along, schools have been preaching the importance of safe sex, not just condoms, but other means. Why is it that when a hero (or heroine) goes down on the other, they never use any sort of condom or whatever? I mean, yeah sometimes reading about birth control and safety measures isn't sexy, but truly...I'd really like to know your thoughts.

Obviously I have my own thoughts on this, but has anyone else thought about this or is it just me? Maybe I'm weird, but the thought of going down on a guy w/o anything and then having him use a condom while having actual intercourse kind of defeats the purpose. You're exposed to bad things in one sense, but not the other? Hmmm...

Love At First Flight by Marie Force

First off, I have to say it's been awhile since I've actually read the book, but it made enough of an impression on me that I don't have to reread before reviewing. The basic idea is that Michael & Juliana meet at the airport when they're both on their way to see their significant others. After a great conversation, they go on their separate ways.



Michael is engaged to a society miss and Juliana is in a long-term relationship w/ the first guy she's ever dated (10 years). After their conversation, they both realize they're missing something in their relationships and do some soul searching.



Juliana finds out her boyfriend has been considering cheating on her (they were each others firsts) and it really throws her for a loop. Michael realizes that his fiancee is more concerned about their wedding than their relationship. It's much more shallow than he remembers.



Anyway, they split from their respective significant others and end up meeting up again. Dating...sex...more dating...more sex. And Michael is in the midst of a high-profile case (he's an attorney).



They break up (won't go into detail...it's a pretty "big" deal) and then it focuses on Juliana for quite awhile.



Okay, so I'm going to go into my patented Good/Bad List. There were some doozies.





The Good:





For the most part Juliana & Michael were both pretty cool. I like the fact that a relationship doesn't start up UNTIL they've broken up with their signficant others. I HATE stories where cheating is involved.



The Storyline...For the most part. There are a couple aspects of it that drive me nuts.



The Bad:



Okay, first of all, Michael is an attorney. The case he's on is HIGH profile and as we all know, you are NOT supposed to talk about your cases w/ a complete stranger. Right up front, while talking to Juliana (very beginning of book), he tells her what case he's working on. That just struck me as wrong.



The reason why Juliana & Michael broke up. In some ways I can understand it. I mean, she was only in one real relationship in her life for ten years and she had to see it to the end (so to speak). I won't go into major details, but I will say I was disappointed in the execution.



Juliana...for the most I actually liked her until the end. Then I just wanted to smack her upside the head. I think the way she handled things was just ridiculous.



My least favorite romance cliche...the big misunderstanding. Yeah, it was pretty unique, but still came across as pretty contrived.





So, all in all I have to give this book props for being entertaining. I read it the day I got it from Sourcebooks. Is it the best book I've ever read? No, but it was good.







My Rating: C+

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

When it comes to the law's of attraction...

Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson are lawyers who know the meaning of objection. A feminist to the bone, Payton has fought hard to succeed in a profession dominated by men. Born wealthy, privileged, and cocky, J.D. has fought hard to ignore her. Face-to-face, they're perfectly civil. They have to be. For eight years they have kept a safe distance and tolerated each other as coworkers for one reason only: to make partner at the firm.

...There are no rules.

But all bets are off when they're asked to join forces on a major case. Though apprehensive at first, they begin to appreciate each other's dedication to the law--and the sparks between them quickly turn into attraction. But the increasingly hot connection does not last long when they discover that only one of the will be named partner. Now it's an all-out war. And the battle between the sexes is bound to make these lawyers hot under the collar...


I first heard of Julie when her debut novel came out. Just The Sexiest Man Alive garnered a lot of positive buzz. For some reason, I never picked it up. Then she came on the DIK blog and I really liked the way she thought. So, yesterday when I was looking for books to read, I decided to pick up Practice Makes Perfect. And I'm glad I did.

This book starts off quite comically. It's from Payton's POV and we find out that she's been in competition w/ J.D. for the past eight years. And that she's in lust with him. Okay, she thinks he's attractive. Unfortunately, the attraction causes her to be quite...cranky when it comes to him and she tends to shoot her mouth of before she thinks, causing some interesting dialogue to go on between the two of them.

J.D. is cocky and a bit arrogant, but he's also got a good heart. Watching the two of them for the first 50 or so pages was quite funny, esp. once their competitive natures got the best of them and they actually started...well, I won't go into detail. Suffice it to say, they get quite...competitive towards each other.

Once they find out they're supposed to work together on a case AND that only one of them will make partner, things start to get VERY interesting. J.D. begins to see her as who she really is and realizes that there's more than meets the eye (GI Joe reference! Ha!).

As the battle between the sexes heats up, so does the attraction between them. All I can say is...yummy!


All right, now that I've got the basic overall storyline down for you...on to the Good/Bad List! *happy dance*


The Bad (starting w/ those first)-

I thought some of the rivalry went a smidge too far. There's a scene that, even though it's quite funny was almost too much. Yes, I can understand, but thought it was a bit distasteful.

The Misunderstandings...And there were quite a few. They admittedly got a bit old after awhile.


The Good:

Payton: I grew to like her. At first she came across as a bit obnoxious and too driven, but by the end of the book I'd really warmed up to her.

J.D.: Also didn't like him at the beginning, but by the end I really did like him.

The Overall Storyline: You can tell that Ms. James has history in the law. It was quite refreshing and interesting.

The Heat: It really wasn't very hot, but the chemistry between them was very nice. I think the sex scenes could've gone w/ a bit more detail, but that's just me.

The Humor: Boy, oh boy was there a lot of humor in this book. I won't go into detail as to a particular scene, but there's one on pages 172-175 that uses Pride & Prejudice in an extremely entertaining way. Anyone who's read the book will know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.


All in all I really did like the story. I think there are some things that would've made it better, specifically a confrontation between J.D. and his overbearing father, but that's it.

If you like an entertaining war of the roses type romance with great banter and just a nice overall story, I recommend this book. It was nice to get a good laugh in.


My Rating: B

Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight

I don't have a back blurb for this book, but that's okay. You can find it on Samhain's site easily enough. It's 2:15 in the morning, I just finished this book and I am still reeling. I also cannot stop crying, but trust me when I say it's in a good way.

Have you ever had something affect you so strongly that you can't stop thinking about it? Something that seems to just sneak up on you and smack you sideways? That is what this book did to me.

It is without a doubt, one of the most heartbreaking books I've ever read and also one of the most beautiful.

It stars Michael, a widower, who is struggling desperately to get his life back together. His little girl is almost a stranger to him and no matter what he does, he cannot seem to get her to connect with him anymore.

Rebecca is a former actress who suffered a horrific attack from an obsessed fan. Now she works behind the scenes and is still trying to get her life together three years after the attack.

A fateful meeting in a dark room and both their lives change forever.

Okay, so that's the basic idea behind the book, but it doesn't go into how emotional this book was. It was written in a strange way where each chapter was written in 1st person from either Michael's or Rebecca's POV. But honestly? I think that's what made this book so powerful.

It delved so very deeply into their psyches. And their psyches are pretty banged up. Michael's just about killed me. After losing his partner and almost losing his daughter, he's hit rock bottom. When he meets Rebecca, it's like his whole world is brightened and he can see it again.

Watching him as he realizes she's more than just a pretty woman and that there's something there between them was just...gorgeous to watch. It was like taking a beautiful vase that had shattered and watch it being put back together piece by piece until miraculously it looks the same...only different.

I know I'm not doing a good job articulating just how powerfully this book affected me. I feel like I'm not doing it justice.

I will just say that if you're looking for an unbelievably powerful story that will rock you sideways, but leave you with a feeling of pure joy at the end, this is the book for you. If it doesn't effect/affect you in some ways...I dunno. All I can say is read it. You truly won't be disappointed.


My Rating: A+

SEALed With A Promise by Mary Margret Daughtridge

Bookish Emmie Caddington fades into the woodwork most of the time. Few men notice her, fewer want her. But Navy SEAL Caleb Dulaude, aka "Do-Lord," is trained to see what others miss--in this case: fey beauty, a killer bod, and quirky charm. He knows she isn't immune to the immediate attraction between them and seducing Emmie can be his ticket into Senator Teague Calhoun's upper-class world.

Caleb was just a trailer-trash kid when he promised to make Calhoun pay for his mother's death someday. Now he's a SEAL, battle hardened, subtle and crafty. He hides his genius IQ behind country-boy charm--and someday is finally here. All he has to do is convince the world (and Emmie) that they are a couple, and he can be a part of the high society Calhoun reigns over. However, Emmie's no fool and knows Caleb has ulterior motives to starting a relationship with her. Emmie has promised herself she'll never again drift into a one-sided relationship. With a makeover to boost her confidence, she insists on commitment.

Hot passion and the increasingly bright hope of a real future together make it easy for Caleb to promise Emmie anything she wants. And as he's drawn deeper into the loving and complicated relationships of a large extended family, it's hard to remember his desire to make Calhoun accountable...But when fate hands Caleb a chance to administer perfect eye-for-an-eye justice, will either be prepared for the cost of keeping their promises?

Hmm...Waaaaaaaayyyyyyy back last year, I read SEALed with a Kiss and really liked it. I thought the characters were interesting and the story was pretty decent. I had some quibbles that unfortunately showed up in this book too, but I'll get to that in a second.

Here's the thing...I actually really liked this book up until a certain moment in time when Emmie does something to Caleb that is just so, well, cruel, that I ended up throwing the book across the room. From that moment on, the author completely lost me. I lost any respect I'd gotten for Emmie and thought Caleb was an idiot for letting her walk all over him. *ahem*

I apologize, I'm ranting. *sigh* I was so bothered by what happened that I kind of Twittered about it. I was disgusted and annoyed that I'd spent all my time rooting for this couple to stay together and then this happened. *headdesk*

I can't stand it. On to the Good & Bad List!


The Good:


For the most part, Caleb. I thought he was an intriguing character and was quite funny (the scene where we find out how he came about his nickname is very funny). I thought the way he handled his unexpected attraction to Emmie was cool. It was different than the standard "I'm attracted, I'll have sex with her and then I'll get away" thing. He made the decision to dig deeper into her and see where things would take them

Emmie: Up until the moment I mentioned above, I was really rooting for her. I thought she was great and though I had some issues with her prickly nature, I could understand it.

Pickett: She's only in the book a few times, but I like her still. And the same with Jax. :)

The Sex: Whoo-boy. The first time? Let's just put it this way...I will never look at mirrors the same way. :D


The Bad:

Obviously there were things that bugged me. I won't go into detail as to what Emmie says or does (unless you email me and ask...), but it was something that was just so unneccessary and contrived that it annoyed me to the point where I just didn't care what happened to them. I finished the book, but I didn't care.

Why Caleb hates Calhoun: Unless you're a complete dunce, you figure out why Caleb has it in for Calhoun quite quickly in the book. I could understand it if Caleb were still a kid, but he's a grown man and this odd obsession just rang false to me. And what he does to prove his point? I lost a ton of respect for his character. *shakes head*


Those are only two bad, but they were enough to take this book from a high grade to a low one. I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in a book's ruined potential.


My Rating: D (and an almost DNF)

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Man, talk about a lucky week! I got Blue Diablo in the mail on Monday (read it and it was awesome...will review tomorrow) and late last night I got an email from B&N telling me my copy of Smooth Talking Stranger was in...A FULL WEEK EARLY! Eek!

What can I say about this book other than, can Lisa NOT write an awesome book? Seriously, even when she first started and her books were still meh, they were still better than 90% of the books out there. :)

STS is told from the first-person perspective of Ella Varner. I have to admit, when she was first introduced I truly didn't think I was going to like her. She was a bit too judgmental and had her mind set that she was right from the very beginning. Thankfully she's willing to admit she's wrong and move on.

STS starts out when Ella gets a call from her mother. Her younger sister Tara had had a child and had dropped it off at her mother's house without any warning. Ella is shocked by this, but comes to the baby's rescue. It's when she calls her cousin to try to find Tara that she's told there's a good chance Jack Travis is the baby's father.

Of course, Ella being Ella, she goes off on a tear and "threatens" him if he doesn't take a DNA test. I have to admire the way Jack is written. Instead of flying off the handle, he tells her that he's not the father, but agrees to take the test to prove it anyway.

Things happen and Ella finds herself living at 1800 Main, the Condo Building that played such a big part in BED. And this is when I start liking her. She's independent, but she's willing to accept help when it becomes obvious that she really, really needs it.

Where the romance between Haven and Hardy in BED was intenses almost from the get-go (Oh, who am I kidding? It was smoking hot from the very beginning. Those of you who've read BED will know what I mean), STS starts out on a low simmer.

Ella has one major conflict, which causes her to be very stressed by the obvious attraction she feels for Jack. She doesn't want to betray her promises. But Jack is very, very tempting. Mmmm.... :)

When things finally do boil to a head and they finally get it on? Let me put it this way...I so wouldn't kick Jack Travis out of my bed. Boyhowdy! :D


My Overall Impression:


Ms. Kleypas wins again! Sheesh! Out of all of the contemps she's written so far Blue-Eyed Devil is still my favorite, but STS is following close behind. I think if I'd been able to warm up to Ella immediately instead of not being too sure of her like I was, that I would have enjoyed this book more. Ella is a cool customer. She doesn't take crap from anyone...and that was a bit of a detriment to the beginning of the book.

However, Jack was an awesome hero. There's something about those big, brawny, sexy Travis men that just makes a woman want to melt...and find one of her own.

I did have some trouble figuring out why Jack loved her (at the beginning), but found that it all figured itself out in the end. I'm curious to see what transpires with Joe, though I have a feeling it'll be VERY interesting. :) I wonder if I'm right? :)

All in all, an excellent book. I'll be very surprised if others don't fall in love with Jack. I'd love to know your impression of Ella. See if I'm the only one who took awhile warming up to her.


Grade: A- Would've been higher if I'd loved Ella from the beginning.


PS. The very last two sentences of the book had me crying. I am such a lighthearted idiot sometimes. *sigh*

Hunted by PC & Kristin Cast

Back Blurb-What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you? At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?

Whoo-boy. I've never hidden the fact that I'm a big PC Cast fan-girl. I love her books. There's something about her writing that just calls to me. I can't even begin to describe why. I remember when I found out that she & her daughter were going to be writing a YA series together. My first thought? Cool! My second? Aw, but it's vampires. Yeah, what did I know.

All along, we've had to follow Zoey and her...well, her choices. The girl's life has never been easy and it got even harder when she was Marked as a vampire and had to leave her "human" life behind. And now that we're into book 5, her life just gets more and more complicated.

For those of you who've read the House of Night series, I'll just say this...Hunted was probably the most spiritual of all of them. Not religious...spiritual. Zoey's struggles to deal with her powers, her friends, her world AND dealing with the evil that was unleashed at the end of Untamed really leads up to a crisis, not only of spirit, but also of her very reality.

And I think, for me, that's why this series is so amazing. It's not perfect, but the pure emotions that are behind all that Zoey does are what make this series such a winner for me. Out of all the books, Hunted is definitely the darkest one yet. Evil has manifested itself into an actual human guise and since Zoey and her friends are the only ones who can sense it, it is their responsibility to break the others free from this evil being.

Zoey has truly grown from the young, confused child that started out the series into a strong woman. It's amazing to me that such a short amount of time has passed since the beginning of the series. A lot has happened to her, in more ways than one.

The ramifications from her actions in the previous books are super strong in this book. She's not perfect. Which is why I like her. She's funny and sarcastic, but she also has a strong sense of right and wrong. Her powers are immense, but she still makes mistakes.

As I said earlier, this book is definitely the most spiritual yet. A combination of a lot of different elements. It's a book that definitely showcases the battle between good and evil. And all the shades of gray in the middle.

Was it perfect? No. The end was a bit abrupt and it seemed like it could have been, well, more, but all in all I really really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what they cook up next.


My Rating: A-

Poison Study and Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Back Blurb for Poison Study-


Murder, mayhem and magic...

Locked in a coffin-like darkness, there is nothing to distract me from my memories of killing Reyad. He deserved to die--but according to the law, so do I. Here in Ixia, the punishment for murder is death. And now I wait for the hangman's noose.

But the same law that condemns me may also save me. Ixia's food taster--chosen to ensure tha the Commander's food is not poisoned--has died. And by law, the next prisoner who is scheduled to be executed--me--must be offered the position.


I remember when these books first came out a couple of years ago. I cannot tell you how many times I picked them up, read the back blurb, only to put them down again. It wasn't until recently, when those evil women over at the Book Smugglers talked about them, that I decided to pick them up.

When they first came out, they were shelved under Sci-Fi/Fantasy, but now they're being reissued as young adult, but I found them in the romance section. It'd be nice if book sellers would figure out EXACTLY where to shelve books. *sigh*

My thoughts on Poison Study...

I really enjoyed this book. It's told in first-person by Yelena, the heroine. When the book first opens, she's on death row (or this world's version of it anyway) and she's dealing with the idea of being put to death. She knows that killing Reyad, the son of a general was a dumb idea, but at the time of his murder, she'd been pushed too far and it was self-defense. Unfortunately, due to the laws of her country, it doesn't matter and she'd to die.

And then everything gets turned upside down. The Commander's food-taster has died and since she's the next one to die, she is offered the position. Not being an idiot, she says yes. Of course, because she could ingest poison at any time and die anyway, she still might die quickly.

From that point forward, the book gets a bit insane. Valek, her trainer, is an interesting character. He's so cold and formal when the book first opens. He's a hard character to read and it's interesting to watch the give and take between him and Yelena.

This book has quite a bit of adventure to it. I finished it at 1:30 this morning and promptly picked up Magic Study (if that tells you anything).

I greatly enjoyed the world that Ms. Snyder has created. Its rich detail and many differences gives it a freshness that I haven't seen in a long time. Can't recommend this series enough.


My Rating: B+



Back Blurb for Magic Study--


A lesson in loyalty--a master class in intrigue


So far, I've managed to survive. You would think after being kidnapped as a child, imprisoned in my teens and released to become a poison taster, I would have endured enough. But no. The discovery of my magic abilities--powers forbidden in Ixia--has resulted in an execution order. My only chance is to flee to Sitia, my long-lost birthplace.

But Sitia is unfamiliar. I'm treated like an enemy--even by my own brother. Plus I can't control my powers. I want to learn about my magic, but there isn't any time. A rogue magician has emerged and I'm targeted as his next victim.

Will my magical abilities save me...or be my downfall?


Whoo-boy. Let me just tell you that I was up until 5 this morning reading this book. As soon as I was done reading Poison Study, I automatically picked this one up.

After everything that happened at the end of Poison Study, Yelena's life gets totally turned on its head. With an execution order hanging over her head, she goes with her mentor to Sitia to return some children that were taken and to find out if she can find her natural family.

I really feel for Yelena. Her life has never been easy and watching her struggle to fit in with her real family is almost heartbreaking. She so desperately wants it all to be real, but is afraid that things will fall apart...again.

Dealing with a mother, father and brother that she can't remember is interesting to say the least. Her brother is...a jerk. I didn't like him at all until the very, very end of the book. It takes forever, but he finally redeems himself.

Valek and the others are back in this book as well. What I like about this series is, even though it can be downright dark and depressing, Ms. Snyder uses a great deal of humor to break up the moments of darkness. It's quite entertaining to watch her put certain people in their place.

This book also deals with her burgeoning magic. The one complaint I have about this whole series (and it's not even that big of a complaint) is that Yelena tends to not think before she does something pretty major. I can understand why she has a hard time trusting people to help her, but there are times when she's just on the edge of being TSTL. Thank goodness she doesn't step over that line, but she does get pretty close.

These books are hard to review in the sense that I can't go into a lot of detail without risk of dropping spoilers, but I will say that these books are so much fun to read! Action, adventure, romance, magic, sword-fights...I kind of feel like I'm describing The Princess Bride (anyone know what I reference when I say that?). I really can't recommend them enough. Now, I just have go find a copy of Fire Study. :)


My Rating: A-

Dating Da Vinci by Malena Lott

Here is another book I was given to review. I feel bad that it's taken me so long to even discuss it. When I was first given the option to read this book, I thought it sounded interesting and that I would be happy to read it.

And then I got it. I've tried reading this book now 4 times and I cannot get into it. It's not that it's badly written or anything, it's just not working for me in my current mood. Maybe if I was looking for this kind of tale, it'd be perfect.

I've gotten as far as the end of the chapter one and then I hit a brick wall...again. I always feel bad when I get books to review and I either don't care for the books or I just can't get into them. This time, it's not that the writing is bad or the book is bad or anything like that, but I just cannot get into it.

I think a lot of times that's the way it is in the reading world. I'm usually in the mood to read paranormals or historicals, but contemporaries are the books that catch me off guard sometimes. I don't know if it's because I'm so picky or if I just haven't read a lot of good ones. It's difficult for me to say.

I've seen reviews for this book that are quite high and I think that's wonderful. Maybe one of these days I'll actually get through the whole book. For now, it's a cannot get into. Here's hoping I can get out of this funk.

Naughty Little Secret by Shelley Bradley

I'm really surprised I've never blogged about any of the erotica I've read. Maybe I just haven't found one to talk about until now. And this is going to be more of a rant than a review. This book really bugged me and now I'm going to tell you why.

*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

First, a bit of a discussion on erotica/erotic romance. From now on I'm calling it ER, because I get tired of writing such a long description every time. he-he. Anyway, here are a couple of thoughts. I know ER is supposed to be tittilating and kinky. I get that. That's actually why I read it. Sometimes I'm looking for something that's a little bit out there sexually and it's fun to view it through someone else's eyes.

However, I hate ER when there's really no plot and it's all about the sex. And that's where this book comes in.

To give you some background. Lauren is a divorcee who is secretly lusting after her boss, who is a friend of her ex-husband (complicated much?). Nick, the "hero" is in love with Lauren, but has hidden it all these years by sleeping with a gazillion women to try to "wipe" her from his mind. *eye roll*

One day, while working on a project together, Lauren discovers a note on her desk with the words You. Me. Naked skin. Shared fantasies. A whole night. Soon. Instead of freaking out like a normal woman, Lauren brushes it off and acts like she'd actually be interested in seeing where this messed up note goes. At this point, I was rolling my eyes so hard they almost rolled out of my head. I persevered though, just because I had a morbid case of curiosity going on and couldn't "put" the book down. *sigh* I should've know better.

She goes home that night, gets ready for bed and thinks about Nick. Whoop-ti-do. I don’t know if I’m psychic, but by that point I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen. And I was right. I’m going to go into detail here. If you don’t want to know, do not highlight.

*start spoiler*Nick sneaks into her house late at night, wearing a ski mask, leather gloves and goes up to her room where he proceeds to handcuff her to her bed and start touching her intimately. He basically starts having sex with her before she’s even awake. She puts up the most token of protests, but as soon as he starts playing with her nipples, she’s all gung-ho about him having his way with her. Her husband didn’t care about her sexual needs, so she’s been hard-up for years. After having a powerful orgasm because of him going down on her, they get to the point where they have sex. And this is where I completely lost all interest in this book. Instead of doing something like insisting he wear a condom, she lets him enter her bareback. I was so aghast by this point that I wanted to reach out and smack the author for the sheer stupidity behind that whole thing. *End Spoiler*

*ahem* Sorry, but that really, really bugged me. And to add insult to injury, the heroine is a complete and total moron. Once things are revealed and they are a true couple (of idiots) and after Nick has basically bent over backwards trying to prove his love for her, she does something so completely obnoxious, that I was hard-pressed to finish the book.

It’s only through the “wisdom” of her sister that she finally decides. And the end? Talk about a cop-out. Completely changes her tune. I won’t give it all away, though I’m sorely tempted, but in the end this book irritated me so much I deleted it as soon as I was done.

And as to the whited-out area up above, I’m going to say something here that will make me sound like a complete weirdo, I’m sure. But I feel the need to say it especially after what happened up above. *ahem* And it’s going to be in white…crap, hate doing that, but it’s necessary.

I think just about every woman out there have the fantasy of being dominated in bed by a man or has a “rape” fantasy where she is completely powerless in bed. It’s completely normal and healthy to have a fantasy. Perfectly normal, in fact. What bugs me about this book, is that it’s the reality of this story. Nick might think he’s fulfilling her fantasy, but when the first sex scene rolls around? It might as well be rape, because SHE WAS ASLEEP!!! I don’t know how much clearer I can make it. If you’re going to actually act out that particular fantasy, it should be with someone you’ve already been with and whom you have a lot a trust in. It’s not easy for a woman to give up her power, even if it is in bed. Just saying. And that’s my 2 cents.

And that’s why this book is being graded so low for me. I hate being the bearer of bad tidings, but this book would only be worth reading if you have a sadistic streak and like banging your head against the wall.

My Rating: D-

Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye

Rosalie Ronaldi doesn't have a domestic bone in her body...



All she cares about is her career, so she survives on take-out and dirty martinis, keeps her shoes under the dining room table, her bras on the shower curtain rod, and her clothes on the couch...



Nick Romeo is every woman's fantasy--tall, dark, handsome, rich, really good in bed, AND he loves to cook and clean...



He says he wants an independent woman, but when he meets Rosalie, all he wants to do is take care of her. Before too long, he's cleaned up her apartment, stocked her refrigerator, and adopted her dog...



So what's the problem? Just a little case of mistaken identity, corporate theft, a hidden past in juvenile detention, and one big nosy Italian family too close for comfort...





I'm finding that being asked to review can either be an absolute terror or an absolute joy. I received my copy of Romeo, Romeo in the mail today and sat down to read it. I found it quite entertaining and actually enjoyed myself. Sure, there are some issues I have with the book, but overall I really liked it.





The Bad-



I'm not Italian, though I get mistaken for it quite often. I know, there's the big Italian family, but I felt like I was reading every cliche you could find of the BIG Italian family: the harridan of a mother, the restaurant-owning cousin, the I'm-the-prettiest-sister-why-are-you-getting-laid sister, the controlling to a certain point, but overrun by his domineering wife father. Truthfully, it got a bit old. And though the overly protective big brother was thrown in too, I actually liked Rich...I'll explain why in a minute.



Rosalie-I liked her, don't get me wrong, but it seriously drives me nuts when you get a heroine who is all "I'm a corporate woman and I don't believe in marriage", but as soon as a seriously hot guy comes along, she's perfectly willing to throw that all out the window. It seriously drives me nuts.



The "mystery." Wasn't all that mysterious. And it actually wasn't a mystery at all. I could've gone without it period. It didn't really do all that much for the story.



The misunderstanding. If they'd just talked to each other for five minutes, it would've all be resolved. Instead, they suffered from "I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it-itis." Argh! *headdesk*





The Good-





And there was actually a lot of good. Nick. *sigh* Big fat dreamy la-sigh. I'm a sucker for a tall, hot guy who is secure enough in his manhood to be a Domestic God. Mrowr! LOL! And when he takes care of Lee (as he calls Rosalie) after she gets sick? *swoon* I really want a guy like that all for my own.



Rosalie-Okay, so I know I said she drove me nuts, and she did, but she also had some definite redeeming qualities. She didn't let Nick walk all over her, she also didn't let her mom walk all over her and she stepped up to the plate (for the most part) when she screwed up and needed to own up to it.



Rich-Her big brother. I'm hoping there's a story for him and (I won't say who). He's the typical big brother, but he wears it well.



Gina-Awesome! A tiny spitfire who protects her friend with a dogged determination. How can you not like someone like that?



Dave-I thought he was adorable. :)



This is a debut novel and Ms. Kaye won the Golden Heart Award from the RWA. Not too shabby. She's got a great voice and it was obvious she'd lived in Brooklyn somewhere along the line 'cuz the dialogue? Epitomized it. :)



So, all in all I really did enjoy this book. There were some great LOL moments and for the most part it was a great ride. Typical of new authors, the cliche's run pretty deep, but they're done in a way that didn't make me roll my eyes...too much.





Overall Grade: C+

Into The Fire by Suzanne Brockmann

Hoo-boy...this book was intense. Yeah, that's the word I'm looking for. Way back in Hot Target, Vinh Murphy's beloved wife Angelina was killed by a deranged lunatic.

There's been no mention of that since, but now we've got ITF which is Vinh's story. Turns out that as soon as his wife was put in her grave, he went on a drunken bender that lasted a ridiculous amount of time.

Cue Hannah Whitfield, Vinh and his deceased wife's best friend. They have a drunken night of sex and then the book jumps forward to present day.

Let me just say this...this book was really, really confusing. Usually I'm able to follow the multiple POV's of Ms. Brockmann's stories with no problem. I think the issue is that it's been five book since Vinh's wife died and other things have happened since then. I'm sure if' I'd reread Hot Target, I wouldn't have been so lost.

The same characters that are in all her books are in this one too. It's just so confusing. Honestly, I think there were at least six POV's, if not more.

And the whole Izzy/Eden thing? That just hit me really, really wrong. You'll know what I mean when you read the book, but it made me really uncomfortable. He definitely should've know better.

Was the story good? Yes. Could it have been better? Yes. If there'd been less time between books and less POV's, it would've been much better.

As per usual, I greatly enjoy Ms. Brockmann's writing. Was it as good as All Through The Night? Definitely not. I don't think she can top ATTN. Cuz that was Jules' book & I love him so.

I know this isn't the longest review or anything, but it's really hard for me to put it into words. I could give too much away with the simplest of storyline plots. There was just so much going on and so many interlocking stories. I can definitely say that this book could not be read as a standalone. And I would definitely recommend reading (or rereading) Hot Target first. Too many references to things that happened in that book. Confusion overwhelming.


Rating: C+

Tribute by Nora Roberts

Blurb for Tribute-


Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is a long way from Hollywood. And that's exactly how Cilla McGowan wants it. Cilla, a former child star who has found more satisfying work as a restorer of old houses, has come to her grandmother's farmhouse, tools at her side, to rescue it from ruin. Sadly, no one was able to save her grandmother, the legendary Janet Hardy. An actress with a tumultuous life, Janet entertained glamorous guests and engaged in decadent affairs,but died of an overdose in this very house more than thirty years earlier. To this day, Janet haunts Cilla's dreams. And during waking hours, Cilla is haunted by her melodramatic, five-times-married mother, who carried on in the public spotlight and never gave her a chance at a normal childhood. By coming east, rolling up her sleeves, and rehabbing this wreck of a house, Cilla intends to find some kind of normalcy for herself.

Plunging into the project with gusto, she's almost too busy to notice her neighbor, graphic novelist Ford Sawyer, but his lanky form, green eyes, and easy, unflappable humor (not to mention his delightfully ugly dog, Spock) are hard to ignore. Determined not to perpetuate the family tradition of ill-fated romances, Cilla steels herself against Ford's quirky charm, but she can't help indulging in a little fantasy.

But love and a peaceful life may not be in the cards for Cilla. In the attic, she has found a cache of unsigned letters suggesting that Janet Hardy was pregnant when she died and that the father was a local married man. Cilla can't help but wonder what really happened all those years ago. The mystery only deepens with a series of intimidating acts and a frightening, violent assault. And if Cilla and Ford are unable to sort out who is targeting her and why, she may, like her world-famous grandmother, be cut down in the prime of her life.




Dear Author recently reviewed this book here and gave Tribute a C grade. She had problems with some of the storyline, especially the "stalking" of Cilla Ford does at the beginning of the book. I didn't have the same problem, because it wasn't for much of the book, he told her, she asks him why, he tells her, and they move on. If it'd been dragged out throughout the book it would have bothered me much more.

I enjoy Nora's single titles 90% of the time. This one is one I enjoyed. I liked the silly, cute dialogue between Ford and Cilla. I enjoyed the way the romance took its own sweet time. I liked Steve (hope he gets his own story someday). In this book, she does the one thing she excels at more than anything; making her characters real. The dialogue, the surroundings, the small town, the overall essence of the place is definitely in evidence here in the book.

The sex is sweet and hot (as per usual). There's not much of that going on though, because poor Cilla is being stalked. Okay, I have a confession to make. The one storyline that drives me absolutely batty is the whole "sins of the father/mother/grandmother/etc." I don't understand the thinking behind it and it drives me insane! That was exactly what this book was.

Cilla is being punished for something her grandmother did long before she was even born. Tormented and driven almost crazy. I hate that. But she's resilient and I like that. :)

Cilla is the cynic and Ford is the optimist. They play off each other well and the dialogue between them is quite cute. I can't find the book (I tossed it on a chair and I think the book gremlins stole it), but there's a scene in the hospital where Cilla is feeling all down and depressed and Ford is trying to get her to see the bright side of things. It's cute and funny and I liked it.

Here's a question. What was up with all of the wine drinking in this book? It seemed like every time Cilla and Ford were together there was wine being consumed. They should both be lushes by now.

Dear Author also complained about all of the rehab talk when it came to the house. I didn't find that annoying at all. To me it made the story more authentic. You could see what Cilla was doing and I thought that was pretty cool. :)

I like how she's the mechanically inclined one and Ford is the one who blows thing up (accidentally). I like the fact that he's not afraid of not having that manly talent. It was sweet.

The mystery was interesting. Maybe I'm slow, but when the baddy is revealed...I was surprised. I totally had it as someone else. Yay!

I enjoyed it. It was sweet and funny and I wish she'd do that for her trilogies. Those are getting old and need some new life.


My Rating: B

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

Back Blurb-MEET THE BLUE-EYED DEVIL

His name is Hardy Cates. He's a self-made millionaire who comes from the wrong side of the tracks. He's made enemies in the rough-and-tumble ride to the top of Houston's oil industry. He's got hot blood in his veins. And vengeance on his mind.

MEET THE HEIRESS

She's Haven Travis. Despite her family's money, she refuses to set out on the path they've chosen for her. But when Haven marries a man her family disapproves of, her life is set on a new and dangerous course. Two years later, Haven comes home, determined to guard her heart. And Hardy Cates, a family enemy, is the last person she needs darkening her door or setting her soul on fire.

WATCH THE SPARKS FLY...



Where to begin? I just read Sugar Daddy, the "prequel" to this book. Both stand alone, but this book. Well, it touched me in a way I haven't been touched in a long time. Okay, that sounded bad, but you know what I mean.

The story starts out in the past. Haven is dating Nick, her first boyfriend and they're serious. It's Gage's wedding day and she's worried because Nick will be asking her father if he can marry her. She's also intrigued by this dark-haired, blue-eyed man she sees from across the room.

Anywho, mistaken identities insue, she gets married and the abuse begins. I have to state right up front that I usually don't like abuse stories; not because of the abuse, but because of the way it's usually handled. The story always goes one of two ways; the heroine will be a martyr and boohoo through the whole book without doing anything to end the abuse or she'll be the exact opposite & becoming the avenging angel.

I'm not saying that I think abuse is ridiculous...not by any means. I've had many friends who've suffered all types of abuse. I even suffered from abuse, by my peers all throughout school. However, there's nothing like being abused by the person you love, whom you marry thinking you'll spend the rest of your life with them forever and be happy all the time. Only to have them do a complete 180 after the marriage license is signed and you're stuck.

In this case, Haven is stuck. She's suffered from issues all her life; her self-esteem is in tatters and she's never felt loved by anyone. When Nick comes along, she's thrilled to have someone who loves her. This is the start of a downhill struggle that just gets worse and worse.

The final straw that sends her away gave me shivers. It's brutal and horrible and will make you want to kill him. Makes me mad thinking about it all over again. She's beat up pretty bad and has to swallow her pride to call Gage to come get her.

I like the way Ms. Kleypas handles the abuse. It's blunt and to the point and never sugar-coated. It is what it is. I also like how Haven handles herself. She doesn't get all Woe is me and stuff. She files for divorce, gets herself into therapy and tries to heal herself.

And when Hardy comes back into her life? Whooo...sparks fly. Nick was the first guy she'd ever slept with and she's got some hard-core intimacy issues, but she desperately wants to jump Hardy's bones. I can't say that I blame her.

Hardy...see, I didn't like him all that much even at the beginning of Sugar Daddy. I understood him, but I didn't like him. However, he fully redeemed himself in Blue-Eyed Devil. He understands there's something more going on with this woman he's gaga over and he treats her in a way that just made me melt. If I could find a man like him...*sigh*

And because Haven has intimacy issues, the sex keeps getting interrupted, but when it finally happens??? *fanning self* It's hot, sexy, tender, beautiful and almost made me cry. :)


All in all, this book was fantastic. It's one of my top reads of 2008 so far. If you like a story with an emotional rollercoaster of a ride, but also a sweet, tender romance, then this is the book for you. It'll make you feel so good by the time it's over. I can't recommend it enough.



My Rating: A+

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Yes, I know, I'm a bit behind in the game. Go figure. :) This book was one of those "Do I really want to buy this one?" kind of books. Kristie J raved about it & it's sequel Blue-Eyed Devil, but I guess I was afraid to try it. Sometimes when authors genre-jump, they don't do so good in the new genre they're trying to write in. I should have known Ms. Kleypas would be the exception to the rule.


Here's the back blurb for Sugar Daddy-SHE'S FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS...

Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas--if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than either of them.

HE'S THE ONE MAN SHE CAN'T HAVE

When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty is under the spell of a billionaire tycoon--a Sugar Daddy some might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people thing, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past.

WILL THEY FIND THEIR HEARTS' DESIRES---OR WILL HEARTBREAK TEAR THEM APART?

Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A woman you'll root for every step of the way. A love story you'll never forget.


I always seem to start my reviews this way. I never know exactly where to start. Go figure.

First of all, this book is written in 1st person POV. I can take or leave 1st person. Ms. Kleypas does it well.

Secondly, I almost felt like I was reading a journal. Anyone else feel that way? There aren't any dates or anything like that, but it's almost like the narrator of the story (Liberty) is telling us her story. It's kind of a weird way to write a romance, but that didn't bother me. In fact, I enjoyed the way this story was written.

I found the back blurb to be rather misleading. Neither of the men Liberty finds herself attracted to in this story make much of an appearance. I think this story is more a coming of age, trying to figure out who I am kind of story. Yes, there's romance and some hot sexin' going on, but not as much as I expected.

When I first read the back blurb I thought "Ew." when it came to the Sugar Daddy comment. The thought of that totally grosses me out. Maybe that's why I had a hard time buying the book. Anywho, turns out that's not exactly what happens. I won't say anymore than that. :)

I really liked Liberty. She's a tough kid whose life doesn't go as she expected it. She grows up poor, in a trailer park. Basically white trash (as she states it). However, she doesn't spend the book bemoaning her fate and "why meing," which is a HUGE pet peeve for me in most books like this. She sucks it up and does what she has to do. When her mother dies, she raises her little sister on her own. In her mind, this isn't a bad thing, because she feels more like her sister's mom than her sister. She basically raised her anyway, so it's more like she's now allowed to take full responsibility for her.

She makes mistakes and has typical issues of a young girl with a tough life. But she NEVER WHINES! Yes, there are a couple of times when she cries, but boy, does she have a good reason to cry.

She's the kind of character I really enjoy. She's feisty and funny and hard-working and...why can't there be more heroines like this?

As the back blurb says, she's got it bad for Hardy Cates. Can I just say how much I hate that name? Is it just me? Anyway, he's the white knight, her hero, etc. when she's a young teen and she hero worships/loves him. He is her "dream."

Near the end of the book when she gets to the "Sugar Daddy" point of the book I had kind of an "ick" feeling. It's because there's a chance that something could be really, really wrong with her being interested in a certain person. Thankfully, it didn't end up being what I expected, but it threw me there for a minute. (Kristie J, do you know what I'm talking about? If so, how did you deal with that particular part?).

As for the choice Liberty has to make? She definitely made the right one. *sigh* Very swoonworthy & sexy choice. Will I tell you which one she chooses? What, am I smoking crack? LOL! Nope, you've got to read the book yourself to see what I mean.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, fascinating, sad, warm-fuzzy inducing and just plain awesome! It is a romance, but I would again term it as more of a growing up/coming of age type book than a true romance. I 100% recommend it.



My Rating: A

SEALed With A Kiss by Mary Margret Daughtridge

The Back Blurb-


HE CAN HANDLE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, EXCEPT THIS...

Jax Graham is a member of an elite military team, but when it comes to taking care of his four-year-old son after his ex-wife dies, he's completely clueless.

ONE PERSON CAN HELP HIM, IF HE'LL LET HER...

Family therapist Pickett Sessoms knows just how to help a rough, tough Navy SEAL deal with a scared and lonely little boy, but not if he insists on going it alone.

When Jax and his young son Tyler get trapped by a hurrican, Pickett takes them in against her better judgement. Jax figures Picket's high maintenance, just like all the women he knows, and she figures he's not commitment material. But when an outing turns deadly, Pickett discovers what it means to be a SEAL, and Jax discovers that even a hero needs help sometimes...


I really, really liked this story. I saw a review for it over on the Book Binge blog and thought it sounded interesting. When I went to B&N to pick up the latest Karen Chance book, I snapped this one up.

This book was interesting. Ms. Daughtridge made each of the characters in this book come across as real people, which I enjoyed greatly. Jax is a tough, take-charge kind of guy who is completely overwhelmed by everything that life has thrown at him lately. He has a little boy he barely know and who barely knows him, his ex-mother-in-law is not what he expected and he just doesn't know which end is up.

Jax & Pickett meet up quite quickly and things just kind of progress from there. He's impressed by her ability to help his little boy communicate and she's impressed by his manly muscles. At first it comes across as superficial, but as they slowly get to know each other, mutual respect & understanding take the relationship to a whole other level.

What I liked about this book...Jax & Pickett. They come across as real people. Each of them have their good points and their bad points. They're not 1 dimensional & they can be down right mean to each other at certain points, but that's what real people are like.

Tyler-he comes across as a real 4 year old. He likes to play with his trucks and he's smart.

The location. It's the beach, it's hurricane season, and everyone is battening down the hatches. It's interesting.


What I didn't like-Pickett's entire family. Annoying & very much of a type. Nothing that separates them from the rest of the annoying families out there in romanceland.

Pickett's job. It came across almost like an afterthought.

The "deadly" outing. It seemed kind of tacked on. Wasn't anything like I expected and was a bit of a disappointment.


Overall, I really, really enjoyed the book. There are moments of sweetness that just make my heart go pitty-pat. The sex is hot without being HAWT and Jax has a patience & tenderness with Pickett that's really surprising.

As for Pickett's name, honestly, it didn't quite fit her mom especially. She comes across as a WASPy control freak & to have named her daughter Pickett? Uh-uh...that was weird.


My Rating: B-