Cindy Reads Romance

When the Book Bubble Bursts

2009-10-02T06:30:00.003-04:00

Book Hype. Book Bubble. Whatever you may call it. You wait, wish for that day to come. It comes and it then... it just doesn't matter! That's what happened with J.R. Ward's Covet. I was so excited for it to come out-- visit with my BDB boys but... nothing. So maybe next week or a month I'll be ready to read it or want to read it. But I didn't go out and buy it or download it on my ereader.

Have you ever had that Book Bubble Burst? If so, for what book???

My September Books

2009-10-01T06:51:00.004-04:00

Good bye September! Here's a quick glance at what I read last month:

FAVORITE BOOK READ THIS MONTH!

1. Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard (Audiobook)****
Read by Joyce Bean, who read Moning's first three fever books. It was a little hard to get into, and not as funny as To Die For, but Blair is a trip!

2. Causing Havoc by Lori Foster *****
I found Lori Foster... I loved this book and am enjoying the SBC series!

3. The Immortal Highlander by KMM currently listening to
Well I'm still listening to this in October, but it's read by Phil Gigante... sigh!

4. Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare ****
Enjoyable new author. Did not like this one as much as Goddess of the Hunt, but a great new voice in historical romance. I'm actually scared to read the last book of the trilogy!

5. Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman ***1/2
My first book by Jo Goodman, I enjoyed, but needed more romance and a bit less details.

6. Simon Says by Lori Foster ****1/2
Second book by Lori Foster, still loving her and Simon!

7. Double Play by Jill Shalvis ****1/2
First book by Jill Shalvis! I will need to check out more of her books. Funny, emotional, tension, sexy, she has the whole package goin' on!!!

I think my 12 books a month days are over with. It was hard to get this much reading in!

Simon Says by Lori Foster

2009-09-29T06:52:00.002-04:00

Rating: 4.5

Description: Sexy ex-fighter Simon Evans has the perfect life-until he catches his girlfriend cheating. To work off his rage, he goes back into the ring full-force. But a gutsy and gorgeous P.I. is about to send him reeling with a secret about his family-and one about her heart.

My Thoughts: Ms. Lori Foster, I am now understanding why Roberta calls you her contemporary guilty pleasure! Granted, I only have two books under my belt, but I am planning a whole bunch more. Alpha ripped males, sexy story, a bit of emotion—perfect combo for me and Simon Says was exactly that.

Simon sigh... Shaved head, nice guy and a ripped body. Seriously, what more could you ask for????? Simon busts his soon to be ex cheating on him, and he throws himself back into the ring. While training, he meets Dakota Dream who’s a tomboy and wins his heart over. Cute, entertaining and sexy. This story delivers all that, memorable characters and an SBC world I don’t want to end! I have already ordered Hard to Handle, can’t wait to continue on with the boys!

Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare

2009-09-28T06:50:00.004-04:00

Rating: 4

Description: Desperate to escape a loveless marriage and society’s constraints, pampered heiress Sophia Hathaway jilts her groom, packs up her paints and sketchbook, and assumes a new identity, posing as a governess to secure passage on the Aphrodite. She wants a life of her own: unsheltered, unconventional, uninhibited. But it’s one thing to sketch her most wanton fantasies, and quite another to face the dangerously handsome libertine who would steal both her virtue and her gold.

To any well-bred lady, Benedict “Gray” Grayson is trouble in snug-fitting boots. A conscienceless scoundrel who sails the seas for pleasure and profit, Gray lives for conquest–until Sophia’s perception and artistry stir his heart. Suddenly he’ll brave sharks, fire, storm, and sea just to keep her at his side. She’s beautiful, refined, and ripe for seduction. Could this counterfeit governess be a rogue’s redemption? Or will the runaway heiress’s secrets destroy their only chance at love?

My Thoughts: I wasn’t sure, at the beginning of writing this, if this book was a 4 or a 4.5. I am dishing out a 4. While I really enjoyed the book, it didn’t “stick with me” like a 4.5 book should, ya know? I guess, I couldn’t relate to Sophia running away to this extreme, in that time, by herself. I enjoyed all the characters in the book, and a few had great development, Bell’s book comes out tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what Toby has in store for Miss Goodie two shoes! But I loved this high sea adventure!

Gray was a bit broken, but it wasn’t enough to be bitter like he was. He was bad, but he had a heart for every bad thing he did, he was charming and I loved his charisma. Pairing him up with Sophia, perfect!

Ms. Dare is an autobuy for me, if you haven’t read her yet, I would recommend checking her out!

**I am doing a awful job of keeping up with my blog... just wanted to say sorry!

Causing Havoc by Lori Foster

2009-09-09T07:19:00.002-04:00

Rating: 5

Description: Sexy, sculpted extreme fighter Dean "Havoc" Connor has knee-melting good looks-and thick skin. But not from his brutal sport's enclosed rings. Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, he has no family. That is, until he gets a letter revealing how much the once-little girls want him back in Harmony, Kentucky.
To stop his sister from marrying a man as sleazy as he is wealthy, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve — who's heard of "Havoc's" reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal.
And he thought winning the heavyweight cage fighting belt was hard.

My Thoughts: I have to say I just LOVED reading my first Lori Foster book AND reading about fighters! I felt like I was reading real people, real issues. So what if it was a little predictable?

Dean Havoc Connor goes to his hometown after getting a letter from his long lost sis. He never imagined that the letter would introduce him, for the first time, a family. Oh, and he just happens to meet the love of his life, Eve. How sweet (and sexy) were they together? VERY! I have got to check out her backlist, because I really enjoyed Causing Havoc. I couldn’t wait for the next book to arrive from PBS, so I bought Simon Says, and am reading his story!

Gotta love it when you find a new author! Thank you Lori Foster!!!

Winners of Highland Rebel!!!

2009-09-09T07:14:00.004-04:00

The winners of Judith James' Highland Rebel are:
Randi
etirv

Please email your address to kevin_cindy at verizon.net by Friday 9pm EST!

A big thanks for Judith James for stopping by!

Time Travel Tuesday w/ Judith James & Giveaway!

2009-09-08T06:30:00.003-04:00

Ms. James' new book is out and she's here today!!!!

The Scarlett Pimpernel, Dangerous Liaisons, and Highland Rebel

Hello Cindy. It’s great fun to be here on Time Travel Tuesday. I just hope I’m doing it right! There are two places I’d like to go today. First I’m going to time travel back to a day when I was home sick from school in my parent’s basement and I happened upon a movie that’s become one of my favourites of all time. That would be The Scarlett Pimpernel. I was captivated by the grand adventure, the exciting action sequences and the poignant love story, as well as the irony of the Pimpernel, a much admired hero and master of disguise, hiding in plain sight, even from his wife, as the supercilious, slightly bored, vain and frivolous Sir Percy. Perhaps it was here that I first got the idea of an outwardly jaded aristocrat, who can change his clothes and change his speech and turn himself into a beggar or tinker as he goes about a secret life no one else suspects. I refer of course to Jamie Sinclair, the handsome hero of Highland Rebel, my new book in stores now, who can change from a courtier to a tinker or beggar in a matter of minutes; and Catherine his wife, who suspects there is more to the man that she married, and longs to see him without his mask. I’ve included a montage from that wonderful movie, as well as Sir Percy’s favourite banal poem, and an exciting scene from one of his rescues.

Another favourite movie that was an inspiration for both Highland Rebel and my first book, Broken Wing, was the dark and delicious Dangerous Liaisons.

The blurb for Highland Rebel includes the following line.

“Disguised as beggars, or glittering amongst the courtiers at Whitehall Palace, Catherine and Jamie join forces in an age where treachery and adultery are the fashion, and cynicism, cruelty, and barbed wit the qualities most admired.”

Dangerous Liaisons, based on an exposé thinly disguised as a novel by Pierre Laclos, a military man and courtier, is a scathingly funny, endlessly fascinating and somewhat diabolical work about French courtiers whose greatest prey is each other. It was written around the time Broken Wing takes place, but could apply equally well to the notoriously hedonistic, often cruel, and always witty Stuart courts.

If you love historical adventure with a tender love story at its core and are fascinated by a close up look at the lives of the jaded and wealthy, you’ll love both The Scarlett Pimpernel and Dangerous Liaisons, and I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy Highland Rebel!

Thanks very much to Cindy for hosting me, and to everyone who took the time to stop by. As always I look forward to questions or comments and would like to ask you if there are any movies that you remember that influenced your reading or writing.

Highland Rebel by Judith James, in stores September 1, 2009!
Amidst the upheaval of Cromwell's Britain, Jamie Sinclair's wit and military prowess have served him well. Leading a troop in Scotland, he impetuously marries a captured maiden, saving her from a grim fate.

A Highlands heiress to title and fortune, Catherine Drummond is not the woman Jamie believes her to be. When her people effect her rescue, and he cannot annul the marriage, Jamie goes to recapture his hellcat of a new wife...

In a world where family and creed cannot be trusted, where faith fuels intolerance and war, Catherine and Jamie test the bounds of loyalty, friendship, and trust...

About the Author
Judith James has worked as a legal assistant, trail guide, and counselor. Living in Nova Scotia, her personal journey has taken her to the Arctic and the West Coast. Her writing combines her love of history and adventure with her keen interest in the complexities of human nature and the heart's capacity to heal. For more information about Judith, please visit www.judithjamesauthor.com

Thank you SO much for being here Ms. James. This was great and I have two movies to add to my Netflix Queue! I really enjoyed Highland Rebel, my reviews up here. I am naming you Queen of pulling my heart strings!

Now for the good stuff, I have 2 copies to give away. Leave a comment by 9PM EST, you are in.

Winner!!!

2009-09-04T16:30:00.005-04:00

I used Random.org and the winners are......

tetewa

plain a_m_y

Congrats, please email me your address at kevin_cindy at verizon.net by Monday midnight EST!

I'm looking for more yummy covers from you Ms. Brown!

Guest Post & Giveaway with author Carolyn Brown!

2009-09-03T05:00:00.001-04:00

Hello Cindy. Thank you for having me as a guest on your website today. By your cute little counter I’m seeing that lots of folks stop by your site to find out what is the good, the bad and the sexy in the romance genre for the week! Here’s hoping that they find something in my newest release, Lucky in Love, to fit amongst all three categories.

When I thought being a guest blogger on a site that says “Cindy Reads Romance” I wondered what I could offer. Then it came to me in a flash. Actually I was having a warm cinnamon roll right from the oven and thinking if I’d just discovered a book with a hunky, sexy guy on the front, I’d open it up and read the first couple of pages to see if the story lived up to the cover.

With that in mind, I’m offering an exerpt from the very first of the book. I hope it makes you want to keep reading.

Beau stomped the brakes and jumped off the three wheeler, anger boiling up from some where down deep in his scuffed up cowboy boots. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” He shouted at the skinny, short stranger’s back on the other side of the fence. The fool held the reins of a jet black horse and was looking out across the pasture at several white faced heifers and his prize Angus bull that nobody ever borrowed for free, not even his best friends or his favorite neighbors.

“You idiot. That’s my stud bull you’ve cut this fence and let through.” He continued to rant as he passed through the tangled barbed wire. Jim Torres had hired very few dummies in his life, and when he did, they didn’t last long. This man would be riding his big black horse into the sunset before night fall when Jim found he’d cut the fence and let an Angus bull in with a herd of thorough bred white-faced cattle. If Jim Torres didn’t fire him on the spot then Beau fully well intended to string him up in the nearest oak tree. Considering how little the fellow was he could do it single handedly. The man must have cow chips for brains to deliberately cut a fence and let an Angus bull in with pure bred white face cattle. Either that or Beau had just walked in on the first step of a rustling job in which case the man could look forward to spending a long time behind bars.

Milli heard a commotion behind her and turned to see if Alice Martin or maybe even Buster had come to help. Her grandfather, Jim Torres, was going to have a hissy fit seen only in the front gates of hell if that big Angus critter actually bred one of these cows. Thank goodness the big black bruiser was just eating grass and didn’t seem to be interested in the cows milling around him.

She’d only arrived yesterday to help her grandfather while he was recovering from hip-replacement surgery. A cut fence and a big, mean Angus bull in the pasture wasn’t exactly what she had in mind for her first day’s work.

Milli gasped when she saw the man, yelling at her instead of the bull. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“What are you doing here? And why in the hell did you cut the fence and let that stupid Angus bull in with pure breed white faced heifers? Don’t you have any sense at all? Wait ‘til Alice finds out that she’s got a cowhand that don’t know pure breeds from culls. You just as well crawl up on your play pretty back there and go pack your bags, ‘cause Alice Martin is going to fire you by nightfall.”

She pointed toward the three wheeler and shook her finger under his nose, amazed that she could utter a single word to the blonde haired man. Just how in the hell did he get from Louisiana to Oklahoma and why did Alice Martin hire a drunk like him?
© Carolyn Brown, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2009

Does reading an excerpt make you want to find out why Milli thought he was a drunk? Does it make you wonder why she gasped at seeing him? Would you keep reading?

Lucky in Love—in stores September!
When hunky rancher "Lucky Beau" Luckadeau accuses spitfire Milli Torres of stealing his prize bull, she promptly shoots at him, triggering a feud that only gets resolved when they discover they share a steamy hot memory from a night long ago...

It was a night of passion that has always haunted Lucky. The mysterious beauty he seduced at a cousin's wedding disappeared. He's always been lucky at cards, lucky
with cattle, and lucky with land, but he's never been lucky in love.

Now Milli Torres has come to southern Oklahoma to help out on her grandfather's ranch. A cut fence and a big, mean Angus bull in the pasture are bad enough, but then she looks up and sees Beau Luckadeau. Great God Almighty, how did he get from Louisiana to Ardmore, Oklahoma, and what in the hell is she going to do if he recognizes her?

About the Author
Carolyn Brown is an award-winning author who has published 36 historical and western romance novels for the library market, many of them bestsellers in that market. She was born in Texas and grew up in southern Oklahoma. She and her husband, Charles, a retired English teacher, now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma.
Giveaway:
I have 2 copies of Lucky in Love to give away!!!

Just leave a comment by 9PM EST, and you'll be entered to win.

Thanks Carolyn for visiting today, I think the cover is one of the best of they year!

Highland Rebel by Judith James

2009-09-01T05:45:00.000-04:00

Rating: 4.5

Description: Set in a dangerous time of religious and political upheaval and civil war, HIGHLAND REBEL tells the story of Catherine Drummond and Jamie Sinclair, two proud and lonely outcasts whose struggle for acceptance and survival draws them together in a partnership based on mutual interest that will transform them both. In so doing it transports the reader to Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, the court of King James II, and the coffee houses, backstreets and taverns of seventeenth century London, while chronicling the brief reign of England’s last Stuart king...

Review: WOW. I've got to say, if you are looking for a romance, this book my not satisfy you. If you are looking for a larger than life, powerful story, it will satisfy. Okay, I admit, was a bit nervous reading this book after reading Broken Wing. I loved that book, and well, I had huge expectations for Ms. James. Thankfully, I had no reason to fear! Even though this book was so different, and I still really enjoyed it. I think the people who may not enjoy it, will have that problem.

Okay, let's talk Highland Rebel. While there were some romantic elements in this story, there are more historical. For the most part these story elements were extremely interesting, especially how Ms. James incorporated the main characters with actual historical events. It brought life to history! I was immersed in this era, the political intrigue, the friendship, the adventure, and wanting a happy ending for Jamie and Cat. As for me, I wanted more romance, and I wanted it sooner. Jamie was stubborn for too long, and Cat was waspish for too long! But in the end, it should not have been any other way between these two characters. Highland Rebel is a very different romance book, but one you will want to read.

Meet Jamie Sinclair, who wears multiple masks. Charmer, spy, rogue, he's a chameleon. Sometimes, even he, doesn't know who he is. One knee-jerk reaction, set an entire course for Jamie and Cat (his hellcat). Jamie meets the one person who can see past the mask. With Jamie unable to deal with the emotion of love, will he keep her or set her free?

Ms. James, you are the queen of Pulling My Emotional Heart Strings! Thank you!

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

2009-08-22T10:13:00.001-04:00

Rating: 5

Description: Go to author’s site for description

Review/Thoughts: Where to begin? Dreamfever is the 4th book in Moning’s Fever Series. If you haven’t read them, they are great. An entire world comes to life. It’s not romance, maybe it’s paranormal chick lit? I don’t know. But I like it! The latest one, as everyone who has read it, perfectly describes that it answers a few questions, but leaves SO much more and the cliffhanger ending!

SPOILERS BEGIN--- BEWARE!!

The cliffhanger ending is WORSE than Faefever, hands down. I have an awful image of where we leave Mac from this book, in Faefever we left her in a physical mess, now we know she survives thanks to Barrons, but now, emotionally you think this could be her ruin. She toughed it out since her arrival in Dublin, but now, this could be something she can’t handle or deal with.

Check out Mandi’s post on Dreamfever and jump in! Here are some thoughts I had and posted in there:

Favorite parts were a happy Barrons and where she starts to remember him and the books. Instead of letting her talk, he kisses her, they do it one more time, and then he touches her face (like from Bloodfever in the car!) it was his good bye to the “bliss” they felt.

ALSO, when Barrons asks Mac how much truth can she take, he shows her the death of the boy, was he opening up to her? Could he not help himself after their time together?

The beast! I really think that the beast is Barrons, who else could it be? Had they ever existed at the same time? Will this be a prophecy that takes place in the last book, her loving him somehow fixes Barrons and the world???

With Ryodan’s behavior in the club, how could he not be a traitor? He had to have known who the beast was and was he trying to eliminate him/Barrons?

And Dani! I think that Dani may be the daughter of Nana’s Kayleigh, since Mac carries the spear, and Dani carries the sword.

I don’t think the LM killed Alina either.

Could Christian still be missing in Shadowfever? And could this be her next series that she already has planned?

Very curious about V’Lane, the shadow, the woman “alarm”, the little boy and oh so much more. Could the Queen, dreamy eyed guy and the princess be more that what we think?

I am not happy with the way that Barrons and Mac parted at the bookstore before she met the LM. Couldn’t there have been a better moment between them????? Although, I think offering her the book store was Barron’s way of saying that loved her, needed her and was planning a future with her so she had to come back. And I think she new it because she was flabbergasted, and hadn’t processed it yet because she’s not ready to know (that she loves him) about herself yet. But after seeing him like that (if it is him), she will have to face it!

I saw that Shadowfever may be 700 pages, I want that confirmed! Next summer seems SO FAR away!

Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran

2009-08-11T07:15:00.002-04:00

Rating:3.5

Description: Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London’s favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous.

But Sanburne’s golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath . . . and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within—in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart.

Review: I don’t know if it was my mood. I don’t know if it was the wonderful memories of reading Duke of Shadows, but Bound by Your Touch did not meet my expectations. I enjoyed the book at times, particularly once Lydia got through to Sanbourne. She had him figured out, and that his game didn’t work with her. You not only got in his head, but you felt the emotions of everything he’d hidden, and the fact he was going to have to throw his game out the window and be real with Lydia. It was fearful, but exhilarating!

My biggest problem, was the first part of the story, it was extremely slow and hard to get into. The second half of the book was much better and I did enjoy the characters, but the lull was too much for me in this one. I am curious to see if I like Written on Your Skin better than this one, I hope I do!

Mailbox Monday

2009-08-10T18:56:00.008-04:00

Mailbox Monday, Florida Style!

I usually forget to do Mailbox Monday, but I have a few minutes and I'm doing a quick post!

I finally got in the mail from PBS!

I got this one from my mom, so technically not a mailbox book.
She loved it so much, and said I had to read it.

I got this from PBS!

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare

2009-08-05T07:06:00.002-04:00

Rating: 4.5

Description: Ever the bold adventuress, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother’s best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion—one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past, full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming, he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart, and claim her for his own?

Review: This debut author shows a bunch of potential for an autobuy in my book! Wild child and tomboy Lucy has it in her mind to catch Toby and get him to marry her. Well, in the end, she marries Jeremy, her brother’s best friend and her nemesis for 8 years. The story is beautiful, emotional, and very sweet. Jeremy is truly tortured, but so is Lucy, and at times she’s not likable. They both have their demons and are insecure. The ending is a true reward for the two! The love scenes between the two a full of emotion, very few authors can make me feel what the h/h are feeling, and move the plot through those scenes. Even a kiss was simply magical!

I don’t want to spoil, but one of my favorite parts- The Letter. Let’s just say that I was reading late at night, and almost woke my husband up laughing so hard in bed!!! I enjoyed the friendship of Lucy and Sophia, her books comes out 8/25 Surrender of the Siren.

This author deserves a spot on your radar, check her out here!

Time Travel Tuesday: Poetry

2009-08-04T05:30:00.001-04:00

In today's Time Travel Tuesday, I'm going someplace very different today. In high school I had to memorize a poem for literature. I think it was for 9th or 10th grade. You were graded on oral presentation of emotion, your interpretation and understanding of the poem. Below was the poem that was assigned to me. I still have it memorized after all these years. It's a sad poem, but beautiful.

Did anyone else have something like that from school that's still with them? (That driving drunk movie is still with me too)

To an Athlete Dying Young
by A. E. Housman

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

Today, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

Smart lad, to slip betimes away
From fields where glory does not stay,
And early though the laurel grows
It withers quicker than the rose.

Eyes the shady night has shut
Cannot see the record cut,
And silence sounds no worse than cheers
After earth has stopped the ears.

Now you will not swell the rout
Of lads that wore their honours out,
Runners whom renown outran
And the name died before the man.

So set, before its echoes fade,
The fleet foot on the sill of shade,
And hold to the low lintel up
The still-defended challenge-cup.

And round that early-laurelled head
Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,
And find unwithered on its curls
The garland briefer than a girl’s.

Letters to a Secret Lover by Toni Blake

2009-08-03T18:59:00.003-04:00

Rating: 4

Description: The last thing she needs right now is a man . . .

Lindsey Brooks had it all—an awesome job doling out advice to the lovelorn, a fabulous high-rise apartment, and a to-die-for fiancé. But then she got dumped—wearing nothing but a "Kiss the Cook" apron—and desperate to escape, she retreats to a tiny Montana town to reclaim a family treasure. She never dreamed anyone would try to stop her—or that he'd be sexy as sin.

Too bad she finds such a hot one . . .

Rob Colter isn't into relationships—but Lindsey sees Rob as the perfect guy to help her "get back on the horse." The sex horse, that is. Unfortunately, he comes complete with a mysterious past, which gets even more mysterious when she finds his passionate letters to another woman—whose name happens to be tattooed on his chest.

And too bad he has so many secrets . . .

Now Rob's dangerous past is about to catch up with them both. And if that's not horrible enough, Lindsey is falling for him—hard. For a girl who usually has all the answers, Lindsey is up to her neck in trouble.

Review: Upon reading this book, I wanted to own a leopard bra, you just gotta read it. I really enjoyed my second Toni Blake book, she gets the emotional thing while telling a darn good story. This one is Lindsey and Rob’s story. Lindsey gets jilted and decides to drive to try and undo a mistake she made by not accepting her Aunt’s canoe business as a gift. How? Entice Rob to let her buy it. Rob is not having that!

Towards the end of the book a surprise villain comes into play. Had it not been for that, it would have make a 5 review. It just didn’t flow with the story. I LOVE what Toni Blake does to me when reading a book. The emotions, she gets you in real deep with the characters and plot. The passion, will leave you breathless. Now I just need to decide what Toni Blake book I read next!

Mailbox Monday on Wed & More

2009-07-29T07:03:00.009-04:00

I've had the bleh's. I'm feeling a bit better now, I have a bunch of blogging to catch up on. I read To Sir Philip with Love by Julia Quinn, LOVED IT! Borders is having triple points and a 30% off coupon. I bought some kid books and Tessa Dare's new book.

From PBS, I got The Game, a friend said I must read!

From PBS, I got The Outsider. I saw the movie, which was awesome.
Kristie said I had to get the book!

I won this from Anna's contest! Thanks Anna

I'm #2 on the wishlist @ PBS! I can't wait to get this one

I'm #4 on wishlist @ PBS for this one!

Time Travel Tuesday: Music

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today, Steve Miller Band, The Joker. This song released in 1973, even though this song released before I was born, I had hippie parents and was very familiar with the music. It's one of those song that can make the entire bar sing, and a karaoke favorite! Do you know most of the lyrics to this song?

The Outsider

2009-07-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

I have to say THANK YOU KRISTIE J!!!! I put this movie on my Netflix queue a few weeks ago when I saw it on Kristie's side bar as a "Kristie's Most Romantic Movie" and figured I couldn't go wrong with it. Well I watched tonight, and LOVED LOVED LOVED this movie. A quickie description is an Amish widow comes to the rescue to a man who is about to die. This encounter shows kindness to a man that has not been shown much in his life. The best part is how can a plain girl and a bad boy make it work?

As the credits were rolling, I then found out that it was based on romance writer Penelope Williamson's book, The Outsider. Man, Oh Man. If you haven't seen it, YOU SIMPLY MUST. Tim Daly and Naomi Watts are utterly fantastic in this story. Here's the book and book description this movie is based on!

He stumbled into her life one cold, bitter day, almost dead from a bullet in his side. Instinctively, Rachel Yoder reached out to help the stranger, for kindness was in her nature. What she could not know was that this simple act of mercy would forever change her life and challenge her deepest beliefs. Until then, life for Rachel Yoder had been a straight path, however brutal. She had come to Montana with her family and a scattering of other "Plain People," an Amish sect which had fled the corrupting influences that threatened to destroy their simple way of life. In this wild new territory, she had married Ben Yoder, also raised as part of the sect, yet blessed with a passion and a humor that belied his severe upbringing. So when he was killed - hanged by a vigilante posse that falsely accused him of stealing cattle from a neighboring ranch owned by a powerful and ruthless man they called the Baron, abetted by his mysterious wife, Ailsa, and his headstrong half-breed son, Quinten - she felt an emptiness in her heart that she knew would never go away. But then the outsider appeared in her life, and from that moment on, nothing would be the same. Yet despite all the warnings, despite the efforts of her brothers and of Noah Weaver - himself a widower who once had courted her - Rachel invited the outsider into her life, hiring him to work the ranch with her. In her heart, she thought she might change him, but she had not reckoned on the irresistible lure of the gun that he kept ever at the ready. Nor had she reckoned that it was his willingness to use it and his skill at killing that would someday prove her salvation.

Time Travel Tuesday: TV

2009-07-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

Join me in a trip back to yester-year! Yep, it's Tuesday. And while there is nothing really exciting about Tuesdays (except book release days), I'm posting on some flashbacks of my youth. If you'd like to share something, by all means, go post something! I'd love to read your story!

First, this was my hubby's idea, The Facts of Life. He thought Blair and Jo were HOT. This sitcom ran from 1979 to 1988, I didn't watch it when it first came out, I was too young, but I did watch later and reruns on TBS (I loved that channel).

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

2009-07-16T05:55:00.003-04:00

Rating: 5

Description: She stood at peril's threshold --
then love beckoned her in…
A prim, well-bred gentlewoman, Sara Fielding is a writer who puts pen to paper to create dreams. But now curiosity is luring her from the shelter of her country cottage into the dangerous world of Derek Craven -- handsome, tough, and tenacious -- and the most exciting man Sara has ever met.
Derek rose from poverty to become the wealthy lord of London's most exclusive gambling house. And now duty demands that he allow Sara Fielding to enter his perilous realm of ever-shifting fortunes -- with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But there is a hidden strength and sensuality to the lady that captivates him beyond his better judgment. And in this world, where danger lurks behind every shadow, even a proper “mouse” can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress -- and a cynical gambler can be shaken to his core by the power of passion and the promise of love.

Review: What a romantic story! I pushed this book up in my tbr pile, because Monroe’s review was so great! I simply loved loved loved this story. Poor Derek, majorly tortured. He was a fixer upper, being born in a sewer and Sara was just the right lady to do the job. She had such a heart of gold, I enjoyed her greatly as a heroine. Both shined brightly and equally. At the beginning of the story, Sara saves Derek’s life, but little does he know, she’s going to change it. She squeezes her way into his life, then out, then back in again. This time, for the long haul, and every word is such a joy to read in this tale.

Ms. Kleypas did an excellent job in the development of the relationship, it felt so real, not rushed and the glasses. How romantic! I loved the moment when Sara figured out what they were. I also loved the ending, it went well above a HEA, it was PERFECT. Derek, with his words, absolutely beautiful. Very few books, when finished, make you pause, sigh and just smile with that 100% satisfaction guaranteed feeling, this book was just that!

Time Travel Tuesday: TV

2009-07-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

Join me in a trip back to yester-year! Yep, it's Tuesday. And while there is nothing really exciting about Tuesdays (except book release days), I'm posting on some flashbacks of my youth. If you'd like to share something, by all means, go post something! I'd love to read your story!

It's Mr. Belvedere today! Did you watch this show? Nothing was better than ruffling Mr. Belvedere's feathers. The series ran from 1985 to 1990.

Burn by Linda Howard

2009-07-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

pic and description from Amazon.com

Rating: 3.5

Description: It’s true what they say: Money changes everything. And in Linda Howard’s red-hot novel Burn, the changes come fast, furious, and filled with the kind of sexy suspense, heart-stopping romance, beautiful people, and risky business guaranteed to give you the most bang for your buck.

Money certainly changes Jenner Redwine’s life when she wins a lottery jackpot. But it also costs her plenty: Her father rips her off and disappears, her fortune-hunting boyfriend soon becomes her ex, and friends-turned-freeloaders give her the cold shoulder when she stops paying for everything.

Flush with new money, Jenner can’t imagine ever finding a place in the world of the wealthy. Seven years later, though, she’s rubbing elbows with the rich, despite the fact she still feels like a party crasher. Luckily she finds an ally–and a guide to the rarefied realm of privilege–in shy, kind-hearted heiress Sydney Hazlett, who quickly becomes Jenner’s confidante and surrogate sister.

When Sydney invites Jenner on a charity cruise aboard a luxury liner, Jenner reluctantly agrees. But while she’s expecting–and dreading–two weeks of masquerade balls, art auctions, and preening glitterati, what she gets is more like a Hitchcock movie than a Love Boat episode. Taken hostage by a menacing stranger, Jenner must cooperate in a mysterious cloak-and-dagger scheme–or else. With nowhere to run, and with Sydney’s life as well as her own at risk, Jenner is drawn into a game of dizzying intrigue and harrowing danger. But as her panic gives way to exhilaration, and fear of her captor turns to fascination, Jenner rediscovers feelings she hasn’t had in years–and realizes she’s found a life worth living. If she survives.

Review: In Linda Howard’s latest book, I felt a bit jipped. Those who’ve read Ms. Howard know you get a darn good, intense story that just bursts with the main couple. Not so with this latest, although the humor was dead on. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, it was a nice read. But, I’m glad I got from the library.

Jenner wins the lotto, gets screwed over by friends and her dad, and moves away. She gets talked into the cruise by her only friend. This happens in the first maybe 100 of pages and felt way drawn out. She gets kidnapped on the boat, and must listen to the kidnappers and do what they say so her friend doesn’t get hurt. After she’s kidnapped, she is appalled that she found her kidnapper, Cael, hot as hell. It’s after she tries to annoy the heck out of him that she realizes he’s one of the good guys and starts giving into her fantasies about him. Of course he must do his job and save the people and his team on the boat. The ending is not satisfying, and felt a bit rushed.

So yeah, I feel a bit jipped with Ms. Howard’s latest book. Ice comes out in November, and I really hope this one is written more to her style. The last two books have been more of an edgy chick lit, but I liked Death Angel much more.

Borders Coupon Alert!!!!!!!

2009-07-09T05:35:00.004-04:00

It's one of their best coupons ever DRUM ROLL PLEASE....25% off your entire order!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Borders! Did you know that there are Borders Outlets? Has anyone ever been to one?

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn

2009-07-08T07:48:00.000-04:00

Rating: 4

Description: Rumors and Gossip . . . The lifeblood of London
When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancée, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.
Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .

Review: This book was cute, and fun, but I kept wanting a bit more. Maybe it was they “book hype”, maybe it was me. Harry and Olivia are an adorable couple. Their first encounter makes the brave, outspoken Olivia speechless. Harry walks away with a win, but Olivia has tricks up her sleeve to get him off his game. The goal: who can annoy who the most! The antics, banter and chats from neighborly window to window, make this an enjoyable, sweet read. The prince portion was a bit much, but worked okay. Harry was a wonderful beta hero, and the two connected very well on all levels, after they realize they’ve formed a friendship. That’s probably what I enjoyed best, was their friendship. You really felt each falling for the other!

All in all, cute, enjoyable, and would recommend! I have not read the first book in the series, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, and did not feel lost!