Kat loved Brock when she was a teenager and he broke her heart... not once, but twice. So ten years later on the eve of Kat's wedding when he wades in from the sea onto a beach occupied only by Kat, she's going to need to keep her senses to keep from being swept away by Brock.
Brock is in the middle of a mission and doesn't need any distractions. But when he discovers Kat on a private tropical island, he decides that a little hot and sweaty fun might be in order since they are stranded. And he's not about to let her engagement to a man she doesn't love stand in the way of making up for his past rejection of her.
I could not put this book down. I was drawn in from the first page, which happened to be a flash back to a teenage Kat on her high school graduation day. I enjoyed the characters and the situation Ms. Blake placed them in. The isolated tropical island, a couple bad guys hunting down Brock, a little suspense and a red-hot romance make for an intriguing story. I think my only complaint is that I figured out who the mastermind criminal was almost from the minute he was introduced. Granted he wasn't the smartest criminal, but it would've been nice to have been in the dark a little longer. That said, this one thing did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on my books from Ms. Blake and highly recommend this one.
When I invited Janette Kenny to guest on the blog, I learned about this book and decided I had to go out and buy a copy.
Here's the blurb from the back cover:
Reid Barclay doesn’t have time for Christmas, not with trouble brewing at the Crown Seven Ranch. He’s got prize thoroughbreds to protect, and an long-ago wrong that he wants to make right. But the beautiful cook who’s taken over the ranch kitchen is a welcome distraction, even if Ellie Jo Cade burns everything from gingerbread to roast beef. Her sweet face and womanly figure are pure temptation…
Cornhusk angels…bright berry garlands…spun-sugar snow—everything about Christmas holds fond memories for Ellie Jo. She’s doing her best to make peace with an ornery wood-burning stove and make the old ranch house truly festive. All she wants is to believe in Reid…and the only-at-Christmas magic that makes hearts glow…
First, I want to start my review by saying how excited I am that this is the first in a new series. Janette has created an interesting place in the Wild West that I look forward to revisiting. Ellie Jo and Reid are characters that take hold of your heart and don't let go. I cared what was going to happen to them as they worked through their personal issues and fought the attraction between them. I laughed at the Ellie Jo's cooking attempts and cried during the climax of the book. Janette also created the perfect villain -- the man you just have to hate. Add in several well-developed secondary characters, a couple plot twists, and a holiday theme and we have a special book.I highly recommend adding A Cowboy Christmas to your holiday library. Read More......
Please bear with us as we take a mini vacation this week and next. We'll be back with an excerpt and contest on Friday, November 13 and will return with our interviews on Saturday, November 14.
Jessica and I have been talking for months about upcoming changes at the blog. When we started this blog in November 2007 (hey, we're two years old!), we were just going to talk about some of the books we liked and offer reviews. Then in June 2008, we decided to see if we could find a few authors who would agree to be interviewed for a little variety on the blog. We posted our first interview in July and the response was overwhelming.
Nearly a year and a half later, the blog continues to grow, but changes are necessary to keep the blog fresh. The biggest change is that starting February 1, we're revamping the whole blog. We'll be moving to a new web address and more than likely switching from Blogger to Wordpress (don't worry, this will hopefully be a smooth and seamless transition for you). Along with this move, we'll debut a whole new look for the blog. Our name will be changing as well as our focus. And last, Jessica is stepping back to be our web designer (after all she went to school for it).
Last month we held a name the blog contest. We thank everyone who offered their suggestions to us. We ended up coming up with our own blog name, but did chose a winner (Lulu) for offering a name that, when adjusted a little, will become our backup. The name we decided to go with is Romancing the Book. This reflects our new focus of the blog: a place to feature books of the romance (and related) genre.
As the debut of the new and improved blog draws closer I will keep you updated on the upcoming changes. Oh, and check out the poll in the right had side bar and offer your opinion...
Angel Lane is a feel-good book that shouldn't be missed and is a perfect read for the upcoming Christmas holiday season.
The town of Heart Lake is losing that treasured small-town feeling that many of its residents cherish. So friends, and shop owners, Sarah, Emma and Jamie take it into their own hands to make a difference. They start the movement "keep the heart in Heart Lake" with the hopes that good deeds would be paid forward by those who had received the gesture.
But what book is without conflict. As the ladies try to get their movement off the ground they have to deal with professional and personal problems. Sarah has an overzealous neighbor, an marriage losing its passion and is missing her grandchildren. Emma is alone and facing the closing of her quilt shop. And Jamie is recovering from an abusive marriage and tempted by the local widowed cop and his children.
I was very happy to have been asked to read and review this book. Once I got started I didn't want to put it back. Sheila's writing just drew me in and made me care about the characters and hope for a perfect ending. I highly recommend this book to those who love a good heartwarming tale.
And I'm giving away my advanced reading copy to a lucky blog reader. Either leave a comment here or on our guest blog with Sheila before Thursday, October 29. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment or send a message to contests.bookblog@gmail.com.
When Darren Michaels approached me about reviewing Flipside Erotica, I was intrigued with the concept. In his book he takes various erotic encounters and tells then from both sides of the story.
I decided to read the "male" point of view stories first. All the tales feature Darren as the "hero". I found these rather interesting since there aren't many erotica books out there told from a man's view and written by a man. The stories seemed to flow and drew me in.
Then I moved on the the "woman's" point of view. Each story featured a different woman and her liaison with Darren. This was when the book started to let me down. We had all the same scenarios, but they didn't have the same appeal. Much of the thoughts running through the ladies' heads seemed awkward and forced. It also may be just been my .pdf copy of the book, but the editing on this half of the book seemed sub-par.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. The scenarios were interesting (however, mentioning of safe sex practices might have been a smart idea as I don't remember one condom being mentioned in the whole book) and the sex scenes were quite hot. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for insight into the male's mind when it comes to sex. And also suggest keeping a fan, cup of ice water or an adult toy nearby if your partner isn't available.
When Keta Diablo contacted me about a promo on the blog she also asked about getting a review of one of her books. After reading descriptions, I picked Decadent Deceptions as the one I wanted to read. And I am glad I did.
I found Decadent Deceptions to be quite riveting and found that I couldn't put it down until I was done. Here's the book description from Amazon:
Daring and desperate to win Morgan’s love, Olivia Breedlove embarks on a reckless folly. But everything backfires when Morgan remains one step ahead of her and the game ventures down a path of duplicity and murder.
A decade ago, Morgan was a heartbeat away from taking Olivia’s virginity. Her father, Thaddeus, intervened and threatened to meet him over pistols if he so much as looked at his daughter again. But now, Thaddeus is dead and Morgan has no intention of ignoring the ravenous hunger he’s harbored for the blasted woman for ten years.
One way or the other, he will quench this burning desire and make her his forever.
The concept of Decadent Deceptions is quite interesting. I did question some of the accuracy of the historical detail (such as some of the spoken phrases), but it didn't distract from the book. The love scenes were red-hot and explicit, but fit well into the story. I suppose the only thing that really bothered me was that when the book was over I felt kind of short-changed when it came to the actual romance between Morgan and Olivia. More often than not, the love just wasn't believable and it just seemed like their relationship was based on lust.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. And if you're looking for a hot read, a historical erotica, Decadent Deceptions is a great option.
The last thing Sir Duncan wants to do is see Isabel again. She broke his heart and their engagement to be the mistress of a powerful earl. But her brother asks Duncan to rescue her, and he feels compelled to comply to his dying wish. The childhood sweethearts are reunited, but can they overcome all the obstacles in their way to reignite the spark that is between them?
When Diana Cosby contacted me about having a promo at the blog, I was excited. I love being introduced to new authors... and especially those who write medieval romances. It's not a common setting for romances, since most historical writers tend to look at the regency era. So, I'm always on the lookout for the medieval setting in my romances.
I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed the characters, setting and the plot. I'll admit that sometimes I felt like Isabel and Duncan kept repeating the same arguments as to key they can't or can be together. But past that occasional feeling of repetitiousness, I was glued to the book. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a medieval romance set in the Scottish highlands. It is the second book in a series, but it totally stands on it's own and there's just a couple references to events that happened in the first book, His Captive.
Amanda Feral, our zombie heroine, is going on a road trip from Seattle to South Dakota to have closure with her mother who is dying. But she and her friends (including another zombie, a vampire and ghost) end up on the run from an angry vampire and his werewolf goons, picking up a couple humans and encountering a plethora of paranormal beings.
I was excited to have the opportunity to get an advance copy of this book when Mark and I were setting up his promo on the blog. Urban Fantasy is right up the alley of books I enjoy reading. But unfortunately I had trouble getting through the book, only finishing it last night.
Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't bad... in fact, I found the premise intriguing. Just something about it didn't agree with me. Part of it could be the language and a lot of it was the gore. And I found the footnotes (yes, footnotes in fiction) to be overused and often distracting. But I think the turn off for me was Amanda. I have to like the main characters in the book to enjoy it and more often than not I couldn't like Amanda. I didn't enjoy her sense of humor and snarkiness. And that made for a rough read.
This is the second book of Amanda's memoirs, following Happy Hour of the Damned. I admit that I felt like I was always a step behind because I haven't read the first book in the series... and recommend that if you're going to try these books, going in order is probably the way to go.
The blurb from the back of the book:
On Jill Morgan Storm's fortieth birthday, she declares she is through with love. A conviction well justified, considering her first husband didn't leave her for another woman; he became one! More recently, her love affair came to a screeching halt when her lover dumped her for a young undergraduate. To make matters worse, the teeny-bopper stole Jill's "well-seasoned" frying pan, and when you're a sous chef, that's no small offense; it's a major felony.
When financial obligations threaten her son's dream of attending art school, Jill and her friends devise a foolproof plan to audition candidates for a new husband. The search for Mr. Right is on.
There is one problem, however. His name is Davin Wesley, an annoying third-grade schoolteacher, who relentlessly plagues her days, haunts her nights, and propels her libido into overdrive. She knows he is absolutely, undeniably wrong for her. So why, then, does Mr. Wrong take her breath away, curl her toes, and give her a hot flash every time she sees him? More importantly, what will she do if Mr. Wrong is actually Mr. Right?
I do remember being hesitant when I started. Kathy herself labeled the book as Mom-lit / Women's Fiction. Maybe it's because I've read some clunkers in those "genres" that I was nervous. But she did assure me there was romance, which I have to have when I read these sorts of books. So I started reading and the comedic situations really drew me in and made me forget genre. Then the romance was snuck in and I was a totally happy camper. I found this book to be a page turner and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a light, humorous tale. I am looking forward to reading more from Kathy Carmichael. Read More......
Sheryl Brennan was a guest at Book Talk in early January. So, when I was asked to read and review Celtic Sacrifice, I jumped at the chance. Here's how Sheryl described the book from our interview: Celtic Sacrifice is a historical romance set in 16th century Ireland during the end of the English/Irish Nine Years war. The story follows Ceana O’Hagan, the daughter of the chieftain of Dungannon, whom her mother’s clan of O’Connor feel is the key to a generation’s old prophecy. Over the course of the book, we get to see Ceana’s personal struggles with love, religion, and her own place in the world. There is a very interesting political plot twist that I won’t give away… but it shakes Ceana’s beliefs down to their very foundation. One of the overall themes in the book is that God, by any name you call him, has a plan for you. (Jeremiah 29:11) Free will being what it is one of my constant prayers is that if I am straying off that path, he will guide me back to it.
Sheryl Brennan has created a well-crafted and well-told story. While I normally don't like books written in first person, this one drew me in and probably wouldn't have been as good if it hadn't been told this way. I was especially surprised by the book considering it is the debut for the author and the publishing house. While there were a few loose ends I wish could've been wrapped up in the book, I still very much enjoyed the tale. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Brennan and can only hope that she'll revisit historical Ireland once again in the future. Read More......
Here's the blurb from Amazon.com:
Sexual healing...there's nothing like it. And Ecstasy Island is where it happens. Meet two heroes who know exactly how to vanquish a woman's every fear and teach her to love - and fully live - again. But this erotic escape is by invitation only...Chris Cavanaugh considers it his calling to breathe new life into women with troubled pasts. From the moment he brings Claire Vaughn to the beautiful but isolated outpost of Ecstasy Island, he's surprised by her strength and spirit - and held captive by her sensual imagination and skill, night after night after night...Treah Baldwin believes in greeting each one of the women sent to him to be healed with a literal sexual awakening. His hands-on technique does wonders for body and soul. Dana Lancer has never experienced anything like it. Finding scorchingly hot erotic bliss in his muscular arms becomes a reality straight out of her wildest dreams...
Escape to Ecstasy is a two story anthology revolving around healers at an exclusive island resort. The concept is intriguing. The characters are a little on the unbelievable side, but likable. The best part of the book is the hot sex scenes. In fact, the whole plot revolves around those hot scenes. Take out the lust and sex and the book is pretty thin on plot.
Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
Miranda Johanson has had a very bad day. The straight-laced uber-conservative stock-market analyst has lost eight million dollars of her clients' money. If that weren't enough, she also just had wild, no-holds-barred sex with a complete stranger on her coffee break ... And that complete stranger turned out to be her new boss.
Hot sex, interesting characters, unique plot. I found it to be a pretty quick read and engaging enough for me to not want to put it down until I was done. My only issue with the book is that it's marketed as an erotic romance. It's definitely erotic, but I felt the romance part was a little lacking. Miranda and her stranger, Max, meet in the first chapter and by the end of the 250 pages they're in love. They have obstacles aplenty to overcome as they get to that point... but I never really felt that "ah-ha, we're in love" moment in the story, which is what really makes or breaks a book for me. But if you look past the romance aspect, Jamaica Layne as a pretty solid story in Market for Love.
Kay Thomas is going to be the guest at Book Talk this weekend (January 10-11). In preparation for the promo, she sent me a copy of Better Than Bulletproof to send to our contest winner. As it sat on my shelf waiting to be passed along to that lucky blog reader, it kept grabbing my attention. Wanting a short read, I picked it up. And to whoever wins the contest, don't worry... I didn't even crack the spine. :)
I have to say that I was very happy with my decision to read Better Than Bulletproof. Kay Thomas created a wonderful story with interesting characters and a edge-of-your-seat plot. I found it to be quite the page turner and didn't want to put the book down. It was also a tear jerker. I had to keep that box of tissues handy for most of the second half of the book.
I highly recommend picking up this book, and I for one and anxiously awaiting her next book!
From the back cover:
WHAM, BAM, NO THANK-YOU, MA'AM
That about sums up the sex life of Claire Doolittle, not-so-happily-married to Jack--once the man of her dreams but now a modern-day version of the bossy, dull Ward Cleaver of '50s sitcom fame--Claire is at the end of her rope. Gone are the glorious days of flings in elevators and broom closets. And Jack? All he needs is a cardigan and a billowing pipe to become the domineering father figure Claire never wanted. And looking at her body in the mirror, Claire would cast herself as Lumpy. They'd once had a world of color, of wanton frivolity. Now, life's black and white: a sitcom in reruns. A not-very-funny sitcom. Cue an old boyfriend--the "one that got away"--throw in a predatory hottie who's set her sights on our leading man, and watch Claire's world spiral out of control. In the old TV show, the Beaver always got a happy ending. Stay tuned.
I'd been eyeing this book for a while. The title just caught my eye and pulled me in. So when Jenny and I started talking about her guesting on the blog she offered me the chance to review the book. I jumped at the chance... and I'm glad I did. (But totally wishing I wrote this review right after reading and not a month later.)
The book starts off a little slow, but just when you don't think Claire's life can get any more tangled... it does and the pace picks up. I'll admit in the beginning of the book I started to have doubts about where it was going. I worried when the old boyfriend entered the scene and more than once wanted to smack Claire for being a little whiny. But those feelings were shoved to the side as I laughed over Claire's antics and cried as she reminisced about the early days of her marriage and the deterioration of the relationship. I enjoyed going on the roller coaster ride of emotions and always find it a good thing that I care what happens to the characters.
Jenny Gardiner is going to be Book Talk's guest next week, December 15 to 18. She'll be stopping by to answer your questions as well as giving away a copy of the book to a random commenter. And who knows, I might give away my copy as well.
Katerina Pavlova Garibaldi, the Contessa de Salerno, a lovely imposter and jewelry design genius, is bent on revenge. Prince Drako "the dragon prince" Kazanov, the object of her revenge. Throw in unknown enemies trying to kill the both of them and a fierce attaction between Katerina and Drako and you have the makings of an explosive, passionate story.
Enticing The Prince is the latest story in Patricia Grasso's series following the Kazanov family. The book stands very well on its own, however there are so many characters from previous books (as well as a lot of alluding to events in those books), that I strongly suggest reading this series in order (see Patricia's website).
I really loved this book. Patricia Grasso has become one of my favorite story tellers. She weaves such interesting characters into fun plots with plenty of twists and turns to make this reader quite happy. Her inclusion of Russian royalty into English society gives a different spin on a Regency romance, for which I am very grateful. I highly recommend this book.
Liz Phoenix has always been a little different. But when she discovers her foster mother near death, Liz comes to find out just how different when she's thrown into a paranormal world she never knew existed. And how prominently she fits into that world.
This is the first book in Lori Handeland's new series, The Phoenix Chronicles. These books follow Liz as she comes to terms with her new life, exploring her new powers, and saving the human world from destruction. Book two is scheduled for release in mid 2009.
I won this book in an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) drawing on Library Thing. It was my first full length Lori Handeland novel. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The publishers aren't marketing the book as romance, where in the past her books were. I always get a little nervous when an author deviates from the genre he/she gained their fan base. But I think there's enough "romance" --perhaps not in the traditional sense, seeing as there isn't a happily ever after --to keep fans happy.
I like this world Lori created. She pulled paranormal creatures from a variety of cultures to spin a unique world. And the character of Liz is unlike any I'd read before. She's thrown into this bizarre world, has this totally unique role and is so unsure of herself, stumbling through her new role in life, yet she deals with it with sarcasm and trial and error. I think it was the sarcasm that won me over. A word of warning though. If you have a weak stomach when it comes to blood and gore, you're forewarned.
My birthday is in a couple weeks... 2 weeks and 1 day to be exact. :D I currently have an Amazon.com gift card burning a hole in my pocket (OK, it's really in my e-mail, but you get the idea). Problem is, I'm torn at what to buy with the card.
That's where you come in. I'm looking for book suggestions. Post a comment here with a book suggestion. I need a title, author and why I should get the book. Remember that I read mostly romances, the occasional light mystery, action book or non-fiction (usually biographies).... no horror! Each suggestion you give me will put your name in the pot. Winner will get to chose from the following books: Deep Magic by Joy Nash, Just One Sip anthology, Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz or Murder, She Wrote: Murder on the QE2.
As always, the more entrants I have (not multiple posts, but people posting) the more likely I am to pick more than one winner. Contest will end on my birthday, Sunday, Sept 28, sometime in the evening. Winner will be posted here, so be sure to subscribe to the post or leave your contact information.
*** I'm extending the contest until Sept 30 due to birthday commitments and our guest blogger on Monday. So, watch for the winner(s) to be announced on Wed. Oct 1.***
I was lucky to receive an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book from Alison Kent with the understanding that I would review it before it's December release. So, I read it this past week and here are my thoughts...
Finn is in Miami on a PI assignment-- to dig into the personal life of Roland for a potential suitor. But when Olivia, Roland's boss, spots Finn staking out her boutique, she approaches him about a photographic project that she wants to undertake.
That is the blurb condensed down to two sentences. Problem is, that's only half the story. The other half of the story deals with Roland and his life and love interest, Jodi.
I rather wish Finn and Olivia's romance was explored a little more. Roland and Jodi got a lot more time than I felt a sub-plot (and one that wasn't even mentioned in the blurb) deserved. Characters, relationship and plot probably could have been developed more if they were given more time and both stories would have excelled if they were given their own books.
All that said, I did like the book. It's the first full length Alison Kent novel that I've read and I'm intrigued and want to read more by her. Word of warning, this a pretty spicy book, so if you don't like to read about bedroom play, you'll probably want to pass on by.
Nicky Malloy is on the run and Tyler Calhoun is the bounty hunter hired to bring her to justice. Nicky's managed to evade the law for 3 years, but with Tyler on her trail she knows her time is limited. And as they travel to Wyoming and his reward, sparks fly and both Nicky and Tyler begin to believe that a happily ever after might be within their reach.
I picked up the ebook version of this book a while ago after seeing Beth Williamson promo this erotica western series. I'd been looking for more historical erotica and thought it sounded good. Besides, it's the first book in a series and we all know by now how much I love reading series. At any rate, this book sat on my ebook shelf for months and months. But then, recently I saw it waiting for me and decided to start reading. And I am glad I did.
I liked the characters of Nicky and Tyler. Nicky is haunted by the events that led her to go on the run and Tyler is jaded from his childhood and career path. But both were able to get past the obstacles and embrace life. I enjoyed the plot. I haven't run across many women fugitive stories and this one was well done. And now I'm anxious to pick up the next book in the series (which follows Nicky's rather large family), The Prize (Malloy Family, Book 2). I highly recommend if you like some spice in your historical western romance reading. And the whole series is available in ebook and print.
Do you have a blog? We would love to post a link to your site (and would ask that you do the same with Book Talk).
Comment here with the link to your blog with a short description of what you blog about and I'll enter you in a contest. I'll run this contest until September 30. Everyone is eligible to win... readers, authors, and even those who have won books here in the past.
As for the prize, I have a bunch of Harlequin books I've read recently that I'll give to several people. One of the books I'll give away is Her Book Of Pleasure. I just finished it and found it to be a pretty good read with interesting characters and a fun plot. As the deadline looms closer, I'll make updates here with more books that I'll giveaway.
So, what are you waiting for? Post your links so you can gain more readers and possibly win a book.
Updated on Sept 12: I'm adding Wild Notion by Cathy McDavid and Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber into the contest mix.