So here's my day:
Wake up early
Work all day
Pick up kids from everywhere
Sit down for the first time since 5:30am and turn on the computer
See an email
Click on Goodreads
I DIE
I recently posted my review of Run the Risk by Lori Foster her newest book that comes out next month and who liked my review on Goodreads? None other than Lori Foster herself!! Now at this point in my day you must insert my huge grin, wild flapping of hands and the odd look on my husband's face as I try to explain why I'm acting like a lunatic.
So in honor of Lori making my day I feel the need to say that she is hands down one of my favorite romance writers. Her books are the ones I have on my Nook and my Nook app and in paperback- just to cover all bases. Hers are the ones I've read 5-6 times each and love them more each time.
I even remember my first Lori Foster book - Back in Black which is the 5th book the her SBC fighters series.
I admit the cover is what made me pick up the book ;) but her characters made me fall in love. I went back and got the first in the series and read them straight through.
My next series of hers was the Buckhorn Brothers and it did not disappoint. She write such rich characters that you can't help but feel like you know them after a few pages. I wanted to go to the town where they lived and explore the world she created.
I've read all her single titles and anthologies. I loved her Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor Series, the Winston Brothers and Visitation series.
She also is very good about wrapping a series up, not making it linger too long which we all know is my pet peeve. She doesn't fall into the 10-15 book series trap. She gets in there, writes a solid series and ends it before it gets stale or repetitive. Just one of the many reasons I adore her writing.
The men in her books make you swoon, they get your heart racing and make you sigh. She can fit the most unlikely of pairs together and somehow make them fit in the most wonderful of ways.
Yes, this entry has been full on gushing about Lori, I realize that. But come on..... it's LORI FOSTER!
I hope the next time you're out shopping and you see one of her books, you'll remember this insane blog entry and pick it up. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you Lori Foster for 'liking' my review- you made my day!
Thanks for Reading My Mind!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Summer is a time for books. Every so often an easy, breezy read is exactly what you need, and this book fit the bill. The Christmas angle pulls at the heartstrings in all the right places.
Here's my review of
A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was received from NetGalley.
This one was an easy read, low angst high sweetness factor. I haven't read the other books in the Fool's Gold Series yet so this was my first taste of Susan Mallery.
Evie was a professional football cheerleader before a freak accident broke her leg and changed her life. As she was released from the hospital and in a drugged haze from all the pain medications, her family moved her to Fool’s Gold in an attempt to ‘help’ her. Even though it was the last place on Earth Evie wanted to be. One thing she did discover while she was there that she had a passion for teaching dance, so she was hired as an instructor at Dominique’s School of Dance. Her job was fun and she loved working with the girls until one day, the head teacher ran off with a man and left Evie with the job of planning the dance school’s annual Christmas program, The Dance of the Winter King for the entire town- a program she had never seen before or had the slightest clue what the choreography was. Add in a horrible relationship with her mother and Evie’s stress level was at an all- time high when Dante walked into her life.
Dante Jefferson was a college friend of Evie’s brother, Rafe, and had moved to Fool’s Gold just after Evie. He lived in the townhouse next to her and worked in the same building as her dance studio. Inevitably in a town that size, his path intersected with Evie’s and sparks flew. The two explored the town and their feelings for one another which only grew the more time they spent together.
Family situations, work entanglements, and the past constantly cause tension in their relationship. As Christmas approaches, things become more complicated and hearts are broken. Will a Christmas miracle to fix everything? Or is the damage beyond repair?
View all my reviews
Here's my review of
A Fool's Gold Christmas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was received from NetGalley.
This one was an easy read, low angst high sweetness factor. I haven't read the other books in the Fool's Gold Series yet so this was my first taste of Susan Mallery.
Evie was a professional football cheerleader before a freak accident broke her leg and changed her life. As she was released from the hospital and in a drugged haze from all the pain medications, her family moved her to Fool’s Gold in an attempt to ‘help’ her. Even though it was the last place on Earth Evie wanted to be. One thing she did discover while she was there that she had a passion for teaching dance, so she was hired as an instructor at Dominique’s School of Dance. Her job was fun and she loved working with the girls until one day, the head teacher ran off with a man and left Evie with the job of planning the dance school’s annual Christmas program, The Dance of the Winter King for the entire town- a program she had never seen before or had the slightest clue what the choreography was. Add in a horrible relationship with her mother and Evie’s stress level was at an all- time high when Dante walked into her life.
Dante Jefferson was a college friend of Evie’s brother, Rafe, and had moved to Fool’s Gold just after Evie. He lived in the townhouse next to her and worked in the same building as her dance studio. Inevitably in a town that size, his path intersected with Evie’s and sparks flew. The two explored the town and their feelings for one another which only grew the more time they spent together.
Family situations, work entanglements, and the past constantly cause tension in their relationship. As Christmas approaches, things become more complicated and hearts are broken. Will a Christmas miracle to fix everything? Or is the damage beyond repair?
View all my reviews
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Can you guess what I've been doing this summer? By the pool, on the couch, in the car. Wherever I was, I've been reading and loving every minute of it! My Nook has definitely gotten a workout over the last few months, but there's nothing better than stumbling upon a new book or series and getting lost in it.
This was my first book by Anna Campbell and I have to say I will be looking for her next one. She had great banter between the characters and wrote believable interactions between them. Castle Craven lived up to it's name and scared/enticed the reader just as much as it did poor, out of work, Sidonie.
Here is my review of:
Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed by Anna Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley.
I have been reading a lot of historical Romances lately and this one by Anna Campbell was hard to put down.
Sidonie Forsythe arrives at Castle Craven desperate to help her sister, Roberta, repay a gambling debt she has accrued through an unfortunate game of cards. To settle her debt to Jonas Merrick, Roberta is to ‘give herself’ to this man who also happens to be her brother in law, the illegitimate brother of her husband William. William and Jonas however, despise one another.
Sidonie knows that William often takes his temper out on his wife, so to save her sister, Sidonie decides to sacrifice herself and her virginity to the man her sister has described as the cruel, scarred, Jonas Merrick.
Jonas is surprised when Sidonie shows up in her sister’s place and does his best to intimidate her into submission, but Sidonie holds her own and refuses to be dismissed. She is going to see this thing through to the end and repeatedly offers herself to Jonas, despite her terror. She isn’t intimidated by him, or his scars which she hardly notices after their initial meeting. She’s more frightened of the feelings he awakens in her.
Jonas does the unexpected and refuses to bed the fair Sidonie as she lay naked in his bed. Instead he asks her to spend 7 days with her and allow him to convince her to willingly sleep with him. If she resists him, she is free to leave, her sister’s debt repaid and her virtue intact. And if she cannot resist him, then they will share a wonderful night together and if she becomes pregnant she must let him know. He makes her promise this so that his child will not have to grow up with the stigma of being a bastard as he has faced his entire life.
Sidonie agrees to the terms and even though she hardly knows Jonas, she is confident he will not force himself upon her, rather he will use his hands and his kisses to seduce her body and mind. Her overconfidence is tested to the limits over the next days at Castle Craven and what she and Jonas find together is more terrifying and exciting than either imagined.
Anna Campbell writes a wonderful story of sacrifice and redemption. Her characters come to life from the moment of their first interaction. The banter between Jonas and Sidonie will put a smile on your face as they try to protect themselves from what they are beginning to feel for one another. Sidonie is a strong woman who is not easily intimidated and Jonas, for all his bluster, is intrigued by her to no end. Where bedding Roberta would have been about disgracing his idiot brother, seducing Sidonie is about saving himself from his demons.
Trust, lies, and love become tightly intertwined in Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed by Anna Campbell. Give it a read and fall in love with Jonas and Sidonie as I did.
Thanks for Reading My Mind
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
View all my reviews
This was my first book by Anna Campbell and I have to say I will be looking for her next one. She had great banter between the characters and wrote believable interactions between them. Castle Craven lived up to it's name and scared/enticed the reader just as much as it did poor, out of work, Sidonie.
Here is my review of:
Seven nights in a Rogue's Bed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was received as an ARC from NetGalley.
I have been reading a lot of historical Romances lately and this one by Anna Campbell was hard to put down.
Sidonie Forsythe arrives at Castle Craven desperate to help her sister, Roberta, repay a gambling debt she has accrued through an unfortunate game of cards. To settle her debt to Jonas Merrick, Roberta is to ‘give herself’ to this man who also happens to be her brother in law, the illegitimate brother of her husband William. William and Jonas however, despise one another.
Sidonie knows that William often takes his temper out on his wife, so to save her sister, Sidonie decides to sacrifice herself and her virginity to the man her sister has described as the cruel, scarred, Jonas Merrick.
Jonas is surprised when Sidonie shows up in her sister’s place and does his best to intimidate her into submission, but Sidonie holds her own and refuses to be dismissed. She is going to see this thing through to the end and repeatedly offers herself to Jonas, despite her terror. She isn’t intimidated by him, or his scars which she hardly notices after their initial meeting. She’s more frightened of the feelings he awakens in her.
Jonas does the unexpected and refuses to bed the fair Sidonie as she lay naked in his bed. Instead he asks her to spend 7 days with her and allow him to convince her to willingly sleep with him. If she resists him, she is free to leave, her sister’s debt repaid and her virtue intact. And if she cannot resist him, then they will share a wonderful night together and if she becomes pregnant she must let him know. He makes her promise this so that his child will not have to grow up with the stigma of being a bastard as he has faced his entire life.
Sidonie agrees to the terms and even though she hardly knows Jonas, she is confident he will not force himself upon her, rather he will use his hands and his kisses to seduce her body and mind. Her overconfidence is tested to the limits over the next days at Castle Craven and what she and Jonas find together is more terrifying and exciting than either imagined.
Anna Campbell writes a wonderful story of sacrifice and redemption. Her characters come to life from the moment of their first interaction. The banter between Jonas and Sidonie will put a smile on your face as they try to protect themselves from what they are beginning to feel for one another. Sidonie is a strong woman who is not easily intimidated and Jonas, for all his bluster, is intrigued by her to no end. Where bedding Roberta would have been about disgracing his idiot brother, seducing Sidonie is about saving himself from his demons.
Trust, lies, and love become tightly intertwined in Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed by Anna Campbell. Give it a read and fall in love with Jonas and Sidonie as I did.
Thanks for Reading My Mind
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
View all my reviews
I love Lori Foster- I need to say that. Her books are amazing and she writes some of the best men in romance. So when I saw this one on NetGalley, I had to request it and dropped everything when it came through to read it. (Fangirl moment over)
This is the first book in a new series for Lori, and I couldn't be more excited to read the next one! Here is my review of Lori Foster's
Run the Risk by Lori Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
Run the Risk is a book full of romance, intrigue and action. Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to bring down the slimy, but well-connected Morton Andrews the man who is responsible for the murder of Jack Carmin, a friend of his. Morton owned a local club called Checkers and had plenty of cops on the take and looking the other way as he conducted his illegal activities. After Jack’s murder, a man named Rowdy Yates who worked as a bouncer at Checkers gave an interview where he named Morton as the one responsible for Jack Carmin’s murder. But before the story could be printed, the reporter was murdered and Morton was never brought to justice.
It’s two years later and Logan hasn’t given up on bringing Anderson to justice. He’s been researching Rowdy Yates but he proves to be a ghost of sorts, one they can’t find. However Logan believes he’s found Rowdy’s sister Pepper Yates managing an apartment building under an assumed name. He rents the room next to her and assumes the identity of Logan Stark. He’s willing to do anything, including seducing Pepper if that’s what it takes to get information on her brother and use him to take down Morton.
Pepper, aka Sue Meeks, is forced to live a most boring and solitary existence. She knows how important it is to stay hidden, her brother has hammered that into her head for years. She hides behind baggy clothes and a quiet demeanor, hoping no one will figure out who she really is so she can protect herself, and her brother. Things seem to be going well until the super sexy Logan Stark moves in next door. Every day she sees him, standing shirtless on his porch, watching her come home from running errands and every day he gives her a sexy smile and insists on a conversation. His heated stares and gorgeous body make it hard for Pepper, living as the mousey Sue, to keep her distance.
Logan finally breaks through all of Pepper’s defenses and makes progress, only to find out nothing about her or her situation was what it seemed. Even more surprising than that were the genuine feelings he begins to develop for her. When Logan and his partner Reese finally get Rowdy into custody, the truth comes out and they realize how much danger Rowdy and his sister are in and the two officers are forced to join forces with Rowdy so the truth can come out and Morton can be finally brought to justice.
Run the Risk is sexy, action-packed romance that takes countless twist and turns. Nobody is what they seem in this story and Lori Foster does an amazing job slowly peeling back the layers to reveal who each of the characters truly are.
Thanks for Reading My Mind
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
View all my reviews
This is the first book in a new series for Lori, and I couldn't be more excited to read the next one! Here is my review of Lori Foster's
Run the Risk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
Run the Risk is a book full of romance, intrigue and action. Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to bring down the slimy, but well-connected Morton Andrews the man who is responsible for the murder of Jack Carmin, a friend of his. Morton owned a local club called Checkers and had plenty of cops on the take and looking the other way as he conducted his illegal activities. After Jack’s murder, a man named Rowdy Yates who worked as a bouncer at Checkers gave an interview where he named Morton as the one responsible for Jack Carmin’s murder. But before the story could be printed, the reporter was murdered and Morton was never brought to justice.
It’s two years later and Logan hasn’t given up on bringing Anderson to justice. He’s been researching Rowdy Yates but he proves to be a ghost of sorts, one they can’t find. However Logan believes he’s found Rowdy’s sister Pepper Yates managing an apartment building under an assumed name. He rents the room next to her and assumes the identity of Logan Stark. He’s willing to do anything, including seducing Pepper if that’s what it takes to get information on her brother and use him to take down Morton.
Pepper, aka Sue Meeks, is forced to live a most boring and solitary existence. She knows how important it is to stay hidden, her brother has hammered that into her head for years. She hides behind baggy clothes and a quiet demeanor, hoping no one will figure out who she really is so she can protect herself, and her brother. Things seem to be going well until the super sexy Logan Stark moves in next door. Every day she sees him, standing shirtless on his porch, watching her come home from running errands and every day he gives her a sexy smile and insists on a conversation. His heated stares and gorgeous body make it hard for Pepper, living as the mousey Sue, to keep her distance.
Logan finally breaks through all of Pepper’s defenses and makes progress, only to find out nothing about her or her situation was what it seemed. Even more surprising than that were the genuine feelings he begins to develop for her. When Logan and his partner Reese finally get Rowdy into custody, the truth comes out and they realize how much danger Rowdy and his sister are in and the two officers are forced to join forces with Rowdy so the truth can come out and Morton can be finally brought to justice.
Run the Risk is sexy, action-packed romance that takes countless twist and turns. Nobody is what they seem in this story and Lori Foster does an amazing job slowly peeling back the layers to reveal who each of the characters truly are.
Thanks for Reading My Mind
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
View all my reviews
About 6 weeks ago I received this book from NetGalley and enjoyed it so much, that I was compelled to go back to the beginning of the McKettrick series and get to know all of the McKettrick men- since Sawyer stole my heart with his quiet confidence and charm. This book also made me a fan of Linda Lael Miller and I have enjoyed reading her books more than I can say.
From beginning to end, this one had me.
Here's my review of Linda Lael Miller's
An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great holiday read!
An Outlaw’s Christmas is a sweet and endearing story about two people finding love in the most unusual of places.
Sawyer McKettrick arrives in Blue River, Texas looking to get away from some things in his past. His cousin Clay lives nearby and Sawyer is going to take over his job as town marshal for the time being. As soon as he gets off the train, he is shot by an unknown assailant. Spooked, his horse takes off and Sawyer, injured and barely conscious hangs on until the horse come to a stop beside a tiny building in the middle of a raging snowstorm. Sawyer falls from the horse and passes out in the snow.
Piper St. James relocated from Maryland to take the job as the schoolmarm in Blue River. Her home consisted of a small room built off the back of the one room schoolhouse. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had. Her cousin Dara Rose had recently been married and sang the praises of Blue River, causing Piper to make the long trek across country to be near her only family. However when she got to Blue River, it wasn’t all she thought it would be so she was saving all her meager earnings to buy a ticket back to Maryland. Everything changed one night in the middle of a snowstorm when she sees a horse standing outside her window. She rushes outside and finds a man, shot and unconscious in the snow at her feet.
Using all her strength and resources, Piper manages to drag the man into the schoolhouse and tends to his injuries as best she can. He weaves in and out of consciousness over the next day, but to Pipers relief, he stays alive until help arrives. Clay, Dara Rose’s husband comes to check on her when the weather clears and is shocked to discover his cousin Sawyer passed out on the floor of the schoolhouse. He gets the doctor and they quickly tend to Sawyer’s injuries but determine if they try and move him, Sawyer will not survive the trip so much to Piper’s chagrin, they carry him to her bed and leave her, a single woman and schoolmarm to tend to this stranger’s injuries. Piper is terrified what the town gossips will say about her, but knows helping Sawyer is the right thing to do, so she concedes.
As Sawyer slowly recovers, he and Piper slowly grow an awkward situation into a blossoming, sweet romance that ends with true love.
An Outlaw’s Christmas is a charming story of hope, dedication and redemption that will have to smiling and bring tears to your eyes. Linda Lael Miller weaves a beautiful Christmas tale that hits all the right notes to warm your heart.
This was my first novel by Linda Lael Miller and I was hooked! After this, I started with book one of the McKettrick Series and have enjoyed them more than I can say.
Thanks for Reading My Mind
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
View all my reviews
From beginning to end, this one had me.
Here's my review of Linda Lael Miller's
An Outlaw's Christmas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A great holiday read!
An Outlaw’s Christmas is a sweet and endearing story about two people finding love in the most unusual of places.
Sawyer McKettrick arrives in Blue River, Texas looking to get away from some things in his past. His cousin Clay lives nearby and Sawyer is going to take over his job as town marshal for the time being. As soon as he gets off the train, he is shot by an unknown assailant. Spooked, his horse takes off and Sawyer, injured and barely conscious hangs on until the horse come to a stop beside a tiny building in the middle of a raging snowstorm. Sawyer falls from the horse and passes out in the snow.
Piper St. James relocated from Maryland to take the job as the schoolmarm in Blue River. Her home consisted of a small room built off the back of the one room schoolhouse. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had. Her cousin Dara Rose had recently been married and sang the praises of Blue River, causing Piper to make the long trek across country to be near her only family. However when she got to Blue River, it wasn’t all she thought it would be so she was saving all her meager earnings to buy a ticket back to Maryland. Everything changed one night in the middle of a snowstorm when she sees a horse standing outside her window. She rushes outside and finds a man, shot and unconscious in the snow at her feet.
Using all her strength and resources, Piper manages to drag the man into the schoolhouse and tends to his injuries as best she can. He weaves in and out of consciousness over the next day, but to Pipers relief, he stays alive until help arrives. Clay, Dara Rose’s husband comes to check on her when the weather clears and is shocked to discover his cousin Sawyer passed out on the floor of the schoolhouse. He gets the doctor and they quickly tend to Sawyer’s injuries but determine if they try and move him, Sawyer will not survive the trip so much to Piper’s chagrin, they carry him to her bed and leave her, a single woman and schoolmarm to tend to this stranger’s injuries. Piper is terrified what the town gossips will say about her, but knows helping Sawyer is the right thing to do, so she concedes.
As Sawyer slowly recovers, he and Piper slowly grow an awkward situation into a blossoming, sweet romance that ends with true love.
An Outlaw’s Christmas is a charming story of hope, dedication and redemption that will have to smiling and bring tears to your eyes. Linda Lael Miller weaves a beautiful Christmas tale that hits all the right notes to warm your heart.
This was my first novel by Linda Lael Miller and I was hooked! After this, I started with book one of the McKettrick Series and have enjoyed them more than I can say.
Thanks for Reading My Mind
http://readingmymindreviews.blogspot....
View all my reviews
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