Review - His Fantasies, Her Dreams

Title: His Fantasies, Her Dreams
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Futuristic, Contemporary (Erotic)
Sensuality: Burning
Book Disclosure: I received a free book from the RT Book Lover's Convention.

His Fantasies, Her Dreams is an anthology of three stories by Ellora's Cave. I have reviewed each story individually below.

Title: The Jewel
Author: Sherri L. King
Publishing Date: 2003
Genre: Futuristic (Erotic)
Sensuality: Burning
Rating: B

Samantha is kidnapped by a group of aliens looking for a birthday present for their king. Samantha finds herself surrounded by all kinds of strange creatures and these aliens want her to be a consort for their king. After Samantha comes to terms with her impossible situation, she discovers that maybe her new life isn't so bad after all.

I enjoyed The Jewel the best out of the three stories. I seem to be able to let go of reality better when the erotic story centers around a different planet or world. I liked the premise of the story and the creativity of all the different species the king has collected. More importantly this story revolved around the king and Samantha falling in love. I will say I was a little annoyed over how long Samantha kept up her defiance at her situation. But overall I found the story entertaining and a quick read.


Title: Learning to Live Again
Author: S. L. Carpenter
Publishing Date: 2004
Genre: Contemporary
Sensuality: Hot
Rating: D-

Michelle heads home after breaking up with her boyfriend. While on the train home she enters her room to find a man dressed in a toga passed out in her cabin on her bed. After he sobers up the next day Michelle and Josh hit it off over dinner and begin a budding relationship.

I did not enjoy this story at all. It started off fine but eventually progressed into weird territory. Some of the conversations and dialogue made me uncomfortable. For example, there are scenes where the Michelle is talking about sex openly with her Mom and scenes where Josh is watching a porno with his Dad. I didn't find this to be remotely sexy. Plus there were times when a phrase or sentence in the dialogue didn't fit or make any sense. I recommend skipping this story.


Title: Fantasy Bar
Author: Trista Ann Michaels
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Futuristic
Rating: B-
Sensuality: Burning

Jarod, a detective and good friend of a politician who has just been murdered, is searching for the victim/killer of the crime. He tracks Kira to Fantasy Bar on Klindor. This Fantasy Bar specializes in Fantasies. Customers come there to live out their sexual fantasies. There Jarrod discovers Kira is more than he bargained for and he must uncover what really happened that night his friend died.

Again the believability factor is easier to accept of a fantasy bar existing on another planet than my own. Kira is a sweet, likable character with a surprising internal strength. Jarod fortunately sees the truth about Kira early on and is instantly attracted to her. I actually wish this story was a little longer especially to set up the murder/mystery portion of the story. It had a lot of potential. There was a lot going on and it could have been fleshed out better if it had been longer. However, I did enjoy what was written.

This book can be purchased in print format from Amazon

Review - Let Me Be the One

Title: Let Me Be the One
Author: Jo Goodman
Publishing Date: 2002
Genre: Historical
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Borrowed the audio book from my library.

Let Me Be the One is the first book in Jo Goodman's Compass Club. Brendan David Hampton, Earl of Northam finds himself intrigued by Libby Pinrose, who is superior Officer, has tasked him with checking up on her. Her quiet and composed demeanor compels him to dig deeper because he is certain she is hiding something. Northam's instincts are correct because she certainly is hiding a dark secret.

I really enjoy Jo Goodman's writing but I have never listened to one of her books before and wondered how it would compare. I needn’t have worried because Virginia Leishman did a wonderful job of narrating the story. She speaks with an English accent and her voice brings the Regency period alive. Goodman excels at setting up a scene and painting a picture for the reader. Hearing her words read aloud really let the reader imagine the scene unfolding.

I found Let Me Be the One a very engrossing book, but be forewarned it is all very internal. The book is a subtle one, yet with many layers that are slowly peeled away. I found the writing and plot to be very crafty and clever, yet manipulative. Those who are familiar with Goodman's writing will recognize her signature style. The action is slow and plodding, and the character's themselves take center stage.

I really enjoyed both Libby's and Brandon's personalities. Libby almost feels as if she is not worthy of Brandon, but can't seem to say no to him. Brandon feels that Libby is such a gem and can't fathom what has left her so unhappy. To him she is almost like a fragile egg that could easily be broken. The way the story unfolds and how they reach their happy ever after certainly is a wonderful, endearing story. I highly recommend Jo Goodman and Let Me Be the One is certainly a good place to start.

This book can be purchased in used print format from Amazon.

Review - Countdown

Title: Countdown
Author: Michelle Maddox
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Futuristic
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Free from the RT Book Lovers Convention

Kira wakes up in a cell to find herself handcuffed to a wall. She can't remember how she got there. She isn't alone. A man is also handcuffed to the wall opposite her. Kira soon finds out quick enough that she and Rogan have become unwilling participants in a game called the Countdown. They have to pass six levels by facing certain tasks. The alternative is death.

Countdown had me on the edge of my seat. From the very beginning, the reader is dumped into the middle of the action and it never lets up until the very end. Countdown in unlike any other book I have read. I really enjoyed the unusual premise, where the two lead characters have to perform feats and their very lives depend upon it. The game has six levels which get progressively harder to pass, both morally and physically. If a contestant looses the penalty is death. Kira and Rogan immediately have to learn to trust each other. Even though this book takes place over the course of a few days, the seriousness and intensity allows the two characters to bond more closely in a short period of time and have it be believable.

Countdown is just an exciting heart pounding thrill ride. It really leaves the reader on the edge of their seat. I felt the emotional component was balanced really nicely with the action. The romance never felt forced despite the short time frame in which it developed. I can't say enough about this book. It was an exciting, fun read.

Here is what others had to say:

Babbling Book Reviews
Book Binge
Scooper Speaks
Janicu's Book Blog
All About Romance
The Good, The Bad, The Unread
Shameless Aymless's Thoughts on Books and Life

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon

June New Releases on my Radar

Here are the book releases I am looking forward to for the month of June. It is quite a collection considering I just brought home over 60 books from RT.

Urban Fantasy

Kate Daniels Series - Book 4

May 25, 2010

Historical

Hathaway Series - Book 4

May 25, 2010

Mystery

Stella Hardesty - Book 1

May 25, 2010

Historical (Erotic)

Amanda's Website

June 1, 2010

Historical

Spy Series - Book 3

June 1, 2010

Historical

Julia's Website

May 25, 2010

Medieval

Kris's Website

June 1, 2010

Paranormal

Skin Series - Book 2

June 1, 2010

Romantic Suspense

McCloud Brothers - Book 8

June 1, 2010

Review - The Truth about Lord Stoneville

Title: The Truth About Lord Stoneville
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Publishing Date: February 2010
Genre: Historical
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: Free copy from RT Convention

The Truth About Lord Stoneville is the first in a new series by Sabrina Jeffries, The Hellions of Halstead Hall. Lord Stoneville, or Oliver is the eldest of five siblings in the Sharpe family. His grandmother, the owner of a successful brewery wants her grandchildren to settle down, marry and have babies. The only way she figures she can force them is to threaten to disinherit them from her will if in a year’s time all of them do not wed. Oliver thinks to get around this by choosing an unsuitable wife. He goes to a brothel intending to get a whore to pretend to be his betrothed. Instead, he runs into Maria Butterfield, an American looking for her fiancé who has disappeared.

This was my first Sabrina Jeffries book and I can say it won't be my last. I was lucky enough to have my interest peaked at RT when Sabrina Jeffries herself read a chapter of this book at a session when we were playing bingo. We were supposed to be looking for key words, but I kept getting distracted by the story and forgot to look for the words on my bingo card. That may be a good indication right there of this book's capability to capture my attention.

Oliver is one of those tortured heroes. He feels responsible for a tragedy that occurred early in his life. He blames himself and ultimately feels that he is deep down not deserving of love in his life. Maria enters his life and begins to change that and eventually heal him. There is a very good balance between heavy subject matter and light fun moments.

I really liked the family connection that centers the book. The reader can see each family member's distinct personalities. The tipping point is that the romance between Maria and Oliver is still front and center. The balance between the family and Maria was done very well and only enhanced the story.

Here is what others had to say:

Book Binge
Long and Short Reviews
The Book Girl
Babbling About Books and More
Buried By Books

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon

Review - Wolf Tales

Title: Wolf Tales
Author: Kate Douglas
Publishing Date: 2006
Genre: Paranormal (Erotic)
Rating: C+
Sensuality: Burning

Wolf Tales is the first book in Kate Douglas' erotic Chanku series. The Chanku are a race of people who can shift into a wolf because of special dietary foods. They are polyamorous, meaning that they have sex with all members of the pack. Alexandria, Xandi for short, has a bad accident at night in a snow storm. When she wakes up she finds herself in the arms of a very virile man. It's not until the morning after does Xandi realize that Stephan is half wolf and half man. Stephan expects Xandi to be disgusted by him, but to Stephan's surprise Xandi wants to help Stephan return to his normal self.

Wolf Tales is a very sexually explicit book. Anything and everything goes in this book. Just so you know, there are muliple bed partners. If that kind of thing squicks you out, then Wolf Tales won't be for you. Personally, I found it really refreshing that the characters embraced their sexuality - quirks and all. They were very free about sex as it is a big part of their lifestyle. Sexuality is embraced and no one is made to feel shame for their voracious appetites.

Being an erotic novel, much of the plot obviously focused on sex. I would have liked to have seen more character development between Stephan and Xandi. I felt like I was being told of their relationship development instead of being shown through actual scenes in the story. However, the concept sure is an interesting one and certainly entertaining. I would advise not to look for a deep meaningful read with this one, though.

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon

Letting Pictures Tell the Story

Okay, I know I was going to do so much better than I did at recapping my experience at the RT Book Lovers Convention. So, I still have pictures that I haven't posted, so I figured I would just post those and let those tell the story. So without further ado...

Mary, Caroline Crane, Me and Kristie J

This picture was taken Wednesday, the first day of RT. We all met in the food court for lunch with CJ otherwise known as Carolyn Crane. How exciting to meet a person who started out as an aspiring author and blogger and have her dreams of becoming published come true. I am so happy and excited for Carolyn. I wish her the best!

Kristie J, Victoria Dahl and Me

This picture was taken in the bar the last night before the Prom dance held by Dorchester Publishing. I don't know if you can see it, but look closely at the beer Kristie and I are drinking. This was the beer that Sabrina Jeffries had made especially for a panel given earlier in the day. In her new series the characters' family owns a brewery and Sabrina Jeffires had a special label made for this beer to represent her fictional brewery. She was giving six packs out in the panel if you won the bingo game. I didn't win, but a lady who did win asked if I wanted it and I was like, "Hell yeah!"

The big problem was that you need a bottle opener to get the cap off the bottle. This was not the twist off kind of beer. We tried calling room service to bring us a bottle opener but they said it would be over an hour before someone could bring it to us. They told us to go down to the bar and someone would help us. So off we went bringing our own beer down to the bar. I asked the bartender to open it for me. He told me that because of the law he couldn't open it, but he just happened to have a bottle opener around that I could use to open it myself. LOL, so that's exactly what I did!

Kristie J, Delilah Marvelle, Mary, Linda and Me

This picture was taken while we were all waiting to get into the Prom party sponsered by Dorchester Publishing. As you can see some of us were in our "prom" attire. Each night at about 8:00 there is a party hosted by a group of authors or a publishing house. They usually give away free books and always have food and dancing. The theme for this night was 80s prom and they sure were playing some good music. I had a lot of fun dancing the night away!

Here is another picture of me with another group of ladies who I met last year. Debra and Dana work for Barnes and Noble (can you say, "Dream Job").

Dana, Maryln, Deborah and Me

Elizabeth Vaughan and Me

Funny story. Elizabeth Vaughan was the first author I went to on Saturday morning at the book signing. I was so completely stoked to get to meet her. To say I love her Warlord Trilogy is an understatement. Anyway, as I approached her another fan was in front of me having her entire collection of books signed. I was the only other person in line and we all struck up a conversation about how much we love her books. Finally, it was my turn. I was kind of tongue tied in her awesome presence, but I did manage to get a book signed. As soon as I walked away I forgot that I wanted to get my picture taken. So I hurried back to her and asked her if she wouldn't mind me taking her picture. Well, the author sitting next to her was so sweet and said she would take one of us together. The thing is Elizabeth and I were seperated by a really long table. I asked Ms. Vaughan if she wouldn't mind me crawling under the table so I could stand next to her and get our picture taken together. She laughed and didn't thing I was a "psycho stalker fan". Hence, the picture you see now.

Funny thing is, later in the morning, Nath went to visit Ms. Vaughan and asked if she could have her picture taken. Elizabeth asked Nath if she wouldn't mind crawling under the table to have their picture taken together. LOL, I set the precidence!

Last picture was taken at the Faery Ball on Thursday night.  The first two women are aspiring authors Cathy and Courtney.  I met them last year and they were very nice and friendly.  The only man in the picture is Charles Paz who won the Mr. Romance contest last year.

Cathy, Courtney, Linda, Charles, Me and Linda

Review - Blood Born

Title: Blood Born
Author: Linda Howard and Linda Jones
Publishing Date: April 2010
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: D
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I purchased this book new.

Blood Born is the first book in a new vampire series. Luca Ambrus is a vampire. I guess you could call him an enforcer of sorts. The governing vampire body calls on him to hunt down and kill those vampires who break the law and threaten other vampires. The most important thing is to keep the knowledge of the existence of vampires away from the human race. When Luca's good friend on the council is killed he learns that there is a traitor in their mist. He must uncover and stop the traitor before a war starts between his people and the human race.

Humans are not without help. There are people who are called conduits. These people channel spirit warriors into Earth's dimension. Chloe Fallon is one such person. Luca follows a rogue vampire to her home and saves her from the vampire as he tries to kill her. Chloe cannot be left alone because she will always be susceptible to another vampire attack. Luca vows to protect her at all costs.

Sounds good right? I thought Blood Born had great promise, an exciting plot with an otherworldly Alpha male written by a well known favorite author of mine. But alas, this one just wasn't what I was looking for. For one thing, I was reading this book during RT and it had a lot of competition for my attention. It started out really slow. The beginning of the book was a major info dump and the hero/heroine don't even meet until page 105. I am sorry, but 100 pages before they even meet???? It took real perseverance to continue the book and I'll admit, I read another book between this one to give me a quick fix.

The book has many multiple view points and it felt like less than half of the book focused on Luca and Chloe's relationship. The world building was great, but it dominated the book. I even checked to see how this book was labeled. Maybe it wasn't a romance, but right on the back it does say paranormal romance. This book just wasn't what I was expecting. *Sigh*


Here is what others had to say:

Smokin Hot Books
All About Romance

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon

The Betsy Taylor Series - Reviews of Books 4 and 5

Title: Undead and Unreturnable
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Publishing Date: 2006
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: C
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I downloaded this audio book from my library.

Undead and Unreturnable is the fourth book in the Betsy Taylor Vampire Series by MaryJanice Davidson. In this book, Betsy is making plans for her wedding to Sinclair. Also, serial killer is on the loose and targeting tall, blue-eyed blonde-haired women.

Well, I hate to say it but this book gets the kiss of death "meh" rating. It was just okay. I really would like to know where this series is headed, because nothing really special happened in this book. There were no major events and everything felt rather stagnant. No new characters were introduced. It was short and dare I say it, just a tinsy bit boring. There was a mystery that was solved very efficently. A lot of bickering took place between Betsy and Sinclair.

Title: Undead and Unpopular
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: B
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: I downloaded this audio book from my library.

Undead and Unpopular is the fifth book in the Betsy Taylor Vampire series by MaryJanice Davidson. In this book Betsy is still planning her wedding to Sinclair. She also has a group of European vampires who have finally come to pay their respects to Queen Betsy. Unfortunately, a vampire turns up dead and Betsy is on the case.

I felt like this book had more meat to it than the previous one. Although, I think there was a novella between this book and the last one because there were events that came to light in this book that I don't remember reading about. I am going to have to go back and determine what I missed. New characters where introduced and I felt like things were a little more interesting this time around. I still am not entirely certain where this series is going, though. There was a twist I didn't see coming with Betsy's best friend Jessica. Still, I am not sure if I will continue with this series. Generally speaking, quirky vampire books are not my thing. Although, I must say Betsy is a charming individual. Her voice is most unique.

Access Romance - Come and visit!

I am over at Access Romance - Readers Gab today discussing RT. Only this time instead of talking about the highlights, I am discussing a couple of things that bothered me. Ooooh, what a rebel rouser! Come check it out.

April Book Summary

Me and Victoria Dahl!

Yep, I am late getting my book summary up this month. It really isn't all that exciting. I only managed to get 10 books read this month, due to my busy work schedule and my trip to the Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention. *sigh*

1. Wild Ride, Crusie and Mayer (Paranoramal) Rating: C-
2. Undead and Unemployed, Davidson (Urban Fantasy) Rating: C+
3. Undead and Unappreciated, Davidson (Urban Fantasy) Rating: B
4. Goddess of the Hunt, Dare (Historical) Rating: C+
5. Magic Strikes, Andrews (Urban Fantasy) Rating: B+
6. Something About You, James (Contemporary) Rating: B
7. First Drop of Crimson, Frost (Paranormal) Rating: C
8. His Secondhand Wife, St. John (Western)Rating: B+
9. Loyalty in Death, Robb (Mystery) Rating: B
10. All Together Dead , Harris (Urban Fantasy) Rating: B

PS.  I just thought I would throw that picture of me and Victoria Dahl up.  I still haven't recapped everything from RT and I may not.  This was me and Victoria at Louisa Edwards Cocktail Party that took place at the same time as the Mr. Romance contest.  I was lucky enough to sit next to Ms. Dahl and she was just as friendly and nice as can be.  She was rather entertaining as well and had me laughing at her antics. 

Review - All Together Dead

Title: All Together Dead
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: Borrowed a copy from the library.

All Together Dead is book seven in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse) series. In this book Sookie has to travel to Rhodes to attend a vampire summit. She is serving the Queen vampire of Louisiana. The Queen is in a very vulnerable position. She has been accused of murdering her husband and Sookie is the only witness to what really happened that night. Sookie is attending the Summit to help the Queen discover who her enemies might be by listening into human minds.

Oh man, things are really starting to heat up politically in Sookie's world. I really felt that All Together Dead is a turning point in the series. Up to this point Sookie has been able to keep to the edges of the supernatural world. In this book it becomes blatantly obvious just how immersed in this world she is, whether she wants to be or not. The turning point comes when Sookie finally realizes that as much as she wants to live a normal life, she will always be on vampires’ radar. She is to valuable a commodity for them to ever ignore her and her special gift.

Sookie's relationships with Eric and Quinn continue to move forward. Because this is urban fantasy, there is not a clear cut hero in the picture for Sookie. Is it Eric? Is it Quinn? Or could it possibly some other guy not even introduced into the series yet? I must admit this worries me, not to mention that there might never be a "happy ever after" for Sookie either. However, I will keep reading. Ms. Harris has me thoroughly hooked like a big mouth bass on a fishing line.

Here is what others had to say:

Escape Between the Pages

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon.

Loot from RT!!

Okay, I figure this is the question most of you are wondering. What books did I get from the convention? I just got home yesterday from Georgia. I had to finish up audits for work. Of course the first thing I did was hug my hubbie and kids and then I was like, "Do you mind if I go through my books?" I know. I am totally obsessed.

I don't think I would have brought back as many books as I did last year if it wasn't for Mary's generosity. She had won the drawing for several erotic gift baskets given away at RT. She already owned some of the books so she ended up gifting me with the complete collection of Wolf Tales and Sexy Beast books by Kate Douglas. She also gave me Elizabeth Amber's Lord of the Satyr series.

Like I did last year, I tallied up all the books and their costs. The grand worth of the books I brought home this year is a whopping $700.93!!! I brought home a total of 64 books and 36 of them were signed by the author. That covers the cost of the convention fees and my airfare. How awesome is that?!

Here is a list of the books I was given at RT. Books in RED are signed by the author:

2010 Hot Westmoreland Nights Brenda Jackson
2009 Hex in High Heels Linda Wisdom
2007 Star Shadows Colby Hodge
2009 The Naked Baron Sally Mackenzie
2009 Vengeance Road Rick Mofina
2009 Vampire Sunrise Carole Nelson Douglas
2006 Finding Your Mojo Stephanie Bond
2009 The Virgin's Secret Victoria Alexander
2008 Distracting the Duchess Emily Bryan
2008 The Summoning Kelley Armstrong
2009 Hot and Irrisistible Dianne Castell
2005 Haunting Love Alley Anthology
2009 Atlantis Unleashed Alyssa Day
2009 Winter's Desire Anthology
2010 The Reckoning Kelley Armstrong
2009 A Darker Domain Val McDermid
2006 Love, Lust and Dixie Dust Luann McLane
2006 His Fantasies, Her Dreams Anthology
2009 The Empress of Mars Kage Baker
2010 Seduced by a Rogue Amanda Scott
2009 Second Chance Pass Robyn Carr
2010 The Truth About Lord Stoneville Sabrina Jeffries
2010 Atlantis Redeemed Alyssa Day
2009 The Sharing Knife Lois McMaster Bujold
2010 Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake Sarah MacLean
2009 Silent Killer Beverly Barton
2010 Cheat the Grave Vicki Petterson
2010 The Vampire and the Virgin Karrelyn Sparks
2009 Passion Untamed Pamela Palmer
2010 Touching Darkness Jamie Rush
2009 Sins of the Flesh Caridad Pineiro
2009 Outcast Joan Johnston
2010 Abandon the Night Joss Ware
2009 Passion Unleashed Larissa Ione
2010 Marked Elizabeth Naughton
2010 The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker Leanne Renee Hieber
2009 Where the Wind Blows Caroline Fyffe
2008 Countdown Michelle Maddox
2009 Seduced into a Paper Marriage Maureen Child
2005 Danger Calls Caridad Pineiro
2009 Malice Lisa Jackson
2008 A Rake's Guide to Pleasure Victoria Dahl
2006 Wolf Tales Kate Douglas
2006 Wolf Tales II Kate Douglas
2007 Wolf Tales III Kate Douglas
2007 Wolf Tales IV Kate Douglas
2008 Wolf Tales V Kate Douglas
2008 Wolf Tales VI Kate Douglas
2009 Wolf Tales VII Kate Douglas
2009 Wolf Tales VIII Kate Douglas
2010 Wolf Tales 9 Kate Douglas
2006 Sexy Beast Anthology
2007 Sexy Beast II Anthology
2007 Sexy Beast III Anthology
2008 Sexy Beast IV Anthology
2008 Sexy Beast V Anthology
2009 Sexy Beast VII Anthology
2010 Sexy Beast VIII Anthology
2007 Nicholas Elizabeth Amber
2008 Raine Elizabeth Amber
2008 Lyon Elizabeth Amber
2009 Dominic Elizabeth Amber
2006 Wild Nights Anthology
2009 Men in Blue Anthology

Now, the big question is where am I going to put all these books, LOL!!??

Review - Loyalty in Death

Title: Loyalty in Death
Author: JD Robb
Publishing Date: 1999
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B
Sensuality: Hot
Book Disclosure: This was an audio book I borrowed from the library.

Loyalty in Death is book nine in JD Robb's In Death series. In this book Eve is tracking down a terrorist group, whose plot is to take out popular tourist attractions in New York City. Also a couple of dead bodies have turned up and Eve has been assigned their case. Meanwhile, Peabody's brother is visiting New York for the first time and he gets tangled up in one of the murder investigations.

First let me mention a few things before I go straight into the review. I listened to this book over the course of a couple of weeks. Things were really spaced out and so this review is going to be not as detailed as I would like. Second, it has been a couple of years since I read an In Death book, so that may have influenced my review too.

This is a standard In Death book. There is a clever mystery to be solved and I have to admit that it really is quite clever. There are several pathways going on in the book and they all eventually lead to the same conclusion. Eve and Roarke are still on wobbly ground working through their relationship. They hit stumbling blocks every now and again. The fun part for me was Peabody and McNab finally coming together. I have to say that was my favorite part of the book.

I might as well mention that the audio book was rather well done. Most of the characters voices were very distinct and it was easy to follow along with which character was speaking. I wasn't crazy about how the woman did Roarke's voice. She did have an Irish accent, but it wasn't exactly how I thought he would sound. I know. So silly, but it's true.

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon.

RT Day 2 - The Highlights

Yay!! I have pictures! Okay, day two started out with an author chat featuring Anne Stuart and Lani Diane Rich. Jennifer Crusie was supposed to be there but Anne said she was ill and couldn't make it. Bummer! I was totally looking forward to meeting her. But.... Anne Stuart was really funny and she had us in stitches. She is not afraid of saying what is on her mind. At one point she even forgot for a second and asked all of us not to repeat anything she said. She says she has gotten in trouble more times than she can count for running her mouth.

Anne Stuart - Lani Diane Rich

Then I had the hardest of choices to make. Should I go to the author chat wth JR Ward and Jessica Andersen or should I go play Bad Boy Bingo with Sarah of Smart Bitches, Alyssa Day, Victoria Dahl and Cindy Holby? I opted for Bad Boy Bingo. I am happy to say it was a lot of fun. I got four books and Sarah was a hoot calling out the numbers like "Orgasam 69". I never did get Bingo, though!

Then it was the award ceremony and afterwards RT launched their new website. You should check it out if you haven't already done so. They have a lot of new features and it is very extensive. They had a drawing for baskets full of books. It turns out my good friend Mary won the erotic romance basket. I should say baskets because it was multiple baskets, all full of books. And because Mary is such a generous person and she already had some of the books, she kindly passed some on to me. Later on, I will post what books I brought home with me. Wait till you see what I got!

Then I finished off the evening at the Fairy Ball with all my girls, Nath, Kristie J. Linda and Mary.

The Fairy Ball

Linda - Me - Kristie J.

The Fairy Ball

Nath - Linda

Review - His Secondhand Wife

Title: His Secondhand Wife
Author: Cheryl St. John
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Western
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm
Book Disclosure: I won this book from a contest at Leslie's Psyche.

Katherine's husband left her to go find work. Weeks turn into months and he doesn't come back home. Noah his brother comes one day to announce that her husband has been killed and that he will take her to his ranch. Soon Noah realizes that Kate is pregnant and offers to take care of her and the baby. Kate having no other options accepts this very generous offer from the silent scarred man.

His Secondhand Wife is a very sweet romance that brings two people who have always felt like outcasts together and gives them a sense of belonging. Noah is physically and emotional scarred from an accident that happened when he was a boy. It left him disfigured and so he withdrew from people. He never goes into town and he completely avoids any kind of social activity with the townsfolk.

Katherine too was an outcast in her town. Katherine's father left her Mother when she was a young girl. She and her mother were very poor and did laundry for the wealthier town people. Katherine, unlike Noah very much wants to be a part of society. She has a very optimistic outlook on life even though she has been dealt a less than pleasant life. Slowly Katherine and Noah come to know and appreciate one another. They each become the family that the other never had.

Noah and Katherine complement each other very well. Katherine is very talkative and sees the beauty in the most simple of things. Noah hardly talks at all, but is content to just sit there and listen to Katherine's chatter. He sees the world through her eyes in a new, fresh way. As if he is seeing it for the first time again. Cheryl St. John has done a wonderful job of telling a simple yet beautiful story.


Here is what others had to say:

The Good, The Bad, The Unread
Rosario's Reading Journal
Renee Reads Romance

This book can be purchased in print by Amazon