Oldie but Goodie Review: Carnal Innocence by Nora Roberts

Credit: Zawezome

It’s simply not possible to have a section called Oldie but Goodie without a novel by Nora Roberts. She has written novels on almost any sub-genre and one of her very best -in my opinion- is Carnal Innocence a Romantic Suspense novel.

I think that I enjoyed everything about this novel, the heroine is very likeable, the hero is one of my favourites of all times –I need and exact replica for me, please God!-. Then there is the southern accent, the dialogues are so good that you practically can hear them talking –and I read the novel, it wasn’t an audiobook- . The mystery of the plot was insane and the writing was five-stars. In sum, Carnal Innocence has all the elements to be in our books’ Olympus.

Interview: Marie Sexton

Hello everyone!

I’m very excited to be hosting the amazing Marie Sexton for this Q&A session. Marie is one of my favorite m/m writers, her book Promises was the first m/m romance I ever read and I was instantly hooked.

Her latest book, Between Sinners and Saints, is already available from Amber Allure, you can buy the electronic version here, and eventually you will be able to buy it on paperback as well.

This book sounds really interesting and I can’t wait to read it. In the meantime let’s give a warm welcome to Marie who is fantastic, awesome and a little bit fearless since she agreed to be interviewed by a newbie blogger like me…

Follow My Book Blog Friday!: (05 / 27 to 06 / 03)

This week's feature blog is Book Bliss. Let's say hello to Louise who runs the blog. Remember to head over there and follow!


Today's question is:

             

Q. How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?

                      

Maybe  2 or 3, I used to read more but after I had the clever (or stupid) idea of going to Grad School my reading time, or let’s call it, my fun reading time, is only a couple of hour every other day. Almost every book is digital, but I read a hard copy maybe once a month.

Review: Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Has it ever happened to you that you finish a book and honestly don’t know if you liked it or not? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me with this one. In my experience, this is a pretty normal feeling when reading a series because even when you hate the story, you get to see some of the characters from previews books and you start feeling nostalgic. We all know that when we get nostalgic we tent to forget all the bad stuff, which is the case with this book, even more so because is the fifth and last installment of the Wicked Lovely series.  The spoiler thing goes without saying, it is the fifth book of the series after all.

Darskest Mercy starts where Radiant Shadows ended. Irial is hurt, Bananach is on a killing frenzy, Niall is losing his mind, Keenan is still running, Ash is still undecided and Donia has a broken heart. We know from the last book that a battle is imminent and lives will be lost, so as expected I prepared myself for a big cry and a bittersweet ending. I don’t want to spoil your reading but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Waiting on Wednesday: Kiss of Snow

All right folks! This is the big one. Since Kiss of Snow comes out next week I just wanted to feature it here because this is the most anticipated book of the year, at least it is for me.

Today I’m doing things a little bit different, instead of telling you a bit about the book, I’m going to tell you about my love story with Nalini Singh. Are you ready? Here it is:

It was a lone and rainy day about a year ago and I was bored. I went online to my favorite dating website Amazon.com. My dating record with Amazon was very successful. They introduced me to some of my old lovers like Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood, Linda Howard and Suzanne Brockmann (yes, I’m a bit slutty). That day I happen to notice a little book called Slave to Sensation, he was purple and it didn’t looked appealing but everyone talked about him like he was a stud. So I made a date with him and that was it, it was love at first page because once I read it, it took me less than a week to go through the rest of them (apparently I was horny).

Thanks to Nalini I’ve experience an arrange of emotions that when you put them together The result is something very similar to love: I fell in lust with Lucas, was charmed by Vaughn, wanted to be Brenna (because of Jude, not for the being tortured part), cried for Talin, was intrigued by Ashaya, wanted to be as strong as Mercy, was annoyed at Dev, was kept on the edge of my seat by Max and Sophia, and went on a wild ride with Andrew. See? Just like love!

I’m sure that my love affair will continue next week with Hawke and Sienna. I’ll be sure to let you know. Right now I’m just excited and counting the days!

If you haven’t read this series but are intrigued by all the talk about Kiss of Snow, my advice would be to go and read it in order. Is very complex and you will need the back story to really appreciate the book.  I’m sure you are going to love it, and the best part is that you won’t have to wait for Hawke’s book!

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness. 

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf. 

Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight... 

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Berkley Hardcover. May 31, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Review: Never Again by Michele Bardsley

I got this book because the synopsis sounded interesting, but it was an impulsive buy because I didn’t know anything about the author or the book. I was pleasantly surprised because it turned out to be quite an interesting book.

Grey is a powerful wizard that has been betrayed by his wife, and I’m not talking about cheating, I’m talking about sacrificing him to a demon (and also cheating on him with said demon…). Fast forward ten years later and Grey is now living like a recluse who wants to be left alone.  

On the other hand we have Lucinda, she is the little sister of Grey’s wife, and is in real trouble. Her last hope is Grey, but when she asks him for help he adamantly refuses. Obviously Grey feels guilty and decides to help her but this might prove to be very difficult since Lucinda’s problems are bigger than they seem.

Review: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

I first read about this book in February when reviews and comments started to show up on the blogosphere. It seemed to me that everyone was talking about it. So when the book finally became available I put it on hold because I wanted to savor it, and also because if it really was as good as everyone was saying, I wanted the gap between this one and the next one in the series to be as short as possible. Well, the book was everything I was expecting and more.

Even though I’ve been hearing about this book for months I didn’t know anything about it besides that the hero was a dragon. I think that part of my enjoyment of the book was due to that. So what I’m going to tell you is that the book is an urban fantasy romance. That Pia, the heroine, is a not-so-regular girl who steals something from Dragos. And that Dragos, our hero, happens to be one of the oldest and most powerful creatures in the world, and is not happy about the theft.

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (05/20 to 05/27)

This week's feature blog is Ninja Girl Reads. Let's say hello to Ninja Girl who runs the blog. Remember to head over there and follow!


Today's question is:

Q. It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you? We all have them...

I have so many that I don’t even know where to start…

1. I think bananas are disgusting and can’t even touch them.
2. I don’t like chocolate.
3. I’m afraid of kids, every time I’m in the presence of one I break into a sweat.
4. I was such a fan of the X-Files that even now sometimes I read old fan-fictions that I have secretly stored in my computer (on a file that says something like very important data from work). Once a month or so I watch some episodes (and by some episodes I mean only the shipper ones), and I can tell the name of the episode, the season, everything just by watching the first seconds.
5. And my favorite thing in the whole world is Salt and Vinegar potato chips. I'll eat them until I can’t feel my mouth.

Gee!! I think that all my habits are quirky, I’m just a weirdo. Here are a few then:

                                          

1. I always count how many steps takes me to walk a block (OCD  anyone?).
2. Everything in my live has a soundtrack, so I’m always quoting a song.
3. Once I start eating sour gummies I can’t stop until I run out of money or my jaw and tongue starts hurting, whichever comes first.
4. I’m always doing at least 3 things at the same time, like watching 3 TV programs at the same time or having several windows open in my computer (facebook, email, a music website, the blog and my review and school folder)
5. If I start a book I have to finish it, even if it the worst book in the world otherwise it stays in my head driving me crazy

Review: Dead Reckoning By Charlaine Harris

After a couple of weeks absent I’m back with a vengeance. Oh God! Beware, because I was so disappointed by this book that I don’t know if I can be nice. Also, note that this is the eleventh book of the series so my review is going to have spoilers. Now, if you haven’t read this series go and watch True Blood and don’t even bother with the books. Believe me, I have been following this one for years and I can tell you now that I give up, I won’t be reading it anymore (to be honest I’ll probably keep reading it but just because I’m a masochist).

The book starts when a Molotov bomb is thrown into Merlote’s. At first Sookie and Sam think that it was an anti two-natures attack (because now is public knowledge that Sam is a Were). However, Sookie starts suspecting that she was the real focus of the attack. Her suspicious are confirmed when she is again attacked on her way home, and once more at Merlote’s and then again and again. Finally PIs Jack and Lily Leeds appear and explain to her who is behind the murder attempts.

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadowflame

This is book two on the Shadow World series. The first one, Queen of Shadows, came out last year.

I can’t wait to read this one. I think Queen of Shadows was one of the best urban fantasy books written last year and I’m anxious to know what’s going to come next for Miranda and David.

I really like Dianne’s take on vampires. Lately it seems like every other book published is about vampires, and is good to see an author who can give a refreshing twist to the story. I also like that the heroine takes some time to become badass, and her training and development is very realistic. The hero is very hot and compelling. His backstory remains a bit of a mystery so that’s another reason why I want to read this book.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy, and romance this book is a must read. I’m sure that once you finish it the next one will be in your Waiting on Wednesday list as well!

It’s been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.
As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren’t enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David’s past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair’s fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance…

Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

Ace. July 26, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

TBR Challenge 2011 Review: SOS: Convenient Husband Required by Liz Fielding

I have been meaning to read this author for quite some time and since this month’s theme was Marriage of Convenience I had the perfect excuse to do it.

May Coleridge, the heroine, is in serious trouble. Her very rich grandfather has died and in the will there is a clause that states that if she is still single by the time she turns 30 she won’t get anything. This includes the huge manor and everything inside it. Since her 30^th birthday is in less than a month and she is very much single, you can see why she is a bit worried. Parallel to this, Adam Wavell, the hero, is also in a pickle, but a very different one. His irresponsible sister has disappeared leaving her baby behind, in his office to be precise. Ever since May rejected him for not been good enough (she was the rich girl, he was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks) he has been quite detached from his feelings and wants nothing to do with a baby. You can see what’s coming right?

Review: Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

Breaking Point is the latest book in the I-Team series. Natalie, the protagonist, is in Ciudad Juarez for a Society of Professional Journalist convention. While on a bus tour a group of very bad men storm the bus, kills every single Mexican journalist in there and kidnaps her. During captivity she hears a voice that comes from the cell next door. The voice belongs to Zach McBride, our hero.And then the fun begins. 

I have read tons of romantic suspense and I can honestly say that no one does it better than Pamela Clare. This book proves that. It is difficult to find a romantic suspense novel that has the perfect balance of both genres. Oftentimes you get a book that is heavy on the suspense but the romance seems almost like an afterthought, or you get a romance novel with a ridiculous cliché bad guy and a very predictable plot that has nothing suspenseful about it. But a book that gives you the same amount of focus in both aspects of the story is difficult to find. The other thing is that the romance in her books has a feel to it that goes perfectly well with the plot. Is down and dirty, so even though the heroes are the ultimate alpha male who protects and loves his woman till the bitter end, there is nothing sugary about it. These are people running for their lives, in very stressful situations, and the romance reflects that.

Oldie but Goodie Review: Again by Kathleen Gilles Seidel

Credit: Zawezome

This is an oldie but goodie book, but it was a newbie for me. I came upon this book by accident; I was going through my parents’ library and found this one hidden under a pile of dust. I googled the book and since the reviews were great and the description sounded interesting I read it. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down.

The book is set in the world of soap operas. The hero, Alec, is a very famous soap opera star who after having a lot of troubles with his current show gets fired and starts working in another one. The heroine, Jenny, is the head writer of that show. They have an instant connection, he is attracted to her refreshing attitude and she is just plain nice and friendly, so they become fast friends. He is the first one to realize that his feelings have developed into something more, but the problem is that Jenny is in a very serious relationship with one of the show’s actors.

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (05/13 to 05/20)

Today’s question is:

Q. The Blogger Apocalypse made me a little emotional. What is the most emotional scene in a book that you have read lately?

Early this year I read A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith, I haven’t cried that hard since watching Marley and Me… The book is about these two kids that are two worlds apart, she is rich and spoiled, he lives in a trailer with his abusive father. It was very dramatic. Here is the synopsis if you are interested.

Twenty years ago, Claire Maloney was the willful, pampered, tomboyish daughter of the town’s most respected family, but that didn’t stop her from befriending Roan Sullivan, a fierce, motherless boy who lived in a rusted-out trailer amid junked cars. No one in Dunderry, Georgia—least of all Claire’s family—could understand the bond between these two mavericks. But Roan and Claire belonged together until the dark afternoon when violence and terror overtook their lives, and Roan disappeared. Now, two decades later, Claire is adrift, and the Maloneys are still hoping the past can be buried under the rich Southern soil. But Roan Sullivan is about to walk back into their lives . . .

A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith

Bantam. May 4, 1998.

Hi there! I cry about everything so is hard for me to choose just one, but there is this book called "Dream a Little Dream" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips that made me cry buckets, every time that the little boy asked his mom if they were going to die my heart broke a little. Here is the link is case you want to check it out.

After the discovery that her late husband, a popular televangelist, embezzled five million dollars from his ministry, Rachel Stone is outcast and broke with a five-year-old son to raise, and in need of a job. Then fate and a dead car engine leaves her at a shabby drive-in theater owned by Gabriel Bonner, the hunky, anti-social black sheep of a prominent family, and the only person in Salvation, North Carolina, willing to employ her. The sexual electricity starts crackling the instant they meet--but it will take the shock of both their lives to give these two lonely people a second chance at love

Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Avon, February 1st, 1998

Review: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell is a 28 year old spinster. She has accepted this role and is quite comfortable in it, or at least she was until one day she overhears her little sister talking about her and saying that she is passive, that she will make a great aunt but she would have made a great mother too. This is a wakeup call for her, she was always passionate and was hoping to find the love of her life, but time went by and nothing. Now she finds herself feeling old, plump and average, and she decides to change that. But she doesn’t get a makeover, nope, she writes a list of the outrageous unladylike things she wants to do. Among those things we have drinking scotch, riding astride and getting her first kiss. Since the kiss is number one on the list she decides to do it with the guy she has secretly admire for the past ten years, Gabriel St. John, Marquis of Ralston, who happens to be a very famous rake.

Waiting on Wednesday: Lola and the Boy Next Door

After reading Anna and the French Kiss I was hooked to this author. She was directly promoted to my auto-buy list and when I tried to find more books by her I was very disappointed to see that Anna and the French Kiss was all there was, at least until September. I really hate when this happens, you find a great new author and all you want to do is inhale the complete backlist, but it turns out that there is no backlist because is a debut author.

When I read Lola and the Boy Next Door’s synopsis I was very excited. First, it was a companion book to the first one which means that we might get a glimpse into Anna and Etienne’s life, and second, the plot seemed very interesting. Had I discovered Stephanie’s books after this one was published, I might have read it first.

If I were a betting man woman, I would say that if you are reading this WOW the chances are that you have already read Anna and the French Kiss. But it might not be the case, I was kind of late to the party, I just read that book about a month ago, you can read my review here. If you haven’t read it, you should definitely do it, as long as you are into YA books of course, if you only read S&M erotica you might want to skip this one!

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think. For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.When the family returns and Cricket - a gifted inventor and engineer - steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Dutton Juvenile. September 29, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

New Review: Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson

I should start this review by saying that I’m a huge fan of Rachel Gibson and I was anxiously anticipating this book. I should continue this review by saying how disappointed I was after reading it. This book didn’t work for me at all; I can honestly say that the only redeeming quality about it was the writing style.

Any Man of Mine is book six in the series about the fictional hockey team the Seattle Chinooks but stands alone quite well so you can read this one first.

The book's leads are Sam and Autumn. About six years ago they met in Vegas. 72 hours latter Autumn finds herself left alone in the hotel room after her wedding night (that’s right, they got married). It turns out that Sam, who apparently was drunk the whole time, has realized his mistake and has fled the crime scene. Days later Sam has files for divorce while Autumn finds out she is pregnant. After the birth of the boy, and after the paternity test results come back positive, Sam agrees to take care of him financially, but he is pretty much absent from the boy’s life. Flash forward five years later and Autumn and Sam meet again. This time they try to be more civilized to each other for their son’s sake. Here is where the book begins and you probably can guess what comes next.

Happy Mother's Day!

We wish you all a Happy Mother’s Day. Have the best time with your moms and kids!

How are you spending the day? I’m making lasagna and hoping for the best, but I’ve got some takeout menus just in case (I'm a poet and didn't even know it)!

Have fun!

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (05/06 to 05/13)

Today’s featured blog is Magnet 4 Books. I particularly love the background, let’s say hello to Al who runs the show! Take some time to go visit and follow.

This week’s question is:

Q. Circle time! Time to share. What character in a book would you most like to be, what character in a book would you most like to date?

What’s with the hard questions? Well, this book comes out next year, but for what I can see I would love to be Detective Taylor from Meljean Brook’s Guardian series because I have a huge crush on Michael. And if I can’t have him I want either Hawke or Dmitri from Nalini Singh's books. Apparently I’m into guys whose books I haven’t read…. This is like literary blind dating!

Here I am, a little bit late as usual. As for my answers, they depend on my mood! Sometimes I really feel like Sophie Kinsella's characters, because I'm a little bit like them so sometimes I would like to be Becky Bloomwood. I like heroines with personalities but that can be funny and easy-going. Ohhhh! I could easily be Jesse Keyes (From the Bakery Sisters by ) the heroine of Sweet Trouble by Susan Mallery, she can bake! If I'm feeling like kicking some asses Alyssa Locke (From the Troubleshooters Series by Suzanne Brockmann) is my choice. About the Hero I have to agree with Brie, Michael and Hawke are in my top 5 list. But if I'm feeling naughty I think that Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood is my choice, does that make me Bella? And then there is Sam, both of them: the one from the Troubleshooter Series and the one from Mr Perfect by Linda Howard. Too many choices!

Review: The Welcome Home Garden Club by Lori Wilde

Lori Wilde’s Twilight Texas Series is wonderful. She has created a beautiful town full of quirky characters and compelling stories. I discovered her books a couple of years ago after the release of The Sweethearts' Knitting Club, and since then I’ve been anxiously expecting the next release.

The Welcome Home Garden Club is about Gideon and Caitlyn. They used to be high school sweethearts and they loved each other madly. They also had a lot of obstacles in their way to happiness.  He was the natural son of the wealthiest man in town, a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, son of a Mexican woman who loved him, but was a bit of a loose woman. Caitlyn was the overprotected daughter of the town’s judge who loved his daughter but was very controlling, needless to say that he categorically disapproved of Gideon. After a series of unfortunate developments Gideon ends up between a rock and a hard place, Caitlyn’s father offers him a choice, he can either go to prison or join the army, Gideon of course chooses the army.

Immediately after Gideon leaves, Caitlyn finds out she is pregnant. She desperately tries to find him but when the private investigator she hires comes back with the bad news that Gideon has been killed in action she is devastated. Fast forward eight years later, Gideon’s father has just died, and who happens to show up in the middle of his funeral? You guessed it, Gideon himself. Needless to say Caitlyn is shocked.

Waiting on Wednesday: Too Hot To Touch

Louisa Edwards has the magic touch. She writes the type of books that makes me love Contemporary Romance. Her books are sexy, funny and full of wonderful characters, all the necessary ingredients to create a top notch story. You will notice that I’m using a culinary analogy, that is not a coincidence, Louisa’s books have chef Heroes, yep, what Suzanne Brockmann is to Navy SEALs Louisa Edwards is to chefs.

Too Hot To Touch is a bit different in that both the hero and the heroine are chefs (in her previous books the hero was always the chef whereas each heroine had a different profession). This book is set in a Top Chef type of competition and I’m very excited about it because Top Chef is my favorite reality show, so this book will combine my two passions: a hot contemporary romance and a great TV show.

This one is also the first one of a series, I think it will also be a trilogy but I’m not sure. If you are a fan of Julie James you will love this author because I find their styles quite similar, even if their books are nothing alike.

Oldie but Goodie Review: Mr. Perfect By Linda Howard

Credit: Zawezome

With this review we are starting a new section in our blog: “Oldies but Goodies” (I know, we are very original), and what a better way to do so than reviewing Mr Perfect by Mrs Linda Howard.

If you read this week’s “Follow My Book Blog Friday” you might have noticed that Mr Perfect is in my “I cannot live –or die, since it is the apocalypse- without it” list of books, and ladies that is God’s truth! Mr Perfect is just that, perfect. Linda Howard, being the master mind that she is, wrote a Romantic Suspense book (or Contemporary Romance with some traces of suspense) that is worth reading again and again because every time that you do it you discover something new that for sure will creep you out or make you laugh.  In this book she manages a balance between funny dialogues, a plot full of trepidation and an explosive romance.

Review: H.R.H. By Danielle Steel

In the spirit of the Royal Wedding I’m writing this review of the first and only novel by Danielle Steel that I have ever read. Don’t get me wrong, is not that I didn’t like it, I actually enjoyed this novel, but it wasn’t great and with so many wonderful stories out there this one is quite forgettable. Nevertheless, it came to my mind this past week with all the Royal Wedding madness.

H.R.H., the title of the novel, stand’s for Her Royal Highness; is the story of Princess Christianna, a young woman born royal and the daughter of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, a small country in Europe. She grew up in Europe but went to college in America, an experience that changed her perspective and made her realize that her duty as a Princess is a burden. Her Dad is very set about her future and her role, so when she got back from the States she had to resume her work making appearances cuttings ribbons during inaugurations and shaking hands.