Waiting on Wednesday: Animal Attraction

I’m going to start just with this phrase: the hero is a veterinarian. If that’s not enough for you to go and pre-order this book I don’t know what else to say, well I could try saying that he is shirtless and holding a kitten! Come on, if you are not melted by now then you are made of stone!

Jill Shalvis is one of the reasons why Contemporary Romance is my favorite genre. She can do comedy and drama and her books are entertaining and touching. Her heroes are dreamy and her heroines are down to earth and likeable. This year I’m anxiously waiting two of her books, this one, book two in her Animal Magnetism series and Head Over Heels, the last book in the Lucky Harbor series (I’ll tell you more about it on some other WOW). Animal Magnetism was one of my favorite books of this year and I can’t wait to read the next one. If you haven’t heard about this author I think you should go and randomly pick one of her books because she is that great!

Animal Attraction comes out in October so there’s still a bit of a wait but I think it will be worth it! If you are an animal lover then this series is perfect for you.

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Berkley. October 4, 2011.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Waiting on Wednesday: McCarthy's of Gansett Island Trilogy

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

I love Marie Force! My favorite thing about her is that she writes happy books. Yes, there’s always some drama and some angst between the leading characters, but overall the main couple stays together throughout the book and you can feel the love between them. Even in Line of Scrimmage, which begins with the main couple separated, you never doubt that they are meant for each other.

Lately she’s been publishing a lot of books, Everyone Loves a Hero, The Wreck, True North, The Fall, and now this new trilogy set to come out during the next few months. I couldn’t be happier because in this case the more the merrier. That’s why this WOW is not about one book but about a complete series.

Waiting on Wednesday: Cold Touch

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

This is book two in the Extrasensory Agents series; I read the first one Cold Sight and loved it. I really like this type of suspense with a touch of paranormal stories. Here we have a group of private investigators who have some type of paranormal ability, in the first one the hero was a psychic and in this one the heroine can experience (pain an all) how a person died just by touching the body.

From Leslie’s website:

Since being gifted--or cursed--with her ability to touch a lifeless body and relive the victim's final moments, Olivia Wainwright has died a hundred deaths. She hears the screams, tastes the fear; feels the excruciating pain--and every glimpse into this darkness draws her deeper into danger.
Now, though, she's met a man who offers a glimmer of light. Savannah Detective Gabe Cooper might look like a sexy good-old-boy, but his laid-back attitude hides a sharp mind and a protective heart. He doesn't believe in psychics--until he meets Olivia and sees firsthand how her dark gift ravages her spirit.
As their bond deepens, Olivia will have to choose between her cold gift and the warmth Gabe provides. But her past is catching up with her, and Gabe can't refuse when she needs his help solving a crime that's haunted her for over a decade...her own murder.

Cold Touch: Extrasensory Agents by Leslie Parrish

Signet. July 5, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine

Waiting on Wednesday: Dragon Bound

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

Today’s pic is Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison. This book has been generating a lot of buzz on several blogs, you can see some of the reviews here and here (they all include giveaways that I didn’t win...), it’s the first one of a trilogy, the next two books will be released later this year. Usually I would wait until more books have been released before starting it because I really hate finding a great series and having to wait months or years to read the next one (I blame that on Harry Potter) although the good thing is that each book has a different set of protagonist and that might make the wait more bearable, or it might make it worse (think of Hawke’s book, I don’t have any more nails to chew waiting for that one!).

What do you think? Have you heard about this book before? Are you waiting for it? I’m really curious about it, the publishing date is May 3 so the waiting is almost done, I’ll do a review of it immediately after reading it so we can exchange opinions! 

From Thea's website:

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful–and passionate—of the Elder Races. 

As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in one another.

Dragon Bound (A Novel of the Elder Races) by Thea Harrison
Berkeley. May 3, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine

Waiting on Wednesday: Chasing Fire

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

Today’s pic is Nora Roberts, it comes out next week and I can’t wait!

From Nora’s webpage:

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline-men and women who wouldn't know how to live life if it wasn't on the edge. 

There's little as thrilling as firefighting-at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home-even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering. 

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever-and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade. 

Everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer complicate things with Gull-any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end-but if she doesn't find . . . .

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Putnam Adult. April 12, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Breaking the Spine