YA Wednesday

Take A Bow
Elizabeth Eulberg
Released April 1st, 2012
278 Pages
Point Publishing
Source: Reviewer Purchased



Concept wise and character wise I really did enjoy this New Release from Elizabeth Eulberg, who has become one of my favorite YA Authors since her debut release of The Lonely Hearts Club. 

But, something was just OFF for me and I believe it was the way Elizabeth portrayed many of the conversations between the characters.  I felt as though it took a little bit away from the flow of the story.  I wouldn't say it was a HUGE reason not to enjoy the book, but for me personally, I didn't enjoy the abrupt change of pace.

I did enjoy the dynamics between Emma, Sophie, Ethan and Carter, all very different people, with very different personalities who weave in and out of each other's lives for the four years that they attend a Performing Arts School in NYC. 

My favorite part of the book was trying to figure out what was going to happen between Emma/Ethan, Emma/Carter and Emma/Trevor.  I can usually figure out what was going through the characters minds, and where the story might lead, but with this book, Elizabeth really keeps us in the dark, which kept me turning page after page.

I won't say this is my favorite Elizabeth Eulberg book, since I am crazy about The Lonely Hearts Club, but I will say it had a great storyline, and characters that anyone who has ever been a teenager can relate to, and the performing art aspect was so well thought out and researched, that anyone who has ever wanted to know what it is like behind those closed doors, will find out what all the excitement/pressure is all about!

I will always purchase an Elizabeth Eulberg release since I love her work, and I recommend Take a Bow to anyone who hasn't read anything by Elizabeth, but I also will recommend The Lonely Hearts Club also, since it was the book that got me hooked on Ms. Eulberg.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

Love those Slow Summer Kisses

Slow Summer Kisses
Shannon Stacey
Released June 4th, 2012
80 Pages, Ebook
Carina Press
Source: Reviewer Purchased



As a fan of Shannon Stacey's, I was SOOO excited when she announced a Summer Novella was being published.  I love her Kowalski Series and I was hoping that this novella would be all include all the things I love about a Shannon Stacey romance, and she did not disappoint.

Flawed lovable heroine, dashing sexy-as-all get out hero, and a build-up of emotions and romance that sets the pages on fire.

In Slow Summer Kisses we meet Anna Frazier, who is in need of A LOT of relaxation, but she has been on the go, go, go so long, she doesn't know what to do with quiet...and I mean A lot of quiet, as she has taken some time after losing her big city job to spend the summer at her grandparents lake cabin where she spent so many summers as a child.  NOTHING about the lake is as she remembers, except maybe her next door neighbor, Cameron Mayfield. 

Anna is just as Cam remembers, bossy, loud and unable to settle down for five seconds.  The only thing she hadn't been back in the day was drop-dead gorgeous, with legs that go for miles.  He just wants some peace and quiet in his life, the way he'd been living since he left the rat race after a family tragedy years ago, and all Anna does is remind him of who he used to be. 

Cam will just have to find a way to keep Anna relaxed and not so high-strung, and he knows exactly the way to do it, but can he keep his heart out of the equation when he begins to enjoy spending so much time with Anna?  Will Anna leave the lake when she finds another position or will she stick around and make one summer a forever summer?

I really, really enjoyed this novella by Shannon Stacey and I know you will too.  Not only is Cam freakn adorable, but if you are like me, you will find yourself falling more and more in love with him page after page.

I highly recommend this GREAT summer read, and If you haven't read her other romances, you need to grab up all three of the Kowalski Series today!!

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/149808.Shannon_Stacey

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

FRIDAY GIVEAWAY

Hello All My Lovely Tasty Readers....Who wants a GIVEAWAY?

Congratulations to Amanda, Stephanie O. And Little Queenie, for being my THREE winners of A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer.  I wil contact each of you today for your information!!

Thank to ALL who entered!!

 

I am giving away THREE Copies of Pamela Palmers New Release, A Blood Seduction. 

If you are interested in Entering my Giveaway:

(1) Please become a Follower of My Blog, if you are not already.

(2) Share your FAVORITE Vamp Romance, I love hearing about new books and SMOKING HOT, Blood Sucking Heroes.

(3) Leave a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS so I can contact you if you are chosen.

(4) Please SHARE this post on your FACEBOOK or TWITTER (Just click the tiny Facebook/Twitter link in the box at the bottom of the post)

(Giveaway will run until SUNDAY, June 24th at 10pm (EST))

Thanks for entering and Good Luck to EVERYONE!!  Happy Reading!!

No Hiding From Love

Can't Buy Me Love
Molly O'Keefe
Releasing June 26th, 2012
368 Pages
Random House Pub.
Source: Edelweiss

This is one of those books that you need to get past at least 25% of the book to really start enjoying the book.  I didn't feel any immediate connection to the main or secondary characters until I was further into the plot, which is fine,  I just didn't want anyone to start the book and give up too soon, cause you will be missing out a really good book.

Now, I normally wouldn't like ANY OTHER hockey-playing hero named Luc, since Luc Martineau is my FAVORITE Hockey-playing Luc, but...I will make an exception for Luc Baker, who turned out to be a great guy in my eyes.

Luc Baker and his half-sister, Victoria, head back to their childhood home to stop the union of their estranged father, Lyle Baker to who they think is a money-grubbing gold digger, Tara Jean Sweet, and she plays the part to a T.  Tara Jean was given an opportunity by Lyle and she was just following through on her half of the bargain.  But as the whole plan unravels, Tara Jean finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place, or is it Luc's chest and the kitchen island?  Hummmmm....things are just getting heated up, but can these two scarred people break down the walls they both have built for so long, and actually let themselves feel things for each other?  Can they trust each other with their secrets or will they be too large to let go of?

So much happens in this New Release by Molly O'Keefe.  So many buried childhood secrets, so much hurt and pain run between these two people, who have found each other in a time of the worst circumstances.  Tara Jean finally starts to "Feel" again, which has her running for the hills every time her and Luc are in the same room together, or when he looks at her and tells her she is beautiful, and means it.

Aside from all the other drama, and craziness, I really enjoyed the building romance between Luc and Tara, and I think you will also enjoy the story, you just have to give it a chance.  I recommend this read and I look forward to starting the next book of the series, where Eli and Victoria have some sparks flying, and its not just out of anger..hee hee.

Happy Reading Ladies!

Romance is in the air on Gansett Island

Season for Love
The McCarthy's of Gansett Island #6
Marie Force
Released June 5th, 2012
ebook
Published by HTJB, Inc.
Source: Purchased by Reviewer

I always enjoy a Gansett Island Romance, but this one left me unfulfilled!

I was reading along, getting deeper and deeper into the story and then ...Epilogue??  I was so surprised that the book was just ended so abruptly.  I thought I was missing some pages or something, but when I flipped back and forth I realized that the book was over.  OVER??  I wasn't ready for it to be over.  I was left a bit lost over Owen's mother's situation, and where Laura and Owen were headed.  It was just OVER.  Some of the issues were tied up in the Epilogue, but I was still feeling a bit lost.

Aside from that one issue, I truly enjoyed the Romance between Owen and Laura, and was quite happy to see them FINALLY have a REAL kiss...an against-the-wall kind of kiss.  The drama between them was real, but kind of died off a bit with the abrupt ending.  For those of you who haven't read the complete Gansett Series, Owen Laury and Laura McCarthy have had a romance brewing for the last two books and we have all been in anticipation of that first REAL kiss between them. 

I had honestly loved Owen from the first second he walked onto the page.  He was charismatic, and fun, handsome, yet sweet.  A real white knight, who happens to travel around in his VW Van.  The lonesome wanderer really grabbed my heart, and I had wanted to see his happy ending from that moment on.  I knew it would be a rough voyage when he met Laura McCarthy and pretty much fell in love at first sight.  Even though the sea's were rough, they made it to shore and I believe they will have a love that lasts a lifetime. 

I am sooooooo looking forward to the next book of the Gansett Series, Longing for Love, which is Tiffany and Blaine's story.  If you know me, you know that I have been vying for Tiffany to find a new man since book one, when she had a bad attitude and was in the need of some good lovin'.  I didn't care that she was married to that jerk of a husband, Jim.  I wanted her to find love and THANK GOD Marie felt the same way, and she has given Tiffany her own romance, which is going to be HOT AND HOTTER, if the sneak peak of the next book had anything to say about it!!  I cant wait!

I am also very interested to see where the strong attraction between Dan Torrington and Kara Ballard will go.  That is another Gansett romance I am SOOO looking forward to!!

I will always highly recommend Marie's romances, for one because they are always great and secondly, because she knows how to write a steamy love story.  If you haven't yet read the Gansett Island Series I suggest you get started today.  You only have five books to read in order to catch up with Season for Love.  You won't be sorry!!

Enjoy Ladies and Happy Reading!!

Back to the Sugar Shack

Somebody Like You
Sugar Shack #3
Candis Terry
Releasing June 19th, 2012
Harper Collins
Source: Edelweiss/Avon Addicts


Oh, to be back in Deer Lick, Montana, where the grass is green, the Sugar Shack is always serving up something sweet and the men in the Sheriffs Department are Smokin Hot!

Kelly Silverthorne came home to Deer Lick for her brother's wedding, but she also needed some Rest, Relaxation and Recuperation from her fast paced life in Chicago, and her last case that crumbled beneath her feet at trial.  The last thing she thinks she wants is another night of unbelievable passion with Deputy James Harley, but her body and her mind are not playing on the same team. 

Deputy Harley has enough on his plate to worry about, from his ill mother, to a seventeen year-old brother who has a BIG chip on his shoulder, to worrying about keeping a roof over all of their heads.  He likes to keep his relationships simple, no expectations and no one gets hurt, but for some reason Kelly Silverthorne has always been the thorne in that plan, and since the last time he'd had her, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about having her again and again and again. 

James thinks he is only going to be teaching Kelly to "have more fun", but in the end, I think James learns more than he ever thought possible and Kelly finally finds out what makes her truly happy, with a little help from Lettie Silverthorne and her denim over rolls.

I think this may have been my favorite book of the series.  I loved each and every one, but this one has something special that took my sixteen year-old heart and spun it on spin cycle, Alex Harley.....swoon!!

Alex Harley not only challenges James up to his eyeballs, but you can see how lost and lonely he is, and that's exactly what Kelly sees when she gets the chance to get to know him better.  I am SOOOOOO looking forward to the day that Candis writes a book where Alex is the hero, a heart-breaker at seventeen can only be worse for women's hearts at thirty!!

When I was finished reading Somebody Like You, I was left light-hearted and smiling from ear to ear.  I just loved it!! James was SO much more than you would think at first glance.  He was more than just a great body and charming smile, the typical playboy.  He was sweet, kind and had a heart big enough to fill a room.  So sometimes his head didn't catch up with his mouth when he was angry, and spewing all the wrong things...we can forgive him that!

I wasn't too sure about Kelly.  I didn't get to know her all that well in the last two Sugar Shack books, and I honestly didn't think I was going to like her all that much, but Candis sure proved me wrong.  I loved Kelly!!  I thought she was funny and strong, sensitive but wasn't one to get walked on.  I love her honesty, and the way she always told it like it is.  James got A LOT more than he bargained for with Kelly Silverthorne, but if anyone can handle her, I know he can.  And if not, Alex would scoop her up in a second...hee hee!!

I HIGHLY recommend Somebody Like You to EVERYONE!!  It is a stand alone book, but I would recommend reading Second Chance at the Sugar Shack and Any Given Christmas first, just so you can enjoy all that Deer Lick, Montana has to offer!!  Oh and you get to see more Matt Ryan...swoon...cant' go wrong with more Matt Ryan!!

Pre-Order it, Read-it and Love-it!!  Happy Reading Ladies!!

And for anyone who hasn't heard, Candis signed for another series with Avon which will take place in Sweet, Texas, the setting for her novella, Home Sweet Home.  Can't wait for more from Candis, in my opinion she is the Next Big Thing!!

Hot Summer Nights in Fools Gold

Summer Nights
Fool's Gold #8
Susan Mallery
Releasing June 26th, 2012
384 Pages
HQN Books
Source: NetGalley

Susan has brought the guns blazing this summer with Summer Days, Summer Nights and All Summer Long.  I have to say, I am enjoying each one, but Summer Nights couldn't be put down.

In Summer Nights, we meet Shane Stryker, sexy horse whisperer and sexy-as-all-hell Cowboy.  Shane comes to Fool's Gold to live and breed on some of his family's property.  He is hoping to settle-down and make a relaxing life for himself, while doing what he loves, working with and breeding horses.  Little does he know, the "nice girl" that his mother has offered to set him up with, is the same woman that he was mesmerized by at Jo's Bar as he watched her sway and grind on top of the bar.  He is definitely NOT looking for another one of THOSE women, he'd had his fill and had his heart broken.

Fool's Gold librarian, Annabelle Weiss, is a sweet, sassy, petite redhead with a heart of gold, which SOME people don't believe, AKA Shane Stryker.  He has her pinned for a wild-child, but agrees to give her riding lessons against his better judgement.  Annabelle thinks Shane is snokin' hot, but won't let herself fall for a man who thinks she is something she isn't, even if with every steamy kiss they share, she finds herself wanting to prove to him that she is a one-man woman.  It might take a lot of prodding and pushing, but I think in the end Shane will come to his senses and see what an amazing woman Annabelle is, even if he has to get his heart cut out to prove it.

I really, really enjoyed reading about Shane and Annabelle's journey to finding the one they long to be with.  They both had ex's that "scarred" them away from thinking they could ever find TRUE LOVE again, but instead they both find that maybe they never had it in the first place, maybe this time around it would be more than they'd had before. 

The one thing I LOVED about this book was that I wasn't overwhelmed with the same old conflict being shoved down my throat. Some romances can keep reiterating the "conflict" with the hero or heroine which has them together, then fighting, and so it goes on and on.  This book has a conflict within the hero and heroine, and it is threaded within the book, but it is done SO NICELY, that I never felt as if I was bored, and I had no urge to scream "Get over it already". 

Summer Nights is so far my favorite of the Summer Trilogy, but I have one more to go, so Charlie, our beloved fire woman, might just show me a thing or two about love.

I recommend the Summer Trilogy in the Fool's Gold series by Susan Mallery if you are looking for a great beach read, or just a read that leaves you feeling good.

Enjoy ladies and Happy Reading!!

Fall in Love with a Cowboy

The Cowboy and the Princess
Jubilee, Texas #2
Lori Wilde
Releasing July 31st, 2012
384 Pages
Avon Publishing
Source: Avon Addicts




The Cowboy and the Princess had A LOT to live up to for me, after reading The Cowboy takes a Bride.  Lori Wilde did not let me down.  She writes smokin' hot, rangy cowboys, with fast moves and great hands, and I don't just mean when it comes to horses.

Annie and Brady are quite the pair.  The had me laughing out loud one minute with their sexy banter and tearing up a few pages later when my heart was being broken to pieces.

From the second these two meet its chaos, but so much fun to watch it unfold.  Annie, with her secrets about who she really is, and Brady with a few secrets of his own, but a pure white knight.  All you have to do is read the scene when he meets Orchid for the first time, yeah, that completely solidified my whole-hearted love for him.

If you fell in love with Joe, Mariah and the rest of the crazy, cutting bunch from The Cowboy takes a Bride, you will be happy to know that they all make an appearance within The Cowboy and the Princess, a little innocent meddling never hurt anyone.

I highly recommend this book, as well as, The Cowboy takes a Bride.  You can't go wrong with a few lonely, broken cowboys and the feisty women who won't leave them alone.

Indecent Proposal from a Vampire

A Gift of the Darkest Magic
Ashlynn Monroe
Releasing July 16th, 2012
Beachwalk Press
Source: Publisher


Would you be willing to betray the person you love in order to save their life?

Clarissa's husband Matt is dying of cancer. They've tried everything that medicine has to offer, both traditional and experimental, and nothing's worked. Clarissa spends her days in the hospital, watching the man she loves slip closer and closer to certain death.

When her sister tells her she knows a way to save Matt, but it involves visiting a local club run by vampires, Clarissa is outraged that her sister would believe something so insane. But then she learns the truth.

Braden, the sexy and mysterious vampire who runs the club, does indeed have the means to save Matt, but he demands a high payment in return. He doesn't want money, her blood, or even her life…he wants something she never expected. Clarissa has a choice—spend twenty-four hours in Braden's bed or let her husband die.

But what she never foresaw was how much more the vampire would truly want after he'd given her the gift of the darkest magic.

Interesting storyline and it was definitely a quick read, I just felt no connection to the main characters, unless you count the Vampire, Braden. 

I truly felt bad for him, that he had lost the woman he loved and had to face a LONG life without her, and the only woman to make him feel human again is married to a man she loves and is hoping Braden's blood can heal him.

As for Clarissa and Matt, the storyline fell a bit flat for me after he was healed and she tells him the truth about her and Braden, and what she had to do in order to save Matt's life.  I don't know, maybe I am not into the infidelity aspect of the book.  To be honest,  I kind of wanted Matt to pass away and for her to stay with Braden forever, but that might just be my broken heart doing my thinking for me.

I think the infidelity "thing" killed the happily-ever-after a bit for me, but every reader will feel differently, and I would love to hear some of your thoughts when you are finished with this novella in July. 

I would recommend it to anyone who is into "vampire" hotties and some rough sex, but I warn you that you are going to be falling in love with the wrong guy as I did, just wished he got his own HEA!!

Lucky Harbor is SMOKIN Hot!!

At Last
Lucky Harbor #5
Jill Shalvis
Releasing June 26th, 2012
400 Pages
Grand Central Publishing
Source: NetGalley



 I am CRAZY about the Chocoholics!! I thought Lucky In Love was my new favorite Jill Shalvis Romance, but At Last has definitely given Lucky a run for its money!!

Amy and Matt certainly had me smiling and their chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS!! I was so intrigued by Amy and Matt from Lucky in Love, I wanted to know what was behind all of that sexual tension. Thank God I finally found out...and boy was it worth the wait!!

Amy Michaels was a teenage runaway who made many mistakes but has grown-up, made a place for herself in Lucky Harbor, but is still missing something. Using her grandmothers journal, Amy tries to capture what she thinks she needs to feel fulfilled.

Matt Bowers would like a shot at fulfilling Amy's needs, but he is not looking for more than a few nights between the sheets. He holds onto his own past mistakes and he has no desire to make a second go at romance but something about Amy gets under his skin, and the protective nature he feels when he is around her isn't just about the sex.

These two have so many trust issues between them, so many past hurts, they are having trouble letting them go long enough to see if they have a chance to make it. I simply LOVED this book. I loved the build-up of the relationship forming between Matt and Amy, but with each of them fighting their feelings the whole way.

I adored the side storyline with Riley. It brought out a lot of Amy's past troubles and I think helped her to let go a bit of those mistakes by helping Riley. I don't want to give too much away, but when Matt and Amy find themselves alone in the dark woods for the second time, he says some things that made my heart absolutely melt and I think I fell in love with him a little bit right then.

This book is a Need To Read of 2012 along with Lucky in Love. Shalvis shows us once again why she is The Queen of Romance!!

This book is ON FIRE!!

Hot for Fireman
The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel #2
Jennifer Bernard
Published May 29th, 2012
Avon Publishing
Source: Edelweiss





Another GREAT read by Jennifer Bernard...I have to say for a new author...Jennifer is crankin out some AWESOME reads! If her first two books are any indication of the kind of fun, fantastic reads we will get out of Jennifer, then bring them on girl!!

Hot for Fireman was such a fast paced, fun, flirty read.  Ryan Blake was trying to get his life back together, after being suspended from the fire department and the career he loved more than life.  The day he stepped into the Hair of the Dog was the best and worst day of his life, and meeting bar manager, Katie Dane, was just the icing on the cake. 

Ryan and Katie have an instant attraction, but she knows a guy as gorgeous as Ryan would never date a petite, flat-chested plain girl like herself.  When a few fires start at the bar, Ryan's protective nature kicks in and he makes it his place to watch out for Katie, and maybe sneak in a few hot kisses while he is at it.  Add in a CRAZY Bachelorette Party, a hoochie named Logan, a kooky ex-boyfriend and some SMOKIN HOT Half naked Firemen, and you have yourself a great read for a hot summer day!!

I simply ADORED this book, not more than The Fireman Who Loved Me, I would suggest reading them both, but I think I liked this book just as much as the first and that says SOOO much for Bernard's writing style.  Ryan and Katie heat up the pages and I am not just talking about the fire's that are being started at the Hair on the Dog. 

I loved that we got to see Capt. Brody and Melissa again, and they have a surprise for all the readers.  I highly recommend this book to all of my followers and hope you enjoy the series as much as I have.  Jennifer Bernard is an author to talk about and I hope you will spread the news about The Bachelor Firemen series!