Saturday 30 November 2013

Holiday Kindle Fire

Holiday Kindle Fire Giveaway   Just in time for the HOLIDAYS - Win a Kindle Fire HDX, Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash ($229 value)   This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HDX 7".
The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)

Friday 29 November 2013

Guest Post: Audra North[author of Falling for the CEO]+Giveaway

Spotlight, Guest Post and Giveaway


BLURB



Finance genius Meredith Klaus prefers numbers to people, especially around the holidays. At least the large sum of money that’s mysteriously vanished from the company accounts will distract her from the ghosts of Christmases past. Until her sexy boss asks her to be his last-minute date to a fundraiser gala, that is, and the promise of a special evening calls to something long-buried in her.

Andrew Stanton, Manhattan’s best-known philanthropist, has worked hard building his reputation in the industry. He offers to work closely with Meredith to fix his company’s financial crisis, but the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to look at her as just a colleague.

A beautiful dress. A handsome man on her arm. A challenge she can’t refuse. Can they find the missing money and fulfill their holiday wishes, or will Meredith be unable to overcome the demons of her past and lose her chance at happiness?


Buy links: Amazon * BN


Thursday 28 November 2013

Promo: Lost in a Royal Kiss by Vanessa Kelly



Lost in a Royal Kiss


by Vanessa Kelly


Genre: Georgian-set historical romance


Tone: witty, sexy, emotional


Heat Level: hot


Elements/Tags: historical romance, royalty, Georgian era


Publisher: Kensington Zebra


Publishing Date: Nov. 26, 2013


Wednesday 27 November 2013

"Waiting On" Wednesday[#11]: Reaver

A meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine blog. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Review: Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Title: Spider's Bite 


Series: Elemental Assassin #1


Author: Jennifer Estep



My name is Gin, and I kill people.


They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride. 


Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.



Main character: Gin Blanco


I DNFd this after approximatively 40% about one month ago... And yes, I'm procrastinating, but I don't know what to write besides my notes. In conclusion here are my notes and some visual aids ;):


-This chick gets so much on my nerves! It's always "oh, the woe is me!" it doesn't matter what happens to anyone else, she had more traumatic crap happening to her.


[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Let me present you Gin^ PS: Yes, she is very dramatic.[/caption]

-I don't like the narrator. -I get that the old dude is dead and he was a friend and everything, but do I have to listen to what a great guy he was for 5 minutes from every 7 minutes read? -She's all talk, talk, talk and no action! -She boast more then any male character I've ever read. -She f-cking "sees" everything: if someone looks slightly left she sees it, if their nose itches she sees it, if someone frigging breaths she sees it. -Oh wow, she has a "hard stare" *snort* -And I thought Charley Davidson was annoying me, boy I didn't know what I was getting into with this book -She reads minds as well[she really doesn't], aren't we talented?! -If I hear one more word about her doing what she hadn't, aka quit killing, I will


[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="245"] That was me, smacking some sense into her :D[/caption]

murder her myself and save us all[40%]; she repeated this at least 5 times, FIVE!!!!!!!


-She's the queen of blabbing, there isn't a moment when she doesn't talk about crap, not even in her head! -[44%] All in all I want to kick her as* aka she makes me murderous aka I GIVE UP!


[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Self-explanatory[/caption]

It wasn't all bad. Ms. Estep has an interesting writing style and she didn't have info-dumps, but that doesn't make up for her annoying main character...

Sunday 24 November 2013

Review: Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst

Title: Searching for Someday

Series: Love Spells #1

Author: Jennifer Probst

Publishing date: 26th November 2013, Simon and Schuster


Kate has given up on love—at least for herself. She is both blessed and cursed with the ability to sense a romantic connection between two people—a gift that her family passed down for generations.

When Kate launches her own matchmaking company, Kinnection, with her two best friends in a cozy New York town, she has to put aside her own romantic disasters to make her business a success.

But when a furious man stalks into her office and accuses her business of being a scam, Kate is given the ultimate challenge to prove herself. Slade puts himself in her hands and asks Kate to find him love. Enraged at his arrogance but stubbornly eager to prove herself, Kate agrees, dedicating herself to the journey of finding him love…only to find herself falling for him along the way


Friday 22 November 2013

Review: Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb

Title: Judgment in Death
Series: In Death #11
Author: J.D. Robb
Published: September 2000



In an uptown strip joint, a cop is found bludgeoned to death. The weapon's a baseball bat. The motive's a mystery. It's a case of serious overkill that pushes Eve Dallas straight into overdrive. Her investigation uncovers a private club that's more than a hot spot. Purgatory's a last chance for atonement where everyone is judged. Where your ultimate fate depends on your most intimate sins. And where one cop's hidden secrets are about to plunge innocent souls into vice-ridden damnation...



This is the first installment in the In death series that I review, and it’s hard! I loved everything, even the fighting, and I don’t have anything to say that the other people who wrote reviews didn’t say before me. It was a pleasure to listen to it, I don’t think I’ve enjoyed another audiobook more.


About the novel: In this book Eve deals with a cop killer and as you can imagine Roarke gets involved(being awesome and owning half the universe or more he really can’t help it). I had moments when I thought that I knew who the unsub was, but then I convinced myself that I was wrong… Ms. Robb has such great talent that she manages to make you doubt everything, you can’t find that in many writers. She plays us, readers, like a virtuoso and drops hints and facts when you don’t expect it and you start being unsure again and again.


This book had something that the others from the series didn’t: a fight, a big one, between Eve and Roarke! I hated every minute of it, of not seeing them being the perfect couple I knew they were, of them not showing their trust and love in each other as they always did… But I also loved it(I know… I know… I can’t make my mind up). Ms. Robb showed us that she created real characters with real feelings and not some plastic puppets that you get bored of and despise in the end. I loved how she made everything work, and… let’s face it: I loved the making up part =))


The secondary characters that we’ve come to expect were also here and had minor and major roles and we saw more glimpses from their lives: Peabody still strings McNab along and loves it, Doctor Mira is the strong professional woman that, to me, shows how Eve will be in 20 something years and how well hers and Roarke’s relationship will go, Mavis and Leonardo have the time of their lives together and with their careers… all in all: everything is well when it ends well.



About the narrator: Susan Ericksen is a goddess! I want to marry her and never let her go! She makes all the characters unique that you know them and she gets all the accents and nuances right! I wish she will do all the audiobooks in the world, or at least those I listen to!


Quotes(the best of the best):



"You know the problem of seeing 2 guys?"
"What is it Peabody?"
"There isn't one!"(Eve and Peabody)




Eve's mouth fell open. "Stupid? You're saying I was stupid? You're supposed to tell me I was right. That's how this works."
"Dallas." Mavis leaned over, then slid gracefully to the floor. "You didn't figure the man factor. They got dicks. You can't ever forget the dick when you're dealing with a man."
"What're you talking about?" Eve slid to the floor as well, sucked down the rest of her drink. "I know Roarke has a dick. He uses it every chance he gets."
"The dick's connected to the ego. It's medical fact. Or maybe it's the other way around." With a shrug, Mavis emptied the last of the screamers. "It's a mystery to all womankind. You didn't trust him to handle himself."
"He didn't trust me to handle myself."
"Dallas, Dallas." Shaking her head, Mavis patted Eve's thigh. "Dallas," she said a third time, with great pity. "Let's make more screamers. We'll need them when we get to the men are pigs stage."(Eve and Mavis)




"Nonetheless. Both of you reacted as natural for you, engaged in a bout of rough, sweaty sex that no doubt satisfied you."
"You'd have thought so, but we hadn't even cooled off when he picked me up off the floor and carried me into bed and did it all over again."
Mira stared, rather blankly. "Does he have a particular diet? Vitamins?"(Mira and Eve)




"You pulled your weapon on me." He couldn't get over that one. Wasn't sure he ever would.
"That's right." She shoved his hand away from her chin. "You think I'm stupid enough to jump physically between two crazy men trying to break each other's faces? I had it on stun."
"Oh, well then, what am I whining about? You had it on stun." He had to laugh. "Christ, Eve."
"I wouldn't have used it on you. Probably. And if I had, I'd've been really sorry."(Eve and Roarke)




That's me every time I finish a book in this series


Review: rating5

Thursday 21 November 2013

Interview: Chance of Rain by Amber Lin[+Giveaway]



Chance of Rain


by Amber Lin


Genre: Contemporary Romance


Tone: Playful, Emotional


Heat Level: Very, very sexy


Elements/Tags: Small town/country/farm, Navy SEAL/miltary, second chance romance, cabin romance


Wednesday 20 November 2013

"Waiting On" Wednesday[#10]: Castle Hill



A meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine blog. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Book blast: An Inner Fire by Jacki Delecki


Spotlight and Giveaway


BLURB



Grayce Walters, animal acupuncturist, harbors a secret. She hides her intuitive gifts from the world until she becomes embroiled in arson on Seattle’s waterfront.


As a key crime witness, Grayce must convince the attractive, logical, by-the-numbers fire investigator, Ewan Davis,that the fire she witnessed is part of a larger criminal conspiracy. Grayce embarks upon a mission to gather proof of the dangerous threat. She enlists the help of her cross-dressing best friend, her street-wise assistant, and Davis’ poodle, to conduct her own investigation.


As her feelings for Davis shift between white hot passion and cold fear, Grayce must risk exposing her secrets to save Davis’ life. Davis must accept things, he can neither see, nor understand to solve the mystery and finally find the love he has stopped believing in.


With nudges from the protective poodle, Grayce and Davis confront shocking betrayal and international crime on the rain soaked streets of Seattle.



 

Monday 18 November 2013

2014 Netgalley Reading Challenge

Oh, look what I've found!


2014netgalleychallenge

What you should know about it[from Ariel's blog]:



To sign up, just add your information to the linky list below. Afterwards, choose the difficulty level you want. Once January 1st, 2014 arrives, you can begin reading, any books read before will not count. You can continue to request galleys, or you can read the ones you already have. The point is to get your feedback ratio closer to the recommended 80%.


Every 3 months, I will be posting an update on my own challenge which will also serve as a giveaway post. I will be running 4 giveaways through the year as incentives to be hitting your goals! You must have a post about the challenge which displays which level you have entered for that tracks what books you have read toward that challenge in order to enter the giveaways. You can format the post however you want, but you must include the challenge banner at the top, your challenge level somewhere within the post (you don’t have to use the level graphics), and that has at the very least a list of which books you have read.



I signed up for the "hard" level, though I wish I'll read more :)




 

I know I have problems with my ARCs and I don't know why :)) they usually are from authors that I love and can't wait to read, but I still don't pick them up... I also know I'm not the only one with this problem so I'm showing it to all my friends :))

Quote-Tastic(10): "Archangel's Kiss" by Nalini Singh


This meme is about sharing your favorite quotes and the books they come from!


It is Hosted by Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup.


This week I continue the series of Nalini Snigh quote choices :D.I present you "Archangel's Kiss" by Nalini Singh, which BTW has my favorite cover of the series:


Sunday 17 November 2013

Tom Odell - Heal



I found this song in one of the latest Elementary episodes[2.6] and fell in love with it. Enjoy!

Oficial "Tom Odell" Website

Bewitching Book Tours Hot Holiday Giveaway


Bewitching Book Tours Hot Holiday Giveaway
Nov 15- Dec 15


Youtube Video Featuring All the Books and Giveaways







Giveaways:


1 Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch or equivalent value Amazon Gift Card


3 Bewitching Prize Packs full of books and book swag goodies- open to US Shipping- prize packs may contain print copies of The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle, Would Be Witch by Kimberly Frost and Earth Angel by E Van Lowe, Paranormal Pleasures by Roxanne Rhoads, Tasty Christmas Treats by Roxanne Rhoads- books will be distributed among the 3 prize packs


1 e-book set of the first three books in the Seven Seals Series by Traci Douglass


1 Release, book 3 of The Angler series by Annie Nicholas


1 ebook copy Murder on Mars A New Orleans Mystery by MM Shelley


1 Ebook giveaway Hollow’s End by Marianne Morea


1 Ebook copy of Tigress by JE Taylor


1 ebook copy of In Flames by Jessica Jayne


1 copy of River Road by Suzanne Johnson


1 ebook copy of Visionary- Unleashed by N Dunham


1 copy of each Bleeding Hearts and Blood Rush by Ash Krafton


1 ebook copy of Soul Meaning (Seventeen Book 1) by AD Starrling


1 ebook copy of Blaze Ignites by JL Madore


1 e-book copy of Operation Earth by Maria Hammarblad


1 Earth’s Requiem by Ann Gimpel. Print if in the U.S., an e-copy otherwise.


1 ebook copy Silent Oath (Book 2 of the Locked Within Trilogy) by Paul Anthony Shortt


1 Ebook: Five Golden Rings by Jeffe Kennedy from the Season of Seduction Carina Press erotic holiday anthology


1 eBook: An Unexpected Bride (The Bride Series, Book 1) by Shadonna Richards


1 eCopy of Divine Destiny by Joanna Grace


1 Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences


1 Ebook giveaway. "Beautiful Stranger" by Katalina Leon


1 ebook copy of Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak


1 ebook copy of Cleaning Up by Jophrael L Avario


1 One e-book copy of Haven by Celia Breslin


1 one e-book copy of Dragon Fire by Dina Von Lowenkraft


1 ebook copy of Hex and the Single Witch by Roxanne Rhoads


1 one kindle copy of Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective by Christine Amsden


1 One ecopy of Cursed Ever After by AC James


1 copy of The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian Stone


1 ecopy of Catwalk:Messiah by Nick Kelly


1 ecopy of Wucaii by Pembroke Sinclair


1 ecopy of The Bottom Line by Shelley Munro


1 Ebook copy of Dangerous Pursuit by Margaret Daly


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday 16 November 2013

Review: Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley

Title: Pride Mates


Series: Shifters Unbound #1


Author: Jennifer Ashley


Published: 26th January 2010



To most, they are animals even when in human form. They are to be collared and kept on the fringes of society, scorned because they are feared, hated for their extraordinary powers. And attorney Kim Fraser has to go right into the heart of their lair.


It is her job to defend those in need. But there is absolutely nothing defenseless about Liam Morrissey. His soft Irish lilt and feline grace can t disguise his sheer strength. Nor can the silver chain at his throat, designed to control the aggression of his kind, completely reassure her that this man has been tamed.


Yet when a feral shifter begins to stalk them both, Liam is the only one she trusts with her life. She'll let him claim her for her protection, for her pride, and for a passion that knows no bounds.




Main characters:
Kim Fraser
Liam Morrissey


Friday 15 November 2013

Hoppin' the Boxes[Giveaway]

 photo HopBoxFina_zps6d0ffea8.jpg





Welcome to my stop for Hoppin the Boxes Today I'll be featuring

Sibel Hodge


But -

There are Over 60 stops - with plenty of excerpts, information and a giveaway!

These Eight Authors are presenting their Boxed Sets with Excerpts, Character Bios, and Prizes

Barbara Silkstone with the Wendy Darlin Tomb Raider Boxed Set

Cheryl Bradshaw with the Sloan Monroe Boxed Set

Christy Hayes and the Golden Rule Bundle

Donna Fasano and the Single Daddy Club Boxed Set

Faith Mortimer and the Diana Rivers Mystery Set

M.P. McDonald and the Mark Taylor Omnibus

Melissa F. Miller and the Sasha McCandles Series

Sibel Hodge and the Sibel Hodge Box Set

This tour will run from 11 – 18 November

Giveaways!

Reader drawing is international

Grand Prize Winner : $60 Giftcard to Amazon or Barnes and all eight boxed sets

First Prize Winner: $40 Giftcard and all eight box set

Second Prize winner - 4 (winner’s choice) boxed sets
(see the giveaway tool at the bottom of the post!)

Thursday 14 November 2013

Journey to Landaran cover reveal





I'm excited to reveal the cover for the YA Fantasy, Journey to Landaran by Judy Goodwin.  This book is scheduled to release February 1st, 2014.


This stunning cover was designed by  Katt Amaral.


Book Description:



Aidah and her twin brother Tavish have always had a knack for getting into trouble. From pie stealing and pranks to hunting for magical creatures, they have always escaped notice in their tiny mountain village.

Until now.

Aidah begins seeing visions through her brother’s eyes. He’s a Firestarter, gifted with the Talent to control light and heat, destined to become a Sun Mage in the great city of Landaran. But he doesn’t want to leave without his sister. As storm clouds gather, Aidah dreams of a beautiful man, a frightening man, calling to her.

She fears the truth. That she may developing a Talent of her own, one that will change their lives forever.

The power to read minds. To possess bodies. To travel inside dreams. In the world of Ernid, Spirit is the ultimate power.

Nations will go to war over them.


Entangled Embrace Launch![+Giveaway]


Entangled Embrace is Entangled's New Adult line, launching today with three fantastic books! If you are looking for something new and mesmerizing, embrace the endless possibilities that this brand new Entangled Publishing new adult line offers!

Trouble Comes Knocking by Mary Duncanson

A girl who can’t forget…

Twenty-two-year-old Lucy Carver is like Sherlock Holmes in ballet flats, but her eidetic memory is more albatross than asset, and something she usually keeps hidden. When she notices that something’s amiss at her dead-end job, she jumps at the chance to finally use her ability for good. That is, until, a man is murdered, and she becomes the target of the killer.

A detective on his first case…

Detective Eli Reyes is overbearing, pompous, way too hot for Lucy’s own good, and seems as determined to ruin her relationship with her boyfriend, John, as finding the murderer. He brings Lucy in on the case, thinking she can help him get to the truth, only to cut her loose when he realizes he’s gotten far more than he ever bargained for.

A past that won’t go away…

When memories from her childhood invade her present, Lucy discovers a mystery bigger than she could have imagined. With the killer still after her, and Eli nowhere to be found, she takes things into her own hands, determined to expose the truth no matter what—before trouble comes knocking…again.


Hushed by Kelley York

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another. Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...

And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.


Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London

Her theory of attraction is about to get a new angle...

Spring Honeycutt wants two things: to ace her sustainable living thesis and to save the environment. Both seem hopelessly unobtainable until her college professor suggests that with a new angle, her paper could be published. Spring swears she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that happens.

Whatever it takes, however, means forming a partnership with the very hot, very privileged, very conceited Henry Knightly.

Henry is Spring's only hope at publication, but he's also the über-rich son of a land developer and cash-strapped Spring’s polar opposite—though she can't help being attracted to the way he pushes her buttons, both politically and physically. Spring finds there's more to Henry than his old money and argyle sweaters…but can she drop the loud-and-proud act long enough to let him in? Suddenly, choosing between what she wants and what she needs puts Spring at odds with everything she believes in.

Definitely, Maybe in Love is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice that proves true love is worth risking a little pride.


Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of the new line, Entangled Embrace is giving away a Kindle Fire, an iPod Shuffle, and a $25 B&N Giftcard!


Wednesday 13 November 2013

"Waiting On" Wednesday[#9]: Aden


A meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine blog. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Tuesday 12 November 2013

Review: Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day

Title: Pride and Pleasure


Author: Sylvia Day


Published: 2011



Wealth has its dangers...


There are disadvantages to being an heiress, as Eliza Martin knows well. Fortune hunters flock to her, acquaintances lie and pander, and lately, someone is engineering "accidents" to propel her to the altar. But Eliza will not be bullied, and she will get to the bottom of this plot. All she needs is a man to infiltrate her assemblage of suitors and find the culprit. Someone not easily noticed; a proficient dancer, quiet, and even-tempered.


...so do certain men


Thief-taker Jasper Bond is entirely too large, too handsome, and too dangerous. Who would believe that an intellectual like Eliza would be seduced by a man of action? But the combination of her stubbornness and the mystery makes the case one Jasper can't resist. Client satisfaction is a point of pride and it's his pleasure to prove he's just the man she needs after all...



Main characters:
Eliza Martin
Jasper Bond


What I Liked:
The story was very good and a little unusual. Eliza is in her 6th season and doesn’t want to marry, and if this wasn’t unseen in the romance world, just think that she was a woman of business, she managed her inheritance and loved working with numbers. We wouldn’t have this book if something unseemly wasn’t happening, so here comes the intrigue: she hires Mr. Bond to play at being her suitor and find the person who arranges some mishaps to happen to her.



Eliza and the rest of Society


It was unexpected and very well written, it’s Ms. Day after all, and I read it way faster than I expected. This books was scheduled to be a subway, school, “not with the laptop with me” book, but after I started it I couldn’t put it down.


What I didn't like:


There isn’t much, just that sometimes it seemed that the author didn’t give enough details about the scene. And I’ll add the sex words and… thinking? It was just a little “ewww, TMI guys!”(I still can’t get the “marked her with his semen” phrase out of my head), it didn’t detract from the story and it did make me laugh so, it really wasn’t that bad.


Favorite character:


Eliza was great. She’s the 3rd or 4th heroine that reminds me of Temperance Brenan from Bones this month, I don’t know how I ended up picking them. She’s self sufficient and has a remarkable brain. I loved how she decided to trust Jasper and then, unlike many other romance heroines, preceded to do just that! No doubts and accepting truths from other people, she just went and asked him, which was very refreshing.


My least favorite character:


Eliza’s man of business. He was a liar and deserves to be hanged.



Favorite scene:
Eliza teaching Jasper to waltz. It was some of the best scenes I have ever read.


Favorite quote:



“I don’t see how you expect to schedule all these hours of sexual congress,” Eliza said, as the carriage lurched into motion, “while attempting to make a success of a sugarcane plantation.”
“Is that a challenge, madam?”
“Could be…”



Would I recommend the book:
Wholeheartedly. I liked the characters, the plot, the writing, there is nothing not to like.


Final rating: rating45

Monday 11 November 2013

Quote-Tastic(9): "Angel's Blood" by Nalini Singh


This meme is about sharing your favorite quotes and the books they come from!


It is Hosted by Anna at Herding Cats and Burning Soup.


This week I chose a scene from another book by Nalini Singh[challenge accepted Anna ROTFL].I present you "Angel's Blood" by Nalini Singh:



Ho-Ho-Ho Read-a-thon Wrap-Up

HoHoHo Holiday Read-a-Thon

In this read-a-thon I acomplished:


-reading 3 holiday themed books


*Marry Christmas (Christmas, #1) by Jane Goodger



* Tis the Season to Be Sinful by Adrienne Basso



* Christmas Beau by Mary Balogh



-finishing a book I started previously


*Then Comes Seduction (Huxtable Quintet #2)  by Mary Balogh



-entering 5 challenges and finishing 4 of them: Holiday Traditions & RecipesTwelve Days of Christmas, Christmas Cover Lover Puzzle ChallengeFavorite Christmas Baking RecipeHoliday Scramble[I really couldn't finish this one :))]


All in all I had great fun! I know I'll enter the next read-a-thon organized by Jennifer @ The Bawdy Book Blog and Kimberley @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer 


Sunday 10 November 2013

Review: Raziel by Kristina Douglas

Title: Raziel


Series: The Fallen #1


Author: Kristina Douglas


Published: 25th January 2011



Kristina Douglas’s sexy new series introduces a realm of fallen angels and ruthless demons, where an eternal rebellion is brewing . . . and one unsuspecting woman can change the fate of the Fallen forever. She was just an ordinary mortal . . .


“You’re dead” is so not what Allie Watson wants to hear. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like the dark, angelically handsome man who ferried her to this strange, hidden land. The last thing she remembers is stepping off a curb in front of a crosstown bus. Now she’s surrounded by gorgeous fallen angels with an unsettling taste for blood—and they really don’t want her around. Not exactly how she pictured heaven.


. . . until death catapulted her into a seductive world she never imagined.


Raziel is unsure why he rescued Allie from hellfire against Uriel’s orders, but she stirs in him a longing he hasn't felt in centuries. Now the Fallen are bracing for the divine wrath brought by his disobedience, and they blame Allie for the ferocious Nephilim clawing at the kingdom’s shrouded gates. Facing impossible odds at every turn, the two must work together to survive. Raziel will do anything to defend his spirited lover against the forces of darkness—because Allie may be the Fallen’s only salvation.



Too many books, too little time, so I DNFed this one.


This story had so much potential: it has angels, fallen and not, demons, interesting settings... Unfortunately, I just couldn't make myself read more. I didn't like either character and the pace of the book is so damned slow!


I read so much monologue and inner thoughts to last me months! Who the hell cares of your comfort food and why do you have to talk a whole page about it?! And after that you go on describing other crap as well? Why?


Raziel is an a-hole, the bad kind... After he left her sleeping on the floor for over an hour and considered leaving her there till she woke up, well, imagine me throwing something out the window and deleting the thing from my laptop. That's not his only problem, but that stayed with me.


Allie isn't better. She's self centered and keeps talking about her problems with her mom, like we need a reminder in every chapter. Newsflash: we all have problems you crazy chick!


The characters felt flat and, to me, were uninteresting. The writing style was too introspective and the constant jumping between view points didn't entice me to read more. All in all I won't be picking this book up again, nor will I try the others in the series.


Review: rating15

Friday 8 November 2013

Review: Marry Christmas by Jane Goodger

Title: Marry Christmas

Series: Christmas #1

Author: Jane Goodger

A Christmas wedding to the Duke of Bellingham. Any other socialite in Newport, Rhode Island, would be overjoyed at the prospect, but Elizabeth Cummings finds her mother's announcement as appealing as a prison sentence. Elizabeth has not the slightest desire to meet Randall Blackmore, let alone be bartered for an English title. Her heart belongs to another, and the duke's prestige, arrogance, and rugged charm will make no difference to her plans of elopement.

Against his expectations and desires, Randall Blackmore has inherited a dukedom and a vast estate that only marriage to an heiress can save. Selling his title to the highest bidder is a wretched obligation, but to Randall's surprise his intended bride is pretty, courageous, delightfully impertinent—and completely uninterested in becoming a Duchess. Yet suddenly, no other woman will do, and a marriage in name only will never be enough for a husband determined to win his wife in body, heart, and soul.

Lovely read for the holidays.

I had this in my TBR pile since last year when I first read a book by Ms. Goodger and I finally got to it thanks to the Ho Ho Ho read-a-thon.

At least ½ of the story takes place in Newport, USA where the heroine lives. We first meet Elizabeth who is 19 years old, very, very rich, in love with an a-hole… she also finds out that she has to marry an impoverished Englishman, who also happens to be a duke. As you can imagine she doesn’t take this well.

Our hero Randall Blackmore, the 8th Duke of Bellingham just inherited the title from his brother and finds out just how in debt the dukedom is. He is saved[or not, depends how you think of it] when a letter arrives from the USA with a proposal to marry a heiress. It doesn’t sit well with him, being bought and all, but he is just too in debt to have a choice. He decides to go meet and propose to this gauche American girl and make the best of it. Just imagine his surprise when he meets her and she’s not impressed by his title or his arrogance and, furthermore, doesn’t want to marry him!

I really had fun reading this though at times I was beyond exasperated. Elizabeth is very intelligent, a realist, but she is also a mule! I couldn’t get why she just had to keep on “being in love” with that idiot when it was obvious to everyone else that he only wanted her money[when she suggested they elope and move in another part of the country he turned every color in the rainbow and said he was sure her father would understand that they loved each other and give them her inheritance]. Randall was a sweetheart and put up with her cretinism till a point where he just got mad at being played… from there on Elizabeth had to fight to make him understand that she was actually in love with him. I loved the part where she groveled :D

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="190"] This is a bit like Elizabeth and Randall for the few weeks when he was disappointed in her and heartbroken[/caption]

The secondary characters were great, at least Margaret[Elizabeth’s friend] and Edward[Randall’s friend]. I loved seeing their interactions with each other and the h/H. Well, almost all characters were good, without Elizabeth’s mom. She was an ogre! She had Elizabeth under lock and key for most of the time, she didn’t let her speak up and manipulated her emotionally, I just wanted to strangle her!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="307"] My feeling for Elizabeth's mom^[/caption]

 

Ms. Goodger writes beautifully, just the right blend of descriptions, narrative and dialogue. I actually forgot how much I loved reading her books.

All in all I totally recommend this read to anyone who wants a marriage of convenience themed book that takes place around Christmas.

Rating: rating4