Friday, February 28, 2014

"About Last Night" by Ruthie Knox - Excerpt Blast!

We are pleased to be able to share an excerpt from Ruthie Knox's ABOUT LAST NIGHT! ABOUT LAST NIGHT is a contemporary romance, published by Loveswept, an imprint of Random House. ABOUT LAST NIGHT is on sale for $.99 right now for a limited time only, so grab it now! About Last Night 
  ABOUT LAST NIGHT Synopsis: Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from RITA finalist and USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, "about last night" is just the beginning. CathTalarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she's made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her. Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family's banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine--even her name turns him on--with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies. When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime? Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Because of You, Ride with Me, and Midnight Hour.
  • A 2013 finalist for the RITA award in contemporary single-title romance from Romance Writers of America
  • A 2012 Reviewers' Choice Best Book Award nominee in the "Contemporary Love and Laughter" category, Romantic Times magazine
  • A Library Journal Best Ebook Romance of 2012
  • A Reviewers Choice Award 2012 Pick, All About Romance
  • A Best Contemporary Romance 2012 nominee at The Romance Reviews
  • A 2013 DABWAHA nominee

  EXCERPT: Cath leaned against a table strewn with crumpled tubes of paint and jars full of brushes, pressing her damp palms against the surface and willing her heart to stop pounding. You’re not really attracted to City. You’re just looking for your clothes, and then you’re going home. A blip, remember? This is a blip. Dimly, she realized he’d spoken. “Sorry, what?” His lips twitched, and the dimple made another appearance. “I only said ‘Good morning.’ Are you all right?” She’d been on the money predicting he’d have a posh accent, anyway. Maybe she could blame the hangover for her reaction to the smile. She needed to eat something. Or get laid. It had been a while. Could you still say that when it had been two years? It had been a while. “That depends,” she said. “On?” “On what I did last night.” He pursed his perfect lips, a frown line appearing between his eyebrows. “You don’t remember?” “Not much.” She drew her index finger along the surface of his worktable, as if checking for dust. “Do you remember refusing to tell me your name or where you live?” “We talked?” Funny, she couldn’t resurrect any memories of speaking to him. Only his hand, warm and solid, guiding her. Only the way he’d made her feel. The way he was still making her feel, come to think of it. She was bare-legged in this strange man’s apartment, asking him to reveal the details of what she’d done while drunk last night. The situation ought to have been intimidating. She ought to have been queasy with remorse. She wasn’t, and she could only conclude the reason was City. He projected calm. “You kept calling me ‘City,’” he said. Cath nodded. “Yep. That’s what I call you.” He gave her a wry smile, and she held on tight to the edge of the table. Maybe calm didn’t quite cover it. Not when he smiled, anyway. “That’s precisely what you said last night.” His voice wasn’t at all what she’d expected. It was low and warm and soothing, and it took the edge right off his fancy accent. “Did I say why I wouldn’t tell you my name?” The smile widened, and she decided it ought to be classified as a misdemeanor. Grinning with Intent to Discombobulate. “You told me you were sad and quite tired, but you didn’t require my help, and all you needed to set yourself to rights was a cup of coffee and something to eat.” “So how did I—” He raised one finger to prevent her interruption, his eyes twinkling with amusement. She’d never noticed how unusual his eyes were before. They were green over brown, both exotic and warm. “Then,” he continued, “when I tried to introduce myself properly, you covered my mouth with your hand and insisted we remain strangers, because you could tell I was a very nice man”—he pronounced the word nice as if it were a razor blade he was carefully spitting out—“and I’d be far better off not knowing you.” Cath was impressed. Her drunk self had more sense than she’d given her credit for. “That’s true,” she offered. “I’m not really your type.” He cocked an eyebrow but let the comment slide. “Since I’m here, I guess that means you took a pass on the opportunity to hop the next train and leave me to my own devices?” “It was nearly midnight,” he said, defensive. “All the shops were closed, there were no cabs to be found, you wouldn’t tell me where you lived or let me see you home, and you could barely stand up. So yes, bringing you here seemed like the right thing to do.” A thought distracted her from the question she’d been forming. “What were you doing at Canary Wharf at midnight on a Friday?” “Trolling for prostitutes.” He delivered the line in such a dry, remote tone, it took her a second to get that he was joking, but when she did, she couldn’t prevent herself from teasing, “You must have been so disappointed with the selection.” She glanced down at her small, decidedly unvoluptuous body in the oversized shirt. “I wouldn’t say that, love.” The dimple appeared again. She lost a few seconds gazing at his mouth, and then she came to and let her eyes slide down his torso to alight on his hand, which still held a paintbrush. She hadn’t expected the smile. Or the paintbrush. She definitely hadn’t expected him to flirt with her. “I’d been to see a film,” he explained. “I passed out,” she replied, attempting to steer the conversation back toward the safer ground of her humiliation so that she could get the details she needed and scurry home. “I suppose you did. You were terribly tired. I made a pot of tea, and by the time I’d finished you were asleep at my kitchen table. I tried to rouse you, but you said, ‘Leave me alone,’ and then something that sounded very much like, ‘Don’t murder me.’” He reported all this matter-of-factly, as if drunk women passed out on his kitchen table every Friday night. Which, for all you know, they do. “Nice of you not to.” “I seem to have convinced you I’m a nice man.” Cath nodded her agreement, though he didn’t look all that nice at the moment. The gleam in those green-brown eyes was positively rakish. She hadn’t thought City had a speck of rakishness in him. “Sorry about the stripping part,” she mumbled, partly because she was sorry but mostly because she wondered what he’d say. The smile he gave her made her toes curl, it was so wicked. “You do remember,” he said in that low rumble. “You were very, uh, gentlemanly about that.” “You were very intoxicated.” He turned away to set the paintbrush down on the tray at the base of his easel. “Yeah.” She stared at her toes until they uncurled. This was her cue to ask what he’d done with her clothes. She would have, only City asked, “How are you feeling?” and so she had to keep talking to him. She tried to mind it but failed. The man was proving to be an enjoyable conversationalist, and he was remarkably easy on the eyes. “I’m fine, thanks. I have a little headache, but the shower helped. And the toothbrush.” “Glad to hear it. Would you like breakfast? I fried up some bacon.” The mention of bacon made her stomach rumble. “That sounds like a yes.” “I do have a weakness for the bacon-sandwich hangover cure,” she admitted. “But it seems a little lowbrow for you, City. I can’t imagine you drunk, much less hungover.” He took a few steps closer and studied her, an unabashed appraisal that should have been rude or even scary but instead sent syrupy heat creeping through her abdomen. “Considering you don’t know my name, you seem to have a lot of ideas about me.” Oh, she had ideas. She had a whole slew of new ideas about him, and she needed to find an exit strategy quick, because none of them was on the list of things she was supposed to be thinking about. Banker, she reminded herself. He’s a banker, a very boring banker. Enough already. Just, whatever you do, don’t flirt with him. “I don’t need to know your name. I’ve seen you around, and I know your type.” Aaaand she was flirting with him. It won her a smirk. “What’s my type, then?” “For starters, you come from money. You went to expensive boarding schools, graduated from either Oxford or Cambridge, and now you work at a bank in the City—thus the name.” He frowned and wiped his hand over his mouth. What a mouth. “Just let me know when I get something wrong,” she offered. “By all means, carry on. You’re doing a brilliant job so far.” “Which was it, Oxford or Cambridge?” “Cambridge. Trinity College.” She resisted the urge to gloat. Gloating was well outside the range of acceptable responses to City on this particular morning. So is flirting with him. Right. But it was so much fun. She hadn’t flirted in ages. “Let’s see,” she said. “I know you like to jog. Judging by those shoulders and arms, I’d say you also row, yeah?” “Some. I play rugby, too.” He gave her half a smile, and she made an effort to suppress the image of City in a rugby jersey with pink cheeks and dirty knees, tussling over a ball. A human orgasm. Her good sense was now officially yelling Mayday! She was now officially ignoring it. “What do I do for fun, then?” He stepped even closer. This flirtation had turned into a two-way party. She needed to find a method of steering the conversation back toward bacon sandwiches and, say, the location of her skirt, because it probably wasn’t good that she could smell him now, and on this man linseed oil was an aphrodisiac. “Well, you go to the symphony, spend weekends in the countryside, and date women who wear twinsets and have names like—” Without the least bit of warning, he kissed her. Not a preamble sort of kiss, either. No, he really kissed her, one huge hand cupping the back of her neck, and his warm, firm lips knew exactly what they were doing, which was driving every single thought from her head. Only the man remained, the mouth, the sensations coursing through her, heating her up from the inside. Heating her up fast. Could all bankers kiss like this? Cath rose on her toes, angling her mouth and pressing closer, but he pulled back a few inches. Then a few feet. She wanted to say something. The only word that came out of her mouth was a shaky “Whoa.” She tried again. “What was that, City?” “You tell me, Yank.” His lips curved into that sexy smirk again. “I’m pretty sure you just kissed me.” “Yes, I did. Shall I apologize?” “What for?” “It was terribly impolite. I didn’t ask your permission.” Cath leaned back against the table, crossed her arms over the tight peaks of her nipples, and tried not to smile like a girl who’d just been kissed silly. She failed. She was failing a lot around this guy. It ought to have been worrisome, or at least embarrassing, but his lips had liquefied her brain. First kiss in two years would do that, she supposed. “I was much more impolite than you. What with the passing out and all. You’re being very nice about it.” City scrubbed his hand over his jawline, pensive now. “I would appreciate it,” he said after a moment, “if you would stop calling me ‘nice.’” He took a step closer, and her heart rate spiked. “You are nice.” Her voice came out all weak and wavery. This was how Little Red Riding Hood had felt when she’d discovered the Big Bad Wolf wearing Grandma’s bonnet. “No,” he replied. “I’m not.” Another step, and his eyes traced a path over her arms, down her stomach to her hips. The brightly lit art studio made her purple underwear visible through the white T-shirt. She could tell that City noticed, and that he was enjoying the view. She sat down on the edge of the table. “You brought me here with impure motives?” The idea gave her a stupid thrill. He shook his head. “No. I developed them after you arrived.” Cath fingered the hem of the shirt where it hit her mid-thigh. “You shouldn’t admit to that sort of thing. It’s perverted to lust after half-naked drunk girls.” “Not perverted.” He stepped closer until his thighs brushed her knees. “Only male. And at any rate, you didn’t get me lusting with the strip show. Though it was . . . fetching.” “No?” It was a wonder she could speak at all, considering there was a tall, hard, hot man crowding her and using up all the oxygen. “What irresistibly attractive thing did I do, then?” One more step, and he was between her legs. “You talked. Rather a lot.” “About what?” “All sorts of nonsense. You’re not very fond of my country, I gather.” Cath shrugged, sheepish. “Sometimes I miss Chicago.” “I’d never heard you talk before. You ought to do it more. It’s charming.” “People who talk to themselves at the train station are generally understood to be crazy. Especially in your country.” “You could talk to me.” “I hardly know you.” “I’m superb,” he said. “You’re going to like me.” Big, warm hands covered her bare thighs, and she shivered. “Though I should probably reiterate, I’m not at all nice.” “I am,” she whispered. “I’m a very good person. Not the kind of girl who gets drunk and has to be rescued from train stations.” “I know.” He moved his hands up a few inches to the crease where her thighs met her hips. “Or who makes out with strange men on tables. I’m a thoroughly respectable woman.” “You don’t kiss like one.” He smiled that shark smile again. New Cath had a death grip on the tattered vestiges of her willpower, but she’d lost control over her body. Her palms smoothed over the muscles of his forearms, and her butt scooted her closer to the edge of the table by an inch or two. Or four. At least her mouth still worked. “I’ve reformed. The kissing is sort of a holdover.” “Don’t reform. I like you bad.” “I don’t want to be bad.” But her arms had reached up and twined around his neck, and she had to murmur the last part against his lips. “I do,” he said, and took over.

Available for purchase at these and other retailers: Amazon Barnes and Noble   .99 now  
  Author PhotoABOUT RUTHIE KNOX: USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After training to be a British historian, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deeply into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing. Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-set romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life. Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website at www.ruthieknox.com and drop her a line.   

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Flash Giveaway!!!

I have a free ebook of Ruthie Knox's new book, "About Last Night", up for grabs.

Leave me a comment and a way to get in contact with you if you win (also if you prefer Amazon or Barnes and Noble), and I'll choose a winner tomorrow night at 9 pm PST.  Woohoo, I'm so excited!  Let the commenting begin!

Top Ten on Tuesday #2


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's Top Ten list is:

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND! (Pick from previous topics that you want to do again or may have missed)

Okay, so I missed one in early January (or maybe it was late December) where we were supposed to list our top ten books of 2013.  Well, I'm not sure why I didn't join in at the time, but I have a Goodreads widget thingey in my sidebar with all my faves of 2013, and there just happens to be ten of them.  How perfect is that?

Monday, February 24, 2014

Review: "Phoenix Island" by John Dixon


The judge told Carl that one day he'd have to decide exactly what kind of person he would become. But on Phoenix Island, the choice will be made for him. A champion boxer with a sharp hook and a short temper, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman has been shuffled from foster home to foster home. He can't seem to stay out of trouble, using his fists to defend weaker classmates from bullies. His latest incident sends his opponent to the emergency room, and now the court is sending Carl to the worst place on earth: Phoenix Island. Classified as a terminal facility, it's the end of the line for delinquents who have no home, no family, and no future. Located somewhere far off the coast of the United States and immune to its laws, the island is a grueling Spartan-style boot camp run by sadistic drill sergeants who show no mercy to their young, orphan trainees. Sentenced to stay until his eighteenth birthday, Carl plans to play by the rules, so he makes friends with his wisecracking bunkmate, Ross, and a mysterious gray-eyed girl named Octavia. But he makes enemies, too, and after a few rough scrapes, he earns himself the nickname "Hollywood" as well as a string of punishments, including a brutal night in the sweatbox. But that's nothing compared to what awaits him in the Chop Shop: a secret government lab where Carl is given something he never dreamed of. A new life. . . . A new body. A new brain. Gifts from the fatherly Old Man, who wants to transform Carl into something he's not sure he wants to become. For this is no ordinary government project. Phoenix Island is ground zero for the future of combat intelligence. And for Carl, it's just the beginning. . .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this novel.

Whew, what a ride!  This book is definitely action-packed!!!  I had no idea from one moment to the next what would happen to Carl and his friends - I was pulled in right from the first page and barely put this book aside until I was finished. 

Thrilling, suspenseful, electrifying, breathtaking, captivating, mind blowing, riveting - all words that could be used to describe "Phoenix Island".  I thought after reading the synopsis that some elements of this book would be way over the top, but Dixon writes in a way that the reader will believe that there could be a place like Phoenix Island.  The setting is described so realistically that I could practically feel the sweat dripping down my brow.  And Carl may be my newest book boyfriend!  Although there was not much in the way of romance in "Phoenix Island", I couldn't help but wish that Carl was real - he's friggin' AWESOME!  Needless to say, I'm waiting with bated breath to see what happens next!

My rating:

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Stacking the Shelves #2


Stacking the Shelves, Hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I had an order from Chapters come in, squeeeeeeee!
I got a really good deal on these, all for $20.  Have you read any of these?  (Had fun taking this photo with my new iPhone, too, and using those cool photography apps!)

And I know one of my goals this year was to request LESS from Netgalley, but I ended up with 5!!! this week (don't really know what I was thinking, dammit!)  Anyway, here they are:


And that's about it!  What did you bring home this week?  Leave me a link to your STS post in the comments, and I'll be sure to check it out!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Feature and Follow Friday

Hi there, I'm happy to be participating once more in Feature and Follow Friday!

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
  6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
This weeks Question:

What was the last book that made you cry?

I don't normally cry when reading books.  There are a few exceptions, like the Book Thief and A Road to Remember, but my most recent read where I couldn't help but shed a few tears was "The Good Mother Myth".  

This is an anthology, and some of the stories really struck home.  I think it was the second last one where the tears started rolling as the mom who had grown up in such abusive homes worried about her ability to be a good mother.  Agh, brutal, so emotional!!!

What was your most recent tear-filled read?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments, and if you decide to follow me, I'll love you forever and follow you back!




Monday, February 10, 2014

Review: "Addicted to You" by Krista and Becca Ritchie


She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom. No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own. Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment. But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex. Their real vice may be each other. New Adult Romance recommended for readers 18+ for mature content(less)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an ARC of this novel.

I don't know, but I might be addicted to this book!  It was really good, much better than I thought it would be.  It tackles some really difficult issues and does it in a way that didn't make me cringe (well, maybe just a little) - what I mean is that it could have been more graphic, focusing on the sex, but I'm glad it wasn't.  It didn't need to be.  

The characters are not necessarily likable, but you don't have to like them to be enthralled by them.  It's hard not to empathize with their situation, and I found myself rooting for Lily and Lo from beginning to end - I really wanted them to find their happily ever after!  I can guarantee you've never read characters like Lily and Lo.  

Like I said above, this book deals with some pretty heavy issues, like sex addiction and alcoholism, but it also touches on codependency, enabling, lying, guilt, friendship, and family.  Lily and Lo are both under a lot of pressure to keep up appearances, being that they're both born into extremely wealthy families.  I found it really interesting when Lily brought up a good point about her addiction vs. Lo's.  People can quit drinking and never drink again, but how are supposed to quit sex when sex is such an integral part of life?  Something to ponder, definitely.

Will you like this book?  I think most people will.  Even if you have no interest in reading about sex addiction, the book is so well written and about so much more than just sex addiction that it will appeal to the masses.  

My rating:

Review: "The Destiny of Violet and Luke" by Jessica Sorensen


Luke Price's life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside. For Luke, meaningless relationships are a distraction-a way to tune out the twisted memories of his childhood. He desperately wishes he could forget his past, but it haunts him no matter what he does. Violet Hayes has had a rough life. When she was young, she was left with no family and the memory of her parents' unsolved murders. She grew up in foster homes, living with irresponsible parents, drugs, and neglect, and trying to fight the painful memories of the night her parents were taken from her. But it's hard to forget when she never got closure-and she can't stop dreaming about what happened that tragic night. To make it through life, she keeps her distance from everyone and never allows herself to feel anything. Then Violet meets Luke. The two clash instantly, yet they can't seem to stay away from each other. Although they fight it, they both start to open up and feel things they've never felt before. They discover just how similar they are. But they also discover something else: The past always catches up with you . . .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review an ARC of this book.

So, I have conflicting emotions surrounding this book.  I think it's because I have an emotional attachment to the characters (well, at least Luke) from the first two books in the series.  I really loved Luke, and was hoping that he would get his own story, so I am happy that this book was written simply for that reason.  I liked the slow build up of a relationship between Violet and Luke.  It was amazing how they were able to relate to each other and keep each other grounded.  They obviously really cared about each other.

I found the idea of thrill seeking for the adrenaline rush and consequent calm that Violet used to deal with her issues really interesting.  I've never heard of this before.  I mean, I have heard of adrenaline junkies, but this seems a bit different.  Seeking out dangerous situations like that, it's incredible that Violet was not ever hurt more seriously.  I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, and I thought the author did a good job at making me understand Violet's dysfunctional relationship with her foster father.  Now that was twisted!  I'm no expert on the foster care system, especially in the States, but I'm hoping that no child would be placed in a home like the one Violet was placed in.  And the fact that Violet considered this last foster father to be the only real family she had was really sad - I totally sympathized with her.

Now Luke, on the other hand, is basically a functioning alcoholic.  How he can still play on a college football team and maintain decent enough grades not to get kicked out is beyond me!  I knew people that seemed to have a drinking problem in university, but they weren't varsity athletes and ended up on academic probation and eventually leaving school.  I guess that's why you would say Luke is "functioning".  His background story is different from Violet's in that he's always had at least his mother around.  The thing is, his mother's a real piece of work.  Maybe he would have been better off without her.  Who knows?

All of this I really enjoyed.  The part I didn't love was the repetitiveness of the writing.  I'm hoping that because I was reading an Advanced Reader's Copy that some of this was caught before the book went to print.

In short, if you, like me, have an interest in reading about Kayden's friend Luke, then you will definitely want to check out "The Destiny of Violet and Luke".  I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next to these two broken individuals!

My rating:



Sunday, February 9, 2014

Review: "Kiss Me at Midnight" by Diane Alberts


Her New Year’s resolution was seduction. Doctor Ashley Hanes has one mission and one mission only—end her annoyingly long dry streak and ring in the New Year with a bang. Literally. When her long lost and oh-so-sexy ex-best friend, Ethan Pierce, shows up as if he hadn’t broken her heart all those years ago, suddenly she doesn’t want to bring home just any man. She wants Ethan. What should have been one night of blow-your-mind make-up sex quickly turns into another. And another. Before long, Ashley thinks maybe she and Ethan should reunite for good. If only the elusive bachelor will stop running from his tortured past and trust a future in Ashley’s arms.



While I am a fan of Diane Alberts, I'd have to say this was not my favourite read of hers.  I liked the background of the two main characters, how they had friendship and history behind them.  I also like Ethan's ugly duckling story - nerdy, shy boy transforming into buff, confident man.  What I didn't like was the spanking that went on between them.  It didn't sit right with me, and I think it's because there wasn't enough explanation behind it.  He just all of a sudden started spanking her and she just automatically liked it.  It was weird!

Overall, though, I would rate this three stars because, aside from the spanking thing, it was a quick, enjoyable read.

My Rating: 


Friday, February 7, 2014

Review: "The Sinner's Club" by Kate Pearce


Total Pleasure Unsure of his reception, Jack Lennox adopts the guise of his own secretary upon returning to his ancestral home to claim his father's earldom. When he arrives, he's stunned to discover the previous earl's lovely young widow, a woman of beguiling curves and sensual smiles, warming the bed... Absolute Surrender Mary Lennox is determined to remain in Pinchbeck Hall and a mere secretary isn't going to tell her otherwise. But Jack Smith is a man of many talents and soon she's succumbing to his erotic games of pleasure. Only Mary may have underestimated the intensity of her wanton longings and the depths of Jack's dark desires... Note: This book is about Jack Lennox who you met first in SIMPLY SCANDALOUS.

Not really sure how to rate this.  On the one hand, I really liked the setting, including the time period, and the writing.  On the other hand, I don't know who I'd recommend it to because of the extremely graphic sex.  There is a lot of M/M sex, and I haven't read a lot of that before.  Hardly any, in fact.  And although it didn't make me uncomfortable, it also didn't turn my crank.  I think I would like to read more by this author, though, in the hopes that different scenarios and characters would work better for me.





Sunday, February 2, 2014

2014 Real Book Challenge January Update

So you might be wondering how many "real" books I read in January, and I actually did better than I thought I would!  The funny thing was, I ordered a few books through inter-library loans, and they all came in around the same time.  I thought there was no way I could finish them in time, but I did, yay me!  So here's what I managed to read:

They were all really good, too!  I put down my goal as 24 real books this year, thinking I could do 2 a month.  So far I'm ahead of the game, so that's great!