Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A Lady By Any Other Name

A Lady by Any Other Name

A novel by Jennifer Kitchens available at Amazon. I'm excited to check out this new book and have it on my list of books 'to read'.

Jennifer also has a great blog that is really fun to follow. You can find her at Clean Romance Reviews.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale

Back of the book: Betrayed by lies before her birth, Aishlinn believes kind and honorable men do not exist. Raised in near seclusion by a cruel stepfather, she is traded to work at Castle Firth in Penrith England for the price of two sheep. When the despised Earl of Penrith attacks her late one night and attempts to rape her, Aishlinn stabs him in self-defense and flees England for the safety of the Scottish highlands. Surviving the horrific beating at the hands of the Earl, Aishlinn is rescued by a fierce band of highland warriors who swear their allegiance to her for killing the hated Earl--the same man who had destroyed their village and killed their families when they were boys. 

Duncan McEwan, future chief of the Clan MacDougall, has survived countless battles and bed innumerable women. He has scaled mountains, survived a horrific storm at sea and even hand-to-claw battle with a ferocious cat-o’mountain. But none of that could have prepared him for how his life is forever changed one fateful spring day when he rescues a very battered young woman from an icy stream. Together with his men, they risk everything to take her to the safety of their clan.

She soon learns that kind and honorable men do exist and one in particular changes her heart forever. She discovers an inner strength and it will be tested to the limits when she is forced to make a heart wrenching decision--allow the English to kill those she loves or surrender for the crime she committed. 

With an intense code of honor Duncan must now battle the feelings for the beautiful Aishlinn. He will do anything to keep her as his own and he’ll do anything to keep her out of the hands of the English.

My Take: I really liked this story. I loved the big Scottish Highlanders and their value of family and women (especially Wee William and how much he loved the bairns). I love accents and found meself reading in a wee brogue as I went along. There is some sensual heat in a few places and the point of view alternates between many characters, seemingly in an omniscient sort of way. It never took me out of the story, but could have been better. There are also several places where some editing was needed, but I typically overlook that if I'm into the story (which I'll admit, I was happy to go sit at the swim meet for hours because I had this book to read). 

To buy the book: Laiden's Daughter by Suzan Tisdale at Amazon or Laiden's Daughter at BN.

Disclaimer: I bought this book and received no compensation for this review.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Searching for Arthur


About Searching for Arthur by Donna HosieLegend tells of King Arthur, mortally wounded at the hand of the traitorous Mordred in the final battle of Camlann. Before he was taken to the magical Vale of Avalon, Arthur declared that one day he would return, when the kingdom of Logres was once more in need of his leadership.

That day has now come.

It is hard to make friends when you’re constantly on the move. Seventeen-year-old Natasha Roth’s father is a diplomat, and so her mother – who is paranoid about terrorists – has moved Natasha and her brother, Arthur, to their eighteenth house in seventeen years: Avalon Cottage, deep in the heart of a Welsh forest.

Yet the terrorists are closer than they realize.
While out running, Natasha falls into a hidden tomb and awakens the legendary knights of Camelot: young warriors who have been in an enchanted sleep for a thousand years. All have been waiting patiently for the return of Arthur from the mysterious land of Avalon.
And now the knights are awake, they intend to reclaim their king.
When Arthur goes missing, Natasha joins forces with his girlfriend, “Slurpy” Samantha, in order to look for him. Natasha believes Samantha has fewer brain cells than an amoeba; Samantha believes Natasha is a freak. Retracing Natasha’s original steps to the hidden tomb, they bicker their way into a Welsh mountain and beyond, to the realm of Logres where the Knights of the Round Table are rallying once more.
Natasha falls in love with Sir Bedivere, the most loyal of knights to Arthur. He may be in dire need of a 21st Century razor, but he still possesses a set of lime-green eyes that can melt the soul. Yet just as Natasha starts to find confidence in this mystical land, Samantha deserts her. People who play by the rules are of no use to “Slurpy”. Samantha will take her own path to Arthur, aided and abetted by the dark arts which she willingly absorbs from a hot young stranger called Mordred.
A race across magical yet deadly lands is on. Natasha battles dwarf-riders, dragons, and eventually “Slurpy” to reach Camelot, where Arthur is held captive by the barbarian Saxon, Balvidore. 


Natasha’s woes become numerous. What will happen to her and Arthur when the knights realise the eighteen-year-old boy they thought was their king, is in fact a math student with appalling taste in girls? Can two people with a one thousand year age gap really have a relationship? And for the love of all things holy, how is a girl supposed to ride bareback in a pair of skinny jeans?



My take: I've always been a big fan of King Arthur. Read as much Camelot as I could get my hands on when I was younger. This was an interesting twist on the story and I found it difficult to put down. I will be checking out the next book in the series to see what happens. What I didn't like: the profanity and the teenage sex, and while it wasn't descriptive or necessary, I'm not OK with it. Also had some difficulty with mistaking the bad guy, Balvidore, for the amazing Knight in Shining Armor, Bedivere (liked him a lot). The names were just too close in spelling and so a few times I had to stop until I realized my mistake. I also thought Ms. Hosie did a nice job with Natasha's character growth. Would have liked to have seen the parents a little more sympathetic and am still confused by the reference to 'terrorists'. The modern term didn't fit for me. 

Disclaimer: a copy of this book was provided for review, no other compensation was given.

Monday, June 18, 2012

More Summer Reading

So recently I was fortunate to vacation in Hawaii for a week with my Knight In Shining Armor. Hawaii, as always, was fabulous. I had lots of time to relax, eat local food (YUM!), catch up with friends, and yes, read some great books. These are the books that I read: Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden, Surrender (ARC) by Elana Johnson, The Duke's Undoing by G.G. Vandagriff.

I will give you my thoughts on each one (don't worry, I'll keep it short).

Edenbrook: I read it twice. Yes, it was that good. One of the best books I've read in a long time. It's a regency romance and I loved the characters and the way they fit so nicely into their roles (Donaldson makes it look so easy, but it's really not). The characters have stayed with me and I know I will read this one again. One of the best things about it is that I can recommend it to my friends! (and some of you know, I have).



 Seeking Persephone: Loved this one, too. Eden does a great job weaving the story and the characters. A serious tale sprinkled with humor in all the right spots. Wishing I could get my hands on more of her stuff. Sigh.





Surrender: Umm. It you haven't read Possession (book one of this series), buy it, read it, and then move on to Surrender. Liked it more than I did Possession. I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive about starting this one as I didn't like the ending of book one. But, after a few days of staring at the book, I gave in. Ah, sweet surrender. If you're a fan of dystopian, this is a must-read. Get it, read it. Today.



The Duke's Undoing: Liked the story, liked the characters, but the ending fell a little flat for me. I felt like there were things that weren't really wrapped up (or maybe just not wrapped up the way I thought they should be). It's a sweet regency romance, and I love those, so it was good reading, just a little disappointed at the end.

Enjoy your summer reading.

Disclaimer: I bought these books and received no compensation (other than great reading!) for these reviews.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Caribbean Crossroads a novel


Caribbean Crossroads, by Connie E. Sokol


Back of the Book Blurb: New college grad Megan McCormick just got dumped. Hard. Swearing off men and relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them. 

Urged to find a wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad. Just when Megan begins to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her former fiance' returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.

First off, don't you love the cover? I did. This book doesn't disappoint either. It really is the perfect summer read. I had a hard time putting it down--and it made me want to go on a cruise with my own sweetheart. I cheered for the characters and really liked that the typical ‘mean girl’ character had her nice moments. Loved Bryant, the hunky jock who can also sing and dance, (think Zac Efron in HS Musical—only much hunkier). Yum. And the main character Megan with all her love angst, I sometimes wanted to shake and say ‘look what you have right here in front of you!’ but at the same time wanted her to hurry and get her life figured out. Those characters, the twists and turns, and some fabulous secondary characters make it an enjoyable read. Definitely put this on your summer reading list.

Connie E. Sokol has several things going on in her life including her writing. To check out her author page, click here Connie E. Sokol. To check out her fabulous   Back to Basics progam, visit her Back to Basics website. To go straight to Amazon and buy this fun book, click CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS. Spice up your summer with a heart-warming story.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book, but that did not influence my review.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Beginning of Book 1st Place Winner

Speculative Category ANWA Conference 2012

Providence

Chapter 1
Blue tape and eleven pushpins held the global map to the hotel suite’s wall. Rogan studied each point individually, assessing the progress of the crimes. He’d gone over it a hundred times, but still missed whatever linked them.
Lining up his notes he reviewed the information: dates, times, names of towns, addresses, names of the victims. Only the dates showed any order. Today was next in line for a hit. Rogan pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing else stood out. It was impossible for the serial killer to be so random, yet no identifiable pattern existed.
Evan, his assigned partner and best friend, sat at the edge of the couch, flipping through news channels. Both hoped to find a clue to the next location before another plastic bead screamed bloody death from the map.
Rogan paced in frustration. Maybe he had over-thought the whole thing. He turned his attention to the blaring TV in the middle of the room. An advertisement for an upcoming World Heavyweight Boxing Championship flashed across the screen. Two contenders appeared for a split second before Evan switched channels. Tattooed numbers on the shoulder of one of the men caught Rogan’s attention. Instinct tightened his gut.
“Go back to the boxing ad, I think I saw something.”
Police tape and crying neighbors now played across the screen.
“Hold on, I think we might have something here.”
Impatient, Rogan grabbed the laptop and brought up the Championship information. The boxer in question had tattooed the location of every title win on his shoulder. Maybe that was it.
Rogan quickly logged in to the company’s GPS website and punched in the crime addresses. He scribbled them down in order and did some comparisons. The math genius part of his brain kicked in and it all came together. He punched in a new location. A place called Gilbert, Arizona, showed up.
“We’re headed to the heat.”
Evan either didn’t hear or was too focused on the details of the drive-by shooting to respond.
The satellite image on the computer rolled around dropping closer to earth until an abandoned-looking house and a grove of dying citrus appeared in the dim pre-dawn of the desert. Opening another screen he pulled up the town’s website and scanned through it in less than a minute. Nice town. He hoped they weren’t too late.
Ready for Evan’s full attention he pushed the power button on the TV.
“Hey, what’re you doing?”
Placing the open laptop on the coffee table in front of them he sat next to Evan.
“We should find him holed up in this barn,” he said as he pointed to the run-down structure on the satellite image.
“What? How did you—”
“Global positioning.
Rogan bounced his leg anxious to get moving. Although it didn’t show much, enough light peeked over the distant mountains for the pair to discern their meeting place. They studied it together, committing the image to memory.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch

I have really been looking forward to this. Donna Hatch is an amazing author. Her fun sense of humor and her love of romance shine through in her stories and I'm sure this one will not disappoint. Read on for more on her latest book:


Queen in Exile  is
the 
perfect
combination of fantasy and romance. 
Don't miss your the
chance to win this thrilling tale.


Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telpathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen of Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny.



Want a win one of three copies of Queen in Exile? The answer isYES! And, it's easy.

1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why you're excited to read Queen in Exile. Remember to include your email address.

2. If you tweet about the blog tour, post about it on your blog or facebook, or become a fan of  Romance Author Donna Hatch on Facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an additional entry.

All entires need to be left by Midnight, MST, Sunday, March 18, 2012. You won't be sorry.

Book Sale!

Need some sweet romance to sigh your way through the holidays? Here you go: Merry Christmas and happy wishes for however you celebrate!