(Spoiler Free) Review: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

From the Author's website:
Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.

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It's official: Bayou Moon is one of my favorite reads this year!

I have a confession to make. Sometimes when I read UF, I'm not always able to follow along with all the plot specifics. I get characters or their motivation confused, especially if there are similar names or the plot is too complicated. This book was beautifully penned - I feel like Bayou Moon was written specifically for me. The characters and settings were wonderfully and descriptively composed, I could see each character in my mind's eye as I read the book. The plot moved along at a quick pace, but I was able to follow and understand what they were doing and why. I liked the way one thing led to another but it made sense and didn't jump all over the place.

Cerise is a fabulous heroine - she's strong and compassionate. Family oriented. Smart. All the things I look for in a heroine. While I liked her from the get-go, it was near the end that I just sat back and thought, "Thank you, Ms. Andrews, for writing such an amazing heroine." Let's just say she's a woman of her word and doesn't run from anything.

William, *sighs* oh William, I heart you so much! I really liked William in The Edge (my review here), and was glad he was getting his own book. He's definitely a broken hero: he's feeling sorry for himself since Rose left with Declan, combine that with his horrible childhood and he has a very low perception of himself, except where his fighting skills are concerned. He's attracted to Cerise, not exactly at first sight, but when it happens - BAM!

The wild in him lost its head, clawing at his insides.
Want. Want the woman.
"Lord Bill? She asked.
His thoughts tumbled in a feverish cascade. Want. So beautiful...Standing so close and so beautiful. Want the woman.
"Earth to William?"
She was looking at him with those beautiful dark eyes. All he had to do was reach for her and he could touch her.
No. Wrong.
She hadn't given him permission. If he touched, he would take her. Taking women without permission was wrong.
William pulled himself back, regaining control. The wild buckled and snarled and screamed, but he reeled it in, forcing it deeper and deeper. Remember the whip? Right, everybody remembered the whip. Everybody remembered being punished for kissing a girl without permission. The scars on his back itched, reminding him. Humans had rules. He had to follow the rules.

Page 82, Bayou Moon


Strangely enough, the thing that did it for me regarding William was not related to Cerise at all. I'm not giving away spoilers, but it was his actions on pages 247-249 that did me in. Of course, when you add that to the overall hotness of his character and the way he understands and interacts with Cerise....book boyfriend status was inevitable. The back and forth between Cerise and William was riveting (and humerous) - especially when Cerise's family stepped in to "help".

I know I'm gushing about the awesomeness of the hero/heroine, which is important, but the secondary characters were great too - I liked Cerise's family. They were a very eclectic group and had their own weird ways of showing their love and support for Cerise.

Now, on to the bad guys - they're bad ass. They're pretty gross, actually. They've got all this extra "stuff" that makes them almost impossible to defeat. Luckily William has a history that involves knowledge of their "extras" and how to deal with them.

Bayou Moon is the second book in the series, but can be read as a stand-alone. I think Ms. Andrews gives enough background at the beginning of the story that you would have no trouble jumping right in. Bayou Moon should go straight from your bookstore to "Now Reading", let it skip the TBR pile, you won't be sorry!

Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Ace; Original edition (September 28, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0441019455
ISBN-13: 978-0441019458

My rating:

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper

From the Publisher's website:
"If Singletree's only florist didn't deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger's shock and humiliation over her husband's philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike's company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike's family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike's defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family's lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?
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I love Ms. Harper's "Nice Girls Don't" books. Her characters are fresh and funny with the paranormal twist thrown in to make them "keepers" for me. When I heard she was writing a contemporary I was thrilled. And One Last Thing... did not disappoint! I was drawn in from the first page and loved every minute I spent reading this book.

The main characters were endearing and the kind of folks I'd love to hang out with in real life. Lacey Terwilliger is witty and funny, even in the face of the betrayal of their marriage vows by her husband. Her e-mail newsletter was hysterical and became one of those stories you have to look up on Snopes.com to see if it is really true. This was not a "woman scorned publicly embarasses her husband and makes him pay" kind of book. I mean, yeah, that did happen, but there was so much more. And One Last Thing... was snarky and smart and very well written. And the romance - Oh!!! Her hunky neighbor, Lefty Monroe is delicious. Monroe is just the right mix of aloof and adorable, sexy and sensible. The chemistry between Lacey and Monroe sizzles.

Reading this book, I felt like I was there with Lacey, watching her work out her emotions and try to get past the pain of betrayal. I wanted to help her sort out her feelings for Monroe. I wanted to have drinks with her brother. I wanted to meet Monroe's parents. I wanted to tell off her cheating husband and his bimbo secretary (see, I'm still a little emotional!). Lacey and I could be besties, I just know it!!!

This is exactly the kind of book that made me fall in love with Contemporary Romance. I found myself noting quotes of great scenes on almost every page. I'm currently looking at elementary schools for my kids in Ms. Harper's district so I can move in next door - yup, I've officially graduated from fangirl to stalker.

My rating:

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

I read several other reviews before I read this book, and they all said something like "Wow, I loved this book. It's such a unique twist!" and I thought, Hmmm...what could be so unique? Well, I hate to sound like a broken record, but it really is different. It's an incredible read with an unusual premise. And I don't quite know how to review it without giving it all away, but I'm going to do my bestest.

Justine Jones is at a good place in her life, if you don't count the fact that she's dying. Or at least, she thinks she is. You see, she's a hypochondriac. She imagines she can feel the symptoms, becomes convinced she's dying, seeks medical care until she's reassured she's not dying, and then she imagines she's having the symptoms again. She knows it's a cycle, and yet she can't break it. While having dinner at Mongolian Delights, she meets the mysterious Packard, who sees what she is and offers a way to escape the cycle...by ''zinging" her fears into criminals, rendering them unable to function normally due to the debilitating worries of hypochondria.

I loved this book! Justine and her fellow disillusionists were all imperfect people trying to make the world a better place. Using their various neruoses to fight crime was a brilliant and unexpected take on traditional vigilante crime-fighting. I enjoyed the camaraderie between Justine and her new friends, Justine and the criminals (surprisingly), and the many layered relationship between Justine and Packard. Packard's situation was...interesting. The bigger story behind it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what Justine would do.

Several times I wanted to shake the book and yell "No, Justine, No!!!" ,"Be careful!!" and "OMG!!!" The end of the book, while not a cliffhanger per se, definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy, Double Cross, which comes out September 28.

I give Mind Games 5 out of 5 stars; this one's going onto the keeper shelf!

Review: Power Play by Deirdre Martin (Last Hockey review, I promise!)

(I hate the cover. Eric is supposed to be blonde, his twin Jason is brunette.)

Okay, okay...I know you're tired of my raving about the hockey books. This is my last one, I promise! It's just that I really liked it. Of all Ms. Martin's NY Blades books I've read, this one and the first one, Body Check, are my favorites.

Monica Geary is a soap opera star at the top of her game. She's on the number one rated soap opera and her character tops the polls month after month. When the producer brings in a chesty young thing who tries to take Monica's spotlight, Monica knows she's got to do something...

Eric Mitchell is the NY Blades' newest player. He is the twin brother of Jason (the hero in Chasing Stanley). When I read Chasing Stanley, I though Eric was kind of a selfish jerk with moments of goodness. Eric was traded fora beloved member of the team, so the fans (and other players) are a bit standoffish. Eric knows he has to do something to impress them...

In the Blades series, the team loves to watch soaps, and Monica's show is their favorite. Eric ends up with a 4-line scene in the soap, and he hits on Monica, who is replused by his cheesy lines. Then, her PR person suggests to Monica that she should consider pretending to date Eric to "get her image back out there". The suggestion is mutually beneficial, as the team is thrilled to meet Monica. Of course, things progress and perhaps things aren't "just for show" anymore. Their twisty road to happiness was fun to read, and the ending was sooo sweet!

This book was great - I loved Eric and Monica. The way their relationship progressed from fake to real, the fears that Eric had about falling in love, Monica's lack of confidence in her acting choices; there were a lot of storylines going on and Ms. Martin kept my attention and made me smile. Eric turned out to be a great hero. As a bonus, I especially loved Monica's friend, Gloria. Her one-line recollections of her life in showbiz made me laugh out loud.

I'm giving this one 4 1/2 of 5 stars.

Body Check by Deirdre Martin

This book falls into my Contemporary Reading Challenge.

I recently read See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson, which has a hockey player as the hero. I enjoyed it so much I went looking for other hockey-themed books. I stumbled across Body Check and grabbed it. I had read one other book by Ms. Martin, With A Twist (review to come soon), and couldn't decide if she was an author I would read again or not. After reading this book I says YES!!!

Janna MacNeil is a publicist newly hired for the New York Blades hockey team. She's a bit nervous as she's never done PR for a sports team and doesn't know much about hockey. The new owners of the team want her to "spruce up" the reputation of the rowdy team, starting with their captain, Ty Gallagher. Ty is a great player, focused soley on the game. He doesn't care about corporate and all the PR stuff that goes with the sport. Things are not off to a great start; after Jane's first meeting with Ty, she promptly goes into the ladies room and throws up!

Ty is not immune to Jane's sparkle and personality. After a faux-pas involving a charity dinner and her sister, things start to heat up between Jane and Ty, but they've got to keep it on the DL for professional reasons. Of course things don't go smoothly and there is plenty of drama to keep things moving. There are several side stories, Jane's roommate Theressa has some problems, Jane has family issues, Ty's inability to focus on anything but winning the Stanlely Cup....it all blends into a great story!

This story kept my attention, I didn't have to suspend disbelief, and none of the characters were TSTL. I'm already moving on to the next book in this series, Fair Play, which is Theressa's story. I give Body Check 4 1/2 out of 5 stars!

Review: See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

This book falls into my Contemporary Reading Challenge.

I've had this book in my TBR for quite some time. I bought it after I'd read a couple of Ms. Gibson's books and loved them. Then I didn't read it because the hero is a hockey player. I know nothing about hockey except that they use a puck instead of a ball. I didn't even realize they had American hockey teams - I thought it was a Canadian sport. But, I was in the mood for something different so I picked it up off the pile, dusted it off, and started reading...I loved it!

Jane Alcott is a reporter who's just gotten a big break - they've asked her to fill in and cover the Seattle Chinooks hockey team while the regular sports reporter is sick. That means she'll cover all the games - even the away games. She knows nothing about hockey, but that's okay, they're hoping having her cover the games will draw in female spectators. Thing is, the team's not so hyped to have her and they try to block her at every turn. She ends up talking to Luc Martineau, the goalie, a couple of times, and of course it's instant dislike (or is it?).

Luc has been given a second chance. He was a star player who got hurt, ended up addicted to painkillers, went to rehab, and is now trying to get back into that top spot. So far, it's working. He's concentrating on his career and nothing will get in the way.

I really enjoyed this story. Jane's secondary story as Honey Pie, the fictional character she writes for a Maxim-type magazine was kind of eh, but I do get that it was a plot point. The interactions between Jane and Luc were super sexy. I loved the scene after Jane had told Luc off and then had to go back and repeat her exact words before every game for good luck. Luc's affection for his sister was touching, and Jane taking her under her wing was sweet.

It's been three days since I finished this story and I'm still thinking about it. I actually went out to find other hockey-themed contemporary romances to read because I liked this one so much! I give See Jane Score 4 out of 5 stars.

I will say this book made me curious, so I asked for some hockey names on Twitter and Kelly (MidnightGlance) was kind enough to supply me with a name or two and from there I googled some more hockey players. I don't know if these guys are good at hockey or not, but....me-ow!

Review: Shift by Rachel Vincent

You know how sometimes you wait for something you really want and when you finally get it you've built it up so much you're disappointed? Well, that did NOT happen here. I'd previously read the first four books in this series and LOVED them (my review here) and Shift did not disappoint either.

Shift takes up immediately where Pride ended: The South Central werecat pack is divided and a battle is coming. There's also retribution to be made for a death, and although she's trying to put it off, Faythe is going to have to come clean about some of her actions in book 4.

The action in this book starts right at the beginning; in the first chapter, as the pack is discussing plans for battle, Faythe takes Kaci out for a walk and in moments Kaci is snatched up by a huge bird - a Thunderbird. They soon realize their pack is under attack by the Thunderbirds in response to the death of one of their flock members. Faythe and her father know they've been framed but don't have any proof; the Thunderbirds are not giving up and two more werecats are dead. Faythe ends up in the Thunderbird's aviary and must find a way to prove who the real killer is or Kaci will die and the rest of the pack will be killed by the Thunderbirds.

I could not put this book down. At every turn I wondered what would happen next. The timeline for this book was only a few days, but so much happened - I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. The book doesn't leave you with a cliffhanger, but there are a lot of unresolved issues still dancing around the werecat world - plenty of stuff to resolve in Book 5, Alpha, which comes out in October 2010. As I understand it, Alpha is the last book in this series.

I will say this - although this could be read as a stand-alone, you really won't get the full impact of everything that goes on without reading the whole series. Trust me, this won't be a hardship - this is one of my favorite series out there right now and IMO doesn't get the props it deserves.

I give Shift 5 out of 5 stars.

Shift goes on sale March 1, 2010.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by NetGalley free of charge for an honest review.

Review: First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

This book falls into my Vampire Reading Challenge.

Let me begin by saying I am a total Jeaniene Frost fangirl and she could write her grocery list and I would probably buy it. That being said, First Drop of Crimson did not disappoint.

I liked Denise in the Night Huntress series, and when Randy died I was so sad for her. Spade is Bones' best friend, and he's been all sexy and mysterious in the Night Huntress books - in FDOC he's super sexy!

Denise is living her life after the death of her husband, staying clear of the supernatural world, trying to forget. That plan is blown out of the water when she witnesses the murder of her cousin by a man who turns into a dog and a demon shows up at her house looking for one of her ancestors. The demon tells her she must find this ancestor, Nathaniel, and bring him back or the demon will kill all her relatives one by one. As an incentive, the demon marks Denise before leaving her. Denise calls her best friend Cat, who is a vampire, for her help. She can't reach Cat but remembers she has Spade's phone number and asks him to contact Cat for her. Spade tells her Cat is out with her husband Bones and offers to help instead.

Spade views humans as a food source only; we learn the reasons why later in the book. Denise is terrified of vampires as she holds them responsible for the death of her husband. She's not thrilled about asking Spade for help but knows she doesn't have any other choice. Spade agrees to help at first because she's Cat's best friend, but as the story progresses we watch his feelings start to change. Let's just say I'm a sucker for a vamp with sex appeal and a heart of gold.

We also get to see a lot of Ian, the vampire who sired Bones and Spade (well,sort of). He's been such a skeevy character, I loved every minute of him in this book! One of his funniest scenes was a few pages after Denise had accidentally interrupted Ian and a "donor" in flagrante delicto. I hope he eventually gets his own book, he would definitely be a great bad boy hero.

Now, I know several people have complained that Denise is a wimpy heroine, but I read her as she was mourning her dead husband, and PTSD is a very real (well, as real as it can be in a fictional world anyway) consequence of her experience at the time of his death. Was she a kick-ass heroine? No, but she didn't get on my nerves either.

I thought this book was great - it kept me intersted throughout and I had to stop myself from peeking ahead to see what was going to happen a several times. I'm giving it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins, now with bonus TMI!!

This book falls into my Contemporary Reading Challenge.

Okay, I think you all know I'm a Kristan Higgins fangirl. Out of the five books she's written, only one was disappointing to me and one is on my keeper shelf. I was really looking forward to The Next Best Thing, and I loved it!

Lucy Lang became a widow at the young age of 25 after less than a year of marriage. She's been a widow for almost five years, working at the family bakery with her mother and aunts. Who all became widows at a young age. It seems to run in the family, whose maiden name is Fekete, which is Hungarian for Black - they're known as the Black Widows.

As the story opens, Lucy is at the hospital where her younger sister has just given birth. Lucy decides this is what she really wants, and thinks maybe it's time to start dating again. Which will require that she end her "friends with benefits" arrangement she's had going with Ethan. Ethan has spent his life living in the shadow of his older brother, Jimmy. He's also in love with Lucy, although she doesn't know it. When she breaks off their arrangement, he agrees, but he's not too happy about it, because he loves her.

There is so much going on in this book - there's no way I can even begin to explain how good it was. I laughed a bit and I cried a bit. I'm not going to say I laughed out loud, more like a chuckle here and there, but here's where the TMI comes in: Occasionally, depending on where I am in my, uh....cycle...I might cry a bit while reading something sad. I'm nowhere near that hormonal hell right now, but there were several scenes in this book where tears just poured out of my eyes; times when Lucy missed her husband, or wondered if she was doing the right thing. Ms. Higgins just wrote those scenes so, so sweetly. And when the gypsy gave Lucy the message...Oh! It took me a few pages but once I figured it out I wanted to reach into the book and make her see!!! This book took a few turns but I enjoyed reading it and the characters kept my interest; I read this book in a day.

The Next Best Thing was a great read! I really enjoyed it and give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Review: Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs and Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men. This book was my favorite of the three. I loved this book - nonstop laughs and an interesting story, and lots of my favorite character, Dick Cheney. I'm only going to say this once (maybe): I love Dick. We see a side of him in this book only hinted at in the previous two books. I could write this whole review around Dick, but I'll behave.

As Nice Girls Don't Live Forever opens, Jane and Gabriel (her sire) are on a European vacation; it's not going well. Gabriel is acting weird, and at every hotel they stop at there's a fancy linen envelope waiting for him at the front desk. It's upsetting Gabriel and he won't tell Jane why. He's keeping her out all night and their sex life is in the toilet. Jane knows he's having an affair, and when she sees one of the letters torn up in the wastebasket, she pieces it together while Gabriel is in the shower and she reads it. It is from another woman (vampire) and Jane is devastated. She leaves to come back to the USA immediately and Gabriel doesn't try to stop her; that upsets her more.

Back in her hometown, Jane takes comfort in her friends - Andrea, Dick, Zeb, and Jolene. Andrea is working at the bookstore with Jane, and Dick "helps out". (One of my favorite parts of the book was when Dick took Jane for a "guys night out" to get over Gabriel.) Jolene is pregnant and Zeb is having "I'm not ready to be a father issues". Jolene's werewolf family is making it hard for them to have a house built away from the werewolf compound and both families are getting crazy about the impending birth.

It was fun to watch Jane settle back into her life without Gabriel. She joins the Chamber of Commerce and meets "the Courtneys". Dick's great-great-great grandson comes into the bookstore and decides to stay, making attempts to wrestle it away from her, and Jane has to deal with him because Dick and Mr. Wainwright refuse to deal with their progeny. Weird things are happening - there was a break-in at the bookstore and someone throws stink-fruit at her house. Then Jane starts getting threatening letters and photos, and someone makes an attempt on her life. Gabriel's come back to try to patch things up but is he sincere? He still won't tell Jane what's going on.

There is so much going on in this book it's impossible to get bored. Between seeing Jane's relationship with her mother and sister grow, Zeb and Jolene's pre-birth fiascos, the crazy Courtneys at the Chamber, Jane's relationship with Gabriel, the mysterious letter-writer, and Dick and Andrea's attempts to cheer Jane up, this book kept me turning the page to find out what was next.

Jane is as snarky as ever:

After she sips some coffee: "Gah! That's awful! My cousin Muriel isn't that bitter and she has two gay ex-husbands...who now live together."

When asking a werewolf about her pregnancy: "...Can you still transform? Are werewolf babies born able to transform? Do you give birth in a big cardboard box with towels in it?"

If you haven't started this series yet - do it!!! I really hope they give Ms. Harper a new contract for more books - I give Nice Girls Don't Life Forever 5 stars.

Review: Dirty by Megan Hart, aka I've Got A New Book Boyfriend!

I picked up this book thinking it sounded like a good story and it fell under my Erotic Romance Challenge. Little did I know I not only would I love this book, but I would also find my new fictional boyfriend here!


Dirty is the story of Elle and Dan. They met in a candy shop, went to a bar and had a few drinks, and that was that. But Elle couldn't stop thinking about him. When she went out for drinks and dancing with her friend from work a few weeks later, Dan was there. It was hot and steamy right there on the dance floor!

Elle has a lot of issues that you don't see right at the beginning of the story. She's got a dysfunctional relationship with her parents, and her gay brother won't come home to visit. Elle is a counter, she counts everything. Counting is one of three ways she can forget her past - the other two are sex and drinking. Her father is a full-fledged alcoholic, so she doesn't drink much, which leaves counting and sex. She doesn't date, but she does pick up men for sex. She thinks this is what will happen with Dan; but acknowledges to herself she's strangely drawn to him.

Although he's described as average in height and stature, Dan is definitely a dominant male. He knows better than Elle what she wants for herself. The thing about Dan is he's also patient and sensitive to her needs. He knows there's something under the surface that he doesn't know or understand yet. He knows he wants her and puts up with a lot of things a less secure man would walk away from. And yet he was not a "super" hero - he had flaws. He got mad. He had insecurities (shown especially, I thought, in the class reunion scenes).

These two are amazing together, and not just sexually. Dan is in her life but she won't let him be a part of it; I think I would describe Dan as the catalyst that causes Elle to be ready to really look at herself and her life when the time comes.

This book is beautifully written. Her descriptions of Elle's thoughts and reactions and sensory perceptions made me feel like I was in the story, watching while the scenes played out. Ms. Hart layered this story perfectly; Elle's relationship with her next door neighbors is hopeful yet sad and is another symptom of Elle's primary issues, her relationship with her brother and mother, her books, and her counting are all beautifully woven together to leave us wanting more of her story, and when we get The Whole Picture - wow. Just...wow.

When I wasn't reading this book I was thinking about it. I give this story 5/5 stars. Thank you Ms. Hart, for sharing it with your readers.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

I started reading this book with a bit of hesitation - I had seen a few good reviews, but I had also seen a few bad reviews. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I loved it! From the dedication (which was fawesome, btw) to the end of the story I was hooked.

Austenland is the story of Jane Hayes, a 30-something unmarried professional with no current boyfriend, is bequeathed a trip to Austenland by her aunt. This is a 3-week immersion vacation into Jane Austen's time. Jane is borderline-obsessed with P&P/Mr. Darcy - she keeps her DVD hidden in a plant because she's embarassed about her obsession! She decides to go and get over her obsession so when she comes home she can get started on a regular Darcy-free life.

I loved that she addressed the same questions I had - What's the point if they're all actors? How far are you supposed to go? Why am I doing this again? It was well-written; each chapter gave a slight overview of a previous boyfriend, from age 4 to the present, which gave you an idea of how Jane's love life got to be where it is.

There was a love triangle, a very good love triangle, and I couldn't decide who I was rooting for, up until almost the very, very end. And what an end it was! A big smile, a sigh, and "awwwww" from me was a great way to close the cover. This one's going on my keeper shelf!

Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

This was the second book I've read by Ms. Higgins and I loved it! Chastity O'Neill (Chas) is a journalist who returns to her hometown to work at the local paper. She's got four older brothers and her dad who all work at the Fire Department. Then there's Trevor - her family "adopted" him after the death of his sister and his parent's subsequent failure to be there for him. Trevor is her brother's best friend and idolizes her father. Chas loves Trevor but can't do anything about it.

While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a doctor, Ryan. The way they meet - oh, man, I was wincing and laughing at the same time! They end up dating, and things move pretty fast. Meanwhile, Trevor's old flame, Hayden (Chas calls her Perfect Hayden) is coming back into the picture. Chas knows she needs to move on and get over Trevor and thinks even if Ryan isn't the man of her dreams at least he's there and he wants her.

While I loved Chas' story, there was a lot going on to love with the secondary characters too- her brother Mark and his wife (Chas' best friend) are separated and there's a lot going on there, her parents are divorced and her mother starts dating but her father is still in denial, someone is targeting Chas in weird ways (sabotoging the online paper, moving things on her desk).

I was rooting for Chas to have a HEA, and Ms. Higgins did not disappoint. Her internal monologues had me snickering all through the book, as well as her aversion to blood (she ends up taking an EMT class to try to get over it with mixed results). This one's a keeper for when I need a pick-me-up read!

Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

I saw this book on the shelf, decided I was looking for a contemporary, loved the tats on the cover, and grabbed it.

This book should be required by law to come with a fan, a pitcher of ice water, and an extra pair of panties for when the ones you're wearing burst into flames!

Erin Brown is in a rock band. Todd Keenan is the clean-cut cop who lives next door. She's a little kinky and adventureous in the bedroom; he's not. But they're attracted to each other and start dating. Turns out he is a bit kinky but not comfortable with that part of himself and they break up. 10 years later, he's back in town, newly divorced, and she's running a coffee shop after a traumatic fan experience left her devastated and changed forever. Her band made it big, but for personal reasons she only does studio work now, no touring. Todd walks into her coffee shop and it's instant attraction all over again, except that this time he's ready to embrace that side of himself he hadn't been able to accept before.

This book had hot, hot sex, D/s, and threesome action. Ms. Dane did a great job with Erin and Todd's relationship - I enjoyed watching it grow both inside and outside of the bedroom. When Todd's childhood friend/coworker Ben got involved it just got steamier. I don't really understand the emotional dynamics of a 3 person relationship, but in this book it worked. They were good for each other. The secondary characters were very believable - I really liked Erin's brothers and hated Ben's ex.

If you're looking for something steamy and sexy, this is the book for you! Make sure you have a fire-extinguisher handy (just in case)!

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

I think this is probably only the 2nd Contemporary I've read that didn't involve some sort of paranormal-ness to it. I must say I really liked it!

Payton Kendal and J.D. Jameson are 8th year lawyers at the same firm, both are up for Partner in a month. Payton and J.D. have had a mutual distaste for each other almost from day one of working with the firm. Then, they're assigned to partner together to pull in a huge new client. They decide they can try to get over their animosity and work together because they found out that this year the firm is trying to curb claims of ageism and will only pick one new partner instead of two. J.D. thinks they will pick Payton because she's a woman, and Payton thinks they'll pick J.D. because of the "good ol' boy" cronyism. Ms. James did a good job of showing the two of them learning about each other in bits and pieces. I also enjoyed their interaction with the secondary characters.

This book had me laughing so hard tears were coming out of my eyes. The relationship between these two was fascinating to read - and when they found out why they had hated each other all those years - wow! I enjoyed the whole book - there were no slow, boring spots - and rooted so hard for these two. And the end, while a bit far-fetched, was great!

Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

First let me say, I love Ms. Mead's Succubus series. Total keepers, waiting on Book 5 coming out next year (cliffhanger much?). As a general rule, if I find a series I like, and that author has written other series, I don't read them. I don't know why, I guess I'm afraid I'm not going to like them as much? BUT, in this case, I've heard so many good things about Vampire Academy I decided to break my unwritten rule and read the first book. As soon as I was done I rushed out to the store to get the next three books (and added Dimitri to my list of fictional boyfriends)! I will say, as a parent, I should probably be disapproving of the romantic storyline in these books, but I can't help myself - they're sooo good!!!

In Ms. Mead's world, vampires are either Moroi - the good guys, born from two Moroi parents, or Strogoi - the bad guys, turned either by draining and killing a human or by other Strogoi. The Moroi do drink blood, but just a bit at a time. They are also considered Royalty in the vampire world, and the dhampirs are their bodyguards.




In Vampire Academy, we meet Rose, a dhampir (half vampire, half human), and Lissa (Moroi vampire) her best friend. Rose is going to be Lissa's bodyguard when they graduate; they share a special bond: Rose can feel Lissa's emotions and occasionally "jump" into her head and see and experience what's going on with Lissa. Rose broke Lissa out of school when Lissa was worried someone was after her. They've been on the run for 2 years, but have been found and brought back to school. Rose thinks things are going to be better, and they both jump back into the school routine and try to catch up what they missed while they were gone. Rose must take extra guardian classes with Dimitri, the guardian who found and returned them to school (and my newest fictional boyfriend!). Problem is, she thinks he's hot. There's a bunch of angsty teenage drama, which I actually enjoyed, and someone is targeting Lissa by leaving dead animals in her room or her bag. Rose tries to figure out what's going on, and eventually she figures it out but it's too late, Lissa is gone and she must use their connection to find her and save her.





In Frostbite, Rose and Lissa are still at school. There's been some upheaval out in the "real" world, and Strogoi have figured out how to break wards and attack Moroi. For safety reasons, they've decided that the students and their families will spend Christmas break together in a swanky ski lodge. Rose is trying to sort through her feelings about her mother, Dimitri- who has a love interest, and her friend Mason - who wants to be more than friends. When Rose gets confidential information about a group of Strogoi holed up in a nearby city, she tells her friends and her friends decide to go kick butt. Rose knows she shouldn't have said anything and decides to bring them back. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine what happened next; things will never be the same.





Shadow Kiss, the third book in the series, continues on the aftermath of Frostbite. Lissa's kidnapper from the first book is going to trial, which is stressful enough, but Rose is seeing also seeing the ghost of a student. Rose is maturing in this book, and her relationships with her friends are changing. Her relationship with Dimitri is changing too. She's learning how to be a better Guardian and finding out what some of the sacrifices are that she's going to have to make. The end ripped my heart out, and left me desperate to start Blood Promise.





Ms. Mead's latest, Blood Promise, picks up a little bit after where Shadow Kiss left off. Rose is in Russia, looking for Dimitri. She finds his family, and those scenes were some of the sweetest parts of the book. She meets up with a some interesting people there and realizes she must leave to continue her search for Dimitri. What happens when she eventually finds him was gut wrenching. In one sense, I was hoping she'd found happiness, and in another I knew it couldn't be. While she was away she was still "peeking" in on Lissa, and communicating with Adrian in her dreams, so the readers know what's going on back in the USA - and let me tell you, it's a lot. She has to confront her worst fear, and the journey to get there is full of twists and turns. This last installment leaves me with a bit of hope for Rose's future happiness. I can't help it but I still like Dimitri, and I'm starting to like Adrian as a love-interest. I can't wait to see how Ms. Mead plays this out!

Addicted by Charlotte Featherstone

I saw this book over at Lovin' Me Some Romance, and I was intrigued. I wasn't really sure, I couldn't see how a book about an opium addict would be that good, but Oh My God - I am so glad I picked up this book!! Definitely a keeper!

This book is set in 1850, and Lindsay Markham is in love with his childhood friend, Anais Darnby. He's loved her for years and has not told her. Since he went off to college he's turned to opium to dull the feelings because he doesn't know how she feels about him. Now they're adults, and he doesn't know it but she feels the same way about him.

He takes a chance one evening and they have a passion filled encounter in the stable, and he promises his undying love and asks her to meet him at a costume ball the next week. Anais agrees, but is betrayed by a friend and finds Lindsay, high as a kite, in a compromising situation with her friend. She doesn't care that he thought the friend was Anais. Anais runs off and says she never wants to see him again.

The story picks up several months later, Lindsay is back from the exotic East, having spent the first few months looking for Anais, who ran off to France, and the last few months in an opium-induced haze. He's back in England, and wants to see Anais. As he returns, there is a fire and her house burns to the ground, necessitating her family briefly staying at Lindsay's family estate. Lindsay finds out Anais has been ill and has turned to another childhood friend, Garrett, for comfort. Lindsay is jealous, and tries to win Anais back, but she tells him it can never be. There are some very steamy scenes, both real and imagined, and Anais has a secret she's keeping from Lindsay, just as he's keeping the degree to which he's dependent on the opium from her.

There is no way I can do a review that would do justice to this book. Everytime I thought I had the plot figured out, surprise - it's not what I thought; this happened several times. I liked both Lindsay and Anais, and wanted them to be together; however, some secrets may be too damaging for forgiveness. I liked how they kept breaking apart and coming back to each other, mirroring his addiction and denial of same. And Ms. Featherstone's description of his addiction was so sensual, she really turned the story into a love triangle instead of just a story about a couple.

Excellent read. I can't wait for her next book, Sinful, out in May 2010.

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper

I loved the first book in this series, Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs. I've been waiting since I finished that book for Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men to come out. It was worth the wait - I loved it! I am totally a Molly Harper fangirl!

In NGDHF, we meet Jane Jameson (yes, there are a few funny porn references), a librarian who is turned into a vampire. Funny, snarky, interesting plot and love the secondary characters. Talk about a dysfunctional family!

Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men did not leave me disappointed. It starts with Jane seeing the awful dress she's going to have to wear as maid of honor at her best friend Zeb's wedding. Zeb has been her best friend since gradeschool, and he is marrying a werewolf, Jolene, that he met at a Friends of Vampires support group. Zeb's mother is unhappy he's not marrying Jane, and Jolene's family is not happy she's not marrying a werewolf. All sorts of problems arise and Jane keeps ending up involved, along with her sire/boyfriend Gabriel, and another vampire friend, Dick Cheney (somehow the name makes him seem even more evil). Zeb has been acting strangely and Jane's not sure if it's just pre-wedding jitters.

Meanwhile, Gabriel has been going out of town a lot and not answering Jane's calls while he's gone. She's suspicious, but doesn't want to be a clingy girlfriend, so she's keeping her suspicions to herself but is unhappy about it.

If that wasn't enough, her family has been trying to ignore the fact she's a vampire (her mom keeps bringing over pot pies) and her grandmother's new beau might be a vampire - he certainly has a suspicous past.

I love these books! I love Jane, but I also love the secondary characters. Sometimes you read a book and skim over the secondary characters, but Ms. Harper has made each one interesting. The way they interact with Jane and with each other is great. I tore through this book in less than a day.

I definitely recommend this series. The third book, Nice Girls Don't Live Forever comes out in January 2010.

Highlander Unchained by Monica McCarty

Another home run by Ms. McCarty! I have not read her 2nd novel in this series, but book 3, Highlander Unchained, is great!

Highlander Unchained is about Flora, a young lady with a tragic family history. Her mother was married four times to men she did not love, and she was miserable. She always told Flora to only marry for love. Flora had inherited wealth from her mother, and she also had good connections, as her half-brother Rory (the hero in the first book in this series) was head of the clan MacLeod and her other half-brother Hector, was head of the clan of MacLean , and her uncle is the Earl of Argyll.

When her mother dies, Flora knows her brothers and uncle are going to marry her off. She does not want to be a polital pawn, and decides to elope with a friend. On the way to their secret elopement they are ambushed by highlanders who take Flora hostage while her "fiancee" runs away and leaves her.

Laughlin Maclean, is the Maclean of Coll. He has a brother and two sisters that he cares for. He is at war with Flora's half-brother Hector,who has stolen Laughlinl's castle and abuses his people. He sent his brother to the King to try to get his castle back and the king imprisoned his brother. Flora's uncle, the Earl, tells Laughlin if he can convince Flora to marry him he will give Laughlin a writ freeing his brother from prison. He then tells Laughlin that Flora is in the process of trying to elope. Laughlin and his men are the ones who end up ambushing and kidnapping her.

At first Flora is furious, but as she stays at the keep she grows fond of Laughlin's sisters and takes them under her wing, teaching them to read and write and dance. She is also attracted to Laughlin, but cannot forget she is his prisoner. Laughlin develops feelings for Flora and wants to prove his affection for her by allowing her to leave. She is so moved by this gesture she decides to stay.

Her half-brother Hector sends men to rescue her from Laughlin, but she refuses to go. Laughlin continues to show her kindness and affection and they decide to wed. BUT, he has not told her about the bargain with her uncle. He loves her and is afraid if Flora finds out she'll leave him. She finds out the morning of her wedding and fireworks fly!

This book was great - again, sexy Highlanders, battles, intrigue, romance, it has everything! Every time I'd tell myself, "I'll just finish this part then put it down", something else would happen and I eventually had to make myself put it down because it was so hard to tear myself away. There was so much going on I really can't put it all down here, it would be almost as long as the book!

My only question is this - Where can I sign up for swimming lessons with Lachlan?! ;)

Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwen Cready

I loved this book! Let me just start by saying this: Sexiest game of Scrabble ever. This book was time-travel but not, contemporary and historical, funny and sad.

Flip is a bird researcher and is part of a book club that is planning to review Pride and Prejudice. Magnus is a Jane Austen scholar from England currently working at the local college. Flip and her friends are outside a coffee shop one morning, talking and laughing and making ribald remarks about Mr. Darcy, planning their book club meeting the next week. Magnus is sitting nearby, trying to work and not hear their ridiculous remarks about the book. He is a serious scholar and can't believe they're reducing P&P to comments about Mr. Darcy's pants and hedgerows. As she leaves the coffee shop, Flip accidentally bumps into Magnus. She tries to make small talk but he rebuffs her by repeating some of what he'd overheard of their conversation and leaves. Flip gets angry and follows him, planning to tell him off, but ends up distracted and her neck hurts. She sees a flyer for a quick massage and decides, why not?

The massage has a theme - Imagine Yourself In Your Favorite Book. Of course Flip imagines herself in P&P. She falls asleep and wakes up in the book. Her character, Lady Quellin, ends up having sex with Mr. Darcy in a gazebo! She wakes up back on the table, thrilled with the massage, and heads home. The next morning, she sees a copy of P&P at the library - a first edition- and it's different!! Lizzie Bennett does not marry Mr. Darcy, she has a tryst with Wickham and ends up pregnant and alone!!! Uh-Oh. Flip needs to see more to see how bad it is but the book is encased in glass and guess who has access? Yup, Magnus. She goes to him for help (obviously she can't tell him the truth) and he denies her. She leaves in a huff.

He is intrigued by her request and goes to her home to get more information, and a comedy of situations ensues, including the sexy Scrabble game. Magnus sees the changes in the book and is alarmed and confused. Flip ends up back at the massage therapist to try to correct the changes, but it's dangerous because you're not supposed to go back into the same book twice, AND, you only have 24 hours from when you started to correct the changes. Magnus follows her and ends up in the book as well, and the two of them try to get Lizzie and Darcy back together.

This book was great! From the first page I laughed and cheered. The characters were likeable and I really wanted Flip and Magnus together. Flip's ex-husband, Jed, and his girlfriend Io were hilariously awful. I couldn't put it down, this one definitely goes on my keeper shelf! I want to read it again!!!