Review: It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale

I'd seen a lot of buzz around the internet about this book and even though it's got a pregnancy plotline (which I usually RUN away from) I wanted to read it. I'm glad I did.

Lana Biel co-owns a flower and seed store with her sister, Karin. Lana is a free spirit, she's always wanted to travel the world and plans to, as soon as her sister is settled in with her husband. Karin and her husband want a baby but so far have been unsuccessful in their atempts to conceive naturally. Lana's best friend Eli is a meteorite hunter and teacher; he travels often with his job. Eli loves Lana but hasn't told her - recently. Lana wants their friendship to stay platonic because she's afraid if they become romantically involved he'll eventually leave her and she doesn't think she could live without him.

As the book opens, Lana is taking a home pregnancy test with Eli there for emotional support. Lena had been casually dating Ron but hadn't seen him in months - the last time they'd had sex, actually.

From that point, the story goes back to the night Lana and Ron had sex, and the events leading up to the moment Lana takes the pregnancy test, which is positive. Lana is devastated - she doesn't want kids, she wants to travel. She knows she'll have to tell her sister, Karin, who is desperate for a child. Her relationship with Eli is becoming rocky, as he wants a romantic relationship and Lana keeps fighting it.

This book has several twists that are heartbreaking yet hopeful. There are no easy answers for Lana, Eli, or Karin's problems. Ms. Dale does a very good job of showing each side of the story and I was unsure of the outcome until the end. There were a few slow spots involving Lana's father where I wished she'd move the plot along, but I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 stars.

Disclaimer: I won this book from Author Kelley Moran's blog.

Review: Wolf Tales by Kate Douglas

I'd seen a recommendation somewhere about this series, and after checking around saw that Ms. Douglas has written 9 books in this series, so I figured it would be pretty good. There are shapeshifters and maybe menage so I was ready to read. It was off to a good start, the sexin' started on page 6.

As the story begins, Alexandria Olanet (Xandi) is out in a snowstorm, her car having gone over a cliff. She'd been out driving in the storm to get away from her fiance; she'd walked in on him having sex with another woman. As night falls and Xandi is still wandering around in the snow, she passes out, but wakes up in a warm bed with a large penis beween her legs, rubbing up against her from behind. She has crazy wicked sex and passes out again. When she wakes up she's at a rest stop. A limo stops to offer her a ride and she immediately knows the man in the back seat is the man she had sex with. Then she gets a good look at him - he's really hairy..all over, even his face, but she finds herself attracted to him.

Stefan Aragat was a famous magician who suddenly disappeared from public view. Apparently he pissed off his mentor, who turned him into a wolf. After several tries, he got himself back to semihuman form but cannot rid himself completely of wolf characteristics. Xandi is attracted to Stefan and overlooks his wolfy traits, and they have crazy sex again. So far so good...



Here's where it started to go bad for me - page 34:

After a moment's struggle, she found the zipper, tugged it slowly down, released the pressure holding his damned cock in place. It practically jumped out of the opening, all glistening animal cock that it was. He might have changed his hands, but the penis still looked like something a dog would sport...a very large dog. He wondered if he'd ever get used to the sheathlike foreskin, the strange shape, the extra-sensitive surface of this organ.

See, here's the thing...I grew up in a dog family - great danes to be specific. Anyone who's ever been around a male dog when he's excited knows what a "red rocket" looks like. I just cannot get past that. Am I misunderstanding, or is she having sex with a canine penis? *blinks and rubs eyes*

Apparently I've found my limit. There were a couple of more scenes where she mentions his red penis, and how she hopes if Stefan gets changed back to human form he'll be able to keep this penis. I had no problem with Stefan taking it from behind by his mentor while Xandi watched, but every time sex came up all I could think about was that damned red rocket and I finally shut the book for good.

If anyone else has read this series, I'd love to hear from you. Is this not as bad as I'm imagining? There are 9 books in the series, should I try again with book 2? Obviously it's a popular series - is each book different? I'm all out of brain bleach so if it's more of the same I don't think I can do it.

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.

Review: Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara

Night's Cold Kiss is the first book in the Dark Brethren Series.

Antoinette Petrescu is a Venator, a highly trained vampire hunter. Vampires come in two types: Aeternus - regular vampires, and Dreniacs - vampires who drink until they kill the human. While Antoinette has been trained to fight Dreniacs, she doesn't like Aeternus vampires either. Her mother was killed by a Dreniac in front of her when Antoinette was a child and therefore she has an obsessive hatred of all vampires.

When Antoinette is charged to a mission partnering with an Aeternus, Christian Laroque, she is vehemently opposed but is overruled by her superiors. On the way to the mission, Christian discoveres Antoinette has been injured in a recent vampire attack and it's become infected. He makes a poultice to heal it, which includes some of his blood. Apparently vampire blood is a powerful aphrodisiac and they have hot vamp sex in the airplane. Once vampires go into Blood-thrall (intense sexual arousal) they must complete the act for relief. Naturally when she comes down off her vamp-blood thrall Antoinette is mortified. Christian is confused because the sex with Antoinette was unusually powerful. The romantic tension between them zinged throughout the rest of the book as Antoinette is attracted to Christian and fights her prejudice against vampires.

While investigating some mysterious deaths of females - they all look like Antoinette - some of her superiors are attacked. Antoinette witnesses the attacks; they were attacked by the vampire who killed her mother. He's supposed to be dead - permanently! No one believes Antoinette and she is briefly a suspect.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I liked this story - there were a couple of twists I didn't see coming. The death of one particular character was so sad, and the bad guy was not who I thought it was. I'll be on the lookout for book 2 - Death's Sweet Embrace, to be released in September 2010.

Disclaimer - I won this book at Yankee Romance Reviews.

Review: Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson

Tangled Up In You is my second book by Rachel Gibson. I really enjoyed this one, too.

Maddie Dupree is returning to the town where her mother was murdered by her married lover's wife when Maddie was a toddler. Now it's 29 years later, Maddie's a true crime writer who's decided it's time to write her mother's story.

Mick Hennessey owns the family bar. His father was killed by his mother when she killed him and his lover, then shot herself, leaving two young children behind.

Maddie comes back to town, determined to get answers and write her book. She doesn't count on falling for the handsome bar owner. She's going to tell him who she is, but the time is never right. Then, after she attempts some interviews with the townsfolk, Mick finds out she's writing a book about his parents. (Maddie's been using her pen name so no one has made the connection that her last name is the same name as the Other Woman.) Although he tries to stay away from her, he's drawn to Maddie. Maddie's going to tell him her mother was the Other Woman, the woman killed by his mother, but she's fallen in love with Mack and she's afraid to tell him.

The reveal is so bittersweet. Mack is so betrayed and leaves. Maddie throws herself into writing the book. And the way she tries to reconnect with Mack is touching.

I liked the characters, I liked the plot. Mick had other issues with his sister that made him a sympathetic hero, and Maddie was chasing the truth to say goodbye to her mother. I really liked this story, I'd give it 4/5 stars.

Just because I want to share:

While I was in Houston this weekend, I went to Trader's Village - a huge outdoor flea-market and found a great little jewelry maker in a sword shop - The Pirates Cove. ThimbleNina does nice work and I purchased three necklaces!! I'm wearing the Boondock Saints necklace today:

Any Boondock Saints nerds out there? It's pretty cool - if you can't read it the back has that prayer they always say on it and it's on a black ribbon so it looks great.

I also bought one similar to this:

She's got some really good pin-up art and geeky stuff, as well as anime and feminine stuff. Seriously - go check her out!!!!

Happy New Year and Review: Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen

I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year celebration! I'm back from vacation and feeling refreshed; my book slump seems to be over and I'm excited about reading again! I read a few books on my kindle during the drive back and forth to Houston...I LOVE MY KINDLE!!!!

I've fallen a bit behind in reviews so I've got to get back into that - I don't think I did reviews of any of the books I read in December. My resolution at this point is to get back on track as far as reviews, figure out Goodreads and book blogs, and jump into Twitter. I downloaded Tweetdeck at home but then went to bed so I haven't looked at it to see what's what. Not sure if it's a good idea to download it at work as it seems to be addicting and my boss thinks I'm actually here to work, not just collect a paycheck.

Is anyone thinking about going to the Richelle Mead book signing on Jan. 16? I'd love to meet if anyone else will be there.

So, on to the review:





Poppy Calloway had two best friends as a child. They grew up inseperable, although their socioeconomic backgrounds were not the same. Once again, I unknowingly picked up the 2nd book in a series. I liked this book and will be going back for the first book, Cutting Loose. I found out today at Book Binge that Harlequin will not be publishing the 3rd book in the series, and all I can say is, WTF?


Poppy is on the neighborhood business board, and there was some vandalism by young spraypainters (taggers). The board is trying to decide if they want to press charges or not as the offenders are first-timers. The police officer the board invites to the discussion is Jason deSanges, who Poppy can't stand. He assisted them in the first book, and she finds him abrasive and rude. When Poppy wants to have the kids clean the damage and give them a wall to do art on, Jason disagrees. After a vote, it ends up that the kids will clean and have a wall, but Poppy and Jason will supervise to make sure they do a good job and don't get into trouble.


The three taggers are not thrilled but agree in order to escape having a police record. The night before they're supposed to begin, one of the taggers, Cory, witnesses a mob-sanctioned robbery. When she does her tagging, Cory dresses like a boy, so she hopes the mobster will be looking for a boy, not her. Cory's past has lead her to not trust the police, so she does not tell anyone what she witnessed.


Working with the kids is bringing Poppy and Jason closer. He's not as hard-ass as she originally thought and is actually good with the kids. He fights the attraction, as he was a foster-system child and doesn't think he's capable of love and knows Poppy is the kind of woman who deserves to be loved.


The story was interesting, told from Poppy's, Jason's, Corey's, and the mobser's point of view. The interconnecting storylines were good and I liked the characters. I felt like at one point Poppy and Jason moved a bit quickly, but honestly, in this day and age I think that might happen quite a bit in real life too. Her interactions with her two girlfriends was fun too, but the main focus was Poppy and Jason and Poppy and the kids. Normally I find kids in books annoying but these kids were part of the plotline and did not put me off at all.


I'd give this book 3 1/2 stars.