TBR Pile

                          

Chains of Fire by Christina Dodd


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The latest of the Chosen Ones series is the best so far. Samual Faa and Isabelle Mason have been at each other's throats since the beginning of the series but until now, no one knew the depth of their feelings. This is the best of love/hate relationships. Though both were adopted and grew up in the same house, their upbringing couldn't have been more different.


Isabelle is the protected daughter of one of America's first families and takes her obligations very seriously; while Samuel is a gyspy of indetermintae origin and also the butler's son. They have been connected since their first meaning and the connection has only grown stronger thru the years despite their continual betrayal of eachother.


I love the way Dodd takes us back to where Sam and Isabelle began; it gives the reader a chance to know the characters better but at the same times, stays within the action of the story. Each one of novels builds from the last---both they myth of the Chosen Ones and the personal connection between the characters. Another thing that is wonderful about the Chosen Ones series is the weave of world myth, the battle of good versus evil, and the presence of God. Dood does this in a very subtle way, as not to smash the reader in the face with a message but still managing to connect and anchor the entire story to a Christian senssbility (or at least that's what I got from it).


Great book and I can't wait for the next in the series. I hope it's about Charisma and Alekandr, which would prove to be a complicated and satisfying story.




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TBR

Storm of Shadows, Chains of Ice and Chains of Fire, all by Christina Dodd. Now that I have all of these, I can start reading in succession.

Delaney's Desert Sheikh by Brenda Jackson


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was the one that started it all: The Westmoreland's. It was also the first AA that I'd seen from this imprint and I searched high and low for this book and finally bought it from an Ebay seller.  Delaney and Jamal are on a collision course with one another and neither one of them is going to give up the upperhand. Jamal is one of the sexiest men that Jackson has ever put down on paper (except for Ashton Sinclair); he's the son of a sheikh and will someday rule in his father'a place which is why falling for Delaney is not such a good idea. For Delaney, the baby of the Westmoreland clan and a medical student,  her romance with Jamal couldn't have come at a worse time.
This is my favorite in the Westmoreland series.

 I wonder why it took me so long to read this book. I saw it mentioned somewhere and checked it out from my local library; I've had this book checked out for almost two months and never read it. Finally, I made myself open it up. I was instantly amazed and finished in two days.
I don't even know how to describe what happens in this book except to say that it's a path to wisdom. Santiago is a shepherd who is called upon to go on a journey  to find a treasure but the treasure is not what he thinks it is. He encounters a king, a merchant, an alchemist, and a desert warrior who all teach him something different about the nature of wisdom.

This is another book for the shelves. Put this along side other modern classics, Beloved, The Heart of Darkness, Things Fall Apart, and 100 Years of Solitude.

Divorced, Desperate and Dating (Romantic Mysteries):Amazon:Kindle Store

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=mp_s_a_3?qid=1285218586&a=B002FDLNME&sr=1-3

Nauti and Wild by Lora Leigh


Super, seriously HOT stories.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars







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Kindle Free Read: Compromising Positions

Downloaded this as a free read on Kindle on 9/15 and was pleasantly surprised to find that, despite the suggestive cover and synopsis, this turned out to be a well rounded, emotional ride. It's a classic case of girl sees and loves boy from afar, he thinks of her as a friend, and then they have a chance to get to know one another. And sparks fly.
Sophie has turned her life upside down in order to help her older sister run her health club but having David, the object of her affection and her sister's hatred, help her teach a couple's only yoga class is just too much. Soon David is sweating bullets due to Sophie's teaching abilities and Sophie isn't playing fair at all. There is some serious sexiness going on between these two but it's not all fluff and kissing. Both of these characters have some serious issues to get through and it's an emotional journey for the both of them.

Great read.

Brenda Jackson: What a Westmoreland Wants

Aussie Callum Austell has been hanging around the Denver Westmorelands for three years and now it's time to go home...but not without his future wife. Of course, Gemma Westmoreland never knew that she was a candidate for the position.
Brenda Jackson, once again, delivers classic romance and sex appeal in What a Westmoreland Wants. Callum has been working on Ramsey Westmoreland's sheep ranch in Denver for three years, all the while waiting for Ram's sister, Gemma, to realize that he's in love with her. Gemma has never given her attraction to the oh-so-fine Callum much thought but all that changes when Callum makes an offer that seems to good to be true. Callum wants Gemma on his turf and once she's there, he has her right where he wants her. But Callum underestimated the power that Gemma would have over him.
What a Westmoreland Wants is another of Jackson's nearly larger-than-life romances. Jackson's men are way down to earth, successful and fine and her women are no shrinking violets. Jackson's female characters (especially those born a Westmoreland) are sassy and very sure of themselves. I love the fact the women are not trying to figure out who they are as individuals in the midst of the novel; the conundrum comes in trying to find out how they'll fit in a new relationship.
Another great buy. Can't wait for Derringer, Bane and the other Denver Westmoreland's.

Win a Trip for 2 to Paris From Travel Channel

Win a Trip for 2 to Paris From Travel Channel

Now Reading...

Teach Me Tonight by Jacqueline Thomas and The Bodyguard ( Cherry Adair, Gena Showalter, and Lorie O'Clare)

September Sizzles

September Sizzles…

September Sizzles…

September Sizzles…

Guest blogging… Zoe Archer

Guest blogging… Zoe Archer

Surrender My Love by Johanna Lindsey


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Found a copy of this for sale at the library and had to have it. I cut my romance reading teeth on Johanna Lindsey. My first was Savage Thunder and I think I read that book in the dark a thousand times.
Lindsey's Viking series set the bar; I compare all other novels of the same subject to hers. These were books where you could really judge by the cover. Those covers made Fabio famous and women everywhere very, very happy.
In this book, Selig is looking for revenge against the Danish Erika for ordering him lashed. As handsome as Selig is, he is also a insulting, chauvinistic ass and it really got to her. No Selig's family hates her as well and turns a blind eye to his revenge against her. However along the way, Selig sees his error and can't help but to fall for his new slave. Huge, sexy Vikings fighting and conquering makes for a wonderful re-read.




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What Love Tastes Like by Zuri Day

 Apparently, love is pretty tasty, not to mention fulfilling.  Tiffany Matthews is about to have an experience of a lifetime while travelling to Rome to study under a master chef. What she doesn't expect is for a man for every woman's fantasy to help her out of a difficult situation. Dominique Rollins is intrigued by the young woman clutching a tattered teddy bear while boarding an international flight; even more so when he actually meets her. Nick is supposed to be on vacation before the opening of his boutique hotel in Los Angeles, not picking up pretty women in the airport. Needless to say, he can't seem to help himself. Even after a promising beginning Nick and Tiffany part ways in Rome but meet again back in the States. Tiffany is the immovable object and Nick is definitely an irresistible force. Nick has to battle Tiffany's aversion to workaholics in order to win her over.
What Love Tastes Like is a sexy read, typical of Zuri Day. I do think that if I was a friend of Tiffany's should would make me pull my hair out in frustration. She was as stubborn as a mule but her best friend Joy and grandmother are present to give her a dose of common sense and wisdom. Nick, on the other hand, is a character who is a bit too laid back with his ex-girlfriend but sees the error of his ways in the end. I like this book alot and will be purchasing any other of Zuri Day's work in the future.

The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medeiros


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Emma Marlowe is getting married to a very rich, Scottish earl. It's just that he's old enough to be her great-grandfather. But her family is getting nearer and nearer to the poor house, so Emma sacrifices her future happiness to save her family. Jamie Sinclair is getting his revenge. On a very rich, Scottish earl and his future bride. So begins a tale of an adventure into the Scottish Highlands with a kidnapped bride and her roguish captor. I'll leave the rest of the tale for you to read and enjoy.

While reading this book, I kept looking for the ever-present references to the English/Scottish wars and battles that seem to plague most of the books with a similar setting. I was quite surprised and delighted to find that Medeiros only mentioned the war with Longshanks once (which at this point had taken place 500 years in the past) and there weren't drawn out explanations of the battle strategies and political climate of the times. I love it that what happened in THE DEVIL WEARS PLAID did not require a trip to London for a session with the House of Lords or a bunch of other historical filler to make the story work. The story is simple but well written and thoroughly entertaining. Most readers seem to like the opening scene, however, I am more a fan of the ending.






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Lessons From A Younger Man by Zuri Day

 Gwen is moving back home at forty. Her husband has found a younger woman and Gwen's mother is showing signs of dementia, so she moves from her job as a teacher in Chicago back to a small hamlet in Northern California. What Gwen finds there is her best friend, an old crush, and the finest man she's ever laid eyes on. Ransom Blake is a long-haired, caramel skinned warrior of a man who is instantly intrigued by Gwen but she's afraid of her attraction for him. Pretty soon she finds that she can't resist Ransom but there are some people who don't like their budding relationship. This is a classic May/December romance but Ms. Day slips some surprises in that throw everything for a serious loop.

I purchased this title in March 2010 when it first released and loved it. Amazon (as of 9/1/2010) has the book listed as a free download, so I downloaded it to my Kindle app for Android. This book is definitely worth reading a second time.

Gonna check out Zuri Day's new release, What Love Tastes Like (September 1, 2010).