Sunday, March 28, 2010

Going Overboard (SEALS/Code Name series #2)

Going Overboard (SEAL and Code Name, 2) Going Overboard by Christina Skye


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Carly Sullivan is a world renowned photographer and cinematographer with a huge problem. She's shooting what she is sure will be a fantastic commercial for a cruise ship company (why do all of Christina Skye's novels take place on or have a major part to play on a cruise ship).

Problem? The actor they hired is not camera-worthy. So she needs to find a fill in ... a sexy fill in.

Ford McKay was just looking for a little R&R from his SEAL days. He wasn't looking to become an actor ... or start a new job. But then Izzy calls (I love Izzy - I can't wait for his book).

McKay needs to protect Carly from an international ass who is bound and determined to take control of San Marino (where Carly's best friend and adoptive uncle rule). When she gets caught in the cross hairs, McKay will save her butt or lose his heart.

Going Overboard is a good action-romance ... more action than romance but not terrible in either category.

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Friday, March 26, 2010

The Playboy Sheikh's Virgin Stable-Girl (The Royal House of Karedes, #2)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

World renowned as a playboy, a womanizer, and a bed hoper, Prince Kaliq Al'Faris of Calistan has everything. He's got women. He's not the king but he can reap all the benefits of being in the royal line. He's got his beautiful home. He's got his horses and his polo. He's got everything.

Until the day that he rides into a small village across the desert from his royal home. There he gambles with a local who owns one of the finest horses in all the world.

Raised from a foal, Eleni loves her horses and the horse the prince has just won in a game of poker the most. When he comes to the stables to claim his prize, Eleni insists that the horse will turn into an ill-tempered brute if he leaves her side, thus convincing Kaliq that Eleni too must be brought to the palace.

But soon, her lithe body and gorgeous "true Calistan" eyes of pure jade green turn Kaliq's fancy and he quicky becomes obsessed with the beauty of the young girl. After bedding her the first time, he makes sure she knows that this isn't love ...

but Eleni is already gone. She can't help it. She can see beneath the prince's harsh exterior. And what's a girl in love to do.

Sharon Kendrick's The Playboy Sheikh's Virgin Stable-Girl has a truly tacky name. But that can't be helped. It's an ok book. I don't find much fault in it. I can't. It enhances the story line of the diamonds and keeps things moving. A good beach book.


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Switch

The Switch The Switch by Lynsay Sands


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Beth and Charlie are caught red handed. Or red ... dressed. Trying the sneak out the window of an inn that they and their uncle are staying at, Lord Jeremy William Radcliff comes upon them and berates them for trying to leave the inn without paying. Charlie is dressed as a boy even though she is a girl.

The pair (identical twins) explain that they are running away from their uncle (who is their guardian) because he is marrying one of them off to a brutal man who only wants to sire a son and is suspected of already killing two of his wives.

Lord Radcliff immediately takes the pair under his wings, traveling with them to London. Here's the problem. Because he is under the impression that Charlie is a boy, Charlie has to sleep with him (in the same bed) at the first inn they stay at.

Radcliff is perplexed. He loves women, in all shapes and forms and in all quantities. But suddenly, he is feeling more than friendship for the little slip of a boy, Charlie. So he takes him to a brothel (a disaster) and then a gambling parlor (where Charlie wins a boatload of money). But even as Radcliff tries to make a man out of the boy, he's feeling more and more "unnatural" emotions for him.

Throughout the book, Charlie and Beth switch back and forth between who is playing the boy and no matter who is which gender for the day, Radcliff seems attracted to Charlie (whether she is dressed as a boy or a girl).

This book is ok. Amusing at times but nothing to drop other books and start this one over.

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Billionaire Prince, Pregnant Mistress (Royal House of Karades series #1)

Billionaire Prince, Pregnant Mistress (Harlequin Presents) Billionaire Prince, Pregnant Mistress by Sandra Marton


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Sandra Marton's beginning to the Royal House of Karades series is a alright one. Not perfect but alright.

Sandra Marton does a great job of setting up the history of the two feuding royal houses which live on neighboring islands in the Mediterranean and were both once ruled under one royal monarch. Then, because of a fight between the children of the dying monarch in the mid-1900s, the Royal House was split and the Royal jewels with them.

Billionaire Prince, Pregnant Mistress is the story of jewelry maker Maria Santos (who I swear was the name of a character on All My Children in the mid-90s) who comes to Aristo to design and make the centerpiece item that will be presented to the queen on her 60th birthday.

After presenting her ideas to the crown, she walks around the city and meets the most beguiling stranger she's ever met. After a world wind wine and dine, she and the man hook up. But he overhears her speaking with her assistant, Joaquim, back in NYC, and he misunderstands some of her words and intension, thinking that she knew him to be a prince of Aristo and that she was bedding him to get a leg up in the competition.

Not so. But the crown passes her over for another designer ...

Until the queen changes her mind and wants Maria back and sends Prince Alexandros to collect her. In collecting her, he demands her presence in Aristos and in his bed. Angry beyond belief, Maria goes because her career demands it.

But slowly, she's falling for the arrogant and bushy oaf. And then, she realizes that she's pregnant. How will the Royal family and Prince Alexandros react to this news?

Like I said. It's a good first book. But I hope the rest of the series is better.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Always

Always (Leisure Historical Romance) Always by Lynsay Sands


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rosamunde is the bastard daughter of the king of England. Training to become a nun, she has lived at the convent with the sisters for her entire life. That is, until her father shows up with a terrific specimen of the male physique (or what she assumes is a great example since she really has never met such a man or warrior before) and tells her that she is to marry.

Rosamunde is one day away from taking her vows as a nun when Aric shows up, marries her and consummates the marriage. She's bewildered by the man and what it means to be his wife.

King Henry insisted Aric marry his beautiful daughter, the product of the one woman, albeit a mistress, that he had loved. He knew that someone was out to kill him and possibly all those he loved to take the throne from him. What he didn't know was how soon it would happen.

Rosamunde and Aric go to the estate that King Henry gave the pair as a wedding tribute and begin to set things in order when the Bishop of Shrewsbury shows up with news that the king is dead.

Throughout the novel, we get a glimpse into Rosamunde and Aric's characters. Aric was cuckolded by a former woman with whom he was betroved. He fears that Rosamunde will cheat on him too ... in the exact same fashion ... in the stables with a stable boy or master. The problem is that although Rosamunde was never educated in how to care for a household, she is a wunderkind when it comes to animals, husbandry and veterinary care. So when Aric forbids her from attending the animals any longer, Rosamunde is lost.

Always is not one of Lynsay Sands's best. It's actually pretty much one of the ones I would catagorize as her worst. But as always with Lynsay Sands, because everything she writes is pretty awesome, Always is still up there in comparison with other novels.

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Monday, March 8, 2010

2000 Kisses (SEAL/Code Name series #1)

2000 Kisses (SEAL and Code Name, 1) 2000 Kisses by Christina Skye


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's the new millennium and EVERYONE'S worried about Y2K taking down the computers and the ATMs and THE WORLD! (sorry, I think this is hysterical and I did back in 2000 too when everyone thought it was going the be the end of the modern world as we knew it!)

Tess O'Mara's a modern woman with modern wants. She the head of ... well ... she's a PR guru. I don't know how else to describe her. She's the shit when it comes to her stuff though. And she's just sold out every port of the cruise ship that she was working on the campaign for. She makes everything she touches gold. And her boss is giving her a bonus ...

Then comes Jan. 1, 2000.

Tess decides to check her ATM account and withdraw some funds. But to her surprise (a very pleasant surprise) there are 1,000,000 reasons she needs to go on a shopping trip. A new hairstyle, a leather jacket, some clothes and a baby blue convertible later, Tess calls her brother in Washington to ask about the strange amount of money she's received after the bank can't track where the credit to her account came from.

Turns out something very illegal is going on and Tess has been caught up in the middle of it because of a Y2K glitch. Her brother wants her some place safe where an old friend will watch over her.

That place is Almost, Arizona (aka East-Cupcake-ville). And the friend that is going to be watching over Tess is ... well, think Mel Gibson in the late 80s/early 90s.

T.J. McCall is hot ... and tired ... and sick of trouble. That's why the ex-Secret Service agent is now the sheriff of the town out in the middle of no where, but after an old friend, Andy O'Mara, calls him asking for help with his baby sister, T.J. knows he's in for it.

The tension between these two sizzles and sparkles. My only problem with the book was that at times Tess seems to have these "spells" where she is halucinating that she is in the old West (I'm talking back when the Native Americans ran the place and the whitemen hadn't even been seen on the shore of New England, yet). Then all of a sudden ... nothing. They go away. She can't explain it ... no one can. They don't even bring it up again. That was a little bit of a problem to be but all in all, this was a good start to the Seal/Code Name series.

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Sunday, March 7, 2010

Her Royal Wedding Wish

Her Royal Wedding Wish (Harlequin Romance) Her Royal Wedding Wish by Cara Colter


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Princess Shoshauna (I only know how to pronounce this because this is Jerry Seinfeld's wife's name) is getting married today.

Jake Ronan hates weddings. But as the best of the best in his military special ops team, Ronan is scheduled to look after the Princess during her ceremony in the fictitious country of B'Ranasha.

Problem is ... the Princess really doesn't want to get married. She wants to cut her hair, wear shorts and cook all by herself. Pampered all her life, Shoshauna just wants to be like every other twenty-one year old (which ironically, every twenty-one year old is looking to be someone's princess, right?).

When a gunman storms the wedding and fires a few shots, Ronan leaps into action (literally) and takes off with the Princess to a secluded island where she will be safe until they find out who the person or people are behind the plot.

This is a tale of awakening and discovery. Shoshauna discovers what it's like to be normal. She cuts her hair, gets a bikini and a sunburn and, the one thing she's always dreamed of, a friend.

Ronan is in hell. Shoshauna is trying her hardest to be his friend and all he can think of doing is pulling the raven haired beauty down into the sands of the tropical island getaway and kissing her senseless. But she has be kept safe at all costs ... even if that's at the cost of Ronan's heart.

Great read. Very quick and well written even for a Harlequin Romance. I am a fan of Cara Colter so the fact that I really liked this book didn't come as that big of a surprise!

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Simon's Cat

Simon's Cat Simon's Cat by Simon Tofield


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Simon's Cat is a hilarious little comic (reminiscent of the Garfield comics that you could find everywhere in the late 80s/early 90s).

Based off the internet phenomenon, Simon's Cat, which can be found on YouTube, the book gives us a little more insight into the wacko adventures of Simon and his unnamed cat.

We learn that:
yes, Simon's cat is always hungry.
yes, Simon's cat hates Simon's sister's dog.
yes, Simon's cat LOVES birds ... for dinner.
yes, Simon's cat loves koi fish from the back pond more.
yes, Simon's cat does have a best friend and it's the fishing Garden gnome that lives by the pond.
yes, Simon's cat is a sadistic little f***er who likes to toss fruit at the family of hedgehogs and laugh when they get caught on their spines.

All in all ... a great "bathroom read" - as in take it into the bathroom and leave it there to flip through when you're ... well you know.

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If you are interested in seeing more of Simon's Cat, these are a few of my favorites:
1. This is the first one I ever saw and I laughed so hard my boss thought I was having a seizure:

2. This one ... well ... let's just say I think I saw one of my cats do this to my dad about 10 years ago!:

Stay The Night (Darkyn series #7)

Stay the Night (Darkyn, #7) Stay the Night by Lynn Viehl


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It seems that Lynn Viehl is trying to take the route of J.R. Ward and turn what was a good paranormal romance series into a mediocre urban fantasy.

Mediocre. That's what Stay the Night had written all over it. This was to be Robin and Chris's novel but just like Lover Enshrined(which was everybody's book but Phury's) this is everybody's book but theirs.

We figure out pretty early that Rob (or Robin) is Robin of Locksley (aka Robin Hood). And he's got a grudge against his cousin, Guy (who is Sherwood - of Sherwood Forrest fame). But we don't find out until MUCH later why.

Then there's Chris Renshaw who is a FBI agent. We don't get all the details but they are setting up a sting to capture a criminal known as the Magician. (This Magician as you can guess is Robin). But upon scoping out a bar to meet the Magician, Chris runs into Robin. Robin tries to work his Kyn flower power on her and it doesn't work. But he still propositions her to spend the night with him in his swanky downtown Atlanta highrise condo.

Of course Chris goes even though we aren't given a lot to work with on her emotional provocation for this. They kiss for a while and then she wakes up the next day. We are completely cut out of the equation. In Lynn Viehl's previous books, we were always given insight into the characters (why Valentin did this, what Jayr was thinking at this point in time, and what the impetus for Michael's actions on this matter were). But we were given NOTHING to go on for this story.

At one point, Chris even mentions his "vine tattoo" around his neck that someone had kind of messed up. Now it took me a while to figure out that he didn't really have a messed up tattoo. He is Kyn. He's allergic to copper and someone clearly tried to garrote him with barbed wire made from copper.

There is a plot even though it's murky. Our suspicions on Jayr's parentage are confirmed. And there is more of Michael and Alexandra's relationship shown and expanded upon than anyone's.

Seriously, the best part of this whole novel was the "scene" between Michael's second, Phillipe, and the second of a Chinese Kyn. Though it's not my cup of tea, the male on male action was the best written of the whole novel.

And to hear that this novel will be the last in the Darkyn series makes me think that Lynn Viehl was just trying to get the book finished and off to her publishers. I was very disappointed in this one.

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