Darynda Jones' "The Trouble With Charley"

If you are in love with the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones, you need to make sure you've read this "in between" short on her website (here).

The series is about Charley Davidson, a reaper (yes ... Grim Reaper ... reaper) who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is friends (and more than friends) with Reyes ... who is the son of the Devil. He's hot. She's hot. When they get together ... it's more than hot. 


You really need to give this series a read and don't forget the short (link above) at Darynda's website.

Big Girls Do It Better (Big Girls Do series #1)

This book was free from Amazon.com here at the time of this blog’s publish date.

Book: Big Girls Do It Better (Big Girls Do series #1)

Author: Jasinda Wilder

Rating: X (for some explicit sexual content)

Bookshelves: 2013, BBW, erotica, fiction, Jasinda Wilder, rock star, romance, singer

Begun: January 2, 2013

Finished: January 2, 2013

Media Type: eBook (read on Kindle app on Nexus 7)

Setting: an urban setting

Characters: Anna Devine, Chase Delany, Jeff

Synopsis: “Two things get me into trouble: food, and my mouth. That’s how it all started with Chase: first food, then my mouth.” Wilder’s first book in the Big Girls Do series is a romp into Anna Devine’s affair with the sexy rocker Chase Delany. A karaoke DJ at a dive bar … called The Dive … Anna is struck when she literally stumbles into the tall, dark, and handsome Chase. She can’t understand why Chase wants to sit near her at the bar and why the heck he seems interested in her. She actually takes it as a joke. Why would a guy as hot as Chase be interested in a BBW like Anna? Could he really be into her?

Review: I liked Wilder’s Big Girls Do It Better. She portrayed Anna just as I think a strong BBW would be. Internally, she’s self-doubting and self-effacing as any respectable BBW is. Internally, us fat girls are a little fragile. Externally, Anna is a strong warrior who wears bustier and sexy shirts. I love Chase but I hope he doesn’t turn into a pansy or wreck Anna’s heart in later books in the series.

In my opinion, this book gets:

4 out of 5 stars

A great read I’d recommend to friends

The Gift (The Original Sinners series #0.5)

Book: The Gift (Previously issued under the name: Seven Day Loan) (The Original Sinners series #0.5)

Author: Tiffany Reisz

Rating: X (Explicit sexual content)

Bookshelves: 2012, Dom, erotica, fiction, sharing lovers, SMBD, Sub, Tiffany Reisz

Begun: December 24, 2012

Finished: December 24, 2012

Media Type: eBook (read as PDF file on Sony Vaio laptop)

Setting: New England

Characters: Eleanor, The Master, Daniel

Synopsis: While he goes on vacation, The Master is sharing his Sub with an old friend, Daniel. Daniel lost his wife (who was his Sub) five years ago and hasn’t had an easy time since then. Celebate since her death, Daniel is starved for affection. Can he find it with Sub Eleanor?

Review: This was a strange read. I definitely could tell that this was a part of a larger series. I just couldn’t tell where it was from (was a 0.5? or a 4.5? I couldn’t tell). Strong writing and characterization but weak on the details that would have made this novella a strong stand alone. Short and sweet … I might consider reading other books in this series but I don’t think I would go looking for these books unless I had nothing else to read.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Just ok read

Affaire Royale (Cordina series #1)

The updated cover of Affaire Royale

Book: Affaire Royale (Cordina series #1)

Author: Nora Roberts

Rating: M (Mature Audience – nothing out of the ordinary for a romance novel)

Bookshelves: 2012, Cordina, Cordina Royal Family, Cordina series, Europe, fiction, Nora Roberts, prince, princess, romance, royal family, royalty,

Begun: December 20, 2012

Finished: December 24, 2012

Media Type: paperback

Setting: Cordina (fictional country in Europe)

Characters: Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella de Cordina (Brie), Reeve MacGee, Armand de Cordina, Alexander de Cordina, Bennett de Cordina, Nanny Carlotta Baryshnova, Christina Hamilton, Eve Hamilton

The original cover of Affaire Royale
 (c.1993)

Synopsis: Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella de Cordina, known to her friends and family as Brie, was found running along a rural road like a woman possessed before she passed out. Coming back from the brink of death, Brie can’t remember anything. No one around her looks familiar; not her father, Prince Armand, ruler of Cordina, or her brothers Alexander and Bennett. Not even the handsome man who has come to protect her from an unknown danger. Reeve Bennett, wise and street savvy is the son of a friend whom Prince Armand went to college with. A former detective, Reeve was just a farmer looking forward to spending down time on the from porch of his farm house until the ruler of Cordina called his father to ask for a favor. He needed someone to play bodyguard to his eldest child, twenty-five year old, Brie, who was kidnapped while out on her own and held hostage at an undisclosed location for almost a week … biggest problem? Brie can’t remember anything from before waking up in a hospital surrounded by strangers! Can this streetwise America heartthrob help Her Serene Highness Gabriella? Or will Brie us her own skills to solve her mystery?

This is the compilation copy of books 1
through 3 that I am reading

Review: I liked this book. Knowing that it was one of Nora Robert’s earlier novels, I was a bit hesitant to read it. Some of her stuff from the 80s isn’t my cup of tea. This must have been one of the books where she began to flush out the bad writing and step more towards the author she is today. I like the intrigue and the amnesia-patient angle that we get out of Brie (and how she has to find her life out again like a jigsaw puzzle that’s been all jumbled up … and there is no picture on the front of the box). Her father is adamant that no one just … tell her … who she is. She’s got to do most of the “figuring out” on her own. That was a little bit annoying, to tell you the truth. The reader is just like: explain to her she is a princess with all the trappings and get it over with. Ultimately, you could figure out where the relationship with Brie and Reeve was going but I think Roberts let us simmer a little too long. You are told pretty early on that Reeve remembers and kind of lust after Brie after meeting her at her 16^th birthday/coming out party. Then, the reader has to wait to find out if Brie actually remembers meet him … ever.

This is definitely not one of Roberts' strongest books.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Good but not … great.

Wild About You (Love at Stake series #13)

Book: Wild About You (Love At Stake series #13)

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks

Rating: M (Mature Audience – nothing out of the norm for a romance novel)

Bookshelves: 2012, Alaska, bear, fiction, Love At Stake series, Kerrelyn Sparks, New York (upstate), old wives tales, paranormal romance, romance, shapeshifter, werewolf

Begun: December 4, 2012

Finished: December 6, 2012

Media Type: paperback book

Setting: coastal Alaska, upstate New York

Characters: Howard Barr, Elsa Bjornberg, Roman Draganesti, Shanna Whelan/Shanna Draganesti

Synopsis: Howard Barr is a former football playing hulk of a hunk who secretly lusts after the Amazonian Nordic beauty, Elsa Bjornberg. Blonde and beautiful, Elsa works for a DIY home-wrecking/remodeling TV show that has taken the job of revamping (pun COMPLETELY intended!!) Shanna and Roman Draganesti’s cabin near the Dragon’s Nest School. Shanna and Roman (as vampires) can’t oversee the remodel of their cabin during the day … but Howard (head of security at the school) can. Howard is FLOORED when he sees Elsa, in person, for the first time. For the first time in … ever … Elsa feels like a feminine woman around a man. Howard is a huge, six-foot-six beast of a beautiful man with gorgeous eyes and hands that makes Elsa want to forget the stories her family passed down from the old country about the berserkers who would eventually kill her. Howard’s biggest problem? He’s a bear-shifter … and one of the berserkers that Elsa’s family has warned her about. Can Elsa give in to her feeling for Howard? Can Howard save the beauty he’s come to love … even if it’s from himself?

Review: I love, love, love, love, love Kerrelyn Sparks and all of her books in the Love at Stake series. This was a great book that finally tackled Howard’s story. I’ve been waiting for Howard’s tale since I started reading this series a couple years ago. The only problem I saw in this book, I actually remember more compassion and emotion coming from Howard in some other books that only mentioned him as a side character. Sparks is a fantastic writer but I feel like Howard needed a little more attention and to be a little more rounded. I just think Howard was almost a little too flat. But Elsa was perfectly rounded. I can’t wait to hear more about them as the series continues on.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Perfect … just perfect.

Help Wanted (Fantasy Heights series #1)

This book was free on Amazon.com here as of the publish date of this blog.

Book: Help Wanted (Fantasy Heights series #1)

Author: Meg Silver

Rating: X (for mature audiences – explicit sexual content)

Bookshelves: 2013, burlesque, erotica, Fantasy Heights series, fiction, left at the altar, Meg Silver, USA

Begun: January 2, 2013

Finished: January 2, 2013

Media Type: eBook (read on Kindle app on Nexus 7)

Setting: undisclosed location (assumed USA)

Characters: Amanda, Stephanie Watson

Synopsis: Amanda is a woman looking to change her life. Looking for a new life has preoccupied Amanda’s life after her fiancé left her for her barely legal sister … at the altar. In a random little store, Amanda sees a postcard for a business looking for new employees, Fantasy Heights. After the owner of the store calls Stephanie Watson, the owner of Fantasy Heights, Amanda is sent up to the resort on the hill for an interview … a naked interview …

Review: A good, quick read which was very sassy and intriguing at points. I am interested in the character development of Amanda and the man she encounters in her first night of working at Fantasy Heights (and works with for a couple of weeks). The characters were not exactly flat but I think that if the story were longer that we (the readers) would get a better feel for the rounded-ness of each person instead what we do get which is interesting but not intriguing. I look forward to reading The New Girl, the second book in the Fantasy Heights series.

In my opinion, this book gets:

good book that I would recommend to other people

Hannah's Choice

Book: Hannah’s Choice

Author: Selena Kitt

Rating: X (for mature audiences – explicit sexual content)

Bookshelves: 2012, doctor’s exam, erotica, fiction, job interview, short story

Begun: October 12, 2012

Finished: October 12, 2012

Media Type: eBook (read on iBooks on iPhone 4)

Setting: doctor’s office – location undisclosed

Characters: Hannah McLean, Dr. Ralph Schultz

Synopsis: Hannah was given information about a new position opening at an undisclosed location by a headhunter. She was told the receptionist position would be paying $250,000 a year. And part of the interview included a doctor’s exam … a sexual exam …

Review: This short story was hot, hot, hot. Very well written and very explicit. I wanted to know more about the rich businessman that Hannah was interviewing for. It was kind of weird too at the end. She just walks out and decides not to finish the job interview/take the job. Why wouldn't Selena Kitt take the story to the next level and go through the story and flush it out. I’d love to know more about Hannah and the business man who had all these requirements for his receptionist.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Would read again

Connections

This book was free on Amazon.com here as of the publish date of this blog.

Book: Connections

Author: Selena Kitt

Rating: M (for mature audiences – sexual content)

Bookshelves: 2013, fiction, lies, Kindle, Michigan, mommy issues, romance, USA,

Begun: January 1, 2013

Finished: January 1, 2013

Media Type: eBook (read on Kindle app on Nexus 7)

Setting: Michigan (USA)

Characters: Seth, Cathy

Synopsis: Cathy collects phone books and likes to randomly call phone numbers. This is her day to day life, calling strangers and listening to Bob Dylan with her fish. One day, she happens upon Seth, a college student who mistook Cathy for another Cathy he knew. They talk every day and develop a strange friendship.

Review: This was the strangest short story I’ve read in a long, long time. I couldn’t say that I liked Cathy. She was weird and very needy. She clearly had issues other than the mommy issues she expressed a couple of times. When she finally physically meets Seth (who we really don’t get to know all too well) whom she’s been talking to on the phone for a while, she jumps right into bed with him. That’s a classic response for a person with issues. I can’t say I liked this book or would recommend it to anyone else.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Not a good read and would not recommend it to someone else

Bibliophile

A Scandal, A Secret, A Baby/Marriage Scandal: Showbiz Baby!

This book was read as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) provided for free by the publisher.

Book: A Scandal, A Secret, A Baby/Marriage Scandal: Showbiz Baby!

Author: Sharon Kendrick

Rating: M (for Mature Audiences – nothing that you would find in your run of the mill romance novel)

Bookshelves: 2012, alpha male, baby, England, fiction, Italy, Singapore, surprise pregnancy

Begun: December 26, 2012

Finished: December 27, 2012

Media Type: eBook (read on Kindle app on Nexus 7)

Setting: England, Italy, Singapore

Characters: Justina Perry, Dante D’Arezzo

Synopsis: Justina Perry was on top of the world five years ago: a member of a hot all-girl British pop band and dating the delectable Dante D’Arezzo. Now, she’s just another celebrant at the wedding of her friend and former band mate. It should have been an easy night of celebration but then she was confronted by Dante who she hadn’t seen since they broke up. Dante knows Justina looks better than ever and Justina can’t forget the love and lust she felt with her man. Eight months after the night of passion, Dante sees Justina on the news … looking decidedly pregnant. Is the baby his?

Review: Great quick read. There were actually two books in one for this novel. Both of them were great. Well written and very detailed characterizations. I love romance novels where I can read and actually feel heart sick for the heroine or the hero. Justina is definitely the bane of an alpha male’s existence but at the same time, the reader can see the softer side of her that is hidden (obviously) from Dante. Great read. I would definitely recommend it to others and will go in search of other Kendrick novels.

In my opinion, this book gets:

4 out of 5 stars (good book that I'd pick up again and recommend to friends)

Wild for the Sheriff (The Sisters of Bell River Ranch series #1)

This book was read as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) provided for free by the publisher.

Book: Wild for the Sheriff (The Sisters of Bell River Ranch series #1)

Author: Kathleen O’Brien

Rating: M (for Mature Audiences – nothing that you would find in your run of the mill romance novel)

Bookshelves: 2012, bad girl/nice boy, child abuse history, Colorado, fiction, police romance, 

Begun: December 27, 2012

Finished: December 28, 2012

Media Type: eBook (read on Kindle app on Nexus 7)

Setting: Bell River Ranch in Colorado

Characters: Rowena Wright, Bree Wright, Penny Wright, Johnny Wright, Moira Wright, Alec Garwood, Dallas Garwood, Bonnie, Mitch Garwood

Synopsis: Fifteen years after she left, Rowena Wright has returned to Bell River Ranch. Her family home is steeped in history and not the best kind. At a young age, Rowena came home to find her mother’s mangled body at the bottom of the staircase and her father being hauled off by the police. This on the heels on being caught with Bell River’s saint incarnate and prodigal son, Dallas Garwood, in the back of his pickup. Can Bell River handle the return of wild child Rowena? Can Sheriff Dallas?

Review: I’ve never read a book by Kathleen O’Brien but I can definitely say that I’ll pick up more by her in the future. The history and the backstory was very well crafted and the characters seemed three dimensional, almost like someone that you might know from down the street. I liked the infusing of Alec who gave humor and great counterpoint to the serious Dallas. Mitch, Dallas’s older brother, is like a grown up Alec. Mitch and Bonnie’s relationship (and Bonnie’s mysterious backstory) was very intriguing and I can’t wait to read more about her (and Mitch) in future books. I hope O’Brien doesn’t let me down.

In my opinion, this book gets:

4 out of 5 stars (good book that I'd pick up again and recommend to friends)

Dealing Her Final Card

This book was read as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) provided for free by the publisher.

Book: Dealing Her Final Card

Author: Jennie Lucas

Rating: M (for Mature Audiences – nothing that you would find in your run of the mill romance novel)

Bookshelves: 2012, fiction, gambling, Hawaii, romance, Russia

Begun: December 22, 2012

Finished: December 23, 2012

Media Type: eBook (read on Kindle app on Nexus 7)

Setting: Hawaii, Alaska, Russia

Characters: Bree Dalton, Josie Dalton, Vladimir Xendzov, Kasimir Xendzov,

Synopsis: Bree Dalton is thrown back into the life that she tried to escape. One mistake by her younger sister, Josie, and Bree finds herself gambling with a group of men to get her sister’s $100,000 back (a $100k that the sisters don’t have to begin with!). What the men gambling don’t know is that Bree’s father was a con man of the highest caliber and he taught his eldest daughter everything he knew about pulling a con, playing cards and calling bluffs. The problem? One of the men at the table knows Bree from way, way back. Prince Vladimir Xendzov was Bree’s first love and first lover. When she loses to him in a final winner takes everything game, she wonders what is going to happen to her now that Vladimir all but owned her. And what will happen to her heart now that she is his again?

Review: This was the first time I've read anything by Jennie Lucas and I think (no I know) that I wouldn't hesitate to grab another book by her. She’s a fantastic author who weaved great detail into this novel. I could really feel the depth of Bree’s love for Vladimir and her devotion to her sister (and even to the memory of her father). The ending was perfectly paced and well written. Lucas does an excellent job of setting the stage for Josie’s book (which I can’t wait to read!).

In my opinion, this book gets:

4 out of 5 stars (nearly perfect)