ARC Review of The Game and the Governess by Kate Noble

The Game and the Governess was unfortunately not my favorite book. The story began on really strong footing. The plot was awesome and Noble did an excellent job of delivering what appeared to be a great story until the final portion of the book. There was a part where the real Mr. Turner gets shot while posing as someone else, that is the part that marked the turn from great to not great. I found it a little puzzling how the story could have lost me so quickly and yet so far in. I have read most of Kate Noble's previous books and not experienced anything like that before. I will say that I did find the metamorphosis the hero undergoes a thing of beauty up until that point but then bam, he seemed to revert.  I will also sadly say that although Noble did a fantastic job with most of the book, I just couldn't get on board with the final bit and I probably would not recommend this book. I will however keep watching for her future work as I have enjoyed her previous stuff immensely.
I need to add that someone else may absolutely love this book while I didn't so here's to happy reading...

Review of How To Lose A Lord In 10 Days Or Less by Elizabeth Michels

I was given a copy of  How To Lose A Lord In 10 Days Or Less by Elizabeth Michels in exchange for an honest review. I have read the first two books in her Tricks of the Ton series and loved them. I would say the first book in this series, Must Love Dukes, was a solid 4 stars. The second installment in the series, Desperately Seeking Suzanna, came in at about 4 1/2 stars for me. This final installment is an honest 3 1/2 stars.  It had a lot of promise and a great plot. I was expecting a lot more when I started this story and now I feel strangely deflated. I am not sure what happened exactly but I know the lead female character Kate was not my favorite. I had a really hard time getting around that but continued trying to love the story. Next came Amberstall, a returning character that I personally felt a little predisposed to dislike. Surprise, surprise! I really loved him. Michels did an excellent job of showing new sides to the previously stiff and proper lord. I have to be honest and just say I thought he was an a** in the previous books but by the end of this one Andy (Amberstall) became one of my favorite male leads from this series. The story itself was well written and contained the requisite elements but they failed to really hook me.  There was a point in the story that involved a spoon down a dress that had me suppressing tears of mirth but that trend didn't flow well throughout the story. Despite my best effort I just couldn't fall love with it. All in all I have to say it was an okay read and just a little disappointing only because of her previous books were stellar. I will still be waiting to see What Elizabeth Michels comes out with next. She truly is an excellent writer. Here's to happy reading.....

Tentative schedule and news

I have a tentative schedule and line up of books for the next few reviews. I just finished up Elizabeth Michels How To Lose A Lord In 10 Days Or Less.The review for it will be posted tonight. Next up is The Game And The Governess by Kate Nobel. Then I have Two more books lined up for July reviews. They are each part of a different series, one by Molly O'Keefe and the other is by Anna Sullivan. I am also super busy trying to get kids through their final summer activities and ready for school. Not to mention planning for the three family birthdays that are less than two weeks away. I will post as often as possible but that may be limited and sporadic until the second week of August.
That brings me to my other bit of news. I am currently trying to find one or two people interested in doing reviews with me. I am not opposed to longer reviews either so if you are interested in sharing your love of books leave a comment with a way to contact you. I myself like the mystery of being only given a blurb, basic outline, cover shot, and being told it is good but I also do appreciate other types of reviews that give more, mine tend to be more recommendations than anything. So I have a list that is really long of books that will take me through October. Hope to here from some of you. Here's to happy reading.....

Review of Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

I will keep this short and sweet. I gave this book 4 stars and would recommend it to anyone.  I will be honest and tell you that I had a little trouble getting in to the story in the beginning. About a quarter of the way through the book I became hooked. Ms Sandro has an absolutely fantastic story here. It moved along and wasn't totally predictable which is great. I think it will appeal to fans of the Sookie Stackhouse or Chicagoland vampire series. That is not a generalization of the story because the setting is in the bayou or because it contains supernatural ingredients with a mystery. Something in the writing reminded me a bit of the books from those two series but in a totally original way. Malaise LaCroix is an interesting character who eventually held my attention until the end of the book. Her dilemma with George (or Georgie)and Landry add a dynamic to the story that honestly kept me guessing. I can appreciate the fact that she just wanted to be normal and have a life. Seeing dead people is kind of a dis-qualifier for living a normal life. I am excited to read her next book that comes out next month. I should also say that I myself wouldn't technically classify this as a romance although it did contain a few of the elements for fans of that genre. It made a great change up from my usual reads and I hope you give it a chance. Here's to happy reading...

*** Hot Shot Book Blitz and Giveaway ***

Welcome Lovelies! Today we are helping Lynn Raye Harris celebrate her new book, Hot Shot. It is number 5 in the Hostile Operations Team Novels or otherwise known as her H.O.T. series. We have an excerpt from this sexy new book and to celebrate there is a giveaway going on. You can enter below for a chance to win a Coach Park Leather Tote filled with autographed copies of the Hot series. Yay! I love new books and let's face it, we can all use more hot military men and what lady doesn't love a new handbag? It's also a great way to pass the dog days of summer, hot days and hotter reads. So with out further ado, congratulations to Lynn on the release of her new book and here's to happy reading.....

Summary

Cool under pressure... Until now.

Hostile Operations Team sniper Jack "Hawk" Hunter is cool, methodical, and utterly lethal. Nothing rattles Jack's calm. But that was before he learned he fathered a child three years ago--a child who has just been kidnapped.

Gina Domenico is a superstar, a pop sensation with a string of hit records. But deep inside, she's still the lonely girl she's always been. When Jack saved her from an arms dealer, they spent three unforgettable days together waiting for rescue--and Gina fell hard for the sexy soldier before he walked away forever.

But now she needs his help and she'll do anything to get it. Though Jack can never forgive Gina for keeping his child from him, he'll do everything in his power--and HOT's--to bring their son home safely.

Nothing is what it seems, however, and their fates hang in the balance as someone else pulls the strings...and brings them ever closer to an explosive confrontation that could either save their son--or cost them everything.

Excerpt

A few minutes later Jack came into the bedroom. She thought she should tell him to knock first or something, but she didn’t have the energy. The barriers that would normally be there between her and a man just weren’t there with Jack.

“You didn’t eat enough on the plane. I ordered room service.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Gina.” He walked into the room and stopped in front of her. His blue eyes roamed her face while her heart kicked up. When he met her eyes again, her breath hitched. “You have to rest and you have to eat. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and you need to be strong. That’s one of the rules on a mission. Take care of yourself or you’re no good to your team.”

“I’m not part of your team. I’m just me.”

“You aren’t alone on this. We’re here, and that makes you part of the team. I’m ordering you to eat, same as I’d order my spotter or anyone else under my authority, and then I’m ordering you to rest.”

“I’m not under your authority.” Maybe she should be angry at the way he was talking to her, but she was oddly touched. God, just blame it on stress and a situation outside her control. She needed to push this man away, but she couldn’t seem to do it.

“Think of this like the island. I’m the one with the experience. I know what I’m doing. I got you out of there, didn’t I?”

She nodded.

“Trust me to get you out of here too, okay?”

“All right.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “You gonna eat when the food gets here?”

“Depends on what you ordered. I hate squash, for instance.”

“Then I’ll call and cancel the squash sandwich.”

She couldn’t help but laugh even though it had an edge that could turn into panic at any moment. “You didn’t order anything of the sort.”

“No.” He backed away and reached for the door handle. “Put on your pajamas. Get comfortable.”

“I don’t wear pajamas. I don’t wear anything.”

He stopped in mid-swing and she wanted to laugh again. She did wear pajamas, but she’d wanted to rattle him. Just because.

“Well, honey, you can come out here in nothing if you want, but it’ll probably be embarrassing for you and the delivery person both. Still, you can tip him good and I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

He shot her a grin before shutting the door behind him. Gina stood there with her heart pounding and her pulse skipping and wondered just what it was about him that made her want to get beneath his skin.

Book Information

Title: Hot Shot

Author: Lynn Raye Harris

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance Buy Links

Amazon http://amzn.to/VGktMD

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1jmEKS2

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1mdfi0A

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1stCF6H

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Lynn Raye Harris burst onto the scene when she won a writing contest held by Harlequin. A former finalist for the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and the National Readers Choice Award, Lynn lives in Alabama with her handsome former military husband and two crazy cats. Lynn writes about hot military heroes, sizzling international billionaires, and the women who dare to tame them. Her books have been called "exceptional and emotional," "intense," and "sizzling." To date, Lynn's books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://lynnrayeharris.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2973925.Lynn_Raye_Harris

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLynnRayeHarris

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnRayeHarris

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Review of The Arrangement: The Seduction by Carly Phillips

Another Kindle Worlds Novella, The Arrangement: The Seduction by Carly Phillips was my second read from the new, I guess it would be considered a, platform from Amazon. The Seduction was written as part of the world based on the Arrangement by HM Ward. I haven't had a chance to read HM Ward yet but I now have a new author on the good old TBR list. Carly Phillips of course is a favorite author of mine and was the draw to this particular story. I found this story inspired a wide range of emotions. It deals with some complex topics in the age of technology. I found the story interesting and completely engaging. The characters Chloe and Zach struggle with issues from there pasts and the reader has to wonder will they make it. It also had plenty of heat. It was truly another page scorcher. In short it is a great story, I gave it 4 stars. Carly did a wonderful job portraying the characters and the mix of emotions that they each feel. I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did. Here's to happy reading.....

Just an added note....If there are a lot of typos, well, you have my apologies. It's almost midnight and I have been up since the crack of whatever. You get the picture and I am off to bed. Goodnight!

Review of All The Right Moves by Marquita Valentine

Game For Love: All The Right Moves is a novella written by Marquita Valentine for Bella Andre's Game For Love Kindle World. I am familiar and a fan of Bella's books but had not previously had the pleasure of reading anything by Marquita. It was also my first foray into Kindle World stories which makes things even more interesting. To say I was extremely skeptical would be putting it mildly and I worked hard to stay neutral and give the concept and story a fair chance. So decided, I started off like Switzerland but now I am a convert with a definite opinion. (Sometimes I surprise my self) Ms. Valentines story was wonderful. There were moments of humor along with a sizzling array of emotions between Ryan and Ashley, our lead characters that pulled me in. They also have great chemistry in the story and there is enough heat to singe the pages if this was print. ( : Yes, I know I am being corny but hey it was a good! I also want to add that given the length of the story I felt like it was well developed and I am currently adding all of Marquita's other stuff to my TBR list. I tried to link the cover with Amazon's buy page to make it easy for everyone but I can't get it to work (sorry). Anyway, here's to happy reading...

Novel idea becomes a novella

Yeah, I know it isn't really a new idea. People have been writing stories based off book worlds for their own enjoyment for a longtime but now they can share. Amazon has created Kindle worlds and is allowing people to do this legally and to share with the world. I wasn't sure how I felt about it when it first came to my attention but now I think it is awesome if, the key word here is IF, an author doesn't mind. There are rules and specific guidelines that have to be followed from what I understand to ensure everyone is protected and happy. Now that I/we have a basic understanding of what it is, I can tell you that I have had a chance to read a couple in exchange for an honest review.  Before I can move on to reviews,  I want to let you know that I will be posting posting multiple times today in order to get the reviews up. I am slightly behind due to, believe it or not, some down time with the kiddos. I have no idea what happens but it is like I completely run out time and any schedule goes out the window if we don't have to be anywhere specific. Any who, stay tuned for the reviews and here's to happy reading....

Digital Book Day

Just wanted to let you know about DBD or digital book day. I guess digital book day is kind of like comic book or record store day, there are freebies involved. Apparently www.digitalbookday.com has 407 digital books for free today from many genres. The idea is to maybe introduce people to new authors. I haven't had a chance to personally check out the website and from what I understand it is a bit swamped right now. Don't worry, you have all day to get free books and hopefully soon it will slow down. If you get a chance, come back and comment about your experience. I'd really like to know more about DBD. Good luck and here's to happy reading....

Book Update

Hello! Just checking in. I have been busy scheduling books for review and I even managed a couple of stories from the new Kindle Worlds. I have ARC's and (I'll call them) post release books to review that will take me to the end of September. I am super excited about this. This is honestly a year of great books and I am looking forward to a lot of reading. As of this moment I am finishing up Sophia Nash's The Once And Future Duchess, loving it so far. Tomorrow I will Post a review for it and then for the 2 Kindle World stories I am reading. I am unsure about this new platform/stories but I love the gals who wrote them so I am diving right in. I will definitely let you know how I feel. So I am off to read. Oh, don't let me forget, there are some more possible surprises and giveaways later this month so keep your ears open and here's to happy reading...G'Night!

ARC Review Of Only With You By Lauren Layne

So, I received another advanced copy of a book by an author I am not familiar with. (I'm smiling) Reviewing books is great because it introduces me to new authors I might not have otherwise found and this blog in turn allows me to introduce you. Hip, hip, hooray! Yes, in case you can't tell I love finding new authors who write really great books and sharing said love. I also felt a need to cheer for my favorite past time, reading. Now on to my book review. ; )

"If only the boots had come with some sort of warning label."

 This book has ticked my boxes as a really enjoyable read. Only With You is the first book,  being released July 29, in a new series by Lauren Layne. The main characters, Sophie and Gray, are opposites and the dynamic between the two characters throughout the story is absolutely fabulous. Lauren has given a quirky twist to the potential couples personalities in my opinion and that makes them different and all the more realistic. In short, it brings the story to life. I also love Sophie and Gray's chemistry, which is undeniable almost from the first meeting. This story contained plenty of emotions and some sizzling sparks. From the first page, I was hooked. Will they work it out or not? Logically it is a romance and they will but it is a good sign when you get wrapped up in the story and are asking the question. Lauren has done a stellar job weaving this story and now I want to see what else she has written while waiting for the next installment in the series. I won't spoil the story I'll just say that I gave it 4 stars and would recommend it to all my reading friends. I hope you enjoy and here's to happy reading....

http://www.laurenlayne.com/

Review of Against The Wild By Kat Martin

Against The Wild is the first book in a new trilogy and part of the larger Against series from Kat Martin.  It takes the reader to Alaska for the story of Dylan Brodie and Lane Bishop. They were briefly introduced in Kat's last book, Against The Mark. I thought it was a great read although it was somewhat different than her other books. It contains the suspense and passion Against fans are used to but with a surprising  touch of what felt like a paranormal story line in the beginning. I felt that this was a surprising but nice touch. I will recommend this book while admitting to some torn feelings. I am not going to give away too many details. I am a firm believer in not spoiling a story but If you want to know what I am talking about, leave a comment and I think I can send you a message marked privately. Still in the learning phase here. Oh and this is a 3 3/4 star read only because of my torn feelings. If not for those pesky things, I would rate it 4 1/2 stars. Definitely worth the time. Here's to happy reading!

New giveaway to Help Celebrate Release Week of Betrayed

I mentioned that I might have a couple of exciting things happening here this week. I am so excited to be a part of Rebecca York's release week blitz tour. Betrayed is a romantic suspense and part of her newer series Rockfort Security. To help celebrate this release there is a $50 book e-tailer girt card and a copy Bad Nights (the first book in the seires) being given away. Can I say just how much I am looking forward to this book and that I love romantic suspense. I plan to start my copy today and will be posting my review shortly. So without further delays here's to happy reading and good luck!

 Summary

There is a spy in S&D systems who is leaking top-secret information that could lead to extreme disaster. It's up to Shane Gallagher to uncover the mole and set things right.

Systems analyst Elena Reyes had no intention of stealing company secrets until her brother's life was threatened by the cruelest of mobsters. When Elena finally confesses her deeds to Shane, he's ready to do everything he can to keep her out of danger. But will Shane's help be enough to protect them, or will his good intentions leave them all for dead?

Excerpt

Elena had never thought about seducIng a man. She wasn’t even sure of her moves. But she knew that Shane wanted her, even if he wasn’t prepared to admit it. She also knew he felt protective of her, which was probably part of the conflict he must be feeling.

Before he could come up with another objection, she cupped the back of his head with her hands and brought his face down as she raised her own head toward him.

She hadn’t been sure what would happen. Or perhaps she’d been afraid that he’d wrench himself away from her. But the danger must have affected his emotions as well as her own. When their lips met, it was as though someone had tossed a match into a pile of gasoline- soaked kindling. Invisible flames rose as heat flared between them.

She heard him growl her name and felt him gather her closer as he kissed her with purpose, running his hands up and down her back.

The heat coming off him made her dizzy. She should be afraid, but she kept kissing him, letting him feel all the passion that she’d held inside herself for so long.

Opening her lips, she invited him to explore her mouth, then did the same with him, absorbing his taste and the way the mouth-to-mouth contact sent shock waves to every part of her body. 

“You know that you’re playing with fire?” he asked. 

“I know what I want.”

“Then take off your clothes.”

Again, a dose of reality. Was she ready to get undressed in front of him? Or was she going to back away—the way he hoped she would.

She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of scaring her off. Not because she was trying to score any points, but because what she wanted hadn’t changed, even if he was trying to make her take a step back.

She did step back, but only a few feet. She kept her gaze on him as she reached for the hem of the T-shirt and pulled it over her head, then let it drop on the floor so that she stood before him naked to the waist…

Buy Links

Amazon - http://amzn.to/1fqHeqY 

Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1rlPwaU 

iTunes - http://bit.ly/1nGZOjH 

Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to that of Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Maggie Shayne. Her award-winning books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. A recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, she lives in Maryland near Washington, DC, which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://rebeccayork.com 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8110.Rebecca_York 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-York/122426234846 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaYork43 

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