Review: Nadia Knows Best by Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781402265
Pages:480 pages
Genre: Romance/Contemporary/Humor 
Challenges-TK
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound



Summary from publisher:

The bigger the mistake, the more tempting it is ...When Nadia Kinsella meets Jay Tiernan, she's tempted. Of course she is. Stranded together while a snowstorm rages outside ... who would ever know?
But Nadia's already been together with Laurie for years—they're practically childhood sweethearts. Okay, so maybe she doesn't get to see much of him these days , but she can' t betray him.
Besides , when you belong to a family like the Kinsellas—glamorous grandmother Miriam, feckless mother Leonie, stop—at—nothing sister Clare—well, someone has to exercise a bit of self—control , don't they? I mean , you wouldn' t want to do something that you might later regret...

My Review: 
Jill Mansell is one of my absolute favorite authors. I mean it. She is. No other author on the planet has the ability to make me laugh hysterically while keeping me completely engaged in the plot.
Nadia was a mess. But in a good and slightly adorable way. I always love Jill Mansell’s heroines because they are so real. They embarrass me and make me cringe in sympathy but I identify with each one of them. I loved Jay from moment one. How could Nadia even have considered Laurie when this man was an option? I would have picked him for his sense of humor alone. I did want to smack him upside the head for his typical male stupid moments but, otherwise, he was perfect.
I absolutely loved this book. I read it in one hour. I don’t do that very often. I get distracted so it usually takes me a few hours to read a book of this size. I laughed and cringed the whole time which, I gather from reading more than a few of Jill Mansell’s books, is her goal. I loved the healthy blend of humor, romance, and lively characters. This one was perfection

Rating:

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review.   My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies   made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the  blog.

Review: Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca  
ISBN:1402263775 
Pages:384 pages
Genre:  Romance/Historical/Regency
Series: Series: The Duke’s Daughters-1; Windham-1,2,3,4 (Tk)Challenges-TK
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound


Summary from publisher:

Lady Maggie Windham Has Secrets

And she's been perfectly capable of keeping them...until now. When she's threatened with exposure, she turns to investigator Benjamin Hazlit to keep catastrophe at bay. But Maggie herself intrigues Benjamin more than the riddle she's set him to solve. As he uncovers more and more of her past, Maggie struggles to keep him at a distance, until they both begin to discover the truth in their hearts...

 

My Review: 

Grace Burrowes is quickly becoming a “go to” author for me. I very rarely find myself disappointed or annoyed by anything in her books. She writes a great plot with interesting characters and great chemistry. What more is there to ask for?

Interestingly enough, I had a bit of trouble with Maggie. I did end up liking her but, at first, I couldn’t get a read on her. As the book went on and as I got to know her better, I kind of fell in love with her in a “be my BFFL” kind of way. Ben, on the other hand, I love immediately. He is an example of hero perfection. He was just enough bad boy to make him not obnoxious but good enough not to make him unlikeable. See…that right there is perfection.

This one did take a little effort to get into. Probably because I didn’t connect with Maggie immediately. I need to connect with both the hero and the heroine to like a book. It’s one of my failings. But eventually, I did and I loved the book once I did. I loved everything about this book the mystery, the touch of humor, the chemistry between Maggie and Ben and the love scenes were some of the best written love scenes I have ever read. All in all, this book was a gem.

If you are a historical romance and have not read the Westhaven series by Grace Burrowes, drop what you are reading and pick up The Heir now. You won’t regret it.

Rating:

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review.   My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies   made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the  blog.

Bout of Books 4.0

I am late and I know it. I always am. I have no idea what I am going to do during this one but it should be fun.

Goals:

• Read at least 7 books.
• Finish Lisa Kleypas’ backlist
• Finish the Black Dagger Brotherhood
• Finish the Fifty Shades series.
• Draft reviews of all of them.

Day 1:

• Currently Reading: Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes (page 126)
• Up Next: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (it’s time yet again)

Day 2:

• Currently Reading: Fifty Shades Freed (page 96)
• Up Next: When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas
• Finished:Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes,Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Mini-Challenge 2 from Nyx Book Reviews

Physical book or eBook? Physical Book. Nothing beats the feel and smell of a paper book.

Paperback or Hardcover? Paperback. Hardcovers are so unwieldy.

Reality or Make-believe? Reality.

Adult or Young-Adult? Adult.

Dog ears or Bookmarks? BOOKMARKS!!! Dog earing is a sacrilege.

Breaking the spine or Barely open the book? As much as I would like to say barely open, I probably should say break the spine. I like it when a book looks like it’s been read.

Tea or Coffee? Coffee in the morning and tea the rest of the time.

Reading in bed or On the couch? Bed. My couch is the most uncomfortable thing on the planet.

Series or Standalone? Series. Especially historical romance series.

Original or TV Adaptation? Original

Defy motion sickness or Audiobooks? Defy motion sickness. I am from NYC. I can read a book while crossing Broadway. I finished One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest while crossing Times Square. I’m a pro.

Author crushes or Who-was-that-guy-again? I am terrible with names so probably who was that guy.

Interview or Guest post? If I have read the book, I like interviews. If I haven’t, probably a guest post.

Day 3 and 4:

• Currently Reading:  When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas (page 26)
• Up Next: Only in Your Arms by Lisa Kleypas—older version of When Strangers Marry
• Finished:Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes,Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (meh), Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward

Day 5:

• Currently Reading:  Only With Your Love by Lisa Kleypas (page 226)
• Up Next: Lover Avenged by JR Ward
• Finished:Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes,Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (meh), Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward, When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas ,  Only in Your Arms by Lisa Kleypas

Mini-Challenge 2- Shoe Challenge hosted by The Reading Housewives of Indiana

It’s the gold. Who can resist a beautiful gold heel? Can’t walk in them but can look at them.

Day 6:

• Currently Reading:  Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas (page 130)
• Up Next: Lover Mine by JR Ward
• Finished:Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes,Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (meh), Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward, When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas ,  Only in Your Arms by Lisa Kleypas, Only With Your Love by Lisa Kleypas, Lover Avenged by JR Ward

Day 7:

• Finished:Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal by Grace Burrowes,Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James (meh), Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward, When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas ,  Only in Your Arms by Lisa Kleypas, Only With Your Love by Lisa Kleypas, Lover Avenged by JR Ward, Lover Mine by JR Ward and Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas

Review: The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain

Publisher: Mira  
ISBN:0778313468 
Pages:368 pages
Genre: Fiction/Drama 
Series: Series Name-1,2
Challenges-TK
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound




Summary from publisher:

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there's no going back.
Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he's never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.
But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he's worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble...….
Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.
With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter's sake.Even if it means he might lose her.

My Review: 

I have had a heck of a time getting this review published. Every time I pressed publish, my computer ate half of it and only published the title and info not the review. Not exactly good enough, right?

I am not a big fan of books with babies. I am not a baby person. As a matter of fact, I am quite probably one of the least likely people to ever coo over an infant ever. But I can’t resist a Diane Chamberlain book. I am powerless when tempted by one.

Travis was awesome. Usually teen pregnancy storylines end with the dad looking like a prime dirtbag or an overwrought teenager who bails on his responsibility. It was lovely to see Travis do his best to take care of Bella and provide for her. It was really refreshing to see such maturity out of someone so young. It’s very rare that I find a character that I admire but I definitely admired Travis.

I can always depend on a Diane Chamberlain book to be a tearjerker. Not in the Nicholas Sparks “I will make you cry because of the sheer ridiculousness” but in a quieter more and more organic way. That’s not to say that this book wasn’t dramatic but it wasn’t drama for the shock value or gratuitous tears. There was literally not a thing that I did not love about this book. The characters were delightful, the story kept me interested and I did cry.

Rating:

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review.   My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies   made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the  blog.

Excerpt:

She was sitting in the brown leather chair where she always sat, reading something on her iPad, as usual, and brushing a strand of light brown hair out of her eyes. I felt a crazy rush of relief and a crazy rush of disappointment. If she hadn't been there, I would have no way to do what I was going to do tonight, and that would have been a good thing.

Follow along with the rest of the tour and don’t forget to participate in the Live Chat on 5/31 @ BookTrib.com

Review: Kiss of the Goblin Prince by Shona Husk

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
ISBN: 140226206X
Pages:352 pages
Genre: Romance/Paranormal/Goblins
Series: Shadowlands-1
Challenges-TK
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound



Summary from publisher:

The Man of Her Dreams

He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter's illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right.

In a Land of Nightmares

After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he's accumulated, he still doesn't know how to heal Amanda's daughter—and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he'd risk anything...including a retun to the Shadowlands.

My Review: 

I have been looking forward to this book since I finished the first one, The Goblin King. It did live up to many of my expectations though I did not like it as much as I loved The Goblin King.

For some reason, I was unable to make a connection with Amanda. It was pretty much the same with Eliza but I did like Eliza a bit more. Amanda was very likeable character—a good person, devoted to her daughter—but I think I kind of wanted a bit more out of her. Dai was a great hero. I mean, what do I like more than a slightly (or very) broken hero? Not much. I liked him nearly as much as a I liked Roan from the previous book which is quite a bit.

This one started off a bit slow because I had trouble connecting with Amanda but once I got into it, it was great. I love that the plot was not zeroed in on the romance and it didn’t dominate the plot. I love a good romance but when it’s the entire plot, it can get a little tiresome. It was also nice to see a slow progression in terms of the relationship between the main characters. They were not all over each other all the time and that was quite refreshing.

I really did end up liking this book quite a lot. I am anxious for the next book in the series. Please let it be about Meryn.

Rating:

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review.   My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies   made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the  blog.

2012 Challenges

Challenge Name/Site: Krazy Kleypas Reading Challenge/Under The Covers
What is the Challenge: Category Six-Read Every Lisa Kleypas ever published.
Lisa's Number One Fan *moments silence* We bow before your greatness...Clearly, you are Lisa Kleypas' biggest fan!
Challenge Post
My Progress: Completed

100 Books In A Year Challenge 2012 

Challenge Name/Site: 100 Books In A Year Challenge 2012/Book Chick City
What is the Challenge: Read 100 books in 2012

Challenge Post
My Progress: 191/100-Completed


Challenge Name/Site: Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2012/The Book Vixen
What is the Challenge: Read more than 300 books in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 191/301


Challenge Name/Site: Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge 2012/Darlene's Book Nook
What is the Challenge: Read the Immortals After Dark series in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 3/12



Challenge Name/Site: Sports Romance Challenge 2012/Crazy Book Slut
What is the Challenge: Read 11 or more sports romance books in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 1/11


Challenge Name/Site: Romance Reading Challenge 2012/The Eclectic Bookshelf
What is the Challenge: Read 15 or more romance novels in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 154/15-Completed


Challenge Name/Site: E-book Reading Challenge 2012/The Eclectic Bookshelf
What is the Challenge: Read 25 or more e-books in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 35/25-Completed


Challenge Name/Site: Julia Quinn Reading Challenge 2012/Stitch-Read-Cook
What is the Challenge: Read all of Julia Quinn's books in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 0


Challenge Name/Site: YA Reading Challenge 2012/The Eclectic Bookshelf
What is the Challenge: Read 50 or more YA books in 2012
Challenge Post
My Progress: 9/50

Review: A Lady’s Revenge by Tracey Devlyn

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
ISBN:  1402258224
Pages:448 pages
Genre:  Romance/Historical/Regency
Series: Nexus
Challenges-TK
Buy this Book: Amazon, Powell's, Indiebound



Summary from publisher:

Nothing Gets Between a Lady and Her Vengence...
In a daring rescue, beautiful and wily secret operative Cora deBeau is reunited with her childhood friend Guy Trevelyan, who wants so much more from her now than friendship ...

He'll Stoke the Fire Until They Both Go Up In Flames...
But Cora's mission against the French has become personal, and even the fire between her and Guy won't deter her. When it comes to getting sweet, cruel revenge, nothing will stand in a lady's way ...

My Review: 

I totally meant to have this review out a couple of weeks ago but if it wasn’t getting eating by a computer crash it was being delayed by a dead modem. April’s just not been my month for just about anything. And this is a review you want to post because it is a very happy “This book was awesome” review.

Cora was a one of a kind heroine in that she was truly competent at what she does. She needs no assistance from the hero to be a successful spy. He, in fact, needs her. I was also especially pleased to see that Cora never descended to the festering, evil damsel place. I hate damsels with a passion and Cora, thankfully, is not one. Guy was virtually the perfect hero. He was hopelessly devoted to Cora and did his best to protect her. He had this gentleness about him in spite of his dangerous job as a spy that I really liked and appreciated.

From the start of this book, I was in awe that this was a debut. It’s just so good. It’s a nice mix of spy thriller, mystery and historical romance. Every aspect of the story is perfectly balanced and never once does the romance overtake the plot. The characters were pure perfection and I genuinely did not have a single quibble with any of them. The last is a personal preference but I loved how long this book was. I like my books chunky (kind of like Moto Moto). I miss the days when publishers would publish the 400+ historical romances and this one was well over 400 pages.

Tracey Devlyn will be going on my list of must read author with Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, J.R. Ward, Elaine Coffman etc. It’s that good. Highly recommended.

Rating:

*A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for review.   My opinion is my own and has not been influenced in any way and any monies   made from associate or affiliate accounts are recycled back into the  blog.