It's Monday! What are you Reading? meme (10)

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey through a world of Books.

Books Completed Last week:
Lover Revealed by JR Ward
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
Heartless by Diana Palmer

Books I'm currently reading/listening to:
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper
The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr
Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione ~ Found it just need time to read it!
The Stranger in her Bed by Janet Chapman
A Perfect Darkness by Jaime Rush

What's up next:
Not quite sure I have SO MANY to read.

The Dead Girl's Dance

This is the second book in the Morganville Vampire series. I really enjoyed the first book, Glass Houses and I am participating in a Young Adult challenge, so I figured I would give it a shot. This book takes place after the attack on Clare and the Glass House, and the action starts right away. Shane's father has come back to town, and he remembers everything. He brings a group of people with him in hopes to start a vampire killer group. But it quickly takes a turn for the worse, and they start attacking Clare, Eve and Michael.

Eve and Shane finally find out Michael's secret when Shane's dad 'kills' him. A vampire is found dead, and a manhunt has started for the group. Shane also finds himself accused of killing the vamp. When the mayor's daughter gets kidnapped, everything changes, even Michael does something unthinkable to help bring down Shane's dad.

I LOVED this book. I didn't think it could get better than the first one, but I was wrong. I think this series is awesome because it has a different spin on the vampire genre. I think every YA reader would love this series, and I think even fans of supernatural books in general will enjoy it. I give this book a . I really recommend it. Can't wait to read the next one!

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme started by Breaking the Spine. It is a feature that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Almost Perfect is Susan Mallery's second novel in her newest series. I read the first one Chasing Perfect in a day and a half. I absolutely loved the characters and I can't wait to read about Ethan's story. He seemed like tortured soul in Chasing Perfect. I just love a tortured hero! June 29th won't get here fast enough!!

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Review ~*~ Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

Mass Market Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (April 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373774524
ISBN-13: 978-0373774524

I will start off saying that I love Susan Mallery ! She is a kind hearted soul that loves her fans and I think that makes me enjoy her books so much more.

Her latest novel is the first in a new series set in Fool's Gold, California. A town not know for its abundance of men. The heroine in this novel is Charity Jones. She is looking to settle down in a small town and create a root system of friends and family. Something she never had growing up. She meets and falls for Josh Golden. However, along the way, they have many obstacles to overcome.

I really loved the character of Josh Golden. He was seen as the typical "bad boy" but really underneath the "Golden" persona was a great guy who really cared about people. He also wanted to settle down even if he didn't know it. His lifestyle as a world class cyclist left him wanting a low-key lifestyle. Josh, also, reminded me a lot of Lance Armstrong who I have had a huge crush on for years. His character may have been based on a typical bad guy but nothing about Josh was typical. He had a lot of things to work through. He was someone who you instantly liked because of the way he took the time to get to know people and take care of those he loved.

I enjoyed their love story because it was one that every girl would want to happen to them. We all hope to fall in love with someone like Josh. Someone who is not only super hot but has a lot of other qualities that will make a great husband. Charity, was also someone who is very likable. She is someone who doesn't try to be nice but just is. She hasn't had the easiest life at all and it is nice to see a female character that has had a rough upbringing make something of herself. She is something that has changed her life around.

Chasing Perfect is a novel of people finding love when they least expect it. Their love heals a lot of wounds that have been open and raw for a long time. Together they will be able to heal and become whole. It is a novel of great surprises as well. It was great to read a book about great friendships and how small towns can make a newcomer very welcome. The twist and turns were well thought out.

This novel is one you should read if you like sweet romances between two lost souls. Any Mallery fan will love this novel and will be counting down till the next novel in the series comes out. It was a great first novel in a series. It was neat to meet all the secondary characters that we will read about their love stories in future books. The development of the secondary characters was well thought out. I would love to have friends like Pia, Jo and Crystal. Pia's character cracked me up. We all have a friend like Pia who loves to organize parties. Not all make a career out of it like she does but like Charity, Pia has a heart of gold. Mallery's second novel in the series comes out June 29th, 2010.

Mallery has made a website for Fool's Gold that is a great way to promote the novels as well as interact with her fans. As a Mallery fan you should check the website out at Fools Gold

I will give the novel a 5 out of babies because it was a great start to a series that left me wanting to read the next novels ASAP. I could not put the novel down once I started it and left my house a bit messy while I zipped through the novel.

It's Monday! What are you Reading? meme (9)

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey through a world of Books.

Books Completed Last week:
Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

Books I'm currently reading/listening to:
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper
The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr
Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione ~ still on the reading list! I can't find it! My daughter was playing with it and she has misplaced it!
Lover Awakened by JR Ward -almost done! About 80 pages. Will finish it today.

What's up next:
Night World No. 1 by L.J Smith
Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake
Poison Study by Maria V Sndyer
Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Ten Big Ones

This book is the tenth book in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie Plum is a female bounty hunter. She landed the job because she was broke and the office is owned by a relative. She isn't the greatest at the job, and she always finds herself in the strangest situations. She also has a bit of boy trouble. She is on again off again with cop Joe Morelli, but she is seriously interested in a fellow bounty hunter Ranger. Her sidekick is the ex hoe turned filing clerk Lula, and occasionally her nutty grandma tags along. There is seriously never a dull moment in Stephanie's life.

In this book Stephanie finds herself in the middle of a serial arsonist/robbery case. The main culprit is out to get her, and as a result she has one of the local gangs looking for her. They even hired a killer from L.A. nicknamed the Junkman who is on her trail. Or course, she continues to try and do her job, and finds herself in some unusual situations. Action never leaves her alone, and this book will definitely keep you entertained.

I would give this book a . It kept me glued to the book, and it provided me with nonstop laughter. The characters are hilarious and beyond loveable. I definitely recommend this series! Can't wait to read the next one!

Virgin River

I had never heard of this author before, but Aubrey recommended her highly. She also had amazing things to say about this series, so I figured I would give it a shot. Virgin River is a small little town in the boonies in Utah.

The book follows Mel, an emergency room nurse/ midwife from L.A. that moves to Virgin River. Her husband had recently been murdered and she needed a change to help her grieve properly. When she finally gets to the town, it is not what she expected at all. The house is in poor condition, and she makes up her mind that she will go back home the next day. As she is getting ready to leave, an abandoned baby is found, and she decides to stay to care for the baby. As Mel starts getting more and more attached to Virgin River and it's residents, the reader is getting attached as well.

The characters are loveable right off the bat. My heart breaks for Mel throughout the whole book. When she talks about her husbands death and when she makes some important realizations. The characters are very developed, and they just seem so real. The book kept me drawn in because the characters were so loveable and so well developed. The ending was so good, and it was just right.

I would give this book a . I definitely cannot wait to read the rest of the series, and I definitely recommend it to everyone!

Teaser Tuesday (7)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author ,too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

"So, you think we should have Naked Happy Fun Time because I didn't get to see all of your moves?" I said, barely able to contain a giggle fit as he backed me against the counter.

pg 45 Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper

Please comment on what you are reading with a teaser quote as well.

It's Monday! What are you reading! meme (8)

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey through a world of Books.

Books Completed Last week:
The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross

Books I'm currently reading/listening to:
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper
The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr
Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione ~ still on the reading list!
Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber ~ started it but so many books to read!
Lover Awakened by JR Ward
~Going to finish these three novels that have been on the list for a long time.

What's up next:
Night World No. 1 by L.J Smith
Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake
Poison Study by Maria V Sndyer
- still the same!

Review~*~ ARC of The Homecoming by JoAnn Ross

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Signet (July 6, 2010) (ARC copy received from author JoAnn Ross)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451230671
ISBN-13: 978-0451230676

The lovely author asked if I wanted to receive a copy of her latest novel The Homecoming: A Shelter Bay Novel. I jumped at the opportunity since I really enjoy reading her books. I'm so glad that I did. It was a novel that has many interwoven story lines that will stay with me for a long time. The Homecoming is one of my new favourite novels. I would love to live in Shelter Bay!

Shelter Bay is a great little coastal town in Oregon. The main characters are Kara Conway and Sax Douchett. They are childhood friends who both left Shelter Bay for different reasons. Sax travelled the world as a SEAL and Kara as a military wife to Jared Conway (Jared was Sax's older brother's best friend). Kara comes home to Shelter Bay as a widow to take over her father's roles as town sheriff. Sax is now a retired SEAL wanting to return to his loving family.

The story revolves around Sax who has always love Kara and Kara realizing that she has fallen for Sax as well. It is a romance that is slow, loving and tender. Sax, knows he has his work cut out for him but he finds many ways to get into Kara's heart. He also gets to know her son and loves her son as well. He is steady and dependable which are characters that I love in men.

All the secondary characters are characters that you want as your friends. Characters that are so well written you can relate to them and their troubles. Kara and her mother, Faith, have a typical mother daughter relationship that is bumpy but both want to change it. John, Kara's deputy is the strong and helpful older man that can always be counted on. Sax's family is very colourful which includes his parents, grandparents and his older brother Cole. Trey, Kara and Jared's son, is a young man that is full of life and questions.

The novel also had mystery elements that I won't give away the plot lines but let me tell you I never would have dreamed of the final outcome. I loved the fact that the novel was not just a typical romance novel but one about family, mystery, relationships and growing as people. It was a novel that had me thinking about the interpersonal relationships and the dynamics of the relationships when I was not reading the novel. I know its a good book when I'm dreaming and thinking about it all the time.

It read like poetry with just enough description of the characters, scenery and action that made you feel like you were a character in the novel. I liked the fact that Kara was the town sheriff and that she was a strong independent woman who stood firm in what she wanted and was the best mother she could be. Her mother, as a neurosurgeon, was also a strong and independent woman who realizes that she needs to change some of her ways to become an even better mother, grandmother and friend. Both women as new widows have a lot of changing to do and Ross dealt with the changes beautifully. As a daughter of a mother who is also a new widow I know firsthand how hard it can be.

I will now eagerly await the next Shelter Bay novel with impatience! I give this book a very strong 5 out 5 babies because it will definitely be a book that I will turn to over and over again.

I want to thank JoAnn Ross again for the opportunity to read her novel before it is released. I loved this book~!