By Possession by Madeline Hunter

BP is the second book published in Hunter's medieval series but is actually the first book chronologically and takes place in 1326 at the end of Edward II's reign. Addis de Valence who has been presumed dead returns to his home only to discover that his wife and father are dead, and his stepbrother has taken over his estate. Addis is a crusader knight and for the past 8 years was a captured slave in the Baltics until his lover helped him to escape.

Moira Falkner is the daughter of Edith who was a bondswoman and his father-in-law's mistress. Edith and Moira were freed on his deathbed but there are no witnesses or papers to prove this fact. So Addis takes advantange of this lack of evidence and refuses to recognize her free state and claims her as his bondswoman and assumes that she will become his whore, just as her mother was a whore. After all, like mother like daughter. But Moira is one massively stubborn woman to match Addis's massively arrogant ego and he has met his match. Moira accepts the bond until she can acquire proof but refuses to stoop to becoming his mistress.

The sexual tension is so thick between them throughout most of the book. I loved Moira's strength and how she refuses to be cowed or controlled by Addis. I became extremely frustrated with Addis and wanted to knock him upside the head through most of the first half of the book. But when an extremely alpha male like him falls in love it packs an emotional punch.

Addis is determined to regain his birthright that was stolen by his stepbrother and he and Moira journey to London to seek help from the king. The political intrigue provided an excellent backdrop for this great love story and was realistically portrayed. Moira is equally determined to marry a freemason who is her equal in the rigid medieval social structure. Moira has been in love with Addis since before his doomed marriage, but he never noticed her. Slowly he falls in love but lords and peasants in the Middle Ages didn't marry. The expected outcome in those days would be for Moira to become his mistress but Moira stubbornly refuses and I greatly respected her for it. Don't worry though, there are some very lovely sex scenes. But how do they get a happy ending? I won't spoil it for you. Just suffice to say that there was a very satisfying ending and you won't want to miss it.

My grade: B+

Shopping for books I don't need but had to have

Whoopeee! Went to Borders tonight and bought some books.



I'm a huge fan of Carla Kelly. Lots of raves over at AAR RtR message board. One poster called it "brilliant". I hope it has sex in it (okay, i heard that, shut up). No, I did not skim for the sex scenes in the bookstore. I didn't want to crease the spine before I bought it. Yeah, weird.





I have loved most of Joyce's work and DearAuthor gave Voices of the Night a good review.





I didn't want to get left out of the stampede like I was on her last book. Couldn't find it in the store at first. Not in new arrivals. Not in romance section. Had to break down and ask a clerk (I hate talking to clerks). She disappeared for a minute and came back with it. Don't know where they were hiding it. I think I may have done a happy dance right there in the store.




The previous book (Slave to Sensation) was my favorite paranormal of 2006 so had to have this one too.






I was kicking myself because I forgot my discount coupons but I couldn't wait to get these home. My TBR is getting ridiculous again.

Reading now: Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase
Completely yummy book that was featured prominently in the 2006 AAR Reader Poll. I'm loving it but I don't think reading this book before casting my ballot would have affected any of my picks except maybe one: Favorite Funny. The humor and sassy dialog is wonderful.

Exposure by Susan Andersen

Hmmmm, I'm getting this vague feeling of deja vu. Heroine escaping to a small town (check). Quirky characters (check). Hero is a hunky sheriff (check). Didn't I just read a book like this? Oh, yeah, it was True Confessions by Rachel Gibson (see review below). Except Exposure is romantic suspense and not a silly contemporary like TC. And it turns out I liked it quite a bit better. Maybe that's because in general I like romantic suspense better than silly contemporaries (but not always). I can more easily forgive the faults in a romantic suspense over a supposedly funny contemporary. Yup, it's not fair, but there you are.

Emma Sands is on the run from her creepy guardian who is obsessed with her and has been secretly videotaping her for the last 14 years. She also suspects that he had killed her husband and brother. So she takes off from New Orleans with her 3 year old daughter, Grace, and the videotapes and after getting on the wrong ferry, ends up in Port Flannery, Washington, when her car breaks down. After a confrontation with the dishonest auto mechanic, Emma decides to settle into small town life for a short while with her daughter and eventually meets big tough Sheriff Elvis Donnelly, a 6 foot 6 inch hunka-hunka-burning-love. Elvis had a difficult childhood and was the town bad boy. He became a successful cop in nearby Seattle, only to return to town after being seriously injured by a car bomb. Elvis' scarred face and prosthetic arm have further distanced him from the community that has a hard time accepting him.

When Emma and Elvis meet the sparks fly and the attraction is palpable. Elvis is convinced she is running away from something and decides to keep a close eye on her. Little Gracie plays quite a prominent role in this book and I have to issue a warning: If you don't like baby-talk or children in books then avoid Exposure. Up until I read this book I would have been one of those who would avoid this book like the plague but I was absolutely charmed by Gracie. When she kisses Elvis' scar on his face and says "owie" my heart just melted (yeah, I'm a sap). And she's not an 'adorable perfect child' type that I detest. She had her bratty moments.

I really liked Elvis (hated the name though). I liked how Emma never really saw his scars, and just accepted him and was instantly attracted to him. The secondary characters were not too quirky, the plot moved along quickly with some snappy dialog and the sex scenes were very hot. But there was no real mystery to solve since the bad guys were pretty obvious. Exposure is set near my home east of Seattle so I could see that Andersen did her research well since I have this urge to take a ride on a ferry to the San Juan islands in the near future.

My grade: B+

Home sick

I'm staying home sick from work today and I feel a bit like I'm playing hooky from school. I had some dental work done last week, called crown lengthening (and I won't go into what that is because it grosses me out), and it was really throbbing and aching today so I sent email that I would not be in today. Took some extra strength Tylenol and I'm waiting for it to kick in. Doctor gave me a prescription for Vicodin but I HATE that stuff.

Anyway, I'm also reading an extremely good book, Last Summer by Theresa Weir, and I'm having a hard time putting it down (no, that's not why I stayed home from work). I can't remember who told me about this ... Kristie? Sybil? ??? Whoever you are, THANK YOU! I love Johnnie Irish, I love Maggie May. Very emotional book. This may turn out to be a keeper.

I have a few reviews I need to finish, but I think I'll go lay on the couch with my blankie and read.

My AAR Ballot

Last year (2006) was not my best year in terms of reading lots of keepers, only 5 in the A or A- range. I ended up changing my grading of two books while filling out my AAR ballot. I upgraded one book because I realized that it had an unforgettable H/H. I downgraded another book because I had a hard time recalling anything about it other than the fact that I know I had enjoyed it.

Best Romance Novels

Best Romance
My vote: Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas
Winner: Lover Awakened, JR Ward

Favorite Funny
My vote: Sex Lies and Online Dating, Rachel Gibson
Winner: Lord Perfect, Loretta Chase

Most-Hanky Romance
My vote: Crossroads Cafe, Deborah Smith
Winner: Lover Awakened, JR Ward

Most Lucious
My vote: The Raven Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt
Winner: The Raven Prince, Elizabeth Hoyt

Best Erotic Romance
My vote: All U Can Eat, Emma Holly
Winner: All U Can Eat, Emma Holly

Best Cabin/Road Romance
My vote: Cold As Ice, Anne Stuart
Winner: Lord Perfect, Loretta Chase

Best Debut Author
My vote: Elizabeth Hoyt
Winner: Elizabeth Hoyt

Best Buried Treasure
My vote: Crossroads Cafe, Deborah Smith
Winner: Jacob, Jacquelyn Frank

Guiltiest Pleasure
My vote: All U Can Eat, Emma Holly
Winner: All U Can Eat, Emma Holly

Author Most Glommed
My vote: (left blank)
Winner: JR Ward

Best Medieval/Renaissance
My vote: The Silver Rose, Susan Carroll
Winner: The Silver Rose, Susan Carroll

Best European Historical
My vote: Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas
Winner: Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas

Best American Historical
My vote: A Reason to Live, Maureen McKade
Winner: A Reason to Live, Maureen McKade

Best Contemporary
My vote: Crossroads Cafe, Deborah
Winner: Drop Dead Gorgeous, Howard

Best Romantic Suspense
My vote: Cold as Ice, Anne Stuart
Winner: Cold as Ice, Anne Stuart

Best Alternate Reality
My vote: Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh
Winner: Lover Awakened, JR Ward

Best Chick Lit/Woman's Fiction
My vote: (left blank)
Winner: Hot Dish, Connie Brockway

Best Short Story
My vote: (left blank)
Winner: Hot Toy (Santa, Baby), Jennifer Crusie

Best Characters

Most Tortured Hero
My vote: Zsadist, Lover Awakened, JR Ward
Winner: Zsadist, Lover Awakened, JR Ward

Strongest Heroine
My vote: Sascha, Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh
Winner: Bella, Lover Awakened, JR Ward

Best Hero
My vote: Sebastian, Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas
Winner: Sebastian, Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas

Best Heroine
My vote: Evie, Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas
Winner: Evie, Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas

Best Couple
My vote: Sebastian & Evie, Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas
Winner: Benedict & Bathsheba, Lord Perfect, Loretta Chase

Best Villain
My vote: Lover Awakened, JR Ward
Winner: Lover Awakened, JR Ward


Looks like we have agreement on 12 of them. And even though my other picks didn't make it as the number one favorite, most of my choices appeared somewhere in LLB's extended results that list the top 10 or so vote getters. So overall I had a pretty good all around year. I still want to read Lord Perfect and KristieJ loved Bone Deep and The Panther and the Pyramid so I have put those on my list. Now onward to 2007 books.

Pre-ordering books

I'm considering pre-ordering some books from Amazon. I usually don't do this because I figured with all the book stores around here I could just run out and get what I want immediately after it's released. But as most of you know, I usually can't find any new books around here until they've been out a while so lots of complaining, whining, and crying ensues on this blog.

The problem with pre-ordering is that I want to take advantage of the free shipping (on orders of $25 or more) and Amazon will wait to ship the order until all the books are in-stock. Of the 5 books I want 2 will be released in March, 2 in April and 1 in May. So that means waiting for all 5 until May. OR I could just place 3 separate orders and pay the shipping. Considering that the total cost of these orders will be less than one round of golf for Bob, I don't know why I'm being such a tightwad. Force of habit, I guess.



Anyone else do any pre-ordering? Have you found that you get them before they are out in the stores in your area?

True Confessions by Rachel Gibson

When I go on vacation I like to bring along something light, funny, and sexy to read. TC fit the bill fairly well but it's silliness was a bit overdone in places.

Have you ever wondered who writes those insanely stupid stories in tabloids about alien abductions or the latest Elvis sightings? In TC, Hope Spencer is just such a writer (I refuse to call her a reporter) for a tabloid in LA. She has decided to come to Gospel, Idaho, because she has run out of ideas and hopes that the small town atmosphere and quirky residents will provide some inspiration. And boy, was she right. Gospel is full of quirky characters just like all stereotypical small towns. But of course they have their hunky sheriff, Dylan Taber. I don't know how many books I have read that feature small towns with quirky characters and a hunky sheriff. Probably dozens. What's up with this, people?

Hope has decided to keep her profession a secret from everyone in town because she didn't want anyone to figure out that all those weird aliens stories were inspired by the town's wacky residents (okay, really, who could see themselves in nutty stories in a tabloid about aliens masquerading as people?). Also, she was being stalked in LA and didn't want the stalker figuring out where she was hiding out. Oh, did I mention that the stalker is a dwarf wrestler? I'm NOT making this stuff up. At this point I'm smacking myself on the forehead wondering if Gibson was on drugs when she wrote this or very clever tongue-in-cheek funny. I went with the latter and the humor actually worked for me. Each chapter begins with a very funny tabloid heading like "Demonic Car Alarm Hypnotizes Community" or "Squirrel is Proven Aphrodisiac".

Dylan, the hunky sheriff, also has a secret. More about that later. At one time he had served as a police officer in LA, but has returned to Gospel to raise his young son alone. Dylan is quite the eligible bachelor in the area with his good looks and aw-shucks country boy charm. When Hope and Dylan meet there is an instant attraction and their sex scenes were pretty steamy. All the characters were well done and funny/likeable. Generally, I don't like kids in books but Dylan's son Adam is great and only plays a small role.

Dylan's big secret involves Adam and was really no big deal. Spoiler: When Dylan lived in LA, he had an affair with an actress. She got pregnant and let him take the baby to raise alone. She is now a very famous star of a hot TV show where she plays an angel (kind of like Touched by an Angel). She doesn't want anyone to know she had a son out of wedlock. *gasp* (how shocking!) So Dylan and Adam are forced to keep the identity of Adam's mother a secret. An actress who had a child out of wedlock?!? Never heard of such a thing. :) The actress is concerned that if the secret comes out it will ruin her career. Oh, please. The only way this is believable is if that TV show was some kind of religious holier-than-thou inspirational crap and even then I don't buy it. (see, it can't be worse than Ted Haggard)

Anyway, predictably, Hope's secret is revealed and then someone finds out Dylan's secret and blabs it to the tabloids. Of course, Dylan blames Hope for spilling the beans and wants nothing to do with her. But Hope had nothing to do with it. This created some conflict but it doesn't last long and we get a quick ending.

Basically, TC is a light and fluffy book with nothing deep about it and was a very fast read. Perfect for a vacation while you lay around on the beach after leaving your brain at home.

My grade: B-

Whispers of Heaven by Candice Proctor

WOH is set in Australia on the island of Tasmania in 1840. One of my favorite books of all time is Proctor's Night in Eden which was also set in Australia. So after reading NIE and hearing all the glowing praise on various message boards and review sites about WOH, I had to have it. But after purchasing it I stowed it away in my humongous TBR where it has been collecting dust for the past 3 or 4 years. I dug this one out of the pile to take on my vacation and I'm so glad I did.

Jesmond Corbett has just returned home to Tasmania after two years abroad studying geology. While she was away her beloved father died and now her disapproving, controlling mother is pressuring her to set a date to wed her long time fiancé, Harrison Tate, a neighboring wealthy landowner. Their engagement was arranged by her father before she left and Jessie is resigned to the marriage. They have been friends since childhood but Harrison does not stir her emotions and Jessie can't help feeling restless and reluctant to marry. Harrison loves her but his prim and proper demeanor and demands of obedience makes her question the arrangment.

Australia was established as a penal colony and English families, such as Jessie's, came and settled there to take advantage of the cheap convict labor and amass vast fortunes. Lucas Gallagher is a convict laborer on the Corbett homestead and has been transported for life with no hope of parole. Lucas works in the quarries but when Jessie's brother Warwick discovers his talent with horses, he assigns him to the stables where Lucas meets Jessie and immediately becomes her groom. Lucas spends his time taming the magnificent horse Jessie brought back from England and accompanying Jessie on her ramblings over the estate.

Jessie is fascinated with Lucas and their growing attraction quickly becomes dangerous. In Australian society it is strictly taboo for anyone to wed an emancipated convict, let alone one who has no hope of a pardon. Add to this conflict the fact that Lucas is desperate to escape and you have an overwhelming sense of doom and hopelessness in their relationship.

This is one of the most unique historicals I have read in a long time and I found it a powerful, emotional, and truly unforgettable story. The setting was beautifully described and the characters were authentic and well-developed. The historical detail seemed accurate with an intriguing plot filled with conflict and sexual tension. Throughout the book I could not see how these two would ever get a happy ending, but they did and it was perfect. The secondary characters were also realistic without descending into stereotyping. Proctor is such a talented author it's a real shame she no longer writes romance.

When I first graded this book I gave it a B+, but I have not been able to get these characters and this love story out of my head so that says keeper to me.

My grade: A

Pictures!

Here are a few pictures. This is our boat, Carnival Pride. If you look real close you can see our room :). We are on deck 7, which is about two decks above that row of 6 lifeboats that you see. We looked down from our balcony onto those lifeboats.

Picture of one of the pools (midship - deck 9). There were 3 pools that all looked like this one. One forward, one aft, and one midship. I liked the hot tub best. Pools were too cold for me (and they were salt water).

Picture on board (deck 10), a great place to lounge in the sun:

Here's me on deck 10 getting ready to lounge in the sun:

Here's me on the beach at Cabo San Lucas. The water was a little cooler than I thought it would be. Not as warm as Hawaii where it was like bathwater. I'm glad I didn't go snorkling because it would have been too cold for me.

One of the pictures from our Land's End boat tour. I think this was called Lover's Beach. Gorgeous.

This is the famous Land's End arch at Cabo San Lucas (Los Arcos). So beautiful. I want to go back to Cabo someday. I tried taking pictures of the whales and dolphis we saw on our trip but they didn't turn out. I wasn't fast enough.

Picture of sunset taken from our dining room window in the stern of the ship. Not bad, huh?

Back from Mexico

We had a wonderful time once we got past a few glitches. First, our flight to Long Beach had a problem. After the pilot pulled away from the gate he discovered (before takeoff thank God) that the flaps weren't working. Not a good thing. We went back to the terminal and after waiting around for them to figure out the problem the airline decided to put everyone on another plane. Got into Long Beach only an hour late. Then, in Long Beach we found out that the cruise ship had a mechanical problem so we would be setting sail a day late! The cruise line gave everyone a $50 on board credit ($100 per couple) which meant we could use it to spend on drinks or duty free shops or gambling in the casino. Plus we got a 15 per cent refund, plus $400 toward a hotel for Sunday night. We ended up staying at the Doubletree Inn (did you know they give away fresh warm chocolate chip cookies?) at San Pedro marina before boarding the ship on Monday. WONDERFUL, very classy hotel.

Finally got on the ship and it was FABULOUS. The food was wonderful and too plentiful. Can you imagine...they have 24-hour pizza and soft-serve ice cream. We ate buffets for breakfast and lunch and then had a sit-down dinner in the dining room with a very attentive wait staff. Our tables were at the windows at the stern of the ship where we watched the sunsets every night. They had a Broadway type show every night too. We went shopping in Mazatlan and went on a boat tour to the famous Land's End arch in Cabo San Lucas. The ship had three pools with hot tubs. My new favorite drink .... Miami Vice (half pina colada, half strawberry daquari, which makes it half red and half white)... yummy!

I managed to read 4 books while sitting by the pool and in the late evenings after the show.

Whispers of Night by Candace Proctor (B+)

Exposure by Susan Andersen (B)

True Confessions by Rachel Gibson (B)

By Possession by Madeline Hunter (B)

I have pictures! Will post those next time.

Books to cruise with

We leave Saturday morning to fly to Long Beach, CA where we will hop on our Carnival cruise ship. It departs Sunday afternoon when we sail to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas and returns the following Sunday to Long Beach. I'm traveling with our neighbors and their friends, plus my family (two sisters, brother and their spouses). We will have 14 adults all together plus my 7 y-o nephew. We have never been on a cruise before so I'm a bit anxious but I am excited.

I've been told that there are two formal dinner nights so I had to scrounge up something to wear. I have a long black sleeveless sheath with pineapples on it that I bought in Hawaii 3 years ago. It sounds tacky but it's very elegantly tropical looking and comfortable. I also found a long black stretchy velveteen sleeveless dress with sparkles on it in the back of my closet. I usually pull it out during the Christmas holidays and haven't worn it for years but I guess it will do. I couldn't find any shorts in the stores but they had tank tops so I bought those. I have a couple pairs of capris and I found a cute pair of sandals. I tried on my two bathing suits and they fit (lost 8 lbs. since day after Christmas - Weight Watchers). Throw in a sweater for the cool evenings and I'm good to go.

Now that my first concern is out of the way, I have been pondering what books to bring. I have some library books but thought I better leave them behind in case I lose them. I haven't been book shopping in a while so I have only a few new titles. Of course, I have a huge TBR so this is a chance to whittle it down some.

I decided to bring 7 or 8 books. I know I won't be able to read all those but I thought I should have extras just in case. You all know what I'm talking about here :)

Some I pulled out of the TBR pile that I'm considering bringing:

Whispers of Heaven (Proctor)- been saving this for awhile since she no longer writes romance
Flowers from the Storm (Kinsale) - I keep getting this one out on vacations but never actually reading it
The Pirate Prince (Foley) - what's a cruise without a pirate book, right Kristie?
By Possession (Hunter) - I have a bunch of medieval romances in my TBR I just realized
Darkling I Listen (Sutcliffe)
Exposure (Andersen)
I Do, I Do, I Do (Osborne)

I wish I had a jungle or tropical setting books to get me in the mood but I don't have any. But I have a few in my keepers so maybe I'll bring one of those along.

Next we need to decide on which excusions (if any) we want to take in each port. I would like to do the dolphin/snorkling one at Pueroto Vallarta. I love snorkling. Bob wants to take some boat tour at Cabo on a catamaran which has food, an open bar and dancing.

Decisions, decisions.... :)

Last 2006 books

I have been trying to finish up all the 2006 books I had in my TBR so that I can vote in the AAR Annual Reader Poll. Last year I voted early because I had read so many excellent books my choices were easy. But this year I'm finding that while I read many very good books by the end of the year, not as many were excellent ones.

Here are the last of the 2006 books I had in my TBR that I was able to finish this month and will probably make an appearance somewhere on my ballot since they ranged from excellent to very good.

All U Can Eat by Emma Holly
Holly is one of my favorite erotic romance authors because she can combine hot, spicy, explicit sex with a good plot and plenty of romance. So many of the erotic romances I have read are strong on the sex but weak in the plot or romance. Frankie Smith is the owner of a popular diner in California and unselfconscious about her sexuality. There are some very graphic sex scenes with a hot former Marine who she hires as her cook, and a pair of bisexual guys. Jack West is the chief of police of this small town and has a secret crush on Frankie. When Frankie finds a body behind her diner, she and Jack are thrown together. On the way to solving the mystery Jack and Frankie fall in lust and love and the pages sizzle with some delicious sex scenes. The tone was light and with a nice touch of humor. I enjoyed this one from start to finish. My grade: A-

Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith
It's hard to believe that an author as talented as Smith has to self-publish her books but that's the state of the world these days. What is wrong with publishers anyway? This book was recommended by Wendy and completely blew me away. Are you in the mood for a good cry? Well, get out a box of tissues because you're going to need them. Cathy Deen is a beautiful, rich, Hollywood actress who is injured in a horrific car accident and suffers disfiguring burns that end her career. Thomas Mitternich is still grieving the death of his wife and son in the devastating attack on 9/11. He is wandering aimlessly, sleeping in the bed of his truck and slowing drinking himself to death when he finds his way to Crossroads, North Carolina. Cathy has become a recluse is Hollywood and is eventually convinced to come home to Crossroads where her Granny's house waits for her. This story is about the healing power of love and what a story it is. But it's not sad and depressing. This book is darn funny with wonderful characters and great dialogue! It's a beautiful, heartwarming, humorous tale of two damaged people who overcome their internal terrors. It's told in first person alternating between Cathy's and Thomas' POV. I highly recommend. My grade: A

Lover Awakened by J. R. Ward
This book was sitting on top my nightstand for the longest time, but I just wasn't in the mood for a paranormal. I'm sorry I put it off so long because I greatly enjoyed it. LA is the 3rd book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I think it's my favorite so far. Although it was 464 pages I thought it was a very fast engrossing read. Zsadist was kidnapped as a child and sold as a blood slave. During his captivity he was tortured and sexually abused for many years. His twin brother Phury rescues him but he is horribly scarred inside and out and believes he is unworthy of love. He has multiple sexual issues due to the violence and pain from his captivity and is probably the most tortured hero I have ever come across in my reading. Bella was kidnapped by one of the Lessers and Zsadist won't rest until he finds her. When he finally finds and rescues her Bella is in pain and she turns to Zsadist. The love scenes are wonderfully steamy and sexy. Another story about the healing power of love that really worked. My grade: B+

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Holt
This is Hoyt's debut novel and I was impressed with her style. However there were lots of events in the plot that I thought were implausible but Hoyt's writing was so smooth and superbly well written that I was able to completely overlook that. Anna Wren is financially strapped and seeks work as the secretary to Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, while he is away from home. She gets hired sight unseen and when Edward figures out who his new secretary is he is amazed. The sexual tension builds between them culminating in some very explicitly hot steamy sex. I have to admit I loved those scenes even if I didn't believe for second that they could actually happen that way. Edward was a wonderful hero, not handsome even unattractive from his small pox scars. I loved the way that Anna never sees him as ugly. This was a very sexy fast-paced read with great characterizations. My grade: B+

Okay, now I can go vote. Everyone, don't forget that you must submit your ballot by midnight February 18th.

Now I need to figure out what books to take on my trip.

Later.

Hit Hard by Amy Fetzer

This book was my second by Amy Fetzer and I'm sad to say I'm a bit disappointed after reading Perfect Weapon (B+).

Sam Wyatt is part of Dragon One, a group of ex-military mercenaries. They are looking for stolen uncut diamonds which will be used by a terrorist organization to purchase weapons when they come across some robbers holding up a train. Xaviera (Viva) Fiori has found a priceless artifact at the archeological dig in Thailand. She is transporting the artifact to Bangkok when her train is attacked by robbers. She refuses to give up her prize to the robbers without a fight and Sam rescues her. Viva is a red head and Sam is instantly thrown for a loop at their first meeting. Their scenes together are great with some steamy sexy chemistry between them. And hot love scenes too.

But the major problem was that the plot was convoluted and I was confused most of the time. There were a bunch of characters with odd names (Wan Gai, Kashir, Ramesh, etc.), lots of settings, and several plot threads all tangled up together leaving me with the major question.... WTF??? I found myself going back and forth rereading, trying to figure out who was who and what was going on and where they were. Whew, too much work. Fetzer used that multiple-plot thing in PW too, but it worked much better. I was exhausted after reading this one.

My grade: C+

Born in Death by J.D. Robb

This is the 23rd full length book in this series and I have read every one. The main appeal of this series to me is the relationship between Eve and Roarke. And of course, the other wonderful characters. The mystery in each book is completely secondary. I once stumbled upon a blogger who loved this series for its great mysteries but was appalled to learn that J.D. Robb was Nora Roberts. She said she HATES romances. It was almost as if she was afraid she was being tainted by association in reading this series. Why is it that romance readers have no problem trying other genres like mystery, fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, etc., but readers of those genres despise anything labeled as a romance? I have my theory but I guess I'll save it for another blog.

In the last two or three books Mavis Freestone, Eve's best friend, has been pregnant. Now in this installment Mavis is about ready to pop and she has enlisted both Eve and Roarke to serve as her birthing coaches and they must attend childbirth classes with her. A tough, hard-boiled cop, Eve can tolerate blood and guts, mutilated bodies, and gruesome crimes scenes without batting an eye, but is terrified to host a baby shower. Just the thought of being in the same room as Mavis while she gives birth makes Eve break out is a cold sweat. Watching the vids in childbirth class was enough to make her puke. Roarke's is having a hard time dealing with the whole thing too.

Eve has relegated most of the baby shower details to a catering service and is relieved to have a double murder case involving two accountants to work on to take her mind off pregnancy, childbirth and babies. The murder victims were accountants at a prestigious accounting firm. The murder mystery aspect was interesting but rather dull at times with all the financial complexities. And of course, Roarke is asked to consult on this case. But not before some fireworks in which Eve's integrity is called into question because of Roarke's involvement.

There were some hilarious scenes in this book especially the shopping trip with Peabody to pick out a baby gift, the baby shower and the childbirth itself with Eve poised to catch the baby. There was plenty of cheesy, sappy stuff at the end when everything is wrapped up very neatly. Okay, I loved that part. You'll want to read this book just to find out the sex of the baby. I'm not telling :)

My grade: B+

Going cruisin'

I probably forgot to mention this but Bob and I and my whole family are going on a cruise to Mexico the first week in February. We fly to Long Beach, CA then board the ship. From there we sail to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. We've never been on a cruise before so it should be an adventure. I'm always whining that we never go anywhere so when our neighbors suggested we go along with them and a group of their friends, I said to Bob "we are going!" He had no choice but to go along to keep the peace in our house. I then invited my two sisters and brother and their spouses and they all immediately signed up. My dad was going to come but he is still recovering from hernia surgery.

I have been dieting like mad because I want to fit into my summer clothes. We had to get Bob a passport which was a bit of a hassle since he was born in Canada (his parents lived on the US/Canadian border and their hosptial was closer). He doesn't have a birth certificate, but it turned out that he has a US certificate of citizenship that he got as a child, so we got the passport faster than I expected.

Of course, you can all guess my first concern about packing.... what books should I bring. And I'm not sure what we will be doing on the cruise so I'm not sure how many books to brings along. I like to just sit by the pool and read but Bob gets bored just sitting around. Maybe I can send him off on an excursion to the Tequila factory.

I'd like to try snorkling again and maybe a little shopping but other than that I'm happy just swimming and sunning myself (with lots of sunscreen of course) . Oh, yeah, and eating. It's probably going to be a shock to my system with all the snow we've had lately. But then again they've had snow in California so I'll feel right at home (grrrrrr).

Stuck on the freeway

We're having a bad winter. Last Wednesday I was caught in a torrential snowstorm that hit while I was on the freeway on my way home from work. It looked like those little styrofoam pellets but I think it was giant hail that quickly became packed ice on the roadway. It came down in buckets so hard my wipers could hardly keep up. The traffic slowed down and eventually stopped. So I had to stop but then I couldn't get going again. That damn car (Bob's baby) has no traction in the snow, it's rear wheel drive with a huge (very heavy engine) in the front. Totally worthless in this weather.

So there I was... sitting sideways in the freeway blocking two lanes of traffic. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would explode. The more I spun my wheels the more I kept sliding sideways. But God must have been watching out for me, because three very nice people got out of their cars with ice pellets pounding down, and pushed my car off to the shoulder!

While I sat there calling Bob on my cell phone the freeway became a nightmare with cars, trucks and those bendable buses slipping and sliding. There was no way he could pick me up with this mess of traffic so I had no choice but to abandon my car. I walked, people! Fortunately, I was near an exit and I only had to walk about a couple blocks where Bob picked me up in the 4WD Trailblazer. We went back later that night after they had de-iced the freeway and picked up the car.

If you're familiar with the Seattle area, you know how hilly the terrain is here and what a nightmare it is when it snows. We don't have many snowplows or sanders or anything because we rarely have snow. But this year is different, we've had at least 3 snowstorms, a huge windstorm, and flooding. It's been a week and the temps have not risen above freezing. Today we had a little melting, but I hear we will get snow again tonight. My daughter's car which is sitting out front is covered with snow and looks like a popsicle.

And to top it off, I feel a head cold coming on. I can't breathe!

I have been reading though. I finished a couple more really good books.

Eye of Heaven by Marjorie M. Liu
After being disappointed with her last book, The Red Heart of Jade, I was hesitant about reading this one, but it turned out to be a very good read. This is the next book in the Dirk & Steele series about a paranormal detective agency whose members have special powers, i.e. telekinetics, psychic healer, empathics, shapeshifters, etc. TRHoJ had a convoluted plot and not much romance. But in EoH the romance was front and center.

Blue Perrineau is a electrokinetic (he feels electric currents and can stop them at will) who works for the agency and is blackmailed by his father into looking for his half brother. I never really bought this plot device but whatever. He tracks his brother down at a circus act working in Las Vegas. There he meets Iris McGillis a performer who he instantly realizes is a shapeshifter. Iris thinks she is alone in the world after losing her mother. But she has her lions. There is an instant attraction between them that sizzles the pages but they don't actually get together (for sex) until almost the end of the book which was rather disappointing. Isn't there a rule that the H/H have to have sex by the middle of the book? Okay, if there isn't, there should be because I was losing interest and thought about skimming ahead. Yeah, I know I'm a slut, but I read for the sex, don't you know. The sex was quite good when they got around to it. The plot was much tighter than TRHoJ but it had plenty of action and overall I enjoyed it as much as Tiger Eye.

My grade: B+

I have more books to write about but I'm running out of steam. I need a decongestant. I need sleep. More later.

Best of 2006

I thought I would do a wrap-up for the books I read during 2006. After comparing my results with previous years I was surprised to find that each year I am reading less and less.

2006: 140 books
2005: 166 books
2004: 197 books
2003: 227 books

This is not a good trend. I think this result is directly proportional to how busy I am at work. I was unemployed for the entire year of 2003 and worked only about 6 months of 2004. I got my present job in April of 2005 and we got incredibly busy in 2006. My job is interfering with my reading and this is not acceptable, don't you think?

This year I only gave 3 books published in 2006 an A- grade and none an A, compared to last year's 3 (A) and 4 (A-) books. But I tackled my TBR quite a bit this year so I had an additional 10 books from other years in the A range. Maybe I'm being pickier with my A grades now.

Crazy Love by Tara Janzen (2006) (A-)
Some people didn't like this book but it is my favorite of the Crazy series. It's Dylan Hart, Special Defense Force commander, and Skeeter Bang's story and was very fast paced featuring three storylines that were all well done. All the action with muscle cars and high tech gadgets kept me turning the pages and there was never a dull moment. But don't think the romance was short changed because Dylan and Skeeter's story was very hot with great sexual tension.

A Reason to Live by Maureen McKade (2006) (A-)
I have become a big fan of historical westerns but they seem to be few and far between. I bought this one on Wendy's recommendation and was so glad I did. Here's my review.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (2006) (A-)
This book had such a HUGE amount of buzz with lots of accolades from most bloggers. I thought there was a few confusing moments at the end but overall it was an excellent paranormal. Singh sets up a fascinating alternate reality world populated with psychics, shapeshifters and human. This is the first full length offering from this author so I'm looking forward to more books from her.

The Kissing Game by Suzanne Brockmann (1998) (A)
Heart of Deception by Taylor Chase (1999) (A)
Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie (1993) (A)
A Crime of the Heart by Cheryl Reavis (1988) (A)
A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart (1993) (A)

Get Lucky by Suzanne Brockmann (2000) (A-)
Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann (1998) (A-)
The Nightingale's Song by Kathleen Eschenberg (2001) (A-)
Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer (1990) (A-)
Isn't It Romantic? by Rhonda Thompson (1998) (A-)

I have a few more 2006 books left to read so I may be able to add another one to this list before the end of January. My goal for 2007 is to read more than 140 books. I just can't let this 'work thing' interfere with my fun.

December reads

Here's the picture of the upside down BBQ grill after the windstorm.



Two very nice neighbors came over and helped set it upright again. What a mess it made too but it needed a good cleaning so Bob got that taken care of.

The 'December From Hell' (see previous post) turned out to be a pretty good reading month. I don't know how I managed to read all these books. I must be superwoman. Some of them were new, some old from my TBR and one was a loaner from a friend. This is going to be long, people, so fasten your seat belts.

Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare (B-)
I picked up this one because I loved the previous book, Extreme Exposure. It was another investigative reporting story this time involving the friend of the heroine from EE and was not quite as good but still enjoyable. Tessa witnesses a murder of a young girl. She is so traumatized by her experience that she writes a detailed eye witness account in the newspaper where she works as a reporter which puts her life in danger. She decides to find the girl's killer and in the course of her investigation meets Julian, an undercover FBI agent who has been working on the case which involves human trafficking. Tessa does some very unwise things (maybe even TSTL) and her life is in danger (of course) and Julian must protect her. Some of it was rather unrealistic but again Clare's writing makes up for it. Good suspense, hot sex, and fast action.

The Wicked Lover by Julia Ross (B-)
I think I started this one about 4 times in the past but never got past page 30. But I'm glad I persisted this time because it was pretty good. Ross' lush prose (ok, Cindy, I know that you'll be skipping this one) made this a smooth-flowing read but it was not her best. I was rather irritated with both the H/H at times. But it was worth picking up.

The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan (C-)
I usually love Donovan but this was not her best. In fact, I really dislike the 'let's pretend we're married so I can get elected' storylines. Blah! The hero and the book don't get my vote!

Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockmann (B)
I really think Brockmann should give up the Navy Seals books and go back to contemporaries because she does them so well. This one was again witty, light, funny, with great dialog, like the other old Loveswepts she wrote. It's a friends to lovers story and I really enjoyed it.

Vanquished by Hope Tarr (B-)
The story in this historical involved a photographer and a suffragette and blackmail and betrayal. Very well written but I really didn't get the reasoning behind the blackmail so I think there were problems with the storyline. But a very sexy read with believable characters.

The Unexpected Wife by Mary Burton (B+)
This one is a western historical that I got from Wendy who wrote a terrific review. I have never tried Burton before but I was very impressed. Must find something else by her.

Long Time Coming by Sandra Brown (B+)
This is an oldie (1989) and it shows a bit but I loved the hero who was an astronaut. The heroine was a bit too self sacrificing but it still worked for me. The plot had a twist on the old secret baby storyline. I usually hate those but this one didn't make me run screaming.

Crazy Sweet by Tara Janzen (B)
These 'Crazy' books are so fast paced and hot that I find myself liking them all. This one was not quite as good as some others but still enjoyable.

Be My Baby by Susan Andersen (B-)
BMB was set in New Orleans which was rather hard to read without thinking of Katrina. Hero is a policeman who has spent the last 10 years raising his three orphaned sisters and heroine is an uptight Boston blue blood whose family owns a chain of hotels. Scenario involves another heroine in danger - hero must protect her which is getting old. But it was fast, light, humorous, and hot. So it worked for me.

Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs (B-)
LC is set in Lake Crescent, Wash. which I visited years ago. It is sort of fun to read a book set in a place I live near. Hero has saved the President's life from an attempted assassination and is hiding out from the press. Heroine is a single mom and a writer. My friend loaned this contemporary to me. It was pretty good but after finishing it I have decided I like her historicals better.

Barefoot in the Grass by Judith Arnold (B+)
If you're in the mood for a tearjerker this one fills the bill. While very serious at times it still had a light mood to it. It's about perseverance and acceptance. Heroine is a wonderful character so realistically drawn. I wanted to hate the hero at one point but his reaction in one scene was completely believable. I won't give away the plot because it might spoil it for you.

Eloquent Silence by Sandra Brown (C+)
This is another oldie by Brown but not quite as enjoyable as the one above. Hero is a complete asshole. He is a self centered actor and not inclined to share his reasonings or feelings with the heroine. I may have graded this one too high but I loved the heroine who is a teacher and hero's deaf daughter.

That's all for now. Have already finished 3 books in January. I must update my sidebar soon. It's way out of date.

December was rough for me

Thanks for kicking my butt and waking me up, Cindy! December was a rough month:

• Snowstorm
• Handbell concert plus rehearsals
• Son hit by a car while walking across the street (he's OK, just very very sore). took a ride in an ambulance to the hospital.
  
• Windstorm
• No power for 2 days, no cable TV, no cable internet for a week (Bob drove me crazy... No ESPN, no Golf Channel, no surfing the internet, etc.)
  
• Worked 10-12 hour days for 3 solid weeks (plus weekends)
  
• Shipped our software product on 12/22. Big ship party (booze, champagne, food)!
• Finished Christmas shopping, wrapping, baking, decorating, etc.
  
• Daughter's boyfriend, his mother and sister came for Christmas Eve dinner. Then we all headed to church where I played in handbell choir while daughter played flute. She's very good (10 years of lessons) but hasn't picked it up in two years. She was AWESOME. She played Silent Night during the candle lighting while the congregation sang. It was so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes.
• Another snowstorm
• Comp time the week after Christmas. I slept in late EVERY morning. Bob still driving me crazy since he decided to take this week of vacation too. We spent lots of time together but I'm ready for him to go back to work. He's taking a golf vacation in March and asked if I want to go along.... Uh... NO.
  

But the good news is I have read lots of books from my TBR. I'll post about it tomorrow.

Windstorm!

You may have been wondering where I have been hiding lately. Well, we had one doozy of a windstorm last Thursday night and lost power about 1:00 am when a huge gust came through. About that time SeaTac airport recorded a gust of 70 mph (a record). It knocked Bob's pride-and-joy gas BBQ grill on it's top (weighing over 200 lbs).

This was the worst windstorm we have had since 1993 with about a million households without power. We were without power for 48 hours and STILL are without cable internet so I have been offline for almost a week. I have been working 10-12 hour days and so haven't had time to post from work either. But I'm taking a breather here at my desk and decided "what the hell, I'm going to blog".

Thousands of people are still without power so I shouldn't complain. You should see the roads around here with massive 100 ft. trees fallen across the roads, homes and cars. Looks like a war zone. I have had to alter my route to work because a large section of Northup Way is still closed with several large trees overhanging the roadway in a two block section.

I'll try to post some pictures later.

Squished

Just had my breasts squished today. OUCH! I hate my yearly mammogram and the technician was especially mean, a real masochist. I am usually very stoic even though it's rather uncomfortable but this time it hurt like HELL. Most painful one I have ever had and I actually yelled in pain. Never done that before. I swear I've got a huge bruise on one boob.

Anyway, before the mammogram the assistant who led me back to the changing area noticed the book in my hand and asked what I was reading. I was brave and told her it was a romance (something I usually don't admit to a stranger) and her expression just lit up with a big smile. She said she loves to read romance.. but calls them her 'slutty' books. You know we woman have got to stop putting down our reading preferences. I smiled back and said 'oh I don't think they're slutty, I really enjoy romance.' Right there I could see that she realized I was a kindred spirit. She wanted to know who the author was (Susan Donovan) and I told her it was a contemporary. She said that she liked historical romance and asked if I had read Christina Dodd. We spent the next few minutes talking about our favorite historical romance authors until she realized I needed to get changed into an exam gown.

I think I have finally gotten braver about admitting to strangers what I'm reading. In the past when asked "what ja reading" I would say stuff like:

"oh, nothing"
"just a trashy book"
"a mystery" (it was a romantic suspense)

and other lies or half truths.

I was always afraid about being judged but really why should I care what perfect strangers think. I bet most of you are more secure in your reading preferences and never have this problem but it has taken me a long time to reach this conclusion. I will never ever call a book I'm reading 'trashy' again. I will stand tall. I will be proud.

FictionDB.com

Popping in for a sec. Worked 12 hours today. *sigh* I'm tired but can't go to sleep yet.

I was subscribed to fictiondb.com and just got a notice that my subscription has run out and to sign up again it will run $29.99. That's for one year. Kind of steep, don't you think? I mostly used it to look up an author's entire backlist and find related books in a series. Their database is very complete. But the steep price is making me think twice. I could have sworn it was cheaper last year but I could be wrong and I'm too lazy to look up what I paid. Well, you do get a free book when you subscribe but overall I don't think it's worth it.

Are there any other sites out there that you can use to look up an author's entire backlist that are less expensive? There used to be a free site but I think you have to pay now for that one too.

Greetings from the saltmines

Yup, I'm feeling pretty bitchy right now so be prepared for a major rant. I worked last Saturday and refused to work Sunday although I was asked to which probably pissed some people off but I don't care. I have a life! I have other commitments! I go to church on Sunday mornings and I'm not a religious fanatic which is probably what they thought (but we Lutherans are pretty tame :-). I belong to a community handbell group and we have rehearsal on Sunday afternoons and I have to get a sub if I can't be there (which is impossible to do this time of year).

Today we were told that lunch and dinner will be provided every day plus breakfast on Saturdays until we ship our product on 12/22. Basically they want us to work work work everyday and not leave the office for lunch or go home for dinner. Nose to the grindstone until ship day. Why don't they just get out the ol' ball and chain and attach us all to our desks? What's next... porta potties in our offices?

Now some may say that they are just being thoughtful by buying us lunch and dinner but I need to get away from this place occasionally. I workout on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings and I don't plan on missing it. Our bible study group (we're more social than bible study) is having a cookie exchange on Thursday. Bob and I are going to a Christmas brunch at a fabulous restaurant next weekend. AND I want to do some Christmas shopping and decorating and baking. Oh, and Christmas cards. I feel like I'm going to explode. And I feel like I'm on the verge of tears a lot.

My stress quota has been reached.

I finished Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare last night and loved it. Ok, it had problems (and Jane's review pointed them out). But Clare's writing ranks right up there with Linda Howard and Anne Stuart for me. So what bothered her didn't bother me. It was fast paced and extremely HOT. I gave it a B-.

Just started The Wicked Lover by Julia Ross for about the 5th time. Let's see if I can get through it this time. Probably not a good time to try with my work situation.

Oh, well, back to work.

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

Why did I pick up this book? After reading the last Stephanie Plum book, Eleven on Top, I swore I was done with this series. This time I mean it... seriously... no, really. OK, shut up, I really mean it this time.

I read Stephanie Plum books to laugh. You know, those belly rolling laughs (and I have lots of belly to roll lately) that are so much fun. I can't remember the last time I had one of those laughs with her books. I think it was the opening scene a few books back where some FTA she was trying to capture was mooning her through a window. God, I laughed at that scene. Can't remember which book that was in though, but it was a while ago.

TS has a few laugh out loud chuckles and that's it. Waste of time. We got to see a bit more about Ranger's personal life, but really it wasn't worth it.

I read this from a book on tape with Lorelei King (I like CJ Critt better) as the narrator. At the end of the book Lorelei interviews Janet Evanovich. I usually skip those types of things but this time I decided to listen because I wanted to see what direction she is going with these books. Well, I was not pleased. Basically, she said that Stephanie will forever be the same age in all future books. She will never resolve her relationships with either Joe or Ranger. She emphasized that these are not romances and sort of dissed them a little (at least that's how I took it). So ladies, if you're expecting some kind of maturity out of Stephanie, forget it. She'll continue to blow up cars, do stupid stuff, keep her gun in her cookie jar, eat a steady diet of pizza and donuts, and lust after both Joe and Ranger. Doesn't matter if it's book 1 or book 53276. Nothing will change.

None of this is probably a surprise to the rest of you but I just had to rant. Ok, I'm done. Goodbye, Stephanie.

My grade: C

Brockmann binge

While cruising my TBR shelf I discovered I had a couple books left to read in Brockmann's Tall Dark and Dangerous series: Identity: Unknown and Get Lucky. So in the interest of closure I decided to read them. This series is all about U.S. Navy SEALs, has won numerous awards and launched Brockmann into fame and fortune and has also earned her a whole boatload of fans. Here is the complete list of eleven books with my grades:

Prince Joe (B)
Forever Blue (B+)
Frisco's Kid (B)
Everyday Average Jones (B)
Harvard's Education (A)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (C+)
The Admiral's Bride (B-)
Identity: Unknown
Get Lucky (A-)
Taylor's Temptation (B+)
Night Watch (B-)

Only a few of them were real keepers (A's) or nearly so (B+) but I'll hang on to all of them. They are all the original print version too. I can't figure it out but it just feels wrong to break up the set. I have done that with several other series by other authors as well. Have you ever held on to an entire series when only one or two are keepers?

Next I found several other Brockmann's published under the old Loveswept line. So I read them too and discovered a couple of treasures!

Body Language (A-)
Freedom's Price (B+)
The Kissing Game (A)

Which left Freedom's Price as a possible trade at PBS but just for the heck of it I looked at half.com to see how much I could sell it for (figuring about $5.00 or so) and discover that a like-new copy goes for $42.50!! OMG, that's ridiculous. I guess I'll hang on to it too. Maybe I'll sell the whole collection someday and retire in the lap of luxury. Uhhh, doubtful. :)

Isn't It Romantic? by Rhonda Thompson

Ever since I saw the review for IIR over at AAR where it earned an A, I had to have this book. But I didn't realize how HTF it was until making multiple trips to various UBS and never catching sight of it. It's been on my TBB list for about 6 years and I almost gave up. When I joined PBS I put it on my wishlist. Just recently it became available and I'm so glad I persisted because I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a wonderfully witty romantic comedy very reminiscent of SEP or Jennifer Cruise. I have to confess that I laughed so much while reading it that Bob kept giving me those 'funny' looks.

As the story begins Katrine Summerville and Trey Westmoreland are on a blind date... well, not exactly. Both Katrine and Trey need an escort to an awards banquet and their mutual friend Cynthia sets them up. The blaze of attraction immediately ignites between them, but when they both are called to the podium to receive an award and discover the true identity of the other the blaze turns to intense dislike and an angry argument ensues for all to see.

Katrine and Trey have a history. Katrine writes sexy historical romances for a living under a pseudonym (Kat Summers). Trey is a book critic who writes reviews under the pseudonym T. West for the local newspaper. Years ago he wrote a scathing review of Kat's book reflecting his prejudice against the romance genre in general. His review created animosity between them and they have been sworn enemies ever since although they had never met. After seeing the sparks fly at the banquet, Trey's publisher and Katrine's editor come up with a great idea to handle the publicity. These two are going to go out on a series of four dates and each write an article on their views of the date. Katrine will write the romantic viewpoint while Trey will write the realistic view.

Both characters carry a boatload of baggage. Katrine was abandoned at 5 years old, and pregnant and widowed at eighteen. Trey is still bitter about his failed marriage and feels romance novels give women a distorted expectation of love. What follows is a hilarious ride through one hysterically funny date-from-hell to the next. I could tell you about their dates, but I won't :) They are just too damn funny and I don't want to spoil your enjoyment. I laughed and laughed over every one, each one more funny than the last.

The dialogue is snappy, sassy and clever, and the plot is fast paced and lighthearted with a serious undertone which makes it work so well. The chemistry between these two characters was perfect. I would rate them as one of my top 10 favorite couples of all time. I also got a huge kick out of the tongue in cheek spoof of romance novels as well.

And the ending...*sigh* ..... sooooooooo romantic. Loved it!!!

I hesitated about writing this review because the book is so HTF that you may have trouble snagging a copy. But maybe you'll get lucky in your neck of the woods. I suggest putting it on your wish list at PBS and you may get it eventually. I know I'm not going to be parting with my copy. It's a keeper. If you are one of the lucky ones who has this sitting in your TBR... get it out and read it, girl!

My grade: A

Date Me Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe

This book was my October TBR challenge read that I never got around to writing a review for. So I'm sure I probably ended up on AngieW's wall of shame :). I picked this book up on Cindy's recommendation and enjoyed it very much.

This was a funny book. By that I mean both funny, ha ha, and funny, strange. I'll try and summarize the plot but I'm afraid it might be too bizarre to explain. Plus it's been a while since I finished it and I'm having trouble remembering it all. But here goes.

Justine Bennett is an immortal and guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth which just happens to have morphed into an espresso machine named Desdemona (Mona for short). Oh, and she's forbidden to have sex because it might interfere with her job of guarding Mona. Justine and her roommate, Theresa Nichols, have been watching over Mona for the last 200 years. Oh, yeah, BTW, Theresa is now an 11-foot tall fire-breathing dragon who spends most of her day having cyber sex. Needless to say they don't get out much.

Derek LaValle and the men of his family are cursed. For the past four generations all the men of his family have died at the same age, 31 years, 46 weeks, 4 days, 6 hours, 3 minutes, and 5 seconds. How's that for a curse? Where Rowe came up with that exact age, I don't know, but it made me laugh. And the weird causes of death (hamsters, lemonade ?) for the men was hilarious. Derek is determined to break the curse and the only way he feels he can do that is to kill the Guardian and steal the Goblet. Justine must protect the Goblet by killing Derek or else face being sent the Chamber of Unspeakable Horrors. Satan and Justine's mother have a secondary romance (if you can call it that). He lusts after her and she wants nothing to do with him. Some of their dialogue is pretty funny.

Eventually Derek and Justine team up to solve the curse and they fall for each other. The plot was rather convoluted at times and while there were some laugh out loud moments some of it was a bit silly to me. This quirky paranormal has no werewolves, no vampires, no fairies, trolls or goblins. Just a fire-breathing dragon. But it was worth picking up for the comedy alone.

My grade: B

Rowe seems to be a writer with potential. The next book, Must Love Dragons, is Theresa's story and has just been released. I may have to go shopping.

Bob & shopping

I'm sitting hear listening to my cat snore. When did she start that? I should be used to it by now. Bob snores every night and most of the time it doesn't bother me.

Bob and I have been shopping a bunch. Monday we went to Frye's Electronics and bought a new computer and telephone. Cindy talks about C-Rex. Well, I don't have a nice name for mine. I was just a bitch at the checkout stand. I'm not going to explain it. I'll just say that the clerk and her manager PISSED me off royally. I think I embarrassed Bob.

Anyway, on to IKEA. We saw a few things we wanted (an easy chair for the bedroom for me). Had lunch there (Swedish meatballs of course). I gave up red meat about 2 years ago (long story) but occasionally treat myself. Only problem I think is if you haven't eaten beef for a while your body forgets how to digest it. Gave me a little tummy ache but it was worth it. Very yummy.

Today we went to Home Depot. I looked at light fixtures and found one I liked. Bob looked at some crap while I followed him the hell and gone all over the damn building. But I was good, didn't complain once. Then on to Costco where we fought the crowds. Picked up 2 pumpkin pies and a pecan pie for Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's. A bunch of Costco managers were standing around and I overheard them say that they had made 1500 pumpkin pies last night!!! We made it out of the store for less than $100, quite an achievement for me.

The weather has been horrendously wet. Supposed to be the wettest November on record and it's not even over yet! And terribly windy too.

Now somebody please tell me how to get rid of Bob for a day. I need some me-time. I need to go to the bookstore. He's driving me nuts. I need some space. He used to hate shopping, now he seems to like it. Help!

Update: The sun came out this morning and should last till this afternoon so we had this conversation:

Bob: "I think I'll go golfing"
Me: *jumping for joy...woohoo* "That's a great idea, honey, get out and get some fresh air."
Bob: "Would you like to walk along with me?"
Me: *are you kidding me?* "No thanks, hon"
Bob: "I think I'll stop at Lowe's after"
Me: *thank you Jesus... he'll be gone for hours :)* "That's nice, have fun!"

Perfect Weapon by Amy Fetzer

I love a good romantic suspense as long as there is a minimum of blood and torture of women, children and animals. OK, so sue me, I'm picky. Also, I don't want to get inside the mind of a sick serial killer. I always skim over stuff like that.

Anyway, I have heard good things about Amy Fetzer and thought I would give her a try so PW was my first attempt and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dr. Sydney Hale is a scientist working on an antidote to the deadly sarin nerve gas in a underground government lab when they are attacked by terrorists and she barely escapes with her life. Captain Jack Wilson and three of his fellow Marines are working on a job for the department of Fish and Game and unwittingly get caught in the crossfire. When his three buddies are brutally murdered Jack is determined to discover who did this, and figures out that Dr. Hale is the key so he kidnaps her from under the nose of the NSA who are supposed to be keeping her safe.

What follows is an action packed, nail biting plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. However, my biggest complaint was that the plot was somewhat convoluted and confusing. There were several plot threads running though it with numerous scene breaks involving characters that were not set up and explained so I had no idea who these characters were which drives me crazy. Eventually, I thought "f*ck it" and quit trying to mentally organize and figure out who the characters where and just let their names flow over the top of my head, figuring all would be explained later. Which they were. If you concentrate mainly on the H/H, then you should be fine.

Jack and Sydney team up to solve who is behind the terrorist attack and figure out the government traitor. They were an engaging couple whose attraction for each other sparked plenty of sexual tension. Jack was a yummy hero suffering a fair amount of angst and grief over the loss of his buddies. Sydney was a strong, admirable heroine and was a complex character. Sometimes I get tired of this plot line.... h/h on the run for their life, trying to solve a mystery, having lots of hot sizzling sex. But Fetzer does it very well in PW. A very enjoyable read I highly recommend. I definitely want to try another by her.

My grade: B+

Haunted in Death by J. D. Robb

I'm a huge fan of this series and have read every one in a row. I listened to this book from the CD which was read by Susan Ericksen and was only 3 CD's long so it was basically a short story or a novella. I have asked myself why I keep sticking with this series through all 22 full length books, 2 novellas, and Remember When (I don't know what you'd classify that one).

In case you are one of the few people left who have never read this series before, let me give you an overview. The books are set in futuristic New York City beginning in the year 2058. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is one tough cookie with a lot of baggage left over from her sexual and physical abuse by her father when she was just a small child. In the first book, Naked in Death, she meets gazillionaire Roarke (a suspect in a murder case she is investigating) and they fall in love and they have lots of hot vigorous sex. Roarke also has his own baggage and throughout all these books I have enjoyed how their relationship develops and how their characters grow. Along the way we meet a bunch of other wonderful characters who appear in every book.

If you have read all of this series then be warned that HID does not add anything to Eve's character growth or her developing relationship with husband Roarke. Basically, what you have here is a murder mystery featuring a ghost but I felt a bit cheated because some of my favorite characters are missing (Summerset, Mavis, etc.)

I loved the mystery in this one but I don't read them for the mystery alone. I want Eve/Roarke relationship growth, I want the hot SEX, I want the characters. Well, there may have been one sex scene in this one but it flew by so fast it didn't leave an impression. Or maybe I was dreaming. So, sad to say, this one was a waste of time for me in some respects, but it was a good story.

My grade: C+

Upcoming books in this series:
Born in Death is just out Nov. 7th
Innocent in Death (2007)
Creation in Death (2007)

I'm back and ready to roll

And I really missed blogging! (let me know if I missed any good gossip so I can go rubber neck). I had a horrible day at work today. They are so mean... they actually want me to work. No time to peek at the internet and blog hop. No time for a lunch break so I ate my Lean Cuisine while I continued working. The only thing keeping me going is knowing that starting tomorrow I have 10 days off ... in a row even :) Tummy is under control but it really pisses me off that I have to avoid dairy. I'm in denial still.

So I see I need to update my sidebar and I have reviews to write. I also need to see if I can find a new free template. Getting tired of this one. I was thinking of maybe posting a review a day but that sounds overly ambitious. I have been reading but not as much as normal. Usually I can finish a book in 2 or 3 days but lately it's more like one in 6 or 7 days.

I updated to the new Blogger beta and, wow, it has labels. Cool! I hope they worked out most of the bugs because finding bugs in software is what I do all day at work and I don't want to have to deal with it when I'm trying to do something fun, like talk about books.

I also updated my yahoo mail account to the new Yahoo Mail beta. I'm a glutton for punishment.

Bob is taking the next 10 days off too. He wanted to spend time with me (how sweet :) and there are some things we want to do around the house. I hope it stops raining for a few days so I can send him off golfing. I don't want to hurt his feelings but sometimes I just want some time to myself. I have a huge To-Do list and hope to do a little book shopping. AND read as much as possible.

Time for a break

I've been a pretty lousy blogger lately. Work has been horrible lately and will be getting worse. We are supposed to ship our product on December 15 and that means some long hours and maybe have to work some weekends. I HATE THIS. My boss is throwing more responsibility my way too. I have to train a new employee today and Wednesday I'm scheduled to interview a potential employee. I like how he has such confidence in me but I find myself getting more anxious which causes me to procratinate about stupid stuff.

So the end result is I need to take a break from blogging for a short while. I am scheduled to take the week of Thanksgiving off so I'll try to pop in and post something then. I'm in a reading slump anyway after finishing Cold As Ice by Anne Stuart. Loved it! Peter is your typical Stuart anti-hero. I can't figure out why I love this hero type but it works for me. I loved the heroine too. She stands up to him when he acts like an a**hole. :)

BTW, I think I figured out my tummy problem which has been giving me fits since April. I'm lactose intolerant! I thought it was heartburn caused by stress. Went to a gastroenterologist and she did an endoscopy. I was starting to really worry but all she saw was gastritis from the heartburn. She has given me several heartburn medications (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, Aciphex, etc.) to try and they have helped a bit but I still feel sick to my stomach most of the time. I remembered that my mother was lactose intolerant so I started taking those lactase tablets and wow do I feel better. I have never had problems with milk my whole life. I love milk. I had no idea that a person could develop this at my age.

I'll be back in a couple weeks but I'll try to keep up with everyone's blog.