My Thoughts: Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.
 
Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all.






I first saw Don't Breathe A Word by Jennifer McMahon at the bookstore back in the fall. Upon reading the back I thought it looked really good and I really wanted to read it. I didn't buy it right then, I actually wanted to see what it had rated on Goodreads before I took the plunge. I did add it to my wishlist and was pleasantly surprised when I received it as a gift in the Fall Book Exchange. Even with my mountainous TBR pile this book quickly moved to the top of the pile. I was suprememly curious about the story.

The story is told by two different narrators- by Pheobe, Sam's girlfriend which takes place in present day time and by Lisa the missing sister, her story is told 15 years prior to the present day and it recounts the events leading up to her disappearance. This aspect of the book was ok, however I would often find myself becoming bored with Lisa's story. Mostly because I wasn't all that convinced about the faries. When I was reading from this 12 year old girls perpective I felt like it was very much make believe. That none of it was real. It was only when reading from the perspective of Pheobe and the present day realities did I wonder what was going on, and whether this really was a messed up fantasy.

There were a few things about this book that I wished were different. One being the end. I did not like how this book ended. Some people would say that is was brillant. I thought it was a misguided attempt at making this book a little more mysterious. To me, this book didn't end. I mean, it ended or I felt like it ended, and everything was winding down, but then all of a sudden you're not sure. I hate when that happens. For me if a book is not part of a series, there should be a definit end to things. To go along with the end, I thought that McMahon went a little to dramatic in places.

Cover Love: Lover Reborn by JR Ward

I never do cover reveals, nor do I gush about covers, but, as you ALL should know by now, I am in love with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series!! So when I saw this on Facebook earlier today I needed to share it.

So viola! Lover Reborn by JR Ward, which will feature Tohrment!

I am pretty excited for this book, Tohr has suffered, and I am eager to see him get a HEA!

According to FB post the manuscript was 754 pages and over 170, 000 words. Whew, That's longer than Lover Avenged.

I don't love this cover, the model isn't how I have pictured Tohr, but meh. I love the title though, I think it fits perfectly!



Love Reborn is due to be released March 27th of 2012- Just in time for exams.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

ARC received from Simon and Schuster.

After reading Tricks earlier this year I am a little nervous when it comes to reading anything by Ellen Hopkins. Not because it was bad, but because it was so good that it left me feeling a little sick with how real and unnerving it was. Hopkins does that on a regular basis, her young adult stories leave you reeling with emotions. She doesn't sugar coat situations and make them seem better than they are. She tells the honest truth, the gory truth. This skill has put her, and her books on the banned list more then once. But they are amazing, I have only read two of her young adult fiction, and I have been shaken to the core by the story she tells. In saying that, when I heard that Ellen Hopkins was writing a novel geared towards adults I was excited and totally freaked out.  After Tricks and Identical, how much worse could it be? It was that question that freaked me out, but I couldn't stay away.

I was glad to realise that Triangles was not full of drug abuse, child molestation or prostitution. What it did involve was three women in their forties; one with a sick child and a failing marriage, another- a mother of three, facing her fortieth birthday with a brand new image, and the third- a single mother with a teenage daughter, who has been having a bit of a dry spell when it comes to men. They are all intertwined in one way or another and they are all dealing with similar issues. Three women, whose responsibilities have gotten in the way of what they really want? Writing about the lives of women may not be the most original topic in the world to write about, when Hopkins takes something on, it's bound to be epic, and Triangles was epic.

If you've read Hopkins before you will not be disappointed with Triangles, if you've never read Hopkins, welcome to the beauty of her writing. The lives of the women in her novels are not perfect, but neither are they so terrible. That's what makes this book so good. I've said it before, Hopkins writes about real life, not just the bad stuff. Her traditional style of writing in verse adds to the beauty of this story. The real life situations that are presented in Triangles are complex and sometimes hard to read, but they won't leave you cringing. They will have you thinking about what it is like to be an adult, and be unsatisfied with your life. They will have you questioning about what is right and wrong, and what's worth sacrificing. Triangles tells the story of three women, of commitment and of friendship. 

Overall, this was another Ellen Hopkins masterpiece. It's not aggressively disturbing, but it still tells a tale that doesn't lie, and reveals human imperfection in all it's wondrous glory.

Trailer-The Taker by Alma Katsu

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .  
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.


The Taker by Alma Katsu is due to hit the shelves tomorrow, and I am VERY excited. I read this book and few weeks ago, and it quickly lurched itself into one of the best books I have read this year.  If you want to know how much I liked it, you can check out my review here.

I am not a huge fan of book trailers. But this one I liked. I think it conveys the essence of the book perfectly.  It's mysterious and chilling all at once.

 So if you're in the mood to do some book shopping (and come on, let's me honest, we're always in the mood to do some book shopping), I would encourage you to pick up The Taker, it will not disappoint.

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

My Thoughts: The Taker by Alma Katsu

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .
 
On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.
 
Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.
 
I knew nothing about The Taker by Alma Katsu before I received an e-mail from Simon and Schuster Canada. So, it sat on my shelf for a couple months, I knew I was going to read it, but I also knew I had other things to read. I am so glad that I got to read this book. SO glad. Alma Katsu took me for a literary ride that I will never forget. I think after reading this story I am kind of obsessed with it.  The story itself was amazing, but so was the writing, so were the characters. While reading this book, I had a hard time putting it down. It was full of suspense, and twists and turns, and thrills. It was a roller coaster that I was happy to be on.
 
The story essentially starts with Dr. Luke treating Lanny, and Lanny- revealing herself as immortal-needs Luke's help to escape. What Lanny also needs help with is her grief. She has just lost the love of her life, Jonathan, and is suffering for it. However it's not that simple. I don't want to give away to much here, So I won't go into to much detail. However, Lanny goes on to tell Luke her story.How she came to be immortal, the people she met, the things she did, and how after so many years, Jonathan is dead.
 
I have read stories in the past, that start out hundreds of years in the past, and somehow end up in present day. I have read stories that tell of what life was like way back when, what was done, how a character has changed for the better, and so on, and so forth. The Taker has all of this, but it also has more. What that more is, I don't really know. Lanny starts her story in 1816 when she first approaches Jonathan at church. It is here that their friendships begins. She talks about how their relationship evolved, but, she also says that she loved him from the very beginning. She tells about how things changed and she was forced to leave the town she knew as home, and venture to a big unknown city.  It is here that she meets Adair, and her life of immortality begins. It was all very captivating. The Taker was a story within a story, and at one point, I was reading a story within a story, within a story. I really loved the multi-dimensional story telling that I found in The Taker. The story flowed beautifully, and I was never confused by the back and forth between past and present.
 
Katsu is a great writer, and I feel like she had a great balance of plot and character. The characters in this novel were great, however I think that without the story that she had created they wouldn't have been that special, however, at the same time, I also believe that without the characters she had developed the plot would have fallen flat. The Taker was a story about interpersonal relationships, and the relationship dynamics were complex. They were insanely destructive,co-dependant, and incredibly unhealthy, but, at the same time, you didn't want them to end. 
 
I was happy with how the book ended, having no clue that it was indeed part of a trilogy, I felt it ended well. I thought there was some possibility for a sequel. Now I am so excited for the next installment. There are characters I am hoping will return and I am eager to read more about Lanny and Luke.
 
The Taker was really an amazing novel and I hope that you all go out and buy it on release day. Sept 6th, it will not disappoint.
 
~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Collide by Megan Hart

A childhood accident left Emmaline vulnerable to disturbing fugue states that last only minutes, but feel like an eternity. The blackouts are unsettling but manageable…until she meets Johnny Dellasandro.
The reclusive painter gained notoriety in the '70s for his debauched lifestyle and raunchy art films. His naked body has achieved cult status, especially in Emm's mind—she's obsessed with the man, who's grown even sexier with age. Today Johnny shuns the spotlight and Emm in particular…until she falls into a fugue on his doorstep.
In that moment she's transported back thirty years, crashing a party at Johnny's place in his wild-man heyday— the night is a blur of flesh and heat that lingers on her skin long after she's woken to the present.
It happens again and again, each time-slip another mind-blowing orgy, and soon Emm can't stop, though every episode leaves her weaker and weaker. She's frightened by what's happening to her, but she's even more terrified of losing this portal to the Johnny she wants so badly. The one who wants her, too, and takes her—every chance he gets.

If you've visited my "about me" page of this blog, you will know that Megan Hart has penned one of my most favourite books of all time-Dirty. I loved that book, and it was because of that book, that I have kept reading her books- well and because I think she is a phenomenal writer.  Now I have to say that I don't read many explicitly adult novels, so I wasn't sure about reviewing Collide for the blog, but I loved this books so much, that there was just no way I couldn't.

There have been a few of Hart's books that I have not enjoyed. Not because they weren't great, they just were not my cup of tea. So when I first read the synopsis for Collide I was a little nervous, her last paranormal, Deeper, was not one of my favourites. However, I devoured this book. It was really, really good. Hart is a fantastic writer, she describes things wonderfully and her characters are never flat and boring. They are so dynamic and so messed up, you can't help but be thankful that your own life is so normal. But reading her books never gets trivial or repetitive.

In Collide we have the protagonist, Emm. Who suffers from blackouts, and usually, that's all they are-blackouts. But upon meeting Johnny Dellasandro, the older, incredibly handsome former actor, her blackouts turn into, what she believes to be hallucinations about Johnny in his "glory days". I absolutely loved this aspect of the story, I thought it was great. Here was Emm. Having a relationship with Johnny in the past, and not getting much attention from Johnny of the present. It was fun to read.

The plot may not have been the most original, very The Time Traveller's Wife-esq, but I loved The Time Traveller's Wife, so Collide was perfect.

I want to mention briefly the sexually explicit content. Although Collide is categorized as an 'erotic' novel, I wouldn't consider it such, I would say it was a romance novel, with a few extra sex scenes Yes, it does have some explicit content, but, I wouldn't say it was graphic. I have read romance novels that were more sexually graphic then this one. There are also other novels by Hart that are more obscene then this one. This is fairly tame.

For me, Collide was a hit, and if you're curious about reading it, please do so-but only if you're 18 or older.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares

In the town of Waterby on Fire Island, the rhythms and rituals of summer are sacrosanct: the ceremonial arrivals and departures by ferry; yacht club dinners with terrible food and breathtaking views; the virtual decree against shoes; and the generational parade of sandy, sun-bleached kids, running, swimming, squealing, and coming of age on the beach.
Sisters Riley and Alice, now in their twenties, have been returning to their parents modest beach house every summer for their entire lives. Petite, tenacious Riley is a tomboy and a lifeguard, always ready for a midnight swim, a gale-force sail, or a barefoot sprint down the beach. Beautiful Alice is lithe, gentle, a reader and a thinker, and worshipful of her older sister. And every summer growing up, in the big house that overshadowed their humble one, there was Paul, a friend as important to both girls as the place itself, who has now finally returned to the island after three years away. But his return marks a season of tremendous change, and when a simmering attraction, a serious illness, and a deep secret all collide, the three friends are launched into an unfamiliar adult world, a world from which their summer haven can no longer protect them.

Review Copy received by Penguin Group Canada.
Ann Brashares is fairly well known in the world of Young Adult for her Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series, I have not read the Sisterhood series however when I saw that The Last Summer (of You & Me) was her first attempt at Adult fiction I was curious. The premise of the story is interesting, and it seemed like a perfect summer read.  However, although this book wasn't bad, it was also lacking in a few areas. There were a few things that I found Brashares could have elaborated on, or went a little deeper with. 

The Last Summer (of You & Me) was supposed to be a love story between Paul and Alice that spanned years. But that was not the sense that I got from reading this book. The love story was not believable.  It felt like something that just happened. For me it wasn't real. I got no sense of the struggle they went through from loving each other for so many years.  The relationship between Paul and Alice was also supposed to be conflicted because of Riley-Alice's sister and Paul's best friend- but I didn't get why. Why was their relationship going to be a problem for Riley?  Brashares did not do a very good job of showcasing the emotions that her characters were said to be feeling. Even amidst tragedy I couldn't feel the intense sadness that the protagonist was said to be feeling. For me, this was not a good thing.

This book is hard for me to review, because I couldn't connect with the characters or their emotions.  I liked the idea of the novel, but I think I was expecting more than what I got.

The Last Summer (of You & Me) was released as a Mass Market Paperback on July 5th, 2011.

Cover Love-All Fall Down by Megan Hart

In the midst of a chaotic midnight assembly, Sunshine is forced out into the darkness. Holding a scrap of paper scrawled with a stranger’s name and address, Sunny grasps the hands of her three small children and begins her escape.

Liesel Albright has dreamed of starting a family. She never bargained on inheriting one already in progress…or one so deeply damaged. When nineteen-year-old Sunshine appears on the Albright’s doorstep claiming Liesel’s husband Chris is her father, all they can think to offer is temporary shelter. The next day, they’re stunned by the news that the Family of Superior Bliss, led by a charismatic zealot, has committed mass suicide. Sunny and her children haven’t just left the compound–they’ve been left behind. Now, instead of a baby of her own, Liesel must play mother to the four survivors while Chris retreats into guilt and denial. For Sunny, however, a lifetime of teachings is not easily unlearned. No matter how hard she tries to forget, an ominous catechism echoes in her mind, urging her to finish what the Family started.

How incredibly gorgeous is that cover?

It is no secret that I love Megan Hart's writing. That Dirty is one of my most favourite books. She writes mostly romance/erotic fiction, however, it is tastefully done, and it doesn't feel raunchy. I love her style of writing and her character and plot build up. Her books make me happy. 

This year Hart ventured into what she termed "mainstream contemporary fiction" with her novel Precious and Fragile Things. I received the opportunity to read PAFT before release day and I loved it. Everything that I appreciate in Megan's writing could be found in PAFT. The plot, the characters, the dialogue. It was great. To read my thoughts go here. 

So I am very excited to see that Megan is again coming out with another contemporary novel-All Fall Down- and this one sounds even more intriguing then PAFT.  All Fall Down is set to be released in early 2010 (exact date has yet to be determined). I know I'll be first in line to buy it.


Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.





I picked this up a couple weeks ago and read it immediately (which doesn't happen often/ever). But the movie had come out and I wanted to read the book before seeing the film. I was excited about the movie because the trailer, which I dedicated a post to. Anywho.. I haven't seen the movie and I am not sure that I will, now that I have read the book. I was not at all happy with this book.

First let me say. It was pretty boring. The main character-Rachel- is a work-aholic 30 year old single woman, who hates her job. Yeah that sounds like buckets of fun. So the story starts out with Rachel's best friend Darcy throwing her a birthday party. Where Darcy is, Dex is. Who is Dex? Dex is Darcy's fiance who she met through Rachel and whom Rachel is secretly in love with, and has been for a while. Darcy goes home early from the party due to extreme drunkenness. Dex and Rachel end up leaving the party together to go to another bar and end up in bed together later that night. Poor Darcy. 

So up till this point I was fairly entertained with Something Borrowed. I went on reading thinking that I was going to read a funny account of how Rachel was going to have to keep this indiscretion from Darcy, and the awkwardness between her and Dex. But that is not what I got. What I got was a full blown affair between Dex and Rachel. Complete with sneaking around and lies. I was horrified. Did I mention that Rachel is supposed to be the Maid of Honour at their wedding. I am in no way a prude. But I found the plot to be terrible. Really. I am not a fan of infidelity, and I definitely don't like when it's glorified. I feel like this book totally glorified affairs. Especially in the end.

I probably could have handled this book if there was a bit more humour involved. But there wasn't any. There were no laugh out loud moments. I did not like Emily Giffin's writing. It lacked character. For me it was flat and emotionless. I found her character's incredibly selfish. Dex was a putz. I DID NOT him. Not at all. He was whiny and the most selfish man I have ever read about. I shake my head at the thought of him.

I guess, in the end I did not like this book, and I am sad that I read it. The only reason I finished it was because I wanted to know how the two got busted. It was a waste of time. The writing was bad, the plot was bad, the characters were bad. I will not be reading Something Blue or anything else by Emily Giffin.

Release Day; Lover Unleashed JR Ward,

Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can- and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night- like vampires- he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide … just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

Ok so if you have been following me at all, you know that I am in love with The Black Dagger Brotherhood series. You know they are my loves and even the books I hated I still loved (yes to me it makes sense). It makes me sad that new books only come out once and year (it used to be twice). This year however, Lover Unleashed is out a full month early (well maybe not, but Lover Mine was out at the end of April last year, the same goes for Lover Avenged the year before). The end of April release dates worked for me, I had no commitments and could read as I pleased. This "earlier" release day is smack dab in the middle of crunch time at school, right in the middle of papers and exams. Why Warden? why? I love this series and am totally stoked to read Lover Unleashed.  So what do I do? I can't not go out and buy this book today, but can it be on my shelf unread for the next 3 weeks? Probably not, I can see it already taunting me. Can I read it slowly (an hour in the morning and an hour before bed)? Or should I just forget sleep for the next 72 hours?  I don't know, can you see me dilemma?

Anywho, for those of you who are free to read as you will Lover Unleashed is out today, so go buy it!

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley

John Murphy is tormented by nightmares. A bestselling young-adult author, he writes the ultimate fantasy: stories where good always triumphs. He knows better. His past has shown him the worst in people—and in himself. When he moves next door to the sexy, vibrant Livvy—a woman completely unlike his usual one-night stands—he's driven to explore every curve of her delicious body.

Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won't lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she's as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his secrets. But what will happen when she uncovers them all?

(Book Received by netGalley)

This book broke my heart. It really did. Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley was not your typical romance novel. It's full of hurt, despair and brokenness. At times it was very hard to read.

John the male protagonist has a very tortured past and he has not healed at all from what was done to him. He is a YA author who is fairly successful. John uses his writing as an outlet for his own personal monsters, fantastical beings that have been with him since childhood, and are as much a part of him and any one of his organs. In most cases this would be kind of cool for a writer; to feel like the creatures he writes about are a part of him. For John it's causing him more harm then good.

Livvy was an amazing character. She is who I want to be. She is loving and understanding. She doesn't give up and she loves John. She loved John and his brokenness before she fully knew what she was dealing with, and she continued to love him when his past was explained. Livvy was what John needed to lead him on a path of healing. I loved her. I loved how she was written and how she was also broken but wasn't afraid to share it. Stupid John exploited that at one point and it made me sad for her.

This book was not a cookie cutter novel, it was not full of rainbows and butterflies. There were times that I wanted to throw my Kobo eReader across the room in frustration. I wanted to scream because sometimes it was cheesy and made me roll my eyes, but when you read a romance novel that's what you sometimes get. This was a hard read, but it was worth it. This is a story of redemption and hope.

Happy Reading Everyone.

My Thoughts: French Kissing by Catherine Sanderson

Name: Sally Marshall
Status: Single mother
Age: 32
Nationality: Ten years in France, yet still English through and through.
I like: Living in Paris, playing with my daughter Lila (four-years-old), the company of good friends, the smell of baking bread . . .

So reads Sally's ad, posted on a French online dating site called Rendez-Vous. Sally left Nicolas, her French boyfriend of ten years and Lila's father, after she discovered that he was having an affair with his secretary. Six months have now passed, and although most of the time she feels like she's just dashing around like a headless chicken, she's beginning to bounce back.

But making a new start is fraught with complications. As she meets freshly-single Frédéric for a drink, spends the night with charmer Manu and runs away from ex-pat Marcus, she wonders: can she find a way to reconcile motherhood with single womanhood? To what extent can she keep Lila and her love life separate? And is she truly ready to turn her back on Nicolas?

I really like British Chick Lit. So much so that I don't know why I don't read more of it. Although this novel is set in Paris, it is British through and through and it was wonderful. French Kissing by Cathering Sanderson is Sanderson's first novel and it's a good one.

Sally, the protagonist is upbeat, fun and very likeable. She's fiercely independent and is trying to adjust to life as a recently single mom; having to deal with the fact that she cannot go out with her friends when she wants to (which leads her to sometimes feel like she is being left out) dealing with the fact that she has to sometimes leave a party early because the sitter needs to get home. Life is not as easy as it once was for Sally. So she give the Internet dating a try.

There was nothing overly special about this book, it wasn't overly funny, the story was interesting but it wasn't a novel idea. But the writing was good, and the characters were great. It was an easy and quick read. I almost wish I would have saved this for summer because it would have been great to read in the morning on my front step. I also loved that the story took place in Paris and that Sally was an English born woman living in France. I desperately want to live in France some day and this book fueled my desire and helped me realize that it is possible.
Catherine Sanderson herself has lived in Paris for many many years and is originally from somewhere in the UK, but has made Paris her home.

The one thing that I did find a little annoying with this book was the amount of french phrases and sentences that were thrown into the book with no translation. I can speak and read French fairly well, however there were sometimes when I wasn't to sure about what sometime meant and had to just be ok with that. I would imagine that for someone who spoke no french this would have been pretty frustrating.

Overall I think that if you are looking for something light and fun, this is the read for you.

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Hunger Aroused by Dee Carney

Jasmine is sick in bed when a sexy stranger breaks in and reveals she’s suffering an irreversible case of vampirism. And because her turning wasn’t approved by the Council, he must kill her once the transition is complete. In the meantime, the executioner offers to ease her torment with chocolate, hot peppers or sexual release. Fortunately for them both, Jasmine’s kitchen is bare...







Hunger Aroused I received through netGalley. So Thankyou. Dee Carney's book was fantastic... for the first 60 or so pages. It was really good, fast paced, hot as anything you can imagine and made you want to keep reading, however it piddled out as it went on.

In the beginning you meet Jasmine who works in a hospital and is very sick. Then there is Corin who is the man sent to kill her. But he seduces her instead. Sounds great eh? There were mysteries that were presented in the beginning that were pretty cool, and I was excited to dig deeper into them. Unfortunately they weren't really well explained. Certain plots weren't really well developed, and I found that the ones that were, were a little confusing to follow. Certain ideas that were in the story weren't really relevant to the plot as a whole. Which again made Hunger Aroused a very jumbled read. It was little all over the place.

The writing was good. Corin and Jasmine were good characters. I did find Corin a little annoying towards the end. He was very duty focused, and then all of a sudden he changed his tune. Huh?

I kind of feel that perhaps the author took her time writing the beginning (because the beginning was very good) but rushed through a bit more of it towards the end. But I have no idea, I am making assumptions.

I will read Dee Carney again, the end of this book is not going to keep me from reading her. Hunger Aroused had an interesting plot and the writing was ok.

Happy Reading Everyone

My Thoughts: Naughty and Nice Anthology

A famous singer reunites with an old flame. A couple explores their desire to be truly bound together. Newlyweds heat things up when they're trapped indoors. And sparks fly when the lights go out. Whether you are naughty or nice, you can still get what you really want for Christmas in this collection of four seasonal shorts.

Featuring Stories by Shannon Stacey, Jaci Burton, Megan Hart and Lauren Dane.

So I was pretty excited to read get this book from netGalley, and very eager to dig into it. I've read stories/books by Burton, Hart and Dane, but never by Stacey. I am generally pretty excited about finding new authors and I find anthologies are the safest way to do it.

I was not a huge fan of Shannon Stacey's Holiday Sparks, which was her contribution to Naughty and Nice. I thought it was a bit rushed (which is understandable considering it was only about 50 or so pages), but I also found it not to be very well developed. I did like the characters, they worked for me. I just wish there was more to read or more of something.

Jaci Burton's All She Wants for Christmas I think was my favourite of the bunch. I liked it because it had a little more depth then the first story. I loved that there was a kid in the story and that she was cute and funny, I also loved how she always referred to Riley (The Female Protagonist) as Riley Jensen-always. It was great. The story was good and I felt like it began and ended well.

I was super excited for Unwrapped by Megan Hart. We all know that I love Megan, but Unwrapped featured Leah and Brandon from Taking Care of Business and No Reservations (which was a collaborative work by both Megan Hart and Lauren Dane). When I read a book I sometimes get really invested in the characters, I want to know what's in store for them next. I love that Megan has done this not once but twice for these two characters. I liked this story, I liked how it was written and how it played out.

I am surprised that I have not read more by Lauren Dane, after reading Believe in Naughty and Nice. I don't know why I haven't. I have only read her collaboration with Megan Hart, and I really enjoyed that. And I really really liked this story. It was good. Dane's story was hands down the raunchiest of the bunch but it was classy, and tasteful. The characters (also recycled I believe) were sweet and I totally loved them, and loved how they loved each other.

Overall Naughty and Nice was a good read. I'm glad I was able to read it.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Release Day-Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart

Gilly Soloman has been reduced to a mothering machine, taking care of everyone and everything
except herself. But the machine has broken down. Burnt out by the endless days of crying children and menial tasks, and exhausted from always putting herself last, Gilly doesn’t immediately consider the consequences when she’s carjacked. With a knife to her throat, her first thought is that she’ll finally get some rest. Someone can save her for a change.

But salvation isn’t so forthcoming. Stranded in a remote, snowbound cabin with this stranger, hours turn to days, days into weeks. As time forges a fragile bond between them, she learns her captor is not the lunatic she first believed, but a human being whose wasted life has been shaped by secrets and tragedy. Yet even as their connection begins to foster trust, Gilly knows she must never forget he’s still a man teetering on the edge. One who just might take her with him.

A couple weeks ago I read and 'reviewed' Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart which you can find here. This is Megan's first non-romance, non-erotic novel and I really enjoyed it.

Precious and Fragile Things is being released today in most book stores and I have the privilege today of presenting you with an excerpt of this novel to give you a little taste of what you are going to get yourselves into when you read this book. So enjoy everyone and Happy reading.

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He shook his head. “No, I’m not going to let you go, for fuck’s sake, Gilly, that’s getting pretty old. But you want to run out in the snow again? Be a dumbass? Be my guest. See what happens this time, see if I save your sorry ass one more time.”

“What about when the snow melts, Todd? What then?”

His gaze wavered for a second before he shoved her away from him and stalked to the center of the room, head hung low. When he swung around to look at her, his dark eyes were large in his face, his mouth a pensive frown.

“Why can’t you just like me?” he asked her. “I ain’t done anything real bad to you, Gilly. Not real bad.”

“I won’t ever like you. Don’t you see I can’t?”

“Why not?” Todd held out his hands, giving her that kicked-dog look. “Why?”

“Because you’re my enemy.” Gilly pulled the torn pieces of her gown back together with one hand, the fabric a useless shield but one she couldn’t put down. Her mouth stung when she spoke, but the blood had ceased dripping. “Because you are keeping me from the things I love.”

He sighed like the weight of the world had come to rest on his broad shoulders. “We could get along better than we do.”

“No!” She recoiled, grimacing.

“I didn’t mean like that,” he said quietly.

“I know you didn’t. The answer’s still no.”

He looked angry again. “We’re stuck here, Gilly. Ain’t no way around it. We’re fucking stuck out here in the middle of noplace up to our assholes in snow. That’s the way it is. Don’t keep pushing me into being something you wish I was just so you can feel better about what you did.”

It wasn’t the statement of a stupid man but of an insightful one, and Gilly wondered at what the people in his life had done to him, and for how long, to convince him he was so dumb.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Todd said. “I don’t want to.”

But he would. The words unsaid nevertheless hung between them, loud and clear.

She turned her face away. “When the snow melts, I’m going to try to get away. Are you going to tie me up?”

“I’m not that kinky,” Todd said, “though a girl did ask me once to put on her panties.”

This was serious and she hated he was making a joke of it. “The only thing keeping me here is the snow. You know that.”

“Ah, fuck me. Yes. I know it.” Todd scowled.

“So, what happens when the snow melts?” She asked the question more quietly this time, not pushing so hard. Truly curious. She wanted to know the answer.

“I knew an old hound dog once,” Todd said after a pause. “He wasn’t mine – I never had a dog. He belonged to this guy who lived down the street from one of the places they put me after…one of the places I lived as a kid.”

Despite herself, Gilly lifted her face to meet his unwavering gaze. Todd’s voice was solid, deep, precise even in its uneducated manner. He stood with his feet planted slightly apart, hands at his sides. Telling her.

“This dog was one mean son-of-a-bitch. The guy kept him outside on a chain, and that dog would run so fast to bite your ass he’d choke himself right off his own feet. Every day, I’d walk by that dog on my way to school, every fucking day he’d try to get me. But he never did.”

Todd laughed, low. “The guy that owned him could’ve just kicked that dog when he saw him, but he never did. That guy always made sure that dog had plenty of food and water, and he gave him chew toys and rawhide bones. And every night, when that guy came out to feed the dog, he’d pat him on the head and scratch him behind the ears. And the dog, that ass-biting dog, always growled. The guy loved that dog, even though the dog never loved him back, and never thanked him for all the nice things he did for it. Then one night, when the guy went out to feed the dog and pat him on the head, the little fucker didn’t bother growling. This time, he took a big chunk right out of the guy’s hand.”

Her throat had gone dry during the telling of his tale. “What happened then?”

Todd smiled, an empty expression that bared his teeth and did not reach his eyes. “The guy went inside his house and got his shotgun, and he blew that little fucker’s head right off.”

There was no mistaking the meaning of his story, but Gilly wasn’t afraid of it. “Which one of us is the dog?”

“I don’t know, Gilly,” Todd said. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

This excerpt is copyright to Megan Hart.

My Thoughts: Precious and Fragile Things By Megan Hart.

Gilly Soloman has been reduced to a mothering machine, taking care of everyone and everything except herself. But the machine has broken down. Burnt out by the endless days of crying children and menial tasks, and exhausted from always putting herself last, Gilly doesn't immediately consider the consequences when she's carjacked. With a knife to her throat, her first thought is that she'll finally get some rest. Someone can save her for a change.
But salvation isn't so forthcoming. Stranded in a remote, snowbound cabin with this stranger, hours turn to days, days into weeks. As time forges a fragile bond between them, she learns her captor is not the lunatic she first believed, but a human being whose wasted life has been shaped by secrets and tragedy. Yet even as their connection begins to foster trust, Gilly knows she must never forget he's still a man teetering on the edge. One who just might take her with him.

I sometimes find myself visiting Megan Hart's Blog, Read In Bed, for updates on what she's working on and to find out what she thought about a recent episode of 'Supernatural'. So a couple of weeks ago I stopped by and she was giving away copies of her upcoming Mira publication-Precious and Fragile Things- all you had to do was send her an e-mail. I was a lucky winner and got my signed copy in the mail not to long ago.

I have read a lot of what Hart has written in the past five years or so and I have really enjoyed it. Most of it had been erotic fiction or romance. Her books are hot, but they aren't tacky, they are beautifully written and the character development is phenomenal.

Precious and Fragile Things is the first book by Hart to be published that is not erotic and not romance. Megan herself has said "It’s sort of thrillerishy with a side of women’s fiction in a literary fiction crust and a bit of mainstream contemporary fiction on top".

I was a little nervous about reading this at the beginning , because, well when you love something or you love something that someone does, you don't want them to change it. It goes with the whole 'if it ain't broke why fix it' kind of philosophy. A little unreasonable I'll admit. So the idea of a book that wasn't romance but mainstream fiction was just wrong to me. None the less I knew that I would read the book and that I wanted to read it.

The books as a whole is just shy of 400 pages and every page is pretty intense. Everything that I loved about Hart's writing was in this book (which makes sense) and the characters were brilliant.

The protagonist, Gilly is a woman who has made a decision to be a mother and although she loves her children dearly she is struggling with the demands and responsibility of being a stay at home mom. So when she gets car jacked and ends up stranded with her kidnapper Todd, she struggles with many different feelings one being guilt. She had the opportunity to run and she chose not to. Gilly wanted to rest. She just never expected to be stranded for so long. Todd, I loved from the very moment he realized there were kids in the car. He was an anxious and fidgety character who was so completely broken, and you knew that from the very beginning, you just didn't know why until later. The exchanges between the two are honest and true to how things might be if something like this were to actually happen. Their conversations are not all full of rainbows and lollipops, they are sometimes harsh and hard to read.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a very heartbreaking story of how, if a situation had been a little bit different, if different decisions had been made. Life could have worked out differently. I think Megan did an amazing j0b with Precious and Fragile Things and I would encourage you all to go out and buy it in January when it come out.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Haulin' (3)

So I have a teeny tiny haul. Only three books. But I wanted to share because I am so so excited about them all.

Shiver By Maggie Stiefvater
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - is a haunting presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human -- until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears and the temperature drops, Sam must fight to stay human or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

This is one I have seen mentioned a lot but never really read what it was about. Many of the books that are on my wish list are hardbacks and at this time I cannot justify buying hardbacks. So I went for the trusty soft cover, and Shiver fit the bill and it looked really good. So I'll probably read this one before the year is out.

Beautiful Creatures By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
There were no surprises in Gatlin County . We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave. Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

This is another one I have seen mentioned a few times in various blogs, but I've never really looked into what it was about, so when I was in the bookstore today I picked it up and was fairly intrigued. So yeah, I bought it and I will read it soon.

Precious and Fragile Things By Megan Hart
Gilly Soloman has been reduced to a mothering machine, taking care of everyone and everything except herself. But the machine has broken down. Burnt out by the endless days of crying children and menial tasks, and exhausted from always putting herself last, Gilly doesn't immediately consider the consequences when she's carjacked. With a knife to her throat, her first thought is that she'll finally get some rest. Someone can save her for a change.
But salvation isn't so forthcoming. Stranded in a remote, snowbound cabin with this stranger, hours turn to days, days into weeks. As time forges a fragile bond between them, she learns her captor is not the lunatic she first believed, but a human being whose wasted life has been shaped by secrets and tragedy. Yet even as their connection begins to foster trust, Gilly knows she must never forget he's still a man teetering on the edge. One who just might take her with him

This is an advanced readers copy that I got from Megan which I was very grateful for. I've read many (if not all) of her books and this one is a little different then what she normally writes but that's ok. She writes beautifully and I am looking forward to reading this.

So this is my little haul. I still have a few books from my last two hauls left to read, so look out for those reviews. School is out now (well except for a few exams) so I have more time to read all that I have recently purchased. But that is it.

Happy Reading Everyone.

Pretty Pretty

I've said it before and I'll say it again, But I am in love with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. I love love love those books, and I hate hate hate that they only come out once a year. Ugh. She's recently released the cover for the next installment-Lover Unleashed and it's perfect. So so so pretty, and I wanted to post it here for all to see.

This one isn't due out until March, and I can't wait.

Happy Reading everybody.

My Thoughts: The Outcast By Sadie Jones

One summer's day in 1957, Lewis Aldridge looks like any nineteen-year-old travelling home to the South of England, except that Lewis is straight out of jail and now sees his world-the oppressive suburb of Waterford-with fresh eyes. From the fractured remains of this old life, Lewis must forge his own future in this place, and in doing so forces painful and horrifying childhood secrets into the open-secrets that may trigger the implosion of the entire community.

I finished reading The Outcast by Sadie Jones last night and decided not to write about it right away. I thought I would let it sit with me for a little bit, to process the story.

I am not picky about what I read and generally don't find fault in anything (if I don't like something, it's probably because it was actually really bad). This sometimes makes me wonder if the book I thought was wonderful was actually wonderful. But whatever, it doesn't matter. I know beauty and I know good writing, and this book by Sadie Jones had both.

The Outcast opens with Lewis leaving prison and contemplating what this means for his life and how things are going to be different for him now, and how he wants to make amends. Right away I wanted to know what he did; what had been so bad. This isn't revealed right away. This makes sense, because in order to know why Lewis did what he did, you had to know Lewis, his life and the people around him. He was so broken and throughout the story you could see what broke him and how if certain individuals had made different decisions or responded differently his life and his relationships would be been different.

What made this book amazing was Kit, and how loyal she was to Lewis, and how clueless Lewis was to her loyalty. She loved Lewis even when he was broken and when Lewis does something that jeopardizes this, you can't help but feel like Lewis is doomed.

The whole time I was reading this book, I felt sad for Lewis, but not depressed, I was more hopeful. I knew that something was going to happen to make things alright. In a way they were. This was a really great read-not an easy read, but totally worth it. I was very pleased.

My Thoughts: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

I go to the bookstore often. Sometimes with a mind to buy something and sometimes just to browse around hoping to be inspired. And this is what happened one day almost a year ago. I went to Chapters and walked around for hours, looking for something to call my name. I was about to head downstairs and leave when The Gargoyle By Andrew Davidson called my name. Normally I would have totally ignored such a calling but for some reason I decided to pick up the book and this is what I read:

An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time.

On a burn ward, a man lies between living and dying, so disfigured that no one from his past life would even recognize him. His only comfort comes from imagining various inventive ways to end his misery. Then a woman named Marianne Engel walks into his hospital room, a wild-haired, schizophrenic sculptress on the lam from the psych ward upstairs, who insists that she knows him - that she has known him, in fact, for seven hundred years. She remembers vividly when they met, in another hospital ward at a convent in medieval Germany, when she was a nun and he was a wounded mercenary left to die. If he has forgotten this, he is not to worry: she will prove it to him.

And so Marianne Engel begins to tell him their story, carving away his disbelief and slowly drawing him into the orbit and power of a word he''d never uttered: love.

I was totally intrigued when I saw this and decided that this book was coming home with me, and boy am I totally glad that I did. This is one of the most beautiful books that I have ever read.

Where to start, it's not your most conventional novel. It's not all sunshine and rainbows. It's dark and it's harsh, but it's also hopeful and romantic. It's beautifully written. This book broke my heart, not because it was sad, but because Marianne Engel was an amazing character who loved, and was loved in turn.

Another great thing about the author is that he's Canadian, which is totally awesome in itself but he's also from a small town not far from where I live! Yes! I sometimes take Canadian authors for granted and don't really appreciate their work as much as I should, so I was glad to have loved this one so much.

It's a must read. A must must must read. I loved it, and I am so glad that picked it up when it called my name.

Happy Reading