Book Binge

Read more from Tracy at Tracy's Place.

I have this pet peeve when I'm reading that drives me absolutely mother-f-ing crazy. What is it, you ask?

FLASHBACKS.

I freaking hate them w/ a passion. I rarely hate anything b/c hating takes up too much energy. But I hate flashbacks. I hate when I'm all into a story and then all of a sudden it flashes back to 34 months prior. Wtf?

The book that really stands out when I think about it is Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann. It is book 9 of her Troubleshooter series and is the story of Max Bhagat and Gina Vitagliano. I don't mind if there is a prologue telling something in the past that drives the story, but I don't want a flashback every other chapter, fcol.

I'm currently reading Dead Right by Cate Noble. I picked it up b/c the blurb sounded really interesting. The hero and heroine have a history; the hero thinks the heroine betrayed him and is determined to kill her. Doesn't that sound good? Well, it was good for the first few chapters. Now I'm on page 118 and the h/h haven't even met up again. They haven't been in one scene that takes place in the present day. If I was at home, this book would be a wall-banger. Unfortunately "cube-banger" doesn't sound as good.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that a back story is needed in some cases. I can even appreciate the need. I just hate it when it's in flashback form. I'd rather have "Part 1: A long, long time ago", "Part 2: A long time ago", Part 3: Present Day".

What are some of your pet peeves? Do you hate epilogues? Do you hate flashbacks like I do? What was the last book you read that had your pet peeve in it?

THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED

In the days when powerful witches used their magic to shield humanity from demons, their allies and guardians were a group of men gifted with preternatural abilities of their own–the witch guardians. But when a band of witches traded their humanity for demonic power, the ancient bond was broken, and the guardians became the hunters.

Darcy MacAlister knows nothing of demons or magic. But this beautiful young woman is about to discover the truth about her past . . . and her future. For she is a witch–not just any witch, but the key to breaking the curse that has plagued witches and the men who hunt them. For if a hunter kills an innocent witch by mistake, the price is no less than a piece of his soul.

Axel Locke, gorgeous leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, has sworn never to shed the blood of the earth witches who have resisted the temptation of demonic power. But when his sister is cursed by a demon witch, he discovers that Darcy MacAlister may hold the cure–if she can master her newfound powers in time. When the chase begins and Axel and Darcy come face-to-face, this hunter must weigh his soul against his honor–and against his heart.

Jennifer Lyon, where have you been my whole paranormal reading life?

This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you read it. It’s even better b/c it was so unexpected. I just thought it sounded good. Witches and witch hunters. Curses and death marks. It sounded like a recipe for reading success and it truly was.

Darcy MacAlister has no earthly clue that magic even exists, let alone that she’s a witch. She’s just a normal woman, running her family’s mortuary and mourning the death of her adoptive mom. She’s always known she was different; not everyone hears voices in their heads. Or not the sane ones, anyway. When she starts getting emails from herself telling her to “Run”, she’s mystified. It’s when she gets a phone call telling her to run that she finally listens. Almost too late.

Axel Locke to the rescue. Or not.

Axel has a mission: find Darcy MacAlister and force her to save his little sister’s life. While he doesn’t immediately believe her when she claims that she’s not a witch, he starts believing when he realizes she’s actually telling the truth. That makes his life even harder since he only has a certain amount of time to either make Darcy save his sister or kill the demon witch that cursed her. Axel would much rather have Darcy save her b/c killing a demon witch will make him a rogue, a soulless witch hunter that only cares about killing witches.

Axel was your textbook alpha male. Hawtness.

I loved that Darcy wouldn’t take any crap from Axel. From the very beginning, he took charge and pointed her in the direction he wanted her to go. Darcy didn’t stand for that and it didn’t take long for her to turn the tables. She was such a great heroine; smart, strong, and independent. I thought that her reaction to the fact that she was a witch was right on. Of course it helped when she remembered certain things that happened in her childhood.

Axel was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He wanted Darcy almost as much as he wanted her to heal Hannah. Yet he was raised believing that a witch’s blood would trigger an insane bloodlust that would ultimately cause her death. He was very confused at the protective instincts that arose in him when it came to Darcy. All he knew was that he had a connection with this earth witch when it seemed entirely impossible.

I think Jennifer Lyon has created a fabulous world with Blood Magic. She started the story arc with Axel and Darcy and it’s just going to keep on going. I can’t wait.

4.5 out of 5.

This book is available from Ballantine. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Twins? The startling revelation that his affair with Jenna Baker had produced two little boys was almost impossible to grasp. Tycoon Nick Falco had never considered himself the settling-down type, yet now that fatherhood had been thrust upon him, he was determined to give his sons his name. But their mother wasn't about to let him back into her life…at least not without those three little words Nick had never, ever said.

This is another free read available from Harlequin to celebrate their 60th anniversary. I don't know that I've ever read anything from the Desire line prior to this and I have to tell you, I wasn't super impressed.

This wasn't a secret baby story in the traditional sense. Nick and Jenna had an affair until he realized she was actually one of his employees, and not a guest on his cruise ship. He broke things off immediately, fired her and refused to have anything to do with her after that. For almost a year she tried to contact him to let him know about his sons, but he refused to open her emails or take her calls. Out of desperation, she finally books a cruise on one of his ships so she can corner him face-to-face.

Not only does she think he has a right to know about his children, she also needs financial support for them. She has no illusions about the kind of man Nick is, so she figures he'll be happy to send her a check every month and leave her alone otherwise. But she's in for a surprise, because Nick does want to be part of his son's lives. Well, if they're really his, that is. He demands a DNA test and insists Jenna stick around until the results come back, so they can make plans.

I think my problem with this story was Nick. I actually liked Jenna, though I do think she showed doormat tendencies at times. The issue here is that Nick was an ass at the beginning of the story and he just continued right on being an ass all the way through until the end. I understood his reasons for being angry with Jenna, I even sympathized with him. That wasn't my problem. My problem was that his inner dialogue didn't mesh with his actions. I guess things were just resolved in the end too quickly. Nick spent the entire book thinking of Jenna as a good lay and liar. He didn't really have "caring" thoughts about her, or really even show her common courtesy or decency. He treated her like he would a good lay and a liar.

I could have forgiven that if there'd been some growth toward the end, but unfortunately that never happened. In the end I was left wondering why Jenna wanted to be with him in the first place and doubting that he was ready to be a family man. Although it had some good parts, overall I was disappointed.

2.5 out of 5

This book is available from Silhouette Desire. You can download it here for free.

We're almost a quarter of the way through 2009 already. It seems like it was just last week that I decided not to make any New Years resolutions.

So yesterday I was looking at my pathetically short list of March reads (only eight so far). Then I looked back to what I've read so far and I have to say, I've read some damn good books this year. Which made me think...what's the best book I've read so far?

Imagine my surprise when I realized that of the two books that could both be the best of 2009 as of today, they're both paranormal. Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh and Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon [side note: Look for my review next week]. I really thought I was over paranormal for the most part, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I adore Nalini's Psy/Changeling series, but I really didn't expect to love Angels' Blood. I knew it would be good b/c Nalini is a spectacular writer, but I did know if Angels and vampires together would really do it for me. I'm not surprised that it was good, but I was surprised at how much I absolutely effing loved it.

I picked up Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon during some tipsy book shopping. Sometimes it seems like that's when I find some of the best books. "Ooooh, this is a pretty cover, I need to get it". Or something lame like that. I started Blood Magic right before I got sick, so it took me over a week to read it. Still, it was fantastic. We've discussed how hard it is to find new paranormal content. I mean, there are only so many vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, etc. that you can take. Blood Magic is about witches and witch hunters...a very interesting premise.

If I have to choose one or the other, I'd probably have to go with Angels' Blood. But Blood Magic was right up there.

What's your best read so far this year? Is it a new-to-you author? What was so great about it?

20% off list price on eBooks by Nalini Singh, with promo code: SingheBooks
Case-sensitive promo code expires March 31th at 10am CDT.

Hero: Vic Savian
Heroine: Niall Chandler
Grade: 4.25 out of 5

A red-hot read from a brand-new voice in erotic romance.

He wanted all of her-and did she ever let him have it . . .

Vic Savian knows what he wants when he sees it. And what he wants is his sexy neighbor, Niall Chandler. When he finds her in the hallway of their building being harassed by an aggressive suitor, Vic steps in-and finds himself greatly rewarded . . .

Sleeping with her gorgeous neighbor-when she didn't even know his last name-was the craziest thing Niall's ever done. Now, she can't seem to get enough of Vic-or the uninhibited passion he stirs in her. Suddenly, with his help, she's opening to sensual pleasures she's never known before. But when Niall's past comes back to haunt her, will she and Vic let themselves venture beyond the bedroom and explore the possibility of the love that's in their hearts?

When I first opened this book, I thought I was going to get a really steamy contemporary romance but what I got was a whole lot of sexin'. No romance, just sex. Rough sex, hot sex, in the restaurant sex, and just lots and lots of sex. 100 pages into the story, I'm still kind of waiting for something to happen. Something more than just phenomenal sex and just before I was going to give up on this book, a story started forming on the pages and the characters started getting real to me until finally, I was eagerly anticipating what was to come next.

The story was slow to unfold but when the story took off, so did I. As soon as I got over that beginning hump, I took off with this story and didn't look back.

This story is about Vic Savian and Niall Chandler. Niall works in a museum and Vic is a writer. They're neighbors in the same building and Niall is saved from an unwanted admirer from Vic when he just barges into Niall's apartment and gets rid of Niall's unwanted guest. Niall was in the middle of trying to ward off a sexual encounter from one guy and ends up going to bed with another one.

It was crazy how many different sex scenes there were in that first part of the book but as the story wore on, it got better and better. I thought Niall was extremely strong to have gone through what she went through in her life, the death of a loved one is never easy but when it leaves behind all of this grief that nobody knows what to do with, it's always harder. I thought Niall handled everything extremely well and I enjoyed her character for the most part. There were times when I shook my head over decisions she made but I really enjoyed getting to know her. I really did like her character. Her character had depth and she was a good person. She deserved the little bit of happiness that Vic could give her and I was so happy when she finally got that.

Vic was a good hero too. Very alpha-ish. He was very dominant, he liked his sex the way he liked it and he kind of bulldozed Niall with his desire, not bothering to take a few minutes to let her come up for air. He just kind of rammed her (literally) with all of his sexiness and drowned himself in her. He's got his own set of issues that he's working with but I ended up really liking him as well. There were times when I rolled my eyes down the street at some of the things he pulled in the book but I didn't not like him. The intenseness of his feelings for Niall was great to see and witness.

They worked well together and when they finally got their crap together, I enjoyed them both. I ended up caring about these two far more than I thought I would at the beginning and I ended up enjoying this book a great deal. Beth Kery did a great job of telling their story and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future. If you haven't read this book yet, you totally should. It was a great way to spend a few hours.

This book is available from Berkley Sensation. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Jenna Petersen will be coming back to Book Binge on April 1, 2009 and she'll be talking about the differences between her old hero and her new hero. =) She'll be giving away some copies of her new release, HER NOTORIOUS VISCOUNT so you'll want to be around for a chance to win a copy for yourself.

We're sure you've seen the excerpts Jenna has so graciously provided for us to post here at Book Binge and now you'll be able to win a free copy all for yourself. So remember:

• WHEN: APRIL 1, 2009
• WHERE: BOOK BINGE
• WHY: TO WIN FREE BOOKS!

Be there or be square!
This book is available from Avon. You can pre-order it here.

When a blizzard strands Fiona MacPherson and her students in Oregon's Cascade Mountains, their only hope of survival is to seek shelter at Thunder Mountain Lodge. Their host is John Fallon, a handsome, enigmatic war veteran haunted by secrets and scars that may never heal.

John Fallon never imagined he'd be playing host to this captivating teacher and her eight teenage charges. But when his solitude is shattered by their arrival, his world shifts on its axis. He needs Fiona—but does she need him? There's only one way to find out. The ex-soldier must find the courage to reach out to the remarkable woman who has transformed his life.…

This is another free read offered by Harlequin to celebrate their 60th anniversary. I know Casee really enjoyed this one but unfortunately it didn't work as well for me.

It was definitely an emotional read - the PTSD issues John dealt with were real and very hard to read about at times. His struggle to get his life back and deal with the tragedies he saw at war was just heartbreaking. I really liked that his issues weren't just brushed aside or fixed in a short period of time. He was a good man, strong and caring, but unable to deal with things from his past. He has flashbacks and nightmares, and instead of seeking counceling or trying to get help, he closed himself off and hoped hard work, solitude and time would heal him.

It's not that I faulted him for that, or that I didn't like Fiona. She was actually a very well drawn character who was confident and capable. Despite being stranded in the middle of a blizzar with a group of teenagers, she keeps her head up does the best she can. She also dealt with John and his issues in a believable way, all throughout the book.

I think there was just something off about the way things were cleared up in the end. Or maybe it was the chemistry between them that didn't work. I can't quite put my finger on it, but at the end of this story I wasn't emotionally invested in their HEA. I think it started out really strong, but the pieces kind of unraveled as the story progressed.

Overall not a bad story. The characters were well drawn and likable and the story was fun and interesting. It just kind of lost me toward the end.

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Silhouette Super Romance. You can download here for free.

Poseidon's warriors swore eleven thousand years ago to save humanity from those who stalked the night. Now two souls-immortal and human-are all that stand between justice and the eternal darkness: a warrior prince and the beautiful archaeologist he's been sworn to protect.

I love this series, but I think Alyssa Day needs to read this post. Her website is way out of date and there is neither blurb nor excerpt on her website. I couldn't find a blurb for this book anywhere. All I know is that it's Justice's book.

For those who read the series, the second book left Justice in a sort of cliffhanger. There's been a long wait between books, but I just know that Justice will be worth every minute.

Anyone else read this series?

Kate had learned certain lessons as Drake Daniels's lover:

Lesson number one: the price of loving Drake was not to love him.

Lesson number two: never give him what he expected.

Discovering she was pregnant certainly fulfilled lesson number two. Drake had made it clear commitment and children were not on his menu. Now Kate must break her news. But when she sees Drake, passion kicks in, begging to be indulged again…

just once!

I freely admit that Harlequin Presents are like a form of crack for me. They're one of my most guilty pleasures. Even though the heroes are complete overbearing asshats and the heroines are completely limp dishrags, I still pick them up every month and devour them - my inner feminist be damned. So naturally when I saw this one available for free at eHarlequin I had to download it. I was pleasantly surprised by this story. Kate was far from a dishrag and though Drake was surly in the beginning, he wasn't a complete and total ass.

Kate and Drake have been lovers for years, but have always kept things light. Drake is a bestselling author and between books, he and Kate burn up the sheets. When he's writing, however, he disappears and they sometimes go months without seeing or speaking to each other. When Kate realizes she's pregnant she decides she needs to get to know more about the man he really is, to see if he's the type of man who would make a good father. She finds his secret writing hideaway and books the vacation house next door, hoping to learn more about him over a month long holiday.

I think the best part of the story was the way Kate and Drake learned about each other and grew together. Kate has always respected Drake's boundaries and never tried to push him for more than a casual affair, so there's much about him she doesn't know. He's emotionally closed off, but he isn't mean or bitter. He just doesn't know how to open up. Plus, while trying to respect his wishes Kate sent out some mixed signals of her own, and Drake wasn't ever sure she'd want more than casual with him.

This is a sweet story about two people coming to care for each other. I think it started with a bang and didn't disappoint throughout. I really enjoyed ever aspect of it, especially the last 1/4 of the book.

4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Harlequin Presents. You download it here for free.

The wedding of the season!

Events manager Sylvie Smith is organizing a glittering fund-raising event: a wedding show in a stately home. She has even been roped into pretending to be a bride…a bride who's five months pregnant!

The bride everyone is talking about!

It should be every girl's dream to design a wedding with no expense spared, but it's not Sylvie's. Longbourne Court was her ancestral home, and she's just discovered that the new owner is Tom McFarlane—her baby's secret father. Now Tom's standing in front of her, looking at her bump.…

One of the most hated plot devices for me is the big misunderstanding. I just can't stand it when two reasonably intelligent adults jump to conclusions about each other and aren't mature enough to discuss the issues and resolve them in a reasonable way. So it came as a big surprise to me when I realized this book featured a Big Misunderstanding (several of them, actually) that worked for me.

Sylvie was planning the wedding of one of her girlhood friends to Tom McFarlane. At the last minute the bride runs off with one of Sylvie's employees, leaving Tom McFarlane jilted and not too happy about the number of bills that were racked up. Sylvie can't keep her doors open if Tom doesn't settle up, but he's rather reluctant about paying. While meeting for the last time things really heat up between them and they end up sleeping together. Sylvie gets called away for an emergencies almost directly after and then Tom disappears.

When she realizes she's pregnant she tries to get in touch with him, but after several months of not hearing from him writes him off. Then she gets sucked into planning her dream wedding for a magazine layout with all proceeds going to charity. Since the charity is one her mother founded she really can't say no. Which is too bad, because it's being held at her childhood home - the one she lost years before when her grandfather died suddenly after gambling the family fortune way. The one Tom McFane just happens to now own.

Due to a misunderstanding, Tom doesn't know Sylvie is pregnant with his child. He thinks she's at the estate planning a real wedding to her ex-fiance, the man he assumes is the father of her child. Shortly after their night together he sees a magazine article about Sylvie and her fiance and thinks they're together. He spends the next several months traveling, trying to avoid her. He realized Sylvie was special and wanted to be with her for longer than one night.

First - I love secret baby plots. I know many other readers claim to hate them, but I actually enjoy them if they're done right (of course that's the key, but I'll save that post for another day). This one was believably done. As I mentioned above there were several misunderstandings, but they really worked in the context of the story. I actually kind of laughed a bit each time one assumed the wrong thing about the other, because it was more funny than anything. Kind of like a farce, only not quite that silly.

I really liked that Tom was understanding and supportive of Sylvie, even not knowing she was pregnant with his children. I also really liked that Sylvie was willing to accept Tom's decision to not be with her. It was refreshing to see two mature adults trying to work past their hurt feelings and attraction to do the right thing.

This was a sweet story with two well-drawn characters. I liked the natural progression of the relationship and the way the the two connected.

4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Harlequin. You can download it here for free.

The Supernatural Convention begins today in LA!

Celebrate with 30% off eBooks and Audio Books about the paranormal from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, with promo code: SupernaturalConv.
Case-sensitive promo code expires March 28th at 10am CDT.

With the release of the second book in her Anetakis Tycoons series coming up, Maya Banks has decided to give away TEN copies of the first book in the series, The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. And that's only here at Book Binge. Be on the lookout for other places that you can win.

All you have to do is leave a comment and 10 winners will be randomly drawn next week. The contest will run through Tuesday, March 31st @ 11:59pm (PDT). Good luck!

Passion first. Names later.

Trinity Green always dreamed of uninhibited passion, but pleasing her husband meant never having a hair out of place—or so she thought. The day she found him getting down and dirty with another woman, she decided to stop pleasing other people—and start pleasing herself…

Now she’s indulging in everything she used to deny herself—from great food to a few sexy encounters with a man who doesn’t even know her name. Having total control gives her a thrill she never imagined. But with true passion comes real connection, and soon Trinity must admit—and accept—who she really is…

Show and Tell is the follow up to The Fortune Hunter. Trinity Green was instrumental in introducing Connor to Faith. In The Fortune Hunter, Trinity eloped with the man she thought was perfect for her. She was determined to be the perfect wife, which means being at her absolute best at all times. Even in the bedroom. If her sex life is a little bland, Trinity doesn’t complain. When she finds her husband home one afternoon after coming home early, she decides to seduce him. That’s before she found him boinking some hussy in their shower. Enraged and hurt, Trinity kicks both of them out and heads to a hotel.

When Scott Sinclair enters his hotel room after a business meeting, the last thing he expects to hear is two people going at it in the room next door. Shamelessly listening, Scott soon realizes that the moans he hears are only coming from a woman, which means that she’s alone. He decides that he can’t pass this opportunity up, even if the woman immediately calls the police when he presents her with his indecent proposal.

Trinity is shocked when a stranger knocks on her door asking if he could watch her pleasure herself. She’s even more shocked when she agrees. Knowing that she’s quite possibly crazy, Trinity decides that this will help her feel more like the desirable woman she knows she can be. It’s only after he leaves that she berates herself for inviting the stranger in. When he slips his card under her door the following morning, she has no intention of calling him.

Her intentions don’t last long and Trinity finds herself in the midst of a sizzling affair with a man that has no idea that she is Trinity Green, heiress. She doesn’t have to be perfect around Scott, something she finds irresistible. When Scott starts wanting more, Trinity resists knowing that if he knows who she really is, he will start having expectations of her that everyone else in her life has.

This is an extremely unlikely story, but it was pretty hawt. I have to admire a man that can knock on the hotel room door of a complete stranger asking for something that is so private. I did enjoy the book, though Trinity did get tiring at times. Her reluctance to start more with Scott got old, to both myself and Scott. This book was more about Trinity out who she could be as a woman than anything else. She got a lot of hot sex with a hot man along the way. Lucky girl.

4 out of 5.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Other books in the series:

A proposition that's anything but businesslike...

If she wants to realize her lifelong dream of having children, heiress Faith Castle had better find a husband—pronto. But there are two roadblocks on her road to happiness: she knows no eligible men, and she's not exactly Miss California.
Then she meets Connor Kingston. He's yummy. He's available. And he thinks she's sexy...

But he's also honest. After a kiss that leaves them hot and bothered, Connor offers to marry Faith, but purely as a career move. It's far from romantic, but it's as good an offer as she's going to get. Each has a caveat, though. She requires his fidelity—and he wants a no-holds-barred sex life.

From their wedding night on, they get more and more adventuresome—and Faith starts feeling different about herself and her body. And somewhere in the midst of ecstasy, they come to know the most foreign, exciting aphrodisiac of all—love...

If this is true, Jasmine Haynes must have had a lot of phone sex before writing this book. I hope she had a Bluetooth.

I’ve always been a fan of the marriage of convenience plot. Historical or contemporary, I love them both. I think that’s why I like Harlequin Presents so much. Outside of Harlequin Presents, I haven’t read many modern-day marriage of convenience books, so I was instantly intrigued when I read the blurb for this book. I was also about to read the second book, Show and Tell, before the first book. Oh hells no.

Faith Castle is a modern day spinster. She totally under estimates herself as a woman. Which is why, at almost 30, she finds herself alone. There is nothing Faith wants more than a baby. She would also like to fall in love, but that comes in second to having a baby. So when Connor Kingston comes to her with his marriage of convenience proposal, she seriously considers it. The only stipulation she has is that he remains faithful. He agrees, in return for her complete cooperation in the bedroom (within reason).

Let the phone-sex marathons begin.

Connor had his eye on Faith for weeks before he actually approached her. She’s just the type of woman he’s looking for; single and the only heir to a family dynasty. Connor doesn’t want Faith for her money. He wants a family, something to pass onto his children. But he doesn’t want to go about it in the old fashioned way. Instead of building something from nothing (which would take too long), he’ll marry Faith.

It sounds rather cold-blooded, but his reasons for wanting to marry Faith made sense while I was reading. Lust and fondness are the only feelings he’s decided to feel for Faith. As for Faith herself, she’s not worried about falling in love with Connor. At least, she’s not at the beginning. After they’re married and having sex about five times a day (in bed and on the phone), Faith starts falling for him. She also sees a vulnerability in him that draws her to him in ways that she was unprepared for.

I really enjoyed this take on a modern day marriage of convenience. It was very emotional for Connor when he realized that he was in love with his wife, something that he promised would not happen. It was even more emotional when he realized that he would give up anything for her, including the legacy he so desperately wanted.

4 out of 5.

This book is available from Berkley Heat. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Other books in the series:

Daily Micropromotion - eQueen for a Day

In 1976, Queen Elizabeth II sent out the first royal email, from the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment.

Celebrate with 15% off eBooks and Audio Books about British royalty from author Philippa Gregory, with promo code: Queenmail.
Case-sensitive promo code expires March 27th at 10am CDT.

Every time that I look at the cover of this book, the more I fall in love with the hero pictured on the cover. Good gosh, he's hot! Don't you think?

Anyway, on with more Her Notorious Viscount goodness. Jenna Petersen has provided us with another excerpt and so we're here, sharing it with you. The book comes out on March 31st so that's only a few short weeks away. The book promises to be such a treat for historical lovers so you won't want to miss out on it.

Now, on with the excerpt:

If he sensed her desperation, Nicholas made no attempt to pull away from it. In fact, he maneuvered closer, forcing her further onto the bed, almost into his lap. He devoured her mouth, sucking her in and holding her captive with the sensual stroke of his rough tongue on hers.

Just when she thought she could die from the pleasure of the kiss, he went further. His mouth glided away from hers, moving down her throat as he urged her up on her knees, straddling his prone form beneath the sheets, her skirts bunched between them.

His mouth continued down, heating the delicate skin of her throat to her collarbone and finally to the edge of her scooped-necked gown where the swell of her breasts just peeked over the top. He cupped each one, lifting them as he blew hot air through the thin, inexpensive fabric to heat the sensitive nipples beneath.

Jane’s hips bucked forward, pressing into his chest, as pleasure unlike any she had ever known careened through her, as wildly out of control as the beating of her heart.

“I’m sorry,” she panted. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

He looked up at her as he slid his mouth away from her breast. “Hurt me? Angel, trust me when I say that there is no pain.”

*sigh*

Don't forget to mark you calendars because Jenna Petersen herself will be here on April 1st talking about her hero, Nicholas in this book so you won't want to miss it. We'll be giving away books so you will definitely want to be here for that.

This book is available from Avon. You can pre-order it here.

Lori Jean Granger is in a bit of a pickle. Until now, Lori Jean's multi-millionaire father had always showered her with gifts and attention, ever since a riding accident almost took her life. But her beloved father has died, leaving her heartbroken...and strapped for cash. He'd always told her to help the less fortunate and she could never say no. But his Will contains conditions for access to her inheritance. Her father's accountant now needs a new financial advisor who can resist the spendthrift Lori Jean and teach her how to say no. And he finds the perfect man in Jackson James...Jackson thinks Lori Jean's excess is ridiculous.

If anyone can slash her budget, it's Jackson--a man from a working class background who's determined to succeed. But Lori Jean has a new plan and it isn't budget slashing. Her father's Will states that if she weds and agrees to remain wed until the age of 30, she may access her entire inheritance. Attempting to ignore the passion mounting between Jackson and herself, she enlists Jackson's reluctant help to find a husband. But as men come out of the woodwork, proposing marriage left and right, Jackson can't help but feel jealous. She is infuriating, but he can't seem to get her out of his mind...

I've read several Leanne Banks novels and for the most part I find them to be fun, light contemporary reads. Trouble in High Heels is more of the same. A sweet, light love story. I swear I read somewhere that this is a reprint, but now I can't find any information to support that. Does anyone know? Also, I'm going to assume this book is part of a series that features Lori Jean's sisters, because they were talked about and their stories alluded to. I say assume because I can't find any information on her website. (Side Note: This was what prompted me to finally write this post.End Side Note)

At first glance, Lori Jean seems like your average spoiled rich girl with a daddy complex. Even from the grave, her overly controlling father is holding the purse strings and she's gone through all the money set aside for her living expenses for, oh, about the next 5 years.

Enter Jackson James. Jackson has just been made the youngest partner at his accounting firm, contingent on his taking over the Granger account and getting Lori Jean to control her spending - something the former senior partner in charge of the acct wasn't able to do.

The problem? Lori Jean isn't really a spoiled heiress. She's actually a bleeding heart who has gone through what's available of her inheritance by giving it all to charities. That makes it harder to turn her down when she asking for money. Although Jackson doesn't have much of an issue because she isn't selective in her charities. If someone shows up asking for money, she gives it. There's an out-clause in her father's will that says if she gets married she can have full control of her inheritance. She decides she wants to be in control for once and enlists Jackson to help her find an husband.

This was a cute story. I liked that Lori Jean had hidden depths that we saw slowly as the story went on. We realize right away that she isn't a frivolous spendthrift, but she's much more than just a woman who gives carelessly to charity. She's also sweet and kind and willing to stand up for those in need.

Jackson seemed like a stuffed shirt in the beginning, but I really came to admire his strength and character. He was a stand-up kind of guy who just wanted to make something of himself on his own merit. I had to admire that.

The story didn't have much depth, and I did have problems with some of it. Mostly the "baggage" both main characters carried around seemed..not contrived, but not played out as well as they should have been. They either needed to be explored - and dealt with - further, or taken out of the story.

But I took the issues with a grain of salt and enjoyed the story for what it was - A light, fluffy, fun contemporary read.

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Forever. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Tracy's review of Bound and Determined by Shalya Black (writing as Shelley Bradley)

Kerry Sullivan is running out of time-and patience. With her brother wrongfully accused of embezzling millions, she can’t face one more humiliating hang-up from the man she’s begging for help. Rafael Dawson may be one of the top electronic security experts in the country — and the only man who can prove her brother’s innocence — but his phone manners are appalling. Damn Yankee. Too bad kidnapping the man isn’t an option. Or is it?

There’s nothing Kerry wouldn’t do for her brother. There are lots of things she longs to do to Rafe Dawson when he’s lying tied-up and naked in her secret hideaway. Rafe is certainly something to look at, but Kerry’s brother’s life is riding on her pulling off the impossible: getting this man who’s always in control to lose it. But when the tables get turned, Kerry finds herself at Rafe’s mercy. And the only way to get her way is to let him have his way — with her…

How far would you go to prove a family member innocent? Kerry Sullivan is willing to resort to kidnapping the man that she just knows can prove that her brother didn’t embezzle any money. She tried to get Rafe Dawson to help her by contacting him over the phone but he just treated her like a crazy woman and refused to talk to her. The question is: even with the kidnapping can she get Rafe to hop on to his computer and dig around for evidence?

Rafe’s not a happy man. He wakes up in a strange house, tied to a bed and naked as a jay bird. When he realizes that the woman that kept harassing him on the phone is his kidnapper he gets even madder. The problem is, he thinks Kerry’s really hot and would like to have his wicked way with her. Rafe turns the table on Kerry as soon as he is able and she ends up agreeing to be his play thing for 48 hours as long as he promises to look into her brothers issues. But Kerry gets more and more attached to Rafe as the days go by and she’s not sure what to do with her emotions since she knows he’ll leave as soon as things with her brother are settled. And dangit, she's falling in love with him!

I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there was a certain amount of suspension of belief involved with the whole kidnapping and then things getting turned around on Kerry. Would a man who was kidnapped really stick around after he was freed just for sex? Not in my world, but maybe somewhere! lol But despite that issue I thought it was a great story. I liked Kerry’s spirit and her loyalty to her brother. I really liked Rafe even though he was more than confused about what he wanted from his life. I thought his character developed nicely. Then there was the whole whodunit issue – was it the brother, the best friend, the boss or the wife who embezzled the money? I pretty much guessed who the culprit was by the time all was revealed but it did keep me wondering if I was right or not.

If you’re looking for a little mystery and lots of sensual, sexual scenes between the h/h this is a good book for you to read.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Read more from Tracy at Tracy's Place.

This year started out really well for me reading-wise. 2008 was a big disappointment in the reading department. I didn't keep track of my reading, but I know I only averaged a couple books a month, as opposed to 2007 where I read over 300 books throughout the year. But my reading mojo came back this year and I've been going strong so far.

Including re-reads I'm up to almost 60 reads this year. Considering it's only March that isn't so bad. Unfortunately I read a couple wallbangers early this month and they killed my reading mojo for a couple weeks. I was averaging at least one, if not two, books a day, but I went almost a week without reading anything. I really hate it when that happens.

Last week I finally picked up a good book (The Key by Lynsay Sands) and I've been on a reading binge ever since. I've read a book a day up until this point. Currently I'm binging on Lauren Dane's Chase Brothers series. So far I'm really enjoying them. I'm about halfway through the 3rd book and so far I think it might be my favorite (look for reviews to come). I know I should take a break and read something in between so I don't burn out, but I can't stop myself from reading them one right after the other.

When I'm finished I think I might go on a Lynsay Sands binge. I really enjoyed Devil of the Highlands (which I reviewed here at TGTBTU) and The Key (review to come) and when I went looking for the book that follows The Key I realized I have about 15 of her other books TBR (my TBR is out of control). Since I'm in the mood for sweet, light romances she really fits the bill.

Last year I binged on re-reads of J.D. Robb's In Death series. I spent months doing nothing but re-reading those books over and over again. Sometimes I'd only read my favorite passages, others I'd read from cover to cover. It was kind of ridiculous. Now, unfortunately, I'm somewhat burned out on them. The last two didn't hold my interest or engage my emotions as much as many of the previous entries did. I don't know if it's because they weren't as good as the previous ones, or if it's because I'm burned out on the series.

If I keep this up will I eventually burn myself out on reading altogether? Perish the thought!

What about you? Do you binge read? Do you read book after book by the same author until you're burned out on them, or do you space them out?

Admiral Philip Guthrie is in an unprecedented position: on the wrong end of the law, leading a rag-tag band of rebels against the oppressive Imperial forces. Or would be, if he can reach his command ship—the intriguingly named Hope’s Folly—alive. Not much can rattle Philip’s legendary cool—but the woman who helps him foil an assassination attempt on Kirro Station will. She’s the daughter of his best friend and first commander—a man who died while under Philip’s command, and whose death is on Philip’s conscience.

Rya Bennton has been in love with Philip Guthrie since she was a girl. But can her childhood fantasies survive an encounter with the hardened man, and newly-minted rebel leader, who it seems has just become her new commanding officer? And will she still be willing follow him through the jaw of hell once she learns the truth about her father’s death?

I was never really a fan of sci-fi romance until I read Games of Command. I absolutely loved that book and it was in my top 5 reads of 2007. Hope’s Folly is the third book in the Gabriel’s Ghost universe. I know it will shock many of you to know that I haven’t read Gabriel’s Ghost or Shades of Dark. Yes, you read that right. I actually started with the 3rd book in the series. Even though I am allergic to reading 1st person, after reading Hope’s Folly, I have to go back and read both Gabriel’s Ghost and Shades of Dark.

Admiral Philip Guthrie has little hope that he will be able to get the slagging (I love this word, btw) mess that is Hope’s Folly to Ferrin without getting himself or his crew killed. When he meets the crew, he is shocked to learn that one of his crew members is Rya Bennton, the daughter of his best friend. The ten year old girl who flicked peas at him across the table and begged him to shoot his weapon has grown into a woman that Philip is drawn to. Philip doesn’t have time to question his attraction to woman he once dubbed Rya the Rebel. He has a ship that’s falling apart and someone trying to sabotage the small chance they have of making it to Ferrin alive.

Rya Bennton can’t believe that her commanding officer is Philip Guthrie, the man who has been the subject of her fantasies for many long years. After saving his life on Kirro Station, Rya refuses to relinquish the duty of seeing to Philip’s safety. When things continue to go wrong on Hope’s Folly, Rya is convinced that they have someone on board that is trying to sabotage the crew. Rya is determined to find out who it is before s/he can get to Phillip or cause further harm to Hope’s Folly.

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about Rya and Philip as a couple. While I liked both characters individually, I wasn’t feeling it between them at first. Age was a huge factor for Philip and it was something that he wouldn’t let go of. He would go between lover and father-figure which was kind of creepy. His internal dialogue was pretty funny, though, and it didn’t take me long to get on board with these two. Rya was also pretty amusing. When she decides to go against Philip’s orders so she can ultimately save his life, she’s afraid he’s found out before she can implement her plan.

Rya racked her brain for Imperial Regulation Fifty-Seven A, any of the paragraphs, but she didn’t know Fleet regs like she did ImpSec ones. And maritime law—law. The brig suddenly loomed large again.

Maybe they’d just confine her to her cabin. She could probably hack into that lock.

“Fifty-seven A, sir? No. Unless you mean…” Welford’s mouth opened the closed quickly. He swallowed, hard. “You can’t be serious. Sir.”

Rya stared at Acting Captain Welford. God and stars. They were going to make her walk
the plank. Or whatever the deep space equivalent was of that. Jettison her out a cargo hatch?

“I’m dead serious.” Philip held out his hand toward her. “Rya.”

Her own flew to the Carver at her side. Dugan had taken inventory, told Philip the trank was missing. Now they were going to strip her of her weapons and space her. They probably thought she meant to kill him. God, no. Just knock him out for a little while, long enough to get through the gate, long enough he couldn’t sacrifice himself.

Wasn’t she at least entitled to a trial first?

“Rya,” Philip repeated. “Over here. Now.”

Name, rank, serial number. Name, rank, serial number. Say nothing incriminating.
Name, rank, serial number.

She stepped toward him, raising her hands slowly out from her sides.

Philip frowned, head tilted slightly.

Behind her, Welford snorted out a laugh. “She doesn’t know Fleet regs, Admiral. She thinks we’re going to arrest her.”

Rya really was a rebel; always wanting to go against regs if she thought that it would save Philip’s life.

Linnea Sinclair does a remarkable job of drawing the reader into the story. The action in the book was amazing and I found myself holding my breath more than once. Once I started reading Hope’s Folly, I had a ridiculously hard time putting it down. Though the first few chapters lagged a bit for me, once the book gets going, it goes fast.

4.25 out of 5


This book is available from Bantam. You can buy it here.

Other books in the series:

Kris' review of Night Huntress (Sisters of the Moon Book 5) by Yasmine Galenorn

We're the D'Artigo sisters: sexy, savvy operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But being half-human, half-Fae means our supernatural talents always go haywire at the wrong time. My sister Camille is a wicked good witch who attracts men like honey attracts flies. Menolly's a vampire who's still getting the hang of being undead. And me? I'm Delilah, a werecat who's been marked by the Autumn Lord as one of his Death Maidens. And wouldn't you know it, Karvanak--the demon general who stole the third Spirit Seal--is back. And this time, he's out for blood...

The Hags of Fate enjoy seeing me squirm. First, my boyfriend, Chase, mutters another woman's name in his sleep. Then I discover the Autumn Lord has a very special plan for me. But things go from bad to deadly when Karvanak--the Rāksasa--returns. In order to get his greedy hands on both the fourth Spirit Seal and his former associate, Vanzir, he kidnaps Chase. Now, we have to find a way to rescue the man I love without risking the safety of both Otherworld and Earth...

This was an interesting addition to the series. I had issues with it, but they were mainly personal preferences. If you do not have the same issues then it was a really good book.

Delilah is having a very bad day. She begins to wake up her boyfriend very pleasantly and he says another girl's name. Then the group goes to fight some demon and the Autumn Lord tells her he has a job for her (in the middle of a battle). Camille gets hurt badly so they bring her to HQ to get healed and Delilah decides to drop in on Chase to see how he is and finds him in the middle of screwing some other chick. Not a good day.

I liked the storyline overall but I had issues with the relationship aspect. if you are okay with main characters sleeping with other people then you might not have a problem with this series. It is a slight problem with me but I like the storyline so I keep reading. Other than the relationship aspect the book was great, but factor that in and my grade goes down.

I give it a 3 out of 5.



This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

As I was looking over my wishlist at Amazon.com, I saw that I still haven't attempted to get Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood. I haven't even considered buying it and haven't even called the library to see if they have it. So I would say that Julie Garwood is an author that I have given up on.

So what author will I not give up on? Suzanne Brockmann. The last book I read of hers that I absolutely loved was Over the Edge. That's the third book in her Team Sixteen series. And while I've enjoyed the books since then except Flashpoint, I haven't loved any of them. Yet I won't give up on her.

Another author I won't give up on is Sherrilyn Kenyon. I haven't read any of the Dream Hunter books after the first one, but I can't bring myself to give up on this author that so completely wow'ed me. Which brings me to Christine Feehan...her Carpathian series is getting a little repetitive, but I will never give up on her just b/c she was the author that introduced me to paranormal.

Overall, I would say that I'm a pretty loyal reader. It takes the heroine turning into a ghost A LOT for me to give up on an author.

What author will you not give up on? What does it take for you to give up on an author?

Hero: Hardy Cates
Heroine: Haven Travis
Grade: 4.75 out of 5

MEET THE BLUE-EYED DEVIL.

His name is Hardy Cates. He’s a self-made millionaire who comes from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s made enemies in the rough-and-tumble ride to the top of Houston’s oil industry. He’s got hot blood in his veins. And vengeance on his mind.

MEET THE HEIRESS.

She’s Haven Travis. Despite her family’s money, she refuses to set out on the path they’ve chosen for her. But when Haven marries a man her family disapproves of, her life is set on a new and dangerous course.

WATCH THE SPARKS FLY. . . .
Two years have gone by. Now Haven has come home. This time, she is determined to guard her heart. And Hardy Cates, a family enemy, is the last person she needs darkening her door—or setting her soul on fire.

It's been quite a long time since I read the first book, Sugar Daddy but I hecka loved that book and knew that I was going to enjoy this one as well. I've seen rave reviews of this book everywhere and when I finally picked it up, I read and read and read until I was at the end and sad that it was all finished. This story sure did pull at the heart strings. It was one of those stories that has you rejoicing in the characters, saddened by the characters and just cheering on the characters to keep on pushing until they finally get it right.

Haven Travis is the only daughter of Churchill Travis. We met Churchill in Sugar Daddy. He's a really good friend to Liberty and Haven is Churchill's daughter. You can just imagine the kind of jealousy that went on inside Haven's little mind because Liberty is not Churchill's daughter and yet, he treats Liberty a whole lot better than he ever treated Haven. I'm really glad that Lisa Kleypas didn't make this part of the storyline. I'm glad that we saw it and we saw Haven deal with it and I really enjoyed Haven as the heroine of this book. She wasn't perfect but we saw the growth in her from the beginning to the end and we cheered her on throughout.

What I thought was incredible about this book was that even though I could never imagine the kind of pain and heartache goes into a relationship that was violent the way that Haven's relationship was, I connected with Haven in a way that I didn't think was possible. LK did a fantastic job of showing us the emotional side of what goes on in a relationship like that one. The mind games, the blame games, all of that made for a really emotional roller coaster of a story but it brought a depth to the story that I really enjoyed exploring.

I loved seeing Haven rise above that relationship and find happiness again. It wasn't an easy road for her, that's for sure but I loved seeing how she came out of one abusive relationship and rammed right into another one. There were times when I wanted to yell and scream at Haven for not opening her mouth about the abuse but I'm really happy with the way that both relationships ended. It was almost as if she needed to go through those things to figure out for herself that she was so much better than those people. She was stronger than them and she was confident enough in herself that she could take care of herself without running to her big brothers and her rich daddy. I respected Haven and I loved the woman that she grew up to be. I closed the book with tears in my eyes because I was so happy that Haven got that happy ending she deserved.

And I was so glad that her happy ending was with Hardy. Man oh man was Hardy a hottie. I so loved Hardy Cates in this book, a whole lot more than I loved him in Sugar Daddy. I think she totally got it right with Hardy and I was so excited whenever he came onto the pages of the book. He was so much more than I could have ever hoped him to be. His story was great, it was emotional and it was heart wrenching but it was right. Perfect even for him. I'm so glad that he got his happy ending and I'm so glad that he turned out the way that he did because in SD, I didn't want to hate him. I'm glad that LK showed us that we weren't wrong in loving Hardy.

What I loved most about this book was the relationship that evolved between Hardy and Haven. Hardy loved Haven the way that she was and he loved the man that he was when he was with her. I loved how after everything that Haven went through, she loved Hardy enough to stand by him when he was at his lowest and most dangerous. I loved that she trusted him enough to stay and be there for him because he needed her. I loved the way that they were there for each other and I just effing loved them.

I loved the way that this story unfolded. The easy way that Haven told the story, it was easy to read and easy to fall into. This story is definitely a keeper and man oh man I cannot wait for Jack's story because man did I fall in love with him in this one. I loved his blunt way of talking to people and I loved how what you saw with Jack was exactly what you got. I loved the fierce way that he loved his sister (Gage and Joe too) and I loved the way that family was everything to him. I'm so looking forward to more from him. I cannot wait. Seriously, I cannot wait.

If you haven't read this book yet, then you should definitely fix that because this book will have you absorbed in the life of Haven Travis and Hardy Cates. Lisa Kleypas definitely wrote a great romance story of two unlikely people overcoming obstacles to get to that happy ending. It's well worth the time you put into this book and I can't wait for more contemps from Lisa Kleypas.

Kudos to LK on a job well done.

This book is available from St. Martin's Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Kris' review of Witch Heart (Elemental Witches Book 3) by Anya Bast

With the immense powers of an earth witch, Claire isn't destined to be a demon's handmaiden. Yet this has been her fate since she was six, when her warlock mother brought her to Eudae. Now as an adult, she's about to discover her true power—and how far others are willing to go to take it away…

As part of a mission with the Coven, Adam Tyrell rescues Claire from her enslavement—and finds himself immediately taken with the beautiful witch. But this charming playboy soon learns that it's easier to steal Claire from demons than win her heart, for her life as a servant has ravaged her spirit. But with Adam determined to protect her from the warlocks who want to harness her magick for evil, Claire's resistance starts to give way—and they find themselves in the heat of danger, surrendering to the lure of their deepest desires…

We met Claire in the previous book, Witch Blood, she helped Thomas escape from the daemon world. Now she is in trouble. She is stranded on Earth with two demons after her and roughly a 12 year old's knowledge of the world. (She left Earth when she was six but her mother continued to tell her about Earth as she grew, then mom died.) She is taken to a mental institution because she claims that she is being chased by demons. While there she sends out calls that hopefully air witches will pick up asking for help. She is heard and Adam is sent in to bust her out.

Before she was sent to earth, her mentor in Eudae put a power in her that the bad demons want more than anything. So she is being hunted by these two very powerful demons. It is Adam's job to keep her safe.

Fun story. This one was a good addition to the series. The chemistry was good, the characters were believable and the storyline kept me interested. I was excited to get Claire's story, I was curious about her from the previous book and think that her and Adam were a good match. Adam has a past that he is dealing with, a loss that makes him unwilling to try love again. With her strength and innocence all in one she opens up his heart without him even realizing it. It was fun to watch.

I give it a 4.25 out of 5



This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Pleasure is their ultimate weapon . . .

Runa Wagner never meant to fall in love with the sexy stranger who seemed to know her every deepest desire. But she couldn’t resist the unbelievable passion that burned between them, a passion that died when she discovered his betrayal and found herself forever changed. Now, determined to make Shade pay for the transformation that haunts her, Runa searches for him, only to be taken prisoner by his darkest enemy.

A Seminus demon with a love-curse that threatens him with eternal torment, Shade hoped he’d seen the last of Runa and her irresistible charm. But when he wakes up in a dank dungeon chained next to an enraged and mysteriously powerful Runa, he realizes that her effect on him is more dangerous than ever. As their captor casts a spell that bonds them as lifemates, Shade and Runa must fight for their lives and their hearts—or succumb to a madman’s evil plans.

While reading this book, I had to put aside my personal feelings on slutty heroes. As a Seminus demon, Shade has an insatiable need for sex and one person can’t satisfy him. If he senses that a woman wants him, he’s bound (literally) to give her what she wants. That’s exactly what happened when he first saw Runa at a local coffee shop. Their “relationship” was going along quite nicely until Runa walked in on Shade doing a vampire and a demon…at the same time. Devastated (as a human, Runa obviously can’t comprehend), she runs from his apartment out into the night…only to get bitten by a werewolf.

Yes, kiddies, Runa is now a werewolf. A pissed off werewolf at that. She blames Shade for every bad thing that’s happened to her since that night and she can’t wait to have her revenge. So when they wake up next to each other, both abducted, she has to put her revenge plotting on hold and help Shade figure out how to get them out of there.

Before they can do that, they’re tricked by the evil villain into bonding with each other. That’s bad enough in and of itself. When you add to the fact that Shade was cursed by a pissed off warlock many years ago, well, that’s a recipe for disaster. According to the curse, when he falls in love, he’ll just fade away to nothing. While Shade would love to break the curse, he was never worried about it. Then he met Runa. Now he’s bonded to her.

If that’s not enough for a demon to process, Shade also has to deal with his psychotic brother who has come back from the dead. Roag was already going a little psycho before he supposedly died in a fire, now he’s just bat-shit crazy. He wants to kill Shade, kidnap Wraith and force Eidolon to transplant all Wraith’s organs into himself. That way he can stay with his mate. After that’s done, he’ll kill Eidolon.

This book started fast and didn’t slow down. I really enjoyed how Larissa continued to build the Demonica world. I just find the idea of a demon hospital fascinating. Having demon doctors and paramedics is just really interesting reading. I do wonder what would happen if a human heroine ever came along. In the first book, the heroine was a slayer. In this book, Runa is a human-turned-werewolf. So I’m interested in seeing how Larissa would write a human-turned-nothing into this book.

I’m glad we don’t have much of a wait for Wraith’s book. I can’t wait to see what he has to go through to get his hea.

4 out of 5.

This book is available from Grand Central. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Main Character: Trisha Perkins
Grade: 4.5 out of 5

I rested the ball on my hip and walked back toward the equipment shed. In the dark.

Alone. With a boy.

I would be completely freaking out over varsity soccer tryouts if it weren't for the new student, Graham, who's helping me practice. He has the most amazing green eyes, curly brown hair, and perfect legs. Plus, we have lots in common, since all we both care about is soccer! Well, that's all he cares about. But my heart beats so fast when we're on the field together . . . and I don't think it's just from all the running around.

I got this book last week and was super excited to have gotten it because I had my eye on it as a gift for my niece Chaylene since I knew she would enjoy a book like this. Her birthday is in a couple of months and I am kind of bummed that now I gotta find another book to get her since she read this book but it's all good cause we're going to do a joint review on this one. This is also my YA read for the YA Reading Challenge so just thought I'd throw that one in there really quick.

Before I get on with the description of this book, let me tell you about the series. This is the 5th book in the First Kisses series by various authors. It's kind of like one of those Harlequin lines for tweens done by Harper Teen authors, its a pretty neat series and I'm gonna be getting the rest of the series for Chaylene to enjoy. So just wanted to let you guys know. You can find the rest of the books below if you guys want to purchase this series for any of the tweens in your life that could use a couple of hours of entertainment.

This book is about Trisha Perkins. She's a freshman on the JV soccer team at her school and she's got a shot at trying out to make it onto the Varsity soccer team. This is something that she wants above all else and because she knows that there are better players on her team that will probably get it, she decides to practice a lot harder because though those other girls are better than her, she's got more heart and she wants it more than they do so she's going to work her little butt off to get the spot.

Enter Graham.

Graham is a sophomore playing on the Varsity team and he's really good. He's also pretty dedicated to soccer just like her so they hit it off and they start practicing together in an effort to help Trisha's chances of making the Varsity team.

There that's what the story is about, it's about Trisha and it's about soccer and it's such a cute little story that I just had to get that out.

Let's rock and roll, Chay Chay.

Me: So what did you think about the book?

Chaylene: It was really, really good. It was so cute and all of my friends want to read it now because I told them all about it.

Me: Okay, what did you like about it?

Chaylene: I liked Trisha and how it was so obvious that she had a big old crush on Graham but she wouldn't admit it. Graham was like, so perfect for her too because they had a lot of things in common but mostly soccer. It made me want to play soccer again but I love volleyball so I don't know.

Me: *scratches head* Okay. Well, was there anything you didn't like about the book?

Chaylene: Yeah, sometimes I didn't like Trisha's friend...what was her name? The girl who got all jealous because that one boy liked Trisha and not her? That girl. She kind of got on my nerves but at the end of the book, she turned out okay.

Me: *laughs* Alright, let's wrap this up Chay Chay because that way that you keep going on and on about Graham is the reason why your Mom won't let you read Twilight but anyway, would you recommend this book to anyone?

Chaylene: Hello? Didn't you hear me? I told all of my friends to read this book because it was soooo good. So yes, everyone that's my age and maybe like Brenna and Cheridan's age, maybe, should read this book. It's really good.

Me: Alright, be quiet and go to bed, I'll finish it up.

My thoughts: What a cute book! I got this book for review and read it in one sitting. It's a really quick read but even though it was such a short book, I didn't feel like it missed anything. It packed a cute punch and the characters were fantastic, the storyline was great and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a cute and fun read for your Middle School daughter/niece/cousin, whatever.

Too cute!

This book is available from Harper Teen. You can buy it here.