Greetings!
OMG I’m so relaxed! lol After the frantic pace of the trip to Chicago it has been incredibly nice to have peace and quiet in the house. With just hubby and I there we’ve relaxed and slept in (something I don’t normally get to do) and just enjoyed the tranquility. The kids don’t get back until Wednesday so we’re going to keep on enjoying it until then. 🙂
So when I was in Chicago – the very first day we were out and about – my glasses broke! I know, it sucks, right? So I managed to superglue them together – it appeared that just a post had come out on the right earpiece. I kept gluing them until I got home and could take them to the optometrist. Bad news, they can’t fix them. Waaaaah! I love my glasses and they were only 18 months old. Oh well. Anyway, I could get the same pair but my vision insurance only covers a new pair of frames every other year so I would have had to pay $200.00 to get a new pair. No. Thanks, but no. So I ended up giving them my old set of frames so that they could put my current prescription into them – which the insurance paid for. I’m currently still using my broken frames which sit crookedly on my face – it’s quite a sight, lemme tell ya! lol. Hopefully my old/new glasses will be here soon.
Oh and I’ve been horrible with my and Finish the Series Project reads this month so I’ll do better next week, I swear. lol
So on to what I read this past week – and they were all pretty darned good books:
First on the list was a wonderful book by a new to me author. Cooking With Ergot by Luisa Prieto was a very good book about a witch and the man he thinks is a witch hunter. The two find an unexpected bond with each other while searching for the real witch hunter. Humorous, fun, sexy with a bit of intrigue – just a good book. 4 out of 5
My next read was one for The Book Binge. Dark Embers by Tessa Adams was the first in a new dragon shifter series called Dragon’s Heat. This was the story of the king of the Dragonstar clan, Dylan, and his last ditch effort to save his clan from a deadly disease by enlisting human scientist Phoebe. Danger and lots of sex ensued. 🙂 Good book. 4 out of 5
Next up was another book for The Book Binge – Never As It Seems by Shiloh Walker. This was about Chloe and Leo who had been together previously but had parted 3 years ago because Leo thought that Chloe was lying to him about being a psychic. He called her all sorts of horrible things and now he has to guard her because someone’s after her – he decides he wants her back. Yeah, easier said than done buddy. A good novella – as I’ve come to expect from Ms. Walker. 3.75 out of 5
After that I delved into Love In The Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas. This is book 5 in the Hathaway series and I was a little leery to start it as it had a trope I’m not fond of: someone pretending to be someone they’re not. However I started the book and really loved the first half of it. The second half was much more sedate but still good, I just didn’t love it as much as the first. The story was of Beatrix who was writing letters to a soldier and signing her friends’ name. The soldier, Christopher, thought he had fallen in love with Prudence but it was really Beatrix. I really liked Christopher and Beatrix together and was glad that they managed to work it all out. 4.25 out of 5
OMG I almost forgot to add this and that would have been horrible! An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride was a great sci-fi m/m read. A slave who is whored out by his owner and has no memory of who he really is or any of his past finds out that he is actually the king of his people. The man who finds him, Griffin, was his past lover and Helios, the king, is determined that they will stay together. A very good fantasy read that I very much enjoyed. 4 out of 5
This was a Tracy’s TBR Challenge read
Another read for The Book Binge was Special Delivery by V.J. Devereaux. This was the story of Federal Prosecutor, L.C. Mackay aka Lacey. Lacey is on a huge case involving a Mexican drug cartel. She really needs to relax and well, have sex. She decides to enlist Rick, who she finds on the internet, to help her. Sounds a bit tawdry but it was well done and quite good. 4 out of 5
Caught Running by Madeleine Urban and Abilgail Roux was a book I read for both my DIK reading Challenge and my m/m reading challenge. I’ll post my review the last week of July and yes, you have to wait until then to hear my thoughts. I’m such a tease! lol
Power Unleashed by Savannah Stuart is the 3rd book in the Miami Scorcher series and another good read. Paz is a werewolf who’s also part Fae. According to werewolf laws she has to be put to death cuz they hate the Fae. So who does she discover is her mate? The Council’s enforcer. Oops. I read this one for The Book Binge as well. You can read my review of this novella as well as a guest post by Savannah Stuart over there today. 4 out of 5
And last on the list was Heart of Vengeance by Tracy Cooper-Posey. This is a medieval story of a woman who is considered an outlaw who is determined to find and kill the man who killed her father. But her plans change somewhat when she meets Stephen who is an outcast from King Richard’s court. I’ll be posting my review of this book this week so you’ll have to come check it out.
My Book Binge reviews that posted this past week:
Happy Reading!
Ugh, I don't know what would happen to me if my glasses broke! You're lucky you had that old pair around… expensive.
I've heard such great things about Cooking With Ergot by Prieto… I have a friend who just raves about that book. Still on my TBB list. I need to get cracking on it.
Loved, Love in the Afternoon. 🙂 Definitely a love a story…
And you know? I've read Roux and wasn't really impressed, but I've yet to read an Urban/Roux book and heard so many great things about those. I should at least try one. Right?
I really liked both Cooking with Ergot and An Uncommon Whore. I really hope there is a sequel to that one otherwise I might not like it so much. LOL
Looking forward to your review of Caught Running.
A year or so ago I left my glasses on a plane in Europe. Arrgghh. They were really helpful at KLM when I passed through Amsterdam a few days later to try and find them in lost and found but no luck. Thankfully it was my time for insurance to cover so I got two pairs. Hope yout "new" ones come soon.
Hilcia – Thank heavens for Superglue is all I'm sayin! lol
You really should read Cooking With Ergot it's just a great read.
You should try Caught Running, I think you'd like it.
Tam – I ended An Uncommon Whore saying the same thing – I hope there's a sequel. There was so much going on that I wanted MORE. lol
*Cross fingers* I've never left my glasses anywhere! lol You were lucky that it was time to get new frames and two pairs!!. My Rx had changed this year when I went in March so I was lucky that they paid for new lenses. I'll have to wait for next March to get new frames again. Oh well 🙂
Well, I was going to get one pair Tracy because it was $300 for two. So I asked the guy how much for only one and the reply was $287. Ummm. Yeah right. I guess I'll take both. They didn't cover all of it, but a good portion.
I actually pestered Belinda McBride about the sequel on her blog. She expects an early 2011 release. Here's the blurb about it from her blog:
"An Uncommon Beauty is the follow up to An Uncommon Whore. This book takes up after Helios and Griffin have returned home, and are now picking up the pieces of the kingdom. Expect politics, betrayal, and some unexpected drama."
Tam- WTF? 287 for one pair and 300 for two? I'd take two as well! Geez such a bargain. 🙂
Chris – Oh good for you! You do good work. Thanks for the info.
You're welcome! 🙂
Cooking with Ergot and An Uncommon Whore were really good. So was Caught Running. Looking forward to your thoughts on that one.
Broken or lost glasses suck. Hope your replacement gets there quickly!
Good luck with the glasses! Right now, I'm waiting for my reading glasses to come in. They only covered the lenses, so I had to give them my current frames. So, I'm currently using 99¢ store reading glasses. O.o Oof, my poor eyes.
Lot's of good reads, there, Tracy! I'll be looking forward to your Caught Running review. I love that premise!
Oh, lucky you!! Relax time!! Enjoy it 🙂 Too bad about your glasses though. I know what you mean, it really sucks. I once walked into a pole and broke my frame… luckily, I was able to glue it… but yeah, not ideal 🙁
LOL, lot more reads this week 😀 I'm glad you enjoyed Love in the Afternoon 😀
Sorry to hear about your glasses but YAH the insurance covers the transfer.
Am looking forward to hearing what you think of Caught Running as it's on my TBR list. Oh, and I have a Luisa Prieto book also, which I won at Chris', but it's not the one you mentioned. It sounds YUM!
What a great line up of book you went through…
I have Ember on my list to read, the blurb dragged me in…
I do hope you liked Caught Running – I do like that book…
I keep checking Belinda McBride site to see if there will be a follow up to that book – I did so like it…
E.H>
Lily – They did get here quite quickly, thanks!
Renee – My hubby is bugging me to get lasik cuz he had it 9 years ago and it was incredibly successful. But at my age I would have to wear reading glasses which I don't do now and since I read so much? No thank you! lol
Nath – You walked into a pole and broke your specs? I should snicker but I can't help it – it SO something that would happen to me. 🙂
Orannia – Do you have Dark Design? Are you the one who won that? It looks really good and I have it now so we can compare notes. 🙂
EH – If you see Chris's comment she gave the info on the follow up to the McBride book.
Dark Embers was pretty good – hopefully you'll like it.