Hello there!
So yes, it’s been a weird week and it’s only Tuesday. Yesterday was just a bizarre day all the way around. Mondays are usually busy but yesterday was insane. I usually try to get this post done on Mondays during my lunch break but it was so busy I didn’t even take lunch and ate at my desk. I guess it was because of the short week since I’m off on Thursday and Friday because of Thanksgiving – at least that’s what I’m going with.
Then I got home last night, exhausted, and the kids were all “Mom, I need you!” “Mom, can you do this?” Mom, can you help me with my math?” (that one made me laugh since I suck at math!) Anyway, they were so demanding…like I was their mother or something. Like it was my job. *sigh* I obviously haven’t trained them well enough. ;0)
Anyway, so I’m late on this post but at least I’m getting it done, right? Right.
My first read for the week was Emily and The Dark Angel by Jo Beverley. I read this one for The Book Binge. It’s a re-release from 1991 that centers around a woman who’s firmly on the shelf and the rake next door. He’s in the country for hunting season and she’s taken over her family’s estate management after her father is paralyzed and her brother goes missing in the war. It’s kind of a mad cap story but fun none-the-less. You can read my review here if you’re interested. 3.5 out of 5
My Tracy’s TBR challenge read for the week was Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly. I’ve had this one for a long darned time and thought it was time to actually read it. A society lady, yet savvy business woman goes to an auction to bid on a male prostitute only to keep him out of the clutches of her step-mother. But the programs were messed up and though she thinks the man she got is a gigolo he’s actually a Chicago firefighter. It’s a cute story that centers around Jake and Maddy getting to know each other and Jake trying to break the ice around Maddy’s heart that was formed after she found her former fiance in bed with another woman. 3.5 out of 5
After that I read Hungry For You by Lynsay Sands. This is book 14 in the Argeneau series. A cute story about an immortal finding his life mate. (releases 11/30/10) You can read my review here if you’d like. 3.75 out of 5
Kiss Across Time by Teal Ceagh was my next read. This is an erotic read about a woman who goes to a death metal concert and ends up kissing the lead singer. When they kiss they go back in time. The woman then goes back stage and ends up kissing the singers partner and they go back in time as well. The story revolves around the men, who are vampires, trying to talk and seduce the woman into staying with them as their bonded mate. The vamps, Brody and Veris, are hot, hot hot. This is basically a short story introducing how the characters got together and getting you ready for book 2 in the series which is longer and much more in depth. 3.25 out of 5
The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt is the book I read for my DIK reading challenge and my review will post on Thursday.
My next read was Tangled Up in You by Rachel Gibson. This was the story of Maddie who writes true crime mysteries. She’s decided that she needs to write the story of how her mother was murdered 29 years before and see if she can make sense of it all. She goes back to Truly, Idaho, where the murder occurred and ends up getting involved with Mick who’s father was killed at the same time as Maddie’s mom…by Mick’s mother. The story was very cute as I loved Mick and Maddie together but it was also very sad due to the subject matter and Mick’s reaction to Maddie when he finds out who she is. 3.75 out of 5
Next was Kiss Across Swords by Teal Ceagh that I read for The Book Binge. This is book 2 in the Time-Crossed Love series. This book takes place 4 years after the trio, Brody, Veris and Taylor have gotten together and Taylor asks Veris to change her into a vampire. He refuses and leaves Brody and Taylor where they soon jump back in time to the first crusade which is where Brody and Veris first met. That’s when the men were supposed to get together only things aren’t how they should be. Taylor and Brody must make events between Brody and Veris happen or their trio in the future may not be together. A very good book that I really enjoyed. I’ll let you know when my review posts. (the book releases Nov. 24) 4 out of 5
Next was Turnskin by Nicole Kimberling. This is a shifter book about a young man who is from the country who longs to go to the city and be a playwright. He meets and falls in love with Cloud Coldmoon who is also a shifter but also the son of a crime boss. Tom has to leave his trailer and the country and makes it to the city where he meets 3 of his cousins who run Turnskin theatre. He ends up writing plays for them but meeting up with Cloud again as well. The two men have to figure out how to save Turnskin as well as how they will get Cloud out from under his mother’s thumb and live happily ever after. The story is very good and I loved the different take on the shifters. These are shifters who can make themselves look like anyone but mostly their regular forms have hair and sometimes muzzles. The book could be solemn and sad but also humorous and fun. Just a really good read. 4 out of 5
Forbidden Magic by Jo Beverley was my next read. I read a excerpt of this book, that will soon be re-released, in the back of the other Beverley book that I read this past week and I decided I’d like to read it. A family of 5 run by Meg, a 21 year old woman is in desperate straits. They have no money and no means to get any but the landlord has offered to take Meg’s sister for his mistress in exchange for free rent. The girl is only 15 though! Meg won’t allow that so she uses a magical statue to ask for a solution to the problem. That solution comes in the form of an Earl who is desperate to fulfill a promise made to his hated grandmother and get married by his 25th birthday. Meg marries the earl but things start to go very wrong – which Meg believes is due to the magical statue. This was a cute book. I found it kind of frenetic with some strange things going on…psychic parrots…that were a bit odd at times but overall I liked it. 3.5 out of 5
My last read for the week was His for the Holidays by LB Gregg, Harper Fox, ZA Maxfield and Josh Lanyon. A wonderful collection of stories that will release on Dec. 6. I’ll post my review this week.
My Book Binge reviews that have posted since last Monday:
Happy Reading!
I hope the week gets a calmer as it progresses Tracy! My library has ordered Emily and the Dark Angel! *happy dance* It has estate management in it – YAH! Well, I hope it does (am off to read your review now 🙂 I seem to be adding a few historical romances to my TBR list ATM!
I also have Turnskin on my TBR list and am planning to purchase His for the Holidays at Christmas 🙂
Turnskin is intriguing… His for the Holiday was great!
Sounds like you had quite the crazy day. Hope the rest of your week is much better.
I haven't read any of those although I do have His for the Holidays in my TBR.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Orannia – Thanks, I certainly hope it will calm down as well.
Got a thing for estate management, huh? Well it does show her doing some of the work, but not a ton – fair warning.
I think you'll like both of those in your TBR – dig them out!
Chris – Yes to all of the above.
Lily – Thanks. Now get His for the Holidays out of your TBR and read it. So good.
I bought Turnskin at the BEB table at Yaoicon so I shall look forward to reading that.
I'm also looking forward to His for the Holidays.
I really liked The Serpent Prince. It wasn't my favourite out of the series, but Simon was delicious as a pretend fop.
Hope the week calms down :).
Jenre – A pretend fop – a great phrase, especially since he really was!
That's where I got Turnskin definitely a different kind of shifter book.
PseudoFop? 🙂