Monday, December 31, 2012

Fatal indeed


Fatal Judgment (Guardians of Justice #1)Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon

U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he'd rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward Liz haven't warmed in the five years since she lost her husband--and Jake's best friend--to possible suicide. How can Jake be expected to care for the coldhearted workaholic who drove his friend to despair?
As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, his feelings slowly start to change. When it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life--and his heart--are in mortal danger.
Full of the suspense and romance Irene Hannon's fans have come to love, "Fatal Judgment "is a thrilling story that will keep readers turning the pages late into the night.




My rate & take


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The blurb above talks about being a page turner, and while the book never hit any truly dull parts there was more than a passing reference to God, talking to God, going to church, and praying. I have nothing against any of those things but it had more the feel of a Christian book and I think with it being a sizable portion of the books content it should have at least been mentioned in the blurb. However, I did not base my rating on the bait-and-switch plot but rather the lack of any surprises....you were presented the bad guy almost right away (to get his point of view) and nothing unexpected happened along the way. And even with negatives I still found the writing overall to be decent.


Friday, December 28, 2012

Keeping Warm


The Rancher and the Rock StarThe Rancher And The Rock Star by Lizbeth Selvig

To the world, Gray Covey is a rock superstar. But to his runaway son, he’s simply the father who never has any time for him. To prove that he’s more than his rock star lifestyle, for the next few weeks Gray must put aside his fame and become...a farmhand?

Abby Stadtler has built the perfect, quiet life for herself. Neat and orderly is the name of the game for her and her beloved farm. When Gray shows up on her doorstep, looking like he stepped straight off the front cover of a magazine, she is determined that he won’t upset her routine.

But what neither counts on is the love that springs up between them. Abby knows that life on a ranch in Minnesota can never compete with an exciting world tour. But for Gray, it’s time to decide what’s really important. With Abby’s help, will he be able to decide, once and for all, that love and family are the answer?




My rate & take


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For a cover this yummy I wasn't expecting a lot of real content....well, I was very wrong!
This was a wonderful read from beginning to end and the characters had depth and the story spun situations that felt real in the way the characters reacted within them with a few tiny exceptions, but nothing of real note. And yes, there was some steamy tenderness but nothing over the top. I found this a tasty holiday read to warm my very snowy and chilly surroundings.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Proper goodness

No Proper Lady (Englefield, #1)No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper


When a half-naked woman suddenly appears on his country estate, Simon Grenville doesn't have time to be shocked. Demonic beasts are hot on his heels until the beautiful stranger unsheathes several knives strapped to her skin-tight trousers and kills them. As he stares at her fierce, heart-stopping face, Simon knows he's in a hell of a lot of trouble...

Joan is from a time where demons run rampant and humanity is fighting for its existence. To prevent this terrible future, she is sent back to Victorian England to kill the magician responsible for unleashing the dark forces. But Joan is a soldier more used to sparring than dancing. To get close to her target, she'll need Simon to teach her how to fit into polite society. Joan doesn't mind practicing proper flirtation on Simon, but she can't allow herself to be distracted by his gentle hands or devilish smile--the very future depends on it.




My rate & take

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I wasn't sure it could be done, blending paranormal beings in with a post-apocalyptic heroine from the future into 1880's England....but I was wrong, it was done and it was also very enjoyable. The key to making it all work was having a hero that was a practitioner of magic and understood there were larger and more unexplained forces within and without the world he inhabited. Overall this was a nice breezy read....something I can recommend for a fast holiday read, or a day on the beach.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Totally Smitten


Fallen Too Far (Fallen Too Far, #1)Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.
She is his new stepfather’s daughter.
She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far.



My rate & take


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I am having trouble knowing where to begin, this book was so,

                                intense/hot/loving/hurtful/joyous/crushing

and it was also over way too quickly...I devoured it in one sitting and now my impatients have been rewarded with a nearly 3 month wait for the follow-up book. I'm not sure how much I can say about this book without giving away everything....I can say I can't stop thinking about the characters and what they are doing right now!! And speaking of right now, why haven't you read this book already? I need others to share the angst with me.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

The stars are out


My Mother Was NutsMy Mother was Nuts by Penny Marshall


Most people know Penny Marshall as the director of Big and A League of Their Own. What they don’t know is her trailblazing career was a happy accident. In this funny and intimate memoir, Penny takes us from the stage of The Jackie Gleason Show in 1955 to Hollywood’s star-studded sets, offering up some hilarious detours along the way.

My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.

Throughout it all, from her childhood spent tap dancing in the Bronx, to her rise as the star of Laverne & Shirley, Penny lived by simple rules: “try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun.” With humor and heart, My Mother Was Nuts reveals there’s no one else quite like Penny Marshall.



My rating & take


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I had no real idea what I was in for with this book but lucky for me this was a total joy from beginning to end. I am a fan of Ms. Marshall's acting work and I love the kinds of movies she directs but I was not prepared for the one-of-a-kind life she had led and the people that she calls friends, oh, and then there were her crazy parents thrown into the mix too. I treasure the honesty that she poured into this book and I love that she seems to have the ability in her life to see through the unnecessary details and get right to the heart of an issue, this must be one of the qualities that makes her such a successful director. I am so glad she took the chance and wrote this book!

 


Monday, December 10, 2012

Crime in Scotland


Cold Granite (Logan McRae, #1)Cold Granite by Staurt MacBride

The debut thriller from a bright new Scottish talent set to rival Ian Rankin. It's DS Logan McRae's first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn't get much worse. Four-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. There's a killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood. If that wasn't enough, Logan also has to contend with a new boss, DI Insch, who doesn't suffer fools gladly and thinks every one's a fool, and his own ex-girlfriend, the beautiful but chilly Isobel MacAlister, who also happens to be the chief pathologist. The only good news is WPC 'Ball Breaker' Watson, Logan's new guardian angel. The dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. If Logan isn't careful, he's going to end up joining them. Set in Aberdeen, where the rainy season lasts all year...


My rating & take


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I was so excited to read my first Scottish crime novel! I loved getting any Scottish detail I could. I swear I felt cold and miserable right along side the characters when they were forced to spend any time out in the perpetual bad weather.
For a debut novel this was a very solid story and can well imagine the rest of the series is equally so if you judge by the fans of the author.
This has the feel of an old school hard boiled crime novel and I found that very enjoyable for a change of reading pace.


Thursday, December 6, 2012

Caught in the holiday push


Have no fear I will be back with an actual review soon! For now I have fallen victim (albeit very willingly since I love Christmas!) to the swirl of holiday doings and the extra time involved in them, so my reading pace has slowed a bit.

In the meantime if you will be shopping for books lovers or just want to lavish yourself, check here and here to get some great ideas. 

             
                                         Happy Reading !!

 
                                           Liz Scott