Sunday, March 31, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?




It's Monday! -
What Are You Reading?
is hosted weekly on Mondays
by Sheila from



Post the books you read last week, books currently reading, and books you plan on finishing this week!




What I've Read this week...
Down London Road (On Dublin Street, #2)
Down London Road
By: Samantha Young
Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

Currently Reading...
Lone Wolf (Shifters Unbound #4.6)
Lone Wolf
By: Jennifer Ashley
Ellison Rowe, a Lupine Shifter, makes it his goal to protect Maria, once held captive by ferals, from male Shifters looking for mates. He likes Maria's resilience and fire, but she's been broken, and Ellison wants more than anything to heal her. When a new danger threatens Shiftertown's cubs, Maria partners with Ellison to stop a cold-blooded criminal.

Went to a bonafide Cafe this week for lunch with a friend. So glad its Spring!
What are you reading this week?
Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 8:48 PM 9 comments
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Friday, March 29, 2013

"Wolf With Benefits" By: Shelly Laurenston Review


Wolf With Benefits
By: Shelly Laurenston

Synopsis from Goodreads
Ricky Lee has no plans of getting serious about anyone, but he will protect Toni Jean-Louis Parker. Not just because he’s been hired to do so, but because it’s the right thing to do. And if that means traveling around the country with one complicated She-jackal, dealing with chocolate-eating wild dogs, instigating trouble between his brothers, and having the most amazing sex he’s ever had…well, who said his job didn’t have perks? 
Toni doesn’t know how she keeps getting herself into these situations. But even she has to admit there’s something about Ricky Lee Reed that she finds kind of interesting…and downright sexy. Now they just have to survive long enough to figure out if what they have is worth fighting for…
My Thoughts
     Shelly Laurenston seems to be back on track with her newest book after seemingly jumping the shark for the last few books. Ricky Lee Reed, one of those ornery Reed wolves from down south is paired up with Antonella “Toni,” a jackal. Annoying at times but ultimately a fun read, I enjoyed my time back in the pride world Laurenston has created.
     Antonella finds herself at a crossroads. Extremely attached to her needy family, she feels as if she may be wasting her life taking care of them. Other relationships, romantic or otherwise, have suffered because of her close relationship. A friend of a friend finds Toni a job that she is quite qualified for but feels as if she’s leaving her family.
     Who is a perfect match for an obsessive compulsive jackal with family issues except for a laid back wolf shifter who has his own crazy family? Ricky has appeared in numerous Laurenston books so he will be familiar, but to be honest, I don’t know really what sets him apart from her other heroes that have appeared before. They are all a little wacky, definitely quirky, and a little weird but lovable.
     To be honest, this book was cute but not unique. I think so much time was spent trying to be funny that the actual romance and relationships between characters suffered. The pace of the book seemed off, speeding up in some areas and being incredibly slow in others. There was a botched kidnapping and a villain towards the end, but it didn’t seem fleshed out and frankly still is a bit confusing.
     Overall, I did enjoy Wolf with Benefits. Toni was cute and I adored her absolute ordinary nature. She wasn’t a genius or an extraordinary artist, just a girl trying to get through life and annoyed by the wild neighbor wolf. I almost gave up Laurenston’s Pride Series after the last book, (oye, still shaking my head at that one) but I’m glad I didn’t.

Book Details
Publisher: Brava
# of Pages: 400
Date of Publication: March 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-0758265220
Source: NetGalley Advanced Reader Copy

Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 1:30 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Six Naughty Nights By: Serenity Woods


Six Naughty Nights
By: Serenity Woods


Synopsis
Six nights to remember, six days to forgive…
     Esther is grateful for the strong arms that saved her and her young son from an earthquake. But she wishes their rescuer was someone else.     Anyone other than the man who left her pregnant after a holiday fling.
      Toby’s carpentry skills take him wherever there’s work, and right now that work is definitely cut out for him. He has to get over the shock that the little boy in his arms is his own son—and convince Esther that he’s always regretted walking away from her.
     Esther can’t bring herself to deny Toby his right to get to know Charlie. Besides, with her own home flattened, she has nowhere to go but with him to his apartment…where she discovers a sexy role-playing card game tucked in his suitcase.
     When Toby invites her to accompany him to the Northland to attend his best friend’s wedding, the opportunity to explore their still-simmering attraction is too tempting to resist. As the steamy scenarios heat up, they start to realize this is more than a game. But Esther’s hiding a secret that could cause as much devastation as the earthquake...
     Product Warnings: Contains role-playing fun including Roman slave and master, sexy schoolgirl spanking, and interrogation of a spy. Silk scarves included.
About the Author
Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, and sexy romances in a variety of romantic sub-genres. She’s won several writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. You can check out all her books at www.serenitywoodsromance.com.

A Word from Serenity Woods...

 Hi there, and thank you so much for welcoming me on your blog today!
I’m here to tell you about my latest sexy romance, Six Naughty Nights from Samhain Publishing, the second in my Love in Reverse series. It’s the follow up to Seven Sexy Sins and it features Toby, a friend of the hero in SSS. You don’t have to have read SSS to enjoy the book (but if you’d like to catch up first, you can find out more about it, including all its lovely reviews, on my website.)

This series is set in the sultry Northland of New Zealand, and it’s the perfect setting for a hot, steamy romance like Six Naughty Nights. In the book, Six Naughty Nights is actually a game for couples with suggestions for partners to role-play, and Toby and Esther reconnect after several years apart by carrying out six of these scenarios during the week or two they’re together. Their role-play involves Esther pretending to be a hooker in a bar with Toby hiring her for the night, schoolgirl and slave/master dressing up, and experimenting with different positions.
However, the story’s much more than a catalogue of ways to have sex. Toby finds out that their brief affair several years before resulted in a son, and gorgeous Charlie boy plays a large part in their getting back together. Cocktails and Books said “Charlie was absolutely adorable, and I enjoyed the dialogue that the author wrote for him,” and my editor loved him.
For me, erotic romance is still romance, even though it might be on the spicier side. I get bored with romances that are just a mechanical list of body parts and movements, and I love a sexy story that gives a real tug at the heart strings, which was one reason why I loved Fifty Shades, although I understand it wasn’t to everyone’s tastes. No one book is going to appeal to every reader, but if you love a romance that’s full of humour, hot sex and a happy ending that will make you cry, then could do worse than try my Love in Reverse series. I defy you not to fall in love with Toby!
Serenity x

Links

Giveaway
Serenity is giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card as a grand prize!! 
Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway
To Buy Six Naughty Nights



Be sure to check out the rest of the tour...
3/26/13

3/27/13

3/28/13

3/29/13

4/1/13

4/2/13

4/3/13

4/4/13

4/5/13

4/6/13
Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 2:30 AM 1 comments
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday - "Sweet Madness" By: Heather Snow


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme where we let everyone know what books we are eagerly anticipating the release of.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine

Sweet Madness (Veiled Seduction, #3)
Sweet Madness
By: Heather Snow

Ever since her husband’s sudden and tragic death, Lady Penelope Bridgeman has committed herself to studying the maladies of the mind, particularly treating traumatized soldiers of the Napoleonic Wars. It is this expertise that brings the Marquess of Bromwich’s family to her door.

Gabriel Devereaux’s unexpected and unpredictable episodes are unlike any Penelope has studied. The once proud soldier has been left shaken and withdrawn, but she manages to build a fragile trust between them. Strangely, Gabriel seems completely lucid when not in the grips of his mania, and in the calm between bouts, she is surprised by how much she is drawn to him.

Despite his own growing feelings, Gabriel knows that he is fit for no one, and is determined to keep Penelope away from his descent into madness. But even though she knows firsthand the folly of loving a broken man, Penelope cannot stop herself from trying to save him, no matter the cost.
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 8:29 PM 0 comments
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"Surrender Your Love" By: J.C. Reed Review


Surrender Your Love
By: J.C. Reed

Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.
Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.
Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.
When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.
A man who doesn't take 'no' for an answer.
A woman afraid to surrender to love.
Two lives that are about to cross...and secrets laid bare.
My Thoughts
    Soooo, I liked this book but I’m gonna warn you. The author is planning on having this become a series so the entire story doesn’t end with this story. Its pretty good and I’ll admit, when I realized at the end of the story it was ending with a cliffhanger, I let out a little umph of disbelief. Regardless, I’m looking forward to the world that is being created and the romance blooming between Jett and Brooke.
     Brooke first meets Jett, a millionaire real estate developer, after a case of mistaken identity. At first thinking he was someone else, she doesn’t put her best foot forward as is the case. When Brooke returns to her job, she is unceremoniously fired and miraculously, the company that Jett works for hires her!
     So it sounds very meet cute I know, but its so much more than that. Jett has such a conflicted history and you just ache for him. Brooke, coming off of a bad relationship to begin with, finds herself in a relationship with her boss (Jett) and she doesn’t know if that is a good or a bad thing. There is a pull but near the end, a shocker reveals a little known fact, that puts into question everything they knew about one another.
      J.C. Reed is a fantastic new author who can definitely write confusion and conflicts. Brooke is your atypical twenty something, trying to get by but not using mommy’s money to do so. She’s working hard and when Jett gets in her way, she has to decide whats important in life. Love or her career; and can the two ever meet? Be prepared for the ending though, its gonna leave you wanting and counting the days until the sequel!

Note: Conquer Your Love, the sequel will be coming out June 1st!

Book Details
Date of Publication: March 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1482334302
# of Pages: 324
Source: Author Giveaway

Links

Challenges
#36 for the 2013 Where are You Reading Challenge {New York, NY}
#29 for the 2013 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge
Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 4:00 AM 1 comments
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Monday, March 25, 2013

"Curve Ball" By: Charlotte Stein Review


Curve Ball
By: Charlotte Stein

Synopsis from Goodreads
When Judy Myers is offered a relaxing vacation to get away from her latest heartbreak, she can’t say no. A cruise on her brother’s yacht sounds like heaven...until she realizes her brother’s best friend has been invited along for the ride.
Steven Stark is big, he’s loud, and he’s obviously not interested in the plump, plain little sister he used to tease unmercifully. In fact, he’s still quite happy to tease her – until she turns the tables on him. Now Steven can’t seem to keep his thoughts, or his hands, to himself. And worse, Judy’s not sure she can resist the attraction she’s kept buried for so many years.
Being trapped on a boat isn’t the best place to be, when you’re suddenly thrown a hunky curveball.

My Thoughts
     A free read over a weekend, I saw Curve Ball featured a chunky heroine and I couldn’t help myself so I picked it up. Being somewhat of a zaftig lady myself, its nice to find books featuring the bigger ladies. Free and with a unique heroine I was excited, but sadly I disliked this book so much it almost turned into a DNF.
       The whole novella is filled with Judy feeling bad about herself. Lots of internal dialogue but its almost completely about how fat she is, how large she is, no can find her attractive, and on and on and on. It was exhausting.
      For someone with all of these body issues, Judy has no problem allowing her brother’s misogynistic and somewhat sexist friend Steven ,to secretly sneak into her bed...then he acts as if it never happened. Suddenly Steven is professing his love for her and all is well. Does it sound rushed and not well planned, because it is.
      I will mention this is a novella, so there isn’t a lot of character development as with a regular novel. With that being said, the author could have done quite a bit more with the time she had. I didn’t care for the plot, the characters, and I even disliked the setting, which takes place mostly on a boat. Everything was hurried, character motivations didn’t jive, and frankly, Judy needs a class in self-esteem before she needs a boyfriend.


Book Details
Date of Publication: January 21, 2013
ISBN: 978-1909520677
Source: Personal Purchase


Challenges
#22 for the 2013 Where are You Reading Challenge {Spain}
Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 4:00 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, March 24, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?




It's Monday! -
What Are You Reading?
is hosted weekly on Mondays
by Sheila from



Post the books you read last week, books currently reading, and books you plan on finishing this week!


What I've Read this week...
Playing to Win (Play by Play, #4)
Playing to Win
By: Jaci Burton
Football star Cole Riley is notorious for doing as he pleases—on the field and off. He parties hard and fights harder, but if he doesn’t clean up his act, his career is over—so Cole reluctantly agrees to work with image makeover consultant Savannah Brooks. He’s not used to being told what to do, especially by some (admittedly hot) Southern belle. As for Savannah, she’s not convinced she can transform this cocky (and aggressively sexy) force of nature. But she’s determined to give it her best shot.

When the sparks start to fly, Savannah lays down the ground rules: no personal complications. If she can turn off the tingle she feels every time Cole gives her a hot stare with his gorgeous baby blues, he can turn off his desire as well. But for two people determined to have it all, a hands-off policy can only last so long before one of them yields.

Rock Hard (Seduced by the Rockstar) BBW Erotic Romance
Rock Hard
By: Adriana Hunter
Curvy single Kate Preston is about to come face to face with her worst nightmare when she's forced to interview her college boyfriend, now world famous rocker, Gage Stevens.

Their breakup was a messy one. Kate wanted Gage to ditch the dream of becoming a rockstar for a "stable" job but Gage refused to give up. Years later, his hard work and dedication has paid off with millions of fans worldwide and three album's going triple-platinum.

With her job as an entertainment columnist on the line, Kate has no choice but to follow through with the exclusive interview. Only Gage doesn't know that it's Kate who will be conducting it.

When they meet face to face, sparks fly, and the room is charged with electric, undeniable heat. A mixture of pain and pleasure, where history means something and instant attraction is remembered and perhaps rekindled.

Can Gage look beyond the past and ever see Kate as anything but a cold heartbreaker who abandoned him? Will the plus sized beauty Kate be able to get past her own insecurities to take a chance on the rock God?

Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street, #1.6)
Until Fountain Bridge
By: Samantha Young

Ellie Carmichael had a crush on Adam Sutherland, her brother, Braden’s, best friend, for years, and although Adam treated her with proprietary concern he made it clear he thought of her only as a little sister. 

Over the years, as Ellie’s crush develops into love, her romantic idealism makes it difficult for her to move on. To make matters worse, as she’s gotten older, Adam’s attitude has changed toward her. His affection for her is now joined by attraction, but his loyalty to Braden, and his fear of losing the only family he has, stops him from claiming Ellie the way she wishes he would. 

But one night his attraction is put to the test, and as much as Adam would like things to remain the same everything changes between them in a simple brush of the lips. 


Soon lust, love, jealousy and heartbreak combine to force change upon their relationship… and Adam discovers the hard way that life is too damn short to spend it on regret.

Surrender Your Love (Surrender Your Love, #1)
Surrender Your Love
By: J.C. Reed
Meeting Jett was like lightning. Dangerous. Better left untouched. And better forgotten. But lightning always strikes twice.

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, doesn’t do relationships. When she’s sent to a remote estate to finalize a real estate deal, she discovers her new boss is no other than the guy she left naked in bed.

Sexy, dangerously handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield attracts trouble, and women, like a lightning rod. But the night he meets Brooke he gets more than he bargained for. The green-eyed millionaire playboy isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and he isn’t about to start now.

When he proposes two months of no strings sex, Brooke is intrigued and accepts his proposal. Little does she know Jett’s determined to claim the one woman he can’t have, pulling her deeper into his dangerous world.

A man who doesn't take 'no' for an answer.
A woman afraid to surrender to love.
Two lives that are about to cross...and secrets laid bare.

What are you reading this week?
Posted by The Brunette Librarian at 9:00 PM 6 comments
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