Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas.

*I don't think I could do this book review without spoilers so if you read this review, be prepared for lots and lots of spoilers, if you don't want to read them, please skip this review and come back to read it when you've read the book, this book was a sure winner in my book but I'm so damned excited about this review that I probably WILL spoil it for you so this is your warning.*

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Hero: Hardy Cates, Gage Travis
Heroine: Liberty Jones
Grade: A

SHE'S FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS

Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas - if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.

HE'S THE ONE MAN SHE CAN'T HAVE

When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon - a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past.

WILL THEY FIND THEIR HEARTS' DESIRES OR WILL HEARTBREAK TEAR THEM APART?

Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A woman you'll root for every step of the way. A love story you'll never forget.

This book gets a whopping WHOA DANG and a THASS WASSUP! from me.

Lisa Kleypas knocks this one right out of the park. A total grand slam that had me sighing with all the goodness one could hope to find in a book. As a first contemporary, I think she did a fantabulous job with this book.

Liberty Jones was a heroine to admire, befriend and love because of everything she went through and everything she lived through. The determination that was piled into this young woman was an honor that I quite liked...very much. To see Liberty Jones grow up before my eyes in this book was a delightful journey that had me rootin' her on from the very beginning. Her love and drive for her younger sister, Carrington was enough to seal my love of this story from the moment little Carrington came into the story. To see the fierce bond between the sisters is something that I found quite charming. I loved reading about Liberty's struggles and her triumphs and just everything she went through to grow into the shoes she was wearing at the very beginning.

She totally rocked!

Lisa Kleypas did an extraordinary job of making me fall in love with two totally different men. I don't think I've ever fully loved two heroes in a book as much as I did Hardy and Gage. I mean, I haven't read many other books where there were two heroes but I know that in all of the books that I read with two heroes, I loved one more than the other right from the very first. That wasn't the case in this book.

In Liberty's youth, she falls in love with Hardy Cates and if you ask me, it wasn't hard to fall in love with the boy who took such good care of you. The one that helped you get over your fear of the mean growling pitbulls, the one who taught you how to perfect your basketball skills so you wouldn't get teased mercillessly at school about it, the guy who drove your pregnant mother to the hospital to have your little sister, the one who cared enough to help you with your baby sister when you were babysitting and fretting about a school test that you needed to pass but couldn't study for because the baby was being fussy, the one who cancelled a date to help you study for the test you want. The one who felt just as passionately about you as you did for him but couldn't be with you because you were too young.

The one who wanted so much more than the town of Welcome, Texas could ever give him, the one who had nothing to offer you but wanted so much to offer something.

It wasn't hard to fall for Hardy and his determination to get out of Welcome and make something of himself, to get out before he turned into the Father he never wanted to be.

When Hardy left town, I had my fingers crossed that he would find himself and come back for Liberty and Carrington. Make them a family, I wanted that so much that I was giddy to read on and see what would happen between Hardy and Liberty.

But then I met Gage Travis.

He was so different from Hardy and yet had the same steely strength that I loved so much in Hardy Cates. Seeing Liberty come out of her shell the way she did with Gage, mainly because it was so unexpected (okay not really but still, for Liberty it was) and their romance was slow to ignite, I fell hard for Gage.

It was amazing how Lisa Kleypas had the ability to make me feel Liberty's indecision when faced with both of the men she's loved all of her life. She's had many men come and go in her life but her heart had only been touched by two.

Hardy and Gage.

Her indecision was just as hard on me as it was for Liberty because like Liberty, I was torn between the two men.

Her choice at the end was great, I was totally happy with her decision because when you look back, it was the right choice for her. It was the right choice for who she was and the person she became. I loved that she loved her chosen man with all that she was and that the hardness we all went through (me, her and the men, LOL) was necessary because it made her appreciate and love the man she chose with nothing holding her back. There wasn't an elephant in the room when the decision was made, everything she went through took part in the way the book ended and I couldn't have been happier.

Though, I was a bit disappointed in one of the men, it didn't change how I felt about the story as a whole. This was a sure winner and I couldn't have been happier with a book. I loved how the characters came to life for me and I loved how much I felt where all of the characters were concerned. When one of them hurt, I hurt and when one of them was happy, I rejoiced in their happiness. I loved how all of the i's were dotted and all of the t's were crossed. There wasn't anything left hanging and I'm so glad, because it made me enjoy the book all the more.

Great great book!

A definite read!

Thanks Lisa for a great read!

The Stranger In Her Bed by Janet Chapman.

Hero: Ethan Knight
Heroine: Anna Segee
Category: Contemporary
Page Count: 384 pgs
Grade: A

When Ethan agreed to work at a sawmill his family is purchasing, he didn't foresee getting fired on his first day. He should be mad at the fiercely outspoken female foreman, but something about her seems disconcertingly familiar--even though Ethan is sure he'd remember meeting a stunning beauty like Anna Segee before.

Anna has never forgotten Ethan--or the schoolgirl crush she had on him before her father whisked her off to Canada. Now the shy, gangly girl is grown up and back in Oak Grove with a new name, new confidence and a newly inherited mill of her own. Her superb reputation in a male-dominated industry hasn't come easy, but even harder will be ignoring the sexy man Ethan has become...

So Anna Segee comes back to Oak Grove after many years away getting to know her long lost father and facing the life that she walked away from. The life her Grandfather, Samuel Fox left behind in his car accident.

Fox Run Mills is her inheritance, the one thing that her Grandfather left behind for her. Against her Father's wishes, Anna returns to Oak Grove to make a life of her own, one that didn't involve her over protective Father and pesky brothers making every decision for her, fixing every little aspect of her life for her. She came back to make a name for herself and live on her own two feet.

It should have been easy but Ethan Knight, her long ago Knight in Shining Armor keeps putting a cramp in her style. You see, he's living in a spare cabin on her land and she's his landlord. But the cabin isn't up and running to his liking so he's taking it out on her, which means he's sleeping in her bed and she's sleeping on the couch because she was in a car accident that Ethan saved her from. He drives her home, sets her up on the couch and he, himself shacks up for the next couple of nights while she's recuperating from her ordeal, sleeping in her bed. He takes care of her and becomes the kind of man that she ran away from. The kind that boss her around, makes decisions for her, tells her what's good for her and she hates it...

...almost as much as she kinda likes it.

When these two get into it, they really get into it. It was funny to see them yelling at eachother and arguing just because they love to be going at each other. They had fun razzing eacho ther and I enjoyed reading all about their little squirms.

At the beginning of this book I wanted more Ethan. I wanted to see what happened to him in the past (which was talked about in The Seduction of His Wife) that made him the way he is today. I wanted to know why he was so cynical where women were concerned. I wanted all the mysteries of TSoHW brought to light and I wanted to love Ethan more than Alex...why? Because even in Alex's book, I knew I was going to love Ethan more. He was more mysterious, held my attention more than Alex did and I really loved me some Alex.

And Janet Chapman didn't disappoint me at all because I DID love Ethan more than Alex.

Anna Segee was a capable heroine, it was great to see her making a life for herself apart from the family that babied her from the time she was brought into their family. She did well enough with the rebuilding of her Grandfather's Legacy and I loved her friendship with Jane. I loved seeing her make Ethan jealous with the men at the dance, I loved it all the more because Ethan wasn't all that jealous, he was so sure that she'd be going home with HIM that night and well, after all that, it was just so great. I love Ethan's Knight in Shining Armor complex. It suits him well.

It was so good to see Ethan's family in the book and meeting and seeing Anna's family was a great addition to the book and i was super happy with the entire book.

I know that Nicole liked Alex's book better than this book (only slightly but still) but I didn't. I loved Ethan and Anna's story better than Alex and Sarah's. It might be because I have forgotten a lot of A&S's story and E&A's story is fresh in my mind, but I liked the depth of this story, the flow of this story and the overall presentation of this book.

It was a good read and I'm so glad that I finally picked it up. For those of you that read and loved Alex's book, I would totally recommend this book for you to read as well.

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer.

Hero: Edward Cullen
Heroine: Isabella Swan
Category: Paranormal, Young Adult
Page Count: 563 pages
Grade: A

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may just be beginning....

Legions of readers entranced by the New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for more, and they won't be disappointed by this gripping sequel. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. Passionate, riveting, and deeply moving, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

Dylan Says

Stephanie Meyer sure knows how to write some fantabulous books because New Moon was just as great as Twilight and I was just as much in love with Edward Cullen in this book as I was in the last book. This is the second book in the series, I don't even know what the name of the series is but I am a big time fan of Stephanie Meyer now. The woman knows her way around a pen and paper. I am literally wrapped up in her world and have no want to get out. She is beyond great, she's one of the best.

Now, Edward is missing through a whole chunk of this book but I cannot say that I didn't enjoy the book anyway, I sorely missed having him there to be with Edward and I was seriously heart broken right alongside Bella but I was just so happy that Jacob was there.

Jacob.

He was such a great character, another favorite of mine in this series. I liked him in Twlight but I liked him even better in New Moon. My heart hurt for him just as much as it hurt for Bella in this book and I think that's why I love these books so much. They ripped emotion after emotion right out of me and not once was I taken out of the book. I want a happy ending for Paris, I mean Jacob. Because it was more than evident in Twilight that he had a crush on Bella, that crush blossomed into something so much more and you'd have to be deaf, blind and dumb to not see that the reason why Jacob hates Edward so much is because well, read the book...then we can discuss this book but yes, suffice it all to say that I love Jacob Black. This book was just what I needed to bring me out of my Paranormal slump, I'm more than ready to jump into the next paranormal book, because I just love me some sexy vampires.

You guys should totally read this book, I don't want to get too into the stories because for Charm, I'm trying not to give away all the dirty details of the book, just READ THIS BOOK IT WAS GREAT!

Isabel Says

I'm torn. The story was good. Once I started reading, I was hooked. Stephanie Meyer knows how to tell story. However, there are parts I'm just not happy with. Edward missing from most the of the books. The he said, she said. Bella unintentionally leading Jacob on. Yeah she told him they were just friends and Jake said he understood. But saying things like, "You're breaking up with me!?" That's isn't something you say to your friend.

Jacob. I like him before he changed. After he changed, I was little annoyed with him. I understood the animosity with the vampires. But the whole protectiveness of Bella with Alice? I found myself annoyed with Jake. Hello, she loves Edward! She's practically family with The Cullens. You knew this. Yeah I know you have a crush on Bella and this feud with The Cullens, but you knew how Bella felt about them.

So yeah, I'm torn with the book. I liked it but there are parts I'm unhappy with. I'm gonna leave this one grade less for now.

Daphne Says

This book was one emotional roller coaster for me. I was shocked that Edward left so early in the story, it almost made me not want to read anymore. Especially seeing page upon page of the months that passed by. I thought that was clever, and gave the story a dramatic effect, but boy was it depressing. The majority of the story focused on Bella's friendship with Jacob. Ah, Jacob. Poor guy, I felt so bad for him. I know Meyer's compared the trio to Romeo and Juliet, but for me I thought of Ducky from Pretty in Pink, the classic story of the guy who falls for his best friend, who happens to be in love with the school stud. Another dip in the emotional roller coaster.

My heart really goes out to Jacob, but I still love Edward more. Why? I guess it's because Edward was always presented as a vampire, and he's been loveable from the beginning. Jacob is a great friend to Bella, but I just knew he would end up being a werewolf, and I had a feeling that the transition would be difficult for him. I think Edward has the advantage of being older, not just in his human age (17 versus Jacob's 15 or 16?), but also decades of living as a vampire. Anyway, the middle was a bit harder for me to get through, only because Edward wasn't there, but I still enjoyed the story. Up until the ending, where things got intense.

I personally enjoyed the last portion of the book, only because this is where the action and suspense occurred. However, by the end I was a bit frustrated with Bella. The fact that she asked the Cullens to take a vote on her immortality was just.... lame. By the end of Twilight I felt she was a bit hasty in her decision to be a vampire. Yes, I know she loves Edward and for her there is no ifs ands of buts... however, I wish she would not dismiss Edward's points so quickly. After all, he's lived as a vampire for a hundred years, so he knows what he's talking about. Anyway, going back to my original point, even though I disagree with her, it's still her decision, so why is she putting it to a vote? Ugh, that really annoyed me. Then, when Edward proposes to her, she's instantly hesitant. That's so contradictory to me, she can choose immortality in the blink of an eye, yet she's freaked out about marriage? I'm curious to see how this all plays out in the end.

Like Twilight, I thought New Moon was very well written. However, it's definitely not as good as the first. I am giving this one a B.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Choose: A quick death . . . or slow poison . . .

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace -- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear . . .

Holly Says:

Before I go into my review, I just want to say...isn't that cover amazing? I think it's beautiful.

I first read about this book on Samantha's blog and I was intrigued by it. Her review made me anxious to read it, and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest by it.

Poison Study is the first person tale of Yelena, a woman sentenced to death for murdering the son of a high ranking General in Ixia (North). On the day she's to be executed, she's brought before The Commander's first in command, Valek, to confess her crimes. Instead, Valek offers her the position of food taster for the Commander. She's put on the spot: Die now, or possibly die later by poison. She chooses the possible poison. Yelena says that only a fool wouldn't accept, and that she is no fool.

The training of a food taster really surprised me. She was forced to sample a lot of different poisons so that she could recognize them in the Commander's meals, some of which leave her so ill she's incoherent for days. And if she survives her training, there's a good possibility she won't survive a plot to murder the Commander.

As Yelena finds out more and more about what's going on around her the entire picture changes, and she's forced to look deep inside herself for strength she isn't sure she possesses. Not only that, but a traitorous plot is revealed and Yelena seems to be right in the middle of it. Plus, the General whose son she murdered isn't happy to wait around and see if she dies by poison.

As the story develops, and I was shown more and more of Yelena's world, I was completely drawn in. And just when I thought I'd figured out what was going on, a new revelation would occur and I'd have to review everything I thought I knew about the story and characters. It truly made me think, which doesn't happen that often.

I also have to tell you that the romance was just an added bonus. When I first started reading, I didn't even think this was a romance novel. But as I watched Yelena fall in love (no, I won't tell you who with, read it and find out for yourselves), I was pleasantly surprised!

I truly admired the way MVS brought in new characters, as well. Though there are several by the end of the book, they were introduced gradually and I never felt overwhelmed or like there was too much going on at once. There was also a magical element to this story that I didn't expect, but which, I felt, was also an added bonus.

Overall I was extremely impressed. So much so that I immediately ordered the second installment, Magic Study.

As a first novel, I'd say Maria V. Snyder certainly left her mark. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from MVS in the future.

4.75 out of 5 ( I didn't give it a full 5 stars because I had no idea it was the first book in a trilogy)

Poison Study
Magic Study

Isabel's Turn

I enjoyed this book. I started it last night and finished this morning. Because I had know what was going to happen. Would romance blossom between her and certain someone? What was criollo? A drug. I had to know.

I thought it was interesting how she went through the training to become a food tasters. Tasting the different poisons. The most deadly making her ill for a couple of days. The staff would bet on if Yelena would survive or not.

I liked her friendships with Ari and Janco. Loved how protective they were of her. They taught her to trained her to fight. When she became ill from tasting poison, they took turns watching her. It was very sweet.

There isn't a whole lot of romance, but you can feel it building it up. The twists and turns of the plot were also good and kept me guessing. I can't wait for Magic Study, the sequel to Poison Study to come out in paperback.

Grade: A-

Dylan's Turn:

Hero: Valek
Heroine: Yelena
Category: Paranormal
Grade: B+

So Yelena is up for execution because she killed a man. Before she is executed, she's offered a job as The Commander's Food Taster, she has to taste his food to make sure there aren't any poisons that would kill the Commander. She has to become an expert on poisons and Valek takes her under his wing and trains her in the art of poison. She proves herself time and time again to him and the book ends with me hoping to read more in the second book, Magic Study.

I liked this book a lot. I loved seeing Yelena's character grow in self confidence as the book wore on. I loved watching her stand up for herself and not having anyone fight her battles for her. I loved the friendship that blossomed between her, Janco and Ari. It was genuine and I enjoyed it. I loved how her relationship with Valek progressed throughout the entire story. They went from being very wary of each other to missing one another and then to loving each other. That was great, I got all giddy when Valek told Yelena that he was having criollo sent up to our room...hehe, it was great! The characters were great, the storyline was fantastic and all the espionage and spy stuff had me guessing right up until the last page.

Great stuff!

What I didn't like about the book was that it took a long time for the story to take off. It was slow to start for me but I'm glad I stuck with it. Another thing was Valek's tests, that man would drive me up the wall, though I thought he was a sexy man with his fierceness in the battlefield. All the tests he put everyone through and how he was so complex, it had me secondguessing him throughout the whole book...that could be a good thing, keeping me on my toes but it annoyed me some in the book. Aside from the slow start and the constant tests, I loved it!

I would totally recommend this book to anyone, it's great stuff, I promise!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balance precariously on the point of a knife -- between desire and danger.
Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

Oh my God. I love this book. Thanks to Mailyn and Holly who pimped it. Thanks to Jazz who bought it for me. I LOVE YOU ALL!

I love this book. I made the mistake of starting it at night after watching Top Chef. Made myself put it down so I could get some sleep. Took with me to work and got very little done. I kept reading paragraphs here and there. I seriously considered leaving work early so I could finish the book.

The story just sucked me in. It is told from Bella's point of view which I enjoyed. Not every author can make first person pov work. Kind of bugged me cause there were times I wanted to know what Edward was thinking. However according to the website, Stephanie Meyer is rewriting Twilight from Edward's point of view. It will be titled Midnight Sun. YAY!

Other then one moment, I loved Bella. When she learns Edward is vampire, it doesn't really phase her. She just asks questions about about it. Even asks if she can watch him hunt. Which shocks Edward. He tells her she should be afraid. The one moment where she does have her TSTH, I totally forgive her for though. Because I understand why she did what she did. What I also thought was cute is she's clumsy and accident prone. Poor Thing. Edward is constantly telling her to be careful.

I love Edward. I want him. I want to do a million naughty things to him over and over. Hot damn. I don't know where to even begin to describe him and do him justice. He's just wonderful. Funny, caring, concerned, tender, serious, tortured. You don't even know how tortured. The first day he meets Bella he wants her blood. He explains her blood just smelled so sweet. In the excerpt of Midnight Sun, he actually thinks of ways to kill Bella. Morbid, I know. But he controls the blood lust, he fights it. He ends up falling in love with her. At prom he tells Bella, "He called you pretty. That's practically an insult, the way you look now. You're much more than beautiful."

Edward is vampire but he's different. For instance, these vampires don't have fangs or get all fangy when they bite. (A la Angel in the Buffy series) They just have sharp teeth. They can also go out in the sun, but they try and avoid it. Edward can also read minds, but he can't read Bella's. It's very frustrating for him.

There is a sequel to the book. New Moon. However, I hear Edward is hardly in it. There is also another book to come, Eclipse. I've read on her website that this is supposed to be an on going series. Which to me kind of sucks. I do want to read more about Edward and Bella, but I don't want the series to go on and on. You know what mean? I have my HEA for Edward and Bella imagined in my mind. I afraid if I keep reading, it'll ruin it. Or I'll just get frustrated saying "WHEN WILL THEY BE TOGETHER! Also the books are being released once a year.

Read this book. It's awesome people.

Grade: A

Dylan's Turn:

Hero: Edward Cullen
Heroine: Bella Swan
Category: Paranormal
Page Count: A lot
Grade: A

This book was fantabulous!

I was hooked from the very beginning and more than a little intrigued by Edward Cullen and the rest of his family that sat at the far table and kept to themselves. The pale creatures that everyone was afraid of and yet all loved and envied because they were so damn beautiful.

I inhaled this book and am quite astonished at how fast this book became my favorite. It's my favorite book of 2007 (for me since this book didn't come out this year) and I am so hot damn eager to start New Moon, which I ran out and bought right after I finished this book. It was that good for me.

Where to start? I loved Edward. I loved how Bella got to know him, I loved how when he decided to stop running from her, how strong he became because he withheld from the temptation to kill Bella so many times because he wanted her blood that much, I loved how he wanted to hurt her just as much as he wanted to save her from himself and herself because she was a total klutz. I loved how he took care of Bella and how he loved her. I loved the way he dazzled everyone and most importantly I loved reading the excerpt from Midnight Sun on Stephanie Meyer's site where we see Bella's first day of school through Edward's eyes. Oh how I love this vampire. He is SO the bomb.

I really liked Bella too...she was the bomb DOT com. Even when she did well, read it and find out, I wasn't that mad at her.

But more importantly, I loved Edward. hehe.

This book was really good, it had a good storyline and hot damn it was addicting...make sure you guys read this book, seriously..it's the bomb.

The Seduction of His Wife by Janet Chapman

He set out to seduce her for all the wrong reasons -- but found himself falling in love with her for all the right ones.
Alex Knight is dead -- or so everyone thinks. A widowed logger baron with a risk-taking streak, he took on a South American engineering project and was reported dead after a rebel attack. So when he turns up back in Maine very much alive, his grieving family is shocked. But the biggest shock is Alex's, when he discovers he's now married -- to a woman he's never met.

Sarah Banks is ready for a change from running a quiet Bed & Breakfast, and working for the Knight family offers not only a bigger opportunity, but also the family life she yearns for. So she's glad to help secure custody of Alex's orphaned children, whom she's come to love, by marrying their father by proxy before he's legally declared dead. But when Alex returns, the sexy, determined woodsman upends all of Sarah's plans. Because suddenly she's married to a passionate stranger with an easy smile...and tumbling headlong into a fiery dance of seduction.

I really really enjoyed this book! I mean really, when it was over I kept wishing I was still reading it. And not for any out of this world reason. It was just a good, funny, romantic read. I have really grown to love Janet Chapman and the way she writes. If I'm correct I think most, if not all, of her books are based in Maine. Which is where she lives. Maybe that is why they are all so real, you can feel the place and fall in love with it. Even without going overboard with descriptions, which she does not do. And she usually has kids in her books too. Sometimes this can really put a damper on a story but not a JC book. It makes them so .... warm and definitely adds some funny quirks. Also I love series and she does great ones. The Pine Creek Highlander series (must reads I loved them all): Charming the Highlander, Loving the Highlander, Wedding the Highlander, Tempting the Highlander and Only with a Highlander. Then her Puffin Harbor Series: The Seductive Impostor and The Dangerous Protector. And now this book which I don't know the name of the series yet but I know is one. So do you think I can stop raving on JC and get to the review? Well okay if you insist. lol.

Sarah Kelley has had a hard and sheltered life. She lived on a island (born and raised) and only knew the bed & breakfast her parents ran. When she is fairly young both her parents die within a few years. She falls into a loveless marriage at the age of 17 and some years later finds herself widowed. When Grady Knight comes to her B&B with his grandchildren and sons he offers her a deal she can't refuse. Soon she is moving to the woods of Main to keep house for this family with a promise of a Sporting Camp for her to run. But things turn for the worse when the Knight family thinks they lost their oldest and the father of Grady's two grandchildren. Alex is presumed dead so in order to save his grandchildren from being drug through courts and fights with their other grandparents he has Sarah married to Alex by proxy before anyone knows he's dead, and she adopts the children. Only Alex isn't really dead....imagine his surprise when after running for his life in a jungle in Brazil for over a week he comes home to find himself married! He was married once to a money hungry woman that left him and his kids, and no thank you he doesn't need a new wife. And one night of a little to much to drink and a hot dream turn Alex and Sarah into lovers the tables turn. Alex asks Sarah to give the situation some time, if they act to quickly everyone will know Grady forged the papers and he'll get into trouble. But as time passes and Alex learns that Sarah isn't the quite little mouse he thought her to be he starts to think a divorce is the last thing he wants. But as Alex tries to convince his wife to stay just that he not only has to battle her demons of her past marriage but also a mystery person or persons that are invading his mountain trying to destroy his families business.
And one of Alex's forms of seduction? He reads Sarah's romance books! And when she finds herself bedridden for a little bit he reads them to her. And they are none other than the Puffin Harbor Series by JC.

This book will have you laughing while you cheer on Alex with his seduction of his wife. And Grady's sometimes not so subtle match-making schemes. But not to worry, I might have wanted this book to go on forever but I'll get more in February. The second book in the series is coming. The Temptation of Her Love, Ethan's book. Then we have Paul the biggest flirt. And who knows maybe Tucker and Delaney will get their own stories, Alex's children. I can hope!

Oh and one of the only things I didn't like about this book? It isn't even related to the story. It was the cover. I actually really like the cover, but the mans RIGHT hand is in the picture and there's a wedding ring on it! You wear your wedding ring on the LEFT hand. HELLO! Sorry but that really bothered me.

Grade~ B+ (would have been a A but Sarah did annoy me a little at one point. But she made up for it.)

Dylan's Turn:

Hero: Alex Knight
Heroine: Sarah Knight
Category: Contemporary
Page Count: 258 pages
Grade: A

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

This book had me all warm and fuzzy all over. I didn't want to finish reading it but couldn't help myself, I just zipped through this book like my life depended on how fast I can read this story. I swear being picky on new authors and new books in general is the way to go because the books that I've always been scared of reading because I didn't think I'd enjoy are the very same books that I've read and just absolutely fell in love with!

I wonder when my luck will run out.

I absolutely loved this book and loved the characters. I loved the setting, the storyline and I loved the Knight family.

Alex was a fanastic hero. And the way he was trying to be the best hero for Sarah totally won me over because you don't meet many guys who will willingly read a romance novel and then try to seduce his wife with the things he learned in the book.

It was so cute.

I loved Sarah, I thought she was a great heroine and she was perfect for Alex, but not just Alex. She was perfect for little Tucker and Delaney. She needed them just as much as they needed her. She loved the Knight family with all that she had and she took good care of them. It was fabulous to read about the love she had for them and the love that was returned unto her.

I loved Grady and his manipulative ways. I loved the fierce devotion he had for his sons and grandkids and I love how his heart was still big enough to love his new daughter in law, Sarah. I won't tell you guys how the storyline is, since Jazz already took care of that, but I really did like this book and I know you guys will too. Delaney was great, the whole fishing scene was too cute and I'm so glad that Delaney stuck with her "Mom"...it was so great and then Tucker's determination to see his Dad's marriage to his Mom as right and real, just stole a little piece of my heart. Gosh this was good.

Thanks to Daphne, Jazz and Grace for pimping this book to me and holy goodness, ya'll need to read this book...because there's more where this came from.

Ethan Knight, who is Alex Knight's brother gets his book next and I cannot wait for that. Jazz, Daphne, do you guys know when Ethan's book comes out? I'm so looking forward to that.

I loved the Knight brothers, Alex, Ethan and Paul. I loved the whole sense of family they had, you guys know that I'm sucker for family storylines and this one was one of them that just had me wrapped up in the story, it was just fantastic!

Read it, now!

Isabel's Take

I didn't care for it. Sarah bugged me. The story didn't really grab me. I liked how Alex were reading the romance novels together. I thought that was cute and how Alex highlighted all the love scenes. When Alex tries to teach Sarah to drive, that was funny.

Other than that, Meh.

Grade: C

Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught

Hero: Mitchell Wyatt
Heroine: Kate Donovan
Category: Contemporary
Page Count: 485 pages
Grade: A

Unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and riveting suspense: These are the trademarks of beloved author Judith McNaught. With millions of devoted fans and ten New York Times bestsellers to date, McNaught is a writer whose work just gets better with each new novel--and Every Breath You Take is the book readers have been waiting for. Returning to the lavish Chicago setting of her popular novel Paradise, and revisiting some of that book's characters as well, this story will captivate in inimitable Judith McNaught style.

High atop a snow-covered hill, the stately old Wyatt mansion is perched like a crown, its stone spires pointing upward, its stained glass windows glowing like colorful jewels. Such opulence means success and, surely, happiness. But on the eve of wealthy philanthropist Cecil Wyatt's eightieth birthday, all the money in the world won't bring back his missing grandson, William Wyatt. The only thing for certain: Foul play was involved.

The family, the police, the media--all have tried in vain to discover the young man's fate. Now suspicion has turned shockingly toward William's own half-brother, the rather distant and enigmatic Mitchell Wyatt.

Kate Donovan never dreamed that a chance romantic encounter on a tropical island paradise would tag her as a suspect in a high-society murder case. But after Kate tangles with the darkly charismatic Mitchell Wyatt, she finds herself cast in a shadow of guilt and mistrust. As the Chicago police tighten their net, it will take all of Kate's ingenuity to clear her name. With her calm, cool wit, and the help of a man who may or may not be a dangerous catch, Kate vows to claim the life and love she desires.

Holy wow I loved this book. I don't care about the unprotected sex, I don't even care about Mitchell's preference in music anymore, I just effing love this book. What I loved most about this book? Seeing old characters that I absolutely LOVE come back and actually have a role in the book. To see all of my old favorites back in action, with Matt and Meredith Farrell, Zack and Julie Benedict, holy goodness Zack Benedict is one of MY favorite JM men, holy goodness it was just fanfreakin'tastic to see them all again. I loved loved LOVED IT!

But it was more than that, I started off annoyed that JM's heroes were so lofty, reserved and cultured...just once I want to read about a JM hero who is normal, someone I can see falling in love with and actually having a chance with, but the further I got into the book, the less I cared about all of that stuff. JM just took all of those thoughts away with the rest of the story.

Kate and Mitchell meet on the small island of Anguilla and they have a memorable few days together and then JM busts a reminiscent storyline of Perfect by making Mitchell a suspect in the murder of his brother but then later on, he busts a Paradise and there's a long ass gap between the last time Kate and Mitchell saw each other and the time they see each other again...talk about DRAMA!

I loved it.

My most favorite part was the end...his answer to the priest at their wedding (ya'll knew they were going to get married, hello??? It IS a romance) and the phrase that he has engraved in her wedding band, gosh I loved me some Mitchell Wyatt. He was so friggin' awesome. I loved that though he was pissed to high heaven with Kate after all that time and then the events that led up to him seeing her again after all those years, to see his hatred for her melt away filled me with such tenderness for him that I just wanted to gobble him up!

And with Kate, there were times that I wanted to Daniel son karate kick her in the face but more than anything, I understood her reaction, I didn't agree with it but given the circumstances that surrounded her decisions (the first batch of decisions) I didn't really blame her. But that second batch of decisions, I was disappointed in her but when Mitchell forgave her, I did too...because of her reasons.

Oh I just loved this book to pieces...Gracie girl, if you haven't read this book, I implore you to read it because it was the hot diggity bizomb and I just KNOW that you won't be disappointed, but dude did you read this already? If you did, why didn't I know about it? Gosh this book was the bomb, LOVED IT!

Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas

Zachary Bronson has built an empire of wealth and power—now he needed a wife to help secure his position in society...and warm his bed in private. But not just any woman will do for a man whom all of London knows is not a gentleman. Then he unexpectedly swept Lady Holly Taylor into his arms for an unasked for—but very alluring—kiss, and suddenly he knew he had found a woman whose fierce passions matched his own.
Lady Holly Taylor was beautiful, generous, and, as a widow, destined to spend her life playing by society's rules, even when they went against her bolder instincts. But Zachary's kiss had aroused her, and though the shocking offer he made didn't include marriage, she was compelled to risk everything and follow him to the place where dreams begin.

A reread. I loved it. I forgot how much I love Zack! Here we have man who had to fight for everything he's got. The only thing he wants more than anything, is Holly. Holly was married to George who was perfect gentleman in every way. After 3 years, she still wears the half mourning clothes. She still loves her late husband, but it unsure of what she's supposed to do in life with him.

Zack offers Holly a position in his household to teach him, his mother and sister manners. Since he has become extremely wealthy, he wants to show the ton he's somewhat of a gentleman. While teaching Zack to become a gentleman, Holly starts feeling things she never felt before. But feels guilty for betraying George's memory.

My favorite quote is from Zack:

"I've had to fight for everything I've ever gotten. But I won't fight for you. You'll come to me because you want me. I'll be damned if I'll bully or beg you to have me."

Holly, leaves the house and returns to George's family. It's then she realizes she loves Zack.

Love this book. Love it. Grade: A

I'm In No Mood for Love by Rachel Gibson

Hero: Sebastian Vaughan
Heroine: Clare Wingate
Category: Contemp
Page Count: 359/paperback
Grade:A
Buy It: Here, or here.

What is Clare Wingate doing? One minute she's suffering in a pretty-in-pink gown she'll never wear again, and the next thing she knows it's morning . . . and she has the nastiest hangover of her life.
To make matters worse, she's wearing nothing but a spritz of Escada and lying next to Sebastian Vaughan . . . her girlhood crush turned sexy, globe-hopping journalist. Somewhere between the toast and the toss of the bouquet she'd gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble.

Clare had the right to go wild-after all, she'd been knocked off her dyed-to-match shoes after finding her own fiancé in a compromising position with the washing machine repairman. Clearly her society wedding is off.

But Sebastian pushed all the wrong buttons-and some of the right ones, too. Clare is in no mood for love-not even for lust-and wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn't in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget.

Ever since buying and reading Sex, Lies, and Online Dating, just about a year ago, I've been dying for Rachel Gibson's next book, I'm In No Mood For Love. It's the second in a series she's writing about 4 girl friends who are all fiction authors. And I wasn't disappointed.

Clare is a historical romance author and she loves her job, even if her mother tells all her friends that she writes woman's fiction and refuses to call it what it really is. Clare's completely happy with her life until the day of one of her best friends wedding when she runs back home and finds the Sears repair man riding her fiance on the floor of her walk in closet.

The next morning she wakes up with a huge hang over and not really remembering to much. But when she looks at the bed she's in and finds her self naked except for her pink thong in a hotel room it's obvious she didn't spend it alone. But before she can escape he's there, the worst person she could even think up. The boy who teased her, hit her and tricked her every chance he got grew up to be a very handsome man. Sebastian is a girls wet dream, with his green eyes, wicked smile, and body to drool over.

After a very embarrassing conversation with Sebastian, mostly cause she didn't remember anything and Sebastian is still teasing her, Clare escaped with what dignity she could. Then went home to face her reality. She cleaned house-so to speak, and decided to stay clear of men for awhile. But before Sebastian is off they share a hot kiss. And a few months later it's a make-out session in her mother pantry, and about a month or so later they stop lying to themselves and give in to the passion burning between them.

After mistakenly thinking they could rid themselves of each other after a night full of hot kinky sex they decide to just be friends that have sex, no strings attached. Great for Sebastian that cannot handle the R word or C word (that's relationship or commitment if you weren't sure), and great for Clare who doesn't mind a few multiple orgasms with Mr. Right Now while she waits for Mr. Right.

But when Clare finds herself in love with another man that doesn't love her back, she takes a stand. And that's when it gets really good. But I'm not gonna tell you the rest. You'll have to go read this to find out how Sebastian reacts, what he does, what she does.....and a lot more.

This book is full of men reading romance, men getting drug around shopping by a shopaholic, a father and son finding a relationship that had gotten forgotten, kick ass girl friends, some sexy banter with our H&H, a lot of laughter (even some tears for me) and that's not even mentioning a flipping fine hero and an awesome heroine.
So go get the book and read it!

Quote from Sebastian (after Clare asks if he heard what she said to him):

"Yeah. You assume I don't see myself married because I want to 'conquer' lots of different women and eat their Lucky Charms and Tasty O's."

....then after he corners her in her mothers pantry

"I want to talk about eating you like a Tasty O. I want to talk about all the things I want to do to you. Then we can talk about all the things I want you to do to me."

Oh wait.....the parts I didn't like? Hmmmm, even a favorite like RG had something that bothered me. There was something on page 182 that really irked me, read the book and see if you can figure it out. lol. And the ending? A little perfect but hey it's a romance novel right? What do you expect? All around though, it was a great book. I can always count on RG for a great read. Now I cannot wait till next year for Maddie's book!!!

Dylan's Take:

Grade: A

Alright, Nicole already gave you the low down on this book and I've got to 100% agree with her. This book was sooooo good. I read Sex, Lies and Online Dating a while ago and loved the book, thought it was so good and thought Quinn was an absolute hunk of a detective.

I think I liked this one more.

The whole friends from their youth storylines are my favorite. I loved the whole, I knew you when you were younger and you used to pull my braids and make fun of my glasses and yet you still love me now. It's such a good storyline. I frickin' love it to pieces and this book certainly didn't disappoint me at all.

Sebastian Vaughan, what a frickin' stud. I loved this guy, he's a man's man who hates shopping and women that cry, he also hates cliches and hates that the fact that he hates shopping and women that cry makes him a cliche too. LOL. There were times in the book where I thought that he was being an ass, but men are asses sometimes and I got over it.

I really liked Clare too. She was awesome, she's like me...she looks and sees the best in things and can be a total pushover when it comes to guys. She's blind to her loved ones faults and she's just an all around good heroine. I loved that she wrote romance novels, I loved the way she fell in love with Sebastian and I just loved this story.

I loved the characters, the girls are great and I loved watching Sebastian and his father, Leo try to rebuild their relationship as father and son. I just loved watching that relationship grow into something solid and strong at the end, it was really good...just all around good. And reading about Sebastian in the sack??? Yeah, it was awesome. Loved him and loved it!

The story as a whole was very light, entertaining and just well written in my opinion. This is most definitely one of my favorite Rachel Gibsons and I am totally pimping it to all who want to read a really funny and sweet book.

Holly, Grace, Izzy and Daphne...get on this book, it was cute!

Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts

Hero: Cian Mac Cionaoith
Heroine: Queen Moira of Geall
Category: Paranormal
Page Count: I forgot and I don't have the book here with me.
Grade: A

The battleground has been chosen for the final showdown between those selected by the gods and the minions of the vampire Lilith. But there is one vampire who dares stand against her. And his love for the scholarly queen of Geall will complete the circle of six-and change the face of eternity.

Finally the war has begun.

It took three books to get here but we're finally here, where the big showdown happens. I enjoyed this book immensely and it took me a lot longer to get through both of the previous books but Nora Roberts certainly delivered with the last installment of The Circle Trilogy on both counts. The war finally happens and we see that the little battles they've won and lost to Lillith in the previous books helped them in the war.

This book was a great read for me because I was finally gifted with my love, Cian's book. And I loved that he was what he was and he didn't apologize for it and he did what needed to be done, even if Moira didn't care for it. She may have been the Queen to everyone, but to him, she was just a woman, he was trying desperately not to love because he didn't want her to die on him and he be left with only memories of her...so he kept her at a safe distance but when she approached him for something more, he was perilous to stop her because he wanted it so much. I loved it!

Their romance, their relationship, their story was my favorite in the whole series and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I loved how Morrigan was extremely proud of each of the Six and how she rewarded each of them. I loved how she didn't forget Cian. I loved her gift to Cian, now some maybe most of you might not, so I'm warning you now, Mailyn you probably wouldn't like it one bit, but that's okay because I did...

...I loved the old man who was telling the story and I loved the children who were listening and I just loved the way the whole story ended, it was just so friggin' great.

I loved how they both did what needed to be done, but they were both honest with each other, I love you and I know you love me so give me the words, and the words were given with no hesitation, they didn't shy away from their love for each other, once Cian stopped fighting and I loved how even though she was the Queen, she was Moira first and foremost and she loved everyone with all that she was.

She cared.

Moira as a heroine was great to read about. She was smart, she felt she had to earn her people's respect and she did. She did what needed to be done and when things got ugly for her as a Queen, she didn't hide away behind her friends or her court, she took responsibility for her actions where her people were concerned and she went and did what she felt she needed to do. What I loved most about Moira is that, though she was Queen and she had certain responsibilities to uphold, she didn't and wouldn't let anyone tell her who she could love and spend her private moments with. Cian was the worst person she could have aligned herself with privately but that didn't stop her from following her heart and sharing as much time with Cian as she possibly could.

Cian, well you guys already know how much I love this man...I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, so I'll just discuss why I loved Cian so much with anyone that wants to discuss this story and the ending with me, but just know that Cian is top notch for me, I frickin' LOVED him. I loved how he stood by Moira's side even when no one wanted him to, I loved how fiercely he loved Moira and I just loved him as a person...he was changed, he was a vampire and yet he wasn't like the evil vampires that Lillith made. He was so much stronger than that. I loved that about him.

I loved Cian and Moira as a unit, I loved how Cian didn't hesitate to tell Moira when she needed to buck up and handle what needed to be handled. I loved how he didn't shy away from being honest with her. When she was being retarded about killing, he killed for her in front of whoever was around, be it the six of them or the entire land of Geall and didn't apologize for it as he walked away, he let her know when she was being stupid and when she was great, he let her know that too. I loved his honesty. It was refreshing and made me love him all the more.

This book was really great, I'd recommend it, I loved the way it all worked out...I loved the way Cian and Moira came together at the end and I rejoiced when they were back together, I just loved it.

Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts

Hero: Larkin Riddock
Heroine: Blair Murphy
Category: Contemporary, Paranormal
Page Count: 316 pages
Grade: A

From the Publisher:
Second in the new paranormal Circle Trilogy.

With one vampire determined to rule the earth, the Circle of Six prepares to battle for their lives-and their hearts.

Whoa dang.

I really liked this book, a lot better than I liked Morrigan's Cross and I liked Morrigan's Cross a lot. There was more of a romance in this book but it didn't take away from the overall story being told and I thought that was just awesome. The story continues with Larkin and Blair, their journey to be together and their journey to his world, to his time and this story was just frickin' awesome.

This is the story of Blair Murphy, the warrior from our days who is like a Buffy the Vampire Slayer because she IS a vampire slayer. She's mean and she's tough and she's used to working alone but since coming to meet the Circle of Six, she has adapted to working with others and getting others opinions before acting. She's part of a team now and it took some getting used to but she has grown to love her teammates with every breath she takes. She trusts them all completely and she has friends and for once in her life, she's got a family. People who know her and still love her. People who take her as she is...who embrace what she is and care about her. Then there's Larkin.

Charming and handsome, Larkin. On the outside, he's a fiercely handsome man who is quick to make others laugh and who can charm the socks right off of any woman, so long as she's willing to make him a meal because boy can this man eat. Inside, he's a determined fighter, he cares about others and their needs and wants. He's everything a woman could ever want in a guy, loving, caring and open about it all but no wuss...and he can change into whatever living thing he wants...he wants to soar through the sky with the dragons? POOF, he's a Dragon and you can ride that bad boy whenever you want. You need a spy to get the inside scoop on the enemy? Well, just ask Larkin, he'll turn into a sewer rat and run his little heart around and find out just what you need to find out.

I mean, seriously...what more could you ask for?

They're on the brink of war and everything is up in the air as far as if they're ready or not, but Blair's faith in the Circle and Larkin's faith in his hometown soldiers make a believer out of me in that they'll defeat Lillith and her evil minions and that the good will prevail over evil. It was good to see Blair and Larkin's journey together through her time and then on to his. The way their love came together, with Blair's doubt and Larkin's steadfast faith in love and in them, it was just so great to read and be apart of.

Larkin is one of those heroes that you'll fall head over heels in love with and want for your very own and Blair is one of those strong heroines who you'll admire. There are times when she does or say something that might make you roll your eyes at but she's not TSTL, she's a tough one and a smart one too and their story was wonderful. Dragon Boy and Buffy were the perfect couple and I can't wait to read the ending to this enchanting story, the grand finale is coming ya'll and I am just biting at the bit to finish this one out.

My favorite quote in the book, well one of them at least is this one by Larkin:

"Well that put a cork back in you right enough. Magnificent," he repeated. "In face and form, in your heart and your mind. Magnificent because of what you do every day, and have done for years, since you were all but a babe. I've never known another like you, and never will. I'm telling you that if a man looks at you and doesn't see what a wonder you are, it's his vision that's at fault, and not a bit of you."

If you read that in the context that it was written, it'll make your heart sigh just like mine did. I fell all the more in love with Larkin because of that little bit. This book was great and Doubleday better have my book at home when I get there, because I NEED to read Cian's book...FINALLY, Cian and Moira's story, the story that I've been looking forward to all series long, some come on Doubleday Book Club, bring on the Cian...

Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Cosmo Richter
Heroine: Jane Mercedes Chadwick
Category: Contemporary, Military
Page Count: 560 pages
Grade: A
Buy It: Here, or Here.

When Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter's mother falls and breaks both of her wrists, he applies for a month of leave to care for her. Soon it becomes clear that she's comfortable and happy with her nursing care, and needs little from him besides a daily visit.

Unused to idle time, Cosmo approaches former SEAL Tom Paoletti, founder of civilian security organization called Troubleshooters Incorporated. Tom eagerly signs him on. Cosmo has no idea that this temporary project will lead him deep into the life of movie producer and screenwriter Jane Mercedes Chadwick.

Jane's latest project, American Hero - a World War II drama that dares to acknowledge homosexuality - has raised the ire of certain outspoken groups such as the so-called Freedom Network and she's been receiving horrifying death threats on a regular basis.

On the surface, Hollywood writer Jane Chadwick and tough-as-nails Navy SEAL Cosmo Richter are polar opposites. But both have intricate facades in place, hiding their true selves from public scrutiny. When thrust together, they develop a tentative friendship and begin to let each other in. But neither has learned to trust, and they'll be many missteps before they can admit that what they've found is real love - and that their relationship is worth fighting for.

Gosh this book was really good and I'm talking really good, even after the first three times I've read this book, it was good and it continues to be good to me. Cosmo was one of the SEALs that I wanted to get to know more of because he was such a hottie, quiet guy.

You should know that I have a thing for quiet and lethal guys and if Cosmo isn't one of those guys then I don't know who is. I loved reading about the quiet and mysterious man who was deadly and lethal, a man who wasn't a talker, one who was a doer...hehe, he's a doer. I'd like to do him. hehe.

Anyway, back to the story, so Cos has all this time off since his Mom doesn't need him to care for her, so he goes to Tom to get some work, to fill in his time and is assigned to watch out for Mercedes Chadwich, big hot shot screenwriter. She goes by Jane though, just so you know. You see, Jane wrote a screen play about the homosexuality of some of the men in World War 2 and it's gotten a lot of flack from different anti homosexual organization like, the Freedom Network. So Cos is hired to keep her safe and keep the weirdo's off her set, which he does.

Personally, Cos can seriously do no wrong where I'm concerned because he's just seriously hot stuff, but I was happy to read this book, I finished it quite fast the first time I read it and this last time, I think it's gotten me out of my reading funk.

I love the discription of Cosmo too:

The SEAL chief was tall and muscular, with a lean face and pale blue eyes he usually kept hidden behind sunglasses. Yeah, he was impressively dangerous-looking -- something no one had ever been able to say about Decker, even during his own years with the Navy.

Damn, those pale blues eyes? To die for.

The book moved along at a fast pace which was great for me, since I tend to get bored really easily, but Suz did a great job, keeping the storyline flowing and her character development was pretty good. I loved the secondary storyline between Robin and Jules, gosh it was good to see Jule again, I missed him in Gone Too Far but was wrapped up in his story, which surprises me because I didn't think I could really get into a gay love story, because it's just not my thing, but I liked the story of Robin and Jules, but unlike what I'm used to from Suz, to me, their storyline didn't usurp all of my attention from Cos and Jane.

I liked reading about the behind the scenes action of a movie in the making, I liked getting to know Cosmo and I think Jane was a good heroine, not one of my favorites, but she was acceptable for Cos, not like our Izzy but she'll do for his story...LOL.

The book was great and I totally recommend this book to anyone who wants a good romantic suspence to pass the time...this one doesn't disappoint.

Grace says:

After Dylan's rave review and a push from Ames, I quickly scooped this one up from the library and found myself drawn back into the SEAL series. It had the action and humor, which I've always loved, and distinguishable and loveable characters that stick with you, even after their happily ever after. I can't say enough good things about SB's talent, because darn..her books are just fab!

Now since Dee has already given you a run down on the plot, I'll just add my thoughts on the story. I've always been intrigued by Cosmo when he was introduced in earlier books, but I never shared Izzy's love for the particular SEAL. But now, having read his book? Oh Izzy girl, I do see the attraction. *wink* He's quietly lethal, impressive and fierce and yet, there's a vulnerability about him that makes him human. Sometimes, he stumbles with his words when he doesn't feel in his element but in the next second he's back to being in control, decisive and very much intimidating. But not to the point of being an overbearing alphamale jerk. In fact, he was amazingly patient with Jane and didn't flinch at apologising if he was wrong. Oh, and lets not forget his sense of honor, generousity and love for his mama without being a push over. Gotta love that.

I thought it was cool to have Jane putting on a facade for the world to see, and then to have Cosmo strip her down to her core to see the real Jane. Not the Jane who wore distracting sexy outfits to get her way or the sexpot who pretended to be with a different man every week to keep her profile up, but the real Jane who would rather be comfortable in an oversized t-shirt and boxers than wear anything remotely sexy to bed. It was good to see Cosmo get through her defenses and vice versa.

As for the subplot with Jules, I really enjoyed it! It was great to get a deeper look into his character beyond being Alyssa's best friend. The only thing that irked me regarding this, was that Jules didn't get his HEA. Call me a romantic sap, but it just didn't feel right, leaving him hanging like that. Poor Jules.

Anyway, this was a great romantic suspense read and one I recommend, especially if you've read the prior books in the series. :)

Verdict: B+

The reading order:
The Unsung Hero
The Defiant Hero
Over the Edge
Out of Control
Into the Night
Gone Too Far
Flash Point
Hot Target
Breaking Point

Unleash The Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Hero: Wren Tigarian
Heroine: Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau
Grade: A-
Date: 01/01/06

It's a predator eat predator world for the Were-Hunters. Danger haunts any given day. There is no one to trust. No one to love. Not if they want to live…

An orphan with no clan that will claim him, Wren Tigarian grew to adulthood under the close scrutiny and mistrust of those around him. A forbidden blend of two animals—snow leopard and white tiger—Wren has never listened to anyone when there was something he wanted. Now he wants Marguerite.

Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. Senator who hates the socialite life she's forced to live. Like her mother before her, she has strong Cajun roots that her father doesn't understand. Still, she has no choice but to try and conform to a world where she feels like an outsider. But the world of rich and powerful humans is never to meet the world of the Were-Hunters who exist side by side with them, unseen, unknown, undetected. To break this law is to call down a wrath of the highest order.

In order to have Marguerite, Wren must fight not just the humans who will never accept his animal nature, but the Were-Hunters who want him dead for endangering their world. It's a race against time and magic without boundary that could cost Marguerite and Wren not just their lives, but their very souls…

Dylan says:

This book was such a great book to read after our long wait. I think SK did a wonderful job of showing us the man behind the dreads from the previous books. What I loved most about this book was that they didn't forget about Nick, Nick had befriended both of them and it was good that they had that to share between them. I loved how we got to meet the mysterious and all mighty, Savitar. He's been mentioned a few times in the previous books and it was fantastic to finally meet him and see what he's all about, Wren and Maggie were definitely made for each other and I thought it was just pure magic seeing them come together.

I know that it was probably unrealistic for Maggie to be so "okay" with the idea that her boyfriend was a Tigard, but I'm sure she freaked out, we just didn't see it. It was great to see some of the DH's in there and to meet the newest one, Jean Luc. We learned a lot of things and I just loved every minute of it.

The whole Mama Lo thing grabbed me because I didn't really care for Mama Lo in the previous books, even when she was so good to Vane, I couldnt' care less about her, which is why I was so against Fang (my boo) getting with Aimee.

The action was high in this book and the love factor was great, I loved Wren and I loved Maggie and I loved them together, I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone, even though a few others were disappointed in this book, it totally worked for me and I know it will, you.

So go on, buy it, read it and love it....I know you will.

Grace says:

Since Dee has given you the run down on the story line, I've decided to just skip forward to the review part. Now I've had UTN by SK on my TBR list, ever since it was released last year but the waiting line at the library was forever long. But, luckily for me, (or unluckily, depends on how you look at it) my name came up about two weeks ago, just as my load at uni increased dramatically. So what was a girl to do, stuck between giving her studies her undivided committment to pass and wanting to savor every line about Wren Tigarian? I ditched the studies and gave Wren my undivided attention for a couple of hours straight..and boy, was it worth it!

I loved, loved, LOVED the way SK portrayed Wren in this book. He was so fierce and deadly and yet, so vulnerable at the same time. I loved how Maggie was able to get through his guarded defenses in such a short time and how she saw him in a different light - she saw the real Wren. Not the Wren people avoided and didn't talk to, or the Wren that people thought were crazy psycho. Even with her sheltered life, she went against the crowd, full knowing her domineering father would be furious if she spent any time with Wren. I thought that was awesome. Maggie earned some serious heroine points right there.

One of my favourite scenes in this one, is where Wren surprised the hell out of Maggie by dropping by her university after his little appearance fix up. Damn. I could totally imagine that scene, with Wren dripping in hotness. What made that scene even better was the way SK was able to portray Wren's vulnerability and uncertainty, when it came to Maggie. When he told her:

"I didn't want to embarrass you anymore,"

...I was a goner. I felt his insecurities leap off the page and I just wanted Maggie to show him that he was worthy, very worthy.

I was so glad that Maggie turned out to be a great heroine. Sure, she was sheltered and living a life she didn't really want, but in the end, she stood up for what she wanted. It was great watching Maggie find herself, and even sticking it to her dad in the end when the Senator was insulting the hell out of both Maggie and Wren. Oh, that scene was priceless!! LOVED IT. You'll have to read it, to see. :)

Also, I have to agree with Dylan. I had a hard time believing that Maggie was completely okay with the idea of Wren being a tiger. I know she had a couple of hours to adjust to the idea..but finding out her man was a tiger? That's something even the most unconventional might have more than a few hours worth of worry over, right? Oh, and I'm still mad at Mama Lo, I know she sorta made up for doing what she did to Wren..but I'm still mad. LOL.

Overall, I thought this one was a good read. I'm a bit wary of reading the next one since I've read a lot of reviews stating that the series is going down hill..but for now, I'm just happy this one turned out to be a goodie. A far better way to spend my time, compared to studying from a boring textbook. ;o)

4 / 5

Fantasy Lover
The Beginning (which you can find on the Dark Hunter site)
Night Pleasures
Night Embrace
Dance with the Devil
Kiss of the Night
Night Play
Sieze the Night
Sins of the Night
Unleash the Night
Dark Side of the Moon

Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Sam Starrett
Heroine: Alyssa Locke
Grade: A

Tough-talking Navy SEAL Sam Starrett and FBI sharpshooter Alyssa Locke, who played supporting roles in Brockmann's four previous romances (Into the Night, etc.), finally claim center stage in the author's suspenseful hardcover debut. Unfortunately, the oft star-crossed lovers must share the limelight with a plethora of characters from Brockmann's earlier SEAL Team 16 tales, which makes for an overstuffed and somewhat disjointed read. The book's primary and most compelling thread focuses on Sam and Alyssa's search for his daughter and almost ex-wife, who may have been kidnapped by terrorists. As the pair scour Florida, they slowly learn to trust each other. At the same time, Alyssa's boss, renowned FBI negotiator Max Bhagat, must deal with his attraction to a much younger woman, and Sam's former SEAL commander, Tom Paoletti, is all but accused of aiding terrorists. To top everything off, Brockmann throws in snippets of Sam's childhood friendship with Noah Gaines, a black boy he rescued from bullies, and includes her trademark-a WWII love story relayed through letters. Although Brockmann has effectively juggled several story lines in her previous romances, here she simply has too many balls in the air, and inevitably she loses track of a few. Still, the author's fans will find plenty of enjoyment in watching passion-and tempers-flare between Sam and Alyssa. New readers, meanwhile, will find that Brockmann has gone to great lengths to get them up to speed, and those who aren't discouraged by the book's slow start will find themselves drawn in by the characters' snappy dialogue and jam-packed lives. -Publishers Weekly 2003.

I finished this book for like the thirtieth time since the book came out. It's really good, I promise. I know that there are others out there that didn't like this book (not even a little bit) but that's okay because I know there are some people out there that share my enthusiasm for these characters, I love Sam Starrett, he's #1 in my book, up there right alongside Dageus MacKeltar as my Ultimate Hero. He's just one of those men that I can't seem to get enough of. If SB wrote lots of second and third and fourth and fifth epilogues about Sam and Alyssa, I would happily read each and every single one of them because I love Sam that much. There's just something about the realness of Sam that I find appealing. He's real. I like that. A song that I hear all the time that totally reminds me of Sam, is Tim McGraw's A Real Good Man. I love all of his imperfections and though he's made some major disappointing choices in his life, none of that matters to me, because I love his character.

He's got one helluva foul mouth, he never loved his wife not even a little bit, he hid from his marriage and he lusted after a former lover, one that he very much loves with all that he is. He throws up after every target that he eliminates, he was a macho, trash talking red neck who had little respect for women in the Military or gays in the FBI, what's to love, right?

One of the reasons I love Sam so much is you can see the great wealth of growth that Sam did throughout the entire Troubleshooters series. In the beginning, yeah he was hateable (is that a word?) because he slept around, he got rip roaring drunk all the time and he mouthed off all the time but you see the change in him with each book, you see the change him from the fun loving, care free Sam to the duty over love Sam in the following books and then the miserable husband in the last books and then finally, we get his book and you can see the real man beneath the man he shows to everyone else.

We get to see the real Sam, his roots, where he came from, how he became the man we knew and how he turned into the man I know and love now. It's just effing great, if you ask me.

In Gone Too Far, we finally get to read Sam and Alyssa's happy ending. It was a long time coming because Suz built their characters up in the previous books and if you didn't read the other books in the series, you can't truly appreciate the uniqueness of Sam and Alyssa's relationship. Their whole relationship was complicated from the very beginning so it didn't come as much of a surprise to me that their book was filled to the brim with complications.

I was very happy with Sam's happy ending in GTF because he finally got what he always wanted, a shot at a real relationship with the love of his life, Alyssa Locke. Alyssa Locke wasn't called the ice queen for nothing, she was a real power to be reckoned with. Stubborn as a bull, annoying as all get out, but that's who Sam loved, he couldn't help it anymore than she could.

I understood a lot of why Alyssa acted the way she did and though it bothered me sometimes, like when she was always yelling at Sam about coming on to her in the car and how she always just assumed the worst in Sam, all of that bothered me but not enough to hate the book though. Oh heck no, I loved these characters too much.

My only problem about this book is after all this time, you would think that we knew a little more about Alyssa but we never really got that. We got the general background information about her but nothing really concrete, like we hear a lot about all of her sisters and what not but they didn't play a big part or even a small part in Alyssa's story, it would have been nice to get to know Alyssa, see Alyssa back in the day the way we got to see young Sam.

Not that I'm complaining about all of the Sam we got in the book, oh no, I loved reading about Sam's old life back when he was Roger Starrett, I loved reading about how he met and befriended Noah and then how he developed a strong and loving relationship with Noah's grandfather, Walt. I also loved the secondary story between Walt and Dot. I loved reading about Walt and Dot's letters from the war and I loved watching true love prevail in their case. Their story was a great addition to the story and it didn't overpower Sam and Alyssa's story in the least, like some of the other stories have in the past.

Another thing I couldn't stand about this book was Tom and Kelly's wedding. I hate Kelly's reasons for wanting to finally marry Tom. Someone as big and as important to the men of the series should have gotten a better wedding than the one that SB gave him. I hated that it took Tom getting sent to jail, possibly prison for her to wake up and realize that she had to marry Tom, because they wouldn't let her in to visit him. After all the time that Tom has spent trying to convince Kelly to marry him, for her to finally want to marry him because he was in jail is kinda bittersweet for Tom. He deserved more and I was pissed to high heaven at Kelly for this. Although I do have to say that I laughed at the wedding scene, you gotta admit it was funny, I just thought that Tom deserved better.

This book is filled with all the oohs and ahhs of good scenes and the OMG of the action scenes, there's plenty of a swoonworthy quotes in this book and heart warming scenes that will leave all of us chicky lala's happy, you gotta love these SEALs. It's a very good book and a great ending to Sam and Alyssa's story.

I totally recommend this book.

*edited to add* You must read this series in order to really enjoy this book...

The Reading Order:

The Unsung Hero

The Defiant Hero

Over the Edge

Out of Control

Into the Night

Flashpoint

Gone Too Far

Hot Target

Boiling Point

Midnight Sun by Rene Lyons

When things go bump in the night, Allison Parker bumps
back. As the resident Ghost Hunter in a quiet, rural town,
she's thrust into the nocturnal world of the Templars.
Embracing the night, she finds a place where she belongs.

Damned by God, Sebastian of Rydon knows only blood and
death. After eight hundred years of merely existing, he
learns what is to live after Allie comes bursting into his life.
Her spirit guides him out of the dark.

Caught up in a web of hate and revenge, they search for love
as their world is torn apart

I have been anxiously awaiting this novel. Over the course of the last few months, I've come to know Rene Lyons quite well, and I'm very pleased to announce that I don't have to write a terrible review for her first book. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Allie Parker is a Ghost Hunter. She spends her nights walking through creeping houses and buildings looking for the things that go bump. One night, however, her entire world changes. She's attacked in a park by some vampires and is saved by...some other vampires. Damned Knights Templars to be exact. Through them, she's drawn into an entirely different world. She's also drawn to one of the Knights, Sebastian of Rydon.

Seb doesn't want anything to do with Allie. Sure, he's attracted to her, finds her funny and intriguing, but he's damned to live as the un-dead for who knows how long, and contrary to popular belief, Allie's of the living. He's not touching that with a ten-foot pole. His counterparts (the other Templars), however, have a totally different plan, so they set it up so that Allie finally gets entrance into Seb's home, which she's wanted to check for ghosts, but she was set up, because Seb is there. Something she didn't plan on at all. They share a moment of extreme passion and then Allie walks out, leaving Seb reeling.

In the meantime, the Templars are searching for The Daystar, a holy relic which will allow vamps to walk in the daylight and give them absolute power. Through one mean, creepy renegade who's after Lucian, another Templar, the other renegades figure out that Allie is the key to the Daystar and start stalking her. Of course, Allie knows nothing of any Daystar, but that doesn't stop the renegades from going after her, of course.

Throughout this, Seb and Allie find themselves together more often than not and falling totally in love, much to the amusement of the other Templars.

Overall, I loved this book. The Templars themselves are amazing. Each of them has their own personality, and they're all fiercely loyal and protective of those they consider their own, like Allie. The humor and sarcasm was awesome and I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading. But unlike some other books, I didn't think the sarcasm seemed out of place.

The best part? Allie. She was an amazing heroine. She didn't suffer from Penis Envy, she didn't fight her feelings for Seb, and she didn't act TSTL by trying the whole Ultimate Sacrifice thing. She was a real woman, and one I was very pleased to read about. I was totally cheering her on! She acted like a real woman would, too, when faced with dangerous situations! Loved her.

Seb? Well, I loved him, too. He was more withdrawn than some of the other Templars, but he was tortured and once he committed to Allie, he fought with everything he had to keep her and prove to her that she was his world. I loved that.

There were a few things that bothered me. The beginning is kind of confusing. RL was setting the stage for the series, I think, but the POV's jumped around too much, IMO. I was also a little disappointed in the ending. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it yet, but basically what I thought was going to happened DIDN'T and it bugged me. Of course, that's totally personal preference and doesn't have much to do with the story itself.

To be honest, I'm very anxious to read the rest of the series (you might remember from our interview with her that there will be 5 books total), especially Constantine and Lucian. For a first novel, this one was amazing and I can't wait to see what RL has in store for us in the future! I highly recommend this book!

4 out of 5

Dylan's Review:

Okay, Holly gave you guys the run down of what this book is about so I'm just going to skip right over that part of the review...

Hero: Sebastian of Rydon
Heroine: Allie Parker
Grade: A

I really enjoyed this book.

A whole lot.

No, I'm serious. It met all of the expectations that I had for it. A hot hero, a great heroine and a great storyline. It didn't drag on and on like some of the books that I've read lately. And the secondary characters were second to none. Especially my Raphael. But don't mind me because where he's concerned, I'm all kinds of biased. hehe.

Now, Sebastian of Rydon.

What a fantastic hero. He's one of those heroes that grabs you from the very beginning, at the beginning when we first meet Sebastian and he's his usual surly, grumpy self who gets all pissed off at Raphael and Con for their little prank, it was so cute to me. I think what I loved the most about him is he didn't turn away from his feelings for Allie. They were strong and they were true and he didn't shirk them aside like most heroes do, he knew what he had was special and he guarded her as best he could. He was such a strong warrior and the softer, tender side he showed Allie was just too sweet for words, he was sweet without being a wuss, I liked that very much.

My favorite Sebastian part of the book is when he thinks this about Allie:

The smile she gave him when he told her they were already friends reminded him of the sun he hadn’t seen in hundreds upon hundreds of years.

Sunshine.

That’s what she was—a blinding midnight sun cutting through the darkness of his existence.

Say it with me now, Awwwww....

Now, onto Allie Parker.

She is probably my most favorite heroine to date, I'm talking from any book that I've read or even written myself, Allie Parker is one balls to the wall girl that I think is absolutely awesome. She's definitely one that I can relate too, she's outspoken, fun and witty like no one's business. Her sparkling personality and her razor sharp wit is great to read about and just her character in general, I loved that she didnt feel the need to fight battles bigger than her body. She didn't have penis envy, she didn't try to 'help' Sebastian out by doing stupid things to get her into danger and she was just out and out great fun to read about. Her growing love for Sebastian was sweet and how she fought to keep Sebastian for herself was something I admired about her, she didn't let the future bother her so much, she savored the time she had with Seb and it was just fantabulous to read.

Sebastian and Allie as a couple was probably my favorite part of the book, they just worked well together, they didn't function well apart and so they spent a great deal together and I just loved that very much. They completed each other and as corny as it sounds, it was GREAT to read about.

What I liked about the book and about Rene's writing is that her characters stand out in my mind. Sebastian of Rydon is Seb to me, he doesn't remind me of anyone from any other books that I've read, he's seperate in my mind and he's an individual, I mention this because as much as I loved J.R. Ward's Brothers from her Black Dagger Brotherhood books, Zsadist to me, is Zarek of Moesia incarnated. Same pissed off attitude, same back story, tortured and all that jazz, it's just, familiar to me. And that's fine and dandy, I can still love both series (well, that last statement can be said for one of the series still anyway) and be okay with that but in Rene's Knights Templar series, each of her characters are individuals, Tristan, the Leader of the Knights Templar does not remind me of Ash nor does he remind me of Wrath, he's Tristan and he's unique in his own way and I very much look forward to getting to know him in the upcoming books, as well as the other Templars.

I wasn't as confused as I was when reading the other series when I read this book, it's easy to follow, the storyline flowed well and the book was just awesome, I really do love this book. It's a fantastic start to a great series and I'm very anxious to read the rest, so Rene sweets, brava sweets, brava!

One thing I hate about this book?

You know my cover snob ass had to comment on this one...I hated the cover! Ugh, I know Mailyn could have really hooked up your cover, you're lucky I can overlook the not so greatness of your cover to look deeper into the greatness of your book.