Ninth Key by Meg Cabot.

Heroine: Susannah Simon
Category: Young Adult
Grade: B-

Everything is going great for Suze. Her new life in California is a whirlwind of parties and excellent hair days. Tad Beaumont, the hottest boy in town, has even asked Suze out on her very first date. Suze is so excited that she's willing to ignore her misgivings about Tad... particularly the fact that he's not Jesse, whose ghostly status—not to mention apparent disinterest in her—make him unattainable.

What Suze can't ignore, however, is the ghost of a murdered woman whose death seems directly connected to dark secrets hidden in none other than Tad Beaumont's past.

This was a great addition to the series, it's got me hoping and wishing that in the next book, Reunion, that we'll be reunited with the boys that just up and disappeared from the first book. I want to see Bryce Martinson again, I want to see if him and Suze will hit it off like Tad Beaumont did in this book, even though Suze didn't really like him the same way that most girls like boys in school, I mean she only liked making out with him. But whatever, I want to see Bryce and Suze before I find another hottie guy for her to like.

I'm really excited to see Suze's reunion with her best friend, Gina from New York. I think that will be such an awesome story. I've been anxious to see what Gina would be like from all the talk that Suze does about her in the previous books.

But back to this book, it was good. I liked Shadowland better but I still enjoyed this story as well.

I enjoyed the whole "vampire" thing going on and I hecka enjoyed reading Suze's reaction to all of that. She's seriously the bomb.

I fell a little more in love with Jesse and dude, what is up with him and Suze? Can she really have relations with a ghost?

I WANT THAT FOR HER!

Nobody that Meg has introduced us to has come close to being perfect for Suze as Jesse has but I want her to get some experience before she goes on her merry way with Jesse, however that will be possible.

That's why I want her to have a thing with Bryce.

Well that and because he's such a cutie, even if he is a whiny baby. HA!

What I really enjoyed about this story was how the dynamics for Suze at home have changed and she DOES have a family with her step brothers and with Adam....and how her life in Northern California is started to grow on her and is becoming...HOME to her.

I loved the change in her relationship with her younger step brother, David. I have a soft spot for David and his nerdy geeky facts but I really love that he's in on Suze's little secret and understands. I just love this little guy a whole bunch!

Brad cracks me up, him and Suze's relationship is so funny to witness. Brad thinks he's all rough and tough and I totally think that Suze can kick his ass!

HA!

Jake, goodness, I want that boy to hurry up and get his Camaro so that he can get back to having a life. He's a handsome boy, he needs to start living it before a ghost comes and gets him and there goes his life. I really like him though, he's funny and he's good to Suze.

The parents are cool and it was cool to see Andy get all pissed off at Suze and yell and hollar at her the same way he'd yell and hollar at the boys.

They're a family, YAY!

I liked getting to know Tad and his crazy family and his Uncle? Holy wow, I wonder if he'll make an appearance later on in the series...hey, it could happen.

Anyway, this story was really good, I enjoyed the storyline, the interactions with all of the characters and it's made me look forward to a whole lot more from these guys. I'm really enjoying this reading experience and can't wait to start on the next book...tonight.

Great read for sure!

Shadowland by Meg Cabot.

Heroine: Susannah "Suze" Simon
Category: Young Adult
Grade: B+

Suze is a mediator -- a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations.

But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind ... and Suze happens to be in the way.

Meg Cabot strikes again!

A big thank you to Dance Chica for pimping this series to me a few months ago. I'm finally reading them and am super stoked about it. This was a great way to start out the Mediator series, it was great getting to know Suz and her new family.

You see, Suze's Dad dies and a few years later, her Mom remarries a guy named Andy from Northern California. He comes with 3 sons and his own construction business so it would be easier for Suze and her Mom to relocate themselves instead of having the Ackermans move to New York. Suze moves to California to make her Mom happy and she thinks that she can start fresh.

Because, you see, Suz has a gift.

She can see and talk to dead people.

She's a Mediator.

This story introduces a great cast of characters from Suz to her Mom, her new Step Dad Andy who seems pretty cool so far, her 3 step brothers, Sleepy, Dopey and Doc. I enjoyed meeting Adam McTavish, CeeCee and Father Dominic and holy wow, Izzy, how funny is it that Suz goes to get this, Father Junipero Serra's Mission School?

HA! We were just talking about Missions and Father Junipero just the other day.

But this was a great book! I loved it and I loved getting this little glimpse into a Mediator's world. I loved the little world that Meg Cabot created with Suz, Suz is one kick ass little girl and when she put Debbie Mancuso in her place that first day of school, I was laughing at the same time I was rootin' her on.

One thing I really enjoyed was her friendship and crush on her roommate ghost, Jesse.

Jesse is a fox and I cannot wait to find out more about him and his life. The mystery behind Jesse is a huge part of why I want to continue this series. I'm anxious and eager to see where the next adventure takes Suz but mostly I want to see her world unfurl before me.

I want to see if Adam and CeeCee ever get together, I want to see if David really is using steriods (yeah I know it's highly doubtful but I want to know for sure), I want to see what Sleepy does that makes him so tired and I even want to see if we see anymore of Bryce now that he's going to another school.

This book opens a door of great adventure and loads of laughs, I cannot wait to read the others!

A great read!

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

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

You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster . . .

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways -- and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better . . .

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training -- especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince -- and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies...

MAJOR SPOILERS IN REVIEW, DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ANY SPOILERS...YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
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Wow.

I zipped right through this book, it was so good.

I zipped from the beginning to the end, loving this book with every word that I read. Maria V. Snyder sure knows how to tell a story. She had me so engrossed in this story that I thought about the book when I was away from it, wondering what Yelena was going to get herself into when I was able to read again.

By page 200, though I was enjoying the new characters and enjoying learning more about Yelena and her background, I was missing Valek horribly. I even bitched at Holly for lying about there being more Valek in this book but then I kept reading and I got more excited.

I'm a reader who loves to revisit with old friends from previous books and Mrs. Snyder doesn't disappoint in this book. I loved seeing the Commander, Ari and Janco and most of all, I LOVED seeing Valek again. Seeing Valek in action and just being the amazing chamelion that he is, made the book just all the more great in my opinion.

I love how pure and strong Valek and Yelena's love is. I loved how intune with eachother they are and how fierce they are...together. I mean, apart their love never wavered but together, they are such a force to be reckoned with.

It was fantastic meeting Yelena's long lost family. I loved Perl and Esau, I loved reading about their reunion with their long lost daughter. I loved that they accepted Yelena for who she was and what she became and I loved how Perl wanted to make up for the fourteen years that Yelena was away from them. I loved how she worried Perl was when Yelena had to go and I loved Esau's intense faith in his daughter. I loved how instead of trying to keep her from the things she needed to do, they accepted that she had to do these things and even helped her with her mission. I loved how they had faith in her ability to get through all these complicated things and I just loved them.

They were a great family.

And then there was Leif. This guy totally annoyed me a lot throughout the book, with his crap toward Yelena. He was more of a hinderance to Yelena than anything else and that bothered me a lot during this book because I swore this guy was a bad guy...but I was glad that I was proven wrong with him because he proved to be a strong ally at the end with Valek and Yelena so I was glad that he was there to guard their six. haha.

The Master Magicians didn't prove to me that they were all powerful since Yelena was supposed to be no match to their all greatness and yet she singlehandedly took care of all of the problems that Sitia faced.

And she was the outsider.

What's really going on?

I loved all of the other characters that I met in this story, except Rose. I even liked Cahil up until the end, ooh, now I'm hoping that Valek will end him and rid his crap from Sitia and Ixia. I loved Mrs. Snyder's little world she's created with Yelena and Valek, I'm loving all of this magic business and cannot wait to get my hands on Fire Study.

The ride is not done and I'm so anxious to continue the ride in Fire Study. A total two thumbs up, get this book and read it, you'll love it!

Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann.

Hero: Mark "Jenk" Jenkins
Heroine: Lindsey Fontaine
Category: Contemporary
Grade: B

In a remote, frozen corner of New Hampshire, a Navy SEAL team and the elite security experts of Troubleshooters Incorporated are going head-to-head as fierce but friendly rivals in a raid-and-rescue training exercise. Despite the frigid winter temperatures, tension smolders between SEAL Petty Officer Mark Jenkins and former cop turned Troubleshooter Lindsey Fontaine after an impulsive night of passion goes awry. And then suddenly Tracy Shapiro, the Troubleshooters' new receptionist, vanishes while playing the role of hostage during a mock rescue operation.

Teaming up with the FBI to launch a manhunt in the treacherous wilderness, Jenk and Lindsey must put aside their feelings as a record snowstorm approaches, dramatically reducing any hope of finding Tracy alive. The trail is colder than the biting New England climate until a lucky break leads to a horrifying discovery - a brutally murdered young woman wearing the jacket Tracy wore when she disappeared. Suddenly there is a chilling certainty that Tracy has fallen prey to a serial killer - one who knows the backwoods terrain and who doesn't play by the rules of engagement.

In a race against time, a raging blizzard, and a cunning opponent, Jenk and Lindsey are put to the ultimate test. Risking everything, they must finally come together in a desperate attempt to save Tracy - and each other.

I'm a straight up Suzanne Brockmann fangirl.

I love this woman for introducing me to some of my most favorite characters, EVAH. Anyone that knows me knows how much I love this series (despite how long it took me to read this latest addition to the series) and I really really loved this book.

I loved getting to know Mark Jenkins, who has only been in the background until now. I thought Lindsey was a kick ass heroine, I didn't think she was a TSTL heroine because she was a cop and she knew when it was okay to do what she had to do in order to get the job done. So yeah, Lindsey rocked my socks in that aspect but she was a real stupid head when it came to her love life.

I wanted to slap her upside her head so many times when she would push Jenk away and say stupid things to throw Jenk off her scent (which was clearly smelling like, DO ME NOW JENKY BOY! instead of the thanks for the great sex but I'm over you scent she THOUGHT she was sending out) and it pissed me off at first when Jenk just sort of walked away from her with his tail between his legs. It made me think, 'Where are the Sam Starretts and the Wildcard's of this series when they were assholes right back to their women because at least when they were assholes, they weren't whining like little panty boys over stupid girls.

Not that I thought Jenk was a whiny baby or anything, it was just...wow was he way different from Tom, Johnny and Sam them...he was so junior high compared to their college level of hotness. I felt older compared to Jenk when reading this book because of his whole situation, the whole crush/love thing he had for Tracy and then the whole I want Lindsey thing too...it was all just so childish to me.

But it didn't ruin the book for me, and this is where I don't know if Suz does this on purpose or what but she tends to highlight and make the secondary characters overshadow the sexiness of the main characters in these books.

Because in this book, it was ALL about Izzy Zanella for me.

I just love me some Izzy and I love his smart ass mouth and his sense of humor (which I totally got, each.and.every.single.time.) I loved HIM. And regardless of what you said, Ames, I want Izzy to end up with Tracy. She's his Lys. He's Sam and he's the new secondary character that I just can't get enough of. Izzy was the one that made me love the book and not think it to be a lame junior high, something that my niece Chelsea would call me after school and tell me all about. This guy liked this girl but liked this other girl too and he wanted to be with that girl and when he was the other girl who doesn't even love him called him to come help her and he took off running and blah blah blah.

Wow, what a way to set up Izzy's book though, man, that was the ish. I just effing loved it. What I loved most about this book was that EVERYONE was in it. I mean, not front and center, no, that was all Jenk and Lindsey and the people in Jenk's world, the world that we don't get to see because Sam, Johnny and Wildcard don't run in the same circles as them but even though they weren't front and center for this book (which I think Jenk should thank Suz for because they would have outshined Jenk for sure) I loved that they were still apart of the book, I loved that even Muldoon who only gets passing comments wasn't left out of this book.

I just loved seeing the crew again, back together again and ridding the world of the scum we all hate.

It was a great book, with the secondary characters picking up the slack for the front runners, Jenk was a good hero but that's about all it was for me, he was just good, he wasn't this hot shot YUMMY hero, but just your standard swoonworthy hero who was sensitive and the "good guy" instead of the Billy Bad Ass that all the women want to jump through hurdles to love and be loved by him in return.

It was a great read and I look forward to more from Suz on this series..but I'm hella looking forward to, Izzy's book and his heroine had better be, Tracy friggin' Shapiro.

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Hero: Dean Roubillard
Heroine: Blue Bailey
Grade: B++

Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard is the luckiest man in the world. But life in the glory lane has started to pale, and Dean has set off on a trip to figure out what's gone wrong. When he hits a lonely stretch of Colorado highway, he spies something that will shake up his gilded life in ways he can't imagine. A young woman . . . dressed in a beaver suit.

Blue Bailey is on a mission. As for the beaver suit she's wearing . . . Is it her fault that life keeps throwing her curve balls? Witness the expensive black sports car pulling up next to her on the highway and the Greek god stepping out of it.

They're soon heading for his summer home, where their already complicated lives and inconvenient attraction to each other will become entangled with a charismatic but aging rock star; a beautiful, fifty-two-year-old woman trying to make peace with her rock and roll past; an eleven-year-old who desperately needs a family; and a bitter old woman who hates them all.

Natural Born Charmer . . . for anyone who's ever thought about leaving their old life in the dust.

Man but I really enjoyed this book.

Lots of spoilers in my reviews (like you didn't know that) so here's your warning, didn't read the book? Skip this and come back when you read the book...but this is your review (the non NBC readers) THIS BOOK IS REALLY GOOD, GET IT AND READ IT FOR SOME GREAT LAUGHS, A CUTE LOVE STORY AND FANTASTIC SECONDARY CHARACTERS, SEP REALLY SHINES WITH THIS BOOK...

Now, onto the spoiler ridden review for those of us who enjoyed the book...very much.
It was one of those books that I wasn't expecting to like and ended up really liking anyway. The one where you don't think it will hold a candle to the previous book and yet it stood well on it's own without the added bonuses of old characters that you love and can't get enough of.

This book did a great job dragging me in and keeping my attention until the book was done. Susan Elizabeth Phillips weaves a story that made me smile long after I put the book down. It's one of those stories that had just the right amount of sarcastic wit, sparkling characters and that small town charm. SEP did an extraordinary job of Dean's story. I was a bit bummed when I learned that though Annabelle and Heath played little parts in this book, they weren't in a huge bulk of the story, there was only passing remarks on Phoebe and Kevin (LOVE HIM!) but none of that mattered because I met some wonderful new characters that I just loved to death.

This is the same kind of story, studly football star hero and not so great looking but has potential heroine, thrown together for a wild ride. Dean and Blue are no different from the other story but SEP does a great job of giving Dean and Blue their own twist on the same storyline, I didn't mind it one bit. I really enjoyed SEP's wit and her characters.

Dean was the perfect bonehead hero that had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. I loved his sarcastic sense of humor, his Godly looks and his indifference to everyone but Blue. I loved the wall he tried to form around himself concerning his parents. I loved it even more when he manned up where Riley was concerned, because though he didn't want to, he knew that he had to because she was..family. The family he always wanted. For better or for worst, I just loved Dean through his thick headed stubborn self and I loved him even when he was a big time dick, he was just so effing great.

Blue on the other hand was just as fantastic as Dean, in her I don't know how to dress myself, hide my feminine side and sharp wit. Her sassy mouth totally worked for her. I loved her personality, her no bullshit attitude and just everything about her....well except her sense of fashion. That needed a great deal of help and I cheered when she finally got it right. And can I just say that I LOVE the dress on the cover of the book? Is that not the cutest dress? I think so....but anyway, I enjoyed Blue's character and I enjoyed the things she brought to the story, she was a fantastic heroine.

I loved the way Blue and Dean met and how taken with her drama that Dean was. I loved how Dean tells Blue that he's gay and then later shows her how much...he's not. That was a riot and Blue's parting remarks to Dean at their wedding..had me crackin' the hell up, if you want to read the remark, you'll have to read the book (since I don't have the book with me, hehe)

I fell right in love with April Roubillard and Jack Patriot, not to mention Nita Garrison and little Riley Patriot. I loved the journey to being a real family these guys had to go through in order to get it right and when they finally had what they were looking for, it was just great to see. I was glad that Dean came around and things worked out for them in the end. It was oodles of fun.

This was a great book, a great storyline and filled with great characters, a definite read!

Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Hero: Heath Champion
Heroine: Annabelle Granger
Category: Contemporary
Grade: B+

In This Heart of Mine, you met Kevin Tucker. Now meet Kevin's shark of an agent ... and Annabelle Granger, the girl least likely to succeed.

Annabelle is tired of being the lone failure in a family of overachievers. She's endured dead-end jobs and a broken engagement. But that's going to change now that she's taken over her late grandmother's matchmaking business. All Annabelle has to do is land the Windy City's hottest bachelor as her client, and she'll be the most sought-after matchmaker in town.

With his money-green eyes and calculated charm, Heath Champion is the best sports agent in the country. He's wealthy, driven, and gorgeous, so why does he need a matchmaker, especially a red-haired screw-up like Annabelle Granger? True, she's entertaining, and she does have a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of his success—the perfect wife. And to make an extraordinary match, he needs an extraordinary matchmaker, right?

If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town -- a man who's beginning to ask himself ... exactly how perfect does perfect have to be?

I really liked this book.

It starts out with us meeting Annabelle Granger, a firecracker of a woman who is frowned upon in her family. She's the "black cat" of her family. She's got 2 successful brothers and a mother who nags the ever living daylights out of her because she's 31 and hasn't settled down into a career. Annabelle's had a few businesses that have gone under and she's trying to turn her grandmother's matchmaking business around and make something of herself. She's very passionate about life and just reading about her attacking the venture of making a success out of her grandmother's business, modernizing it and everything was just a crack up.

She was a very quirky heroine and she kept me laughing and just feeling for her. I loved her sense of humor, I loved all of her little gripes against Heath and what I most liked about her was the way she handled being handled by him.

The chemistry between Heath and Annabelle is unmistakeable to the reader, even if it was farthest from Heath's mind. I loved the way SEP wrote these two's relationship. I loved how at the very beginning they were so at ease with eachother, the scene where Heath makes her ride with him somewhere and she thinks he's gonna leave her and she's running through traffic hollaring for him to wait and she's got her Mocha frap and how he just kept taking it from her and drinking it, the SECOND time he met with her...I loved that kind of business.

I liked seeing the old characters from the previous books actually having reasons to be in the story and not just talked about. Those are some of my favorite characters and to see them back in action right along with Heath and Annabelle scored major points with me.

I loved revisiting the campground from This Heart of Mine. I loved seeing Kevin (my favorite SEP hero) and Molly again and more over, I loved seeing little Hannah again. Goodness, that little girl is just about my favorite kid character ever, she's so great!

Heath Champion, there were times when I wanted to take him by the shoulders and just hold him still for a minute, he so reminded me of Jerry Maguire in that, I move faster than my feet can take me and I'm eager to please all of my clients to the point where I am in dire need of therapy way. The transformation from first class jerk to the insecure manly sexy man at the end was great. I loved seeing him grow attached to Annabelle, it was a treat to see him all wanting to make things right Annabelle.

I even loved little Pippy...she was so cute with her phone fettish...with her Heath's phone fettish. haha.

Annabelle's family got on my hot damn nerves so I was really happy that Heath came into her life and became her Champion...even if he didn't see her family the same way she did. I loved that finally, Annabelle was one up on Candace that conniving little bitch.

The way the story was told had me reading early into the morning, I didn't get to sleep until 3:00am on the dot and I can't say that I'm mad about it. The only thing that didn't boost this book to an A is that I felt the end was sort of rushed and kinda fell flat with Heath's realization of his love for Annabelle, I wanted more from that but as a whole, this book was a really great read for me.

Thanks SEP!

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 Dream Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Hero: Arikos
Heroine: Megeara Kafiero
Grade: B-

In the ethereal world of dreams, there are champions who fight to protect the dreamer and there are demons who prey on them...

Arik is such a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arik can only feel when he's in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, he's drifted through the human unconscious, searching for sensation. Now he's finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness.

Dr. Megeara Kafieri watched her father ruin himself and his reputation as he searched to prove Atlantis was real. Her deathbed promise to him to salvage his reputation has now brought her to Greece where she intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island is right where her father said it was. But frustration and bad luck dog her every step. Especially the day they find a stranger floating in the sea. His is a face she's seen many times.... in her dreams.

What she doesn't know is that Arik holds more than the ancient secrets that can help her find the mythical isle of Atlantis. He has made a pact with the god Hades: In exchange for two weeks as a mortal man, he must return to Olympus with a human soul. Megeara's soul.

With a secret society out to ruin her expedition, and mysterious accidents that keep threatening her life, Megeara refuses to quit. She knows she's getting closer to Atlantis and as she does, she stumbles onto the truth of what Arik really is.

For Arik his quest is no longer simple. No human can know of a Dream-Hunter's existence. His dream of being mortal has quickly turned into his own nightmare and the only way to save himself will be to sacrifice the very thing he wanted to be human for. The only question is, will he?

This book was pretty good.

I liked Arikos, I liked getting to know the Dream Hunters, but I've got to say, I didn't like the Dream Hunters better than the Dark Hunters. For me, it's still all about the Dark Hunters but I liked reading and getting to know Arikos, Solin, D'Alerian, M'Ordant and even M'Adoc. Those cats are some interesting fellows. I'm more than a little intrigued by Solin and can only wonder if he's going to get his own book since everyone and their mother seems to be getting their own book these days. I might be persuaded to buy Solin's book should it ever become available. I also need to go back and read D'Alerian's book, he did have one, right?

Megeara, who wanted to be called, Geary (for reasons that are totally beyond me, why not Meg or Ara, but Geary? Yeah, okay...whatever rocks your socks, girl!) was actually a pretty decent heroine. Her story of trying to find Atlantis to clear her father's name and snub all of those people that laughed at her father for his pipe dream to find Atlantis and prove everyone wrong was a pretty good story.

I loved reading about all of the Gods and Goddesses. It was a little funny to read about Hades being this outrageously hunky manly God, when all I can think of is the Hades from Disney's Hercules. He was soooooo not outrageously beautiful, like the Hades of SK's world, but hey I liked that touch. It was cool. I'm hecka loving this twist on the Greek Mythology stuff, it's really good stuff.

I don't remember much about the Dream Hunters from the previous books, so I can't really say that SK messed up on some of her own rules because if she did, I didn't catch any of it in here, but....I did enjoy this book and am glad that I read it.

Would I recommend this book to others? Oh yes, this book was for sure better than Sins of the Night, so yeah....go on and read it, it was good. You'll love you some Arik, I know I did. Geary was easy to read as well, she wasn't a TSTL heroine and I'm glad for it. I loved that it was, well I can't tell you guys that without spoiling the book so if you want to know what I liked most about Geary and this story, then email me and I'll get the talkin' with you on there. I enjoyed this book, it wasn't this dramatic book that made me cry and weep and all that, it was just good stuff.

I thought I would be able to stay away from SK's DH series since I've been so annoyed with the direction she's been taking it in but I was glad that I went against what I wanted to do and read this book, it was good...really good.

Good job, SK.

Breaking Point by Suzanne Brockmann

Hero: Max Beghat
Gina: Gina Vitagliano
Category: Contemporary
Grade: B+

As commander of the nation's most elite FBI counterterrorism unit, agent Max Bhagat leads by hard-driving example: pushing himself to the limit and beyond, taking no excuses, and putting absolutely nothing ahead of his work. That includes his deep feelings for Gina Vitagliano, the woman who won his admiration and his heart with her courage under fire. But when the shocking news reaches him that Gina has been killed in a terrorist bombing, nothing can keep Max from making a full investigation - and retribution - his top priority.

At the scene of the attack, however, Max gets an even bigger shock. Gina is still very much alive - but facing a fate even worse than death. Along with Molly Anderson, a fellow overseas relief worker, Gina has fallen into the hands of a killer who is bent on using both women to bait a deadly trap. His quarry? Grady Morant, a.k.a "Jones," a notorious ex-Special Forces operative turned smuggler who made some very deadly enemies in the jungles of Southeast Asia . . . and has been running ever since. But with Molly's life on the line, Jones is willing to forfeit his own to save the woman he loves.

Together with Max's top agent Jules Cassidy as their only backup, the unlikely allies plunge into a global hot zone of violence and corruption to make a deal with the devil. Not even Jones knows which ghosts from his past want him dead. But there's one thing he's sure of - there's very little his bloodthirsty enemies aren't willing to do.

Okay, it took me over four months to finish this book and boy was I glad that I did. So Max and Gina we know from Over the Edge are back and they're getting their own book. Max is still being a butt head about not wanting to keep Gina in his life because even though he loves her with every breath in his body, he's afraid of loving her and well it doesn't make things any better with her being like 20 years younger than he is.

But love her, he does.

In the first half of the book, it drove me up the wall how many times Max tried to drive Gina away. There were times when I wanted to do bodily damage to him at how dumb he was being, but that was when I thought his issues were the age thing between him and Gina.

Well, and then there was the thing with Grady Morant, Dave Jones to those of you guys who have read Out of Control, Molly and Jones were a big part of this book since Molly is Gina's new best friend, they served in a camp out in Kenya together and became very close. Gina laid her life on the line for both Molly and Jones and I just loved their little family.

Max Beghat, the fucker. My friend LindaLou, loves when Sam Starrett says that about Max in I believe it's Out of Control. And I totally agreed with Sam's sentiment toward the FBI Hot Shot in this book. He got on my damn nerves in the beginning of the book, while he was in rehab?? Yeah, I wanted to stab him in the neck. When he didn't share some pertinent information with Gina, forcing her to run away from him??? Yeah, I wanted to gouge his eyes out with a butter knife. But when he finally comes clean about how he really feels for Gina and everything he went through while she was away from him, all of my madness at him faded into the wind because just like *snaps fingers* I was done being mad at him for all of his transgressions in this book. Max proved to be a great hero, one that by the end of the book, I was more than a little bit in lust with. He will never replace Sam Starrett in my heart (especially after the short story in the back of the book) but he's one of the best heroes this series has.

Gina Vitagliano. What a great heroine, I love her sassy mouth, I love how in the most dire of circumstances, she was still able to keep her wit and her smarts about her. For someone who kept getting into hostile terrorist situations, Gina was seriously one of the strongest heroines, EVER. She's also my favorite heroine too...in this series, I haven't been a big fan of any of the heroines because none of them have Gina's personality or her vibrance for life and her determination to land her man. Gina was everything the other women weren't and she seriously was the best heroine, for me at least. She was as Ignacio said in Nacho Libre, good, realllllyyyyyy good. HA!

The story started out a bit slow for me but as soon as it started picking up, it picked up and just kept right on runnin'...I loved it. The storyline was great, the characters were the best and though it would have been nice to see some Sam and Alyssa up in there or even any of the other Troubleshooters, it was still a great read for me.

I loved the secondary storylines with Molly and Jones and then Jules as well. How can you NOT love Jules? I don't know how SB does it but when she writes about Jules and all of his sexy mens, it doesn't bother me. The man love concept doesn't really bother me. I'm so busy cheering Jules on that I guess his sexual orientation doesn't register for me the way it does in other books by other authors. But I just love Jules personality, I love what he brings to these stories and I love him as a man and want him to get his very own book. I want him to find happiness the way all of his friends are finding happiness. He totally deserves it.

Molly and Jones, oh holy wow...I loved how their story ended, it was just the right amount of everything that's right in this world. I loved how SB was able to write their story AND give them their happy ending. I loved Dave Jones shady ass from the moment I met him in Out of Control and I loved him all the more in this book. I loved his fierce devotion and adoration of Molly, I loved how he worried over her and how he was so hot damn sorry for bringing her into his dangerous life even though he didn't want to harm her, I loved how he was so damn sorry that he took a gamble and lost. I just loved him! Their story was a great addition to this already great book.

What I loved most about SB's writing in this book is something that Nikki said in a comment left for me on my personal blog, Coffee House Banter.

She said, "No other author has this way of planning books so far in advance that really works. There is a reason and a purpose for everything. No other series seems that way to me. She really controls circumstances and characters in her books not the other way around. She never gets herself in a corner that she has to come up with a quick explanation (that doesn't make sense)."

I loved how I was able to read something in this book and think, "OMGOSH I remember that" from 4 books ago. It was amazing how well thought out this book was. Things that happened in Out of Control were poppin' up again in this book and everything that didn't fit then, now fit perfectly and totally meshed. I loved that aspect of the book and applaud Suzanne Brockmann on a job well done.

Entertained? Yep, I sure was. Annoyed and Peeved? Yep, you got it, at Max, I sure was. Filled with joy and gooey goods? Oh yes, she totally delivered on this.

Now seriously? You can't ask for a better book, then. The only reason I gave it a B and not an A is because it took me so long to get through this book, but after careful thought, it wasn't the story that made me take so long, it was my frustration at Max...so brava, Suz...great effing job! =)

Haley's Cabin by Anne Rainey.

Hero: Jeremy Pickett
Heroine: Haley Thorne
Category: Erotic Contemporary
Page Count: 107 pages.
Grade: B+

Every good girl longs for a chance to be a little naughty.

Raw from an ugly divorce and wrung out from her demanding job, Haley Thorne needs a break. When Haley’s doctor urges her to take a vacation, she heads to her secret cabin in the woods.

The very first night, Haley dreams of an erotic threesome that leaves her panting and aroused. When sexy police detective Jeremy Pickett shows up at her door, she’s shocked: He looks like the man in her midnight fantasy! Levelheaded Haley unleashes her inner seductress and has a little fun—handcuffs and all!

A very quick and fantastic read.

I was very wary about reading this book and at the same time a bit excited because I've read Anne's blog for a while and thought her blogs are great, I've got this thing with eBooks, I either really love them or really hate them.

Anne Rainey, I really loved your story.

It was hot and sexy and thoroughly filled to the brim with juicy bits. I loved every juicy morsel of it too. It was the bomb diggity! This is actually my first erotica book and while this book would totally get me in the dog house with my parents if they ever knew that I was reading these kinds of books, I didn't care one bit!

Call me slutty and be done with it because this book was a sure winner.

The opening of the story was just fanfrickin'tastic! I've never seen myself as the naughty temptress, always seeing myself shying away from stories with this much hot and steamy sex, but dude that shit was HOT! You go girl!

Jeremy Pickett was one fine ass hero that I just loved him to gooey bits! The sexy cop thing you had going with Jeremy had me sighing and wishing he was real and right here with me. LOL. I'd gobble him right up like he was my very own Thanksgiving dinner! haha. What I loved most about Jeremy, or Jay as Haley called him was how manly he was...he seemed so real, he said and reacted the same way a real man would react, he wasn't perfect and always saying the right thing and the sweet thing....so I effing loved it!

My favorite quote in the book came from this sexy man, when he told Haley when referencing their ages..."My experience in your gain."

HEYYYYYYYYYYY!

Haley was a great heroine too, I loved how she was able to match Jeremy in the bedroom with everything he wanted to do to her. You have to be good to actually pull off the having sex with a guy you've only known for a few hours thing off and you totally did, Anne...I found the story easy to follow, your storyline was quick paced and well put together. Between all of the sex, and there was quite a bit of it (thank you very much =)!) the story still moved and progressed greatly throughout this book. It didn't dull out or anything, you kept a great pace and I'm a total fan of yours!!

You know you're good when you can write about anal sex and I wouldn't even blink. I don't think I'd be down with that or even reading about it but I read about it in your book and wasn't even fazed by it...I was all like, HEYYYYYYYY! LOL. I even counted how many times I read my most despised word EVER used in your book (it was 3 times) and still I really enjoyed your book. GOOD JOB!

So....does Brad have a book coming out? Oh goodness I hope he does! I'm all curious about the sexy doctor and Lisa...can't wait for that one, please say you're writing it!

Another thing that I have to commend you on, Anne is your spelling...I didn't catch ONE SINGLE spelling error or typo in this book, so if they're in there, they're so cleverly hidden that I didn't catch them or else I was so wrapped up in the book that I didn't even notice them. So that's another plus for you sweetie.

I think this was a great first release and I eagerly await the rest of your books sweetie...I'm a big fat fan of yours!!! =)

I totally recommend this book for all of you naughty wenches who are looking for something quick, fun and thoroughly naughty...don't expect anything extremely deep with this book, because this book is all fun and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Great job Anne!

Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood.

Hero: Noah Clayborne
Heroine: Jordan Buchanan
Category: Contemporary
Page Count: 400+
Grade: C

The eagerly anticipated novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author who sets the standards for romance. For years fans have clamored for a book starring beloved recurring characters Jordan Buchanan and Noah Clayborne who have been featured in past Garwood novels. Here they are in a very sexy and highly entertaining tale.

At last, we have Noah Clayborne's book, in which he falls madly in love with his best friend and partner's sister, Jordan Buchanan.

They're at her best friend's wedding, where Kate (the best friend) is marrying Jordan's yummy brother, Dylan. Kate's younger sister, Isabel gets a visitor, who says he's a relative of theirs on their MacKenna side. He tells Jordan that it was a disgrace that a MacKenna would willingly marry a Buchanan and because she got annoyed with the weird guy, she tells him that maybe she'll do her own research to see if there's any truth to the tales that the nutty professor was spoutin' at the wedding. While on the dance floor, Noah informs Jordan that she needs to get laid and loosen up because she's pretty much...boring. So because she doesn't need money right now after the selling of her computer chip and company which made her stinking rich, she tells him that she's going on a treasure hunt to find some lost treasure.

And she goes to Texas to find the guy and copy his research for Isabel and start her own research, to try to make sense of the stories that the crackhead professor was talking about. Nothing has been going right since she got to Serenity but that doesn't deterr her from her mission, well until she found the nutty professor dead in her trunk.

Ewww...

Because it's aparent that someone is trying to frame her, she calls her brother Nick, who's an FBI Agent and instead of getting Nick, she gets his partner, Noah Clayborne. The odious man who got her in this mess anyway, if he hadn't told her that she was boring and needed to be spontaneous, she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. But she tells him what happens and he tells her to call the cops, report the body and then wait for him and Nick to get there, they're on their way.

So she hangs up with Noah, calls 911 and while she's on the phone with 911, she hears sirens which she thinks is the patrol unit sent to check things out, but while she's on the phone with the 911 peeps, the sheriff's car comes to a screeching halt and the two Dickey brothers jump out and one of them, hot head JD socks her in the face and stomps on her phone, ruining it.

Guilty much?

A bunch of crap happens, Nick and Noah finally show up and Noah sticks to her side like glue and more bodies show up in her trunk and it makes for a pretty good story but I was still a bit disappointed.

Not in the story so much but in the fact that I didn't get to know Noah like I thought I would have. There wasn't much character development where he was concerned and I was looking forward to that. At the end of the story, I still felt like Noah was a secondary character, sort of how I felt for Noah Maitland in Judith McNaught's Night Whispers.

Also, the love match between Noah and Jordan felt kind of rushed and forced. It was like, one minute they were just friends and then the sleep together and BAM, they're in love. It happened too quick for me which rendered it a bit unbelievable, but that's just me. I didn't see it coming and because of that I didn't really care for it.

Aside from all of that, the book was just okay. It wasn't her best, it wasn't my favorite, I was disappointed that this was how Noah's book turned out...I was just hoping for more and it fell short of that mark.

But one things' for sure...I'm looking forward to reading the next one, does anyone know if JG is going to write Walker or Aiden/Cordie's book? Gosh I hope so.

Slow Burn by Julie Garwood.

Hero: Dylan Buchanan
Heroine: Kate Mackenna
Category: Contemporary
Page Count: 424 pgs.
Grade: B

An unpretentious beauty who rediates kindness, kate MacKenna doesn't have a bad bone in her body--or an enemy in the world. So why are bombs igniting everywhere she goes? The first explosion brings her face-to-face with a handsome Charleston police detective. The second one sends her into the arms of her best friend's brother--a Boston cop who's a little too reckless and way too charming for cmofort. But Dylan Buchanan won't let emotion prevent from doing his job: Someone is trying to kill Kate, and Dylan is the only one standing between her and the monster who wants her dead.

I finished this book in one sitting. So I guess it was good. LOL.

I'm still kind of unsure how I feel about this book because I read it so fast but I do love some Dylan Buchanan...man that man is frickin' sexy as all get out but I think his brother, Alec still has him beat as my favorite Buchanan, which surprises me since I love heroes who are big time flirts and trust me when I say, Dylan knows how to flirt.

So Kate, who doesn't have any enemies that she knows of can't seem to go anywhere without someone trying to blow her up, the first one could have been a fluke but not the second one. The second one, she was the only person around so it was more than a little evident that whoever is blowing things up is trying to blow HER up. That's when her best friend, Jordan Buchanan sends her brother, Dylan who just got shot in the line of duty (he's a cop) and is recuperating to Charleston to find out what's going on. Dylan is sweet on Kate so with little persuasion, he goes...even though he's miffed with her after the way she leaves Boston without a word to him.

I thought as a couple, Kate and Dylan were great. The chemistry between these two leaped right off the pages and I laughed whenever Dylan would back Kate into a corner or a counter and fluster her. I love reading about things like that and Dylan did a great job landing Kate because she was so lost without him. It was great crap!

This book is pretty fast paced, the flow was on point and Julie Garwood does a great job writing these two's story. You could tell a great deal of love was between these two, the end was a bit rushed but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed the entire book and am already anxious to start the next book, Shadow Dance.

If you read the rest of the series, I don't think you'd be disappointed in this book, it wasn't spectacular but it was still nice. It's no Killjoy that's for sure, but on the flipside, it's no Ransom either.

But still it's good.

Oh wait, what I loved most about this book is Dylan's nickname for Kate. How cute was that? And how unique...when he tells her that he loves pickles, Awwwww....I love it and I love him!

Murder List by Julie Garwood

Hero: Alec Buchanan
Heroine: Regan Hamilton Madison
Category: Contemporary
Page Count: 425 pgs.
Grade: B+

Hotel heiress regan Hamilton Madison is flirting with danger. She agrees to help a journalist friend expose Dr. Lawrence Shields, a shady self-help guru who may have been responsible for the death of one of his vulnerable devotees. Hoping to find some damning evidence, Regan attends a Shields seminar, where the doctor his guests make a list of people who have hurt or angered them over the years and asks: Would your world be a better place if these people ceased to exist? Treating the exercise as a game, Regan plays along.

The experience is all but forgotten--until the first person on Regan's list turns up dead. Shock turns to horror when another name from her list surfaces as a corpse. While brutal murders seem to stalk regan's every m ove, her atteaction to the detective assigned to protect her grows. As the menace intensifies had a serial killer circles, regan must discover who has turned her private revenge fantasies into grisly reality.

I liked this book far more than I thought I was going to like it considering how much I didn't really care for the previous book which I read years ago, Killjoy. It's not that I hated Killjoy it was just that compared to Julie Garwood's historical/highlander books, her contemporaries weren't as good.

But I really got into this book, Alec was a fantabulous hero, I think he's my favorite Buchanan brother so far. You see, Regan Madison is in the hotel business. She's in the part of the business of giving money away. She's really good at what she does too, everyone loves her.

Everyone but the guy that's trying to kill her.

Alec Buchanan, who is brother to the hotties, Nick (JG's Heartbreaker) and Theo (JG's Mercy) Buchanan is a cop who is being recruited by the FBI, he finally takes the job as an FBI and his boss gets so pissed off at him that he tacks him with Bodyguard duty for the hotel heiress.

My favorite part of reading these books is watching the journey the couple go through while they fall a little bit in love with each other...bit by bit. The whole story that revolves around them forming feelings for each other, to me is just about the greatest thing. The romance in these books is just about one of the greatest things I can think of. It's why I read romance novels, to read about the journey to the happy ending.

Julie Garwood does a great job of setting up Alec and Regan's story, the way she brought these two together and the way she tells their story really had me so engrossed in the book that I zipped right through it.

I enjoyed this book a whole lot. I enjoyed Alec's sloppy sexiness, I loved his flirty confidence where Regan was concerned, I loved their first meeting, with him stinking to high heaven and her laughing at him. I loved how protective he was where she was concerned and I loved loved loved...him. He was the bomb, seriously.

Regan was a great heroine too, I really enjoyed Laurent from Heartbreaker and Michelle as well, but my favorite couple so far, is Alec and Regan...their story and them two as a couple really fit and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the entire b ook.

I loved how Regan, Sophie and Cordie met, how they became friends and stayed friends throughout each other's lives. It was really sweet.

Now, what I didn't like...I didn't like how we were left hanging about Aiden and Cordie, do they get together or not? Are we going to get their story soon or no? JG can't leave me hanging like this...seriously. Another thing I didn't like was not being able to meet Walker. After all the talk about him throughout the book, I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to meet him at all. I hope that means that Walker will soon be getting his book, gosh I really hope so.

Aside from those two things, I really liked this book and totally recommend it. It's better than Killjoy and just as great as Heartbreaker and Mercy. The mystery surrounding the story kept me guessing throughout most of the book and the story fell neatly into place which I loved. The ending was great and Alec is a sexy hero...what more could you want?

Read it, you'll like it.

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.

Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie

Hero: Alex
Heroine: Nina
Category: Contemp
Page Count: 224, hb
Grade: A
Buy It: Here or here.
Part basset, part beagle, all Cupid . . . can a matchmaking hound fetch a new love for his owner?

For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom -- from the ex-husband whose career always came first, from their stuffy suburban home. Freedom to have her own apartment in the city, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed -- a puppy. A bouncy puppy to cheer her up. Instead she gets . . . Fred.

Overweight, smelly and obviously suffering from some kind of doggy depression, Fred is light-years from perky. But for all his faults, he does manage to put Nina face-to-face with Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger downstairs neighbor.

Alex looks great on paper -- a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor who shares Fred's abiding love for Oreos -- but a ten-year difference in age, despite his devastating smile, is too wide a gap for Nina to handle. Ignoring her insistent best friend, some interfering do-gooders and the ubiquitous Fred -- not to mention her suddenly raging hormones -- Nina thinks anyone but Alex would be a better bet for a relationship. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young dog-loving doctor she wants to sit and stay!

Nina has wanted a dog practically from the day her and Guy got married, he didn't. It should have been a sign. 15 years later she's divorced and ready to get her dog. It's her 40th birthday and she wants a perky happy puppy, what she leaves with is Fred. An older overweight depressed dog, but what does it matter when he makes her happy? That's what she wanted all along. But living on the third floor makes it a bit difficult for him to do his thing, especially without an elevator, so she teaches him to go down the fire escape out the window. All is fine until one time he doesn't come back.....

Fred seems to have found a new friend, he's climbed into the second story window instead of his third floor one, and meets Alex. Alex has been an ER doctor for awhile, his family has been harping on him to choose a profession. It would seem he has but coming from a long line of specialist doctors an ER doctor is NOT a profession. It's also been hard in the dating field, every woman he dates is ready to settle down and sprout children, Alex isn't ready for marriage let alone the fact that he doesn't want children. But when he meets Fred and returns him to his owner he thinks he just might have meet the right woman.

Because of a ten year age gap Nina is very weary of anything romantic with Alex. She's come up with every excuse, his age, his maturity, his .... well everything. But nothing can change the feelings she has every time he is near, or every time she thinks of him for that matter.

Alex doesn't care about Nina's age, and is determined to make sure she doesn't care either. He wants her to see him as a grown man worthy of her. But he still is weary to make THE move, scared she'll turn away and his chance will be lost.

With Nina's best friend that has the black thumb in relationships writing a book on her love life and pushing Nina into SOMETHING with Alex. And their 75 year old upstairs neighbor and her 63 year old boyfriend also dropping hints to how age never matters. And everything else Nina and Alex are fighting an uphill battle. Throw in Alex's older brother Max that's struggling with his life decisions and an alcoholic, cardiac surgeon father this book adds up to lots of fun and a great romance. Hell throw in a red lace incredi bra while we're at it too. This is the closest to a Bet Me book. I loved it! The entire feel of the story, the banter, the dog it just makes a perfect Crusie book. Were there faults? Sure I think Charity and Max should have had some type of ending weather together or with someone else. In the end Alex went a little over board with what he was doing to prove to Nina he was mature and stable enough for her, but he smartened up. So like I said, this one rates #2 right next to Bet Me. A definite great read. Go Get It!

Dylan's Turn:

Hero: Alex Moore
Heroine: Nina Askew
Category: Contemporary
Grade: A

This book was the bomb. Nicole already gave you the low down on this very book, so all I'm gonna add is that this was a very fast read for me and it captured my attention right from the very beginning.

I didn't even issues with the age difference between Nina and Alex. It didn't bother me at all, I loved the both of them too. Nina was dumb about some things but Alex was too and it didn't bother me one bit.

I loved the flow of the story and thought that JC did a great job telling this story. If you guys haven't read this book, you totally should because it's the bomb DOT com. I loved it! The only thing that I want now? Max and Charity's book. LOL.

Oh quick question though, did you guys pronounce Char as Char (like char broiled, or shar) or as Chair, like CHARity? That little bit through me off for a bit. LOL.

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.