The Eclectic Book Lover

Review: And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper

2010-07-29T09:23:00.000-04:00

And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper
Gallery (July 27, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-1439168776
320 pages
Review copy received from publisher

Synopsis from Amazon:

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

Molly Harper's Jane Jameson paranormal romances are a favorite of mine due to their hallmark smart wit. She employs a great blend of physical and intellectual humor that, along with an abundance of colorful characters, make for some of the most fun reading I've had. Her foray into realistic fiction is no exception. And One Last Thing... is a plausible account of a wronged woman's journey in emotional recovery, personal growth and rediscovering love that's both poignant and hilarious.

I love heroines like Lacey. Sure, she bemoaned her plight after finding out about her husband's affair, but she also did something about it. Not all of her actions are the wisest, but they usually lead to one juicy conflict or other. She's a smart woman that doesn't waste her potential, though she may occasionally need prodding from friends and family.

Set in a close-knit, Southern community, Harper's story is filled with plenty of the gossipy and traditional secondary characters that you would expect to find, as well as some wonderfully unique ones (i.e. Lacey's gay brother, Emmett, and ball-busting divorce lawyer, Samantha). Among the latter lies Monroe, an author and Lacey's new neighbor. His initial impression is of a rude, presumptive and blunt jerk. This, however, changes quickly as he and Lacey bond and develop a strong friendship like only two people in a somewhat isolated area can. The romance that subsequently grows is sweet and (almost) low-key due to the time spent on their friendly foundation. Of course, it's not always hearts and flowers. The two of them have strong personalities and - combined with Lacey's new found resolve to remain in control and not lose herself to a man again - a lot of the latter half of the novel's conflicts arise while watching them try to sort it all out.

As far as love-interests go, Monroe's okay. He fits the bill, is ultimately likable and suits Lacey. However, I wasn't enamored of him. I just didn't find him sexy enough or something, though that has more to do with my personal preferences than any real issue with the book. Regardless, I greatly enjoyed reading this one and Harper remains on my list of authors to watch.

Grade: B+

Visit Molly's site and blog for more info about her and her novels.

Other reviews:
The Book Lush - 4.5/5
Rex Robot Reviews - 4/5
Book Addict - 5/5

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Currently Coveting (11)

2010-07-28T21:32:00.003-04:00

In case you haven't seen this feature before, I'm switching from my usual Waiting on Wednesday post. Instead of just one upcoming title that I want I'll list several, along with some backlisted books that I have on my wishlist too. If you guys have read any of the previous releases, let me know what you thought about them.

On Shelves Now

Still Life with Elephant by Judy Reene Singer

General Fiction/Women's Fiction

The way to a cheating man's heart is through . . . an elephant?

Professional horse trainer Neelie Sterling somehow missed the fact that her veterinarian husband, Matt, was having an affair with his blonde, pretty business partner. Neelie often misses things. (When Matt originally told her he was getting a colleague to help with the practice, she thought he said collie—and Neelie likes dogs.) Now the blonde is saying she's pregnant, and Neelie's life is in a tailspin. But she sees an opportunity to patch up the holes in her disintegrating marriage when she learns that Matt is leaving for Zimbabwe to rescue a badly injured elephant. Foolishly optimistic, she joins the expedition.

On a dangerous, revealing, exhilarating trip through Africa, Neelie comes to learn a lot about herself as a woman and a wife. But it isn't until they return home with their pachyderm patient that her eyes are truly opened to what is going on around her. And with the help of a very large and very special animal, she may even discover how to love again.

I randomly recieved the sequel to this one, An Inconvenient Elephant, and it sounds really intriguing. I added this one to my list because you know I just have to read things in order.

The Shifter: The Healing Wars, Book 1 by Janice Hardy
Young Adult Fantasy

Nya is an orphan struggling for survival in a city crippled by war. She is also a Taker—with her touch, she can heal injuries, pulling pain from another person into her own body. But unlike her sister, Tali, and the other Takers who become Healers' League apprentices, Nya's skill is flawed: She can't push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it into another person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from forces occupying her city. If discovered, she'd be used as a human weapon against her own people.

Rumors of another war make Nya's life harder, forcing her to take desperate risks just to find work and food. She pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purposes. At first Nya refuses, but when Tali and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she's faced with some difficult choices. As her father used to say, principles are a bargain at any price; but how many will Nya have to sell to get Tali back alive?

Same story - Got book 2 (Blue Fire). NEED book 1!

Never Less Than a Lady by Mary Jo Putney

Historical Romance

As the sole remaining heir to the Earl of Daventry, Alexander Randall knows his duty: find a wife and sire a son of his own. The perfect bride for a man in his position would be a biddable young girl of good breeding. But the woman who haunts his imagination is Julia Bancroft - a village midwife with a dark secret that thrusts her into Randall's protection. Within the space of a day, Julia has been abducted by her first husband's cronies, rescued, and proposed to by a man she scarcely knows. Stranger still is her urge to say yes. A union with Alexander Randall could benefit them both, but Julia doubts she can ever trust her heart again, or the fervent desire Randall ignites. Yet perhaps only a Lost Lord can show a woman like Julia everything a true marriage can be...

A few months back I purchased Putney's first in this series, Loving a Lost Lord. I only recently got around to reading it. I was expecting an okay read and ended up liking it a lot more than I assumed I would. Now I'm eager to try more Putney, especially this next in the Lost Lords series.

Upcoming Releases

666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce

Paranormal Chick Lit
Release Date: February 1, 2011

Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle’s world has become an absolute fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning 5-carat diamond to seal the deal, Jane can’t believe her incredible fortune and decides to leave her Paris-based job and make a new start with Malcolm in New York.

But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of the most feared and revered families of the New York City upper crust, Jane’s fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world and herself is upended, and Jane is left to struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them. Bringing together the dual fascinations of high society and black magic, 666 Park Avenue is a story of a young woman’s discovery and survival when her mother-in-law to-be turns out to be a horrible, grasping witch…literally

I saw this posted over at Fiendishly Bookish. Two of my guilty pleasure genres rolled into one? I had to add it!

Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
Young Adult General Fiction

Release Date: April 19, 2011

Across four sun-kissed drama-drenched summers at his family's beach house, Chase tries to come to grips with his family's slow dissolution while also finding himself in a chaotic love triangle, pitted against his own brother in pursuit of the girl next door. Invincible Summer is a gritty, sexy, page-turning read from a talented teenaged author that readers won't want to miss.

Been hearing buzz about this one everywhere. I've heard good things about her debut novel, Break, and this one sounds right up my alley. Plus, she's a teen - I have to check it out!

Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost

Paranormal Romance

Release Date: February 2, 2011

Duvall, Texas.

A small town that’s about to be in some big trouble.

Pastry-chef-turned-unexpected-action/adventure heroine Tammy Jo Trask is finally ready to embrace her mixed-up and often malfunctioning magic. Too bad not everyone wants her to become all the witch she can be.

First, there are the local residents who form a scripture-spouting posse and kidnap Tammy to “defend” Duvall against witchcraft. Next, someone saddles her with a secret package chock full of dangerous visions, just as the president of WAM—the World Association of Magic—arrives with his entourage to investigate her. And who worse to examine Tammy’s entanglement with off-limits and drop-dead gorgeous wizard Bryn Lyons than his ex-girlfriend? Not to mention that the clash between the locals and the magical visitors leads to a series of unnatural disasters that may doom them all.

Will Tammy Jo's magical synergy with Bryn be enough to help her save the town or will her enemies succeed in putting Tammy out of commission for good? One thing’s certain: this would-be witch is ready to rumble, Texas style…

This is such a fun series (check out my review of book 2, Barely Bewitched), I can't wait to get my hands on this next installment!

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Young Adult General Fiction

Release Date: September 1, 2010

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.

But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you wants to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

An Amazon find that sounds like there'll be a great romance in it.

What books are you guys coveting right now?

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Review: All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

2010-07-27T23:30:00.004-04:00

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
Publisher: HQN Books (July 27, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0373774586
384 pages
Review copy received from publicist

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

One Happily-Ever-After Rocking Chair…

and no sign of any forthcoming babies to rock in ol' Georgebury, Vermont. For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss (and five-week fling) is way overdue in his marriage proposal. And way off track because Mark has suddenly announced his engagement to the company's new Miss Perfect. If that isn't bad enough, her mom decides to throw her a three-oh birthday bash in the family funeral home.

Bad goes to worse when she stirs up a crazy relationship with the town's not so warm and fuzzy veterinarian, Ian McFarland, in order to flag Mark's attention. So Ian is more comfortable with animals…. So he's formal, orderly and just a bit tense. The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But dang, if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for Vermont's unlikeliest eligible bachelor….

I've extolled the virtues of Kristan Higgins's novels here before. I love her intelligent and current sense of humor and the great heroines through whom she expresses it. Her characters, main and secondary, are always unique and utterly charming. The heroes she creates are subtly sexy and usually possess some quirk that simultaneously repels and draws the beloved heroine. And the romances are gradual, comfortable and completely realistic. All I Ever Wanted adheres to this formula while managing to feel fresh and fun.

Callie's perpetual cuteness and friendliness serves as a great foil to Ian's personality. He's a shy and formal man with a good heart who initially comes across as grumpy, rude and cold. Callie's need to make everyone like her, combined with her attraction to Ian's dangerous good-looks, make for a engaging friendship-turned-courtship. Callie is so lovable and, although she's one of those super-friendly, happy people, she never came across as annoying. Her loneliness and issues with rejection make her relate-able. Likewise, Ian's seemingly cool attitude is just a mask donned by a guy who's been hurt and doesn't know how to connect with others. His bluntness and dry wit make for some great dialog between him and the compulsively polite Callie.

The addition of Callie's ongoing work and family drama are great subplots and connect well with the development of her relationship with Ian. The diverse, well-drawn and hilarious secondary characters do their part too and are what makes the novel truly standout among fellow contemporary romances.

So far, I've read four Higgins's novels, including: Too Good To Be True, The Next Best Thing and Catch of the Day. All I've Ever Wanted has become and instant favorite of mine amongst her books.

Grade: A-

Visit Kristan's site and blog for more info about her and her novels.

Other reviews:
Dear Author - B
Pop Culture Junkie - 5/5 stars
Book Binge - 4.5/5

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Review: Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

2010-07-27T22:57:00.002-04:00

Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

Forever (July 27, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0446559249
416 pages
Review copy provided by the publisher

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

TWO BRILLIANT AGENTS

FBI Special Agent Monica Davenport has made a career out of profiling serial killers. But getting inside the twisted minds of the cruel and the sadistic has taken its toll: She's walled herself off from the world. Yet Monica can't ignore fellow agent Luke Dante, the only man who ever broke through her defenses.

ONE DREAM TEAM

Luke has the unique ability to put victims at ease...professionally, he and Monica made a perfect team. Now they're reunited to catch a murderer who uses his victims' deepest, darkest fears for sport - but their investigative skills aren't enough. Luke and Monica will have to face the secrets from their past, the ones that terrify them the most, if they are to have a future together.

But can they catch a killer whose weapon is...DEADLY FEAR

Let me preface this review with this bit of info: I'm not a big romantic suspense reader. I can count on one hand the number that I've read and, so far, none of them have been favorites of mine. That said, I did enjoy Deadly Fear but it didn't feel me with the urge to seek out more romantic suspense.

My issues with the book mostly lie with the repetition and lack of subtlety. I do understand that it's especially important for a suspense novel to lay out details and facts in such a way that the reader isn't confused and to ensure proper foreshadowing. However, the characters constant noting of previously stated things only served to get on my nerves. Especially when they seemed to be surprised by an event or another character's behavior when they should have seen it coming a mile away. I like my suspense, novels and films, to subtlety show characterization and hint at motivation and, unfortunately, that wasn't always the case with Deadly Fear.

The romance portion is another story altogether. Monica isn't the most lovable character, but I found myself warming up to her gradually. Her coldness was effective enough to keep me from connecting with her but, given her history, her demeanor is understandable and her HEA with Luke well deserved. Luke is a pretty typical tough-guy alpha. The sexy, rough-around-the-edges sort that you would expect from this sort of novel. His perseverance and constant love in the face of the ice princess that is Monica is beyond admirable. As for the love scenes, Deadly Fear has some of the steamiest sex that I've read outside of erotica. Sure it's graphic, but it's never off-putting.

Despite my issues, I really did enjoy the book and I finished inside of a day. I'll definitely look into reading the next two in this series, Deadly Heat (02/11) and Deadly Lies (03/11), as well as her paranormal romances.

Grade: C+

Check out Cynthia Eden's site and blog for more info about her books.

Other reviews:
Smexy Books - 3.5/5
Michelle's Book Blog - 5/5 stars

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Guest Post & Giveaway: Cynthia Eden, author of Deadly Fear

2010-07-26T08:55:00.002-04:00

Today I'm lucky enough to host Cynthia Eden, an award-winning author of several paranormal romances and romantic suspense novels. Her latest release, Deadly Fear, is due out August 1st. Take it away, Cynthia!

Romantic Suspense Recipe

Hi, everyone! Hope you are having a fantastic summer! And, Jacqueline, thanks so much for inviting me to post!

Today, I wanted to give my recipe for a romantic suspense novel.

First, take one very strong heroine—emotionally and mentally strong. No weak-willed heroines need apply.

Second, add a hero who is more than up to the challenge of meeting any danger that may arise. The hero will need to be smart, tough, and capable of extreme sacrifice (if a bullet is coming at the heroine, the hero will need to take that hit).

And then…well, what do you add?

Emotion. Twists. Turns. Fear. Danger. No, make that EXTREME danger.

Romantic suspense stories have evolved quite a bit over the last few years. For me, I found that I was drawn to very dark tales. My characters—even the “good” guys—are far from perfect. They have painful pasts. They have secrets. I’ve always thought some secrets were necessary for everyone.

I also think that it’s necessary to have a very strong connection between a hero and the heroine. A connection that is emotional as well as physical—so, yes, that’s my way of saying that I like romantic suspense novels with a sensual edge. Turn up the heat, please.

Turn up the heat and ratchet up the danger. Those pages need to turn quickly as the hero and heroine track the villain (or villainess).

Bring to a simmer, then let the climax of the story unfold.

What will you have when you put these ingredients together?

Romantic suspense. One of my favorite genres.

I love the pulse-pounding thrill that can come from a great romantic suspense read. I love tensing and glancing up from my book as a little shiver of fear slides down my spine. I love worrying about the hero or the heroine. I love getting so lost in my read that my heart races as the story develops.

Ah, romantic suspense. What would I do without it?

And what about you? What do you think makes for a great romantic suspense? Are there other elements that you’d like to add to our recipe?

Thanks for checking out my post!

Cynthia Eden
www.cynthiaeden.com
www.twitter.com/cynthiaeden

About Deadly Fear:

TWO BRILLIANT AGENTS

FBI Special Agent Monica Davenport has made a career out of profiling serial killers. But getting inside the twisted minds of the cruel and the sadistic has taken its toll: She's walled herself off from the world. Yet Monica can't ignore fellow agent Luke Dante, the only man who ever broke through her defenses.

ONE DREAM TEAM

Luke has the unique ability to put victims at ease...professionally, he and Monica made a perfect team. Now they're reunited to catch a murderer who uses his victims' deepest, darkest fears for sport - but their investigative skills aren't enough. Luke and Monica will have to face the secrets from their past, the ones that terrify them the most, if they are to have a future together.

But can they catch a killer whose weapon is...DEADLY FEAR

Thanks for the great post, Cynthia!

Did Cynthia's post get you intrigued? Want to see what Deadly Fear has in store? Well, you should be sure to check out Cynthia's site for more info about her and her novels, but you can also try to win one of 5 copies graciously donated by Hachette. Just not the rules below and enter!

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In My Mailbox (35 & 36)

2010-07-25T01:32:00.000-04:00

This weekly meme that gives you a look at my latest book haul is all thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren, the host, and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the inspiration.

The blog's been a little barren lately, but my mailbox hasn't! While I've been getting my life together, a bunch of stuff has come my way. Since there are so many, I'm forgoing linkage, pics and commentary. However, I will highlight the ones that I'm super excited about! A lot of these I already had, so I posted them on my swap page. A bunch of them have gone already but there are still some up there, so check it out!

Won:

signed copy of Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (from GotYA)
signed copy of Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast (from Anya's blog)
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale (through LibraryThing)
Poison by Sara Poole (through LibraryThing)
One Day by David Nicholls (from Vintage)
Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen (from Janicu's blog)
Strange Angels and Betrayals both by Lili St. Crow (from Tynga's Reviews & Lilith Saintcrow)
Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell (from RandomBuzzers)
Tor.com Paranormal Grab Bag

Shadow Grail #1: Legacies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel
Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro
Faeries Gone Wild by MaryJanice Davidson, Lois Greiman, Michele Hauf, Leandra Logan
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Game Over by Taylor Keating
Chosen by Desire by Kate Perry
"Good Vamp" t-shirt
Cat Adams pen

Teenreads.com Summer Beach Bag Contest

Beach bag full of candy and beach gear
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
The Gardener by S. A. Bodeen
Girls in Love: A Summer Girls Novel by Hailey Abbott
The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
Lies: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant
The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor
Num8ers by Rachel Ward
Radiant Shadows: A Wicked Lovely Book by Melissa Marr
Runaway: An Airhead Novel by Meg Cabot
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Swim the Fly by Don Calame

Swapped:

Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan
Virals by Kathy Reichs
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
Blue Is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz
White Is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

Bought:

One Lonely Degree by C.K. Kelly Martin
The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti
She Thief by Daniel Finn
Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall
Perchance to Dream by Lisa Mantchev
Sticky Fingers by Niki Burnham
Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle

For Review:

All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
And One Last Thing by Molly Harper
Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden
Three Nights with a Scoundrel by Tessa Dare
As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding
Captured by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon
Elizabeth, Captive Princess by Margaret Irwin
Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine
Wicked Company by Ciji Ware
Wait for Dusk by Jocelynn Drake
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
An Inconvenient Elephant by Judy Reene Singer
Masked edited by Lou Anders
Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen and Wayne Josephson
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (e-galley)
Damaged by Pamela Callow
I Remember You by Harriet Evans
Dark Warrior Untamed by Alexis Morgan
The Life You've Imagined by Kristina Riggle
Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky
In This Way I Was Saved by Brian DeLeeuw
Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by Dan Santat
Secrets of the Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty

Be Back Shortly

2010-07-20T14:15:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

I've been having some internet connection issues over the past few days (thanks to power outages), as well as some personal issues to contend with during the past couple of weeks. If you've tried to get in touch with me or are looking for something that was supposed to be posted already, hopefully I'll have everything situated
soon.

Jacqueline

Interview: Molly Harper, author of And One Last Thing...

2010-07-15T12:46:00.000-04:00

Today I'm lucky enough to have the talented Molly Harper here to talk a bit about her upcoming novel, And One Last Thing . . . . Harper's already released three hilarious paranormal romances in the Jane Jameson series. This latest work, due out July 27th, will be her first published contemporary romance/chick lit novel.

You've previously published three paranormal romances in the Jane Jameson series. Why the departure from the paranormal with And One Last Thing...?

I was between books 2 and 3 in the Jane series. At that point, I’d been writing about vampires for a while and I wanted to do something a little different. My deadline for book 3 was a ways off and I was due to have our son at any moment. I had an idea for AND ONE LAST THING, and decided to spend my maternity leave working on it. It’s about a woman who finds out her husband is cheating, and uses his company mailing list to tell everyone they know what he’s been up to. She’s exiled from her little town and has to rebuild her life from there. She meets the aforementioned yummy ex-cop neighbor, wacky romance and half-naked hijinks ensue.

I finished the book in about two months. My son would sleep during the day. I would throw in a load of laundry and work on my manuscript, instead of, you know, sleeping, like a normal person. It’s the fastest I’ve ever written a book.

Was your experience writing this novel different in any way to the way you've written your Jane Jameson stories?

I didn’t have to focus on world-building or supernatural rules, I could just work with the interactions between the characters. That, and all of the characters could go out during the day.

List 3-5 characters from And One Last Thing... and pick a word that represents them.

Lacey - Resilient
Monroe - Snarky
Emmett - Meddlesome
Mike – Lazy
Beebee - Ambitious

I had another word for Mike. It started with “P” and ended with “rick.” But I didn’t know how family-friendly your blog was supposed to be. (Oh, I'm not too family friendly...)

What's your favorite thing about And One Last Thing... and what sets it apart from other contemporary romances?

I think Lacey and Monroe’s conversations are probably a little more candid that you would find in most contemporary romances. Lacey has had enough small talk and empty nothings to last her a lifetime. She says what she thinks and Monroe likes it.

What else do you have in the works?

My first werewolf romance HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF will come out in February 2011. The sequel HOW TO FALL FOR A NAKED WEREWOLF will follow in March 2011.

The summary for HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF:
Even in Grundy, Alaska, it's unusual to find a naked guy with a bear-trap clamped to his ankle on your front porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham - who has been openly critical of Mo's ability to adapt to life up North - has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it's love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But he has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he's worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen. Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. But if he's not responsible, then who is? Life is complicated when a when you fall head over haunches in love.

What do you have most in common with your heroine, Lacey?

Lacey’s sense of humor and ability to find really hurtful words when needed- that’s all me. (The hurtful words thing isn’t so much a skill as a liability.) However, if I ever found myself in the same position, I think my revenge would probably involve Super-Glue and chicken feathers.

If you were interviewing yourself, what would you ask and what's the answer to the question?

You’ve said that your mother is the first person to read your books, and that you have to leave the room when she gets into the love scenes. After four books, are you more comfortable with love scenes?

No. No, I am not. In fact, I’m doing everything I can to keep my mom away from repeat readings of AND ONE LAST THING, because the scenes are more explicit. Heck, until she read this book, my mom had no idea I ever attended a “brown bag party.” You have to read the book to find out what that references, because I will not go into it. I am going to pay my younger brother $20 to go after my grandma’s copy with a Sharpie, to mark out all of the inappropriate passages.

I would really like to be able to look Nana in the eye during Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanks for the great interview, Molly!

Everyone - be sure to check out Molly's site and blog for further info and shenanigans. Also, don't forget about And One Last Thing... when it hits shelves next Tuesday, July 27th!

In My Mailbox (34)

2010-07-11T00:32:00.000-04:00

This weekly meme that gives you a look at my latest book haul is all thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren, the host, and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the inspiration.

Won

Anthropology of an American Girl by Hilary Thayer Hamann (from Luxury Reading)

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (from Feed Your Reading Habit)

signed copy of His at Night by Sherry Thomas + bookmark (from Julie James's blog and Sherry Thomas)

Swapped

Gone by Lisa McMann

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

Of All the Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz

For Review

Once Wicked, Always Dead by T. Marie Benchley

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

Blue Fire by Janice Hardy

The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block

Rapture Untamed by Pamela Palmer

Into the Crossfire by Lisa Marie Rice

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

What did you guys get?

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Currently Coveting (10)

2010-07-07T17:01:00.001-04:00

On Shelves Now

Pretty Little Dirty by Amanda Boyden

Literary/General Fiction

Lisa sees the life of her gorgeous best friend Celeste as just about perfect: she has a gigantic house, two older sisters to coach her through the hazards of high school, and loving, lively parents. As Lisa's own home has long been a place devoid of joyful noise—her mother has shut herself off in her bedroom for years—Lisa joins the Diamond household, slipping into their routine of sit-down suppers and soaking in the delicious normalcy of Diamond family life. But what begins as the story of two young women living a charmed adolescence, one of mastering dance moves and the protocols of male-female interaction, soon swirls into an intoxicating novel of art, music, and self-destructive impulses as Lisa and Celeste dare each other ever onward.

Amazon recommended this one after I added another book to my wishlist. Everywhere I look, it has good reviews.

The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross
Women's Fiction/Chick Lit

In this delectable novel—complete with recipes—Jennifer Ross frosts a sweet story of a young woman fulfilling her dreams, one delicious cupcake at a time.

In Ansley Waller’s world of Southern belles and gentlemen, getting a diamond ring isn’t just important—it’s the ultimate goal. So when her fiancé, Parish, unceremoniously kicks her to the curb and cancels their upcoming wedding, Ansley is so ashamed that she decides to leave Dallas and make a fresh start. In a surprise move, she heads to New York City to live with her recently widowed grandmother, Vivian, whom she’s never met. In turn, Vivian gives Ansley a no-nonsense ultimatum: Rather than wallow in misery, either get a job or go home.

The Waller women have a tradition of baking their way out of sorrow. So Ansley mixes batch after batch of creative cupcakes—Black Bottom Heartache, Moving Blues Banana Caramel, Tres Leches Made Small. Before long, she’s opening up her own cupcake shop and even trying her hand at dating. But the ways of Manhattan’s eligible bachelors are altogether different from their Southern counterparts, and Ansley’s nearly fail-safe tactics fall flat. And worse, someone’s got a half-baked scheme to sabotage Ansley’s new life. It’ll take a cup of courage and a dash of Southern charm, plus a few secret ingredients, if Ansley hopes to pull off her recipe for success.

I've been seeing this one all over the internet. I love the sound of it, especially the baking tie-in. I've had a lot of luck with chick lit/contemporary romances where the heroine was a baker (i.e. Falling for Gracie, The Next Best Thing)

One Season of Sunshine by Julia London

Contemporary Romance

Should some questions be left unanswered?

Adopted as an infant, Jane Aaron longs to know the identity of her birth mother and why she gave her up. Her only clue is the name of the small Texas town where she was born, so she’s come to Cedar Springs for answers.

Handsome ad executive Asher Price lost his wife, the beautiful, mysterious Susanna, in a terrible car crash eighteen months ago. When he hires Jane as the nanny for his two children, sparks fly. Jane finds herself falling in love with both Asher and his children, but begins to suspect that Susanna was not the perfect mother and wife the family portrays her to have been.

As Jane gets closer and closer to finding out the truth about both her own and Susanna’s past, devastating secrets begin to emerge that may be more than anyone can bear. Will the truth bring Jane and Asher closer together or tear them apart forever?

I've read one of Julia London's historical romances - A Courtesan's Scandal - and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've had her first contemporary, Summer of Two Wishes, languishing in my TBR pile for some time now. I like the description of this one better though, so I'll probably end up reading it first.

Upcoming Releases

The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance edited by Tricia Telep

Historical Romance Anthology
Release Date: July 27, 2010

From some of the biggest names in Regency historical romance, over twenty witty, romantic, and sensual short stories. The collection will include stories from Mary Balogh, Julia Templeton, Sara Bennett, Jo Beverley, and Amanda Grange.

I heard about this a while ago and recently spotted the cover on Amazon. I haven't read too many short historicals, so I'd love to try this one. That roster of authors doesn't hurt either!

Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (Re-issue)
Young Adult Urban Fantasy

Release Date: August 3, 2010

There are some girls who have everything...

She has the right clothes, the right friends, and the right last name, but fifteen-year-old Maddie Crane sometimes feels like an outsider in her clique in the wealthy, seaside town of Hawthorne, Massachusetts. And when her gorgeous, eccentric cousin Cordelia LeClaire moves to town, Maddie is drawn toward her ethereal, magical spirit and teeters even more toward the edge of her friends' tightly-knit circle...

Then there are the jealous ones...

Kate Endicott and the Sisters of Misery--a secret clique of the most popular, powerful girls in school--are less than thrilled by Cordelia's arrival. When Kate's on-again, off-again boyfriend Trevor takes an interest in Cordelia, the Sisters of Misery become determined to make her pay...

Now Maddie must choose between the allure and power of the Sisters of Misery and her loyalty to her beloved cousin. But she'll have to give up on ever fitting in and accept the disturbing truth about the town, her friends, her mysterious cousin, and even herself as she faces the terrifying wrath of the Sisters of Misery...

Someone (I can't recall whom) recently mentioned Megan Kelley Hall and/or her book on their blog. I checked them out and I had to add to my wishlist after reading that intriguing synopsis and seeing all of the great reviews. I'm glad that it's being re-released next month because it'll be easier to find and cheaper (although, I do prefer the original cover).

The Pindar Diamond by Katie Hickman

Historical Fiction

Release Date: August 17, 2010

In a small town on the Italian coast, a mysterious woman washes ashore. She is crippled, mute, and clutches a bundle to her chest?a baby the townspeople insist is a real-life mermaid. It can only bring bad luck; they pay a troupe of acrobats to carry mother and child away.

In the bustling trade center of Venice, merchant Paul Pindar is the subject of his colleagues' concern. Since his return from Constantinople, they have found him changed; raging over the loss of his beloved, Celia, he has gambled away his fortune at the gaming tables. But when a priceless blue diamond surfaces in the city, Pindar recognizes the opportunity to regain everything he has lost?including, perhaps, the woman he loves.

A celebrated writer of history and travel books, Katie Hickman has always been a master of evoking time and place. With The Pindar Diamond, her follow-up to The Aviary Gate, she brings early-seventeenth-century Italy vividly to life, and also demonstrates her maturity as a novelist. A tale of love and avarice, with a touch of the mystical, The Pindar Diamond is rich with historical detail, and unfolds with urgency and grace. It is accomplished, wholly satisfying historical fiction.

I love the epic and tragic sound of this one.

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay Griffith, Susan Griffith

Historical Steampunk Urban Fantasy

Release Date: November 2, 2010

In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya.

It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming.

Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. She is quick with her wit as well as with a sword or gun. She is eager for an adventure before she settles into a life of duty and political marriage to man she does not know. But her quest turns black when she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan. Her only protector is The Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans.

The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire is the first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, The Greyfriar brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Another blog find (again, I forget who's) from a while. The firs time that it caught my eye, there was only a cover. After reading this, though, I'm ten times more interested.

What books are you guys coveting right now?

Each synopsis was found at Amazon.com. I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Review/Rant: Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer

2010-07-06T21:21:00.003-04:00

Barely a Lady (Drake's Rakes, 1) by Eileen Dreyer
Forever (July 1, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0446542081
432 pages
Review copy provided by the publisher

Synopsis from Amazon:

Olivia Grace has secrets that could destroy her. One of the greatest of these is the Earl of Gracechurch, who married and divorced her five years earlier. Abandoned and disgraced, Grace has survived those years at the edge of respectability. Then she stumbles over Jack on the battlefield of Waterloo, and he becomes an even more dangerous secret. For not only is he unconscious, he is clad in an enemy uniform.

But worse, when Jack finally wakes in Olivia's care, he can't remember how he came to be on a battlefield in Belgium. In fact, he can remember nothing of the last five years. He thinks he and Olivia are still blissfully together. To keep him from being hanged for a traitor, Olivia must pretend she and Jack are still married.

To unearth the real traitors, Olivia and Jack must unravel the truth hidden within his faulty memory. To save themselves and the friends who have given them sanctuary, they must stand against their enemies, even as they both keep their secrets.

In the end, can they risk everything to help Jack recover his lost memories, even though the truth may destroy them both?

Warning: This review is not spoiler free.

I was initially so excited about this one. The author was new to me and I haven't read a historical romance in a while. I had no expectations, though, but to be entertained. Unfortunately, the feeling that I was left with wasn't that pleasant one obtained upon finishing a satisfying read. Instead, I'm pissed at the characters and, to some extent, the author for giving me such an infuriating story. I actually didn't make it to the end by straight-forward reading. After a while, I had to skim the darn thing in order to avoid permanently throwing it down and make it to its end. It all started with Mimi.

Who's Mimi, you say? Why, she's the mysterious woman that the hero, Jack, is enamored with throughout the majority of the novel, even while his feelings for Olivia (his ex-wife) are rekindled. You might not think this is such a big deal, but I had a difficult time choking down a romance where the most romantic feelings that the hero had were for someone other than heroine. In fact, so romantic were his feelings for Mimi that he was often repulsed by the heroine's nearness and/or touch. On top of this, he's constantly angry with Olivia and he has lingering feelings of doubt about her from their past. A past in which, as he learns slowly during his recovery from amnesia, includes him believing lies about her and subsequently throwing him out on her PREGNANT behind. Apparently they hadn't been married for long when this all happened. They were still in the honeymoon stage which, in my opinion, makes Jack even more loathsome. Overnight the love of your life goes from the sweetest girl in the world to a lying whore? And you take this for fact based all on one person's word? And you don't even have the balls to ask her about it? What a sorry excuse for a man.

Olivia's no better. Sure, she's wary of Jack and her love for him. She (rightfully) no longer trusts him. But as the story progresses she begins to make excuse after excuse for him, ultimately forgiving all of his heinous crimes against her and their (formerly unborn) child. Crimes that led her family to reject her and caused her to live life on the run away from her child while barely scraping by. She's not an unlikable woman altogether, but one can't even properly sympathize with her due to her silly acceptance of Jack.

I'm all for flawed characters - who wants a boringly perfect pair in a romance? But these people were utterly ridiculous. I have no problem with Dreyer's writing style, however, nor do I have anything against the secondary characters that will star in the next Drake's Rakes book. Just don't expect me to pick it up.

Grade: D

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Swap/Sell: More books and lower prices!

2010-07-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

I've added more books to the swap/sell list and lowered the prices. They've got to go, so check them out!

In My Mailbox (33)

2010-07-04T01:01:00.003-04:00

This weekly meme that gives you a look at my latest book haul is all thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren, the host, and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the inspiration.

I got a ridiculous amount of books this week (mostly because I went ebook and audiobook crazy!) so, instead of tediously listing and linking to all of them, I'll just feature one from each category.

Bought:

How to Woo a Spinster by Kasey Michaels (ebook)

How to Woo a Spinster -- a Daughtry family prequel

Still unmarried at twenty-eight, Lady Emmaline Daughtry has resigned herself to spinsterhood. Then Captain John Alistair arrives at her door--the very image of the perfect lover of her most private dreams. But can a man with a secret and a woman who's never known love find happiness when they least expect to?

I had previously bought this one but I recently lost the ebook file. This novella is very sweet and sensual - definitely worth the re-buy.

Won:

A signed copy of How to Knit a Wild Bikini by Christie Ridgway (from Christie Ridgway and RR@H Novel Thoughts)

The beachside knitting shop Malibu & Ewe is the perfect place for L.A.’s hip young crowd to enjoy colorful yarn and intimate conversation. For personal chef Nikki Carmichael, it could be the softest place to land if her new job falls through. Working for magazine writer Jay Buchanan has come with some strange conditions—like pretending to be his girlfriend. As for Jay, he finds himself drawn to the kitchen, where he’s intrigued by his sexy cook’s ability to withstand the heat between them. And now he thinks it’s time to turn up the flames.

I'm particularly excited about this one because I've been craving a good contemporary romance and I've heard good things about Ridgway.

For Review:

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

In this wonderfully transporting novel, award-winning author Karen Essex turns a timeless classic inside out, spinning a haunting, erotic, and suspenseful story of eternal love and possession.

From the shadowy banks of the river Thames to the wild and windswept Yorkshire coast, Dracula’s eternal muse, Mina Murray, vividly recounts the intimate details of what really transpired between her and the Count—the joys and terrors of a passionate affair that has linked them through the centuries, and her rebellion against her own frightening preternatural powers.

Mina’s version of this gothic vampire tale is a visceral journey into Victorian England’s dimly lit bedrooms, mist-filled cemeteries, and asylum chambers, revealing the dark secrets and mysteries locked within. Time falls away as she is swept into a mythical journey far beyond mortal comprehension, where she must finally make the decision she has been avoiding for almost a millennium.

Bram Stoker’s classic novel offered one side of the story, in which Mina had no past and bore no responsibility for the unfolding events. Now, for the first time, the truth of Mina’s personal voyage, and of vampirism itself, is revealed. What this flesh and blood woman has to say is more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the Victorians could have expressed or perhaps even have imagined.

Another take on Dracula, but I'm liking the sound of this one.

Free:

The Hunter by L.J. Smith (audiobook)

He sold her the game, and Jenny Thornton walked out mesmerized by Julian, the gorgeous cyber-punk with electric blue eyes and frost-white hair. When she and her friends open the plain white box at her boyfriend Tom’s birthday party, she chills to the warning: “Entering the Shadow World can be deadly. Do so at your own risk.” Spellbound, they piece together the rooms with their darkest nightmares. Suddenly the game is real! They’re in the house of horrors, running from The Shadow Man – Julian himself, who forces them to confront their worst nightmares or be lost in a private hell. It’s Julian’s game, and Jenny is the prize he’s stalked for years. He’ll do anything to win her as she bargains desperately for her body – and soul . . .

I must confess: I've yet to read anything by L.J. Smith! In fact, this will be a double-first for me - my first Smith novel and my first (personal) audiobook.

What did you guys get this week?

Each synopsis was found at Amazon.com. I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Friday(ish) Feature: My books for swap and sale

2010-07-03T04:32:00.061-04:00

Friday Features are weekly posts that give the basic facts about an event or item. They are not always, but often are, book-related. If you have anything that you think I might find interesting enough to feature, feel free to send me an email at jax @ eclecticbooklover.com.

Not my actual piles, but I'm headed in that direction.

Who: Me, the lovely and fantastic Jacqueline.

What: A ton of my books that I need to get rid of. All of which are in excellent condition.

When: ASAP

Where: Here at my blog and at my swap inventory on Goodreads (100+ books listed)

Why: I have no room to live! Aside from my book addiction, I often get a copy of a book that I've already purchased. I've been posting books over on Goodreads's bookwap, but it's not easy to unload ARCs over there. You can't list an ARC for trade under it's published version. Instead, you have to create a whole new book listing. This in itself is understandable and not unreasonable, unless (like me) you have more ARCs than your willing put through such a tedious process.

My solution:

Old used books are for swap on Goodreads since their process for trading finished copies is so smooth.
ARCs are for swap here. I'll consider anything that's fiction so email me what you have to trade at jax @ eclecticbooklover . com.
Newer used and brand new books are for swap or sale here for about 50% or more off the Amazon price.

If you're buying - I'll ship anywhere as long as you're willing to pay the postage. If we're swapping - no shipping payment is necessary.

ARCs for swap:

Sellout by Ebony Joy Wilkins
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor - 2 copies
Malice by Chris Wooding
Beastmaster: Myth by Richard A Knaak and Sylvio Tabet
The Hidden Man by David Ellis
The Opposite Field: A Memoir by Jesse Katz
Well Witched by Frances Hardinge
Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding - galley/bound manuscript
And One Last Thing by Molly Harper - finished copy received for review
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Finished copies for sale or swap. All are books that I've bought and are either like new or never read (because I received another copy after I purchased one). I would prefer to swap these for something on my wishlist:

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall (paperback) - $3
The Family Greene by Ann Rinaldi (hardcover) - $5
The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer (hardcover) - $5
Zen & Xander Undone by Amy Kathleen Ryan (hardcover) - $5
Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci (hardcover) - $5
Fierce Style: How to Be Your Most Fabulous Self by Christian Siriano (hardcover) - $5
Raiders' Ransom by Emily Diamand (hardcover) - $5
Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (hardcover) - $5
A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine (paperback) - $2
The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen (paperback) - $5
Freak Magnet by Andrew Aueson (hardcover) - $5
Hollywood Is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean (paperback) - $2
The Life Of Glass by Jillian Cantor (hardcover) - $5

(Un)Cover: Soul Screamers UK or Wherein the Brits Do It Better

2010-07-01T19:35:00.003-04:00

Rachel Vincent posted the covers for the upcoming UK releases of her Soul Screamers series, so the side-by-side was inevitable:

It may just be the novelty of them, but I'm liking the new UK covers a bit more. I think they did a great job of evoking a similar feel to the US versions and I like that they used the same colors in a different way.

What do you think?

June in Review

2010-07-01T01:50:00.003-04:00

Reviewed books (linked to the review):
*Read this month. **Re-read

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (A-/B+)
Deception by Lee Nichols (B-/C+)*
Out of Eden by Beth Ciotta (C)*
Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill (A+)
Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon (B)*
The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (A)
Heist Society by Ally Carter (B)

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook (A-)
Runaway (Airhead, 3) by Meg Cabot (B-)
My Double Life by Janette Rallison (B)*
32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter (A-/B+)*
All-American Girl by Meg Cabot (B+)**
The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá (Artist) (B-)*
Fat Cat by Robin Brande (A+)
Hold Still by Nina LaCour (A-)
Front & Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (A-)
Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers (A)

What I read but haven't reviewed yet (linked to Amazon):

Kiss It by Erin Downing (B-/C+)
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker (C+)

Challenge books:
I done bad - no challenge books read!!!

Books that I've read this month and won't review, but I recommend for you to check out them out (linked to Amazon):

Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch - Not great, but solidly good. Despite some info dumping and pacing issues, it was very fun. I'll definitely check out the next one in this series.
Naked in Death (In Death, 1) by J.D. Robb - Eve Dallas is the perfect blend of hard and soft and Roarke is just damn sexy. Despite a cliché here and there, it was very good.

June's DNF:

Knight of Passion (All the King's Men, 3) by Margaret Mallory - After 140+ pages, I still didn't care what happened next with the characters. It's not bad, I just wasn't interested enough to keep going. I might pick it up again another day.

What did you read this month? Was there anything you couldn't finish? What do you recommend?

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Pint-Sized 'Pinions: Great Realistic YA Edition

2010-06-30T23:54:00.004-04:00

Pint-Sized 'Pinions are mini-reviews that I post often (usually weekly). The books reviewed have either been reviewed a lot or I don't have much to say for them, whether negative or positive, to justify an extended review.

Today's minis cover a few young adult novels, in the realistic fiction genre, that I though were simply outstanding. I can't say much more for these other than "They're great! Get them now!"

Fat Cat by Robin Brande
Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 13, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0375844492
336 pages

You are what you eat. . . .

Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves.

This young adult novel is one of my all-time favorites. It's funny, sweet and meaningful. Cat is an amazing heroine and her journey can be enjoyed by anyone.

Grade: A+

Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Dutton Juvenile (October 20, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0525421559
304 pages

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, froma breakthrough new voice in YA fiction
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.

Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.

A sad, yet hopeful novel. Caitlin's struggle to get over her friend's death, and find herself in the process, is captivating. I really enjoyed LaCour's use of Ingrid's journal and Caitlin's new romance to help propel the story forward.

Grade: A-

Front & Center (Dairy Queen, 3) by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (October 19, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0618959822
272 pages

After five months of sheer absolute craziness I was going back to being plain old background D.J. In photographs of course I'm always in the background...

But it turns out other folks have big plans for D.J. Like her coach. College scouts. All the town hoops fans. A certain Red Bend High School junior who's keen for romance and karaoke. Not to mention Brian Nelson, who she should not be thinking about! Who she is done with, thank you very much. But who keeps showing up anyway...

The entire Dairy Queen series is amazing. D.J.'s story is fascinating in its simplicity - much like the character herself. You have to read the previous two novels in order to fully appreciate how Front & Center develops. It's a very satisfying cap to a extremely enjoyable trilogy.

Grade: A-

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
St. Martin's Griffin (January 5, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0312573805
256 pages

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Some Girls Are is raw and honest. One can't help but become absorbed in it's realness, even if they've never ecountered a similar situation. What really sets it apart is that Regina isn't always the lovable or the victim. A must read.

Grade: A

Each book was reviewed from a copy provided by the publisher. Each synopsis was found at Amazon.com. I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Review: The Umbrella Academy, Volume 1 - Apocalypse Suite

2010-06-30T22:42:00.005-04:00

The Umbrella Academy, Volume 1: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá (Artist)
Graphic Novel
Dark Horse (July 2, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-1593079789
192 pages
Copy provided for review by the publisher

Synopsis from Amazon:

Gerard Way, of My Chemical Romance, makes his comics writing debut in this outrageous superhero epic that Grant Morrison called "An ultraviolet psychedelic sherbet bomb of wit and ideas. The superheroes of the 21st century are here at last..." In an inexplicable, worldwide event, forty-seven extraordinary children were spontaneously born by women who'd previously shown no signs of pregnancy. Millionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven of the children; when asked why, his only explanation was, "To save the world." These seven children form The Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers. Their first adventure at the age of ten pits them against an erratic and deadly Eiffel Tower, piloted by the fearsome zombie-robot Gustave Eiffel. Nearly a decade later, the team disbands, but when Hargreeves unexpectedly dies, these disgruntled siblings reunite just in time to save the world once again

I don't read a lot of graphic novels. In fact, I can count on one hand the number that I've read. What I have read however has been outstanding in both story and art (i.e. Watchmen). Artistically, The Umbrella Academy is very good and its story is engaging, if a bit lacking in development.

The illustrator, Gabriel Bá, does an outstanding job with the visualization of the characters and the world that they inhabit. Each character's appearance suits their individually outrageous personalities without being too cartoon-like. This is mostly due to the fact that the histories of those in the core group are visible on their faces. The settings, too, are believable in their originality. His action scenes come together to create an almost palpable sense of excitement, despite the fact that one is just looking at this all on bound paper.

Gerard Way's story itself is also intriguing. It's very over-the-top and riddled with a perfect amount of humor. The premise of a group of extraordinary children taken and raised to defend the side of good is fascinating. What hero-worship and adoration the kids received from most of the public, they lacked from their own adoptive father and mentor, Hargreeves. Thus the cause of much of the novel's conflict and. While this makes for fascinating a backstory and provides a wealth of material that could be used to flesh out the characters, Way neglects to fully utilize it. Its evident that there is a lot more story there, but the length of the Apocalypse Suite is entirely too short to do it justice. I understand that there is another installment, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas, so (hopefully) there is more in the way of character development and answers.

Ultimately, it's a fun, quick read and I wouldn't mind seeing where The Umbrella Academy goes from here.

Grade: B-

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Currently Coveting (9)

2010-06-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

On Shelves Now

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

Historical Romance

HELLIONS OF HALSTEAD HALL

They're the scandalous Sharpes, five hell-raising siblings tainted by a shocking family legacy. Now each faces a daunting ultimatum: marry by year's end -- or kiss their inheritance good-bye.
In the two decades since a tragic "accident" took the lives of his parents, Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville, has survived the scandal surrounding that fateful night by living as an unrepentant rakehell. And with his grandmother vowing to disinherit him if he doesn't settle down and wed, he plans to fulfill the bargain in true Sharpe style -- by bringing home a fake fiancée from a brothel! But his scheme is derailed when he rescues an American beauty in a dire predicament instead. Maria Butterfield came to London to track down her groom-to-be, who's gone missing, but her engagement won't stop Oliver from getting what he wants: her, in his bed. His rebellious masquerade may call his grandmother's bluff , but it's soon made all too real -- by a love that tempts him to be a hellion no more.

I recently received a copy of the follow-up to this book, Hellion in Her Bed, but I want to read this one first.

Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison
Young Adult Romance

Sometimes only love can save you.

Leesie Hunt's Unbreakable Rules: No Kissing (at least not of the French variety)...No Sex (hah! Not even close to happening anyway)...No Dating Outside the Mormon Faith (what would be the point?)...ABSOLUTELY No Falling in Love with the Wrong Boy (would ruin everything).

Leesie thinks she has her whole life planned out: get into the school of her dreams, write her poems, meet the perfect guy, and settle down. Then she meets Michael--a boy whose parents were killed in a diving accident during a terrible storm.

Michael is drowning in tragedy. And all Leesie wants is to save him. With each day, her heart hurts more. Could it be, perfect Leesie is falling from grace? Or is she just falling in love?

But if Leesie gives in to temptation, who is going to save her?

I saw a really great review of this one a while back (I forgot where) and I've been meaning to get it.

Hidden Wives by Claire Avery

General Fiction

Fifteen-year-old Sara and her beautiful sister, Rachel, are too young to legally drive a car—but are approaching spinsterhood in Utah’s secret polygamist Blood of the Lamb community. Having long since reached the “age of preparedness,” they will soon be married off to much older men chosen by the hidden sect’s revered Prophet.

As Sara, chosen to become her uncle’s fifth wife, grows more distraught over her impending incestuous marriage, she begins to scrutinize the faith she has followed blindly her entire life. But for Rachel, who will be married to one of the many powerful community leaders vying for her hand, disobeying the Prophet means eternal damnation. Her friendship with the newest member of the community, the young and handsome Luke, starts as an attempt to save his agnostic soul, but ends with the pair falling helplessly in love. When Rachel is forbidden to see him, her absolute faith in the Prophet is severely tested.

When Rachel’s future husband is finally announced, violence erupts, and the girls must find the strength to escape the only life they have ever know…before it’s too late.

Claire Avery has woven a stunning tale that could be ripped from today’s headlines. Shocking and empowering, Hidden Wives is a page-turning debut that will stay with the reader.

Saw it being given away on Goodreads a couple of months ago and I had to add it. It just sounds good! Plus, it's been getting a lot of praise.

Upcoming Releases

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

YA Historical Romance
UK and ebook Release Date: July 1, 2010

It's England, 1582. Ellie - Lady Eleanor Rodriguez of San Jaime - is in possession of a gold-seeking father, a worthless title and a feisty spirit that captivates the elite of the Queen's court, and none other than the handsome new Earl of Dorset ...William Lacey has inherited his father's title and his financial ruin. Now the Earl must seek a wealthy heiress and restore his family's fortune. But Will's head has been turned by the gorgeous Ellie, yet their union can never be. Will is destined to marry a worthy Lady so the only question is - which one?

I can't remember when or where I saw this one, I just know that it was a while ago and the disappointment of a lack of a US release hasn't lessened any since. Guess I'll just have to buy the ebook . . . Anyway, I love YA historical romances - there should be more of them!

A Wild Light by Marjorie M. Liu
Urban Fantasy

Release Date: July 27, 2010

For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather's dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

I've been waiting on this one since I finished the first two books a year ago. Liu's series is very unique and so is her style of writing. My reviews of the series so far: The Iron Hunt and Darkness Calls

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Biography

Release Date: November 1, 2010

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt.

Her palace shimmered with onyx and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.

She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well; incest and assassination were family specialties. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, two of the most prominent Romans of the day. Both were married to other women. Cleopatra had a son with Caesar and--after his murder--three more with his protégé. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean; the relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. Cleopatra has lodged herself in our imaginations ever since.

Famous long before she was notorious, Cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Shakespeare and Shaw put words in her mouth. Michelangelo, Tiepolo, and Elizabeth Taylor put a face to her name. Along the way the supple personality has been lost. In a masterly return to the classical sources, Stacy Schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order a generation before the birth of Christ. Rich in detail, epic in scope, Schiff 's is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life.

I found this a couple of months ago while looking through Edelweiss's Books@BEA feature. I've always found Cleopatra a fascinating figure and, since reading Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter last year, I've been itching for more info on her.

What books are you guys coveting right now?

Each synopsis was found at Amazon.com. I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Giveaway: RITA Nominees!

2010-06-29T21:30:00.005-04:00

Romance Lovers,

It's almost time for the winners of this year's RITA awards to be announced by RWA (Romance Writers of America). Hachette is celebrating their roster of nominees by giving away sets of books! I haven't read all of these yet, but I definitely hope to eventually. Of the six up for grabs, I can recommend My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel (which I reviewed here last year). To Beguile a Beast is the third book in Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers series. Hopefully I'll get to that one soon. Meanwhile, I'll urge you to read it's predecessor, To Seduce a Sinner, which I loved. So, without further ado, the nominated books...

Best First Book and Romantic Suspense:

One Scream Away by Kate Brady

Killer Chevy Bankes is a master of disguise, and just paroled, he's coming after the woman who sent him to jail, the beautiful antiques expert Beth Denison. A set of antique dolls brings Beth into his sight, and inspire Chevy's disturbing crimes as he draws closer to Beth and her young daughter. Chevy sends the dolls to Beth one-by-one and she soon realizes that these antiques carry the same marks as his victims, signaling that the final piece in his collection will be for her.

Neil Sheridan gave up his FBI shield five years ago, but his best friend Rick, a cop, pulls him in as a consultant on a case involving a serial killer who is eerily similar to a murderer Neil encountered in the past. The investigation leads Neil to Beth's doorstep, and he is certain she isn't telling him the truth. Neil is the only one who can get through Beth's defenses and, as they grow closer, discover the secrets that Beth is hiding about her fateful night with Chevy.

Contemporary Single Title Romance:

For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper

Dante Torelli is an undercover FBI agent assigned to protect a mob informant and his family. But when the informant's hiding place is blown, a baby girl is snatched by a ruthless hitman. Now, Dante must save the toddler, uncover the traitor in his department, evade various bad guys, and deal with the toddler's sexy aunt, all before the biggest mob trial in Chicago history, set to begin in just three days.

When Zoe Adler's stepsister went into the witness protection program because of her sleazeball boyfriend, she wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Except the two sisters have always been close, and Zoe has been babysitting her niece, Pete, since her birth. What harm could it be to secretly get Zoe an apartment in the same building where the FBI is keeping the family under protection? So when someone inside the FBI turns and a hitman snatches Pete, Zoe is right there. During the shootout, she jumps into a sexy, uptight FBI agent's car and hangs on as he pursues the hitman. No matter what it takes, Zoe is going to bring her niece back.

Historical Romance:

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

CAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .

Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.

TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .

Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won't let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.

TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?

Beneath Helen's beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn't back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen's secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could ever find-a happy ever after.

AND

Knight of Pleasure by Margaret Mallory

THE GREATEST PASSION
Lady Isobel Hume is an expert swordswoman who knows how to choose her battles. When the king asks her to wed a French nobleman to form a political alliance, she agrees. But that's before the devilishly charming Sir Stephen Carleton captures her heart-and tempts her to betray her betrothed, her king, and her country.

IS WORTH THE GREATEST PERIL
Sir Stephen Carleton enjoys his many female admirers-until he dedicates himself to winning the lovely Isobel. So when a threat against the king leads Isobel into mortal danger, Stephen has a chance to prove that he is more than a knight of pleasure...and that love can conquer all.

Paranormal Romance:

My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel

TORN BETWEEN...

Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he's hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can't deny the white-hot passion between them.

DESIRE AND TEMPTATION

Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he's been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them...or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.

Romantic Suspense:

Kill for Me by Karen Rose

New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers another pulse-pounding suspense novel that ties into SCREAM FOR ME.

Five teenage girls have been murdered. One survived, and only she can reveal the secrets of a disturbing ring of people who kidnap and sell teenage girls on the black market. But those responsible for the crimes will do whatever it takes to maintain her silence.

Susannah Vartanian and Luke Papadopoulos have both sworn to stop the murderers for their own reasons. Susannah, the sister of the hero in SCREAM FOR ME, suffers from a mysterious past that is connected to the sinister black market. Luke is an investigative agent and a computer expert who refuses to let another child predator get away.

Susannah and Luke are instantly attracted to each other, but their troubled pasts prevent them from immediately acting upon their feelings. The case will lead them to the shady realm of Internet chat rooms, where anyone can mask their identity. As Susannah and Luke draw closer to the criminals, they discover a chain of deception so intricate they don't know who to trust. Susannah and Luke find comfort in one another's arms, but the killers are ruthless and determined, and will take extreme measures to insure their anonymity and keep their business intact.

Sound good? Then go forth and enter!

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Review: 32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

2010-06-28T21:31:00.000-04:00

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter
Women's Fiction/Chick Lit
Amistad (June 22, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0061957840
352 pages
Review copy provided by the publisher

Synopsis from Amazon:

32 Candles is the slightly twisted, utterly romantic, and deftly wry story of Davie Jones, who, if she doesn’t stand in her own way, just might get the man of her dreams.

Davie—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. She has the meanest mother in the South, possibly the world, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. Tormented endlessly in school with the nickname "Monkey Night," and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, James Farrell, Davie finds that it is bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings. When a cruel school prank goes too far, Davie leaves the life she knows and reinvents herself in the glittery world of Hollywood—as a beautiful and successful lounge singer in a swanky nightclub.

Davie is finally a million miles from where she started—until she bumps into her former obsession, James Farrell. To Davie’s astonishment, James doesn’t recognize her, and she can’t bring herself to end the fantasy. She lets him fall as deeply in love with her as she once was with him. But is life ever that simple? Just as they’re about to ride off into the sunset, the past comes back with a vengeance, threatening to crush Davie’s dreams—and break her heart again.

With wholly original characters and a cinematic storyline, 32 Candles introduces Ernessa T. Carter, a new voice in fiction with smarts, attitude, and sassiness to spare.

John Hughes's Sixteen Candles has long been a favorite of mine. When I heard that Ernessa Carter's debut novel would be a take on it my initial reaction was elation. Anything Sixteen Candles-related had to be good, right? Then, I started thinking about the few encounters that I've had with re-tellings, adaptations and spin-offs lately. That's when dread entered the picture and caused me to put of reading, for a little while, a novel that I had been itching to get. All of that's to say that Carter has restored my faith in the concept with 32 Candles. It really is one of the best books that I've read this year. I didn't simply enjoy it - I know that I'll return to it, just like how I often return to the film that served as inspiration.

Davie's story immediately drew me in and had me hanging on every word up until the end. Her story is never predictable, largely due to the way that Carter plays with the timeline. Certain crucial events are withheld early on - something that Davie foreshadows up until the reveal - and when it's time for all to come to a head, Carter shows while Davie tells.

None of this outstanding storytelling, however, would mean squat if Davie wasn't a lovable character. The abuse that she suffers early in life is what makes Davie sympathetic, but it's her profound strength that saves her from being pitiable. This isn't to say that she's the most morally upright character in the novel. Despite the fact that she's always worth rooting for, she does some questionable things. No, the most forthright, kind and forgiving character would be her love-interest James. The man isn't perfect but he is perfect for Davie. She knows instantly upon first meeting him that having his love would be the ultimate gift but, in the end, she has to work hard to deserve it. Her so-called "atonement list" (for those previously mentioned deplorable actions) takes a while for her to accomplish and, unfortunately leaving a less than desirable amount of time dedicated to her "Molly Ringwald ending". She is redeemed though and her final scene will definitely resonate with Sixteen Candles fans.

32 Candles is populated with similarly drawn secondary characters. Each one of them is flawed, complex and feels honestly drawn. Their behavior and motivations are shaped by their various circumstances and not simply tacked on to further the plot, though they do that admirably.

Perhaps what I love most, though, about this novel is its voice. Carter touches on things common to the black experience in such a universal way that anyone can understand and enjoy it. It's not a book that will only truly resonate with black people. The narrative is engaging, witty and intelligent and the dialogue manages to be in the appropriate vernaculars for the right characters. There's no overdone colloquialisms and no caricaturing of Southern dialects.

While this novel could be simply classified as "chick lit", it's so much more than that. Davie's story isn't just cute and romantic, but grandly triumphant and I loved every word of it.

Grade: A-/B+

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Now & Then: A re-read of All-American Girl by Meg Cabot

2010-06-28T16:44:00.005-04:00

I'm starting a new feature - "Now & Then" reviews. In these I'll review a recent re-read of a book that I first read at least 5 years. They'll probably mostly be books that I read as a teenager, but won't be limited to YA novels. I'll compare my original impressions with my latest thoughts.

The original hardcover

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot
Young Adult Chick Lit/General Fiction
HarperTeen; 1st edition (August 20, 2002)
ISBN-13: 978-0060294694
256 pages

Synopsis from Amazon:

TOP TEN REASONS
Samantha Madison
IS IN DEEP TROUBLE

10. Her big sister is the most popular girl in school

9. Her little sister is a certified genius

8. She's in love with her big sister's boyfriend

7. She got caught selling celebrity portraits in school

6. And now she's being forced to take art classes

5. She's just saved the president of the United States from an assassination attempt

4. So the whole world thinks she is a hero

3. Even though Sam knows she is far, far from being a hero

2. And now she's been appointed teen ambassador to the UN

AND THE NUMBER-ONE REASON
Sam's LIFE IS OVER?

1.The president's son just might be in love with her

What I felt then (2002): Sam is a cool heroine - one that I could totally see myself befriending. Is she best friend material for me? No, but I think she's funny and interesting. She's silly when it comes to David. I kind of just want to slap her so she'll wake up, but then the novel wouldn't be half as hilarious. Her sisters are outrageous and I can't help but sympathize with her about them. I picked up this book because I love the Princess Diaries series and I'm glad that I did. Meg Cabot's teen girls are so realistic, I swear that I've met them before. I love her pop culture references too. Not only do they add to the humor, they also make Sam and her story feel even more realistic.

Grade: A-

Most recent edition

What I think now (2010): I still really like Sam, her friends, family and story. Meg Cabot knows how to make her teens feel utterly real - from the way that they talk to the decisions that they make. I found myself laughing aloud several times and, despite some of the dated pop culture references, it retained a fresh feel. Mind you, this novel is only eight years-old. In a few more years a lot of these pop culture mentions will fall flat. Eventually, they may have to pull a Sweet Valley High/Nancy Drew and update some things. Fortunately, the humor found here isn't completely reliant on pop culture. Just reading through Sam's thought process, actions and rationalizations are a riot.

New Grade: B+

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Contest Alert!

2010-06-28T14:26:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let you know about a contest for a book that I really enjoyed. Kieran Scott's giving away a signed copy of her book She's So Dead to Us (see my review) at her blog. She's also giving the lucky winner signed copies of her other books, Geek Magnet, I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader and She's So Over Him. All you have to do is change your Twitter or Facebook profile photo to the cover of She's So Dead to Us. Whether you love her books (under Kieran Scott and Kate Brian) or have never read her stuff - it doesn't hurt to enter!

Good luck!

In My Mailbox (32)

2010-06-27T00:03:00.003-04:00

This peek inside my mailbox is all thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren, the host, and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the inspiration.

Lots of stuff in the mail = No photos of the actual copies. What can I say? It's the weekend, so I'm lazy.

Won:

1. Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn from Smexy Books

2. Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase from Anna's Book Blog - Yay! I've been wanting this one!

3. signed ARC of Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes + swag (2 shot glasses, candy, cards, pens, signed cover flat) from Jeannie's blog - My ARC has a different cover, but I prefer this new one.

4. signed Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade + swag (signed forged by shadows sampler, seduced by shadows and forged by shadows bookmarks, temporary tattoo) from Strange Candy Reviews

For review:

1. Room by Emma Donoghue - There's so much buzz surrounding this one, my expectations are high.

2. Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon

3. Stranded by J.T. Dutton

4. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund - I finally get to see what the hype is all about!

5. The Secrets Sisters Keep by Abby Drake

6. The More You Ignore Me by Jo Brand

7. Our Red Hot Romance Is Leaving Me Blue by Dixie Cash - From what I understand, this is the latest in a series. I feel the urge to hit the bookstore/library/PBS before I get to this one.

8. The Debutante by Kathleen Tessaro - I've read her book Elegance and ultimately enjoyed it but had mixed feelings about the protagonist.

9. Simply from Scratch by Alicia Bessette

10. Stay by Allie Larkin

11. The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman

12. The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen

13. The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin

14. The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

15. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin - I absolutely loved Something Borrowed and I've been meaning to get some of her other book since. Another one that I have high expectations for.

16. A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries - I've only read one other book by Jeffries, Only a Duke Will Do, and I enjoyed it. Anyone read The Truth About Lord Stoneville? Should I pick that one up first?

17. A Groom of One's Own by Maya Rodale

18. A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

19. One Touch of Scandal by Liz Carlyle - Again, I've only read one of her previous books, The Devil You Know, but I really liked it!

20. Tempting a Proper Lady by Debra Mullins

21. Hailey's War by Jodi Compton - This one wins the award for most intriguing of the bunch today.

22. All Over the Map by Laura Fraser

23. Other by Karen Kincy

24. Indigo Blues by Danielle Joseph - Is it just me or does the description of this one make it sound a lot like Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (which I haven't read, but it's on my "to buy" list)

Kindle ebooks:

1. In Between: A Katie Parker Production (Act I) by Jenny B. Jones

2. Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank

How was your week?

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.

Winners: Insatiable and Masked by Moonlight

2010-06-25T13:17:00.000-04:00

I've got a couple of winners to announce!

First up are the two people (as chosen by Random.org) who've won a copy of Insatiable by Meg Cabot each. They are:

LilMissMolly, who said:

"I love Meg Cabot's books - I think Ransom My Heart is my favorite, especially the part where the heroine sets on the hero's lap and she keeps fidgeting not knowing what is poking her on her bottom. It's really funny.

I also really enjoyed the entire Mediator Series because the heroine talks with ghosts!"

and

Dawn M., who's first Meg Cabot book will be Insatiable!

Next is the winner of Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon. Congrats to . . .

Crystal Broyles!

LilMissMolly - I've emailed you requesting your address. If you see this first, send your address along to jax[at]eclecticbooklover.com. As for the other two ladies, I'll be sending your books off today!

Thank you to everyone else who stopped by! If you didn't win either book and still want the, buy them: Insatiable @ Amazon
Masked by Moonlight @ Amazon

I'm an Amazon Associate. Feel free to use my links to purchase items - the commission will go towards paying the shipping costs on giveaways.