Month: April 2009

Review: Too Hot to Handle by Robin Kaye

too-hot-to-handleFrom the back of the book:

Dr. Mike Flynn sure would LOVE to have a woman to take care of…To Dr. Mike, there’s nothing like vacuuming or doing a few dishes to help a guy relax.

Annabelle Renaldi would never cook if she could order takeout. When they meet at her sister’s wedding, Mike is sure this is the woman he wants to take care of forever. While Mike sets to work wooning Annabelle, she becomes determined to sniff out the truth of the convoluted family secret that’s going to turn both their lives upside down…

TOO HOT TO HANDLE is the sequel to ROMEO, ROMEO and was as much fun to read as the first. When I read ROMEO, ROMEO I wasn’t too keen on Annabelle Renaldi. She seemed very snobby and rude to her sister. Dr. Mike was an entirely different story. He was a character I wanted to read more about. I just didn’t know how I felt about him being with Annabelle. Well, there is a lot more to Annabelle than we saw in the first book. In fact, several times during the story Mike says to other characters that no one really knows Annabelle and that she isn’t what everyone thinks she is. I loved the love story between Annabelle and Mike. They seemed to really go well together. The secret that can come between Annabelle and Mike is one with the ability to change their entire relationship unless they can overcome their past. I loved every minute of this book and can’t wait to read more by Robin Kaye.

the book girl gives TOO HOT TO HANDLE 4/5!

To find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To find out more about the authore: Robin Kaye

Review: What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown (New Author Challenge)

austen-do From the back of the book:

SHE GOES BACK IN TIME TO SAVE A MAN’S LIFE…

Eleanor travels to England for a Jane Austen festival and is swept back in time to the glittering Regency era to help a part of ghostly sisters prevent a deadly duel…

BUT SHE MAY HAVE THE WRONG VILLAIN…

Lord Shermont, renowned rake and womanizer, has a ‘Napoleonic spy to capture and a dastardly crime to untangle. The last thing he needs is a scandal too…

THANKFULLY, JANE AUSTEN’S SAGE ADVICE PREVENTS A FATAL MISTAKE…

With Jane Austen’s guidance, Eleanor untangles the international intrigue going on before her eyes. But, which of the dueling gentlemen is the spy, and which is the man of her dreams?

I love all things Austen and WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO? is no exception. From the very beginning I was hooked. Eleanor is trying to put her life back together after a disastrous engagement and has traveled to England for a Jane Austen festival. After a mix up with her reservation she ends up in a haunted room, then finds herself in Jane Austen’s England with a mission to stop a duel. I loved how Eleanor fit right in with the other regency women, and also taught them a few 21st century ways to stand up for themselves. Lord Shermont is a very interesting character. After an accident takes his memory he has made his way to working for the crown trying to find a traitor. Eleanor and Shermont have a lot of chemistry. From the moment they meet they are drawn to each other. The writing in WHAT WOULD JANE DO? flows fantastically in both the current day and in the past. The descriptions of Eleanor’s adventures are fantastic. My only complaint is that the end seemed a little rushed. I would like to have read more about what Eleanor does when she returns to the present. I can’t wait to read more by Laurie Brown!!

the book girl gives WHAT WOULD JANE AUSTEN DO? 5/5

To find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To find out more about the author: Laurie Brown

Review: Dragons Prefer Blondes by Candace Havens

dragonsFrom the back of the book:

The four Caruthers sisters are heiresses with privilege, wealth, beauty, and brains. But these party girls have something extra as well. As the Guardian Keys, possessors of an ancient family secret, they also hold the fate of the world in their hands – between cocktails.

Alex Caruthers knows a thing or two about partying – she owns nightclubs all over the world. But this sassy socialite also knows when it’s time to take off her dancing shoes and kick some serous dragon booty. Finding a balance between running her clubs and keeping the dragons in their own dimension is hard to do, especially since Ginjin – the dragon warrior who’s tried to kill her many times – just chose her to be his mate.

But Alex isn’t about to marry a dragon, no matter how smokin’ he looks without a shirt. Instead she asks Jake – head of the Caruthers’ security team and a total hottie in a suit – to pose as her boyfriend. Their relationship might be fake, but Alex can’t deny that one touch from Jake makes her burn hotter than any dragon could. Now she just has to convince him to turn their pretend relationship into reality, and save the world from the big bad, one dragon at a time…

DRAGONS PREFER BLONDES is the second book in the Caruthers’ sisters novels. This book is about Alex, the sister in charge of the dragons. She is one tough lady who doesn’t like the scaly dragons and especially doesn’t like Ginjin, the leader of the dragons. She is shocked and repulsed when Ginjin asks her to be his mate so that he doesn’t have to mate with the dragon picked out for him. To avoid this she asks Jake, the head of Caruthers’ security to be her pretend boyfriend. Next, her ditsy friend decides to “allow” Alex to plan her wedding in a month. There is more evil trying to take over the world and Alex just doesn’t have time for everything. Jake is an extremely well written character. His feelings for Alex are very evident, but also not something he is happy about dealing with. These two coming together was inevitable, but they have obstacles to overcome. Candace Havens writes with such a witty tone that even the emotional scenes have a fun element. I found myself laughing aloud several times and at other times I was holding my breath hoping that Alex would be okay. I loved DRAGONS PREFER BLONDES and can’t wait for the next Caruthers sister’s novel.

the book girl gives DRAGONS PREFER BLONDES 4/5:)

To find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To find out more about the author: Candace Havens

Review: The Demon King and I by Candance Havens

demonFrom the back of the book:

The four Caruthers sisters are heiresses with privilege, wealth, beauty, and brains. But these party girls have something extra as well. As the Guardian Keys, possessors of an ancient family secret, they also hold the fate of the world in their hands – between cocktails.

Gallery owner Gillian Caruthers is a sensation in the art world – in this world, that is. In her other world she’s called the Assassin, a real knockout with an affinity for snuffing out dimension – jumpers who foul up her personal space. She never expected to join forces with one. But when a plague of murderous demons plunges the earth into darkness, she has no choice but to get a little help from a being who knows his stuff.

Arath, the demon king, isn’t quite the scaly thing she expected. In fact, he’s kind of hot – and a bit of an enigma, if his strange past is any indication. In solving that riddle, as well as finding the cause for the sudden influx of mystical creatures on Earth, Gillian may just have to work more closely with Arath than she’d anticipated. And somewhere between the light and the darkness they might discover they have more in common than they imagined…

Candace Havens writes fast moving, action packed paranormal romance. I loved how quickly the story begins. Gilly is in charge of the demons that jump to Earth, she must send them back or kill them. To the rest of the world she is a party girl and a force to be reckoned with in the art world. One of the things I liked was the balance Gilly has to work on between her job and her guardian duties. Arath is a very interesting character. As the new King of the demons he is a force to be reckoned with, but Gilly doesn’t let any man – or demon – intimidate her. Candace Havens writes with such imagination that the reader gets sucked right in. Can’t wait for the next installment of the Caruthers sisters.

the book girl gives THE DEMON KING AND I 4/5:)

To find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To find out more about the author: Candace Havens

Review: Tails of Love by Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, etc. (Anthology)

tails-of-loveFrom the back of the book:

In this irresistible anthology of never-before-published stories, ten award-winning and bestselling authors come together to celebrate their love of animals and the wonderful, curious ways they take part in our lives.

From Seeing Eye dogs to the cat who sits in your lap, animals are there for us in more ways than we can count. Helping us get through the day with a wag of the tail or a tilt of the head, they let us know that someone is on our side – no matter what. They also have an uncanny ability to break down barriers between people, bringing families and loved ones closer and giving strangers an excuse to strike up a conversation. In Tails of Love, each writer draws from her own unique perspective on our loyal friends – exploring the many mysterious ways animals bring love into our lives.

The authors are donation a portion of their proceeds from Tails of Live to the Animal Adoption Foundation, a charitable organization.

This was a very fun read. All of the stories are super short and get right to the point. My favorite was the story by Lori Foster. These stories made me laugh and cry (one story in particular had me bawling). My only complaint is that in one story the animals have conversations with each other and it completely took me out of the story every time it was the animals turn. But, all in all this was a great read and with the authors donating a portion of the proceeds to the Animal Adoption Foundations it’s for a great cause too!

the book girl gives Tails of Love a 4/5!

To pre-order the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To find out more about the cause: Animal Adoption Foundation

Review: No Limits by Alison Kent

no-limitsFrom the back of the book:

The Heat is On . . .

Simon Baptiste’s latest SG-5 mission just went south in a major way. It seems like a good time to take care of some business back home in Louisiana. Simon knows it ain’t going to be pretty. He’s got old enemies in Bayou Allain who won’t exactly roll out the red carpet. But Simon’s first night back is more than he bargained for. Not only has the homestead gone to hell in a hand basket, but there’s a half-naked woman hiding inside it—a woman whose face Simon knows all too well. It’s Michelina Ferrer, the sultry spokesmodel for her family’s Ferrer fragrance empire—and Simon’s been staring at her picture on a billboard outside his Manhattan apartment for weeks…

And It’s Only Getting Hotter . . .

Micky Ferrer came down to Bayou Allain looking for her old college friend, only to discover that Lisa Landry has been missing for days. As soon as Micky starts asking questions, someone runs her car off the road. She’s hiding out in the old Baptiste place when Simon shows up—and he’s the hottest thing she’s laid eyes on since she got to town. Simon agrees that something strange is going on and that Lisa’s disappearance may be tied to it. As he and Micky search for answers, the sweltering heat makes it hard to keep their heads straight or their hands off each other…even as they unravel the small-town secrets that some people are willing to kill for…

I started reading this during the 24-hour read-a-thon and couldn’t stop. My kids ate dinner a little later than they are used to because I continued to read while I cooked. Micky has led a charmed life, but it hasn’t made her happy. She rebels against everything that her father wants her to be. Simon has a past he would rather forget and a life that is suited to his loner persona. These two couldn’t be any more different in some ways and any more the same in others. There being paired together was perfect. From the first moment you can “feel” the chemistry between them. There is also a lot to be said for the suspense in this book. I’m not normally a romantic suspense reader (I think a lot of times either the romance or the suspense suffers), but this was an amazing combination of the two. I don’t think that either the romance or the suspense suffered or took a backseat to the other. I can’t wait to read more by Alison Kent. (In fact right after I finished  No Limits, I ordered more books.)

the book girl gives NO LIMITS a 5/5

To find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

To find out  more about the author: Alison Kent

Review: Gorgeous as Sin by Susan Johnson (New Author Challenge)

gorgeous-as-sinFrom the back of the book:

Fitz Monckton, Duke of Groveland, has never encountered a woman he could not seduce – until he clashes with the beautiful Rosalind St. Vincent, whose bookshop sits in the way of Fitz’s lucrative development deal.

Left nearly penniless because of her late husband’s gambling debts, Rosalind has managed to save her bookshop by dint of hard work and through a foray into a slightly irregular endeavor. She has no intention of selling her shop to satisfy the whim of an entitled scoundrel – even if said scoundrel is gorgeous as sin.

If money won’t entice Rosalind to sell her shop, Fitz must tempt her in other ways – hopefully mutually pleasurable ways profitable to them both. As for the lady’s obstinate resistance, that will only make her inevitable surrender all the sweeter…

I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I couldn’t connect with either of the characters and didn’t believe that the HEA could possibly happen. There were so many places that the sex was too much and not what I’m used to reading in a historical romance. There wasn’t much of a plot or character development. I just couldn’t get into it at all.

the book girl rates this book a 1/5

to find this book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

to find out more about the author: Susan Johnson

Read-a-Thon Wrap Up and Winners

deweys-readathonbutton So, I didn’t make it the whole 24 hours. I only made it 19 and I never had reading time without interruptions. Why do children automatically know that they should stay up late when you most need them to go to bed on time?

I did finish 3 books and will probably finish the 4th today.

Here are the winners from the comments on my post from yesterday:

  1. Lexi
  2. Eva
  3. Tera
  4. Loren
  5. Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)
  6. Elizabeth
  7. Care

These are the books I have for you to choose from:

  • Pure Blood by Caitlin Kittredge
  • Gorgeous as Sin by Susan Johnson
  • Sinful Between the Sheets by Barbara Pierce
  • Naughty by Nature by Barbara Pierce
  • Scandalous by Night by Barbara Pierce
  • Kill Me Twice by Roxanne St. Claire
  • Thrill Me to Death by Roxanne St. Claire

Email me at Carrie@thebookgirl.net with your mailing address and top 3 choices. I will try to get everyone their first pick!

24-Hour Read-a-Thon

10:30 – I have been reading now for a couple of hours. I’m almost finished with my first book. I took a time out to go to my weight watchers meeting and run to the store, but now I’m settling in for the rest of the day.

Here is my introduction meme:

Where are you reading from today?

  • In my bedroom in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

3 facts about me …

  1. I have three children
  2. I’m a writer
  3. My favorite food is chocolate

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

  • I have 9 books in my TBR pile for today!

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

  • I’m just trying to get through the ARCs I need to read for review!

11:20 – Finished first book – Gorgeous as Sin by Susan Johnson. It was okay, but a little too much sex for me. I’m giving away a copy of this book (and 7 others) today. The winners will be picked from the comments and posted tomorrow afternoon. (You must check back to see if you won, I won’t be sending out emails!)

12:10 – I won a prize! WhooHoo! I have started my second book, No Limits by Alison Kent. I’m only 50 pages in, but so far it’s great! I will probably stop for lunch soon and take a little break. The hubby is taking the kids to Sams, so it will be quiet in the house for awhile. Sometimes it is really hard to read with the kids at home, even if they are doing other things and I’m in my room. Their little voices travel, lol.

1:15 – Finished lunch and put a load of laundry in the washer. I seriously thought about not doing any housework today, but I don’t want to have a lot to do tomorrow when I’m tired. Still reading No Limits and loving it!! I’m going to take a little walk for this hours challenge, then get back to reading!! Remember to comment so that you will be entered to win a book!!

Pictures from my walk:

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Now back to reading!!

2:22 – I’m not reading for the next hour or so. The children need some Mommy time before nap time! But, before I go, here are the answers to the library mini-challenge:

  1. What is the name of your local library? What city is it located in? – My library is the Broken Arrow Main Library located in Broken Arrow. I also go to Hardesty Regional Library in Tulsa.
  2. How often do you go to the library? If you’re a regular, do the staff know you? I go to the library AT LEAST once a week, but it is usually two or three times. Yes, the staff knows me and the kiddos!
  3. Do you browse while you’re there or just pick up items you have placed on reserve? I browse a little (mainly in the children’s section) and then pick up the things I have on hold.
  4. What is your favorite thing about your local library – My favorite thing is the staff. They are always willing to help me find something and don’t laugh when I make my husband pick up romance novels with the “bodice-ripper” covers!

3:38 – I took a little break to get some more housework and play with the boy. He has taught himself how to take pictures with the web cam and burn them to disk, so he’s been having me look at all his pictures on the 10 different discs his dad let him have. Now to more reading!!

5:21 – Time to make dinner for the family. I’m now reading TAILS OF LOVE, an anthology with lots of little stories. It is going really fast and is a fantastic read. A portion of the profits from the book will benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation.

7:32 – Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now? Tails of Love – an anthology by a bunch of different authors including Lori Foster

2. How many books have you read so far? 2

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? In Over Her Head by Judi Fennell

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? I didn’t free up my whole day. Hubby was home until 2, but since then I’ve had to put my mommy hat on. Now I have 2 in bed and 1 watching TV, so it’s time to start reading again.

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Tons of interruptions. Just let them interrupt, lol.

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How tired the reading is making me. I usually read for 3 hours or so every night before I start to feel sleepy. This extended reading is wearing my brain out.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?Not really – this has been a lot of fun!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Try to get hubby to take the whole weekend off. He’s off tomorrow, so that I can sleep.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Yes, but I think it’s all in my mind. I’m never tired this early.

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? Nope

10:13pm – I had to take out my contacts and put on the super purple glasses. (I would post a pic, but my hair is scary). My two boys won’t go to sleep, so I’m still not reading without interruptions, but I’m about to go threaten to take away tomorrows trip to the Children’s Museum if they don’t go to bed. The girl is fast asleep after reading her own book – too cute. I’m still reading TAILS OF LOVE, but not loving it as much as I was earlier. The Lori Foster story has been the best so far. All day today I’ve been listening to slow, soft music (Josh Groban, Idina Menzel). but I think it might be time to listen to something a little louder and maybe dance around a little bit. I’ll post again in an hour or two!!

12:46 – I’m still reading. We had a HUGE thunder storm and all three kids ended up in bed with me. Now, I have one still awake, eating popcorn and watching Spongebob. I’m still reading TAILS OF LOVE, but only have about 20 pages left. One of the stories made me cry. I really want to start my next book – IN OVER HER HEAD by Judi Fennell. Hopefully before 1:30am!! I’m going to try and make it as long as possible, but probably won’t make it through the whole 24 hours.

24 Hour Read-a-Thon

deweys-readathonbutton This weekend I will be participating in the 24-Hour Read-a-Thon. Last year I made it 20 hours before I crashed and I hope to make it the entire time this year! I will be live-blogging throughout the day and having 3-5 contests. Make sure to check back regularly for a chance to win! I will also announce contests on twitter, so if you want to follow along there my twitter is thebookgirl.

If you are interested in doing the Read-a-Thon check out the website: http://24hourreadathon.com/