Month: June 2009

HOW TO SCORE CONTEST WINNERS

how-to-scoreSorry that I didn’t get this posted on Saturday. I was on vacation and didn’t find the time to update the blog at all. I thought I would have some free time, but the kids and husband kept me very busy! I’ll be posting a new contest tomorrow in honor of the new look that debuted today and some new stuff I have planned starting on July 1st!! (Including a YA review each week and more contests, interviews, and guest blogs) I am also looking for guest reviewers to write a post about their favorite book ever (why it’s your favorite, have you read it more than once, etc…) If you have one you would like to write about email me at carrie@thebookgirl.net and we can pick a day for it to post!

The winners of the HOW TO SCORE contest are:

Denise
Wendy
Virginia Hendricks
Pam
Caffey

Please email me at carrie@thebookgirl.net with your mailing address!

Winners have 7 days to claim their books.

Review: Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh

seductionFrom the back of the book:

Then Comes Seduction

In a night of drunken revelry, Jasper Finley, Baron Montford, gambles his reputation as London’s most notorious lover on one woman. His challenge? To seduce the exquisite, virtuous Katherine Huxtable within a fortnight. But when his best-laid plans to awry, Jasper devises a wager of his own. For Katherine, already wildly attracted to him, Jasper’s offer is irresistible: to make London’s most dangerous rake fall in love with her. Then Jasper suddenly ups the ante. Katherine knows she should refuse. But with scandal brewing and her reputation in jeopardy, she reluctantly agrees to become his wife. Now, as passion ignites, the seduction really begins. And this time the prize is nothing less than both their hearts….

This is the second book in the Huxtable series by Mary Balogh. I enjoyed this book even more than book 1, which I liked a lot. Katherine is a great character. Known as a beauty, she is determined to fall in love and only marry once she has found her true love. Jasper, Baron Montford, is a cynic who doesn’t believe in love only lust. These two are very different, but are a perfect couple. Katherine helps Jasper learn about love. I really enjoy the way Ms. Balogh writes dialogue between her characters. I can hear the conversation in my head. I also liked how things didn’t happen quickly for the characters. There was time between when the infamous wager is made and when the couple finds their happy ending!

the book girl gives THEN COMES SEDUCTION 4/5!

to find this book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

to find out more about the author:

Mary Balogh

Review: How to Score by Robin Wells (New Author Challenge)

how-to-scoreFrom the back of the book:

Her Life Coach

Museum curator Sammi Matthews isn’t just  in a dating slump, she’s putting men on the injured list. After giving one date a black eye and cracking another’s rib, Sammi decides  she needs professional help. Enter life coach Luke Jones, who advises Sammi on how to overcome her klutziness. And their phone sessions work! Sammi soon meets a sexy FBI agent who seems to know just what she needs.

Is Changing Her Life

When his brother Luke goes into federal protection, FBI Special Agent Chase Jones agrees to cover for him. Then Sammi’s hot voice sizzles down the line, and the usual “phone only” rule is out. With “Luke” coaching her by day, and Chase dating her by night, Sammi’s confidence soars, along with her appeal. Chas falls hard, but how will Sammi feels is and when he comes clean? Chase would rather break all his bones than risk breaking her heart.

In Ways She’s Never Imagined!

This book was very funny. Every date that Sammi goes one ends in someone getting injured and the way these injuries happen had me laughing out loud. The premise of the book of mistaken identities has been done before but I found the comedic touches in this one perfect. The only problem I had was that the book is set where I live and all of the places (where Sammi works, the restaurants, etc) were fictional. The fictional places kept throwing me out of the story, but I did love the romance between Sammi and Chase. The book would have been perfect if it had been set somewhere I wasn’t familiar with. I look forward to reading more by Robin Wells!

the book girl gives HOW TO SCORE 4/5!

To find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

To find out more about the author:

Robin Wells

Review: Lucky Streak by Carly Phillips

luck-streakFrom the back of the book:

Long ago, a witch proclaimed an eternal curse that every Corwin male who married for love would be destined to lose his woman and his fortune…

When Mike Corwin awakens after some wild partying in Vegas $100,000 richer and married to Amber, the gorgeous woman he met the night before, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot. The bad news is that Amber’s a con who takes his money and runs. Seems the family curse has finally hit him. Hard.

But to Amber, Mike isn’t business as usual. If only she didn’t need the money to ensure her father’s safety, she might actually have fallen for the intense lawman. Instead, she’s forced to betray him.

Now Mike’s hell-bent on divorce and Amber’s on the run…but when a twist of fate reunites them, can they turn their run of bad fortune into a lucky streak?

This was a very fun read. Lucky Streak is the second book in the “Lucky” series by Carly Phillips. Mike and Amber meet and are instantly attracted to each other. They have great chemistry right away and from the beginning I wanted them to be a couple. Although the relationship has some bumps I rooted for them to make it. Amber isn’t the typical female main character. She has previously been a con woman, and is working to get away from the life. Mike is a very straight-laced cop, who doesn’t want to bend the rules. I loved the writing and the snappy dialogue between all the characters. Mike’s entire loopy family is in this story. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

the book girl gives LUCKY STREAK 4/5!

to find the book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

to find out more about the author:

Carly Phillips

Holly’s Inbox Winner

hollys-inbox-cover-2The winner of their very own copy of Holly’s Inbox is…….

Julie Trevelyan

Congratulations! Please email me at carrie@thebookgirl.net with your mailing address.

The winner has 7 days to claim their book. If it isn’t claimed in 7 days I will pick another winner. Thank you to everyone who left a comment!!


Another Contest!! Dragons Prefer Blondes by Candace Havens

dragons I reviewed this book a month or so ago and today got a copy to give away from the publisher. I really enjoy this series and can’t wait for the next book.

Dragons Prefer Blondes will be released in July, but you can get it early.

All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite movie title. (in case you are wondering why, the titles of the books in this series all reference old movies – Gentleman Prefer Blondes and The King and I)

Contest will run through Friday the 19th at midnight. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday the 20th. As always, you must check back to see if you’ve won. I will not be notifying the winner. Contest is open to US and Canadian residents only.

For more information about the series check out Candace Havens website @ www.candacehavens.com

Don’t forget other contests:

Holly’s Inbox (ends tonight) – click here

A Hint of Wicked (ends on the 15th) – click here

Review: Barbie & the Beast by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom (new author challenge)

barbieFrom the back of the book:

A Hairy Situation

Barbie Bradley was swept off her feet – literally. One moment the twenty-something was traversing Forest Lawn Cemetery in the dead of night with her best friend, the next she was thrown like a sack of potatoes over a man’s shoulder. True, she and Angie had come to this odd locale for a singles party, but this wasn’t quite how she’d planned to get picked up.

Hello, Dolly!

Darin Russell found “Ms. Right” at work, which was surprising because girls in the cemetery were usually a tad, in a word, stiff. Not that this one couldn’t stand to loosen up. She seemed particularly sensitive about being named after the Mattel toy, and before he popped the question he had to know how she’d react to his furry little secret. You see, though he had a tuxedo and a Porsche, he had more in common with the residents of the Miami Zoo than Ken. And if things went according to plan, Barbie was going to see his animal side.

I read this after hearing several other book bloggers rave about it and wanted to know if the book deserved the hype. In my opinion, it didn’t. There were times when I didn’t even know what was going on in the story. The heroine jumped around like someone who had too much caffeine and have the things she said sounded like jokes, but later turned out to be how she really felt. (Rules about no tongue on a first date while laying in bed with the guy) The story also doesn’t seem to go in a very linear pattern. There was a lot of jumping around and confusion over where the characters were at any given time. There are some mysterious characters that are mentioned but the reader is never really told who (or what) they really are. (For example, Walter – it still bugs me that we aren’t told who or what he is) I’m hoping that this was because of another book in the series, although I’m not sure I would read it if there were.

the book girl gives BARBIE AND THE BEAST 2/5

to find this book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

more about the author:

Linda Thomas-Sundstrom