The Book Girl

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Victoria Dahl

5/5 Contemporary Romance

Review: True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson

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true-love-and-other-disasters from the back of the book:

Disaster Number One: MEN

Hard knocks and hunger taught Faith Duffy not to believe in love. Still, when she married her very wealthy – and very old – husband, she became the perfect wife. And then he went to that big bank in the sky, leaving Faith with lonely nights, a pile of money, and a total mess of a pro hockey team. Heck, Faith doesn’t even watch hockey!

Disaster Number Two: PASSION

But most of America and half of Canada is watching Ty Savage. His lethal sex appeal and deadly right hook make him the favorite of fans. For most of Ty’s life, he’s dreamed of winning the Stanly Cup. The last thing he needs is a bimbo messing up his plans.

Disaster Number Three: LOVE

Faith loathes Ty on sight, but she can’t stop thinking about him all day…and night. Then a moment of temptation ends with Faith in Ty’s bed, and she begins to see there’s more to him than sex appeal. Ty discovers there’s far more to Faith than beauty and billions. But a relationship with Faith is impossible, and falling in love – that would be a disaster.

I usually love Rachel Gibson‘s books, but this one just didn’t really do it for me. I didn’t really connect with Faith and found Ty to be a jerk. As far as the plot and writing it was good and not the reason I didn’t like the book. There was just something about the two main characters that I didn’t like.

the book girl gives TRUE LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS 3/5!

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Rachel Gibson

3/5 Contemporary Romance

Review: The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason (New Author Challenge)

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the-rest-falls-away from the back of the book:

Beneath the glitter of dazzling 19th-century London Society lurks a bloodthirsty evil… .

Vampires have always lived among them, quietly attacking unsuspecting debutantes and dandified lords as well as hackney drivers and Bond Street milliners. If not for the vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long taken over the world.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake.

But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria’s heart is torn between London’s most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget.

And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

This book surprised me. I wasn’t too sure about a paranormal set in regency England and was afraid it might be a little Buffy since the character is a young female vampire slayer. I can honestly say that while reading I didn’t once think about Buffy (or anything else). I was hooked from beginning to end and immediately ordered the other 4 books in the series. This book had all of the regency elements I love – tea, parties, dresses – and then the vampire aspect of paranormal. By the end of this book I had laughed (where do you hide a stake?) and cried (can’t tell you why without giving something away, but the ending was very emotional to me). I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

the book girl gives THE REST FALLS AWAY 5/5!

To find this book:

2009 New Author Challenge 5/5 Historical Romance Paranormal Romance

Books-a-million

To find out more about the author/series:

Colleen Gleason

Contest: Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

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jessica I have a copy of Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side to give away. To enter leave a comment on this post with a high school horror story (or any dating horror story). The contest will be open until Friday night at midnight. The winner will be announced on Saturday!

About the book:

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica’s senior year “get-a-life” plan.

Enter a bizarre new exchange student named Lucius Bladescu who claims Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he’s her long-lost fiance. He’s arrogant, officious, embarrassingly overprotective, and well, incredibly hot.

Armed with a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica tries to imagine the transition from an average American teenager to a glam European vampire princess. But just when things start to heat up with Lucius, a devious cheerleader sets her sights on him. Soon Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war – and save Lucius’s soul from eternal damnation. All of which leaves her to wonder: Wouldn’t life be easier if she could just fall for a nice mortal boy?

US and Canadian addresses only. Winner will have 7 days to claim book or another name will be chosen! Good Luck!

Contest YA

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REVIEW: Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (New Author Challenge)

by the book girl

jessica From the cover:

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica’s senior year “get-a-life” plan.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is a young-adult, but this late twenty-something loved it!! Jessica is excited to begin her senior year of high school and hopes to finally have a social life. On her first day of school, however, a strange exchange student calls her by her real name. The name she was given by her birth parents, and a name that no one at school knows. This sets off a chain of events that change Jessica from senior high school student to vampire princess. I think the thing that I liked most about this book is Jessica’s spunk and her independent streak. She isn’t going to let some boy – no matter how cute – tell her what she has to do with her life. She also grows into a mature young woman throughout the course of the book and I liked that the growth she undergoes seemed realistic. On of my biggest complaints about the TWILIGHT books, was that I felt Bella didn’t change or grow in any way. Jessica does over the course of the year in which the book takes place. I think anyone who read TWILIGHT should read this book and will love it (maybe even more).

the book girl gives JESSICA’S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE 5/5!!

To find this book:

2009 New Author Challenge 5/5 YA

To find out more about the author:

Beth Fantaskey

Sunday Book Trailer

by the book girl

Move Heaven and Earth by Christina Dodd

Description:

Sylvan Miles is haunted by dreams of soldiers she could not save. Lord Rand Malkin is recovering from the Napoleonic Wars and his own ghosts. Sylvan was a nurse and has come to help Lord Malkin recover. But ghosts haunt more than their dreams and together they must learn to harness their passion, control their fear and move Heaven and Earth.

Historical Romance Video

Saturday Book Trailer

by the book girl

I ususally don’t post reviews on the weekends (I can only read so many books a week). Instead of not posting anything on the weekends I am going to post book trailers and other bookish news on Saturday and Sunday.

This trailer is a book I simply cannot wait to read. Cat and Bones are two of my favorite characters and as soon as the book comes out I will put everything else aside to read it!

Here is the trailer for Destined For An Early Grave:

Urban Fantasy Video

Review: All of Me by Lori Wilde

by the book girl

all-of-me From the back of the book:

Can two broken hearts become one?

Attorney Jillian Samuels doesn’t believe in true love and never, ever wished for happily ever after. But when a searing betrayal eaves her jobless and heartbroken, a newly inherited cottage in Salvation, Colorado, seems to offer a fresh start. What she finds when she arrives shocks her: The most gorgeous and infuriating man she’s ever met is living in her home!

Tuck Manning was a gifted architect who left a sky-rocketing career to care for his dying wife. But the life he’s made for himself in this quiet town is turned upside down when Jillian appears on his doorstep. tuck won’t go without a fight, and the two resolve to live as roommates until they can untangle who owns the cottage. Yet as Tuck and Jillian’s day – and nights – heat up, they realize more than property rights are at stake…and that sometimes, salvation comes when you least expect it.

This is the last book in the Wedding Veil Wishes series by Lori Wilde. I have to admit that I didn’t really care for Jillian in the previous three books. Her cynical take on love and marriage put me off, but it was good to read her falling in love and learning to be whole. Tuck is still getting over the loss of his wife and feels the same way about love that Jillian does – it just isn’t for him anymore. These two have chemistry from the very beginning and obviously were meant for each other. The writing is great, with conversations flowing and the plot moving along at the perfect pace. I was sad to see this series end. My only complaint about this book was the other characters from the previous books, Jillian’s friends, weren’t in the story much. I missed the friends interactions with each other. But, it was very realistic. As friends get married and start families it is hard to stay in touch the way they do when single. I can’t wait for the next book by Lori Wilde.

the book girl gives ALL OF ME 4/5.

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Lori Wilde

4/5 Contemporary Romance

MY SOUL TO LOSE free e-book

Free e-book from Harlequin Teen

by the book girl

Soul Screamers Lose_title I am so excited about the Harlequin Teen line that will launch later in the year. I am even more excited that you can download the prequel to Rachel Vincent’s new series for free. Click on the link at the bottom of the post to check it out and after you read it come back and let me know what you think. I am planing on reading it this weekend and will post my thoughts on Monday!

Here is the description from Harlequin’s website:

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it’s the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she’s fine–despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she’s crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities….

An eBook exclusive prequel to Rachel Vincent’s SOUL SCREAMERS series.

Click on the following link to go to the book:

Reading YA

Review: Love at First Flight by Marie Force

by the book girl

love from the back of the book:

Juliana isn’t looking for love…

When she meets Michael, sitting next to her on the plane. Juliana’s been dating Jeremy for ten years. But he’s hedging about marriage, and Michael promises to give her everything she’s ever wanted in a relationship…

Michael’s supposed to be getting married…

But he’s drawn to Juliana in a way he never was to his beautiful but manipulative fiancee…

When they get off the plane, Michael and Juliana can’t tear themselves apart. But with desperate exes who won’t let go, love at first sight is tested beyond endurance…

From the description on the back of the book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. I’m not a fan of books with adultery, but this book doesn’t have any. Both Juliana and Michael are single when they get together. I loved the chemistry between the two characters. Marie Force writes characters that feel deeply and make the reader feel deeply. I felt the same way when I read her first book, LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. In with the love story, there is also a plot line that revolves around Michael’s job as an attorney. His job and how he handles the big case gave a lot of insight into what he was really like and I felt gave a clearer picture of who Michael was. I can’t wait for more by Marie Force!!

the book girl gives LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT 5/5!

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