The Book Girl

4/5 Paranormal Romance review copy

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Fabulous Friday Winner!

by the book girl

The winner of Friday’s contest:

Sue!

Please email carrie@thebookgirl.net with your address and I’ll get the book in the mail asap.

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Review: Double the Heat Anthology

by the book girl

38875528 From the back of the book:

What could be more fun than a game between friends – or lovers? In these four sexy stories of mixed-up couples and mistaken identities, it’s not about winning but how much you like to play.

Includes a brand-new novella featuring Hart Winston, whose switch with his hot identical-twin brother has one woman calling foul play. You can bet that in the game of love no one is going to follow the rules…

This anthology features stories by Lori Foster, Deidre Martin, Elizabeth Bevarly, and Christie Ridgway. I enjoyed the stories by Lori Foster and Deidre Martin, but didn’t care for the other two. The Foster story, Hart and Soul, features one of the Winston cousins. I just love those Winston boys. The Martin story features her New York Blades hockey team. I have enjoyed all of the previous stories in this series and loved that this one mainly took place within the O’Brian’s pub. The other two stories fell flat for me. The Bevarly story, Double Booked, is about two acquaintances who are booked into the same condo during their vacations. I just couldn’t get into the fact that two people who disliked each other so much in the beginning could fall in love so fast. The Ridgway story, Original Zin, was okay but I think it would have worked better as a longer story.

The book girl gives DOUBLE THE HEAT a 4/5

To find the book:

4/5 Contemporary Romance puchased book

Saturday Video

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This is a book that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read and didn’t when it was out in hardback. I was recently released in paperback and now it looks good to me. Isn’t it funny how sometimes we change our minds about books? Here is the trailer for WHAT I DID FOR LOVE, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips:

Video

Fabulous Friday – Proof by Seduction

by the book girl

44462433 This weeks Fabulous Friday giveaway is for Courtney Milan’s PROOF BY SEDUCTION. I won a signed copy of this book on Twitter, but had already ordered a copy. So I am giving away the one I bought. Isn’t that cover gorgeous? I love the purple! To enter leave a comment about your favorite book cover. Contest will run through Sunday the 17th at 5pm cst. US addresses only.

About the book:

She was his last chance for a future of happiness…

A gifted fortune-teller from a humble background, Jenny can make even the most sophisticated skeptic believe her predictions simply by batting her smoky eyelashes. Until she meets her match in Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, a sworn bachelor and scientist.

He just didn’t know it yet

Broodingly handsome, Gareth is scandalized to discover his couin has fallen under the spell of “Madam Esmerelda,” and vows to prove Jenny a fraud. But his unexpected attraction to the fiery enchantress defies logic. Jenny disrupts every facet of Gareth’s calculated plan – until he can’t decide whether to seduce her or ruin her. Now, as they engage in a passionate battle of wills, two lonely souls must choose between everything they know…and the boundless possibilities of love.

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Review: Guilty Pleasure by Lora Leigh

by the book girl

44776633 From the back of the book:

Marty Matthews had always known about the secret, forbidden pleasures that the women she had grown up with enjoyed. Women whose husbands or lovers were members of the exclusive Club, where they took a selected third into their beds. And there is one man – a dangerous, forbidden man – who is part of this world and who has haunted Marty’s dreams for years. But she has also been the FBI agent assigned to shadow him, making him completely off-limits…That is, until Khalid is cleared and Marty is released from her assignment. Now all bets are off…

The beautiful, fierce Marty Matthews is the one woman Khalid hungers for like no other and is the one woman he dare not let himself have. His past dogs his every step and danger lurks around every corner. If he wants to keep her safe, he must stay away from her. But the power of their desire is something they cannot deny – and once Marty is his. Khalid will do whatever it takes to keep her in his bed and in his arms forever.

I liked this book. It is part of a series, but can stand on its own. Khalid is very mysterious and although we learn a little about him through the book I though that we could have found out more. Marty got on my nerves in the beginning. She is one of those “independent” characters who does stupid things in the name of being her own woman. I did grow to like her more throughout the book, but she will never be one of my favorite characters. The suspense to the story is spelled out from the very beginning. The reader is told who the bad guys are and the whole story leads up to their attack. I kept waiting for something to happen and it took what seemed like forever. The sex in the book is very hot, but lacks emotion. Even though the reader is told that their is a connection, I never felt that there was. The most annoying thing, in my opinion, is the book just ends as soon as the threat is over. It didn’t feel finished to me.

the book girl gives GUILTY PLEASURE a 2/5

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Review: Instant Gratification

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35778567 From the back of the book:

THE DOCTOR IS IN DEEP

Wishful, California, is 3000 miles from Dr. Emma Sinclair’s last job in a New York City ER. IT may aw well be another galaxy. Here, running her father’s clinic for a summer, Emma treats bee stings, stomach flu, and the occasional pet cat. Plus, she has to contend with patients like Stone Wilder: gorgeous, laid-back, and irritating beyond belief. The man laughs at her. A lot. And Emma loathes him. All except that tiny part of her that wants to throw him on her examining table and break every doctor-patient rule in the book…

When Stone tries to help Emma learn to loosen up a bit, he pictures white-water rafting or scenic mountain hikes. Not a mind-blowing affair that shakes them both to the core. Emma’s sure she has no place in a town like Wishful, but Stone knows different. Emma belongs here – in this town, in his life. And convincing this strong-minded, stubborn, sexy woman of that fact will be a challenge no Wilder man could resist…

I love Jill Shalvis, everything the woman writes is perfect. I bought Instant Gratification when it came out and then lost it. Last week when I was cleaning and setting up my new desk I found the book. I immediately started reading it and read the whole thing during an extremely long doctors appointment. I found it fitting that I was reading a book about a doctor while at the doctor. Emma is my kind of girl. She doesn’t like the outdoors and is lost without take-out. She is transplanted into the middle of nowhere and cannot wait to get out, until she meets Stone. Stone is a manly man, who also has a sensitive side and helps those around him without taking any credit for it. I loved both characters and their combative relationship is both funny and sweet. I especially like how he tries to make her relax and love the scene where he writes her instructions on how to relax step-by-step. There is an appearance by TJ, Stone’s brother, and I can’t wait to read his story. Instant Gratification is a fantastic book!

the book girl gives INSTANT GRATIFICATION a 5/5!

to find the book:

5/5 Contemporary Romance puchased book

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Review: Driven By Desire by LuAnn McLane

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27451664 From the back of the book:

Daredevil stunts and dangerous accidents are par for the course in the adrenaline-fueled world of motocross racing. Just ask Alexia Spencer, who almost lost her high school sweetheart in a near-fatal accident. But when she asked him to give up racing, Jayden Michaels rode off without even a good-bye, leaving Alexia heartbroken.

Ten years later, Jayden’s back, and determined to prove he’s over Alexia. But it’s impossible to ignore the irresistible woman she’s become. And it isn’t long before Jayden finds himself on Alexia’s doorstep, driven by his insatiable desire, hoping he can tempt the woman he still loves into letting herself fell the heat…and taking a risk with her heart.

I felt like this book could have been shortened to novella length and been perfect. The conflict of the story has to do with something that happened in the past. A secret that Alexia is keeping. All she needs to do is share it with Jayden and there would be a happy ending. But even though she is sleeping and claiming to be still in love with Jayden, she doesn’t tell him. I found this fact very annoying. Unless you are looking for a story that has lots of sex and little emotion I would stay away from this book.

the book girl gives DRIVEN BY DESIRE a 2/5

To find the book:

2/5 Erotic Romance puchased book

Review: Getting Lucky by Carolyn Brown

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44451451 From the back of the book:

ONE STUBBORN COWBOY WHO’S MORE THAN WILLING TO CROSS HORNS

When single dad Griffin Luckadeau thinks his new neighbor is scheming to steal his ranch out from under him to benefit her own daughter, sparks really begin to fly…

ONE HOTHEADED SCHOOLTEACHER WHO DOESN’T TAKE GUFF FROM ANYBODY

Julie Donovan moves to town, determined to leave her troubles behind. As soon as she meets the absolutely infuriating, oh-so-sexy cowboy next door, things quickly go from bad to worse…

Until these two Texas hotheads admit that it’s fate that brought them together, running from the inevitable is only going to bring them a double dose of miserable…

This is the third book in the Lucky series by Carolyn Brown and by far my favorite. I loved Griffin and Julie. They were both such strong personalities that it was fantastic to read the way they rubbed each other wrong – and right. The writing in this book seemed to move flawlessly and I was immediately drawn into the story. The problems the couple had to overcome seemed realistic and were handled in way that seemed genuine. I loved the children and hope that someday Ms. Brown writes a follow-up book with Lizzie, Annie, or Chuck.

the book girl gives GETTING LUCKY a 5/5!

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