Fire bad, book pretty

Fin.

2008-10-20T16:12:00.000+11:00

So… I read 309 books.

In one year.

I really, really don’t want to know the answer to 309 times the price of a book.

And I’m entirely too pleased with myself for finishing this, seeing as it is nine months after the end of the list-making.

Book three-hundred-and-nine: Under the Rose

2008-10-20T16:09:00.002+11:00

Under the Rose (2007)
Diana Peterfreund

Last book of the list. Wahoo!

I sort of liked the first in this series, liked this one and really liked the next.

However, there is definitely something about them that makes me come away feeling a little, I don’t know… stupid? I kind of feel like I’ve missed something, while at the same time feeling like the characters are completely missing the point as well.

Maybe it’s that I don’t really understand the whole secret society thing. I mean, how big of a deal can it possibly be?

Or perhaps I am just jealous that I had to spend the majority of my time during my undergrad studying. I mean, really, you are not going to graduate from a normal university if you spend your whole time running around doing things for a secret society that no one is supposed to know you are a part of.
See, that’s the me not getting it part.

The good part of this series is the characters (very real), the writing and the fact that months after reading it and when I couldn’t even remember some of the other books, I am still sitting here pondering if Amy would graduate in real life.

Amy Haskel made it into elite Eli University. Then she made it into the ultraselective Order of Rose & Grave. Now a senior, Amy is looking her future squarely in the eye—until someone starts selling society secrets. When a series of bizarre messages suggests conspiracy within the ranks and a female knight mysteriously disappears, no member of Rose & Grave is safe…or above suspicion.

On her side, Amy has a few loyal Diggirls—her fellow female Rose & Grave knights. Against her? Certainly it's a group of Rose & Grave's überpowerful patriarchs who want their old boys' club back. As new developments in her love life threaten to implode, and the case of the vanished Diggirl gets weirder by the moment, Amy will need to use every society trick she's ever learned in order to set things right. Even if it means turning to old adversaries for help—or discovering that the real foes are closer than she'd thought….

Friday 29/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-eight: Kidnapped

2008-10-20T16:07:00.001+11:00

Kidnapped (2007)
Jo Leigh

I found this very confusing.

Okay, it's certainly an unconventional way for Manhattan heiress Tate Baxter to conquer her fears. But when your whole life takes place behind the tinted windows of a limo and your household staff are all gun-toting ex-CIA, drastic measures have to be taken.

Especially when one member of that staff has got her all hot and bothered. Chauffeur Michael Caulfield has just one assignment-- keeping Tate safe. But when she's kidnapped for real, the only way he can save her is to become a prisoner with her. He may be just "the help," but as her take-charge protector, he's the Michael of her sexual fantasies. Maybe a man she can trust and even dare to love? Except once out of his uniform, he isn't exactly laying bare all his secrets…to Tate.

Thursday 28/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-seven: Bad Boys of Summer

2008-10-20T16:03:00.001+11:00

Bad Boys of Summer (2006)
Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy, Amy Garvey

Really quite good.

Lazy days . . . steamy nights . . . and sweltering guys with rippling muscles doing what they do best . . .

Luscious by Lori Foster
Bethany Churchill just quit her lousy job, dumped her lousy boyfriend and moved into a new apartment. She's not looking for love, but her hot new landlord is determined to change her mind. SWAT officer Lucius Ryder - known to the women in the building as 'Luscious', much to his chagrin - is one sexy lawman, and before long Bethany is tempted to find out if he's really as delicious as his nickname.

It's About Time by Erin McCarthy
County prosecutor Trish Jones has had it with smooth-talking, under-performing suits. And though she's never had a thing for big, brawny guys, one look at Caleb Vancouver's bulges makes her think she might have been missing out. One Harley ride later they're back at her place, and she realizes that she has been missing out . . . on quite a lot . . .

Wish You Were Here by Amy Garvey
Photographer Mackenzie Pruitt knows exactly what she wants her future to look like, and this summer that means renovating a dilapidated shed into a studio. But when hunky carpenter Leo Dawson shows up, she'd much rather have his capable hands on her than on a hammer. He's not the kind of guy she always thought she'd fall for, but when he touches her, she can't imagine wanting anyone else .

Wednesday 27/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-six: Take Me I’m Yours

2008-10-20T16:00:00.002+11:00

Take Me I’m Yours (2002)
Elizabeth Bevarly

Very funny.

Fleeing her date, who, unbeknownst to her, is both mob-connected and married, Ruby Runyon crashes a posh party for the rish and famous and finds herself drawn to the handsome Keaton Hamilton Danning III, the chief adviser to one of the world's most snobbish royals.

Monday 25/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-five: Slightly Sinful

2008-10-20T15:56:00.001+11:00

Slightly Dangerous (2004)
Mary Balogh

All of London is abuzz over the imminent arrival of Wulfric Bedwyn, the reclusive, cold-as-ice Duke of Bewcastle, at the most glittering social event of the season. Some whisper of a tragic love affair. Others say he is so aloof and passionless that not even the greatest beauty could capture his attention.

But on this dazzling afternoon, one woman did catch the duke’s eye and she was the only female in the room who wasn’t even trying. Christine Derrick is intrigued by the handsome duke?all the more so when he invites her to become his mistress. What red-blooded woman wouldn?t enjoy a tumble in the bedsheets with a consummate lover?with no strings and no questions asked. An infuriating lady with very definite views on men, morals, and marriage, Christine confounds Wulfric at every turn. Yet even as the lone wolf of the Bedwyn clan vows to seduce her any way he can, something strange and wonderful is happening. Now for a man who thought he’d never lose his heart, nothing less than love will do.With her trademark wit, riveting storytelling, and sizzling sexual sparks, Mary Balogh once again brings together two polar opposites: an irresistible, high-and-mighty aristocrat and the impulsive, pleasure-loving woman who shows him what true passion is all about. A man and a woman so wrong for each other, it can result only in the perfect match.

Saturday 23/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-four: Slightly Sinful

2008-10-20T15:53:00.001+11:00

Slightly Sinful (2004)
Mary Balogh

Meet the Bedwyns--six brothers and sisters--men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality....Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction...where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal...and where Alleyne Bedwyn, the passionate middle son, is cut off from his past--only to find his future with a sinfully beautiful woman he will risk everything to love.

As the fires of war raged around him, Lord Alleyne Bedwyn was thrown from his horse and left for dead--only to awaken in the bedchamber of a ladies' brothel. Suddenly the dark, handsome diplomat has no memory of who he is or how he got there--yet of one thing he is certain: The angel who nurses him back to health is the woman he vows to make his own. But like him, Rachel York is not who she seems. A lovely young woman caught up in a desperate circumstance, she must devise a scheme to regain her stolen fortune. The dashing soldier she rescued from near-death could be her savior in disguise. There is just one condition: she must pose as his wife--a masquerade that will embroil them in a sinful scandal, where a man and a woman court impropriety with each daring step...with every taboo kiss that can turn passionate strangers into the truest of lovers.

Saturday 23/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-three: Slightly Tempted

2008-10-20T15:50:00.002+11:00

Slightly Tempted (2003)
Mary Balogh

Meet the Bedwyns - six brothers and sisters - men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality. Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction...where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal...and where Morgan Bedwyn, the willful youngest daughter, discovers that true love is a temptation no woman can - or should - resist.

Young. Ravishing. Exquisitely marriageable. From the moment he spies Lady Morgan Bedwyn across the glittering ballroom, Gervase Ashford, Earl of Rosthorn, knows he has found the perfect instrument of his revenge. But wedlock is not on the mind of the continent's most notorious rake. Nor is it of interest to the fiercely independent Lady Morgan herself...until one night of shocking intimacy erupts in a scandal that could make Gervase's vengeance all the sweeter. There is only one thing standing in his way: Morgan, who has achieved the impossible - she's melted his coolly guarded heart. For Gervase, only the marriage bed will do, but Morgan simply will not have him. Thus begins a sizzling courtship where two wary hearts are about to be undone by the most scandalous passion of all: glorious, all-consuming love.

Friday 22/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-two: Slightly Scandalous

2008-10-20T15:48:00.001+11:00

Slightly Scandalous (2003)
Mary Balogh

Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality.Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Freyja Bedwyn, the wild-hearted daughter, meets her match in a man as passionate, reckless, and scandalous as she.

Growing up with four unruly brothers has made Freyja Bedwyn far bolder than most society ladies. From feisty manner to long, tumbling hair, Lady Freyja is pure fire, a woman who seeks both adventure and freedom. Adventure soon finds her on a visit to Bath, when a handsome stranger bursts into Freyja's room and entreats her to hide him. His name is Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, a man with a hell-raising reputation of his own who is quickly intrigued by the independent beauty. So intrigued, in fact, that he makes her a surprising request: to pose as his fiancée and help thwart his family's matchmaking schemes. For two people determined to be free, it's the perfect plan…until passion blindsides them both. For as Joshua sets out to achieve his complete seduction of Freyja, a woman who has sworn off love is in danger of losing the one thing she never expected to give again: her heart…

Friday 22/2/08

Book three-hundred-and-one: Slightly Wicked

2008-10-20T15:46:00.001+11:00

Slightly Wicked (2003)
Mary Balogh

Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters--men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality…Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Rannulf Bedwyn, the rebellious third son, enters into a liaison that is rather risqué, somewhat naughty, and…Slightly Wicked.

With his laughing eyes and wild, rakish good looks, Lord Rannulf Bedwyn is a hard man to resist. To Judith Law, a woman in need of rescue when her stagecoach overturns, Rannulf is simply her savior, a heroic stranger she will reward with one night of reckless passion before she must become a companion to her wealthy aunt. Imagine Judith's shock when the same stranger turns out to be among England's most eligible bachelors…and when he arrives at Harewood Grange to woo her cousin. Certainly, they had made no vows, no promises, but Rannulf never did forget his uninhibited lover…nor did she forget that one delicious night. And as scandal sets the household abuzz, Rannulf proposes a solution…but when Judith refuses to have him--in love or wedlock--Rannulf has only one choice: to wage a campaign of pure pleasure to capture the heart of the woman who has already won his.

Friday 22/2/08

Book three-hundred: In Your Arms Again

2008-10-20T15:42:00.002+11:00

In Your Arms Again (2004)
Kathryn Smith

Kathryn Smith writes really, really good stories of lost love reunited.

This cover makes me giggle.

Try as she might, Lady Octavia Vaux-Daventry cannot make herself fall in love with her groom-to-be. But a marriage to one of society's wealthiest noblemen will provide her a life so unlike her impoverished London childhood, and fulfill the promise she made to her grandfather so long ago.

So it is more than inconvenient when the man who once possessed her heart bursts back into her world - at the request of her betrothed - and restarts a fire she thought was extinguished. Having earned a reputation as society's favorite criminal investigator, former Bow Street Runner North Sheffield cannot believe Octavia is the woman he's been hired to protect. If anything, she is more desirable than the day they were forced to separate - and even more unwilling to let the passion that still flares between them break the promises she must keep. But North is determined - not only will he do anything to keep his lost love safe, but he will risk it all to get her back into his arms again.

Thursday 21/2/08

Book two-ninety-nine: Let Sleeping Rogues Lie

2008-10-20T15:39:00.001+11:00

Let Sleeping Rogue’s Lie (2008)
Sabrina Jeffries

Rating: 3.75/5

Obviously it goes without saying that I still can’t wait for Charlotte and Michael.

When Madeline Prescott took a teaching position at Mrs. Harris's School for Young Ladies, it was to help restore her father's reputation. Instead, she's in danger of ruining her own. The devilishly handsome Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, has agreed to provide "rake lessons" to Mrs. Harris's pupils so they can learn how to avoid unscrupulous gentlemen, and Madeline is to oversee his classes.

She has always believed that attraction is a scientific matter, easily classified and controlled -- until she's swept into the passionate desire that fiercely burns between her and Anthony. Nothing could be more illogical than risking everything for a dalliance with a rake -- even one who's trying to behave himself. Yet nothing could be more tempting....

Wednesday 20/2/08

Book two-ninety-eight: Slightly Married

2008-10-20T15:35:00.001+11:00

Slightly Married (2003)
Mary Balogh

Rating: 3.75/5

Another I remembered to rate. My favourite in this serious is definitely Slightly Dangerous, but this one is very good too.

Meet the Bedwyns…six brothers and sisters--men and women of passion and privilege, daring and sensuality…Enter their dazzling world of high society and breathtaking seduction…where each will seek love, fight temptation, and court scandal…and where Aidan Bedwyn, the marriage-shy second son, discovers that matrimony may be the most seductive act of all.…

Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart--and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection…nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can't refuse: marry him…if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve's "business arrangement" is about to be transformed…into something slightly surprising.

Tuesday 19/2/08

Book two-ninety-seven: Burning Up

2008-10-20T15:28:00.002+11:00

Burning Up (2008)
Sarah Mayberry

I only read this because the author was Australian. And it was set in the Blue Mountains. Apart from the whole bushfire thing, it did not strike me as particularly Australian.
Somebody get some ice… it's steamy in here! Spending a month as personal chef for an overindulged--and mouthwatering--man? Sophie Gallagher is so up for the challenge. She's immune to charm…or so she thinks. Because when big-screen star Lucas Grant turns up the temptation, she discovers--up close and personal--he's earned the name hottest man alive. Sophie is fun, vivacious and couldn't be further from Lucas's bimbo bombshell type. Much to his surprise, she's captivated him. But as sizzling as they are between the sheets, once his hiatus is over, the credits will roll on this fling. Saying goodbye, however, isn't as easy as he'd thought. Will this production be The End of the Affair… or Love Actually?

Monday 18/2/08

Book two-ninety-six: My Surrender

2008-10-20T15:24:00.004+11:00

My Surrender (2005)
Connie Brockway

Charlotte Nash is the most impulsive of the Nash sisters. Using her position as one of London's most popular and naughty debutantes, she assists English spies in conveying messages that will help them infiltrate Napoleon's inner circle -- and fulfill the mission her father died trying to achieve.
But only as a courtesan can she infiltrate London's most notorious gatherings and retrieve a crucial document. Is she ready to take part in a deception that will leave her reputation in shreds? And when Highlander Dand Ross -- a dangerous, disreputable blackguard -- reappears in her life and offers his aid, dare she accept it? The exquisite pleasure she finds in his arms might be worth the price of her surrender, but is the dark Highlander who loves her so passionately really just luring her toward the ultimate betrayal?

Saturday 16/2/08

Book two-ninety-five: My Pleasure

2008-10-20T15:07:00.002+11:00

My Pleasure (2004)
by Connie Brockway

By day, celebrated beauty Helena Nash works as a proper companion to one of London's most disagreeable ladies. By night she acts as an illicit messenger between two separated lovers.

Masked and disguised, she falls into the path of a shadowy stalker. Fearing for her safety but unwilling to halt her nocturnal forays, Helena seeks out Ramsey Munro -- one of three men who pledged years earlier to serve her family in times of need. Handsome and elusive, the notorious Scotsman is London's most accomplished swordsman and represents everything Helena wants but can't have -- freedom, adventure, and passion. Now she demands that he teach her his formidable skills, a commission that may prove cool, collected Helena's undoing. For Ramsey has seen through her disguise...and soon vows to teach her both the way of the sword and the deliciously wicked pleasures of the flesh.

Friday 15/2/08

Book two-ninety-four: Desperate Duchesses

2008-10-20T15:04:00.001+11:00

Desperate Duchesses (2007)
Eloisa James

Re-reading.

Welcome to a world of reckless sensuality and glittering sophistication . . . of dangerously handsome gentlemen and young ladies longing to gain a title . . . of games played for high stakes, including—on occasion—a lady's virtue.

A marquess's sheltered only daughter, Lady Roberta St. Giles falls in love with a man she glimpses across a crowded ballroom: a duke, a game player of consummate skill, a notorious rakehell who shows no interest in marriage—until he lays eyes on Roberta. Yet the Earl of Gryffyn knows too well that the price required to gain a coronet is often too high. Damon Reeve, the earl, is determined to protect the exquisite Roberta from chasing after the wrong destiny. Can Damon entice her into a high-stakes game of his own, even if his heart is likely to be lost in the venture?

Thursday 14/2/08

Book two-ninety-three: Shameless

2008-10-20T15:00:00.001+11:00

Shameless (2008)
Tori Carrington

I remember finding the “hero” very unheroic.

An indecent proposal. A friendship betrayed.

One-night-only anonymous sex with a stranger? Seems too wanton even for Nina Leonard.

Until it's insinuated that the mystery man might be one of her business partners--two guys she adores who also happen to be complete hotties. Out comes the blindfold, and Nina has the steamiest night of her life.

Now she's got to have more--only, no one's fessing up. One of her two best friends rocked her world that night. But which one was it? If she guesses wrong, she could lose them both….

Wednesday 13/2/08

Book two-ninety-two: Your Bed or Mine

2008-10-20T14:50:00.002+11:00

You’re Bed or Mine (2008)
Kate Hoffman

I have blocked all knowledge of reading this from my mind, so I have no idea if it was good or not.

Caley Lambert didn't expect that a few nights at the family cottage for her sister Emma's wedding would turn her life upside down. But that was before she got lost in the dark, was propositioned by a cop and ended up in the wrong bed with the brother of the groom.

When she and Jake Burton were teenagers, Jake had been the perfect boy next door—and the object of Caley's most daring fantasies. But that was back when she was a kid. Caley's definitely over him now. Or so she thinks…

Because the perfect boy is all man now. Not to mention an endlessly inventive lover…

Tuesday 12/2/08

Book two-ninety-one: Tex Appeal

2008-10-20T14:43:00.002+11:00

Tex Appeal (2008)
Kimberly Raye, Alison Kent and Cara Summers

Rating: 1.5/5

Hmm, I gave this one a rating at the time of reading. I must have felt strongly about that 1.5 to have noted it down so diligently. Why I didn’t do that for all of them, I have no idea. I’m just not that organised.

What do you get when you take a hunky former rodeo star, a real good old boy and a randy Ranger and pair them with three women who desperately need to get some action between the sheets? A Valentine's Day with tons of Tex appeal!

Real Good Man by Kimberly Raye Cheryl
Anne Cash is now an official "carnal" coach! And she can't wait to show her former lover exactly what he's been missing….

Unbroken by Alison Kent
Dr. Tess Autrey is no buckle bunny. But a certain wickedly sexy rancher may change her mind!

I Can Still Feel You… by Cara Summers
Months ago, Macy's Texas Ranger lover disappeared in the night. Now he's back--and she has some very naughty ideas about evening the score….

Monday 11/2/08

Book two-ninety: Girl at Sea

2008-10-20T14:40:00.002+11:00

Girl at Sea (2007)
Maureen Johnson

Rating: 4.5/5

Most excellent.

Sometimes you have to get lost.

The Girl: Clio, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.

The Mission: Survive her father's annoying antics. Oh, also find some underwater treasure that could be the missing link to a long-lost civilization.

The Crew: Dad's absentminded best friend Martin, his scary girlfriend Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant research assistant.

What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more mysterious than the sea—her own heart.

Sunday 10/2/08

Book two-eighty-nine: Upon the Midnight Clear

2008-10-20T14:37:00.002+11:00

Upon the Midnight Clear (2007)
Sherrilyn Kenyon

This was very short and rather formularised.

Ever think Scrooge had it right before the ghosts ruined his life?

Meet Aidan O'Conner.At one time he was a world-renowned celebrity who gave freely of himself and his money without wanting anything in return...until those around him took without asking.

Now Aidan wants nothing of the world—or anyone who's a part of it. When a stranger appears at his doorstep, Aidan knows he's seen her before…in his dreams.Born on Olympus as a goddess, Leta knows nothing of the human world. But a ruthless enemy has driven her from the world of dreams and into the home of the only man who can help her: Aidan.

Her immortal powers are derived from human emotions—and his anger is just the fuel she needs to defend herself…One cold winter's night will change their lives forever…Trapped together in a brutal winter storm, Aidan and Leta must turn to the only power capable of saving them—or destroying them both: trust.

Saturday 9/2/08

Book two-eighty-eight: You’ve Got Male

2008-10-20T14:32:00.002+11:00

You’ve Got Male (2005)
Elizabeth Bevarly

I really liked this. I hadn’t read anything by Beverly before, but have tracked down a few of her books since. I like her writing style because she is very funny and witty, but sometimes I get a bit bored by the pages and pages of thinking and deciding. Its usually worth it, though.

AveryIsIn: hi HJFan -- you'll never guess what happened. Supposedly I'm a dangerous cybercriminal, and the feds have come knocking down my door. They think I'm in contact with some supervillain -- but I never leave the house, and you're the only one I talk to. Lv it to the govt, huh? LOL

DixonOPUS: Avery Nesbitt made e-mail contact with target today. Although suspect seems unaware of target's true identity, I can't be sure she's uninvolved. My next move: get inside. Time to rattle Ms. Nesbitt's perfect online world.

Friday 8/2/08

Book two-eighty-seven: My Wildest Ride

2008-10-20T14:17:00.001+11:00

My Wildest Ride (2008)
Isabel Sharpe

I have recorded this as “Stupid Martini Diaries book”, so I guess I didn’t like it that much.

"Seduce the man you are most attracted to. Tonight."

Boston bar owner Lindsay Beckham is in shock. She created the M&B club for all the feisty females who frequent Chassy. She has to fulfill her dare. Why not with Denver Langston, who mixes a mean Sex on the Beach cocktail? "

Slowly get to know the woman you are most attracted to. Think long-term."

Denver's fallen hard for Lindsay, but he knows she's vulnerable and hiding something. When she's suddenly seducing him over martinis, he's not about to complain. But can this wild sexual ride go drastically off course?

Thursday 7/2/08

Book two-eighty-six: My Seduction

2008-10-20T14:04:00.003+11:00

My Seduction (2004)
Connie Brockway

From booklist (because I am lazy):

Katherine Blackburn has little use for heroes. After being married less than a year, her husband was killed in battle and her father died rescuing three young men in war-torn France.

Now Kate has one chance to regain financial security for herself and her two sisters, but her carefully wrought plan is threatened by Kit MacNeill, one of the young men her father saved. Determined to repay the debt he owes her family, he insists on accompanying Kate on her dangerous trip through Scotland, where she intends to charm a distant relative into providing for her family. Kit objects to her plan, but he has pledged not only to protect Kate but also to obey her.

Readers who relish witty, outspoken, and slightly stubborn heroines, and dark, dangerous heroes possessed of a lethal form of grace, will find much to savor in RITA Award-winning Brockway's latest, the first in a promising new trilogy. With this wonderfully complex, compelling Regency historical, Brockway demonstrates not only that she can fashion frothy romps but that she is equally adept at crafting dark, edgy, and sublime romances. John Charles

Tuesday 5/2/08

Book two-eighty-five: Never Deceive a Duke

2008-10-20T14:01:00.001+11:00

Never Deceive a Duke (2007)
Liz Carlyle

Rating: 2.5/5

Better than the first in the series, I guess.

They call her the porcelain princess...

With her fragile beauty and regal bearing, the Duchess of Warneham knows how to keep her admirers at a distance. Twice wed and twice widowed, Antonia has vowed never again to marry; never again to surrender her freedom. But when her husband's death is deemed suspicious, and his long-lost heir returns to seize control of the dukedom, she finds that fate has placed her future in yet another man's hands -- but not just any man.

They call him a cold-hearted bastard...

Deep in London's docklands, Gareth Lloyd runs Neville Shipping with an iron fist. Unrecognizable as the starving orphan who was abandoned by his family and sent an ocean away from home, Gareth has put his troubled past behind him. That is, until the Duke of Warneham is murdered, and Gareth turns out to be the dynasty's last living heir. Wrenched from his solitude, Gareth neither wants nor needs the honors and obligations of nobility -- especially the Duke's all-too-tempting widow.... Or does he?

Sunday 3/2/08

Book two-eighty-four: Murder on Astor Place

2008-10-20T13:56:00.002+11:00

Murder on Astor Place (1999)
Victoria Thompson

Rating: 4.75/5

Since finishing (or not finishing) this list, I have read the rest of this series and am waiting impatiently for the next one. Soooo good.

From Publishers Weekly:
Sprinkled with fascinating details of turn-of-the-century New York City, Thompson's old-fashioned mystery takes the reader from the mansions of Fifth Avenue to the flophouses of the Lower East Side. Sarah Brandt is a midwife who has been estranged from her wealthy family for years. When Alicia VanDamm, a young woman from a prominent family, is murdered, Sarah must return to the upper-class society she has scorned to find the killer.

Haunted by her past and disgusted by police department corruption, Sarah takes it upon herself to avenge the girl's death. Annoyed at first by her interference, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy asks for Sarah's help only when he has been taken off the case at the request of the victim's scandal-fearing family. The feisty midwife and the ambitious policeman grudgingly become allies in their search for justice.

Sarah and Frank are appealing characters, and the author develops their rapport subtly and believably. In this first installment in a new series of historical mysteries, Thompson vividly re-creates the gas-lit world of old New York, concluding her mystery with revelations that will shock even 20th-century readers.

Saturday 2/2/08

Book two-eighty-three: Highlander Untamed

2008-10-20T13:10:00.003+11:00

Highlander Untamed (2007)
Monica Mccarty

Hmm, I have just remembered that I wanted to read the second in this series… At least I think it was this series….

Rory MacLeod is a bold and powerful Highland Chief with only one allegiance–to his clan. He vows revenge against the rival MacDonald clan, though duty demands a handfast marriage to Isabel MacDonald–a bride he does not want and has no intention of keeping. But Rory couldn’t have anticipated the captivating woman who challenges his steely control, and unleashes the untamed passion simmering beneath his fierce exterior.
Blessed with incomparable beauty, Isabel MacDonald is prepared to use every means possible–including seduction–to uncover her husband’s most guarded secrets. Instead Rory awakens Isabel’s deepest desires and her sweetest fantasies. Now Isabel has found the happiness she’s always dreamed of with the very man she must betray, and discovers that passion can be far more dangerous than revenge.

Friday 1/2/08

Book two-eight-two: Strokes of Midnight

2008-10-20T13:05:00.003+11:00

Strokes of Midnight (2004)
Sherrilyn Kenyon, Amanda Ashley, L. A. Banks and Lori Handeland

So, I’ve finally decided to finish updating my list. Only nine months late, but whatever.

No ratings as I cannot remember really what I thought. I do remember this book though, which I suppose is a good thing....

In an unseen world that lurks in the shadows, they roam the night-feral, passionate, and dangerous. And when their world touches ours, a primitive desire takes hold, leaving mere mortals powerless in its wake...

Four of romance's most intriguing authors have come together to create a mesmerizing anthology-unforgettable tales of vampires, shapeshifters, and were-wolves. At the heart of these deeply sensual tales are everyday people facing extraordinary events-men and women thrown together by fate and an irresistible desire. In this world, your eyes can betray you as myth becomes reality, curses are vanquished, and love is the only weapon that can stand in the face of evil.

Finished: Friday 1/2/08

Book two-eighty-one: One Wild Wedding Night

2008-01-30T16:27:00.001+11:00

One Wild Wedding Night (2008)
Leslie Kelly

Rating: 2.5/5

I really just wanted to find out what happened with Bridget and Dean, so I am happy now. This was different in that each story only went for about forty pages. The thing I was really impressed with was that each of the stories had enough background and realistic characters that they could have been a full length novel.

This is one super-sexy wedding night these five women will never forget! Meet the lucky bridesmaids:A totally hot FBI agent offers his full-body protection to very willing witness Bridget Donahue…Stripper Leah Muldoon bares it all for a sexy stranger in a limo, much to their mutual satisfaction!Wild big-city attorney Mia Natale is in for the best sex of her life. But who is that other guy?When dancer Vanessa McKee unexpectedly sees a man from her past, they rediscover their insatiable lust!A breathless night in the arms of a seductive European lover should definitely spice up Gloria Santori's marriage….

Finished: Tuesday 29/1/08

Book two-eighty: Scandal in Spring

2008-01-30T16:25:00.000+11:00

Scandal in Spring (2006)
Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 2/5

At first I was disappointed that this was about Cam. Hadn’t he been groping her in the book I just read in this series. By the end of the third chapter, however, I had decided I like Matthew for Daisy better.

I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the first book in the series (or may be the first two for that matter). As it was I wanted to slap Lillian for the majority of this book and it wasn’t even about her, so I don’t think I’ll be reading her story any time soon. Anyway, my point was, that if I knew more about her or was invested in her character in anyway, I may have understood why she was so selfish and controlling and mostly mean.

After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman's father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can't snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses—the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.
Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn't count on Matthew's unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.

But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy's wildest fantasies.

Finished: Monday 28/1/08

Book two-seventy-nine: The Princess and the Hound

2008-01-30T16:23:00.000+11:00

The Princess and the Hound (2007)
Mette Ivie Harrison

A very good fairy tale.

He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.

She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.

Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs. Proud, stubborn, bound to marry for the good of their kingdoms, this prince and princess will steal your heart, but will they fall in love?

Finished: Sunday 27/1/08

Book two-seventy-eight: The Forever Summer

2008-01-30T16:21:00.001+11:00

The Forever Summer (2007)
Suzanne Macpherson

This book was weird. I don’t know why, but it just didn’t read like a whole book, more like the summary of another, longer, more in-depth book that might have contained some character development.

Emily Ruth Griffin is dead.

Perfectly beautiful, perfectly rich and perfectly bitchy until the day she keeled over in the local supermarket, she’s now happily haunting the fresh produce aisle.

Lila Abbott sees dead people.

She also has a knack for convincing them to quit haunting places and go rest in peace somewhere else. But getting Emily Ruth to give up the ghost is tough. There’s something suspicious about her death and Lila needs to find out what. Surely it can’t be anything to do with Emily Ruth’s ex-husband, the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Lucas? Maybe Lila should investigate him more closely. Just in case…

Finished: Saturday 26/1/08

Book two-seventy-seven: Secret Admirer

2008-01-30T16:18:00.000+11:00

Secret Admirer (2002)
Michelle Jaffe

This wasn’t as scary as Lady Killer, but I did spend the whole time wondering why they didn’t remove themselves from her house. I mean, come on, the killer has broken in multiple times, proven that he can come and go without them noticing and they still decide to stay there? WHY?

There is this whole weird bit towards the end of the story, where you think its all over, then there’s a whole other drama. That being said, this didn’t seem to twist all over the place like the other one did.

She still has over-foreshadowed the end of most chapters, but the very funny and witty dialogue makes up for it.

I wouldn’t mind reading more about the secondary characters, but I think all the books about them are out of print.

He wanted to be her dream man... Lady Tuesday Arlington seeks refuge from the horrible nightmares that invade her sleep by doing what she does best--she paints them. But when her husband is found dead in a setting identical to one she has painted, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Lawrence Pickering, special investigator to Her Majesty the Queen, takes over the inquiry and cannot help but fall for the beautiful and talented Tuesday. But a cruelly sinister presence waits in the shadows to turn their picture perfect love into a masterpiece of murder.

Finished: Saturday 26/1/08

Book two-seventy-six: Devil in Winter

2008-01-30T16:10:00.000+11:00

Devil in Winter (2006)
Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 3.5/5

I really enjoyed this. I thought it started at just the right place: with her asking him to marry her. No boring background or build up or prologue. It started at the start of the story and I was sucked into the story straight away.
Also, I pretty much laughed at anything Sebastian said.

A devil's bargain

Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!

Sebastian's reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden's good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.
But Evie's proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine's callously discarded broken hearts -- which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions...or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

Finished: Friday 25/1/08

Book two-seventy-five: Overexposed

2008-01-30T16:08:00.000+11:00

Overexposed (2007)
Leslie Kelly

Rating: 2.5/5

This was all right. I really want to find out what happens with Bridget and Dean – who have a bit of a sub-plot going on. I guess she is going to write a book about them… ooo, I think it’s a short story. Oh well.

Isabella Natale is living a double life. By day she turns out desserts in the family bakery. But at night she transforms into The Crimson Rose, Chicago's hottest exotic dancer, an enigmatic siren whose velvet mask and G-string drive men wild. Nobody knows about her secret—not even Nick Santori, the strip club's hot new bodyguard…and her first crush. He'd always treated little "Izzy" as just another sweet kid. But there's nothing sweet about his sizzling reaction to Rose….

So what's a girl to do but show the man of her dreams that while it's okay to look, it's much better to touch?

Finished: Thursday 24/1/08

Book two-seventy-four: Casey

2008-01-30T16:07:00.000+11:00

Casey (2007/2002)
Lori Foster

Rating: 2/5

Okay, found out. This was also pretty good.

I had to buy this one in a bind up with another Lori Foster book, hence the different cover.

As a teen, Emma Clark was the girl with the bad reputation— and trying to get Casey Hudson into bed hadn't helped! Not only was he the cutest guy in town, but he was also the only one who'd really seemed to care about her—so much so that the usually hot-blooded teen had resisted all her awkward advances. Now, eight years later, it's a different story.

Finished: Wednesday 23/1/08

Book two-seventy-three: Jasper

2008-01-30T16:04:00.001+11:00

Jasper (2007/2000)
Lori Foster

Rating: 2/5

This was all right. I really just want to find out what happens with Casey and Emma.

Jordan Sommerville was a healer of helpless animals, rescuer of strays, a man who could seduce a woman with his voice alone. Yet he didn't use that power often. His brothers kidded that he was holding out for a paragon of virtue and not many in Buckhorn qualified. But then he met Georgia, and broke all his own rules.

Georgia Barnes supported herself and her kids as a dancer—an exotic dancer. If Jordan Sommerville didn't like it, he could take a hike. So what if he was the most caring, gentle, desirable man she'd ever known—he was still a man like all the rest. Surely he couldn't be as perfect as he looked—or could he?

Finished: Wednesday 23/1/08

Book two-seventy-two: Gabe

2008-01-30T16:02:00.001+11:00

Gabe (2007/2000)
Lori Foster

Rating: 2/5

This was my favourite of the series, because I thought Gabe was the funniest.

Gabe Kasper, heartthrob of Buckhorn County, could have had any woman he wanted— if he'd had a mind to settle down. Which he didn't. The freedom of being a jack-of-all-trades with no one to answer to suited him just fine. And then a prickly, uptight, red-haired college woman showed up.—
Elizabeth Parks needed Gabe to complete her thesis on heroism, but he didn't seem to think saving a couple of lives made him a hero. She was inclined to agree that he seemed like the exception to the rule. Until he rescued her heart and soul with his fearless passion.

Finished: Tuesday 22/1/08

Book two-seventy-one: Morgan

2008-01-30T16:01:00.000+11:00

Morgan (2007/2000)
Lori Foster

Rating: 2/5

I bought this series in one book, so I suppose I will just keep reading… this one was also pretty funny.

Morgan Hudson commanded a lot of respect as Buckhorn's biggest, baddest sheriff. How one petite city woman could turn him on his head was a mystery, not to mention being downright aggravating. But Misty Malone did just that, and Morgan couldn't wait till she went back where she belonged. But then he discovered why she'd come in the first place.

Misty Malone had hoped to take refuge with her sister, who'd just married into a family of sinfully attractive brothers. They all treated her like gold— all but one. Morgan seemed to think she was some sort of femme fatale, out to seduce his brothers. But seduction was the last thing on her mind. Foremost was the baby she was secretly carrying. And then, how to avoid the sexual sparks flying between her and Morgan.

Finished: Tuesday 22/1/08

Book two-seventy: Sawyer

2008-01-30T15:59:00.000+11:00

Sawyer (2007/2000)
Lori Foster

Rating: 2/5

Continuing my foray into category fiction… this was pretty good. Although some scenes had so many characters in them I had trouble keeping track, it was pretty amusing.

Honey Malone was on the run, fleeing a dangerous predator, when she lost control of her car, drove into a lake—and found herself up to her neck in breathtaking men. After the brothers nursed her through her injuries, she tried to leave, but she hadn't bargained on their stubborn protectiveness. Or the passionate bond that tied her to Sawyer.

Finished: Monday 21/1/08

Book two-sixty-nine: Marked

2008-01-30T15:55:00.000+11:00

Marked (2007)
P.C. Cast and Kristan Cast

This has a very interesting premise and a lot of intrigue (who exactly is evil?). Hopefully it will gain a bit of momentum as the series continues, because not that much really happens in this...you know, besides her becoming a vampire. Whatever.

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Finished: Monday 21/1/08

Book two-sixty-eight: The Queen of Cool

2008-01-30T15:53:00.001+11:00

The Queen of Cool (2007)
Cecil Castellucci

Rating: 3/5

Good, but it was so short I felt like it was over just as I was starting to get to know the characters.

On the outside, Libby Brin is the most popular girl in school. But on the inside, Libby is dying — of boredom. In a moment of desperation, Libby signs up for an internship at the Los Angeles Zoo, much to the dismay of her friends, who’d prefer she spend her time with them, shopping, partying, and making fun of everyone else. Oddly, Libby realizes that she actually enjoys her new job and that she may even like the two "nerds" she works with. Will the Queen of Cool be forced to give up her crown?

Finished: Sunday 20/1/08

Book two-sixty-seven: Lady Killer

2008-01-30T15:51:00.000+11:00

Lady Killer (2002)
Michelle Jaffe

This is the scariest book I’ve read in ages. I don’t like books about serial killers.

Rabid vampires, sure. Psychopathic werewolves, why not. Maniacal zombies intent on eating the brains of innocent bystanders, may be.

Normal human killing other humans, no thank you.

I don’t know why the paranormal twist make it less scary/gory to read about. May be because its just that – para, not normal.

This freaked me out completely. In a sleep with the lights on, wake people up to talk to me until I fall asleep kind of way.

It was well written, though I could have done without a few of the plot twists at the end. They just seemed to keep going and going.

Another thing is the foreshadowing at the end of almost every chapter. It left me constantly on edge. Which was probably the point.

Three years ago Miles Loredan believed he had killed the bloodthirsty fiend known as the Vampire of London. When a beautiful sleuth named Clio Thornton stumbles upon what can only be the Vampire's latest victim, Miles is drawn into a terrifying race against the clock. Captivated at once by intelligent, lovely Clio, his first impulse is to protect her. And every clue points to the Vampire's next victim: Clio herself.

Finished: Sunday 20/1/08

Book two-sixty-six: Bobby Fays Very, (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day

2008-01-30T15:50:00.001+11:00

Bobbie Fays Very, (Very, Very, Very) Bad Day (2007)
Toni McGee Causey

I can’t say I enjoyed reading about Bobbie Fays’s day any more than you’d imagine she enjoyed living through it. I didn’t like old Bobbie all that much. She was frustrating. And everyone around her loved her, even those who hated her. It was all a bit too Betsy for me.

Cajun beauty queen Bobbie Faye Sumrall is having a bad day: after a burst water pipe breaks her sorry-excuse-for-a-trailer in half, she accidentally robs a bank, tries to free her good-for-nothing brother from kidnappers, takes a hostage (also accidentally), flees with him through the treacherous swamps of Louisiana, eludes an angry bear as well as her disgruntled cop ex-boyfriend, hotwires a speedboat, and kills a dangerous snake with her knife. And the day isn’t even over.

Finished: Saturday 19/1/08

Book two-sixty-five: Know Me Off of My Feet

2008-01-30T15:49:00.001+11:00

Knock Me Off of My Feet (2002)
Susan Donovan

Rating: 2.5/5

Pretty good.

Autumn Adams never planned to follow in her mother's footsteps as Chicago's answer to Martha Stewart--she can't cook, doesn't clean, and would rather play soccer than discuss the joys of white bathtub grout. Then some lunatic starts sending her threats in the mail and Audie finds herself under the protection of simmering, sexy Detective Stacey Quinn, a man determined to examine her every nook, cranny, and ex-boyfriend in his effort to find the stalker. A disarming combination of macho cop and sweet charmer, Quinn is hard to resist. But with Audie's bad luck at finding and holding on to Mr. Right, she think it's best to keep her distance...Quinn soon discovers that the real Audie is an alluring blend of fantasy babe and tender-hearted female all wrapped up in what he can only hope is leopard-print underwear. She's not what he's always pictured for himself, but could she be everything he'll ever need?Digging through Audie's many layers could turn out to be the hottest, craziest, sexiest bit of detective work Quinn has ever attempted...if it doesn't kill him first.

Finished: Friday 18/1/08

Book two-sixty-four: Splendid

2008-01-30T15:47:00.001+11:00

Splendid (1995)
Julia Quinn

While it isn’t as sharp as her more recent books, it is still very funny. I’m pretty sure this is the first book she published.

Alexander Ridgely, the Duke of Ashbourne, is determined to avoid marriage. Unfortunately, his family is just as determined to see him wed. Emma Dunster, in London for a season, is determined to return to Boston to run her father's shipping company. But Emma's British cousins are just as determined to see her settle in England. Sparks --and laughter-- fly when all these terribly determined people cross paths during one very splendid London spring.

Finished: Friday 18/1/08

Book two-sixty-three: What She Really Wants for Christmas

2008-01-30T15:46:00.001+11:00

What She Really Wants for Christmas (2007)
Debbi Rawlins

Rating: 1/5

I didn’t really enjoy this. I didn’t think the premise was plausible… why would you give up your whole life and personal safety just so you didn’t have to admit one tiny mistake to one of your best friends, who if they were a decent (and normal) person wouldn’t’ have cared any way?

Thanks to a spectacularly bad ex-boyfriend, Liza Skinner is in one heck of a mess. She's lost not only her amazing job at Atlanta's hottest TV talk show, but also her best friends and her share of millions of lottery bucks! Frankly, a blackmailing ex is the cherry on Liza's misery sundae! But then an unexpected date with Dr. Hunky-Hunk, Evan Gann, turns Liza's life around again, especially when she suspects the good doctor is quite a bit naughtier than she first thought. So that whipped cream from her sundae might come in handy for those sinfully delicious nights… Nights that will end for certain if Evan discovers what she's been hiding!

Finished: Thursday 17/1/08

Book two-sixty-two: Prince Charming

2008-01-30T15:44:00.000+11:00

Prince Charming (2000)
Gaelen Foley

Rating: 2.5/5

This was pretty good too. I was just annoyed by some of it.

Reforming the Royal Rakehell

Destiny casts its hand one perfect moonlit night when Ascension’s most elusive highwayman, the Masked Rider, chooses the wrong coach to rob. For inside is Rafael, the prince of the kingdom, renowned for his hot-blooded pursuits of women and other decadent pleasures. The failed raid leaves the equally notorious Masked Rider wounded and facing a hangman’s noose. Then Rafe realizes his captive criminal is Lady Daniela Chiaramonte, a defiant beauty who torments him, awakening his senses and his heart as no woman has before.

Dani can only wonder if she’s been delivered to heaven or hell once she agrees to marry the most desirable man in the Mediterranean – until forces of treachery threaten to destroy their tenuous alliance and bring down the throne itself. . .

Finished: Thursday 17/1/08

Book two-sixty one: Princess

2008-01-30T15:42:00.000+11:00

Princess (1999)
Gaelen Foley

Rating: 3/5

I really liked this one.

The Only Woman He Wanted . . . Was The One He Couldn't Have

Darius Santiago is the King’s most trusted spy. He is charming, ruthless, and he has one weakness – the stunning Princess Serafina. She is all he has ever wanted and everything he cannot have. Serafina has always worshiped Darius, knowing that deep in the reaches of her soul, where she is not royalty, but a flesh-and-blood woman, she belongs to this dangerous man. Unable to suppress their desire, they are swept into a daring dance of passion until a deadly enemy threatens to destroy their new love.

Finished: Wednesday 16/1/08

Book two-sixty: When It Happens

2008-01-30T15:41:00.001+11:00

When It Happens (2006)
Susane Colasanti

Rating: 3/5

This was really funny, although I found the opening few chapters a little confusing.

At the start of her senior year in high school, Sara wants two things: to get into a top college and to find true love.

Tobey also wants two things for his senior year: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love with him.

However, a popular jock named Dave moves in on Sara first. But Tobey’s quirky wit and big blue eyes are hard for Sara to ignore. Plus, he gets the little things that matter to her. Can a slacker rock-star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?

Finished: Tuesday 15/1/08

Book two-fifty-nine: The Pirate Prince

2008-01-30T15:39:00.000+11:00

The Pirate Prince (1998)
Gaelen Foley

Rating: 2/5

While I kind of enjoyed the drama, sometimes they would say something that would seem out of place for the time period and it would pull me out of it.

The World Saw A Pirate...She Saw A Prince.On a calm, moonlit night, as the scent of jasmine and pine embraces the island of Ascension, the pirate prince Lazar di Fiore returns with lethal grace to avenge what was stolen from him: his kingdom, his birthright, his soul.When Allegra Monteverdi, the daughter of Lazar's sworn enemy, throws herself on his mercy, Lazar agrees to spare the lives of her family—but only if Allegra sails away with him as his captive.Alone at sea with this dark, intriguing man, moving between seduction and fear, Allegra realizes it will take more than her growing love for this pirate prince to bring peace to her beloved home. For Lazar must face the demons of his shattered past - if he is to forge the destiny that is theirs to claim. . . .

Finished: Tuesday 15/1/08

Book two-hundred-and-fifty-eight: Wicked Ways of a Duke

2008-01-30T12:05:00.000+11:00

Wicked Ways of a Duke (2008)
Laura Lee Guhrke

When I was reading this, I couldn’t really figure out what was bothering me about it. Then it hit me: the hero really isn’t that admirable. Particularly in the first half of the book.

I just didn’t feel that he deserved her. I’m still not convinced.

Once upon a time, there was a seamstress named Prudence who lived in a lodging house, worked very hard, and dreamed of a better life. Then she inherited a fortune, met a handsome duke, and fell in love. Her life was wonderful, and it seemed as if she was destined to live happily ever after.

Then she found out money can’t buy happiness, handsome dukes can also be wicked, lying scoundrels, and a broken heart hurts like hell. Will Prudence ever find true love and happiness? Will the wicked duke mend his ways? Will she take him back or kick him to the curb?

Finished: Monday 14/1/08

Book two-fifty-seven: Leaving Paradise

2008-01-30T12:03:00.000+11:00

Leaving Paradise (2007)
Simone Elkeles

Rating: 3.5/5

I am conflicted about this book. I thought it was really good up until the last two pages. I just think the ending was unsatisfying. I think the main thing I want from an ending is to know that the characters who went through all these terrible things are going to be okay in the future and I really don’t feel that from “let’s get pie.”

Sure, they will be well fed, but what the hell is actually going on in their lives?

May be there will be a sequel.

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad-her chance to escape everyone and their pity stares-has been canceled. After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb's free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.
Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It's a bleak and to journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

Finished: Saturday 13/1/08

Book two-fifty-six: An Affair Before Christmas

2008-01-30T12:02:00.001+11:00

An Affair Before Christmas (2007)
Eloisa James

Rating: 4.5/5

Darn. Now I really really want to know what’s going to happen at that house party or the ball that was going on in the last chapter for that matter.

I really enjoyed this. I now love Villers just as I suspected I would. I think he will grow on me even more in books to come. I still don’t particularly like Charlotte, but I’m not as “why the hell am I reading about her for?” when stuff is written from her point of view. In the first book, it seemed a bit out of left field, but now you can see where she fits a bit better.

Speaking of not liking people that much, Harriet is another one on my lukewarm list. She is also seems to be one of the main characters in the next book (though can you ever really tell?), so hopefully she will also become more interesting.

One spectacular Christmas, Lady Perdita Selby, known to her friends and family as Poppy, met the man she thought she would love forever. The devilishly attractive Duke of Fletcher was the perfect match for the innocent, breathtakingly beautiful young Englishwoman, and theirs was the most romantic wedding she had ever seen. Four years later, Poppy and the Duke have become the toast of the ton... but behind closed doors it seems the spark of their love affair has burnt out.Unwilling to lose the woman he still lusts after, the duke is determined to win back his beguiling brides delectable affections . . . and surpass the heady days of first love with a truly sinful seduction.

Finished: Saturday 12/1/08

Book two-fifty-five: Desperate Duchess

2008-01-30T11:08:00.001+11:00

Desperate Duchess (2007)
Eloisa James

Rating: 4.25/5

I knew I shouldn’t have read this. I been deliberately avoiding buying it since it came out because I knew that she would do her usual trick of having a story that goes through all the books in the series, and as there are still four more to be published, I knew that I could just read them all back to back like I have with all her other series.

So, of course I read it. And of course now I am desperate (hardy ha!) to find out what happens with Jemma and Elijah.

I loved Roberta and Damon. I love Teddy. Hell, I may even love Villers (I’m figuring he’s the Mayne of the series, so I’m giving him a fair go).

A marquess's sheltered only daughter, Lady Roberta St. Giles falls in love with a man she glimpses across a crowded ballroom: a duke, a chess player of consummate skill, a notorious rake who shows no interest in marriage -- until he lays eyes on Roberta.

Yet the Earl of Gryffyn knows too well that the price required to gain a coronet is often too high. Damon Reeve, the earl, is determined to protect the exquisite Roberta from chasing after the wrong destiny.

Can Damon entice her into a high-stakes game of his own, even if his heart is likely to be lost in the venture?

Finished: Friday 11/1/08

Book two-fifty-four: Baby Proof

2008-01-30T11:06:00.000+11:00

Baby Proof (2006)
Emily Giffin

Rating: 1.5/5

I really liked all of Giffin’s previous novels. This one however annoyed me so much. I actually gave up reading it at the point where she leaves her husband over one comment and divorces him without even TALKING to him about it.

I decided to start reading it again, figuring that I must have misinterpreted something. No, she really did leave him over one comment.

Well, not really. She left him because he wanted to have a baby after they had already agreed not to. Fair enough I guess. (I can’t even be bothered to go into the fact that this book makes no wanting to have children seem like such a Big Deal.)

But the scene in which this all comes to a head and she walks out is just so anti-climatic and lame that I just couldn’t believe that someone would actually leave after it.

I suppose in a novel such as this one, you are supposed to believe that her husband is wonderful. I mean, you read a recount of them falling in love. You’re supposed to see he’s great. Amazing.

So why does she deserve him when all she’s offering him is someone who’ll walk out after a non-fight.

The writing also kind of annoyed me here. So much of what she writes is retelling in past tense, with occasional dialogue. Sometimes it feels like you are reading nothing but background, waiting for the story to start.

Claudia and Ben seem to be the perfect couple. Ever since their first date, when they discovered that neither saw children in their future, the path of their relationship seems destined to succeed. They envisage a life filled with freedom, possibility and exploration. Claudia and Ben are together because they want to be, not because children are caging them with eighteen years of obligation. But things don't always stay the same. Ben's best friend and his wife get pregnant, and suddenly Ben changes his mind. He does want children after all. This is the story of a couple at a crossroads - and a woman who must decide what she wants most in life. BABY PROOF explores searing emotional consequences and impossible dilemmas with sensitivity and wit, depth and lashings of heart.

Finished: Tuesday 8/1/08

Book two-fifty-three: The Rules of Gentility

2008-01-30T11:05:00.001+11:00

The Rules of Gentility (2007)
Janet Mullany

Rating: 4.5/5

I laughed out loud at this so many times that people started to complain. Apparently, nothing could be that funny, but this really was. And quirky. And completely unlike any other Regency novel I have read since I discovered of them.

I loved it. It is funny and the characters are flawed and real.

There was one part I didn’t like towards the end, but I forgive the author completely. If for no other reason than she has the most interesting character names ever.

Regency heiress Philomena Wellesley-Clegg has rather strong opinions about men and clothing. As to the former, so far two lords, a viscount, and a mad poet have fallen far short of her expectations. But she is about to meet Inigo Linsley, an unshaven, wickedly handsome man with a scandalous secret. He's nothing she ever dreamed she'd want—why then can she not stop thinking about how he looks in his breeches?

A delightful marriage of Pride and Prejudice with Bridget Jones's Diary, Janet Mullany's The Rules of Gentility transports us to the days before designer shoes, apple martinis, and speed dating—when great bonnets, punch at Almack's, and the marriage mart were in fashion—and captivates us with a winsome heroine who learns that some rules in society are made to be broken.

Finished: Sunday 6/1 /08

Book two-fifty-two: Major Crush

2008-01-30T11:03:00.000+11:00

Major Crush (2006)
Jennifer Echols

Rating: 4/5

When I started reading this, I was very confused. What the hell is a band major anyway? I’d never heard of such a thing before. I kind of thought that people in those marching bands were all of the same level with a teacher or whoever in charge. Turns out it is much more complicated.

I really liked this story, mostly for its really witty and funny dialogue. I also really liked the two main characters – and the face that they were all Broody McAngsty with their Issues.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author.

Marching to the beat of a different drum...

Tired of the beauty-pagean circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles -- drum major of the high school marching band.
Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they share more than just their half-time salute...

But as the drum major's heated competition turns to sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything -- including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into disaster.

Finished: Saturday 5/1/08

Book two-fifty-one: Heiress for Hire

2008-01-30T11:00:00.000+11:00

Heiress for Hire (2007)
Erin McCarthy

Rating: 3/5

After being disappointed by my last McCarthy outing, I was hesitant about reading this, but it ended up being really fun. I didn’t realise until I started reading it, that it was actually a sort-of-sequel to A Date With the Other Side which I had for once read already.

Chicago ex-socialite Amanda Delmar's father has cut her off, and now she must do the unthinkable-work. Single father Danny Tucker hires her to babysit his daughter, not knowing that this debutante might just find a place in his heart.

Finished: Saturday 5/1/08

Book two-fifty: Never Lie to a Lady

2008-01-30T10:57:00.000+11:00

Never Lie to a Lady (2007)
Liz Carlyle

Rating: 2/5

I was disappointed with this, it wasn’t as good as some of her other books I’ve read. Maybe the next in the series will be better.

The notorious Marquis of Nash is a creature of the night; his wealth and his title provide but a tenuous entrée into polite society. With his Eastern European manners and dark elegance, Nash tempts women even as he tempts the scandalmongers. Rumors abound of the men he has bankrupted and the hearts he has broken. But when Nash leaves his lair for a rare foray into the ton, and enjoys a moment of heated passion with a mysterious lady in the dark, he develops an obsession which will lead him into the hellish world of smugglers, spies, and political intrigue as the Continent edges nearer to war.

Xanthia Neville has arrived in London to expand her family’s most lucrative business holding—Neville Shipping. With her brother Rothewell all too happy to waste his life in debauchery, Xanthia opens up shop in London’s grimy Docklands, and sets about expanding the family fortune, all the while flaunting the ton’s silly strictures about how a lady ought to behave. But London, she soon learns, is not Barbados. And when the British Government approaches Rothewell to ask the family’s help in exposing a dangerous arms dealer, Xanthia must enter society after all, only to find her loyalties torn. Someone in London is fueling the conflict on the Balkan Peninsula by smuggling illicit weapons into the Aegean—and there is only one likely suspect. The Marquis of Nash has the resources, the contacts and, quite possibly, the deeply divided loyalties. But can Xanthia’s subterfuge prove him a traitor to the Crown before her heart is broken?

Finished: Friday 4/1/08

Book two-forty-nine: Smart Mouth

2008-01-30T10:55:00.000+11:00

Smart Mouth (2004)
Erin McCarthy

Rating: 1/5

The main character annoyed me. A lot.

This is one of those cases where a perfectly nice person falls in “love” with a self-centred and annoying main character. I don’t get it.

It just annoyed me that she was pretty much trying to ruin his whole career, while at the same time jeopardise a CRIMMINAL INVESTIGATION, and he was just like ‘gee, isn’t she cute?’

No!!! Arrest her for interfering with the path of justice, don’t apologise because she isn’t getting what she wanted…. When you were going to give her what she wanted in the end… all she had to do was wait…. Grrr….

Undercover FBI agent Derek Knight has no idea what he's in for. His game plan for having a confidential witness leave an envelope for him in a Ford Taurus falls like a house of cards when the witness turns out to be colour blind, leaving the envelope in the wrong car.

Reporter Reece Hampton really has no idea what she's in for - the red Taurus she's just hopped into is now the focal point of Knight's attention since it mistakenly contains the crucial evidential envelope. Driving like a bat of hell, Reece and Knight play a game of cat and mouse until he's finally able to pull her over at a deli parking lot - but all hell breaks loose when by-standers see the overzealous Knight confront the unsuspecting and clueless reporter.

After the police are called in and finally get to the heart of the matter, Reece ducks out a back door and reads the contents in the envelope which contains information that could, quite possibly, propel her career from reporting local weddings to big stories in the big time. By the time Knight catches up with her, sparks fly, and both, needing each other's help to succeed, make a very sexy team who will not be beaten.

Finished: Thursday 3/1/08

Book two-forty-eight: Too Perfect

2008-01-30T10:53:00.000+11:00

Too Perfect (2005)
Julie Ortolon

Rating: 1.5/5

Nothing much really happens apart from a few bizarrely unbelievable things at the end.

Maddy, Christine and Amy are thrilled that their old college suite-mate has written a bestselling book, How to Have the Perfect Life—until they realize she used them as examples of how women let fear screw up their lives. The worst part is…it’s sort of true. Together they make a pact: they each have one year to face down their fears—and maybe show Miss Perfect a thing or two!
A Wandering Duckling

Defying the terrible sense of direction that's kept her form traveling, Amy ships out as a nanny on a Caribbean cruise--and promptly gets lost when they stop on St. Bart's. Now she's stranded without any money--or even a toothbrush!

A Two-Faced Beast

Locals say that Gaspar, owner of the island's crumbling fortress, is a hideous recluse. They call him La Bête, "The Beast." But when Amy applies for a job at the fort, she meets only his charming assistant, Beaufort. In truth, the two are the same man--billionaire Byron Parks, who's desperately seeking privacy and peace.

A Perfect Fairy Tale?

Amy aches for the miserable man secluded in the fortress tower. Through e-mail, they begin an imaginative exchange of romantic fantasies. Byron is hopelessly smitten with his sexy storyteller--but will his real-life make-believe ruin their happy ending?

Finished: Wednesday 2/1/08

Book two-forty-seven: Just Perfect

2008-01-30T10:51:00.000+11:00

Just Perfect (2005)
Julie Ortolon

Rating: 1.5/5

A bit boring at times.

Maddy, Christine and Amy are thrilled that their old college suite-mate has written a bestselling book, How to Have the Perfect Life—until they realize she used them as examples of how women let fear screw up their lives. The worst part is…it’s sort of true. Together they make a pact: they each have one year to face down their fears—and maybe show Miss Perfect a thing or two!

AN ICE PRINCESS

You have to be tough to work in the ER—but Dr. Christine Ashton's courage doesn't extend to riding a chairlift, no matter how much she loves skiing. Her challenge is to strap on a pair of skis and conquer her fear of heights. The bigger challenge, though, will be resisting the sexy ski instructor her friends have deemed off-limits.

A SKI BUM

Alec Hunter is more than just a fun-loving charmer and nothing like the users, losers, and strays Christine usually winds up with. But she's still giving him the cold shoulder, and he's determined to prove how wrong she is about him.

A PERFECT DISASTER?

After helping the victim of a snowboarding accident, the two fall hard and fast—with enough heat to melt the mountains. And everything is just perfect—until Christine must face kind of fear and choose between her dream job back home and her dream man in Colorado.

Finished: Tuesday 1/1/08

Book two-forty-six: Enchanting Pleasures

2008-01-30T10:49:00.000+11:00

Enchanting Pleasures (2001)
Eloisa James

Rating: 4.5/5

I liked this one the best of all of them. It was a very interesting premise. Nothing like anything I’d ever read.

Gabrielle Jerningham cherishes the portrait of her betrothed, the perfect Peter Dewland...until she meets his commanding older brother Quill.

But it is Peter to whom she has been promised. And how can she possibly transform her voluptuous, outspoken self into the poised gentlewoman Peter requires?

When Gabby's shocking décolletage plunges to her waist at her first ball, Peter is humiliated. But Quill comes to the rescue, to the peril of his heart. An accident years before has left Quill plagued by headaches--the kind that grows more excruciating with strenuous exercise. Needless to say, this hardly bodes well for siring progeny. But the very sight of Gabby leaves Quill breathless. One forbidden kiss and Quill vows to have her, headaches--and Peter--be damned! But it will take a clever man--and a cleverer woman--to turn the tables on propriety and find their way to true love....

Finished: Monday 31/12

Book two-forty-five: Midnight Pleasures

2008-01-30T10:47:00.000+11:00

Midnight Pleasures (2000)
Eloisa James

Rating: 4.25/5

Obviously, I had to read the whole trilogy as quickly as possible. I think this was better than the first.

To her legions of adoring suitors, it comes as quite a shock when Lady Sophie York rejects an offer of marriage from the dashing, rakish Patrick Foakes in favor of amiable but dull Bradden Chatwin. He may be an earl, but it is Patrick's stolen kisses that sear her lips.

When Patrick, in disguise, scales a ladder to retrieve his friend's fiancée, he never expects the elopement to be his own. Neither does Sophie, Braddon, or the rest of the tattling ton. One hasty wedding later, the passionate innocent and the sophisticated rogue play out their own intricate dance as Sophie masters what it takes to keep a man where he belongs. And Patrick learns the ultimate lesson in love.

Finished: Monday 31/12

Book two-forty-four: Potent Pleasures

2008-01-30T10:44:00.000+11:00

Potent Pleasures (1999)
Eloisa James

Rating: 4/5

I love Elosia James’s books. They are all soooo good. I think this was the first book she published and even though she has gotten better over the last ten or so books, it was still really good. I read it in one sitting. (I mean, that’s not particularly unusual, but in this case I was very cranky when people tried to talk to me).

Nothing is more seductive than temptation.

Reckless desire sends Charlotte Daicheston into the garden with a dashing masked stranger. He's powerful, unforgettable, a devastatingly handsome footman who lures her--not against her will--into a grand indiscretion at a masquerade ball. Then he vanishes.

Several years later, after Charlotte has made her dazzling debut in London society, they meet again. But the rogue is no footman. He's rich, titled, and he doesn't remember Charlotte. Worse, he's the subject of some scandalous gossip: rumor has it, the earl's virility is in question.

Charlotte, who knows all too intimately the power of his passion, is stunned by the gossip that has set society ablaze. At last, there can be a storybook ending...unless, of course, Charlotte's one mad indiscretion had not been with him at all....

Finished: Sunday 30/12

Book two-forty-three: Almost Perfect

2008-01-30T10:42:00.000+11:00

Almost Perfect (2005)
Julie Ortolon

Rating: 1.75/5

Okay.

Maddy, Christine and Amy are thrilled that their old college suite-mate has written a bestselling book, How to Have the Perfect Life—until they realize she used them as examples of how women let fear screw up their lives. The worst part is…it’s sort of true. Together they make a pact: they each have one year to face down their fears—and maybe show Miss Perfect a thing or two!
A Free Spirit

Maddy was always the artistic one of the group, alive with color and mischief from her saucy red curls to her vintage hippie skirts. Her challenge, the friends decide, is to get her artwork accepted at a gallery. A job as arts director at a summer camp near Santa Fe—with its multitude of galleries—seems like a start in the right direction.

A Reformed Bad Boy

There’s just one catch: The camp is run by Maddy’s high school flame, Joe, whose heart she broke—okay, smashed—and his anger towards Maddy hasn’t cooled one bit. But neither has their attraction.

A Perfect Match?

Old desires burn hotter than ever as Joe makes it clear there's only one way back to his heart: She has to get serious about her art. But will falling in love help or hinder Maddy as she struggles to meet her challenge?

Finished: Saturday 29/12

Book two-forty-two: Thirty Nothing

2008-01-30T10:39:00.000+11:00

Thirty Nothing (2000)
Lisa Jewell

Rating: 3.5/5

I really liked this, even though the two main characters were a bit stupid at times. The thing I really enjoyed was finding out all the back story between them and finally understanding what was going on in the present.

Have you ever wondered what happened to your first love?

Imagine bumping into your first love twelve years after you last saw her. Imagine that she's even better-looking that she was when she was eighteen and that you ask her out for dinner and she says yes. This is what happens to Dig Ryan on the day of this thirtieth birthday
Now imagine that you're Nadine, Dig's best friend for the last fifteen years.

Imagine that Delilah was your nemesis at school and that even after twelve years, you can't bear to be around her. You might find yourself feeling unexpectedly jealous and you might do something really childish like phoning your first love and asking him out, just to get your own back.

This is a story about ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends and what happens when you start messing with the past. It's also a story about best friends and growing up and how sometimes what you're looking for isn't in the past or the future, but right under your nose.

Finished: Saturday 29/12

Book two-forty-one: Don’t Look Down

2008-01-29T15:28:00.000+11:00

Don’t Look Down (2006)
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Meyer

Rating: 1.5/5

I’m so glad I read Agnes and the Hitman first or otherwise I might not have bothered. I didn’t like this much at all. I was pretty much constantly annoyed at the characters. Why did he JT or whatever his name was, believe so easily the guy was from the CIA or FBI or whatever? Why did they have scenes in which they are constantly interrupted by annoying people coming to annoy them and thus annoying me?

Why?

Lucy Armstrong has come to Savannah to finish the last four days of filming on a romantic action movie called Don't Look Down. What should be an easy shoot is made a lot more difficult by the stunt coordinator (Lucy's ex-husband, Connor Nash), the script supervisor (Lucy's very unhappy sister, Daisy), an inquisitive five-year-old (Lucy's niece, Pepper), the backer (a sinister Irishman named Finnegan), and one strong and silent stunt man (J. T. Wilder, the stuff Lucy's dreams are made of). Then she starts to look beneath the surface and realizes that, unless she finds out what's going on fast, the movie isn't going to be the only thing that's finished in four days.

J. T. Wilder has come to Savannah to make some quick money as a stunt double while on leave from the Army (he's a Green Beret). What should be an easy job is made a lot more difficult by the star he's doubling for (goofball Bryce McKay), the starlet who's intent on seducing him (Althea Bergdorf, not that he's putting up much of a fight), his skirt-chasing best friend (gonzo-pilot Rene LaFavre), an eagle-eyed five-year-old (binocular-toting Pepper Armstrong), and a tough, exasperated director (Lucy Armstrong, the stuff Wilder's dreams are starting to be made of). Then the CIA calls and Wilder realizes that somebody is taking "shooting a movie" much too literally.

Finished: Friday 28/12

Book two-hundred-and-forty: Two Way Street

2008-01-29T15:25:00.000+11:00

Two Way Street (2007)
Lauren Barnholdt

Rating: 4/5

So good. Barnholdt somehow manages to pull off the non-linear thing (which usually bugs me the way flashbacks bug me) really really well.

Also, I thought the ending wasn’t dissatisfying as so many YAs of this type can be.

There are two sides to every breakup.This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation. Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet. It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care. But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot. Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

Finished: Friday 28/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-nine: Keturah and Lord Death

2008-01-29T15:24:00.001+11:00

Keturah and Lord Death (2006)
Martine Leavitt

Rating: 3/5

Am I weird in that I spent most of this book thinking “oh, come on Keturah, be a bit nicer to Lord Death. Sure, he wants to kill you (and eventually everyone you know), but look at his good points….”

Keturah gets lost in the woods one dark night and is discovered by young, handsome Lord Death. He is ready to take her life, but after she charms him with a love story he gives her a reprieve: She'll become his bride unless she can find her one true love within twenty-four hours. With the help of her friends, an old witch, and a magic eyeball, Keturah searches her village for the one thing that can save her-a love greater than death.

Finished: Thursday 27/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-eight: The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes

2008-01-29T15:22:00.000+11:00

The Unfortunates Miss Fortunes (2007)
Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart

Rating: 3/5

This was pretty good, but I think I would have liked it better if it had been three separate stories, or novels for that matter. I just found it jumped around too much.

The three Fortune sisters of Salem’s Fork have a few problems, like the supernatural powers they haven’t quite mastered yet—Dee’s a shapeshifter, Lizzie transmutes things, and Mare’s psychokinetic—and their Aunt Xan who’s clearly up to no good. But one fine Friday morning they each meet a man—Mare gets two—and after that their lives are full of outraged owls, purple bunnies, libido spells, and beds that go bump in the night (on the ceiling).

Finished: Thursday 27/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-seven: Eight Grade Bites

2008-01-29T14:57:00.000+11:00

Eight Grade Bites (2007)
Heather Brewer

Rating: 3.5/5

I really liked Vlad. The only thing wrong with this book is that it’s the start of a series, therefore there is a lot of unanswered questions and stage building… apart from that it was really funny.

If you thought eighth grade was tough, try it with fangs and a fear of garlic. Junior high school really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod, and not in the good slurp-up-the-blood kind of way. A gang of bullies harasses him daily, the principal is dogging his every move, and the girl he really likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has to hide the fact that he's a vampire. When the one teacher he really connects with mysteriously vanishes, Vlad is determined to find him. But then Vlad finds an unsettling note scribbled across his essay: “I know your secret.”

Vlad must locate his missing teacher, dodge the principal, resist the bullies’ tempting invitations to Bite me!, and get a date for the dance—all before he is exposed for the teen vampire he is.

Finished: Wednesday 26/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-six: Agnes and the Hitman

2008-01-29T14:20:00.000+11:00

Agnes and the Hitman (2007)
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Rating: 4/5

This book is as good as the cover. Funny, quirky and very very entertaining.

Agnes Crandall, a food columnist better known as Cranky Agnes,knows she's in trouble when a dognapper invades her kitchen one night, seriously hampering her attempts to put on a wedding that she’s staked her entire net worth on. Then a hero climbs through her bedroom window . . .

That’s Shane who has his own problems: he’s got a big hit scheduled, a rival trying to take him out, and an ex-mobster uncle asking him to protect some kid named little Agnes. Then Agnes turns out to be not so little and the problem turns out to be a missing five million bucks. Agnes and Shane have their hands full with a bunch of lowlifes looking for the money, a string of hit men coming for Agnes, a lot of wedding guests arriving for the wedding, and—most of all--with each other.

Finished: Tuesday 25/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-five: Catch of the Day

2008-01-29T14:16:00.000+11:00

Catch of the Day (2007)
Kristan Higgins

Rating: 4/5

I loved this. It was just a really great story about normal people. It seemed very… real, I guess?

First Date a la Maggie

Take one lovelorn diner owner (me)

A generous helping of nosy local gossips

A dollop of envy at married sister's perfect life

A splash of divine intervention (my matchmaking priest)
Combine ingredients and add one strong-but-silent lobsterman with a hidden heart of gold.

Finished: Monday 24/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-four: Santa Baby

2008-01-29T14:14:00.000+11:00

Santa Baby (2006)
Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster and Carly Phillips

Rating: 3/5

The Jennifer Crusie story made this worth importing.

The only bad thing about it, was I spent the next day walking around singing Santa Baby under my breath… thankfully it was Christmas Eve, so no one thought it was too weird.

Trudy Maxwell goes looking for the Hot Toy of 2006 on Christmas Eve to keep her nephew's faith in Santa Claus and life in general, and runs into toy hijackers, the CIA, Chinese spies, and the lit professor who dumped her after three dates. Then the shooting starts. Anthology includes reprints of stories by Lori Foster ("Christmas Bonus") and Carly Phillips ("Naughty Under the Mistletoe").

Finished: Sunday 23/12

Book two-thirty-three: Whispers of the Night

2008-01-29T13:46:00.000+11:00

Whispers of the Night (2006)
Lydia Joyce

Rating: 1/5

This is the first book I have read by Lydia Joyce. I had hear a lot of really good things about her, but this was disappointing. The worse thing is, the writing was really good. I liked her style and everything. I just didn’t like the heroine and the second half of the book where they are captured and escape and are capture and escape and are capture and escape and are captured and so on.

So, I guess I didn’t like the plot, but the writing was good. I’d read another of her books and hope there are no rebels involved.

When four London seasons fail to find her a suitable match, Alcyone Carter does the unthinkable and treks across Europe to marry a foreign nobleman she's never met. But on her wedding night, she discovers her handsome, enigmatic husband is not the man he claimed to be. Rather than live a lie, she escapes his estate into the darkness. But her husband-ignited by his desire and pride-risks everything to follow her from the depths of the Romanian forests into the decadent heart of Istanbul, where they're forced to confront the sensual passion they've discovered-and the dire threat that could cost them both their lives.

Finished: Friday 21/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-two: Her Secret Fantasy

2008-01-29T13:43:00.000+11:00

Her Secret Fantasy (2007)
Gaelen Foley

Rating: 3/5

I liked this heaps better than the first series. Hopefully the next will be even better…

Some say the aristocratic Balfour clan is cursed, a once-great family now in slow decline. Graceful Lily Balfour is her family’s last hope, and she has come to London with one goal—to marry a rich man.

Her well-laid plans are balked, however, by the irresistible Major Derek Knight, a handsome highborn soldier and adventurer newly returned from India.Hardened by battles on India’s lawless frontiers, Derek is not just a fighter but a skilled and insatiable lover—a master of the Eastern arts of pleasure. Though Derek finds no shortage of willing women in London, it is the aloof, untouchable Lily who haunts him. After one stolen moment, he hungers for nights of sensual abandon to fulfill her fantasies and free her from her self-imposed prison. But he has come to England on a vital secret mission, and when Lily is betrothed to a wealthy man suspected of corruption, Derek must thwart the treachery that ensnares them both—for only then will ecstasy and the sweet promise of her heart be his to claim.

Finished: Thursday 20/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirty-one: It Must Be Love

2008-01-29T13:10:00.000+11:00

It Must Be Love (2000)
Rachel Gibson

Rating: 2.5/5

Good, except the whole Him Dating Someone Else While Also Dating Her thing.

Undercover cop Joe Shanahan's bad luck hit bottom the morning he stared up into the face of sexy suspect Gabrielle Breedlove. She'd blown his cover---brought him down with a can of hairspray---and now his new assignment was to pose as her boyfriend. But spending as much time as possible with the utterly irresistible New Age beauty caused unexpected complications. To make matters worse, his matchmaking sisters are picking out china patterns.

Joe's brooding good looks and T-shirt-straining muscles might be easy on the eyes, but how could Gabrielle be attracted to a straight-laced detective who's determined to find evidence to arrest her? Still, he invades her dreams and when they share a transcendent lovemaking experience, Gabrielle knows it must be love.

Finished: Wednesday 19/12

Book-two-hundred-and-thirty: The Big Heat

2008-01-29T12:55:00.000+11:00

The Big Heat (2007)
Jennifer LaBrecque

Rating: 2/5

I hate books in which the heroine demands a declaration of love from the hero. If someone proposes to you (in front of everyone he knows), can’t you just go on and assume that he loves you? Without storming out. I mean, come on, the fact that he’s asked you to (possibly) spend the rest of your life with him, kinda hints at some deeper emotion on his part.

I could understand if he hadn’t done that (i.e. public proposal of marriage). Then you’d be wanting to know where you stood… but come on, don’t actions speak louder than words…

Apart from that it was okay.

This big, bad bounty hunter can handle anything. Or can he? Cade Stone can't believe Sunny Templeton. How did one sexy woman manage to get into so much trouble? Okay, so maybe she tried to take out a politician with her car. Who wouldn't do the same thing? But now it's landed her in jail, and the local media is out for blood. He's got to help her. That's just the kind of guy he is…Sunny thinks being in the slammer is bad…until she's bailed out by tall, dark and dangerous Cade Stone. The bounty hunter has starred in her nightly fantasies for weeks—and now he's offering to take her home? He might call it "protective custody," but for Sunny, it's an invitation to see if this bad man is as good as she thinks he is…

Finished: Tuesday 18/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-nine: Miss Wonderful

2008-01-29T12:53:00.000+11:00

Miss Wonderful (2004)
Loretta Chase

Rating: 2/5

The writing is a little bit stilted in places, but it was pretty good with a very cute cover.

Alistair Carsington really, really wishes he didn’t love women quite so much. To escape his worst impulses, he sets out for a place far from civilization: Derbyshire--in winter!--where he hopes to kill two birds with one stone: avoid all temptation, and repay the friend who saved his life on the fields of Waterloo.

But this noble aim drops him straight into opposition with Miss Mirabel Oldridge, a woman every bit as intelligent, obstinate, and devious as he—and maddeningly irresistible.
Mirabel Oldridge already has her hands full keeping her brilliant and aggravatingly eccentric father out of trouble. The last thing she needs is a stunningly attractive, oversensitive and overbright aristocrat reminding her she has a heart--not to mention a body he claims is so unstylishly clothed that undressing her is practically a civic duty.

Could the situation be any worse? And why does something that seems so wrong feel so very wonderful?

Finished: Monday 17/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-eight: Another One Bites the Dust

2008-01-29T12:50:00.000+11:00

Another One Bites the Dust (2007)
Jennifer Rardin

Rating: 2/5

I found this confusing at times, the way it jumps around from the present, back to five minutes ago, then you see the last five minutes, and what-do-you-know, it’s the present again.

I hate when that happens.

I like linear.

Also, there are waaaaaaay too many main characters in this book. Yes, there is only one narrator, but I feel like that bus is way over crowded.

And I am the only who thinks it’s unrealistic that the private detective is now working for the government with them? Should he have to undergo at least some kind of basic training?

But it is a team of coincidences I guess. Jaz meet the computer geek in college, they meet the psychic in the last book, ditto for the private investigator, and the vampire requested to work with her for personal reasons.

Nepotism is definitely not dead in this world, that’s for sure.

I’m not sure what’s going to happen with this series. If a bit more character development could occur, I’d be much happier with it.

In their latest mission, Jaz and Vayl are sent to kill an ancient Chinese vamp who’s stolen a vital piece of biotechnology. The catch? They’re undercover as street performers…and Jaz has to bellydance.

Finished: Sunday 16/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-seven: Into Temptation

2008-01-29T12:48:00.000+11:00

Into Temptation (2002)
Kathryn Smith

Rating: 2.5/5

For some reason I thought this was the second in the other series by Kathryn Smith I started reading. Its not. Its actually the last book in a different Regency series she wrote.

Oh well. It was good.

Julian Rexley is astonished to learn that his sister has foiled his attempts to marry her off by aligning herself with the woman who tried to destroy him years before. Seeing no other solution, Julian chases after his sibling. Sophia Morelle knew Julian would come after his sister. What she didn't expect was her own reaction to his presence in her home. And neither of them expected to find that there is nothing more tempting than an innocent kiss.

Finished: ???

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-six: Guilty Pleasures

2008-01-29T12:46:00.000+11:00

Guilty Pleasures (2004)
Laura Lee Guhrke

Rating: 2.5/5

I have read The Marriage Bed earlier in the year, about some of the same characters, so I sort of knew what was going to happen (you know, as if there was any doubt), but I still enjoyed this.

For prim and shy Daphne Wade, the sweetest guilty pleasure of all is secretly watching her employer, Anthony Courtland, the Duke of Tremore, as he works the excavation site on his English estate. Anthony has hired Daphne to restore the priceless treasures he has been digging up, but it's hard for a woman to keep her mind on her work when her devastatingly handsome employer keeps taking his shirt off. He doesn't know she's alive, but who could blame her for falling in love with him anyway?

Anthony thinks that his capable employee knows all there is to know about antiquities, but when his sister decides to turn the plain young woman in gold-rimmed glasses into an enticing beauty, he declares the task to be impossible. Daphne is devastated when she overhears… and determined to prove him wrong. Now a vibrant and delectable Daphne has emerged from her shell, and the tables are turned. Will Anthony see that the woman of his dreams has been right there all along?

Saturday 15/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-five: Manhunting

2008-01-29T12:02:00.000+11:00

Manhunting (1993)
Jennifer Crusie

Rating: 3/5

Sweet and funny, but missing some of the bite and wit of her more recent novels.

Kate Svenson is attractive, successful, a brilliant businesswoman-and miserable. After three failed engagements, she realizes it's time for a PLAN - an organized, detailed agenda with a clear goal: finding Mr. Right.
The Cabins resort is ripe with eligible bachelors, all rich distinguished, and ambitious - just her type. And they're dropping like flies around her... at least, that's how Jake Templeton views the situation. After he's stuck pulling her latest reject out of the swimming pool. Kake's convinced this femme fatale is trouble. Especially for him. But can a man who's sworn off ambition for good and a woman hanging from the top of the corporate ladder find common ground in the unpredictable territory called the heart, where the word proposal takes on a very different meaning...?

Finished: Friday 14/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-four: Baby It’s Cold Outside

2008-01-29T12:01:00.001+11:00

Baby It’s Cold Outside (2007)
Cathy Yardley

Rating: 2/5

All right.

Is jet-setting, supermodel-bedding hottie Colin Reeves actually home for the holidays? That's the rumor this Christmas. And now he's desperate for something only wholesome Emily Stanfield can provide: a room at her inn.

But Emily's tired of her choir-girl rep. Sex-ravenous and determined, she's facing a tantalizing dilemma: can she entice Colin to some holiday cheer under the sheets—and trust him to secrecy after the deal is done? Because one slip and everybody will be gossiping about Tall Pine's poster girl having the delicious Colin. Unless, of course, one steamy night turns into something even these folks couldn't predict…,

Finished: Friday 14/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-three: Talking in Your Sleep…

2008-01-29T11:59:00.001+11:00

Talking in Your Sleep… (2007)
Samantha Hunter

Rating: 1/5

So stupid.

The X-rated monologues coming from next door are keeping Rafe Moore up at night—all he really wants is some sleep. How's he supposed to decompress from his EMT job when his sultry neighbor and her explicit fantasies have his blood pressure spiking?

Tightly wound Joy Clarke can't explain what's brought on these sizzling "somniloquies"—about a complete stranger, no less. She's already stressed, and there is no rest from her wicked, wicked thoughts. But when Rafe discovers that the object of all that steamy sleep-talk is him, he's set to make her dreams come true.

Problem is, in the light of day Joy doesn't recall a thing!

Finished: Thursday 13/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-two: A Blazing Little Christmas

2008-01-29T11:57:00.000+11:00

A Blazing Little Christmas (2007)
Jacquie D’Alessandro, Joanne Rock and Kathleen O’Rielly

Rating: 2/5

In my search for a contemporary romance, I ended up buying the “One-click-buy: December Harlequin Blaze.” And it ended up being quite good. Not to mention cost effective.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a very, very hot night…

Holiday Inn Bed by Jacquie D'Alessandro
When Eric and Jessica decide to spice up their Christmas engagement, they play out their favorite fantasy—Do Not Disturb. They'll be a little tied up for the weekend in their private hotel room…

His for the Holidays by Joanne Rock
Watch out—Heather Dillinger and Jared Murphy are back in the sack for some holiday sex! And this time they find that sweet revenge makes their reunion the hottest gift they never expected…

Dear Santa… by Kathleen O'Reilly
When a secret Santa invites Rebecca Neumann for a holiday getaway, she jumps at the chance. And when a sexy blast from her past appears, she's tempted to jump him, too…

Finished: Wednesday 12/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty-one: Boy’s of Summer

2008-01-29T11:54:00.000+11:00

Boy’s of Summer (2006)
Julie Elizabeth Leto, Kimberly Raye, Leslie Kelly

Rating: 1.75/5

Perhaps for the first time ever, I felt like reading a short story.

These were okay, I guess.

Baseball. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd...and the view of mouthwatering men in tight uniforms! A sport in which the men are men...and the women like them that way. Join three of Harlequin Blaze's bestselling authors in celebrating the men who indulge in this All-American pastime - and the women who help them indulge in other things...

Fever Pitch by Julie Elizabeth Leto In Fever Pitch, Julie Elizabeth Leto introduces Callie Andrews, a woman who's dying to have one last chance at bat...with her ex-husband!

The Sweet Spot by Kimberly Raye In Kimberly Raye's The Sweet Spot, Babe Bannister discovers that striking out with a sexy shortstop isn't so bad - especially when it leads to hitting a home run with a delicious coach....

Sliding Home by Leslie Kelly In Leslie Kelly's Sliding Home, we meet plain Janie Nolan. She's been sitting on the bench so long, she doesn't even realize she's still in the game. That is, until a sexy pitcher tempts her to come up to the plate and take a swing...

Finished: Monday 10/12

Book two-hundred-and-twenty: The Serpent Prince

2008-01-07T15:28:00.000+11:00

The Serpent Prince (2007)
Elizabeth Hoyt

Rating: 3.75/5

Hmmm, just missing something that the first one had. I think because she set up a lot of scenes and situations and them cut out from them. I don’t know if that make sense…. But some of the beginning it was just moving people around. It was still good, though, just not as good as the first. Or may be my expectations were just higher.

WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL

Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man—a naked unconscious an—and loses her innocence forever.

HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN

Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities—even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.
OR TO HELL

Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has—her love…

Finished: Sunday 9/12

Book two-hundred-and-nineteen: The Leopard Prince

2008-01-07T15:24:00.000+11:00

The Leopard Prince (2007)
Elizabeth Hoyt

Rating: 3.75/5

Almost as good, but not quite. I didn’t like the sub plot as much. And some of the stuff from the evil guys perspective was just plain disturbing.

But the characters are still so real; and normal. The thing I like most of all is that Harry isn't secretly the Earl or Duke or whatever. He really is just a servent. There's no getting around that.

THE ONE THING A LADY MUST NEVER DO

Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man.

IS FALL IN LOVE...

Harry has known many aristocrats—including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms.

WITH HER SERVANT.

Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar. The locals blame Harry for everything. Soon it's all Georgina can do to keep her head above water and Harry's out of the noose...without missing another night of love.

Finished: Saturday 8/12

Book two-hundred-and-eighteen: The Raven Prince

2008-01-07T15:10:00.000+11:00

The Raven Prince (2006)
Elizabeth Hoyt

Rating: 4/5

So very very good.

I had seen these around everywhere, but for some reason the cover and the title didn’t really combine to make me want to read it. But I am very glad I did.

THERE COMES A TIME IN A LADY'S LIFE...

Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits. What is a gently bred lady to do?

WHEN SHE MUST DO THE UNTHINKABLE...

The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior. Dammit! How hard can it be to find a decent secretary?

AND FIND EMPLOYMENT.

When Anna becomes the earl’s secretary, both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his “manly” needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her “womanly” desires . . . with the earl as her unknowing lover.

Finished: Friday 7/12

Two-hundred-and-seventeen: Faking It

2008-01-07T13:29:00.000+11:00

Faking It (2002)
Jenny Crusie

Rating: 4.5/5
[Re-reading]

You know, I just realised that I have been spelling her name wrong for half a decade. For some reason, I thought it was CruIse (you know, “your mother and I have decided to go on a cruise this summer. No, you kids aren’t invited.”… Because, in my mind, only American people go on cruises… never mind), rather than CrusIe. So I should probably fix that….

Anyway, I love this book.

Meet the Goodnights, a respectable family who have run a respectable art gallery for generations. There’s Gwen, the matriarch, who sedates herself with Double-Crostics and double vodkas; Eve, the oldest daughter, who has a slight identity problem (she has two); and Nadine, the granddaughter, who’s ready to follow in the family footsteps as soon as she can find a set that isn’t leading off a cliff. Holding everyone together is Matilda, the youngest daughter, who’s inherited the secret locked down in the basement of the Goodnight Gallery, a secret that she’s willing to do almost anything to keep, including breaking into a house in the dead of night to steal back her past.

Meet the Dempseys, or at least meet Davy, a reformed con man who’s just been ripped off for a cool three million by his financial manager, who then gallantly turned it over to Clea Lewis, the most beautiful sociopath Davy ever slept with. Davy wants the money back, but more than that, he’ll do anything to keep Clea from winning, including breaking into her house in the dead of night to steal back his future.

One collision in a closet later, Tilda and Davy reluctantly join forces to combat Clea, suspicious art collectors, a disgruntled heir, and an exasperated hit man, all the while coping with a mutant dachshund, a jukebox stuck in the sixties, questionable sex, a painting of three evil fishermen closing in on a dyspeptic tuna, multiple personalities, miscellaneous Goodnights and Dempseys, and the growing realization that they can’t turn their backs on the people they were meant to be... or the people they were born to love.

Finished: Thursday 6/12

Book-two-hundred-and-sixteen: Ex, Why and Me

2008-01-07T13:27:00.000+11:00

Ex, Why and Me (2006)
Susanna Carr

Rating: 2/5

This is okay. I was in the mood for something contemporary, with no brooding. And this was pretty good. Although, I kept thinking there had to be better ways of doing the stuff on the scavenger hunt. And really she should have been nicer to him. But I guess he was kind of a bastard to her first. But still.

Who knew that horseradish was an aphrodisiac?

Not Michelle Nelson. She signed up again to help promote her hometown's annual Horseradish Festival out of the goodness of her heart. No one said anything about a major publicity stunt, a romantic local legend, and prize money for the team voted "sexiest couple." And she is absolutely sure no one mentioned her new partner in this dubious event: Ryan Slater, a guy rumored to be an aphrodisiac for a lot of satisfied women.

Yeah, right.

Michelle and Ryan shared one disastrous evening together—a romantic catastrophe if ever there was one. There's no way this former Miss Horseradish is going to suffer that humiliation again. But Ryan—every denim-clad muscle and wicked, grinning, I-know-what-you're-thinking inch of him—is equally determined to get another chance with Michelle. And once the hunt is on, there’s no turning back…

Wednesday 5/12

Book two-hundred-and-fifteen: Howl at the Moon

2008-01-07T13:22:00.000+11:00

Howl at the Moon (2007)
Christine Warren

Rating: 0.5/5

OMG. This was sooooo silly. So very, very silly.

I didn’t even really believe that they were in any way “in love” and the whole military thing could have been a really great plot, but nothing really happens.

Very disappointing.

Noah Baker never wanted to betray The Others. But if his military commanders want him to covertly investigate a Lupine scientist—whose extraordinary research on sensory perception in werewolves could be used to develop werewolf-sharp senses in human soldiers—Noah must oblige. Even if it means deceiving the woman he desires the most.

Samantha Carstairs is the personal assistant to the Alpha of the Silverback Clan, and as best friend to the Lupine community’s most brilliant scientist, she is privy to its most dangerous secret. Noah knows that Sam will never leak the scientific research…so he must find another way to get it, while keeping Sam close. But someone elseis after Sam’s secret. Who is the other spy infiltrating The Others? If their genetic secrets get into the wrong hands, all hell could break loose. Now Noah’s true loyalty is put to the test as he fights to protect The Others—and his beloved Sam—and find the imposter…before it’s too late.

Finished: Tuesday 4/12

Book two-hundred-and-fourteen: Pleasure for Pleasure

2008-01-07T13:18:00.000+11:00

Pleasure for Pleasure (2006)
Eloisa James

Rating; 4/5
[Re-reading]

I love Josie. I love this book… actually, I seem to have liked it more than the first time I read it. I am way too fickle and subjective to be allowed to give ratings.

Pleasure for Pleasure's heroine, Josephine Essex, is quick of wit and lush with unfashionable curves. Nicknamed “The Scottish Sausage” within a week of her debut on the marriage market, her chances of matrimony look dim.

So Josie does what no proper young lady should – she challenges fate. She allows the scandalous Earl of Mayne to take her under his tutelage, discards her corset and flirts outrageously…Shakespeare 's play title, Measure for Measure, refers to a person receiving the punishment they deserve. In this novel, Josie gives precisely what she deserves: Pleasure for Pleasure.

Finished: Monday 3/12

Book two-hundred-and-thirteen: Taken by the Night

2008-01-07T12:14:00.000+11:00

Taken by the Night (2007)
Kathryn Smith

Rating: 2/5

I like Kathryn Smith’s heroines. Mostly because they are hardly ever annoying or flighty. I also liked that the hero said “okay, fine, I’ll help you. But maybe you should wait here while I investigate using my supernatural powers.”

And she said “Sure, I’ll hang here at the brothel, you go about your business. But later, when you’re in trouble, I’ll come rescue you, okay?”

And he said “I look forward to it. That’s a lot more interesting than you sneaking out to try and investigate on your own in a wilful act of defiance that leads to you getting into some kind of trouble, meaning I have to suspend the investigation while I save you.”

“Good. I’m glad we agree and you treat me as an equal. Oh, did you remember to get some blood before you left?”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. TTFN.”

Saint came to London looking for a little rest, blood, and maybe some feminine company. He never wanted to avenge the murders of two prostitutes, and he certainly never asked for the censure he sees in Ivy Dearing's eyes. Though, the desire he sees there awakens a hunger inside him unlike any he has ever known. He is not the only man taken in by Ivy's considerable charms, but he plans to be the only man in her bed. And when the madman he's hunting turns his attention toward Ivy, Saint will risk everything – even his immortality – to save the woman he loves.

Finished: Saturday 2/12

Book two-hundred-and-twelve: After the Abduction

2008-01-07T12:08:00.000+11:00

After the Abduction (2006)
Sabrina Jeffries

Rating: 2/5

I liked this more than the first two because it was a lot funnier. At least I think that’s why.

After two London Seasons—and a score of resoundingly dull society suitors—lovely Juliet Laverick still longs for only one man: Morgan Pryce, the dashing scoundrel who kidnapped her two years ago. But her determination to bring him to justice hasn't waned—not even when the man she mistakes for Morgan, his twin brother Sebastian, tells her some shocking news: her mysterious paramour has disappeared.

Sebastian Blakely, the Baron Templemore, dares not admit that he's the one Juliet seeks, that it is his kiss she still yearns for. Confessing to her abduction would bring disaster and scandal upon them both. But how can he convince Juliet to forsake her pursuit of her dream lover when all he dreams of is holding her in his arms again?

Finished: Wednesday 27/11

Book two-hundred-and-eleven: A Notorious Love

2008-01-07T11:55:00.000+11:00

A Notorious Love (2006)
Sabrina Jeffries

Rating: 1.5/5

To be honest, I don’t remember why I didn’t like this that much. But I wrote down 1.5, so I’m sure there was a reason. Really. I was probably just disappointed that it wasn’t as funny as her later books are.

Lady Helena Laverick is at her wits' end! The only man who can help her find her eloping young sister is that scoundrel Daniel Brennan—the man who played with her emotions last summer and then left.

And he used to be a smuggler! Although Mrs. Nunley's Guide to Etiquette for Young Ladies would never approve, Helena is forced to go after the runaway in Daniel's company. But something about being with him feels oddly freeing—and a delicious tingle warns Helena that more than her reputation may be in danger…

Daniel finds most of the prim lady's rules ridiculous—but when she has to masquerade as his wife for appearance's sake, he immediately envisions the delights of sharing a bedchamber. The unexpected passion smoldering beneath her proper exterior ignites his desire, and the vulnerability hidden beneath her cool control makes him want her even more. Yet Helena's a lady, and he's the son of a highwayman. How can he ask her to share his world?

Finished: Monday 26/11