Thursday, April 30, 2009
Will blog soon
I finished James Patterson's 7th Heaven just in time for the release of Lover Avenged by JR Ward. I will blog about both of these books as soon as I finish the WARDen's latest book. I'm about a third of the way thru Lover Avenged, and already love it!
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Wallflower Christmas
A Wallflower Christmas is the latest in the Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas. From the back cover.~
The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world's most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe...
It's Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren't for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her had would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipates, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.
A Wallflower Christmas takes a trip to Victorian London, under the mistletoe, and on a journey of the heart. With her trademark charm, sensuality, and unforgettable characters, there's no one like Lisa Kleypas to make you believe in the magic of Christmas.
I loved every minute of A Wallflower Christmas. It was so much fun to see what had become of each of the Wallflowers. When Rafe arrives to court Natalie Blandford, he must first convince her cousin, Hannah Appleton, that he is worthy of Natalie. Rafe only has one problem with courting Natalie, he is completely attracted to Hannah. I enjoyed watching the romance between Rafe and Hannah develop, while both tried to fight their feelings. With the help of the Wildflowers, Rafe and Hannah each find a way to admit their true feelings.
Lisa Kleypas gives the reader another winner with A Wallflower Christmas. I've only tried Lisa's historical romances so far, and have loved them all. I look forward to giving her contemporary romances a try in the future.
The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world's most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe...
It's Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren't for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her had would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipates, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.
A Wallflower Christmas takes a trip to Victorian London, under the mistletoe, and on a journey of the heart. With her trademark charm, sensuality, and unforgettable characters, there's no one like Lisa Kleypas to make you believe in the magic of Christmas.
I loved every minute of A Wallflower Christmas. It was so much fun to see what had become of each of the Wallflowers. When Rafe arrives to court Natalie Blandford, he must first convince her cousin, Hannah Appleton, that he is worthy of Natalie. Rafe only has one problem with courting Natalie, he is completely attracted to Hannah. I enjoyed watching the romance between Rafe and Hannah develop, while both tried to fight their feelings. With the help of the Wildflowers, Rafe and Hannah each find a way to admit their true feelings.
Lisa Kleypas gives the reader another winner with A Wallflower Christmas. I've only tried Lisa's historical romances so far, and have loved them all. I look forward to giving her contemporary romances a try in the future.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Revenge of the Spellmans
Revenge of the Spellmans is the third book in the Spellmans series by Lisa Lutz. From the back cover.~
You thought your life was complicated.
Private investigator Isabel Spellman is back on the case and back on the couch-in court-ordered therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject.
As the book opens, Izzy is on hiatus from Spellman Inc. But when her boss, Milo, simultaneously cuts her bar tending hours and introduces her to a "friend" looking for a private eye, Izzy reluctantly finds herself with a new client. She assures herself that the case-a suspicious husband who wants his wife tailed-will be short and sweet, and will involve nothing more than the most boring of PI rituals: surveillance. But with each passing hour, Izzy finds herself with more questions than hard evidence.
Meanwhile, Spellmania continues. Izzy's brother, David, the family's most upright member, has adopted an uncharacteristically unkempt appearance and attitude toward work, life, and Izzy. And their wayward youngest sister, Rae, as historic academic underachiever, aces the PSATs and subsequently offends her study partner and object of obsession, Detective Henry Stone, to the point of excommunication. The only unsurprising behavior comes from her parents, whose visits to Milo's bar amount to thinly veiled surveillance and artful attempts (read: blackmail) at getting Izzy to return to the Spellman Inc. fold.
As the case of the wayward wife continues to vex her, Izzy's personal life-and mental health-seem to be disintegrating. Facing a housing crisis, she can't sleep, she can't remember where she parked her car, and, despite her shrinks persistence, she can't seem to break through in her appointments. She certainly can't explain why she forgets dates with her lawyer's grandson, or fails to interpret the come-ons issued in and Irish brogue by Milo's new bartender. No can she explain exactly how she feels about Detective Henry Stone and his plans to move in with his new Assistant DA girlfriend...
Filled with the signature side-splitting Spellman antics, Revenge of the Spellmans is an ingenious, hilarious, and disarmingly tender installment in the Spellman series.
I love the entire Spellman series by Lisa Lutz. Izzy and her family are so very funny in their interactions with one another. The Spellman clan is one of a kind and crack me up with the way they spy on one another, but are right there for each other when needed. We are introduced to a few new characters in this latest Spellman book, and I hope they all make it to the next installment.
Lutz gives the reader a laugh-out-loud read that keeps the reader glued to the pages. The first book in the series is The Spellman Files, followed by Curse of the Spellmans. It is ok if you read the series out of order, but I think they are funnier and you get more from the books if read in order. A motion picture adaptation of The Spellman Files is in development with Paramount Pictues and I can't wait to see the Spellmans come to life.
You thought your life was complicated.
Private investigator Isabel Spellman is back on the case and back on the couch-in court-ordered therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject.
As the book opens, Izzy is on hiatus from Spellman Inc. But when her boss, Milo, simultaneously cuts her bar tending hours and introduces her to a "friend" looking for a private eye, Izzy reluctantly finds herself with a new client. She assures herself that the case-a suspicious husband who wants his wife tailed-will be short and sweet, and will involve nothing more than the most boring of PI rituals: surveillance. But with each passing hour, Izzy finds herself with more questions than hard evidence.
Meanwhile, Spellmania continues. Izzy's brother, David, the family's most upright member, has adopted an uncharacteristically unkempt appearance and attitude toward work, life, and Izzy. And their wayward youngest sister, Rae, as historic academic underachiever, aces the PSATs and subsequently offends her study partner and object of obsession, Detective Henry Stone, to the point of excommunication. The only unsurprising behavior comes from her parents, whose visits to Milo's bar amount to thinly veiled surveillance and artful attempts (read: blackmail) at getting Izzy to return to the Spellman Inc. fold.
As the case of the wayward wife continues to vex her, Izzy's personal life-and mental health-seem to be disintegrating. Facing a housing crisis, she can't sleep, she can't remember where she parked her car, and, despite her shrinks persistence, she can't seem to break through in her appointments. She certainly can't explain why she forgets dates with her lawyer's grandson, or fails to interpret the come-ons issued in and Irish brogue by Milo's new bartender. No can she explain exactly how she feels about Detective Henry Stone and his plans to move in with his new Assistant DA girlfriend...
Filled with the signature side-splitting Spellman antics, Revenge of the Spellmans is an ingenious, hilarious, and disarmingly tender installment in the Spellman series.
I love the entire Spellman series by Lisa Lutz. Izzy and her family are so very funny in their interactions with one another. The Spellman clan is one of a kind and crack me up with the way they spy on one another, but are right there for each other when needed. We are introduced to a few new characters in this latest Spellman book, and I hope they all make it to the next installment.
Lutz gives the reader a laugh-out-loud read that keeps the reader glued to the pages. The first book in the series is The Spellman Files, followed by Curse of the Spellmans. It is ok if you read the series out of order, but I think they are funnier and you get more from the books if read in order. A motion picture adaptation of The Spellman Files is in development with Paramount Pictues and I can't wait to see the Spellmans come to life.
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks is the first book in her Love at Stake series. From the back cover.~
Nobody said love was perfect...
Roman Draganesti is charming, handsome, rich...he's also a vampire. But this vampire just lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.
Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan, either. After witnessing a gruesome murder, she's next on the mob's hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her...?
I read the 4th book in this series a few months ago thru Jennifer's Random Musings book club. I'm glad that I was introduced to Sparks thru the book club, and didn't even mind that I read this series out of order. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire was a very funny and sexy read. There were undertones of mystery in the story, but overall it was a classic romance, with elements of the paranormal, since it involves vampires.
Roman and Shanna are attracted to one another from the very first moment they meet. Roman is a vampire who develops a synthetic blood so he can protect both vampires and humans. Shanna is a dentist who is in the witness protection program after being a witness to a mob hit. Shanna only has one little problem, she now faints at the site of blood, which is hindering her ability to be a dentist. Roman needs a dentist to implant his lost fang before he becomes a one-fanged vampire.
Sparks give the reader a fun and sexy read with How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. I loved the romance between Roman and Shanna and liked that there was a bit of mystery to the story too. I look forward to reading more books by Sparks in the future.
Nobody said love was perfect...
Roman Draganesti is charming, handsome, rich...he's also a vampire. But this vampire just lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.
Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan, either. After witnessing a gruesome murder, she's next on the mob's hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her...?
I read the 4th book in this series a few months ago thru Jennifer's Random Musings book club. I'm glad that I was introduced to Sparks thru the book club, and didn't even mind that I read this series out of order. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire was a very funny and sexy read. There were undertones of mystery in the story, but overall it was a classic romance, with elements of the paranormal, since it involves vampires.
Roman and Shanna are attracted to one another from the very first moment they meet. Roman is a vampire who develops a synthetic blood so he can protect both vampires and humans. Shanna is a dentist who is in the witness protection program after being a witness to a mob hit. Shanna only has one little problem, she now faints at the site of blood, which is hindering her ability to be a dentist. Roman needs a dentist to implant his lost fang before he becomes a one-fanged vampire.
Sparks give the reader a fun and sexy read with How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. I loved the romance between Roman and Shanna and liked that there was a bit of mystery to the story too. I look forward to reading more books by Sparks in the future.
A Deadly Yarn
A Deadly Yarn is the next book in Maggie Sefton's A Knitting Mystery series. From the back cover.~
Kelly Flynn's finally feeling at home in Fort Connor, Colorado-especially when she's with her knitting buddies at House of Lambspun. But her friend Allison is ready to leave town-until someone cancels her trip, permanently...
Kelly and Megan could not be happier for their friend Allison Dubois-a young, talented, up-and-coming artist. Invited by a designer to join her New York studio, Allison is about to embark on a new life. But when Kelly and Megan arrive at Allison's apartment to drive her to the airport, they find her dead on the floor, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills. The police suspect suicide, but Kelly and Megan aren't convinced.
Soon Kelly discovers that while Allison's career was on the fast-track, her social life was a mess. A bad news boyfriend, a jealous design student, and a mysterious man named Brian are all prime suspects in Kelly's book. Now it's up to Kelly and her crafty friends from the House of Lambspun to unravel this tightly stitched puzzle...
Sefton gives the reader a fast-paced fun mystery. Kelly and her friends are becoming experts at solving mysteries that involve their friends and family. Sefton also gives the reader more insight into Kelly and her friends lives with each new book. Not only do you get a great mystery in Sefton's books, but there is always directions for at least one knitting project, as well as one or two recipes.
I like that I normally can figure out the who-done-it before the end of the story and look forward to more books in this series.
Kelly Flynn's finally feeling at home in Fort Connor, Colorado-especially when she's with her knitting buddies at House of Lambspun. But her friend Allison is ready to leave town-until someone cancels her trip, permanently...
Kelly and Megan could not be happier for their friend Allison Dubois-a young, talented, up-and-coming artist. Invited by a designer to join her New York studio, Allison is about to embark on a new life. But when Kelly and Megan arrive at Allison's apartment to drive her to the airport, they find her dead on the floor, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills. The police suspect suicide, but Kelly and Megan aren't convinced.
Soon Kelly discovers that while Allison's career was on the fast-track, her social life was a mess. A bad news boyfriend, a jealous design student, and a mysterious man named Brian are all prime suspects in Kelly's book. Now it's up to Kelly and her crafty friends from the House of Lambspun to unravel this tightly stitched puzzle...
Sefton gives the reader a fast-paced fun mystery. Kelly and her friends are becoming experts at solving mysteries that involve their friends and family. Sefton also gives the reader more insight into Kelly and her friends lives with each new book. Not only do you get a great mystery in Sefton's books, but there is always directions for at least one knitting project, as well as one or two recipes.
I like that I normally can figure out the who-done-it before the end of the story and look forward to more books in this series.
The 6th Target
The 6th Target is the sixth installment in James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series. The 6th Target is written by both Patterson and Maxine Paetro. From the back cover.~
The Women's Murder Club faces its most terrifying-and personal-case ever. A burst of gunfire leaves several people dead-and a member of the Women's Murder Club fighting for her life. Detective Lindsay Boxer pursues one lead after another to capture her friend's attacker...but the clues don't seem to make sense. While Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano prepares to prosecute a high-profile trial, San Francisco is in the grip of a chilling crime spree. But the kidnappers follow with devastating silence-no message, no ransom demand. Now with the entire city plunged into fear, Lindsay must frantically work to connect these horrific crimes.
The 6th Target is another great story in the Women's Murder Club series. Patterson and Paetro keep the reader on the edge of their seats as the story unfolds. First Lindsay must work to solve a multi-murder that almost cost the life of her best friend in the world. While working on this case, a young girl is kidnapped on her way to the park, and Lindsay soon discovers, she isn't the first child to be kidnapped by these kidnappers.
I enjoy books by James Patterson, but his Women's Murder Club series is my all-time favorite. I love how strong and smart Lindsay and her friends are portrayed and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. 7th Heaven is the next book in this series and again Patterson has teamed up with Maxine Paetro for what I can only imagine to be another winner.
The Women's Murder Club faces its most terrifying-and personal-case ever. A burst of gunfire leaves several people dead-and a member of the Women's Murder Club fighting for her life. Detective Lindsay Boxer pursues one lead after another to capture her friend's attacker...but the clues don't seem to make sense. While Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano prepares to prosecute a high-profile trial, San Francisco is in the grip of a chilling crime spree. But the kidnappers follow with devastating silence-no message, no ransom demand. Now with the entire city plunged into fear, Lindsay must frantically work to connect these horrific crimes.
The 6th Target is another great story in the Women's Murder Club series. Patterson and Paetro keep the reader on the edge of their seats as the story unfolds. First Lindsay must work to solve a multi-murder that almost cost the life of her best friend in the world. While working on this case, a young girl is kidnapped on her way to the park, and Lindsay soon discovers, she isn't the first child to be kidnapped by these kidnappers.
I enjoy books by James Patterson, but his Women's Murder Club series is my all-time favorite. I love how strong and smart Lindsay and her friends are portrayed and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. 7th Heaven is the next book in this series and again Patterson has teamed up with Maxine Paetro for what I can only imagine to be another winner.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Why my 4 book reviews haven't been posted yet
I've read the following 4 books this week: The 6th Target by James Patterson, A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton, How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks, and Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. I had planned on posting all 4 reviews today, but sometime during the last 24 hours, my sinuses have decided to rebel against me. Between the headache, coughing, sneezing, and stuffy head, I really can't think clearly enough to keep my thoughts together. Hopefully all will be better in the next couple of days, and I'll be able to post my reviews at that time.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
The Associate
The Associate is the latest book by John Grisham. From the back cover.~
Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father's small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of the "Yale Law Journal", and his future has limitless potential.
But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn't want-even though it's a job most law students can only dream about.
Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.
With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains-from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle's "cubicle" at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country-and featuring all the twist and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.
I enjoyed The Associate, but didn't think it was in the same class as The Firm, A Time to Kill, or The Pelican Brief, which are still my favorite works by Grisham. The Associate has great characters, and Grisham writes the villains perfectly, to the point that you hate them just when you see their names. I really liked Kyle and was hoping he could find a way out of his mess his life had become. I also really enjoyed the budding relationship between Kyle and Dale, which was even more fun since it was against the rules of the firm for them to date. I did hope for a little bit more at the end, but overall The Associate was a pretty good read.
Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father's small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of the "Yale Law Journal", and his future has limitless potential.
But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn't want-even though it's a job most law students can only dream about.
Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.
With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains-from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle's "cubicle" at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country-and featuring all the twist and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.
I enjoyed The Associate, but didn't think it was in the same class as The Firm, A Time to Kill, or The Pelican Brief, which are still my favorite works by Grisham. The Associate has great characters, and Grisham writes the villains perfectly, to the point that you hate them just when you see their names. I really liked Kyle and was hoping he could find a way out of his mess his life had become. I also really enjoyed the budding relationship between Kyle and Dale, which was even more fun since it was against the rules of the firm for them to date. I did hope for a little bit more at the end, but overall The Associate was a pretty good read.
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