The Claiming of Suzy

The Claiming of Suzy is the super sexy sequel to For the Love of Mollie by author KT Grant. Synopsis from the author’s website.~

Suzy Bean is a woman who lives in the moment and doesn't mind her overabundant curves. The man she secretly loves, JC Mosino, is the only one who can make her untamed sexual fantasies a reality. After having a bit too much to drink at a party, JC drives her home, where their passions ignite. Suzy thinks that this is night where she and JC will go from being friends to lovers. Unfortunately it doesn't happen quite like that and Suzy ends up throwing JC out because of something he says in the heat of the moment that she takes the wrong way.

Now Suzy's whole world has been turned upside down because she's given up smoking and is sexually frustrated. When she meets a handsome, flirty stranger, who makes her body respond, she becomes even more frustrated. This chance meeting is one she'll never forget, for Mr. Hunk is her new boss, Xavier Marks. Suzy feels guilty because her attraction to Xavier is growing while she still pines for JC.

JC's craving for Suzy is out of control where he wants nothing more than to work things out and become her lover. He has a plan in doing so, but has to work fast as Xavier tries to seduce Suzy. JC is having no part of that, and will do whatever he can to claim this brassy, buxom beauty for his own.

I was lucky enough to be sent an early copy of The Claiming of Suzy from the author. I’ve read almost everything KT Grant has written and loved each and every story. The Claiming of Suzy is another winner. We first met Suzy Bean and JC Mosino in For the Love of Mollie, Suzy is Mollie’s best friend and JC was initially the object of Mollie’s affection. Suzy has been attracted to JC forever, but hid her feeling until after her friend Mollie found her HEA with Conner. Suzy has now decided she will make a move on JC and everything is super hot until JC says something that Suzy, and any woman with body image issues, takes the wrong way. Even though Suzy is mad at JC, she is still wants him like she has never wanted anyone else. Then walks in her new boss, Xavier Marks and Suzy finds herself attracted to another man. Suzy must now decide if she wants a relationship with JC or explore her attraction for Xavier.

I found The Claiming of Suzy to be a fun, fast and super sexy read. I had liked the glimpses of Suzy and JC I saw in Mollie’s story and loved finding out more about their characters. As I was cheering for Suzy and JC, I fell just a little for Xavier myself (might be because he is compared to Blair Underwood who I’ve loved since he was first on LA Law). I’m happy to say KT Grant already has his story in the works and I can’t wait for the release of Xavier’s Loving Arms. The Claiming of Suzy was released today and can be ordered as an ebook from Decadent Publishing.

Hard to Hold

Hard to Hold by Julie Leto is one of the first books in HCI’s True Vows series. From the back cover.~

New York Lobbyist Michael Davoli feels like he’s been sucker punched when he meets Anne Miller at a concert. And it doesn’t take long for him to realize that he’s fallen hard when they wind up living in the same Albany apartment building. After all, Anne’s hot, his dog likes her, and she’s catnip to the sense when she picks a lock faster than Sydney Bristow can disarm a nuke.

Always fiercely independent, Anne’s crackerjack reporting skills and keen intellect are no match for the chemical reaction she has to this man with electric blue eyes. But while he effortlessly holds her with his gaze, he withholds the embrace she longs for. Why is he so distant? Has Anne misread his signals? Yet there is no doubt that she’s under his skin and he’s in too deep when Mike confesses that he harbors a secret that could keep them apart: He has a neurological disorder that has shadowed him since childhood, and although he’s mastered the physical tics so other don’t notice, he may never be able to hold her in his arms for fear of the bruises he could inflict.

Anne isn’t about to let anything like Tourette’s syndrome keep her from the man of her dreams. But Mike has a second secret. Will this secret be the one that even a grand passion cannot survive?

With her trademark wit and sensual artistry, Julie Leto knocks the unforgettable romance of Anne Miller and Michael Davoli out of the park and straight to the heart.

I was lucky enough to be given a copy of Hard to Hold from the author. Julie Leto is another one of my auto-buy authors and I have a keeper shelf dedicated to her books. Hard to Hold will be going on that shelf. I loved reading Mike’s and Anne’s story. I was so drawn into their story; I even had to remind myself I was reading a real-life romance. I’ve never known anyone who suffered from Tourette’s syndrome, and was really glad to learn a bit more about the disorder without it being too clinical. Anne and Mike are both very strong individuals and I loved watching them fall for one another.

Julie Leto gives her readers another beautiful and sexy story. I love that HCI is publishing true life romances and look forward to reading more books in this line.

Behind once again...

So, once again I've gotten behind in my blogging. I have 2 reviews to post this weekend(so know it won't happen before tomorrow night), a 3 mile run tonight and a 6 mile run on Saturday. The run Saturday is followed by a baby shower and dinner out with friends. I'm so ready for our Girls Night Out on Saturday night. I also have to find time to watch about 8 shows on my DVR and cheer on my Titans against the Giants on Sunday. I really need a nap just typing up my list of things to do this weekend, which doesn't even include the grocery store, laundry, and hopefully some time to read. I haven't really had much time to read since Sunday and I have to say I really miss it. Might skip dinner out after my run tonight so I'll have time to read.

My diet did take a bit of a hit over while I was home for my aunt's funeral. Must be a law somewhere in the South that states fried chicken and pound cakes are brought in mass quantities. Have to say the fresh apple pound cake was about the best cake I've ever put in my mouth. Yes, I am having to really watch what I eat now, but I'm still glad I ate a piece of cake when I was at my grandmother's house. At least I got in a 3 mile run on Monday and a 2 mile run last night to help with the calorie hit. Will have to continue to watch my carb intake until the final weigh in and measurements. Need to find out if that is happening this week or next.

Fabulous run to sad Sunday

Yesterday morning I had my first 8 mile run for my 1/2 marathon training. I had never run 8 miles in my entire life and I have to admit I was a little scared to try. I woke up yesterday with the temps in the low 60's, which is perfect for a run. I tend to run about a 12 minute mile, so I knew it would take me at least 90 minutes to run the 8 miles. I actually finished in 1 hour and 43 minutes, and felt AMAZING when I was finished. I know getting my first 8 mile run in was a little bit psychological, and I'm glad the first one is behind me. I totally felt great the entire run! When I hit about mile 5, I knew I totally had at least 3 more miles in me. I only have a couple of short 3 mile runs on my schedule for this week's training, and I can't wait for my next run.

Also in the last week of my fitness challenge. I've lost 10 pounds so far over the first 4 weeks, and don't think that will change any for this week. However, I've really noticed the change in my body more than any actual weight loss. Most of my dress pants for work are now too big and I really need to buy a couple pairs of running shorts in a smaller size again. Still being very careful with my carb intake, but know the next few days will be a bit of a struggle.

My great aunt Jane passed away this morning. She had been in the nursing home suffering from Alzheimer's and lost her fight today. I know she is in a much better place now, but that doesn't make me miss her any less. She was such a wonderful and special lady. When I was growing up, my sister, cousin and I would go spend a week every summer with Jane. She totally spoiled us rotten the entire week. We got to spend time at her apartment pool, go to any movie we wanted to see, pick out all the food for the week at the grocery store, and usually make at least one trip to the Space Center in Huntsville. Jane worked there for years and it was one of my favorite place to visit when we were at her house. After I moved to Nashville, I would go down and visit Jane on the weekends. We would visit with many of her friends and go to movies and the Space Center, much like we had when I was a kid. I'm so glad I have all these special memories of Jane.

Lucky Streak

Lucky Streak is the second book in Carly Phillips’ Corwin Curse series. From the back cover.~

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

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

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

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

Carly Phillips is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. She is an auto-buy author for me and all of her books are on my keeper shelf. Carly delivers another winner with Lucky Streak. I really loved Lucky Charm, the first book in the Corwin Curse series, but loved Mike’s and Amber’s story even more.

Mike, understandably is pretty pissed off at Amber when he wakes the morning after they get married to discover she is gone and took his $150,000 in Vegas winnings with her. Unknown to him, she only took the money to save her dad. However, being a lawman, he really looks at life in a pretty black and white way. Amber shows up on Mike’s doorstep and they soon realize she needs his help to stay safe. Although, Mike is still angry at Amber and really doesn’t trust her, he can’t fight his attraction to her. Mike and Amber are so hot together. Mike decides the best way to keep her safe is to take her to his dad’s house in his hometown. Of course, Mike’s dad doesn’t really like change and is obsessed with the Corwin Curse. Edward Corwin is one of the funniest characters I’ve ever seen in a book. He made me laugh out loud many times. I really loved Amber and think she was my favorite character in the book. She is such a strong woman and will do anything to help out those people she loves. Mike will also do anything for the people he loves, he is just much more guarded about his feelings.

I really loved Lucky Streak and have Lucky Break, the final book in the Corwin Curse series in my TBR pile. I read so many different genres of romance, I forget how much I enjoy contemporary stories until I find a great one. Lucky Streak definitely counts as one of the great ones in my opinion.

Faerie Fire

Faerie Fire is the second book in the Tir Nan Óg series by Silver James. Synopsis from the author’s website. ~

In the second book of the Tir Nan Óg, the feud between the two faeries, Manannan Mac Lir and Abhean the Harper, which has simmered throughout time, finally bubbles over. Continuing the theme of reincarnation and chances missed in the past affecting the present, Faerie Fire introduces new characters, descendants of the families first met in Faerie Fate.

Old grudges. Family secrets. Vows intended but never sworn. Memories of lives entwined then ripped apart…

When Moira O’Connor first touches SAS Captain Duncan Ross time turns topsy-turvy. She recalls memories of a former life, one in which Duncan was her lover—one in which he arrived too late to save Moira’s life as she was burned for a witch.

In their present life, while Duncan faces his own demons, he must save Moira from the Irish terrorist threatening her father, a US Senator. This time he’s determined to save the woman he loves, even if he must sacrifice his life for hers. Will Duncan and Moira survive to say the vows, binding their lives for all eternity?

On Midsummer’s Eve, when the veil between the realms thins, will faerie magic work miracles or will the lovers succumb to Faerie Fire? Without the words, history is doomed to repeat itself.

I was lucky enough to win a digital ARC of Faerie Fire from Silver’s blog, and was lucky again to receive my paperback copy in the mail on Friday for my keeper shelf. Thanks to Silver for my ARC and The Wild Rose Press for shipping out their new releases early.

I loved Faerie Fire every bit as much as I loved the first book in this series, Faerie Fate. Silver James writes beautiful stories filled with strong characters. Faerie Fire is the story of Moira O’Conner and Duncan Ross, their past life and their present life. There was just something about Moira that pulled me to her from the very first. She is a strong woman, and has the ability to read people as she meets them. Duncan became another one of my book boyfriends. He is just so sexy and tough, yet around Moira, he is so gentle. The combination of all these characteristics made Duncan into a perfect hero in my opinion. We also have another stellar cast of supporting characters. I have to say a couple of the characters were pretty unlikeable in the beginning, but I did like at least one of those characters by the end of the book.

Silver James again gives her readers a fabulous story full of magic, mystery, and romance. The scheduled release date for Faerie Fire is Friday, September 17, 2010, and it can be ordered either in eBook or paperback at www.thewildrosepress.com.

Latest Fitness and Training Update

So I started a fitness challenge called “6 Weeks to Your Skinny Jeans” 4 weeks ago. In the first 3 weeks, we pretty much stuck to a low carb Atkins-type diet. In week 4 we were able to bring certain fruits and whole grains back into our diet, and we get to keep those items in for the final 2 weeks of the challenge. The biggest things I’ve had to give up are baked chips, the occasional light beer, candy, and most of the snacks I kept at work. I have to say that after the first few days, I’ve done pretty well without the crap I was eating before. My lunches would usually be a frozen Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones meal. Sure it is really cheap to eat those meals for lunch each day (about $2.00 per day), but I was having all sorts of stomach issues and nothing I was taking was making it better. Imagine my surprise when I switched over to eating no frozen meals and all fresh food, my stomach issues almost completely went away. I still have some problems, but nothing like I was having before I changed my diet. I’ve also been on Weight Watchers since mid-August of last year. In that time, I lost a good bit of weight. In the last 4 weeks, I’ve lost 10 pounds. That’s right 10 POUNDS!!! Granted I’m probably eating fewer calories and I know I’m exercising more, but I haven’t lost weight like that since right after I joined Weight Watchers. I actually canceled my Weight Watchers membership this week and plan on continuing calorie counting and fat gram counting until I reach my actual goal weight. I'm still really limiting myself to the number of fruits and whole grains I'm eating each day, but don't feel like I'm cheating anymore if I want fruit or a whole wheat bagel thin.

I’m so happy with my progress to date. I went shopping yesterday to find a couple of pair of dress pants for work and a pair of jeans. None of my jeans have fit for a while, but it hasn’t been cool enough to worry about it until just recently. I went to the Goodwill store in Franklin. It seems crazy to go to the mall to buy clothes at every size, so I’ve tried to save a little money by going to Goodwill until I hit my goal weight. I’m also bagging up clothes as I go along and donating them to Goodwill. I never really know what size to look for, since the majority of the clothes have been worn and you never know if they have maintained their original size. However, I found a pair of jeans that still had the store tags on them and they were at least 1 size down from the ones I wore last year. Bigger bonus, they were from a regular clothing store, not the women’s stores I was shopping in last year. No, I’m not in my skinny jeans yet, but I’m at least one size closer to being in the size I want. I also found 2 pairs of really great dress pants for work, which were also down a size from ones I bought about 2 weeks ago. No more clown pants at work…I know my co-workers will be happy.

Part of the weight loss progress can be attributed to the amount of jogging I’m doing each week. I started training for my first half marathon on Saturday. Last week, I managed to jog 15 miles total for the week. That is the most I’ve run in a week ever! I jogged 6 miles on Saturday. All half marathon trainees were given the choice to run either 4 or 6 miles. I chose to run the 6 miles because I might run in the Nashville half marathon in November rather than the half marathon I was originally looking at. That race is 3 weeks earlier, so I need to make sure I’m ready to jog/walk 13.1 miles by November 20. I actually kept a pretty good pace the entire run and jogged with one person the entire run. I didn’t run 1 whole mile without stopping, but was very happy with my time. I know I can complete a half marathon, and also know I won’t set any records when I do it. I’m just excited to work towards this goal. At this time, I’m hoping to run 1 half marathon before the end of the year and then run the Country Music Half Marathon in April. That would give me 2 half marathons run before I turn 40 and would make me very happy.

Savor the Moment

Savor the Moment is the third book in Nora Roberts’ popular Bride Quartet series. From the cover flap.~

Laurel McBane has always relied on her friends for support, especially when her dream of attending culinary school is almost ruined by her parents’ financial problems. Now Laurel is repaying the kindness of her friends by creating extravagantly luscious tiers of cakes and other confectionary delights that add the perfect touch to their clients’ weddings.

As for romance, Laurel believes in it-in theory. But she’s too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that other women seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man like Parker’s older brother, Delaney Brown, on whom Laurel has had a mega crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her, or so she thinks. When Laurel’s quick-silver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, altogether mind-blowing kiss with Del-she’ll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever…

Once again, Nora Roberts gives her readers another winner. I loved the first 2 books in this series, and Savor the Moment was just a wonderful. Laurel has pretty much had a crush on Del her entire life. Once she kisses him, their relationship begins to change. After the way Del freaked out when Emma and Jack got together, I had to laugh a bit when Del realized he was interested in Laurel. Laurel and Del are so great together. As always, Laurel has her friends’ support of her dating Del. Even Parker, Del’s sister, wants Laurel to be open with every aspect of her relationship with Del.

We see the strength and love in the friendship of Parker, Laurel, Mac, and Emma again in Savor the Moment. The friendship of these four women makes me think of the friendship I have with my own friends. We are always there to support one another and love each other like we are really sisters. I love reading about strong women, and Nora Roberts really delivers with this series. The final book in the series, Happy Ever After is scheduled for release on 11/02/10. It will be Parker’s books and I can’t wait to see her fall in love and lose control a bit.

Reading and Running Updates

So, once again I've gotten behind on posting my thoughts on books I've read recently. My plan is to post about all 3 books I've read in the last couple of weeks this weekend. The three wonderful books I've read recently are Faerie Fire by Silver James, Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts, and Lucky Streak by Carly Phillips.

However, tomorrow morning I have my first long run with my half marathon training group before I go shopping and hopefully find a couple of pairs of dress pants and some jeans. Most of my dress pants don't fit anymore, and none of my jeans fit. So changing over from Weight Watchers to calorie counting/fat gram counting is really working for me. In the past 3 weeks, I've cut out the majority of the carbs from my diet and have started to run more miles each week. I am slowly adding back in carbs (fruits and whole grains), and will know on Monday if it is a problem.

I also am upping my run time in my intervals. I even managed to run almost an entire mile last night before I had to walk. I really hoping to have my walk time reduced significantly before I run in my first half marathon. I had upped my run/walk interval to run 5 minutes and walk 1 minute. I was feeling so good at the end of the first 5 minutes; I decided to see how long I could actually run without walking. I made it 11 minutes before I had to walk and ran a distance of .95 miles in that time. Pretty sure if I had just run for another minute I would have run my first mile without any walking. I would love to be able to run my first mile in the morning without walking, but will see how I feel when I get started. I do plan on running at least one of the six miles tomorrow without walking, just not sure if it will be at the beginning or the end.

So after my run, clothes shopping, grocery shopping, and the regular weekend cleaning, I'll start working on my 3 post for the weekend. Also hope to find some time over the weekend to read one of the 4 books I'm currently reading.

First 10K Run

Yesterday I completed my first 10k run. Now usually on Labor Day, I'll sleep in and do nothing more than read a book or catch up on some of my favorite shows. It has always been a day I do nothing if possible. However, yesterday morning I was up my 5:00 am (my usual workday wake-up time) and out of the house by 6:15 to drive to the race. I'd run my first 5k back in July and started training not long after for my first 10k (6.2 miles) run. Until yesterday, I'd never run more than 5 miles at one time. Now, I'm still running intervals, so I don't actually run the entire time, but still 6.2 miles seemed like a long distance to me. Luckily, I have friends who have totally gotten behind me and my running/jogging, and my friend Fran also got up early to run. Something about having someone in the race with you, even if you don't run the entire race together, just keeps me going. I finished my 10k in 1 hour and 18 minutes. No, I'll not set any speed records with that pace. However, I'm very pleased with my results. At the 5k mark, I was running about 2 minutes faster than I did in July and at the 5 mile mark, I was already 5 minutes faster than what I ran it in last weekend.

Up next I'll start half marathon training. I'm training with 3 of my friends for a half marathon in December. Now, at this point I haven't actually registered for the race. Still trying to decide if I'll run in Memphis or just use this training to get into really good shape before training to run the half marathon in Nashville in April. I would love to say I ran 2 half marathons before I turned 40 (next October), and could still pull it off even if I don't run in December. Will see how the first few long runs go and then decide.

Bed of Roses

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts is the second book in The Bride Quartet series. From the inside cover flap.~

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts cordially invites you to meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac-the founders of Vows, one Connecticut’s premier wedding planning companies.

Since she was a little girl, Emma Grant has always loved romance. So it’s really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist. She gets to play with flowers every day and work with her three best friends in the process. She couldn’t ask for a better job.

And on the surface, Emma’s love life seems to be thriving. Slim and sultry, she brings color into every room she enters, just like the arrangements she creates. Men swarm around her, yet she still hasn’t found Mr. Right. And the last place she’s looking is right under her nose.

But that’s just where Jack Cooke is. He’s been best friends with Parker’s brother for years, which makes him practically family. The architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. And when Emma returns his passion-kiss for blistering kiss-thing start to get complicated at Vows.

Jack has never been big on commitment. Emma yearns for a lifelong love affair. If the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history-and in their hearts…

I’ve been a fan of Nora Roberts since I read one of her first books when I was 12 or 13. I like her stand alone books, but I love her books in a series best. I love getting to see favorite characters over the course of the series. I loved meeting the quartet in Visions in White. It is so great to read a book about four strong women who happen to be best friends and support each other unconditionally.

Emma and Jack had been friends for years and recently they both have noticed a new attraction to one another. Jack had been attracted to Emma for a while, and almost acts on it when he finds her stranded on the side of the road when her car dies. From that point on, it was fun to watch Emma and Jack explore their attraction for one another. Of course, Parker, Mack and Laurel all are in Emma’s corner and support her and Jack as they explore their relationship. However, Jack makes a big mistake in holding off telling Del, Parker’s brother and his best friend, and Del finds out and is royally pissed off at Jack. Del has always been the protector of the quartet and he and Jack come to blows when he finds out that Jack and Emma have been dating. After a few punches and a beer both men are much better. Emma figures out early on she is in love with Jack, but doesn’t want to tell him for fear she will influence his feelings. Emma is all about romance and wants it all with Jack.

At the heart of these books is the strong love and friendship of the women who have been friends their entire lives. I’ve now read the first three books in the series and loved them all. Nora Roberts once again delivers a beautiful romance filled with strong characters.

The Icing on the Cake

The Icing on the Cake by Alison Kent is a True Vows book, which is one of the first reality-based romance series. From the back cover.~

MATCHMAKER, MAKE ME A MATCH…dot.com! An online dating service is not Michelle Snow’s idea of how to find love, but when the Big 3-0 hits, Michelle decides she has nothing to lose since she hasn’t brought a date home in ten years, she’s professionally burned out, and her climb up the corporate ladder has come at the expense of abandoning her sweet dream: to own a boutique cupcakery.

Todd Bracken, early thirties and a successful technology consultant, isn’t exactly a player after being off the market and pours himself into his dual passions of martial arts and home-sweet-home renovations. Only there’s no one to come home to so he decides to give Match.com a try. Todd isn’t so sure the Internet dating scene is his thing-until a message pops up in the wee hours on a weekend night: “I like your smile.” Todd likes-a lot-the whole package that glides into a French bistro in Washington, D.C.

It’s serious mojo-at-first-sight, but will love find its way in the digital age with a “You’ve Got Mail” courtship? And when Todd challenges Michelle to not only go for her dream but let him share it, will they be able to make it happen together despite obstacles more plentiful than a show of rainbow sprinkles?

Alison Kent’s cutting-edge style smartly takes the contemporary pulse of love and wraps it in timeless truths as she journeys into the open hearts and secret dreams of Michelle Snow and Todd Bracken. The Icing on the Cake is a delicious treat that’s as delectable as it gets!

I love reading about character’s HEA (Happily Ever After), and was really excited to give HCI’s new line of True Vows books a try. Alison Kent posted on facebook and twitter she had books available for review, and I jumped at the chance to read her story. I’m a big fan of romance, and Alison totally delivers as she tells Michelle and Todd’s story. I knew all along this story was about a romance between two real people who met on Match.com, and even knew the outcome of the story from an article I’d seen on-line. I was still hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to see what happened between Michelle and Todd. We got to see romance, loss of a family member, job loss, starting up a new business, and most of all what it takes to make a relationship work.

I’ve been a fan of Alison Kent’s for years and she once again gives her readers a beautiful romance. I fell more in love with Michelle and Todd as a couple with every page I read. I think it is amazing they have a book that tells their love story from the very beginning. Must say I’m a fan of HCI’s new True Vows line and will be purchasing and reading more in this series.