Forever and a Day

Forever and a Day is the latest book in the best selling Lucky Harbor series from Jill Shalvis. From the author’s website.~

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT

Grace never thought she'd be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh's lovable mutt to caring for his rambunctious son. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad . . . 

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family-until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "good bedside manner." Josh and Grace don't know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day . . .

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Forever and a Day from NetGalley. I’m a huge fan of Jill Shalvis and couldn’t wait to read the next installment in the Lucky Harbor series.

I know I said I loved At Last best of this current trilogy, but I spoke too soon.  Forever and a Day jumped to the top my Lucky Harbor favorites for this current trilogy. Can’t say it’s my favorite of the series, since Tara and Ford are still my favorite couple, but it is a really close second.

I’ve loved Grace since she first came to Lucky Harbor and wanted to know more about her background. Once again, the friendship between Grace, Mallory, and Amy is a major factor in the story. Mallory and Amy are both in loving relationships and want to make sure their friend Grace follows suit. However, because of Grace’s family, she feels like Lucky Harbor is just a temporary stop on her way to a bigger job in banking. One in the big city that will make her doctor parents proud of her. The fact that she keeps taking temporary jobs in Lucky Harbor kind of makes other think she doesn’t want to leave.

When Grace takes on the job of dog walker for Dr. Josh Scott, she gets way more than she bargained for in the deal. Not only is Tank the dog from Hades, but she is soon watching Josh’s son Toby when his nanny leaves with no notice. Add in Josh’s sister Anna and you have a family for Grace to take care of. Both Grace and Josh are attracted to one another. However, Grace doesn’t want to get involved with Josh because he is a doctor with no free time on his hands, and Josh just doesn’t really believe he knows how to have a real relationship. Not that they can seem to keep their hands off each other. Shalvis gives her readers the sexy love scenes they have come to expect from her stories. Josh and Grace have some of the best chemistry both in and out of bed.

Forever and a Day is a must-read for anyone who loves fun and super sexy reads. Jill Shalvis has been an auto-buy author for me for years, and I can’t wait to get my keeper shelf copy of Forever and a Day. The official release day is July 31, 2012 and you can buy your copy from Amazon, B&N, or your favorite bookstore.

Avenging Angel

Avenging Angel is book 2 in the Mindhunters series from Anne Marie Becker. From the author’s website.~


Grains of sand glistened in the moonlight, bright against the backdrop of her wet hair. Her blue lips were parted slightly, as if she could take in that last breath she'd been gasping for. She was, in a word, perfection.


When his friend's niece is murdered, Detective Noah Crandall vows to track down the killer. Since the victim worked in an art gallery with the well-connected and well-heeled Vanessa Knight, Noah questions her first. Despite the chemistry between them, Noah tells himself a relationship would be impossible. He's a loner and their backgrounds are worlds apart.


Drawn to Noah and horrified by the death of her intern, Vanessa shares her insights into the New York City art world. As they work together on the case, she's tempted to explore the possibility of a real relationship with the sexy outsider who ignites her desire. But what Vanessa doesn't realize is that in order to complete his gruesome series of paintings, the killer has targeted her to become his next victim...


I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Avenging Angel thanks to NetGalley. I didn’t realize it was the 2^nd book in a series, but I thought it held up well as a stand-alone read.


I was pulled into Avenging Angel from the very beginning of the story. I loved Vanessa from the minute she appeared in the story. She is a really strong and smart character. When Noah Crandall shows up to help investigate Natalee’s murder, he must talk to Vanessa to get more answers. Noah and Vanessa are attracted to one another from the moment they meet, yet neither will admit it at first. I love the sexual tension between Vanessa and Noah, and It only grew the more they worked together to help find Natalee’s killer. Noah even calls his friend Damian Manchester, owner of SSAM, and his team to help find the killer before he strikes again.


As a series of “Angel” paintings show up in the gallery’s warehouse, Noah and the others quickly figure out Vanessa is the artist’s next target. While Noah doesn’t believe there is a future for Vanessa and him, he will do everything in his power to keep her safe. When they finally get on the same page and give in to their attraction, their love making is totally scorching. Loved how passionate they were together. Not that their relationship was without stumbling blocks. Besides  a killer being after Vanessa, she had a stupid ex-boyfriend and Noah and Vanessa come from very different backgrounds.


I’ll admit I figured out who the artist was rather early in the book. I didn’t really see any glaring descriptions that made me pick this person, but just seemed like the right person to me. I also read lots of romantic suspense and mysteries, and I usually am pretty lucky in figuring out the bad guy.


While Avenging Angel is the first book I’ve read from Anne Marie Becker, it won’t be my last. I’ve already purchased Only Fear, the 1^st Mindhunter book for my kindle. The official release date from Carina Press is set for July 30, 2012. Avenging Angel will be available from your favorite on-line retailer and I highly recommend this new-to-me author.

Nursing Second Chances Review and Giveaway

Nursing Second Chances is the debut book by Maggie Greene. From Amazon’s website.~

A Honey Creek Sweet Romance

Kiersten Hart left Honey Creek the minute she graduated high school and never looked back. When her sister Jeanine is widowed and left to raise two children alone, Kiersten moves back on a temporary basis. When Charles steps in and sweeps her off her feet, she has to decide if the wounds from her childhood can be mended.

After his wife died, Charles Webber swore he’d never love anyone again. He buried himself in his work and didn’t look up until he found out his son was sick. Moving to Honey Creek was supposed to make things easier. Kiersten does little to help keep things simple. Though he is taken with her, he soon realizes the casual relationship they agreed on is turning serious. As their expiration date approaches, Charles must decide if Kiersten is worth the risk.

I was asked to join the Nursing Second Chances blog tour and was really excited to do so after I read a bit about the story. I loved all types of romance novels and really love reading “second chance” stories. 

Kiersten Hart has put her own life on hold to move back to her hometown to help out her sister, who is recently widowed and left to raise two children alone. Kiersten had a bad experience in high school and never really wanted to return to her hometown for anything more than a short visit. Kiersten is only in town long enough to help get her sister back on track and then she is getting back to her life. However, she had no plans on meeting Charles Webber while she was home, or his son Jason.

I loved Charles so much. He changed his entire life to be there for his son. He was attracted to Kiersten from the moment he first met her, but since she had no plans to stay in town, she doesn’t want to admit she is also attracted to him. Charles and Kiersten were so great together. The only part of the story I didn’t love was Kiersten’s constant reminder that she would be leaving as soon as her sister was back on her feet. I wanted Kiersten to stay for both Charles and Jason, and didn’t want her to give up her possible future because of something that happened when she was in high school. It takes something major happening to both Jason and Charles to make Kiersten realize she will do whatever it takes to keep them in her life.

Nursing Second Chances was a great story and I look forward to reading more books in the future from Maggie Greene.

                                            ***Giveaway Information***

Comments on each of the stops will count as an entry in the contest. Giveaway open international. Winners will be drawn on August 1^st and will receive a gift basket from me complete with some book swag, bath products, and honey. For more details (and chances to enter), you can visit my blog (http://www.authormaggiegreene.com). Please make sure you leave an email address and feel free to ask me a question. I’ll stop back in to answer.

Don't You Wish

Don’t’ You Wish is the debut YA novel from NYT bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire. From the author’s website.~

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.  

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilarating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Don’t You Wish from NetGalley. I’m a huge fan of Roxanne St. Claire and was excited to see she was writing a YA novel. I’m a huge fan of YA books and am always on the lookout for a great YA book for my nieces. Roxanne St. Claire totally delivers with Don’t You Wish.

I loved Annie Nutter from the moment I met her. Since I was a band geek myself, I connected with her from the start. Annie is lucky enough to have her best friend Lizzie in her life, and know she can always count on her. Thanks to one of her dad’s crazy inventions, Annie lands in a parallel universe and turns into Ayla Monroe, I loved that the true Annie showed through the longer she was there. Ayla’s two best friends are Bliss and Jade and both are just as shallow as Ayla would be if she were still here. I have to say some of the funniest lines in the book came from Bliss. She is the person everyone is talking about when they make blonde jokes. While Ayla is the “it girl” at her school, she does it by being the mean girl, breaking the law, and being a class-A witch.

Annie can’t seem to keep her real self from shining through. She quickly realizes her “perfect world” is anything but perfect. Luckily, she meets Charlie Zelinsky who is the only person who can help her return home. As much as I loved Annie, I think Charlie was my favorite character in the book. I loved him from the very beginning. He is super smart and will do whatever it takes to help his family, and after meeting Annie, he knows he can help them all. Of course, after meeting Charlie and going back to Pittsburgh and seeing her best friend Lizzie now, Annie is torn about going back to her life. She knows she will have Lizzie back in her life, but will lose Charlie and return to being band geek Annie.

Don’t You Wish is such a fabulous story and has a very It’s a Wonderful Life feel to it. I loved watching Annie learn to appreciate her life and everything about it. Roxanne St. Claire did an amazing job with this story and I loved how she wrapped up the story. The official release date for Don’t You Wish is July 10, 2012 and can be purchased at your favorite bookstore or online retailer.

Deep Autumn Heat

Deep Autumn Heat is the 1^st book in the Star Harbor series by Elisabeth Barrett. From Amazon’s website.~

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.
 
Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge. 
 
Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Deep Autumn Heat from NetGalley. I’d actually heard about this book while at the Reader Author Get Together hosted by Lori Foster at the first of June and was very excited to be approved for an early copy. The official ebook release date is July 9, 2012.

Lexie became one of my favorite heroines pretty much from the minute she appeared on the page. She has been through hell and come out a stronger woman.  She has decided to go through life as an independent woman, but doesn’t count on Sebastian Grayson coming home for a visit. Seb likes the look of Lexie as soon as he sees her, but it is her homemade coconut cake that he loves first. Only by issuing a kitchen challenge does Seb get a chance to get closer to Lexie.

Not all is smooth sailing in Lexie’s world right now. She appears to have a stalker, supply orders for her restaurant are not coming in on time, and she has no idea what to do about her attraction to Seb, who is only in Star Harbor for a short visit. I loved watching them together. They had the best chemistry and it only got stronger the more time they spent together. Fans of super sexy scenes will be more than happy with the scenes between Lexie and Seb. Lexie’s world doesn’t instantly become perfect, but I loved her more as I watched her character grow over the course of the story.

Seb and Lexie are so awesome together. I loved how they each became stronger the more time they were together. Loved how they found a way to make their life together work. I also loved the Grayson brothers and am really hoping each of the brothers will get his own story.  Theo is already set to get his story with Blaze of Winter, which is set for release on September 10, 2012 and I can’t wait to read his story.

Hunter's Moon

Hunter’s Moon is the 3^rd book in the Moonstruck trilogy from author Silver James. From the author’s website.~

Dr. Jacey Randolph just might be crazy. A rescued wolf is more than he seems and his ability to get into her head—literally—makes her doubt her sanity. After the death of her husband in the Gulf War, she returned to the family ranch to run an animal sanctuary. Bad enough she has to fend off advances from the local sheriff, but now she’s turning into some sort of Dr. Doolittle. Except she doesn’t talk to animals, dammit.

When Colonel Joshua Harjo, an old friend of her husband’s, shows up on her doorstep with a wild tale that the wolf is actually Marine Captain Nathaniel Connor, Jacey must make a leap of faith—and jeopardize her heart—to get involved with the wolf and a group of former Army SciOps soldiers in full rescue operation mode.

Secrets, lies, and betrayals are more personal under the full moon but when a woman loves a Wolf, he can do no wrong. And Jacey Randolph is not about to let a little thing like a band of mercenaries keep her from the Wolf she loves. 

Warning: Explosions, death, and sex go hand in hand when a group of Wolves and their women fight for their existence.

I’ve said before I’m a huge fan of Silver James, and really love the characters in the Moonstruck trilogy. Hunter’s Moon brings together all my favorites from past books as well as adding in some new favorites. I loved Jacey from the minute we first met her.  Her connection to the wolf she rescues comes at a bit of a surprise to her. Even trapped in wolf form and not know who or what he really is, Nathaniel Conner knew Jacey was his.  Of course, Jacey needs help and it comes in the form of Joshua Harjo, her best friend Amy, Joshua’s grandfather, Mac, Hannah, Michael, Liz and Sean.

Once Nathaniel is out of wolf form, his attraction for Jacey only grows. In fact, they had some of the best chemistry of any of the couples in the series so far.  Loved that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other and how tender Nathaniel wanted to be with Jacey. Of course, they wanted each other too much to take things slow. The team then must come together to end operations and rescue other soldiers from a local testing facility.

I really loved Jacey and Nathaniel together and really thought they made one another stronger. Nathaniel’s Alpha tendencies show through no matter which form he takes. Jacey has spunk and I loved how protective and strong she was throughout  everything that was happening in the story. I’ve been asking Silver for Sean’s story since we met him in the very first story. Hopefully, his story will be out in September.