Better Than Eight

Better Than Eight is the latest ebook release by Erin Jamison. From the author’s website.~

Amara Simmons has always fantasized about having two lovers but believes it is just that: a fantasy. She likes her men “gifted”, if you know what I mean. At the suggestion of a friend she registers for an online dating website for well-endowed men called betterthan8.com. She believes nothing will come of her site membership but after months of flirting online via email and instant messaging, she’s shocked to discover that she’s fallen for a gorgeous Latin man that has the potential to be her everything – except he never calls and she has no idea why. Nursing a broken heart she is totally unprepared to meet her would-be Latin lover in person much less at the negotiation table of a multi-million dollar real estate deal. In Puerto Rico, passion ignites. Promises are finally fulfilled and the lines of reality blur when her fantasy finally blooms to life. Can Amara have it all: the deal, the man, and the fantasy?

I was contacted by the author and given a copy of Better Than Eight for review. I really liked Amara’s story. She is a strong woman overall who really only had one questionable choice – keeping in contact with an ex who is now married to another woman. He also still thinks he and Amara should be bed buddies.

Amara joins the dating site betterthan8 to hopefully find a new man and to know he will be enough to give her pleasure. She “meets” Sevastien and they are instantly attracted and have major chemistry from the beginning. Then Amara’s ex and friends make her leery of Sevastien and they break off communication. Only due to a business deal do they finally meet in person. When Amara and Sevastien are finally together, it is super sexy and erotic.

I was a bit thrown by his roommate, who was a man, and the ménage that happened. However, once I got over my initial shock, it did work with the characters and the story. I really enjoyed Better Than Eight and look forward to reading more books by Erin Jamison in the future.

Good Girls Don't

Good Girls Don’t is the 1^st book in the Donovan Brothers Brewery series by Victoria Dahl. Fromthe back cover.~

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donavan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman – or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices here when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems – starting with the fact that his partner Simone is pregnant and everyone thinks he’s the father. The last thing he needs is a nice girl like Tessa getting under his skin.

Tessa has her hands full too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tensions could tear her tight-knit family apart. In fact, the only think that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially as man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath.

I own many books by Victoria Dahl, yet somehow Good Girls Don’t is the first one of her books I’ve read. My friend Katiebabs was nice enough to pick up an early copy for me at BEA in May. I can say right now, while Good Girls Don't is my first Victoria Dahl book, it will not be my last.

I loved Good Girls Don’t! Many times throughout the book I actually laughed so hard I almost cried. Tessa is such a funny character (I love she says “balls” when something goes wrong). She is the peace-keeper between her brothers Eric and Jamie. When Jamie messes up once again, she will do anything in her power to fix things without Eric finding out about Jamie’s latest mistake.

Both Jamie and Eric try to warn Tessa away from Luke because of his past. People only know the half-truths about things that went on in his life, but Tessa is really only looking for a good time at first, so she ignores the rumors. It was really funny to watch big brothers Eric and Jamie realize their “baby” sister was all grown up and capable of an adult relationship.

The only thing I didn’t love about the book was Tessa trying to cover up Jamie’s mistake. Jamie should have been man enough to stand up to his little sister and tell their brother Eric the truth. The rest of the book was awesome and I can’t wait to read the next 2 books in this series. The actual release date for Good Girls Don't is August 30, 2011. Bad Boys Do is Jamie’s story and set for release in October (I’m thinking lat Sept), and we get Eric’s story, Real Men Will, in November (hoping late Oct).

Week 4 Weight Watchers Update

So week 4 wasn't as great as the first 3 weeks. I had a bit of a setback and gained 1 pound. Now, I'm not overly surprised by the gain. I wasn't as worried about keeping within my daily points. In fact, I went over my points most days. I didn't use all my weekly points allowed, but still went over my daily points too many days. I also didn't make the time to exercise each day. In fact, other than moving boxes on last Sunday, I really didn't have any other exercise for the entire week.

Time to get back to being really strict with myself on what I eat and get back to upping my activity daily. I will go over my points today, as I'm meeting friends for dinner at a restaurant that really doesn't have any WW friendly items. Must make up for that over the next 6 days and get back on track.

As much as I feel like I failed this week, I'm not letting myself call this a failure, rather I hit a bump in the road this week. Now to get back to doing what I know I need to do. I still need to register for the Franklin Classic 5K for Labor Day. I haven't trained well, but will walk/run the race and cross the finish line, which is the whole point.

Changing the Game

Changing the Game is book two in the Play-by-Play series by Jaci Burton. From the author’s website.~

Most people play by the rules. Gavin and Liz aren't most people...

Win at any cost. That's always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far and risks losing her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley, Liz realizes that she'll have to work extra innings to win him back. It might not be too much of a stretch. She's had a thing for this player's moves since she first laid eyes on him, and by the looks of it, he wants her just as bad.

Gavin's more than ready—especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. And as much of her as Gavin wants. For added thrills, he decides to throw a little curve ball Liz's way to see just how far she's truly willing to go to keep him as a client. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of them all.

I am a huge fan of the Play-by-Play series by Jaci. The Perfect Play, the first book in the series, is one of my favorite reads this year. I have to say that I loved Changing the Game even more. There was just something about Gavin that pulled me in during The Perfect Play. Maybe it was because he seemed like such a bad boy next to his perfect brother, Mick. Liz really messed up with Mick at the end of The Perfect Play. So much so, she lost him as a client and wasn’t sure she wouldn’t lose Gavin as a client too.

Liz has been in love with Gavin from the first time she saw him. However, she has never acted on those feelings until she kissed Gavin at the end of The Perfect Play. Gavin always thought Liz was sexy, but never thought she would ever be more than his agent. Add a little too much alcohol one night and mix in a night of amazing sex, and the game changes completely. Gavin gets Liz to agree to stay at his house with him during Spring Training and they spend pretty much every hour of the day together. Liz even makes friends with a couple of the player’s wives and has girlfriends for the first time in her life.

Liz is very cautious about her feelings because of her past. Gavin has played the field for so many years he doesn’t seem to realize how much Liz means to him until it is almost too late. We get to spend time with Gavin’s family once again in this book. I love the Riley clan…well, all but Mick in this book. He really wouldn’t let go of his anger towards Liz. I’m not saying he didn’t have a reason to be angry, but once she apologized and fixed the situation, he needed to man up and stop being an ass. Hell, even Tara and Nathan had forgiven Liz and Mick continued to be a total ass to her. When the Riley family has to deal with a major medical drama, Liz and Gavin and their relationship is really put to the test. Liz is put in the position of telling Gavin he needs to return to work when all he wants to do is stay home and watch over his family. Mick throws more doubt at Gavin about Liz’s motives and Gavin messes up so bad, I don’t know that I would have forgiven him. However, Gavin does find a way to step up to the plate and make things right.

I loved Gavin and Liz together so much. They both are such strong characters, yet have vulnerability underneath. Jaci gives her readers another winner filled with smoking-hot sex and lots of romance. We also get to meet some of Gavin’s teammates and even a new client of Liz’s. With all these new characters being introduced, I’m hoping we will get many more books in the Play-by-Play series in the future.

Taking a Shot is the next book in the Play-by-Play series and it is set to be released on March 6, 2012. Taking a Shot will be about Jenna Riley, Mick’s and Gavin’s sister, and hockey player Tyler Anderson, who we met for the first time in Changing the Game.

The Renfield Syndrome

The Renfield Syndrome is the 2^nd book in The Rhiannon’s Law series by J.A. Saare. From the author’s website.~

Vampires, and werewolves, and demons, oh my.

Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she’s about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.

Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things; including those most trusted around her. When she’s faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she’ll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried.

After all, when it’s all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.

I really don’t want to post any spoilers, so I’m going to be very limited in what I say about The Renfield Syndrome. I have been waiting to see what happened to Rhiannon since Jamie threw us the big twist at the end of Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between (which I absolutely loved, by the way). Not only was Rhiannon’s new world completely different from the one she left behind, but she immediately is thrown into a situation where she has very little control. We get to spend time with some of the vampires from DUOSIB, and also get to meet some new characters. Carter is the one that stands out with me the most. He and his pack offer to help keep Rhiannon safe from the vampires of the future, even when she wants to go find Disco and his friends, Goose(Ethan) and Paine. In fact, Carter intrigues me so much, I really hope we get to see more of him in the future.

Saare throws more twist and turns at her readers with The Renfield Syndrome, and only has me wanting to read the next book in this series even more. The Ripple Effect will be the 3^rd book in The Rhiannon’s Law series, and I believe it hopefully will be released in early 2012.