Thursday, February 28, 2013

King of Darkness

King of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab
This first book in a hot, edgy, dark paranormal romance series from a debut author has all the right stuff: a deep urban fantasy feel, a take-no-crap tough heroine and a sexy, arrogant vampire king who gets his comeuppance.

Isabel Anthony has lived a carefree existence masquerading as human, but when this party-girl meets the king of vampires, her world turns deep, dark, and dangerous double-quick. Thad Morgan is looking for the prophesied mate who will unlock his powers. But when he finally finds Isabel in a seedy nightclub, he thinks fate must have gotten it wrong.

Review:
King of Darkness is fast paced with complex characters in a rather dark world where vampires are warring with wizards. The heroine is a vampire who's lived on her own with her human best friend, surviving on human blood, taken from people she meets in the party scene. She's sexy, tortured by her past, and trusts no one. The hero has accepted his role of king after his father has died. He needs a mate to come into his powers, but doesn't want to force her to be his queen. This conflict between Isabel and Thad is one that I understood and appreciated,.

There a several subplots in King of Darkness between two other couples, which set up things for the rest of the series, plus political intrigue within the wizard camp that was interesting and gave insight into their evil ways. It made the story rather complex, but not so much to make it confusing.

I truly enjoyed King of Darkness, and give it 4 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries!

Make a comment for a chance to win a copy of Prince of Power Book 2 in the Chronicles of Yavn!!!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Humpday Shout out to the King of Darkness

Greetings and salutations Humpday Nation!  Say it with me - I think I can, I think I can.  One more day in this stinkin long month of February (yes, I can count and I still maintain it is the LONGEST month of the year?) and then we are raring to go for March Madness (aka the Month of Tyra and Jenn)!!!!  To help continue this month's spotlight on Elisabeth Staab's Chronicles of Yavn series and our bookclub selection, check out the review below, the eye candy to your right and for the love of puppies....dont forget to COMMENT to win a COPY of PRINCE OF POWER, book 2 in this most excellent series.....




King of Darkness, Elisabeth Staab, 
Sourcebooks, February 2012




ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA…


Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although, drifting among the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons’ blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the king of vampires this party girl’s life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME’S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF VAMPIRES…

Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate has gotten it seriously wrong…



EXCERPT:



“Jesus, T. What is this place?”



Thad Morgan scanned the sparse industrial interior of the massive warehouse turned dance club. From just inside the doorway, he passed his preternatural vision over the writhing crowd of humans. Most of the populace bounced in time to bass-heavy techno music, stopping only to grope their nearest neighbor. Some gazed upward in awe at a raised platform of fire-eaters, and still more worshipped at a DJ stand opposite the entrance as if it were an altar. A scrolling sign overhead announced something called the Crystal Method. The humans partied with abandon and apparently little regard for their eardrums.




“I think they call it a rave,” Thad murmured to his friend.




And apparently at 3:00 a.m., the night was still young for the party kids in Orlando.




Thad’s hands clenched and released. How were they going to do this? The club was friggin’ huge and packed to the gills, from the crowded floor full of scantily clad dancers with glow sticks to the teeming balconies where couples and even groups were involved in more intimate acts such as massage and… whatnot. It was hard to fathom how in the hell they were going to find the female they were looking for in this place.




Already overheated, Thad pushed up the sleeves of his leather jacket and fingered the scar on his forearm, tracing slowly over the two intersecting lines that flared into a Y at each end, like a crude Armenian cross. The small patch of skin was even hotter than the rest of him and throbbed in time with the pounding electronic music that was drilling a hole in his skull. He could almost swear the scar was glowing, but the haze of laser lights and cigarette smoke made it tough to be certain.




“She’s in here, Lee. I can feel it,” he said tightly...




BUY LINKS:     Amazon     B&N.com    Sourcebooks


REVIEW:

A new take on the vampire mythos - King of Darkness hits hard with a dark and gritty yet sexy edge.   From the moment King Thad and his closest warrior Lee walk into the seedy Orlando club on a quest to fulfill the Oracle's prophecy to find the king's mate, Staab grabs her readers and drags them into the world of the Yavn. The sassy Isabel fascinates and frustrates the king bent on finding the mate that will help him become the leader his people need.  Their chemistry radiates off the page, taunting the reader with the highs and lows of two powerful people who fight their way to love. 

Even more enticing are Staab's secondary characters - the friends, family and allies of Thad and Isabel. The simultaneous plot line with Anton the wizard and Tyra the king's warrior sister helps spin a web that keeps a reader stuck!  Well written and well crafted, this author debut shines in all its elements: clever dialogue, elements of humor, magic and mystery, sexy alpha males and smart mouthed heroines.  Small details make this paranormal thrill ride "something new", a rare find in this genre.  

No matter if you love urban fantasy with steamy sex or paranormal romance with kickass warriors fighting the big bad evil, the Chronicles of Yavn debut King of Darkness deserves a first look! And even more exciting, Prince of Power, Anton and Tyra's story, book two of the Chronicles of Yavn, released last month! 

RATING: Five Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and a big glass of wine to share with your own hunky vampire king!  



Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Tuesday Teleporting Friday

Greetings on this cold and wet Tuesday. No it's not Friday but it was a nice thought while it lasted. Switched it up this week so we all could get in on this super series. Only 22 more days till spring. Time for me to start thinking about my spring/summer to be read list. I actually have my post it notes in order and ready to go but not before I took the time to read this......


King of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA…
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although, drifting among the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons’ blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the king of vampires this party girl’s life turns dark and dangerous.
BUT TIME’S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF VAMPIRES…
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate has gotten it seriously wrong…



I was really excited about reading a new author. I'm always nervous that I'm going to invest what little time I have to read into a bad book when I could have been reading something I was looking forward to. In fact I'm normally not a fan of the first books in series even the ones that I love. However this was not the case with this book. A few things that set it apart from other stories are as follows..... One, Thad is the to be King and his Queen isn't quite the part. She's a vampire who never came into her power and a party girl. Generally in these stories the so called mate is of the same or close to social status. Not the case here. Two, usually the struggle is between vampires and other vampires or shifter of some sort or humans. In this case it's wizards. It sounds weird to say that. LOL Three.... I feel there is a lot of story building for future books. I get frustrated some times when there are other stories that I'm not interested in going on along with the main storyline. But not this time I'm dying to know what goes down between Lee and Alexia and how things will blow up between Tyra and Anton.  In fact today's title is dedicated to Tyra and her ability to teleport. If i could have a super power that would so be it. I've read about people teleporting to the wrong place. time, bringing someone along that they didn't intend to but where she ended up takes the cake and made me laugh! Stop by each day and comment for a chance to win a copy of book 2 in the series, just released Prince of Power!!!!

I give this book 3 chocolate dipped strawberries and a bottle of red wine!
PEACE

Monday, February 25, 2013

ALL HAIL....THE KING OF DARKNESS


Guilty Indulgence Bloggers are pleased as punch to have a special guest in the house this week....Clap your hands (quietly if you're at work) for Elisabeth Staab.  We first met the divine Ms. Staab in the DC-Reagan airport of all places - got to talking and read her stuff - delish and right up our alley!  Now we get to share her with you!!!  Get to know her and check out her hot new series.....  Make sure to stop by each day and comment for a chance to win a copy of  book 2 in the series, just released Prince of Power!!!!


Favorite First Times by Elisabeth Staab

Life is full of special firsts. Horrifying firsts. Ohgoddidtheyreally?-yestheyDIDgetitonfilm firsts. Amazing firsts. Magical firsts.

Some are a little of everything rolled into one.

I still remember that my first kiss was in sixth grade with an adorable red-headed kid named Zeke* behind his friend’s garage (special first, even though he kind of opened his mouth so wide I thought he was trying to swallow my nose). My first breakup came a mere few weeks later (HORRIFYING first, I kept wondering why. Why God, WHY!?!), delivered by a mutual friend in front of the entire school cafeteria (Okay so nobody got it on film, buy Holy Effing Hell! The school cafeteria!).
I went home and cried for hours. My mom informed me that I wasn’t allowed to date until I was at least sixteen. I thought, being the dramatic pre-teen I was, that my life was over. Over.

But of course, life rolled on. Many firsts. Got my driver’s license (first car!), went to college, got my first job, got married, had a baby. Had another baby. Wrote my first novel.

Those last two things will be forever linked, because I decided to write King of Darkness while I was recovering from the birth of my second child (a very special last, thank you). In a way, my writing career has been my “other” baby. We celebrated my visiting King of Darkness in the local B&N when it hit shelves. Kiddo ran around the store in circles, then schmeared cake pop frosting on my face. I didn’t notice until I got to the car.

Special, a little horrifying (pink frosting isn’t my “look”), and I did make sure to get it on film. Gun to my head, I’d also say the whole thing’s a little magical. I wrote King of Darkness over the course of a good year and a half, often with a sleeping or nursing baby in the crook of my arm. Sometimes I worked on my iPad in the front seat of my car while two toddlers napped in the back. Who knew it would ever see the light of day?
I’m so grateful that it did, and that people even seem to dig it. No book is everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve gotten some amazing notes from readers that have just about brought tears to my eyes. I’m so blessed.
And very glad my life wasn’t over when Zeke* dumped me by proxy in the cafeteria that day. ;)

*Names have been changed to protect the slobbery



King of Darkness BY ELISABETH STAAB

ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA...
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human—although drifting through the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons' blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the sexy, arrogant king of the vampires, this party-girl's life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME'S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF THE VAMPIRES...
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate had gotten it seriously wrong...

FIND IT: Amazon|B&N|Indiebound|ARe|Walmart|BAM|Discover a New Love






Elisabeth Staab still lives with her nose in a book and at least one foot in a fantasy world. Her bestselling paranormal romance novel, King of Darkness, is available now. Her second book, Prince of Power, releases in January. Find out more at ElisabethStaab.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.


Saturday, February 23, 2013

Saturday's With Sid!

Fitting In, Silvia Violet, Silvia Violet Books
Two cops walk into a bar. Mason, the bartender, waits for the punch line, because no way in hell are these ridiculously hot men real cops. They’re straight out of a cop-fetish fantasy. But he quickly learns that Jack and Gray are the real deal, and they want him in the worst way.

What starts as a night of hot, three-way sex becomes a lot more. The two cops fulfill Mason’s submissive fantasies, but they also meet a more basic need, comfort. They want to take care of Mason, to offer him unconditional friendship, but their concern for him unnerves Mason more than even the kinkiest sex.

To find happiness with his new partners, Mason must change his belief that love is as much a fantasy as a pair of gorgeous, handcuff-wielding cops landing in his bed.



EXCERPT:


Two cops walked into a bar. Mason, the bartender, waited for the punch line, because no way in hell were these ridiculously hot men real cops. They were one hundred percent fantasy material. He hoped to hell they were strippers, and they’d be willing to do a private performance for him. 

Their dark blue uniforms were snug, hugging their bodies in all the right places. The taller of the two men was big enough to bench-press Mason. His shirt looked like it might burst at the seams, and Mason hoped it would. Dark, wavy hair fell over his forehead and softened the hard lines of his face. His eyes were dark without being warm, just right for a cop. 

His partner was shorter, about Mason’s own five foot eleven or so. He had buzz-cut dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He looked younger than his partner, like he hadn’t been out of the academy for long, but he was just as ridiculously hot as the bigger man. His looks were the all-American-boy type. He’d probably played baseball in school and won the heart of every girl he smiled at. He was a perfect counter to his partner’s rough, domineering appeal. They could play a scintillating game of good cop, bad cop, and Mason would love for them to play it with him. 

If Mason were in a porno, the cops would cuff him and drag him to a back room where they would proceed to plow his ass until he couldn’t stand up. Sadly, this was real life. They were probably relentlessly straight and only here for a beer. 

They headed toward the end of the bar by the register where there weren’t any customers during the midafternoon lull. 

“What can I get for you, officers?” Mason asked. 

The big one smiled. “Anything cold.” 

The shorter man punched his partner’s arm. “Nothing. Thank you. We’re here on official business.” 

The big man rolled his eyes. “Can’t I at least get a soda?” 

“Fine. Two Cokes please.” 

Mason was glad to have the simple task of scooping ice and pouring fountain drinks to distract himself for a few minutes. What official business would they have here? While the occasional fistfight broke out, most typically during the NCAA basketball tournament, Nathan’s Public House was hardly a hotbed of crime. 

He picked up the drinks and faced them again, willing his hands to stop shaking. It wasn’t like he hadn’t served plenty of attractive men in the past. What was it about these two that had him so stirred up? 

He set the drinks on the bar in front of them and watched as they both took a sip. His cheeks heated when he realized he was staring, openmouthed, at the flex of muscles in the bigger man’s throat as he swallowed. 

Focus, Mason, focus. “So…um…what kind of business brings you here?” 

The shorter man smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Officer Jack Abney, and this is my partner, Gray Sadler. We want to talk to the staff who were working last night when Gino’s was robbed in case anyone might have seen or heard something that will help with the investigation.” 

Mason took Jack’s hand. His skin was softer than Mason expected, and he held Mason’s hand a few seconds longer than he needed to. “Um…I’m Mason Shields.” 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Shields,” Jack said, grinning. 

Mason thought he might melt, but this wasn’t a time to become a puddle of lustful intentions. The robberies had shaken up most of the business owners in the part of downtown Durham where Nathan’s was located. The break-in at Gino’s was the third one in the area, and all the robberies were believed to have been inside jobs pulled off by well-organized professionals. The occasional group of kids breaking a window and trying to get into the till or taking valuables customers foolishly left lying on the seats of their cars wasn’t uncommon, but this type of systematic criminal activity was something new. 

“I was here last night, but until I heard sirens, I had no idea anything was going on. It was really crowded, and I had a long line at the bar so I was focused on making drinks and keeping customers happy.” 

Jack stood up and looked toward the windows. “Not much of a view of the place either.” 

Mason shook his head. “Once the lights go out over there, I can’t see a thing, especially with people blocking my view out front." 

His partner, Officer Sadler, looked at Mason then, his dark eyes calculating. “We understand one of your servers worked at Gino’s until a month or so ago.” 

“Yes, Gwen did.” The idea of Gwen working for a band of criminal masterminds was ludicrous. She could barely manage to serve a couple of tables without fucking up their orders. 

“Was she working last night?” Gray asked. 

Mason thought through the evening. Gwen had been there, but he didn’t remember seeing her after the dinner crowd left, and he’d wondered why they were understaffed when the rowdy game watchers filled the place up. “She was, but her shift must have ended by nine.” 

“Is that unusual?” Jack studied him as carefully as his partner had. Having the two gorgeous men staring at him was doing unsettling things to his insides, and his expanding dick was making his pants uncomfortable. 

“I guess so. Kinda. Usually most of the waitstaff works until eleven on weekends, but I really don’t think—” 

Jack held up his hand. “Just routine questions.” 

“Okay. Maybe it would be better if you talked to my manager.” 

“We will,” Gray assured him. “But right now, we want to talk to you.” 

His voice was low and sexy. If Mason didn’t know better, he’d have thought Gray was flirting with him, but he had to be imagining it. Jack was staring at his partner like he’d lost his mind. 

Mason looked back at Gray and was caught by his cool gaze. He bit into his lip, needing the sharp pain to break the spell and allow him to look away. Gray exuded dominance. Mason had no doubt he was a man who expected to get his way, and Mason would be happy to give him just that. The thought of being pinned under him and told exactly how to please him made Mason shudder. 

Needing to break the tension vibrating among the three of them, Mason said, “The bartender knows all, is that the theory?” 

“Something like that.” Jack’s sly grin made Mason’s knees weak. These two were going to be the death of him. 

The officers asked a few more questions, but Mason truly didn’t have anything useful to tell them so they moved on to questioning the servers. 

He was glad there weren’t many customers in the bar because both cops had asses worthy of his devoted attention. He sighed as he watched them while pretending to wipe down the bar. What he wouldn’t give to peel them out of their tight blue pants and get a closer look.




REVIEW
Oh. MY. GAH! Who doesn’t have a cop fantasy? You’re totally lying if you say you don’t. I really liked this book, evidenced that I sat down on the couch with my iPad and didn’t get up until I finished the book. I’m not a great fan of BDSM and such, but Sylvia Violet does a great job of making it real and making it not over the top. I understood where everyone was coming from (no pun intended..) You’ll fall in love with Mason and then fall in love with his big cops that just want to love him…and tie him up..and spank him…and.. well, I digress. Somebody dab the sweat off my forehead! Dang Sylvia, I can’t wait to see what’s next for you! 4 oooey gooey strawberries dipped in chocolate for Fitting In!




BUY LINKS
All Romance EBooks
Amazon
B&N

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries. This book was given to us by the author. Many thanks.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Found a crack Friday

February is moving right along and almost gone! WOO HOO! No complaints here. Only 26 more days till spring. I will say that this month I have done alot of reading and read several new to me new authors. Here is a new one I picked up........

The Darkest Fire By Gena Showalter

Geryon is the guardian of hell, more monster than man. Kadence is the goddess of Oppression, more angel than woman. Together they will enter the flames to battle a dangerous horde of demon lords -- and discover a passion unlike any other . . .
Long ago, twelve immortals warriors – each more dangerously seductive than the last -- stole and opened Pandora’s box, unleashing the evil from within. Now they carry that evil within themselves. Violence, Pain, Death, Disease, Disaster, Misery, Doubt, Promiscuity, Defeat, Lies, Secrets, and Wrath. When a powerful enemy returns, they will travel the world in search of a sacred relic of the gods – one that threatens to destroy them all.

I'm living outside the box this week. If you saw my Kindle case it's covered with post it notes with release dates and what i want or need to read. But I came across this Gena Showalter bundle and I decided I want to start this series. So far it's been a good choice.
Geryon sold his soul and spends his days watching the wall in hell for escapees. He also follows the goddess Kadence on her routine inspection for cracks. Geryon doesn't think Kadence is for him. He has horns and fur...she on the other hand has other thoughts. When Kadence makes a deal with Lucifer when she finds a crack in the wall and requests that Geryon be the one that accompanies her to attempt to repair it.
I I enjoyed the story and I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. But I could have used a little more information on Kadence. I don't really understand what makes her so scary??
I give this story 3 chocolate dipped strawberries and a gold star for reminding us all to not judge a book by it's cover.
PEACE


 





Thursday, February 21, 2013

They're at a Crossroads

Crossroads (Crossroads #1)
By Keta Diablo
Warning: This series contains intense, graphic male/male sexual activityHandsome ex-cop Frank McGuire is on a quest to locate his dead partner's missing son. Rand Brennan has an identity issue, exacerbated since the death of his father. Hoping to find himself, Rand drops out of college, takes to the streets, and doesn't realize he's embroiled in duplicity and murder. In order to save Rand, Frank must confront the nefarious killers and...confront his long-suppressed feelings for Rand.



Review: 
Ex-cop turned P.I. Frank McGuire has two big secrets in his life. The first is his almost psychic ability and the second is, he is in love with the son of his dead partner. He puts the first to good use in his P.I. business and the second he stays as far away from as he possibly can, until Rand goes missing.

So much happens in the course of this book it's hard to believe it's only 50 pages. We have a serial killer, a missing son and an alcoholic ex-cop who is trying to deny his feelings. To say this story hits the ground running and never stops would be an understatement. There are a couple of intense sexual encounters that could be called questionable if that was all you read, but if you continue on with the series they will become less so. I myself had more of a problem with the son of a cop and an ex-cop seeming to have to no regard for gun safety.

Intense, graphic, and intriguing!

Rating: 4 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.
This book was given to us by the author, many thanks!

Buy Links
B&N
Amazon

Crossroads Revisited (Crossroads #2)
By Keta Diablo
The streets of Baltimore are mean enough without the threat of a serial killer, and when the fourth in a string of suspicious deaths is discovered, former cop Frank McGuire's intuitive senses kick into high gear.
The pattern of victims — male college students, all homosexual — especially leaves Frank concerned, as they bear striking similarities to his ward and lover, Rand Brennan. Rand struggles with his classes and temptations, yet revels in the delicious punishment Frank delivers when's bad. If only Frank would admit his feelings for Rand run deeper than he lets on...before the killer strikes again.

Review:
Things have progressed for Frank and Rand to the point that the pair are living together, but not exactly in harmony. Frank is still trying to deny he has feelings for Rand but can't seem to keep his hands off of him. Rand is trying to get Frank to see him as a partner and not a child but keeps hitting a wall.

The story that Ms. Diablo is able to create and tell in just a few pages is incredible. The murder/mystery suspense aspects of her books are tight and will suck you in so fast that before you realize it you're at the end of the story. The relationship building while sexually intense also has a lot of caring. The growth of both character's from the first to the second book was believable and I for one couldn't wait to see what happened next.


Rating: 4 Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.
This book was given to us by the author, many thanks!

Buy Links
B&N
Amazon

Crossroads Showdown (Crossroads #3)
by Keta Diablo
Tough PI, Frank McGuire, attempts to help the FBI locate three abducted children from a small town in West Virginia. While channeling his inner spirit for assistance, he mistakenly calls forth a ghost. As Frank races against time to locate the missing girls, he receives help from the most unlikely of sources. To complicate matters, Rand has decided its time Frank commit to their relationship—or run the risk of Rand being gone when he returns.



REVIEW: The series begins to take off in book three as the men really begin to delve into their relationship. Readers will gain a better insight into just what brings Frank and Rand together - and it is near combustible. The action is intense and the story line is intriguing, making it near impossible to put down. But the conclusion seemed rushed and not as smooth as the rest of the book... perhaps because more resolution comes in book four.

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
This book was given to us by the author. Many thanks.

Buy Links
B&N
Amazon


Crossroads Shadowland (Crossroads #4)
by Keta Diablo
Frank must travel to Louisiana to solve another missing persons' case. This time, Rand insists on accompanying Frank to get a hands-on introduction to the PI business. Evil forces are at work in the bayou. Frank is pitted against a centuries' old ghost and races against time to save two innocent young men from eternal damnation. Rand gets caught in vortex of prejudice when he encounters a sinister duo bent on violence against gays. Evil machinations converge in a maelstrom of retribution and hate. Frank must pull out all the stops to save the young men and the man who holds his heart.


REVIEW: Readers will be pleased with the final book in Rand and Frank's story. The men finally -and I mean, finally- accept that they are in a relationship and are in (gasp!) love. The resistance nearly killed me through the series and how Rand held out, I'll never understand. But it did add credibility to Frank's character, the manly man. As they work to solve this case together, there's a sense of rightness that in the end, even Frank can't deny. Book four was my favorite of the series.





RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
This book was given to us by the author. Many thanks.

BuyLinks
B&N
Amazon

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Three River Ranch by Roxanne Snopek

Three River Ranch, Roxanne Snopek, Entangled Publishing
Needing a fresh start from her two-timing fiancé, Aurora McAllister answers a realtor’s ad for a guesthouse on the beautiful, serene Three River Ranch. She shows up at Three River tired, heartbroken, and with no one but her trusty Labradoodle as a companion.

Cowboy Carson Granger has enough trouble in his life without adding a woman and her dog to the mix. There’s the untamed mustang he’s prepping to release into the wild, not to mention his father’s crazy will, which stipulates that if Carson wants to fully inherit Three River, he’ll need to find a bride. Carson wants nothing to do with love and especially not a marriage of convenience. But he soon realizes Rory, and everything she represents, might just be exactly what he needs.

Sometimes love arrives on your doorstep when you least expect it…


REVIEW:
If you took the time to be captured by the blurb and the book cover than go ahead and purchase it!!!! I won’t keep you waiting – this is an all-out 5 chocolate dipped strawberry book. It’s a well written – well edited – realistic LOVE STORY. I don’t hand out 5’s often because I think that should be saved for when you find something that is just spectacular. Roxanne Snopek – THIS is spectacular writing.

We have all (even if you don’t admit it) needed to grab that book that has one hot scene after another. Yes, I have read many in my day and I am proud to admit it. You can normally guess where they are going and I have loved many of them. Don’t pick this book though if that’s what you’re looking for. I just want you to know that upfront because sometimes if you don’t know what you’re getting ready to read then you hate the book for the wrong reason.

This is a wonderful love story. Not simple by any means. The plot has lots of surprises in it – again excellently written! It flows and the twists and turns are exactly where they should be and just enough to keep your reading. The characters are great together. Carson and Rory have their baggage but not so much that you can’t identify with them. And it’s not like either of them whine about it either (which I like because life happens to all of us). The story is totally believable, and the supporting characters are just as enjoyable as Carson and Rory. Blythe and Bliss are so hilarious. Then there is Des and Zach – they so go at each other and you know that the next story has to be about them or so I hope (please – please –please). If your guy, you could pick this up too. Hey, western setting with wild horses and not to mushy to turn you off. Buy the book – grab some Chunky Monkey and tissues because there are some crying times– and curl up for a great read. You will love it as much as I did. No hesitation, 5 chocolate dipped strawberries!




RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by the publisher. Many thanks.

Tyler's Teacher

Tyler's Teacher, J.M. Snyder, JMS Books
Jason Peters is a young widowed father whose son, Tyler, is a precocious first grader starting a new school in the middle of the term. His new teacher is Greg Boucher, a man near Jason’s age who is incredibly attractive. For the first time since his wife’s death, Jason finds himself interested in the possibility of a romantic relationship.

It seems Greg feels the same. At a parent/teacher conference, Jason admits he’s gay, and to his surprise, Greg asks him out on a date. They spend a wonderful evening together, but when morning dawns, Jason realizes things can’t move forward between them unless his son is comfortable with the arrangement.

Will Tyler understand Jason’s interest in his teacher? Or will Jason have to choose between what he wants and what’s best for his son?




Review:
This is a sweet quick read that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling, and once again re-affirms my belief that  Ms. Snyder is the Queen of novellas. She can take 75 pages and manipulate it into a story that will make you think you just finished 750.

The character's in this story are real and the situation is one that could be happening anywhere, anytime. Tyler will steal your heart before you realize it. Jason and Greg will steam you glasses with just the potential of what is to come between them.

If you are looking for a quick but oh so full-filling read on your lunch break or while sitting in a waiting room before an appointment...or heck anytime you have 20 minutes and want to smile then make sure Tyler's Teacher is on your e-reader for just that occasion!

BUY LINKS
JMS Books LLC
Amazon

RATING: 4 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by JMS Books. Many thanks.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Dude - Get Iced!


 It’s cold out and this is a Romance site so of course most of you are thinking I’m going to write about my latest favorite snuggle up in front of the fire romance.  Wrong!  But, I am going to write up one of our all time favorite Romance Authors latest and greatest – Karen Marie Moning. 

So for those of you who haven’t read her before, Moning has a wonderful Highlander series that spins off into a frustrating but exciting Fae adventure called the Fever Series.  Finally, in the last book of that series the reader gets the romance and closure that the entire series works up to.  Following the same format her next series begins with ICED.  The spin off series based on one of the characters of the Fever Series, Dani O’Malley.   I say that it follows the same format in that from the start there is romantic tension and development but the story is all about the main plot development not about romance.   Thank goodness because Dani is only 14!  So it is obvious that although there will eventually be romance way, way down the road and we will all be left to follow her life to see which one of the many men in her life will hang around long enough.  But let me just say I think it will be well worth the wait and a fun ride. 

So onto about ICED –
The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be.

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.
Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux.

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.

Sounds interesting right?  This was a fun quick read.  Don’t let the age of the character or the lack of romance right out of the gate sway you.  Moning is a master at building a world and plot.  This will leave you dying to find out what happens next and to see how all the different players are going to evolve over the series.  Dani is a fun breath of fresh air.  As Tyra would say – this is an excellent pallet cleanse…when you have read too many intense romances and just need a break from all the drama.  Give this one a shot if you are looking for something fun and different to give you a quick shake up in your reading routine.  You don’t need to have read the Fever series to read this one. But given that the next in this series isn’t out yet, you will probably be drawn to temptation and be forced to go to the Fever series to get your fix.

Enjoy!

Rating:  Four Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.



Sunday, February 17, 2013

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Saturday With Sid - Love American Style!

Well hell yáll….I didn’t really expect this one.. If you’ve been following the blog this week, and if you’re not following, I’m gonna have to speak strongly to you about that… but if you’re following the blog like you should, then you’ll know that we’re doing our greatest romances this week. I had intended to review Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander”because its just awesome… but yeah…enter TJ Klune… again. Now it must be said that I have a full blown man crush on TJ..no idea why, probably because I blew through his other books in like 36 seconds and had a crying meltdown halfway through. But isn’t that what a great book is supposed to do to you? Consider that and we’ll talk again in a minute…
Tell Me It's Real, TJ Klune, Dreamspinner Press
Do you believe in love at first sight?

Paul Auster doesn't. Paul doesn't believe in much at all. He’s thirty, slightly overweight, and his best features are his acerbic wit and the color commentary he provides as life passes him by. His closest friends are a two-legged dog named Wheels and a quasibipolar drag queen named Helena Handbasket. He works a dead-end job in a soul-sucking cubicle, and if his grandmother's homophobic parrot insults him one more time, Paul is going to wring its stupid neck.

Enter Vince Taylor.

Vince is everything Paul isn’t: sexy, confident, and dumber than the proverbial box of rocks. And for some reason, Vince pursues Paul relentlessly. Vince must be messing with him, because there is no way Vince could want someone like Paul.

But when Paul hits Vince with his car—in a completely unintentional if-he-died-it'd-only-be-manslaughter kind of way—he's forced to see Vince in a whole new light. The only thing stopping Paul from believing in Vince is himself—and that is one obstacle Paul can’t quite seem to overcome. But when tragedy strikes Vince's family, Paul must put aside any notions he has about himself and stand next to the man who thinks he's perfect the way he is.



TJ…we’ve met….I adore you..now get the hell out of my head…I’m pretty sure that Paul Auster is me..except Vince hasn’t crashed into my car yet. Every once in a while a book comes along that grabs you in the gut and won’t let go. “Tell Me It’s Real” did that for me. I literally felt like at times that I was reading about myself and it gave me hope that someday, somewhere, someone will think I’m beautiful and I’ll finally get to believe all my sassy friends when they tell me I am. There are a couple of lines that I will leave you with : “You’re a lighthouse.. Lighthouses are there to help ships see through the dark. To keep them from running aground. That’s what you do, Paul. You’re like the beacon in the dark..”

Someday, somewhere, I’ll be a lighthouse. I promise you that…

FIVE ooey gooey strawberries dipped in chocolate for TJ Klune’s “Tell Me It's Real”and my pick as the greatest romance of all time.. because it was about me you know.



RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by Dreamspinner Press. Many thanks.

Friday, February 15, 2013

From my heart Friday

Nothing particularly bad went down but it's February so I guess I shouldn't complain. I mean it's Febraury and the world knows how I feel about this month. On a high note I discovered that my monster wine glasses hold 1/2 a bottle! WOW!!! I know right! I also realized that some people are just stupid and there isn't a thing you can do about it. You just have to over look them and continue on with your awesome self. Since this true love week I was reminded by this series to hold out for awesomeness and boys with cool cars and tattoos........           




                                                         Making Chase by Lauren Dane

Tate Murphy is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. She grew up a million miles away from the easy life Matt Chase has had. She’s spent her life pulling herself and her siblings up and out of that trailer by the railroad tracks and she hasn’t looked back. Matt Chase is a dream of a guy and she’s certainly not going to turn down a short fling with one of the most handsome men she’s ever seen!
Matt Chase has watched each one of his brothers find love and he knows he’s ready for that too. It’s all a matter of finding the woman who captures his heart. He’s certainly sampled his fair share of them but none has moved him the way Tate Murphy does when he goes to her shop to thank her for some cookies and a thank you note.
But as Matt gets to know Tate and appreciate her strength and unique beauty, he also realizes she’s got some big self esteem issues about her past. To build a future, he’s got to find a way past some big road blocks.

Everyone that knows me knew I was going to choose a Chase book. I'm not sure what draws me to this series. Maybe it's the realness of the story. There's no super natural stuff going or insane adventure or super duper rescue. It's just a small town with normal people with noraml jobs. I live in a small town just like Petal but there are no Chase brothe's around. Trust me I've checked several times. I think every girl has felt that they weren't pretty enough or popular enough to be with the hot guy so when the hot guy gets the hots for her I think it makes it all the sweeter.Not to mention I'm a huge sucker for for a man that was raised right by his momma and daddy. I;ve been blogging for 2 years now and if you haven't read this series after all the fuss i've made about . For the love of all things Holy do it!

I give this book and all of the other books in this series 5 chocolate dipped strawberries.
PEACE

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Delicious Love: Kiss of the Highlander


For one of the greatest love stories, come back to 2001 with me when Karen Marie Moning published Kiss of the Highlander, the fourth book in her delicious Highlander series. I don't know why but there really isn't anything like how a man loved a woman during this time period. I mean, Moning's stories of the highlanders are melt-in-your-panties hot but then also equally sweet. I swooned when I listened to this book on audio.

BLURB:
A laird trapped between centuries...
Enchanted by a powerful spell, Highland laird Drustan MacKeltar slumbered for nearly five centuries hidden deep in a cave, until an unlikely savior awakened him. The enticing lass who dressed and spoke like no woman he’d ever known was from his distant future, where crumbled ruins were all that remained of his vanished world. Drustan knew he had to return to his own century if he was to save his people from a terrible fate. And he needed the bewitching woman by his side....

A woman changed forever in his arms...
Gwen Cassidy had come to Scotland to shake up her humdrum life and, just maybe, meet a man. How could she have known that a tumble down a Highland ravine would send her plunging into an underground cavern — to land atop the most devastatingly seductive man she’d ever seen? Or that once he’d kissed her, he wouldn’t let her go?

Bound to Drustan by a passion stronger than time, Gwen is swept back to sixteenth-century Scotland, where a treacherous enemy plots against them ... and where a warrior with the power to change history will defy time itself for the woman he loves.

FAVORITE LINE:
“If aught must be lost, ‘twill be my honor for yours. If one must be forsaken, ‘twill be my soul for yours. Should death come anon, ‘twill be my life for yours. I am Given.”


REVIEW:
Kiss of the Highlander is magical in more ways than one. I adored Drustan and all that he brought to the relationship. His gruff disposition at times only made the gentle side that much more romantic. Paired with a strong woman like Gwen, brought to him from another time, and Drustan has his hands full. It was a beautiful story that was well-paced, well-written and a truly indulgent read.





RATING: 
5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Fitzwilliam Darcy - the Ultimate Valentine!

It's hard to be all hurrah for Valentine's Day when you don't have that rosy glow of new love.  However, my dears, never fear - check out our blog this week - we have old loves, new loves and forever loves all in the form of Fabulous Fictitious Lovers!  The best part of these darling heroes is that we loved them at the start and we'll love them always - they don't make a mess or leave the seat up, and while some may make us cry, they always take us back to those blissful moments of new love.....ahhhhh (betcha never thought the cynic girl would get all mushy!)

Before I start on my greatest love story for all time and the man that ruined me for all men....let's have a quick snack on some eye candy - Valentine's day special (calorie free and guaranteed to leave you wanting more!)

It will come as no shock to those who know me that my ultimate romance story is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  Every bit as enticing now as it was in the Regency period in which it was written, Austen's story of two people who fall in love despite their best efforts not to, gives modern readers everything we have come to crave.  Sassy, intelligent women and the arrogant alphas they love to hate and hate to love epitomized in the characters of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy.  You have action (lots of balls and gallivanting about), drama (you try dealing with the insufferable opinions of family, friends and neighbors and see what erupts!) and sexy verbal sparring.  How Austen manages to create sexual tension when everyone stays buttoned and cravatted is simply amazing.

And don't get me started on the recreations of this delightful tale - both in fiction and cinema formats.  Spin off divas like Shannon Hale, Amanda Grange and Helen Fielding have created P&P-esque stories that keep a reader up past bedtime.  Furthermore - who, with a pulse, hasn't seen the 1995 BBC's version of P&P with hunky Colin Firth splashing in the pond or the 2005 remake with Matthew MacFayden soulfully stuttering his affections in the rain.  Big ole Yumm-o!

Yes, their love is resistant. Yes they bicker and squabble and generally make each other miserable....until they get over themselves and find they are perfectly and completely right for one another.  That, my friends, is what makes a True Love Story.  Because it's what happens right before The End that makes a reader sigh and itch to flip back to page 1 and start all over again!

Do yourselves a favor and check out this classic romance - where the women are sassy and the men love them anyway!  I will not require you to make an annual pilgrimage to your library to read it as I do but you may find Austen's clever and easy to read prose enjoyable enough to read again and again if you give it a chance.  Happy Valentines Day!

RATING: FIVE Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries and much love to Austenites everywhere!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

It's All About the LOVE!

What book do I think is the best True Love story out there????? I have read so many books that I had a hard time trying to come up with my favorite 50 let alone the one that speaks to me the most. Then it hit me – I was sitting at my desk at work and realized the books that talk to me the most are the ones that I have read and re-read. You know what I’m talking about - the book or series that you just can’t put away. The one that you just can’t send to archive on your Nook or delete on you IPAD EVEN knowing you can go back and get them. With that in mind the series that talks to me the most is the Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux. Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are two totally alpha males that are perfect together. The series is great but if I have to pick one love story out of the series it would be the sixth book, Stars & Stripes. The first five books in the series are co-authored, Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. You can read the reviews on the series and see the 5 star rating all over the place so I won’t bore you with that part of it. I also can respect your opinion if you don’t like to read M/M but for me, the stories are True Love at its best.

Why do I love it so much?  Simple – here are two men that think they don’t desire the happy ever after.  On the outside they are your rough, alpha males that would rather cut off a limb then say “I love you”.  Their relationship builds slowly – like in real life. Their pasts don’t just magically disappear because they find their one and only true love.  No! They have to work through tons of shit to get to one of the best books in HISTORY – “Stars and Strips”! If you read the series you know how deep this book really is. If you didn’t then read them! You know it’s true love when you can stand by your man in both West Virginia mountain country (Ty’s family) and the big Texas ranch country (Zane’s family) and come out to both.  These two find a way to make it work when all odds are against them.  If you read the books you know what I’m talking about.  Ty is my hero – military recon – capture – tortured – lost brothers he fought with – then recon brother and partner in FBI killed – running away from his family at a young age because of his sexual preference – that stuff really happens and I can only imagine how much it hurts.  After all of that, he is still man enough to love again.  I really like Zane too and he has his own baggage but Ty stands by him and they work through it all together. This story is all about not taking the easy way out when you have something that you love. Love is worth fighting for and too many people forget that.  It isn’t easy and it doesn’t always go your way but if you really care then you find a way to make it work and that is exactly what Ty and Zane do. I gave this book a five when I first reviewed it and if I read it 10 years from now, well, I would give it a five then too. That’s my vote for the week and may we all be lucky enough to find that kind of love in our lives!!!!!   


RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Find True Love with Bella Andre

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day our assignment this week was the write about our all time favorite true love story. Having read more books then I thought possible this past year there were dozen’s that came to mind. Hunky men, that any woman would dream of calling her own, were quickly jumping into my head saying pick me, pick me. But I have to say in the end when I really sat down and thought about what books really stuck with me it I was surprised to realize that it was rarely the tale of the super hot guy and the perfect happily every after tied up in a bow that really tugged at me. I have several ultimate favorites that I turn to when I need a good laugh to help me get through a rough day or to sweep me away from these dreary winter blues but I wouldn’t say they are ultimate love stories. So I had to dig deep and really think of what book have I read that really moved me. Over and over again I kept thinking back to Bella Andre’s books and her ability to really capture the root of what makes a great romance. Specifically for me this bone deep, true love is captured in her third book of the Hot Shots series, Never Too Hot.

In this series Bella Andre tells the stories of a team of Hot Shot Forest Firefighters. The first book features the captain and then the successive books feature members of his team. During the first book one of the team, Connor, is badly injured during one of the forest fires and it is his story that is featured in book three.

Connor is a very injured character. Badly burned by the forest fire, he has been working extremely hard to regain his ability to function and hopefully making it back to Hot Shot active duty. This knowledge that he may be denied a place back on the team causes his wounds to go much deeper then just the physical, fueling anger and a sense of loss as the ability to have his dream career is threatened. It is in this state of mind that he escapes to his grandparents cabin to await the news of if he will be allowed to return to his job. His goal was to work on the cabin for the summer in an effort to stay busy while waiting for news and hopefully passing the time quicker. But upon arriving he finds that his grandparents have rented out the cabin to Ginger Sinclair. She is also running from her own demons. Recently divorced and determined to find herself she is on a journey of self-discovery and determined to embrace life. Given the towns limited resources and the cabins desperate need for repairs she reluctantly lets him move in.

The plot from here is pretty predictable so I won’t go on and on about it. But what is magical about this story is the emotional journey of healing that both characters go through. They are both struggling with completely different emotional wounds but they both manage to pull each other back from the edge. In thinking through the book, they definitely have some pretty unhealthy coping techniques and the book has some pretty rocky scenes due to the intense emotions they are both dealing with. But the huge hill that both characters need to climb couldn’t be overcome without them. For me this was a story of how love in real life is a journey. Love is wonderful and magical but not always perfect, as some books would have us believe. It takes work, trust and commitment to make the real Happily Ever After happen. Anything less then that is just a tale better left for a Disney movie. This story gets to the heart of what it takes to tear down the walls of the past and build something new and great together. It gives hope that the “happily ever after” is really possible and that the real bone deep true love is possible even for the most broken person. This is a beautiful story of rebirth and true ever-lasting love.

Although this isn’t the typical “Happy” Valentine’s read I hope that it inspires you to take the time either read this one or look into some of Bella Andre’s other works which aren’t quite as intense but equally magical. Please join us all week as we each in turn give props to the books that have moved us and make us think of the ultimate love.

Happy Valentine’s Week!


RATING: Five Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries Many thanks.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

The Book of Love!

Oh Valentine’s Day, the smell of love and blood is in the air! Tyra asked us to write about our favorite couples in honor of Valentine’s Day. I think they are all our favorites when we are reading them, but there are always a few that standout and stay with you.
For me, it is Cat and Bones from the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost and Mac and Jericho from the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning . Both of these couples drew me in because they seemed so real, which is saying something when you are talking about paranormal romance. They seemed real, in part, because they didn’t take themselves too seriously. They laughed at and with each other. What is sexier than laughter? They also had a such a bond and hunger for one another. 
I also don’t think it hurts that Bones has that awesome accent…“Careful, luv. I might be angry with you, but that doesn't mean I don't still want you. So if you do that again, I'll shag you right here, right now, and sod anyone who wants to watch.” Jeaniene Frost, One Foot in the Grave




 Their need to be with one another is often palpable, “One day you may kiss a man you can’t breathe without, and find breath is of little consequence.” Karen Marie Moning, Bloodfever. Happy Valentine’s Week!






RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Found her in the forest Friday

40 days till spring! I was out and about yesterday when I discovered a patch of crocuses coming up. Made my whole day. It was another long week and another packed weekend in the month of horror known as February. Good books are what get me thru times like this.....

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love . . .

I really enjoyed this book. It's like a mixture of all the things I like. I'm all about Greece and the Titans. I also liked getting a  peek into the rest of the Lord's lives. I always find one character that I can't wait to get to their story but so far I can't decide which one it is. It's also driving me crazy as to how Danika plays into this story. It was kind of slow moving in the middle but took off towards the end with some surprises and a super cool chick named Anya.

I give this book 3 chocolate dipped strawberries and a spa day for Ashlyn. She spent most of her time dirty or sick and wearing men's baggy clothes. Ewwww!
PEACE
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