happy new year!

You probably thought I abandoned you again. You needn't have worried. I just took a brief holiday break. I've been reading like mad this month and lucky for (all three of) you not all of them were for the review site. Which means I can review them here! There's still at least one more Blaze, a pair of paranormal fictions, I'm about to start books five and six in the Cal Leandros series, and I think another romance and general fiction book, too. So if any of that interests you, please stay tuned. Most of those reviews should be posted throughout January.

One of my goals (I rarely use the term "resolution") for 2011 is to keep up with this blog. Do I think anyone reads it? Nope. But, I'm going to continue it anyway. There might be one person out there reading my reviews and actually using them to help in their book purchasing decisions. If that's true, color me shocked. But it could happen! I'm starting off with 3 reviews a month as a minimum. Just so I don't get overwhelmed and nervous about it. Anyway, look out for those reviews within the next few weeks. If you're ever at all curious about what I'm currently reading, my Good Reads page is a great place to find out.

With that said, I am wishing everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Have fun and be safe.

body check/power play.

Look what I've got here - two reviews at once! Neither of these books is new, but they were new to me. :c) And I did warn you that I've been reading a lot of Blazes.


Hard body? Check. Awesome-night-in-the-sack potential? Check! Hayden Houston is breaking out of her good-girl mode. It's time for a one-night stand--and she's found just the man for the job! She spent her childhood being dragged from rink to rink by her hockey-coach father. Now Hayden craves stability. And she's determined to get it--after this one night....

When hockey star Brody Croft sees the sexy brunette at the bar, he's riveted. He's ready to shed his bad-boy ways and settle down. And after a mind-blowing night in bed with Hayden, he knows she's the one.

Now all he has to do is convince her....

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for sports romances. I've read boxing, baseball, football, and hockey romances (no soccer or basketball yet, got any recommendations?). For the most part, the authors either focus too much on the sport or pretend it doesn't exist (and if that's the case, why bother making them hot athletes?). Elle Kennedy did neither here, but the story still left me wanting. I'm not quite sure what went wrong here. The story starts off well enough, with Hayden picking up Brody in a bar. The relationship and issues within it are good. Which leaves everything else. I think Kennedy takes on too much here. Without giving away the story, she introduces to other major issues in the story that have to do with the investigation going on throughout the book. My problem with it is that they're serious, but a bit swept aside. It's possible that she was trying to make it more real, but I think the book would've been better off without that much outside drama.

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Keep her hands to herself?

Not easy for Emily Saunders, who's in Elk Crossing, Idaho, for a family wedding. She's double booked in the same hotel room with a sexy cop attending--of all things!--a hockey tournament. As a massage therapist, Emily's soon itching to soothe Jonah Betts's gorgeous muscles--both on and off the ice.

Jonah can't believe his luck--a sexy single woman sharing his cozy room, albeit temporarily. Okay, her orange bridesmaid dress is a disaster and her family is convinced he's actually her boyfriend. He's ready to go along with it even as he makes his play....

Until Emily is suddenly calling for a TIME-OUT! Will Jonah's fantasies be permanently iced?

I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this one a bit more. The cover and blurb are a bit misleading. Jonah being a recreational hockey player isn't the focus at all. It's really just an interesting way to get the characters where they are and add a bit of flair. The story could've been almost the same if he was a businessman on a work trip. But making him a hockey player is sexier, I guess. Nancy Warren does right what Kennedy did wrong. The two have time to get to know each other and I have a soft spot for stories where there's a pretend relationship, I don't know why. Warren tosses in a twist that allows Jonah's cop side to make an appearance. Overall, it's a fun, quick read.

ace is wild.

Vivi Foster is a psychic who ends up saving former FBI/current lawyer Daniel Pierce's life. As someone who doesn't believe in anything but facts, Daniel thinks Vivi has some other way of knowing about the attempts on his life. While dodging multiple murder attempts, viviv and Daniel run around the city trying to figure out who is trying to kill him and why.

Ace is Wild is not the best romantic suspense I've ever read, but it's not the worst. The investigation parts were fine, but the romance was lacking. I was far more interested in who was orchestrating the hits than I was on what was going on between the two main characters. The sex scenes were just okay and I didn't really believe the ending. That said, it was enough for me to want to give Penny McCall anothet shot. I wouldn't recommend this book to someone unfamiliar with her work. I plan on getting my hands on Tag, You're It and making my decision about her writing then.

i'll be home for christmas.

Abby Harper and Reece Winston have known each other most of their lives. Their parents owned vineyards right next to each other. While Abby has stayed close to home to run the family business, Reece moved to France to become a successful race car driver. Around the holidays, Reece returns to sell his family's vineyard. However, a fire burns Abby's place and he invites her to stay with him.

It's obvious that the two are attracted to each other. A mistaken identity incident when they were in college has made both curious about how they would be together. Predictably, the close quarter brings those feelings to the surface and it's not long before they succumb to the lust between them. Samantha Hunter writes good love scenes here, tossing in some Tantric type elements. Overall, it was an ordinary Blaze with a good balance of romance and ses, which can't be sad about all of the Blaze books.

more apologies.

My computer died. I am borrowing my father's for now, until I can get a new one. And who knows when that might happen. Anyway. That means I've got a couple reviews for you. Starting now!