Friday, June 17, 2011

alien in the family.

Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt and the Alpha Centaurian she loves, Jeff Martini, should be finalizing their wedding plans. But that was before she discovers Jeff is in line to become Emperor back on his home world. Kitty knows she is everything a royal family wouldn't approve of, and is bracing herself for the worst. As it turns out, the royal family is just the beginning. Especially when extraterrestrial Amazonian terrorists are determined to start and end Kitty and Jeff's nuptial festivities with a bang.
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Kitty, Jeff, Christopher, and crew are back again. Jeff and Kitty are planning their wedding at a snail's pace and while doing so discover that Jeff is a descendent of the royal family of Alpha Centauri. And they want him to come back and rule.

The entire book is full of the usual Kitty shenanigans and that's not a bad thing at all. though I didn't like this one as much as the first of the series, it was still pretty good. As with the previous two, it's not so much the story that sells this series, but the characters. They're amazing. Gini Koch uses this one to reveal more about the AC home planet. Quite interesting. There's the big battle scene, emissaries from other planets, the whole shebang. The sweetness of Jeff and Kitty's relationship. Loves it.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

the gift.

Extremely successful executive, Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all.

One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once.

With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?
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Cecelia Ahern is one of my favorite authors. That might seem odd when you consider she has less than 10 books published, but it's true. I have read five of her seven books and only one was less than stellar (There's No Place Like Here). The first one I read was PS I Love You and it remains one of my favorite books. What I love about her books is the mix of fantasy and reality. How she makes me think "What if this really was happening?" If you've never read her books, pick one at random and go!

Now, on to this book in particular. As expected, Ahern has crafted an unbelievable story with The Gift. Lou is not a great guy. He does a lot of hurtful things to his family that he doesn't even realize until this time in his life. He's probably like a lot of men, a lot of people that way. But in this book, Lou is given the chance to redeem himself. Every action, every chapter, every page is laced with the idea of second chances, of life/work balance, of spending your time here on Earth wisely without pushing and being overbearing. The story is, in true Ahern fashion, thought provoking and heartbreaking. It makes you think and, more importantly, it makes you feel. Yes, it's another holiday story out of the holiday season, but it is fantastic. I suggest you read this one or any of her other books pronto.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

desires of a perfect lady.

A Secret list of the Desires of Lady Olivia Rathbourne
1) Disregard convention
2) Follow my heart
3) Bed the Earl of Wyldewood

A decade ago, Olivia had expected to marry the Earl of Wyldewood, only to have happiness stolen from her before his ring could be placed upon her finger. Now, he stands before her, as proud and arrogant and handsome as ever, vowing to rescue her. Well, he’s got some nerve turning up after all these years. Where was he when she needed him?

As for the Earl, scandal has never touched him nor has impropriety ever besmirched his name. But his penchant for doing the expected does have his family calling him, well, dull. Isn’t it time to flaunt society’s conventions and do what he’s always wanted? And first on his list: Olivia in his bed—with or without a wedding.
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Another historical, yippee! This time will be better, I promise. I truly am sorry about that last one. All I can do is apologize!

This is not my first Victoria Alexander, and it won't be my last. It doesn't surpass my favorite Alexander (A Visit from Sir Nicholas), but it's still good. I picked it up in a UBS a couple days ago and used it to jump back into reading. (I am so very behind my reading goal on GoodReads it's embarrassing, really.)

What the blurb doesn't tell you is that Olivia has to turn to Sterling to help fulfill the requirements of her late husband's will. The best parts between the two of them happen on their adventure. Alexander turns Sterling into this fantastic man on the trip and I absolutely loved him. And Olivia wasn't too bad either. In Desires..., I liked the whole cast of characters - from Sterling's mother and the brief glimpses of his brothers (I've got to get my hands on their stories) to Josiah, the solicitor who joined Olivia and Sterling on their trip.

With this one under my belt, I shall now tackle my ever-growing TBR pile. Look for a bit more variety in the upcoming reviews, my friends.