you dropped a blonde on me.

She was the perfect party-planning, haute-to-the max trophy wife. Now Maxine Cambridge is broke, unemployable and living with her mother and teenage son in a retirement village, with her self-esteem kicked to the curb.

Until her geeky former classmate Campbell Barker returns, all grown-up- and off-the-scale smokin' hot. Campbell refuses to believe Max isn't that smart, funny girl he's crushed on since high school. The more Max tries to show him he's wrong, the more she rediscovers her long-retired mojo. Now, she's ready to throw down some payback on her ex-life and fight for what she deserves.

What a nice surprise this book was. This was the first of Dakota Cassidy's books I've ever read, since I don't particularly care for paranormal and that's what her previous novels are. With Border's going out of business, I picked this one up, hoping against hope that it would be worth the money. And it was. (Although, not my money. The book was a gift.)

Max is a great heroine for this book. She's flawed, super messed up when it comes to relationships. She jumps to conclusions, a few times publicly, and it's embarrassing in its hilarity. The hero of the book, Campbell, is pretty fantastic. He's there for her every step of the way, taking up for her when she can't take care of herself. I loved the fun of this book. I've been waiting for a good, fun, easy book to come along and here we are!

After reading it, I found out that it's the start of Cassidy's Ex-Trophy Wives series, with book two released this month. I have every intention of reading Burning Down the Spouse, but, despite how much I enjoyed the first book, I'm a bit wary about this being a series instead of a stand alone.

savor the moment.

Wedding baker Laurel McBane is surrounded by romance working at Vows wedding planning company with her best friends Parker, Emma, and Mac. But she's too low-key to appreciate all the luxuries that their clients seem to long for. What she does appreciate is a strong, intelligent man, a man just like Parker's older brother Delaney, on whom she's had a mega-crush since childhood.

But some infatuations last longer than others, and Laurel is convinced that the Ivy League lawyer is still out of her reach. Plus, Del is too protective of Laurel to ever cross the line with her-or so she thinks. When Laurel's quicksilver moods get the better of her-leading to an angry, hot, all-together mind-blowing kiss with Del-she'll have to quiet the doubts in her mind to turn a moment of passion into forever.

Book three in the Bride Quartet follows the same pleasant pattern as the previous two books, but without the same results. I love a good conflict in a romance novel. I mean, I love, love, love it. Savor the Moment didn't have that. The relationship is, for the most part, easy. Laurel and Del manage to move from friendship to romantic relationship seamlessly, with only Laurel's class level hangups to deter them. That's not to say that this installment wasn't worth it. It is still worth read, even if it was for the Parker/Malcomb interactions alone.

What I'm hoping Happy Ever After has that Savor the Moment lacked is the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking feeling you get from reading the awesomely intense scenes.

a lot like love.

Jordan Rhodes is invited to all of Chicago's best parties, but there's only one the FBI wants to crash. To get her brother out of jail, she agrees to take Agent McCall as her date. But when the mission gets botched, requiring their "relationship" to continue, it starts to feel less like an investigation-and a lot like something else.

I feel like this hardly ever happens anymore. A new author (to me) with a book that I really, truly enjoyed from beginning to end. SCORE!

My first Julie James story can only be described as a delightful, humorous surprise. At a time when most authors are writing romantic suspense that surrounds around a deep dark plot, James pens a novel about two people falling in love who just so happen to be involved in a federal case. Having the majority of the book’s focus on the contemporary romance instead of the case was a refreshing change. I loved the playful language she used for her characters. There were quite a few times where I found myself laughing at loud at the risque wine talk. Jordan and Nick were great characters that I know I would like if they really existed. This one was a joy to read and I cannot believe Julie James managed to slip under my radar. If they previous novels are anything like this, then I am in for a treat.

a light at winter's end.

In her latest contemporary romance novel, Julia London treats us to the story of Holly, the younger sibling to her seemingly perfect older sister, and Wyatt, a man trying to recover from losing his wife. Everything changes for Holly when her sister enters rehab, leaving her with her infant nephew.

I thought the strength of this story was the characters and their atypical circumstances. When Holly is forced to care for her nephew, it isn't an immediately happy situation. London shows how the character felt inconvenienced and how she changes throughout the story to create a new life that works for her and Mason. The same goes for Wyatt. In a previous installment (which I now want to read), Wyatt's wife leaves him for her first husband who has come back from the dead. Understandably, he is still smarting from the failed marriage, but determined to remain active in his daughter's life.

Additionally, Light addresses the dynamics of sibling relationships, addiction, and blended families very well. Each issue is seamlessly woven into the story and given the appropriate attention and resolution. I really loved that the ending, in regards to Holly and Mason, didn't end perfectly, but realistically. But, I would have liked just a little something more between Wyatt and Holly at the conclusion.

I am happy to say that I enjoyed this book, since it's been some time since I could say that about one of London's books, especially about one of her contemporaries.

burning up.

As much as I love contemporary romance, I never find myself reading Susan Andersen. I’ve only read one of her other books (Coming Undone), but I thought it was decent enough. I had some store credit at a used book store and found this one there. There’s no risk in it, since I didn’t really pay for it. And honestly, I’m glad it didn’t cost me much.

The premise sounded promising enough. Small town girl made good returns to said small town to help her cousin and snub her nose at the people she left behind. Gabe is a firefighter insisting on dating nice girls only. They try to ignore their attraction to each other, but it doesn’t work.

The major issue here is that there is a lack of feeling and emotions. The sexual chemistry between Macy and Gabe is obvious. I got that easily. But I cannot imagine at what point these characters actually fell in love with each other.

icebreaker.

Attorney Sinead O'Brien's new client is Adam Perry, the star of the New York Blades. It's a good thing she doesn't date clients, especially jocks. Charged with assault on another player, the private, no-nonsense Adam knows this is his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Sinead quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that helmet, and she's falling for him-hard. Can they play on their feelings without penalties?

I knew going into this one that I wouldn't like it. But I wanted to be surprised. I really wanted Martin to give me something worth reading.

She didn't.

Icebreaker played out the way the last few NY Blades books have - poorly. I didn't care about the characters and didn't especially like them, either. The last Blades story I liked was Chasing Stanley. That added to the first two makes a total of 3/9 that I've enjoyed in this series. Those are terrible odds. She doesn't use the sport to really enhance the story at all. It's just... there. Susan Elizabeth Philips (Chicago Stars, football) and Lori Foster (SBC, MMA) have done well with sports series. Head there if you're interested.

Martin doesn't do anything different or fantastic here. There's no great sex, no great emotions, no jokes. The friendship between Anthony Dante and the hero Adam Perry is odd and comes out of nowhere. I felt like the author just wanted a reason to have Anthony in the story. Or needed a friend for Adam to talk to and plugged him in. I don't know why I continue to read her books after being burned so many times. This will be the last though. I refuse to be bamboozled again!

Seriously... recommendations, anyone?

here to stay.

Mandy Pajeck had a tough childhood. Now 28, she feels responsible for the accident that took her younger brother's sight. But his complete reliance on her care is making them both miserable. When she meets handsome Zach Harrigan and his mini guide horse, she thinks she's found the ticket to her brother's happiness-and maybe her own.

Get ready, because this is not going to be pleasant... much like the book. This has got to be one of the most boring books I've read in quite some time. Absolutely, positively boring. Just a yawnfest.

The first problem was that it reads like a general fiction novel instead of a romance. There was so much focus and attention paid to Mandy and her brother and Zach and his training that the relationship suffered for it. Mandy's brother is a complete and utter brat who magically changes his ways and still annoyed me.

It's pretty sad that Catherine Anderson's books have gotten this bad. I truly enjoyed most of the books in the Coulter stories with the exception of Tucker's story. And surprise, surprise, Tucker's wife's family is the focus of the new series. I am so glad that not only did I NOT pay for this, but it was not required for me to review this for a website. Because the only good thing I can say about it was that I liked Zach. That's it!

I can't imagine anyone liking this book, really. I'm not the only one who feels like this. I read the reviews on Good Reads and the few of us who got early copies of this novel feel the same. Anderson's writing is lacking and the book is dull.

the loner.

He's every woman's fantasy. She's every bodyguard's nightmare...

Lucas "Huck" Finn is thrilled to join elite Ranger Security--until he learns his new assignment is to babysit heiress Sapphira Stravos a doggy-toting debutante who's driving everyone crazy. Still he can't help but feel there's more to Sapphira than meets the eye. And what's meeting the eye is damn hard to resist....

Thanks to a few stupid threatening letters Sapphira Stravos is having her style cramped big-time! How is she going to look after the charities she secretly supports? Although she'd managed to ditch her former jailers this guy isn't budging. Still having a guy as hot as Huck around has its perks. After all if he has to guard her body he might as well get to enjoy it too....

I warned you that another Blaze was on its way. What can I say? They're a guilty pleasure. This one was pretty good. It's the second of the Ranger Security books that I've read. I liked this one better than The Specialist. I felt like you could see the two characters falling in love more here than with the other story. It was also less serious than the other one, definitely funnier. And I do so adore a funny romance. All in all, it's an easy way to spend a couple hours.

And the cover is delicious. ;c)

hero at large.

Most readers know Janet Evanvoich from the Stephanie Plum series, not from her romances. In the late 80s and early 90s, she wrote romances under a different name and, thanks to the popularity of her current books, they have been re-issued. Here at Large is one of those titles. Chris Nelson is a former competitive ice skater who now teaches while raising her young daughter. When her car breaks down on the side of the road, a ruggedly handsome man comes to her aid and she ends up breaking his arm. Over the course of the story with another broken bone tossed in, the two fall in love. Everything is great until Chris finds out that Ken's been hiding something from her.

This is actually my second attempt at reading an Evanovich romance and it will be my last. There is so much I didn't like about this story. It is written only from Chris' POV which bothers me when reading romances. The addition of Aunt Edna is clearly meant for humor, but fell far short of that. Instead, the character seemed fake and forced into it. Chris and Ken are in love with each other about 50 or so pages in and pretty much coast along until she finds out his Big Secret. There was practially no character development in this book, especially with Ken. It was just bland, boring, and a waste of my time. I could've been reading a good book!

However, I can see people liking it. Evanovich has a strong fan base who appear to not notice what seems to me to be a complete lack of improvement in her writing and storytelling abilities. Those two reasons are why I stopped reading the Plum series at book nine. If you liked her other romances, I'm sure this is just more of the same and you'll probably enjoy it. Same goes if you don't like her other ones. Don't bother with this one, it doesn't get better.

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.

---------------------------------------------
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.

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.

christmas eve at friday harbor.

Book Description:

ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY

One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word.

ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE

The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC…

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

…TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home…

--------------------------

I really, really liked this story. Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite historical authors, but I was never tempted to try her contemporary writing until now. Her previous attempts didn't interest me at all. But when I read the blurb for this one, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor is exactly what it professes to be. A simple, contemporary romance with no wild plot twists or crazy secrets. I have said before that it's difficult to find what I call "regular" romances these days. So many authors and publishers are pushing paranormal (which I truly dislike) and leaving us regular story lovers behind.

I loved the Nolan brothers and Holly. While Maggie wasn't the best heroine Kleypas has ever written, she served her purpose here. I liked the speed of their relationship (patient) and the description of Friday Harbor (made me want to visit Washington). Basically, Kleypas did quite a good job here. Honestly, the only thing that readers might not care for is that the two don't sleep together until the end and it's more of a fade to black scene. I would've preferred a bit more passion, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. Great for the holidays!

This book is available here.

the first love cookie club.

Book Description:

"On Christmas Eve, if you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny."

The townsfolk of Twilight, Texas, believe the legend, but not Sarah Collier—not since she was a pudgy teenager, running down the church aisle on Christmas Day in a jingle bell sweater and reindeer antlers, trying to stop Travis Walker from marrying someone else. She may be grown-up, slimmed-down, bestselling children's book author "Sadie Cool" now, but Sarah will never forget that day. And she'll never fall foolishly in love again!

But when a letter from a sick fan brings Sarah back to Twilight, she's shocked to discover that Travis is the little girl's father—unattached and hotter than ever. His smile still makes her melt, but Sarah knows that ship has sailed. Travis, however, might have different ideas.

--------------------------

The First Love Cookie Club was a sweet story of romance between Travis and Sarah. Wilde creates believable, relatable backgrounds for both characters. It's easy to understand why they are the way the are. The story is also about the two of them reconciling their pasts and finding a future together. As the reader, you want them to work through their issues and be together. In Jazzy, Wilde has created an adorable, astute kid who adds even more charm to the story. A small thing that I loved was the little bit of added depth to Crystal, making her less of a villain than she originally appears. The only downside was what seemed to be an unnecessary twist with Raylene and her secret background. Perhaps it seems that way because I haven't read the previous Twilight books, though I plan to rectify that very soon.

This will be a comfy book to read under a blanket with hot tea. If the other books are as sweet and heartwarming as Travis and Sarah's story, Wilde has a great series on her hands.

The First Love Cookie Club will be available for purchase on October 26, 2010. Advanced reader's copy provided for review by NetGalley.

always the baker, never the bride.

Book Description:
Thirty-six-year-old Emma Rae Travis has been baking specialty cakes and melt-in-your-mouth pastries at The Backstreet Bakery in historic Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, for the last six years.

When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It s going to be a really rotten day.

Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs?

--------------

First, the version I read didn't really match the book description. I'm not sure if it was changed before it went to final print, but there was a difference in the circumstances. It's not a big deal, but I just thought I should mention it.

Overall, I found Always the Baker, Never the Bride to be a comfortable and pretty easy read. For the most part, it was a what you see is what you get book. It is Christian fiction, with the mentions light at the beginning, and getting heavier throughout the book. It could've been integrated into the story a bit better, as it seemed a bit forced sometimes. As a Christian book, you'll find no profanity or love scenes, and the story does not suffer from the lack of it.

Jackson and Emma Rae made a cute couple, with a lot less animosity than the description suggests. I would have liked more of their thoughts and feelings in the earlier part of the book, but the author makes sure to detail those feelings later. The entire cast of characters is an interesting bunch. The author includes tips and recipes related to what's going on in the story, which could have been cheesy but I made one of the cookie recipes the day after reading the book and they weren't bad.

While the story wasn't as great as it could have been, I enjoyed it nonetheless and it wasn't a bad way to spend a few hours.

Always the Baker, Never the Bride is available for purchase.

once upon a holiday.

Once Upon a Holiday is an anthology consisting of three African-American holiday stories. I choose this book because it seemed like it would be a decent read.

Holiday Heat - Beverly Jenkins
Holiday Heat starts the book off with characters Eve and Leyton meeting at a masquerade party. Dressed as a warrior goddess and a Roman soldier, they both attend the party for reasons not their own. Eve is pressured into it by a cousin, while Leyton goes to add a discreet police presence. The idea of the party is that guests are randomly paired and assigned a hotel suite to share. But after meeting Leyton, Eve fixes it so that they are paired together. They spend a hot night together and go back to their separate lives. Of course, it doesn't end there. The author brings the characters back together through work, both of them investigating a fire.

Jenkins does a decent job of detailing the investigation and also putting the characters together romantically. At first, she goes too far in showing the "other side" of Eve, the tough woman in a man's world side, and she starts to become annoying. Thankfully, that doesn't last for too long. The love scenes in Jenkins' story were detailed, but not too raunchy or outrageous. I think she did her best once they both realized who they other person was and they get back together again.

Candy Christmas - Adrienne Byrd
The second story, Candy Christmas, did not live up to Holiday Heat in any way, shape, or form. I absolutely, positively did not like this story. In Byrd's story, Montel and Candace are both vying for a promotion at the same company. On the surface, the two despise each other, but a tryst in the office shows that there is chemistry between them. It is later revealed through flashbacks that they are actually married. I found that to be a ridiculous twist and completely unnecessary. Unlike Holiday Heat, the sex scenes in Candy Christmas seemed to be excessive. I felt like the author went out of her way to include what she, and some readers, might think was "exciting." I found myself rereading a few of the positions included, not because they were great, but because they were poorly explained. If I had known the tone of this story before reading it, I would've skipped it.


Chocolate Truffles - Kimberly Kaye Terry
After reading Candy Christmas, I figured the tone of the book was that the stories would get progressively worse, and I was nervous about reading this one. But I shouldn't have been. Chocolate Truffles turned out to be my favorite of the three stories.

In Chocolate Truffles, Camille and Gideon meet in an elevator after she receives a promotion and he closes a deal with her company. Instantly attracted to each other, they agree to meet for drinks at a bar in the building. Drinks and dancing lead to more and they spend the night together at Gideon's hotel room. Similar to Holiday Heat, the two characters don't know each other's full names and have no way of finding each other until they find out that they are working together. Also, like Byrd, Terry tosses a curveball by subtly revealing that the Gideon is white. I had actually picked up on this at the beginning, not as much because of how she described him, but the words she didn't use to describe him when they first meet.

I thought this one was the best of the three because it made the most use of the amount of pages to create a full story. It didn't feel rushed at all and the characters were well developed. I may have also liked it because it was a true romance, their jobs were just background noise to the story of the relationship. I'm now interested to read more of Terry's work and hoping that it's as good as this was.

Once Upon a Holiday is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2010. Advanced reader's copy provided for review by NetGalley.

love me if you dare.

Love Me If You Dare tells the story of police officers and former partners Rafe Mancuso and Sara Rios. The book opens quickly with an easy job turned hostage situation and sets the story in motion. Due to injuries, Rafe and Sara are forced to be in close quarters with each other in Rafe's hometown of Hidden Falls as they recuperate and attempt to keep criminals from finding Sara. As you can guess, the proximity draws them into a relationship that one wants to further develop and the other claims to wish it would stay the way it is.

While the action of the story started right away, I felt that the romance side of things moved quite slowly in the beginning. Then it seemed to switch, with greater focus on the couple and not as much on the case side of things. For me, the book was missing a depth of feeling, which I definitely felt in Sealed with a Kiss and Cross My Heart (Ty and Hunter's books). This could be because I don't think I liked the character of Sara, but I did like Rafe and his niece Toni was always delight when she appearead. I found that I was more entertained by the antics of Rafe's family and the relationship between his brother Nick and his wife Angel. I would have preferred Nick and Angel to be the focus of the book, with a Rafe and Sara as the secondary couple. However, if you're looking for an easy summer read or a book to just relax with, this is not a bad choice at all.

* I did not read Kiss Me If You Can, in Carly Phillips' first book in what seems to be a duo.

Advanced reader's copy provided for review by NetGalley.