Teaser Tuesday: Too Hot to Handle by Katie Rose

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

The last thing she needed was a physical attraction to a guy who embodied everything she was determined to avoid.

This week my teaser comes from Too Hot to Handle by Katie Rose. I couldn't pass up a book with that cover. Besides, sports romances are my favorite kind of romances. Here is the description of this January 27 release:

Katie Rose’s Boys of Summer series returns for a delicious double-header—with the story of total opposites who are drawn to each other like moths to a flame.

Nikki Case is no fan of baseball. Her ex gambled away a fortune on the sport, and now her PR firm has tasked her with cleaning up the league’s most notorious bad boys. The New Jersey Sonics are known for wild womanizing and booze-fueled brawls, so Nikki expects the worst. Her first stop in the battle to win hearts and minds is star hitter Jake Baldwin—a legendary ladies man so smokin’ he threatens to melt her tough-girl armor.

Although his teammates prank her without mercy, Jake admires the way Nikki gives as good as she gets. She may be the queen of frost, but there’s kindling beneath those sultry curves—and he’s just the man to ignite it. But when a PR nightmare lands the Sonics in headlines across the country, Nikki is ready to walk. Only then does Jake realize how important she is to the Sonics’ success—and that winning the love of a good woman is no game.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan. 12, 2015)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Our first week back after Christmas Break was an interesting one. We had no school on Wednesday because it was too cold. Wind chills were more than 40 degrees below zero for most of the day. On Thursday, school was let out at noon because a blizzard was on the way. It lasted until Friday morning. We began school two hours late on Friday.

I was supposed to have my annual physical on Thursday afternoon but rescheduled. Hopefully, we won't have a blizzard on my new appointment date. 

We just have nine days left in the current semester. I am busy finishing things up with my students and getting ready to do quarter grades. There are lots of projects to finish with my fifth and third grade students.    

The extra time off did allow me to get more reading done than I can do in a normal week. I am working my way through my February review books and have just a few left.

Read Last Week

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston was a funny paranormal romance with a main character who was a honey badger. My review will be posted on February 12.

Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall was a middle grade science fiction story about some kids sent to Mars to get away from the war with aliens happening on Earth. It was action-packed and had great characters. My review will be posted on February 12.

Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz was her latest romantic suspense title. She is going back to her vintage books in character and theme. The heroine is an optimistic, positive thinker and the hero is a rich cynic. The heroine is in danger and the hero comes to her rescue. It was entertaining. I liked the vibe between the hero and heroine. My review will be posted on January 22.

Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey begins a new story arc on Valdemar but still follows the adventures of Mags and Amily. They are back home in Haven hoping for some peace but domestic issues - including a long-standing feud - keep them busy. My review will be posted on February 14.

Better Than Perfect by Melissa Kantor was a book from my review stack. It is a story of a girl who has to adjust when her "perfect" life falls apart. I thought it was engaging and very well written. My review will be posted on February 14.

Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King is the latest in her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes novels. This mystery took us to Japan and Oxford in 1924 and 1925 as the pair gets involved in a blackmail scheme aimed at Crown Prince Hirohito. My review will be posted on February 19 for this February 24 release.

Currently

Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci is an ARC from Macmillan. This young adult science fiction story is the sequel to Tin Star which I also read in an ARC version.

Next Week

Adult books on my stack to read this week include The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin from my TBR mountain and Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder and Vampires Never Cry Wolf by Sara Humphreys from my Review stack.

Both No Parking at the End Times by Bryan Bliss and The Secret Cipher by Whitaker Ringwald are from my YA review stack.

Reviews Posted

• The Hound at the Gate by Darby Karchut
• The Rule of Three: Fight for Power by Eric Walters
• Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish
• Polaris by Mindee Arnett
• Night Shift by Nalini Singh et al.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

• Inside of a Dog
• Ms. Martin Teaches Media No new YA books this week.

What are you planning for this week? Leave me a link and I'll be sure to stop by.

Stacking the Shelves (Jan. 11, 2015)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow. 

This week I added three new books.

I got Trace of Magic by Diana Pharaoh Francis for my Kindle this week. It was a daily deal.

I also got Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells in my actual mailbox. I have been collecting this series since I read another story about Kate Prospero.

Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz downloaded to my Kindle on Tuesday. I read it later in the week. I really enjoy all of Krentz's books but her romantic suspense titles are the ones I like the best.

What did you add to your stack?

Book Review: Night Shift by Nalini Singh et al.

Night Shift
Authors: Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin, Milla Vane
Publication: Berkley (November 25, 2014)

Description: Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance plunge readers into the dangerous, captivating world unearthed beyond the dark...

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smoldering story with Secrets at Midnight, as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella, Magic Steals, when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.

From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.

It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms.

My Thoughts: I read three of the four stories in this anthology. The first was Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh and told the story of Bastien Smith finding his mate in kindergarten teacher Kirby who was raised human and in foster care and doesn't know that she is a shifter. I like Bastien's complete devotion to Kirby and Kirby's courage and determination not to be overrun by Bastien's more dominant personality.

I also liked Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews which was a story about Dali and Jim. It was told from Dali's point of view and gave me an entirely new appreciation for her.

I also read Lucky Charms by Lisa Shearin and liked it so much that I bought the novels in the SPI series. I loved the narrator's quirky viewpoint and her wonderful descriptions. I am also curious about what comes next for the characters.

After reading Lisa Shearin's story I wasn't able to get into The Beast of Blackmoor by Milla Vane. I wasn't ready for a switch to high fantasy after urban fantasy. I'll give this story a try another day.

All in all, this was an entertaining anthology. The high point for me was the introduction to an author I hadn't read who wrote the kind of stories I really like.

Favorite Quote (from Lucky Charms):

I'd seen werewolves before; I'd just never seen one carrying a massive .45 in a shoulder rig, and wearing fatigues and a T-shirt that read: "Don't run, you'll only die tired."

And if that wasn't enough—and it was plenty—he was big, somewhere between six foot seven and Sasquatch.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Night Shift by Nalini Singh et al.

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting Night Shift, an anthology with stories by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin and Milla Vane. I bought this one for my Kindle a while ago and have been waiting for a gap in my review calendar to fit it in. Here is the description from Amazon:

Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance plunge readers into the dangerous, captivating world unearthed beyond the dark...

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smoldering story with Secrets at Midnight, as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella, Magic Steals,when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.

From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.

It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms.

Beginning:

Bastien Smith knew he'd been suckered.

Friday 56: 

"I really need to strangle him. Surely, my folks wouldn't notice one less son."

ARC Review: Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish

Owl and the Japanese Circus
Author: Kristi Charish
Publication: Gallery Books; Canadian Origin edition (January 13, 2015)

Description: Fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, and Linda Hamilton will flock to the kick-ass world of Owl, a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world.

Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem – and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.

Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.

My Thoughts: I have been trying to figure out what I thought about this story for a while. I really enjoyed the world building. I liked the idea of supernaturals living among us but unknown to most of us. I especially liked the idea of dragons. I liked that the main character was a student archaeologist who turned into an antiquities thief after she was done wrong to by her university.

However, I had some problems with the main character's character. To say Owl was impulsive would be an understatement. She also seemed to me to be careless of the people around her and careless of the consequences of her actions. She admits that she isn't good with people and she has an almost complete inability to see the supernaturals surrounding her. Luckily, she has one good friend Nadya though she does her best to ruin that friendship by her failure to trust and share what she knows.

Her love interest is a man named Rynn she meets in a Japanese bar. The relationship starts as a business deal; she buys drinks and he listens to her story. It is one of her few human interactions. But, when Rynn indicates that he likes her, she is very suspicious and untrusting. She gets even more suspicious when Rynn is hired to protect her and she learns something he has neglected to mention.

The plot was interesting. Owl has done something that has made a group of vampires want to kill her. She's been on the run for a year in her Winnebago with her Mau cat when a dragon makes a deal. In exchange for Owl locating a missing scroll for him, he will get the vampires off her trail. Owl doesn't want to agree but a smart person doesn't say no to a dragon and those vampires keep getting closer.

This sets Owl, her cat Captain, and Rynn off on a tour of ancients monuments in Bali where she runs into old enemies, new enemies and the assorted nagu. The story was action-packed as Owl careens from one disaster to the next.

This was a fun story. I look forward to Owl's next adventures.

Favorite Quote:

Nadya swore in Russian. "You don't attract trouble, Owl, you dive into it like the shallow end of a swimming pool."

No arguing there.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

I couldn't have missed the exit yet, could I? Served me right for trusting directions from a waitress wearing fishnets and a pair of bunny ears.

This week my teaser comes from Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish. I am always up for a new urban fantasy and this one sounds great. Here is the description from Amazon:

Fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, and Linda Hamilton will flock to the kick-ass world of Owl, a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world.

Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief, Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa, a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas. He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago, and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem – and let’s face it, dragons are known to eat the odd thief.

Owl retraces the steps of Mr. Kurosawa’s ancient thief from Japan to Bali with the help of her best friend, Nadya, and an attractive mercenary. As it turns out though, finding the scroll is the least of her worries. When she figures out one of Mr. Kurosawa’s trusted advisors is orchestrating a plan to use a weapon powerful enough to wipe out a city, things go to hell in a hand basket fast…and Owl has to pick sides.