Friday, February 28, 2014

Friday Memes: Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison

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 my book is Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison. I got this Feb. 25 release from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Here is the description:
WHEN YOU’RE A big girl

Cherri has often wished she were thin and graceful like a ballerina instead of being a six-foot-tall blonde with curves that require serious caution. Surely a charming Irishman like her new boss Colin, with his throaty brogue and to-die-for bod, would never go for someone like Cherri. Unless maybe he’s looking for the exact opposite of a delicate lass?

THERE'S MORE OF YOU TO LOVE

When Colin hired Cherri to work in his furniture-restoration shop, he had his eyes, first and foremost, on her artistic talents. But now he can’t help but see Cherri for the lush, spirited beauty that she is…and, soon enough, he finds himself mixing business with pleasure. But Cherri turns out to be more vulnerable than she appears. Is she in need of more than Colin can give? Or could it be that a feeling stronger than lust has him thrown for a curve?
Beginning:
I feel pretty...

"Almost finished." A heavy blast of breath-stealing hair spray hit Charlotte Rudy just above her crown.
Friday 56:
"Friction?" He shook his head, not sure he understood her thick accent.

"You know friction. You men always go out looking for friction at the discos."

"You mean action?"

Thursday, February 27, 2014

ARC Review: Waking Up Pregnant by Mira Lyn Kelley

Waking Up Pregnant
Author: Mira Lyn Kelley
Publication: Harlequin KISS (March 1, 2014)

Description: The night that changed everything!

Waitress Darcy Penn is the smart, sensible type—flirting with the extremely cute guy in the bar just isn't her usual style. As for ending up in his hotel room? Definitely not! Sneaking out while he's in the bathroom to avoid the post-sex awkwardness? Much more like it….

If Darcy had stuck around, Jeff Norton could have told her about their "epic latex fail." So he shouldn't be quite so shocked when months later, Darcy turns up at his classy L.A. office and throws up in his wastepaper basket. She's got a bad case of morning sickness, and she's here to find out what he's going to do about it!

My Thoughts: Businessman Jeff Norton is in Las Vegas to help a friend get over a relationship break-up. Darcy Penn is his cocktail waitress. Neither one was looking for a relationship. Darcy had the kind of childhood that taught her that she needed to stand on her feet and take responsibility for herself. Jeff was born to rich, loving parents but had his heart broken by a former girlfriend.

However, this unlikely couple are so intrigued with each other that Darcy decides she can date a customer just once and Jeff sees her as a challenge since she has given the cold shoulder to the other men in the room. A friendly date is on the agenda but the relationship quickly heats up to a one-night stand.

Fast forward three months to find Darcy tracking him down because she's pregnant. She wants to let him know but doesn't want anything from him. Jeff hadn't been able to get her off his mind despite starting to date a woman who would make a perfectly fine, upwardly mobile wife for him. Once Jeff sees her, his protective instincts kick in and make him determined to care for Darcy.

Since the two of them are working from faulty premises about the other, it takes a whole book of touching romantic moments for them to find their happy ending.

The book was well-written; the characters were engaging. I liked the romance between the two and Jeff's relationship with his best friend and with his mother. Fans of feel good romances will enjoy this story.

Favorite Quote:
She'd sworn never to allow herself to be in a position of dependence again, which meant she took care of herself. She played it safe. Stayed in control. Lived within her means. And if the cost inherent to a life that felt safe was adventure of the tall, watered-down variety? She'd gladly pay it. 
I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Book Excerpt: Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison

Check out this excerpt for Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison.

***********************************

“Colin?”

He looked up at the sound of a female voice calling his name. Cherri stood in the doorway of his shop, bundled up in a hat, her homemade scarf, and a puffy coat. His heart malfunctioned at the sight of her, performing some kind of stupid squeezing thumping thing.

Something was wrong. She had never stepped foot in his territory before.

“Cherri?”

He took two steps toward her before stopping. She held some sort of wooden box in her hands. It was in pieces, and judging by the look on her face she wasn't too far from falling to pieces herself.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry, his mind chanted. He wasn't sure he could take it today.

She looked unsure for a moment, taking a step backward. “Are you busy? I—I don’t want to bother you if you are.”

“Come here, love.” He stayed frozen as he watched her come toward him. Even in a too-puffy coat that hid far too much of her body, she was lovely to look at as she crossed his shop.

“I can’t pay you much,” she said, handing the pieces of the broken box to him. “But do you think you might be able to make it play again?”

She looked so innocent, so heartbroken, as if somebody had stomped on her favorite toy. “You don’t have to pay me anything, you daft girl.” With his head he motioned toward the stool he kept at his workbench. “Sit. I’ll take a look at it.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, flashing him those pretty dimples of hers. “Baba was so upset that she dropped it. I want to make it whole for her.”

He had yet to examine the box or to focus on her words. He was too busy watching her strip out of her winter gear. Under it she wore a pink cardigan with a white tank top that was just low-cut enough that he could make out the tops of her buttermilk-colored breasts. A voice, probably his conscience, ordered his eyes upward.

She’s not what you need right now. 

His gaze traveled to her head and the ugly wool hat she wore on it. It was the last to go, and he stared as her rowdy mane of golden hair tumbled to her shoulders. She really had no idea how beautiful she was. No clue. He had heard her say that she was built like a lumberjack but all he saw was a tall curvy goddess. Even with her cheeks red from the cold and her eyes glossy from the wind she was lovely. It made him forget that she was the last person he should be attracted to.

“What?” Her emerald-colored eyes widened and her cheeks darkened with embarrassment. “If you tell me I have snot on my face I’ll die.”

“No.” He chuckled. “I was wondering if you walked here. You look a bit like a Cherri Popsicle.”

That I would like to lick. 

He mentally castigated himself for that one. He lost all common sense around her.

“I did walk here. But I walk everywhere and it’s not be- cause I own the world’s shittiest car. Walking helps me keep my big bottom from spreading into a huge one.”

But I like fat-bottomed girls. 

Colin kept his mouth shut to make sure his inappropriate response didn't come out. An image of her very curvy be- hind shot into his mind and . . . Knock it off! He shook his head and finally looked at the box. “So you’ve brought me a music box.” He studied it for a few moments. It was factory- made, mostly cheap wood. There was nothing spectacular about it except for the intricate pink roses painted on the lid. That alone made the box worth saving.

“Beautiful.” He glanced up at Cherri. “You wouldn't happen to know who painted this? This is some of the best detail work I’ve ever seen.”

She beamed at him, dimples flashing, skin glowing. He gulped. “I painted it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Her eyes lit. “Dorky art major. Remember? My painting skills make up for my lack of beauty and grace.”

“You’re very beautiful, Cherri,” he said without thinking. “I don’t think you realize how exquisite you are.”

“Exquisite?” She laughed that deep throaty laugh of hers, and heat unfurled in his gut. “You must get a lot of ass.”

“What?” Her statement knocked him off guard.

“Ass? Tail? Panties dropping? Any of those ring a bell? I’m saying that you must have a lot of women trying to have sex with you. Probably some men, too.”

The blood rushed out of his brain as soon as the word sex formed on her lips.

Shit.

She was just twenty-two years old. And in the two years he had known her, he had never seen her date. He had never seen her with a guy. She was mature for her age but she had this innocence around her. And yet something about hearing those words come from her mouth made his remaining brain cells malfunction. She was the only woman he had a hard time keeping his cool around. He was more than just attracted to her and he wasn't sure why.

“For fuck’s sake, Cherri, where the hell did that question come from?”

She waved a dismissing hand at him. “Oh, don’t tell me you don’t know. The brogue, the pretty words, not to mention the way you look, all make you deity-like with your sex appeal. You probably don’t have to work hard to get women to drop their drawers.”

No, he never did. Using his hands and getting women to fall into bed were the only things he excelled at. He was like his pop that way. It took running into an ex whose name he couldn't remember to show him that. So many women. So many empty I love yous. It never took away that empty feeling in his chest. He promised himself he wouldn't say those words again unless he meant it.

“But you don’t have to use any of that charm on me. I won’t fall for it. Well . . . Not too hard,” he heard her say when he tuned back into the conversation.

*****************************

Check back Saturday for my review.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Teaser Tuesday: Waking Up Pregnant by Mira Lyn Kelley

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:
"Don't bother. This is going to happen. But because I respect your stunted emotional intimacy boundaries, once I've said my piece we'll have a few minutes of smack talk, just to get back on comfortable ground and then I'm going to give you your space and take off. Most likely taking the blonde bombshell who happens to be our server with me. Deal?"
This week my teaser comes from Waking Up Pregnant by Mira Lyn Kelley. I got this one at NetGalley. I chose it because I haven't read a series romance in years and was curious to see what they were like now.

Here is the description of this March 1 release:
The night that changed everything!

Waitress Darcy Penn is the smart, sensible type—flirting with the extremely cute guy in the bar just isn't her usual style. As for ending up in his hotel room? Definitely not! Sneaking out while he's in the bathroom to avoid the post-sex awkwardness? Much more like it….

If Darcy had stuck around, Jeff Norton could have told her about their "epic latex fail." So he shouldn't be quite so shocked when months later, Darcy turns up at his classy L.A. office and throws up in his wastepaper basket. She's got a bad case of morning sickness, and she's here to find out what he's going to do about it!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb. 24, 2014)

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.

THREE SNOW DAYS! We had Monday, Thursday and Friday off this past week because of snow. We have used up all of our additional snow days and now have school three extra days. Our Easter Break has shrunk to only Good Friday and we have extended our year in such a ways as to have us teachers work on June 9. I enjoyed my days at home and really don't mind about the extra days. I don't usually travel for Easter Break anyway and will have seen my brother the week before when I go to a workshop "Up North."

The weather here at the end of the week was miserable and the roads are still awful. The lesser traveled ones have a thicker layer of ice than the main roads but they all have ice. It has turned cold again so the salt mix isn't working very well to clean it off. The weather guys are saying that it is going to be colder than normal for weeks.

When I heard the blizzard was coming I postponed my medical tests to this week. The forecast says cold - like a high temperature of 0 degrees Fahrenheit - but no snow is predicted for the days of my tests.

Naturally, the snow days have messed up my plans with my classes at work but everything will still work out. I am getting tired of redoing my Google calendar every few days though. I've decided to just do my calendar one week at a time so that I will have less to rearrange in case we have more weather related delays.

Read Last Week

Being unable to leave the house has really helped my reading. Here is what I finished. I read some amazing books.
Nil by Lynne Matson is the story of girl who is mysteriously transported to an island where she encounters other transported teenagers, falls in love, and has to find a way back before 365 days pass or she dies. It is Survivor meets Lord of the Flies with romance. I liked it. You can see my review on March 1.

Eyes Closed Tight by Peter Leonard is a thriller. A retired police detective finds that an old case has followed him to his new life in Florida. My blog tour post will be posted on March 6.
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs is the 8th book in the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series. Like earlier books, it is filled with action and danger. This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series and I was glad that Penguin First to Read let me read an early review copy. My review will be posted on March 5.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a highly anticipated YA fantasy title. I really liked the world the author built and the characters who were very realistic with both strengths and weaknesses. It is the first of a trilogy and I can hardly wait to find out what happens next. My review will be posted on March 6.
Breaking Ties by Jo Grafford is a historical romance that is stronger on the history than the romance. Readers curious about the fate of the Roanoke colony and curious about the hardships the settlers faced on their sea voyage will enjoy this one. My review will be posted on March 8.

Gideon's Spear by Darby Karchut is a middle grade fantasy novel and the second book in a trilogy. I loved the relationship between teenaged Finn and his teacher/mentor Gideon. Kids will love that the story is action-packed and that Finn is such a great character. My review will be posted on March 8.
I also decided to sneak one of my own books in around all the review books I have to read. I just got Concealed in Death by J. D. Robb which is the 38th in her In Death series. This was a quieter, low-key sort of mystery as Eve and Roarke try to identify the twelve young girls whose bones were found in a building he just bought and bring the killer to justice. My review will be posted on March 12.

Currently
I am currently reading Retribution by Anderson Harp. I haven't read much of this chunkster (519 pages) but what I have read reminds me a lot of books by Tom Clancy. I'll be taking part in the blog tour on March 13.

Next Week

With the Olympics over but The Voice starting, I am hoping to find time to read these review books this week. I should have some reading time as I am hanging around Mayo Clinic waiting for my appointments too.
Adult Books
Beneath the Patchwork Moon by Alison Kent is an ebook romance sent by Amazon.

Dash of Peril by Lori Foster is a romantic suspense title I got from NetGalley.
YA Books
Dangerous by Shannon Hale is one of my remaining ALA ARCs. I hope to get a chance to meet the author in March.

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski is one of my latest Amazon Vine picks. It is a March 11 release and I don't actually have the book yet. I'll be watching my mailbox closely for this one. 

Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam is a futuristic story that I got from Edelweiss for review. 

Reviews Posted

What was your week like?

Stacking the Shelves (Feb. 23, 2014)

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.

Only one book followed me home this week but I am very excited to finally have it.

Concealed in Death by J. D. Robb is the 38th book in the In Death series. I ordered my copy on Dec. 13 and had to wait until this week for the book to be released. Here is the description:
The incomparable J. D. Robb presents the latest moving and suspenseful novel in the #1 New York Times–bestselling Eve Dallas series.

In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately—and by the time she’s done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.

The place once housed a makeshift shelter for troubled teenagers, back in the mid-2040s, and Eve tracks down the people who ran it. Between their recollections and the work of the force’s new forensic anthropologist, Eve begins to put names and faces to the remains. They are all young girls. A tattooed tough girl who dealt in illegal drugs. The runaway daughter of a pair of well-to-do doctors. They all had their stories. And they all lost their chance for a better life.

Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary—and the evil concealed in one human heart.
What did you add to your shelf this week?

Saturday, February 22, 2014

ARC Review: A Taste Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle

A Taste Fur Murder
Author: Dixie Lyle
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 25, 2014)

Description: Introducing an animal-loving Gal Friday with a telepathic cat, a shapeshifting dog, and a ghost of a chance of solving supernatural crime…

Meet Deirdre “Foxtrot” Lancaster. Trusted employee of eccentric zillionairess Zelda Zoransky, Foxtrot manages a mansion, a private zoo, and anything else that strikes her boss’s fancy. Her job title is Administrative Assistant, but chaos handler would be more accurate. Especially after she glimpses a giant ghost-beast in Zelda’s pet cemetery. For some strange reason, Foxtrot is seeing animal spirits. And, ready or not, in this mystery from Dixie Lyle, the fur’s about to hit the fan…

A TASTE FUR MURDER

Still reeling, Foxtrot comes home to find her cat Tango—her dead cat Tango—alive and well and communicating telepathically. But that’s not all: There’s an ectoplasmic dog named Tiny who changes breeds with a shake of his tail…and can sniff out a clue like nobody’s business. So when a coworker drops dead while organizing closets, Tiny is on the case. Can Foxtrot and her new companions ferret out the killer among a menagerie of suspects—human and otherwise—before death takes another bite?

My Thoughts: A TASTE FUR MURDER was a fun mystery that introduced an intrepid heroine. Foxtrot Lancaster is an administrative assistant to and extremely wealthy and eccentric woman. Nothing throws Foxtrot. She always keeps her cool. The events of this story will severely test her aplomb.

Foxtrot starts seeing things in the pet cemetery including a huge black elephant who has lightning surrounding her and masses of other deceased pets. She is told that her boss is in danger and that she has to protect her. When a house maid is killed, Foxtrot wonders if she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that the real victim was her boss.

Foxtrot has lots of suspects since her boss is holding one of her house parties with her usual eclectic mix of guests including a rock star, a star gymnast and her trainer, a secretive inventor, and a businessman with a pet monkey. She also has some unexpected assistance in the form of her former cat who has come back to life and who can communicate with her telepathically and an ectoplasmic dog named Tiny who can switch breeds as he wishes.

I loved the byplay between the cat and the dog. Dixie Lyle really knows what they would say if they were in fact telepathic. I also liked the way that Foxtrot interacted with her cat Tango and with Tiny too. This book is clearly the beginning of a new series. I can't wait to read more inventors of this trio.

Favorite Quote:
I was still fretting when I finally fell asleep, and had troubled, murky dreams that involved being chased by hippos and toy helicopters. I couldn't get away because is was wearing these huge shoes made from cast iron that weighed a thousand pounds each, and they were on the wrong feet, and the shoelaces were in a million knots that turned into snakes when I tried to untie them...

I didn't so much wake up as escape.
I got this eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Friday Memes: A Taste Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle

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 A Taste Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle. I got this eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Here is the description of this Feb. 25 release:
Introducing an animal-loving Gal Friday with a telepathic cat, a shapeshifting dog, and a ghost of a chance of solving supernatural crime…

Meet Deirdre “Foxtrot” Lancaster. Trusted employee of eccentric zillionairess Zelda Zoransky, Foxtrot manages a mansion, a private zoo, and anything else that strikes her boss’s fancy. Her job title is Administrative Assistant, but chaos handler would be more accurate. Especially after she glimpses a giant ghost-beast in Zelda’s pet cemetery. For some strange reason, Foxtrot is seeing animal spirits. And, ready or not, in this mystery from Dixie Lyle, the fur’s about to hit the fan…

A TASTE FUR MURDER

Still reeling, Foxtrot comes home to find her cat Tango—her dead cat Tango—alive and well and communicating telepathically. But that’s not all: There’s an ectoplasmic dog named Tiny who changes breeds with a shake of his tail…and can sniff out a clue like nobody’s business. So when a coworker drops dead while organizing closets, Tiny is on the case. Can Foxtrot and her new companions ferret out the killer among a menagerie of suspects—human and otherwise—before death takes another bite?
Beginning:
Ever had a job that threatened to drive you straight into a loony bin?
Friday 56:
I looked down at the tablet in Estevez's hands, but it took me a second to understand what I was seeing. "It's got on onboard camera, too?" 

Thursday, February 20, 2014

ARC Review: Shame on You by Tara Sivec

Shame on You
Author: Tara Sivec
Series: Fool Me Once (Book 1)
Publication: Montlake Romance (February 25, 2014)

Description: War veteran Kennedy O’Brien is in the business of sticking it to the man—or at least any man who tries to cross a woman. After she returned home from Afghanistan and caught her husband in bed with the nanny, Kennedy lost her faith in men and started Fool Me Once Investigations with her two best friends. After all, there’s no better bounty hunter than a woman scorned.

When Kennedy takes a case to slap cuffs on a bail jumper turned dog-napper, she figures it’ll be an easy paycheck. But trouble has a way of finding Kennedy. Enter the last man on the planet she’d willingly choose as a partner: her cheating ex-husband’s best friend, Griffin Crawford.

As gorgeous as he is unwelcome, Griffin has always had a thing for Kennedy, and after keeping quiet about her ex’s cheating, he’ll do anything to earn back her trust. Whether or not she wants to admit it, Kennedy will need help as the case of the Chihuahua thief spirals out of control. Griffin may be just her man—in more ways than one.

My Thoughts: SHAME ON YOU was a fun romance that reminded me a bit of the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich. Kennedy O'Brien is former Army and newly divorced. She found her now ex-husband getting it on with the nanny. She and a couple of girlfriends have formed a detective agency whose goal is to stick it to men who take advantage of women. However, to make ends meet and help out her father, she does some bail bond work.

Her current case for her father has her tracking down a man who has kidnapped a chihuahua. It should be an easy case but thing after thing goes wrong. To add insult to injury, her father saddles her with a partner. Griffin Crawford was her ex-husband's best friend. They have all known each other since they were teenagers. Kennedy thought Griffin was her friend too until she heard him telling her ex to lie to her. 

She and Griffin make a bet to see who can track down the dognapper first. If she loses, she has to go on a date with him. Little does she know that Griffin has been in love with her since they were teens. 

The story was filled with absurd situations and lots of humor. Fans of humorous romances will enjoy this one. 

Favorite Quote:
My dad has many skills. But his best one is his guilt trips. He is as healthy as a horse and the most stubborn human being on the face of the earth. He isn't going to die anytime soon. He'll outlive cockroaches and Twinkies.
I got this eARC from review from Montlake Romance. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

ARC Review: Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

Moth and Spark
Author: Anne Leonard
Publication: Viking Adult (February 20, 2014)

Description: A prince with a quest. A commoner with mysterious powers. And dragons that demand to be freed—at any cost.

Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons from their bondage to the Empire, but dragons aren't big on directions. They have given him some of their power, but none of their knowledge. No one, not the dragons nor their riders, is even sure what keeps the dragons in the Empire’s control. Tam, sensible daughter of a well-respected doctor, had no idea before she arrived in the capital that she is a Seer, gifted with visions. When the two run into each other (quite literally) in the library, sparks fly and Corin impulsively asks Tam to dinner. But it’s not all happily ever after. Never mind that the prince isn’t allowed to marry a commoner: war is coming to Caithen. Torn between Corin’s quest to free the dragons and his duty to his country, the lovers must both figure out how to master their powers in order to save Caithen. With a little help from a village of secret wizards and a rogue dragonrider, they just might pull it off.

My Thoughts: MOTH AND SPARK was amazing high fantasy and a wonderful romance too. Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons who are in the control of his liege lord, the Emperor Hadon. But he also has to save his country, Caithen, from being invaded by the cruel and vicious Tyrekh. This is no time to fall in love, much less fall in love with a woman he would never be able to marry.

Tam Warin is a commoner and the daughter of a well-respected doctor. She is at the court with her brother's wife who is a noble. She is amused at the antics of the court but has no interest in playing the courting games the other young women seem obsessed with. However, strange things begin happening to her when she sees the death of one of the court nobles and recognizes a Tyrekh poison as the cause. That and the visions she had when he died indicate that she might be a Seer.

It takes until page 76 for Corin and Tam to meet. They literally run into each other in the library. But they form a very romantic relationship. Corin is honest about the fact the he will never be able to marry her and Tam weighs that in her consideration to have a romance with him anyway. She is good for him because she doesn't treat him with to much deference and her unique viewpoint helps Corin clarify his own thinking.

The world that the author built was rich with wizards, dragons and an epic war. She also made Tam and Corin into very real people who had strengths and weaknesses and who needed each other to be the best people they could be.

Between rides on dragons, battle scenes and characters having to go into hiding and flee the enemy, the story was filled with action and adventure. The book was fast-paced and filled with wonderful detail. I recommend it to all lovers of fantasy.

Favorite Quote:
Must you do it? Tam had asked. Must was a hard word. He did not believe in destiny or fate. He had the choice. He should do his duty by his country and not go haring off on a fool's quest he would likely fail in for the sake if the dragons. If he did free the dragons, Mycene would fracture and leave Caithen to be even more firmly gripped by Tyrekh. He could not let that happen either. There was nothing to be gained at all by following the path the dragons laid before him.
I got this ARC through the Amazon Vine Program. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Teaser Tuesday: Shame on You by Tara Sivec

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:
"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...come on, why aren't you guys saying this with me?" Paige McCarty complains. She cocks her gorgeous blonde head to the side and stares us down with her big, crystal-blue eyes.
This week my teaser comes from Shame on You by Tara Sivec. I got this eARC from review from Montlake Romance. Here is the description:
War veteran Kennedy O’Brien is in the business of sticking it to the man—or at least any man who tries to cross a woman. After she returned home from Afghanistan and caught her husband in bed with the nanny, Kennedy lost her faith in men and started Fool Me Once Investigations with her two best friends. After all, there’s no better bounty hunter than a woman scorned.

When Kennedy takes a case to slap cuffs on a bail jumper turned dog-napper, she figures it’ll be an easy paycheck. But trouble has a way of finding Kennedy. Enter the last man on the planet she’d willingly choose as a partner: her cheating ex-husband’s best friend, Griffin Crawford.

As gorgeous as he is unwelcome, Griffin has always had a thing for Kennedy, and after keeping quiet about her ex’s cheating, he’ll do anything to earn back her trust. Whether or not she wants to admit it, Kennedy will need help as the case of the Chihuahua thief spirals out of control. Griffin may be just her man—in more ways than one.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb. 17, 2014)

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.

Parent-Teacher Conferences went well last week. I found more reading time than I had anticipated. My colonoscopy prep wasn't as bad as I had been anticipating and the procedure itself was a breeze. With Valentine's Day off (to compensate for working Monday and Tuesday evening) I had some extra reading time.

This coming week looks pretty good too except for needing some more medical tests. We are hoping to get them scheduled for Friday which will be another whole day spent at the Mayo Clinic. I talked to my doctor on Saturday who said the colonoscopy results were fine but that there were a couple more things she wanted to check. The combination of getting older and Crohn's Disease isn't much fun!

We got four inches of snow Saturday which was pretty -- since I didn't have to drive anywhere. They are predicting more "significant" snow for Sunday night into Monday morning which could make the commute a real pain. I'm sort of hoping for a two-hour late start but really don't want another snow day. Any additional snow days have to be made up. The first day we'll lose comes off our Easter Break. 

Read Last Week
A Taste Fur Murder by Dixie Lyle was a fun paranormal mystery with interesting, quirky characters. My review for this one will be posted on Feb. 22.

Unforgotten by Jessica Brody is a YA science fiction story with time travel. It is a sequel and middle book in a trilogy. It was exciting and action-packed. I enjoyed it. My review will be posted on Feb. 22.
Waking Up Pregnant by Mira Lyn Kelly was a fun romance. It had been a while since I read a Harlequin and I enjoyed the return visit. My review will be posted on Feb. 27.

The Blood Guard by Carter Roy is the first in a new middle grade paranormal series. It was filled with action, adventure, humor and heart. My review will be posted on Feb. 27.

Thrown for a Curve by Sugar Jamison was another romance. It had more depth - and angst - than a Harlequin but was still a quick, comforting read. My review will be posted on March 1.

Currently
I am currently reading Nil by Lynne Matson. This science fiction story is about teens who are mysteriously transported to an island who have 365 days to get off or die. There is also a romance. 

Next Week

I have all review books on my stack for next week.
Eyes Closed Tight by Peter Leonard is a thriller that I received for a Blog Tour. 

I am most excited for Night Broken by Patricia Briggs. There might have been some happy dancing when I found out I was chosen to receive the eARC from Penguin's First to Read. 
Gideon's Spear by Darby Karchut has made my review stack for this coming week. It was released on Feb. 4. I got an autographed copy from the author to review and donate to my HS Media Center.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski is also on the stack for this week. I was so pleased when I got the print ARC in a lovely slipcase a while ago. I usually don't keep ARCs after I read them but will be making an exception for this one.

Reviews Posted

What do you have planned for the week?

Stacking the Shelves (Feb. 16, 2014)

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.

Here is what I got this week:
True Spies by Shana Galen was a Kindle Daily Deal that sounded like a fun romance.
Confessing to the Cowboy by Carla Cassidy was also a Kindle Daily Deal. It sounded like a nice romantic suspense title. Since it was in a series, I wanted to see if the rest were on sale. I couldn't find any that seemed to be in the same series but Cowboy With a Cause was free and also sounded good.

Review Books:
I received a finished copy of Retribution by Anderson Harp this week. I had previously received the ARC and am on the blog tour on March 13.

I also got a finished hardcover of Red Devil 4 by Eric C. Leuthardt and a blog tour badge. To the best of my knowledge, I am not scheduled to be on the tour but might hear something soon that will put me there.

What did you add to your stack this week? 

Saturday, February 15, 2014

ARC Review: Runner by Patrick Lee

Runner
Author: Patrick Lee
Series: A Sam Dryden Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 18, 2014)

Description: Sam Dryden, retired special forces, lives a quiet life in a small town on the coast of Southern California. While out on a run in the middle of the night, a young girl runs into him on the seaside boardwalk. Barefoot and terrified, she’s running from a group of heavily armed men with one clear goal—to kill the fleeing child. After Dryden helps her evade her pursuers, he learns that the eleven year old, for as long as she can remember, has been kept in a secret prison by forces within the government. But she doesn't know much beyond her own name, Rachel. She only remembers the past two months of her life—and that she has a skill that makes her very dangerous to these men and the hidden men in charge.

Dryden, who lost his wife and young daughter in an accident five years ago, agrees to help her try to unravel her own past and make sense of it, to protect her from the people who are moving heaven and earth to find them both. Although Dryden is only one man, he’s a man with the extraordinary skills and experience—as a Ranger, a Delta, and five years doing off-the-book black ops with an elite team. But, as he slowly begins to discover, the highly trained paramilitary forces on their heels is the only part of the danger they must face. Will Rachel’s own unremembered past be the most deadly of them all?

My Thoughts: RUNNER was a fast-paced, action-packed thriller with characters I really cared about. It begins when Sam Dryden is out running one night and young girl crashes into him and asks him for help. Sam has been checked out of life since his wife and daughter died in an accident, Rachel's problem is just what he needs to wake him up. Rachel is about twelve and on the run from some seriously scary dudes who really want her dead.

Rachel is the survivor of some experiments by defense contractors who were trying to create a new sort of weapon or spy. They have learned how to block the part of DNA that keeps people from reading minds. However, since the experiments were done on Rachel's mother while she was pregnant, the results in Rachel are quite different. Rachel, however, doesn't know this because the people who held her captive drugged her to interrogate her which caused memory loss. Now, the people who held her captive really want her dead.

Sam Dryden is a former Army Ranger who also spent time doing black ops for the government. He has mad survival skills and a strong need to protect Rachel. They have lots of close calls as they try to wait out the time until Rachel's memory comes back.

I really enjoyed this thriller. I am eager to read other Sam Dryden adventures.

Favorite Quote:
She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. Felt the pressure against her eyeballs. Saw little pops and flashes of light in the black. She'd found long ago that this helped her deal with the other feeling—the sense that regret could be a physical thing. That it could stand behind you with its hand on your back, and that sometimes it could reach inside you and clutch your heart in its grip.
I got this eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Friday Memes: Runner by Patrick Lee

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 Runner by Patrick Lee. I have an eARC of this thriller for review. It will be released on Feb. 18. Here is the description:
Sam Dryden, retired special forces, lives a quiet life in a small town on the coast of Southern California. While out on a run in the middle of the night, a young girl runs into him on the seaside boardwalk. Barefoot and terrified, she’s running from a group of heavily armed men with one clear goal—to kill the fleeing child. After Dryden helps her evade her pursuers, he learns that the eleven year old, for as long as she can remember, has been kept in a secret prison by forces within the government. But she doesn’t know much beyond her own name, Rachel. She only remembers the past two months of her life—and that she has a skill that makes her very dangerous to these men and the hidden men in charge.

Dryden, who lost his wife and young daughter in an accident five years ago, agrees to help her try to unravel her own past and make sense of it, to protect her from the people who are moving heaven and earth to find them both. Although Dryden is only one man, he’s a man with the extraordinary skills and experience—as a Ranger, a Delta, and five years doing off-the-book black ops with an elite team. But, as he slowly begins to discover, the highly trained paramilitary forces on their heels is the only part of the danger they must face. Will Rachel’s own unremembered past be the most deadly of them all?
Beginning:
Just after three in the morning, Sam Dryden surrendered the night to insomnia and went running on the boardwalk.
Friday 56:
"The chill comes from me," she said. "Whatever it is my brain does, that's what it feels like to the other person." The way she said it -- quiet and vulnerable, apologetic -- Dryden could almost read her thoughts. Don't think I'm a freak. Don't abandon me. Please.