It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 30, 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.

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I had a great time at the Fierce Reads event on Sunday night. Except, my camera didn't work. One of my rechargeable batteries must have stopped taking charges. The only pictures I have are from my friend's cell phone. It was great to meet four authors who have written books I enjoyed. The drive down was not as pleasant. The traffic on I-35 on Sunday afternoon was pretty bad. The sudden intense rain showers didn't help either.

After the event, I drove the rest of the way to my home in Eyota for the night. I had a couple of errands to do there before I came back to Duluth on Monday. My brother and I went out to dinner Monday evening when I got home. There wasn't a lot of reading time either Sunday or Monday.

Duluth's cold and rainy weather did make for great reading time once I got back. I decided to skip the books I planned to read last week and choose some others from my TBR mountains. 

I realized that I was skipping July. I have blog posts scheduled so far ahead that I was beginning to work on books whose reviews would not be showing up until August. I have a regular pattern on both blogs. I do a Teaser Tuesday and then review the book on Thursday and I do Book Beginnings and Friday 56 on Friday and review the book on Saturday. That means that most weeks during the school year my YA blog - Ms. Martin Teaches Media - goes post-less on Mondays and Wednesdays and my adult blog - this one - is post-less on Wednesdays. I decided to read some more books from the TBR mountains to post reviews on Wednesdays during the summer months.

This coming week's reading will all be those Wednesday books. I'll be travelling next week - gone from Saturday morning until Thursday afternoon - and I don't know how much, if any, reading time I will have. When I return, I will probably actually be reading stuff that won't show up until August.

My plans right now are to skip this meme and the Stacking the Shelves memes next weekend and do doubles on the 13th and the 14th.

Read Last Week

From My Review Stack

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre - She begins a new contemporary fantasy trilogy with this book. I really liked it and can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy. My review will be posted on August 2.

True Love by Jude Deveraux was waiting for me when I went home to Eyota. I had won a copy from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. I hadn't read anything by Jude Deveraux for years and now I'm wondering what other excellent stories I have been missing. I love the characters, setting, and the ghost. My review will be posted on July 2.

Frostborn by Lou Anders is the beginning a new middle grade fantasy. I think middle graders will enjoy the adventure and like the characters in this story. My review will be posted on July 31.

Invincible by Diana Palmer is a typical Palmer romance. You either like her writing or you don't. I don't think there is really a middle ground. I do enjoy these romantic suspense stories every once in a while. My review will be posted on July 23.

From TBR Mountain

Howl for It by Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden consisted of two paranormal romance novellas. It had been sitting on TBR mountain since Aug. 29, 2012. Both novellas were showcases for the author's style and both were enjoyable stories. My review will be posted on July 9.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo is the final book in the Grisha Trilogy. I got my autographed copy when I attended the Fierce Read event last Sunday night. I couldn't wait to read it and was very satisfied with the way the author finished this story. My review will be posted on July 2.

I read Changeling by Philippa Gregory. It had been sitting on TBR mountain since September 19, 2012. It was an interesting historical fiction title that really showed the world view of people who lived in 1453. It is the first of a quartet. It sort of reminded me of The Canterbury Tales but only in that it was episodic and had a diverse cast of characters. I did buy copies of the next two books in the series from Amazon Marketplace for about $5 each for the hardcovers. My review will be posted on July 16.

Silence by Michelle Sagara is her first YA book. I enjoyed this contemporary fantasy. I liked the characters and the lush and lyrical prose. There is a sequel but I am resisting adding it to my TBR mountain since there aren't any cheap hardcovers at Amazon Marketplace. The paperback will come out January 2015. My review will be posted on July 9.

Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones had been sitting on my TBR mountain since Dec. 18, 2012. I enjoyed this story mostly because I enjoyed the main character's viewpoint. She was a great mix of snarky and smart. I'm not a big fan of stories with angels but this one was pretty good. My review will be posted on July 23. 

Currently

For All Time by Jude Deveraux is an Amazon Vine review book. Since the book will be released on July 1, it is my plan to read it as soon as I finish Hammered. I won't be reviewing it until July 16 though. My calendar has a post scheduled for every day until then.

I am also reading Hammered by Kevin Hearne because I want to stay ahead of my brother. He came looking for this book yesterday but I hadn't finished it yet. He didn't really need it; he had just started book 2. 

Next Week

Check out this link to see how I am doing with the books I brought home for the summer. These are from that list.

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (Added to the stack on 10/5/2010)

The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen (Added to the stack on 2/3/2014)

Mercy Burns by Keri Arthur (Added to the stack on 4/21/2011)

 Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur (Added to the stack on 9/27/2011)

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (Added to the stack on 1/2/2013)

 Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan (Added to the stack on 9/25/2013)

The Essence by Kimbely Derting (Added to the stack on 1/3/2013)

Steel by Carrie Vaughn (Added to the stack on 3/5/2011)

Reviews Posted

• The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
• On the Fence by Kasie West
• The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy
• Skin Game by Jim Butcher
• Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton

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

• Inside of a Dog
• Ms. Martin Teaches Media

Stacking the Shelves (June 29, 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.

Despite the fact that I am trying to lower both my TBR Mountain and my stack of Review Books, these are the books I couldn't resist this week.

Bought

The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg - I read The Heist from my TBR Mountain and decided that I really wanted to read the sequel. 

Merciless by Lori Armstrong - I read Mercy Kills from my TBR Mountain and decided that I wanted to read the rest of the books in this series too. This is book 3. I'm still waiting for book 1.

Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue with His Century Vol 1 by William H. Patterson, Jr. - Robert A. Heinlein's books are most likely the cause of my love of science fiction. I wanted to know more about the man. I wasn't, however, expecting a book of this length or depth. I may just dip in for bits rather than read the whole thing. 

Night Falls Like Silk by Kathleen Eagle - This was a Kindle Daily Deal and, since I haven't read this author's romances for years, I decided to add this to my stack. 

Review Books

True Love by Jude Deveraux - I got this one this week and read it immediately. I liked this romance very much for its great characters, fascinating setting, and ghost. 

Invincible by Diana Palmer - Since it has been a while since I read a book by this author, I decided to read it when I saw it was offered at NetGalley. It was very typical for this author. It was okay but not the something I need to own or ever read again.

For All Time by Jude Deveraux - This is the second book in the Nantucket Brides trilogy. I loved the first one and can't wait to read this one. It will be released on July 1; so I'll be reading it soon.

No Limits by Lori Foster - This book begins a new series for her. However, it stars a character from an earlier series that I really wanted a book about. I am on the blog tour and posting a review on Sept. 11.

I think this must be the week for revisiting authors I haven't read in a while. When I saw Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs as an Amazon Vine pick, I decided that it had been too long since I read a story about Temperance Brennan. This book will be released on Sept. 23.

Finally, Amazon Vine offered ARCs of Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews. I might have done a little happy dance in my living room when I saw it. I can't wait to read this beginning to a new series by a couple of my favorite authors. The book will be released on Oct. 26.

That's it for me. What did you add to your stack this week?

ARC Review: Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton

Straddling the Line
Author: Jaci Burton
Series: A Play-by-Play Novel (Book 8)
Publication: Berkley Trade (July 1, 2014)

Description: Trevor Shay has it all—a successful football and baseball career, and any woman he wants. But when he finds out his college mentor’s daughter is in trouble, he drops everything to come to her aid.

Haven Briscoe has finally landed a dream job as a sportscaster for a major network. But she hasn’t been able to move past the recent death of her beloved father, and it’s affecting her career. A plum assignment following the daily life of sports superstar Trevor Shay might be just the inspiration she needs…

Trevor will do anything to spark life back into Haven, including letting her into every aspect of his world. The chemistry between them flames higher than one of Trevor’s home runs and faster than his dashes to the end zone. But as they grow closer, Haven stumbles onto Trevor’s closely guarded secret, one he’s hidden his entire life. And despite his protests, now it’s Haven’s turn to put everything on hold to help Trevor. Will he let her in and trust her with a secret that could blow his professional and personal world apart?

My Thoughts: STRADDLING THE LINE was a nicely spicy sports romance featuring Haven Briscoe and Trevor Shay. They have known each other since college. Haven's dad and mom were the house parents to a house full of athletes. Trevor was one of them. Haven had a massive crush on Trevor but he didn't even notice. He was too busy being charming, skating around his schoolwork and developing his skills in baseball and football.

When Trevor gets a call from Haven's mother saying that Haven isn't doing well after the death of her father, Trevor decides that he will do anything to help. He knows how much Bill Briscoe loved his daughter and he feels that he owes Bill a big debt for all his help when he was in college. Since Haven is now a sports reporter, Trevor arranges things so that she can be the one to do the long sought in-depth interview on two sport athlete Trevor.

Haven isn't sure she wants the job. She is bogged down in grief and is ready to throw her career away to got back to Oklahoma to be with her mom. Also, she isn't sure she wants to be around the guy she had such a crush on. She decides to give the whole interview and career thing a try.

When they meet again, sparks fly. Trevor is seeing Haven in a whole new way. But Trevor has a long-held secret and he is willing to do almost anything to keep it, even give up the possible love of his life. Now, I'll admit that I saw the secret coming from a long way off. But I still enjoyed and believed Trevor's reactions to it and to sharing it with anyone.

Fans of sports romances and lovers of hot athletes won't want to miss this latest entry into the Play by Play series. It was good seeing some of the characters from the earlier books in the series making their appearances in this one too.

Favorite Quote:

"Why me? You could have gotten one of the more seasoned sportscasters to do this feature story on your career. You had to know I was just getting started with the network."

"Because you know me. And because I trust you not to f**k this up."

She laughed. "Are you sure about that? You heard the part about me saying this was new, right?"

I won the right to read this ARC from Penguin's First to Read program. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton

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 Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton. This is the eighth book in her sports romance series. I won this early review copy from Penguin's First to Read program. Here is the description of this July 1 release:

Trevor Shay has it all—a successful football and baseball career, and any woman he wants. But when he finds out his college mentor’s daughter is in trouble, he drops everything to come to her aid.

Haven Briscoe has finally landed a dream job as a sportscaster for a major network. But she hasn’t been able to move past the recent death of her beloved father, and it’s affecting her career. A plum assignment following the daily life of sports superstar Trevor Shay might be just the inspiration she needs…

Trevor will do anything to spark life back into Haven, including letting her into every aspect of his world. The chemistry between them flames higher than one of Trevor’s home runs and faster than his dashes to the end zone. But as they grow closer, Haven stumbles onto Trevor’s closely guarded secret, one he’s hidden his entire life. And despite his protests, now it’s Haven’s turn to put everything on hold to help Trevor. Will he let her in and trust her with a secret that could blow his professional and personal world apart?

Beginning:

"Haven's in trouble."

Friday 56:

"Have you worked with Trevor before in therapy?"

"I have, though mostly for general conditioning. He's like...bionic or something. The guy has never been hurt."

Book Review: Skin Game by Jim Butcher

Skin Game
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: Dresden Files (Book 15)
Publication: Roc Hardcover; First Edition edition (May 27, 2014)

Description: Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day…

Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.

He doesn’t know the half of it…

Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town, so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.

It's a smash and grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he's dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.

Dresden's always been tricky, but he's going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance…

My Thoughts: This fifteenth book in the Dresden Files series was an exciting thrill ride as Harry has to out-think and be twistier than some very twisty characters. It is a chance for him to reconnect with old friends and see how their lives have changed while he was spending time on Demonreach.

Mab has lent Harry out to an old enemy of his. Together with other assorted untrustworthy characters, they are going to attempt to enter one of Hades' vaults in the Underworld and steal the Holy Grail from him. Harry demands backup that he can trust and first has Karrin Murphy which gives us a chance to look at the state of their relationship. After Karrin is hurt, Harry calls Michael Carpenter out of retirement to be his backup.

Along with the action and adventure, we see Harry learning more about his relationship with his daughter Maggie and learning more about what it means to be a parent.

This isn't a book for newcomers to the series because many characters from earlier books - both friends and enemies - have roles in this story. The back stories are essential to understanding what is happening. For those of us who are already fans, the story was a great chance to catch up with Harry.

Favorite Quote:

"That...that man just tried to kill you."

"No," I said. "He just tried to kill you. Seriously, dude, what part of come with me if you want to live did you not understand?"

This author is on my auto-buy list. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy

The Mark of the Tala
Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Series: The Twelve Kingdoms (Book 1)
Publication: Kensington (May 27, 2014)

Description: The tales tell of three sisters, daughters of the high king. The eldest, a valiant warrior-woman, heir to the kingdom. The youngest, the sweet beauty with her Prince Charming. No one says much about the middle princess, Andromeda. Andi, the other one.

Andi doesn't mind being invisible. She enjoys the company of her horse more than court, and she has a way of blending into the shadows. Until the day she meets a strange man riding, who keeps company with wolves and ravens, who rules a land of shapeshifters and demons. A country she'd thought was no more than legend--until he claims her as its queen.

In a moment everything changes: Her father, the wise king, becomes a warlord, suspicious and strategic. Whispers call her dead mother a traitor and a witch. Andi doesn't know if her own instincts can be trusted, as visions appear to her and her body begins to rebel.

For Andi, the time to learn her true nature has come. . .

My Thoughts: This beginning story in a new fantasy series begins as a traditional fairy tale because it is the story of three daughters of the High King. This is the story of the forgotten middle daughter. Princess Andromeda isn't the smart, political one. Nor is the the charming and beautiful youngest. She much prefers riding her horse to any other activity. Her mother died giving birth to her youngest sister when Andi was five. Since then she had been trying to gain the approval of her distant father.

When she meets a young man in the woods, her life changes. Andi learns that her mother was one of the mysterious Tala and that her father broke his oath to send one of his daughters back to the Tala. Rayfe is the King of the Tala and needs to convince Andi to return to their land with him. Andi is torn between her loyalty to her sisters and her country and her growing love for Rayfe.

This is a story of a young woman learning secrets that have been withheld from her and learning that she can be something other than the invisible middle sister. I enjoyed the magic in the story and look forward to reading more.

Favorite Quote:

"Why doesn't anyone else know about this tunnel?"

"I imagine someone did, once. It's right here." She traced the route with her fingertips.

"And it's been sitting here in storage."

She raised her eyebrows, giving me a pointed look. "This is why it's perilous to ignore a librarian."

I borrowed this book from a friend. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: Skin Game by Jim Butcher

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 didn't let myself shudder. She would have seen it as weakness, and that isn't a wise thing to show any faerie. I just exhaled and looked away from those cold, endless eyes.

This week my teaser comes from Skin Game by Jim Butcher which is the fifteenth book in the Dresden Files series.  Here is the description:

Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day…

Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.

He doesn’t know the half of it…

Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town, so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.

It's a smash and grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he's dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.

Dresden's always been tricky, but he's going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance…

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 23, 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.
Our cool and rainy weather has allowed for lots of reading time this week. I am settling into vacation mode and really enjoying my time off.
My goal of lowering my TBR mountain is suffering some setbacks though. I have read a number of books that were entertaining enough that I had to go to Amazon to buy the sequels. I put an asterisk in front of the titles that demanded that I buy sequels.

Read Last Week
Almost everything I read this week was from my TBR mountains.

Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh was an anthology containing four novellas. I am not a big fan of novellas which is why this book has been on my stack since Feb. 29, 2012. It did have nice romances. My review will be posted on July 17.

Starglass by Phoebe North had also been on my stack for a while. I got this science fiction story Dec. 9, 2013. I enjoyed it. I have not yet allowed myself to buy the sequel but I did add it to my wishlist. My review will be posted on July 17.

I read Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. While the characters were interesting, I don't think I would have bought Anna and the French Kiss if I had read this one first. I read Anna and then decided I had to have this one. My review will be posted on July 19.

I read *Hexed by Kevin Hearne and really enjoyed this second book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the next four books in the series. My review of Hexed will also be posted on July 19.

I read *Mercy Kill by Lori Armstrong and thought the characters were great, the setting was wonderful, and the mystery was compelling. This is another case where I just bought the other two books in the series after reading this one. My review will be posted on July 24.

I read The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett. I enjoyed this story of a girl with an unusual paranormal talent attending a boarding school for paranormals and solving a mystery. There is a sequel but it is on my wishlist. So far I've been able to resist hitting the one-click button. My review will be posted on July 24. 

I switched gears back to review books to read two that are being released on July 29.

Cast in Flame by Michelle Sagara is a fantasy book and one in the Chronicles of Elantra series. I really enjoyed this eARC that I got from NetGalley. My review will be posted on July 26.

I got this Shipwreck Island by S. A. Bodeen from Macmillan. This middle grade adventure story begins a trilogy. It is great at introducing the characters and setting up the story. However, it ends on a major cliffhanger. My review will be posted on July 26.

I pulled *The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg from my stack this week. This starts a new series for Evanovich but she hasn't lost the silliness and snappy one-liners of the Stephanie Plum series. This series pairs FBI Agent Kate O'Hare and con man Nick Fox as they go after criminals the FBI can't touch and use elaborate cons to get their man. My review will be posted on July 31.

Currently

I grabbed Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre from my review stack. I got this ARC from Macmillan. The book will be released on August 5. I have barely begun but, so far, suicidal Edie makes a deal with the devil of the "three wishes in return for three favors" variety and is determined to get revenge on the people whose torment made her suicidal in the first place.

Next Week
Here is what I have tentatively chosen to read next week. This summer books are subject to change if I get a better idea.

The Professionals by Owen Laukkanen (Mystery added to the stack on Feb. 3, 2014)

Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (Mystery added to the stack on Oct. 5, 2010)

Melting the Ice by Jaci Burton (Romance added to the stack on March 3, 2014)

Frostborn by Lou Anders (Review book added to the stack on May 17, 2014. It's an August 5 release.)

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill (Fantasy? added to the stack on Jan. 2, 2013)

Untold by Sarah Reese Brennan (Contemporary Paranormal added to the stack on Sept. 25, 2013)

Want to See What I Added to My Stacks This Week?

Come see what I got at Inside of a Dog and Ms. Martin Teaches Media.

I am writing this post on Sunday morning because I am so excited to be taking off at noon to attend the Fierce Reads event at The Red Balloon Bookshop this evening. I can't wait to meet YA authors Leigh Bardugo, Emmy Laybourne, Ava Dellaira, and Jennifer Matthieu. I have read all of their books in ARC form except the latest and final in Leigh Bardugo's trilogy. There were no ARCs for that one. I'll probably be throwing it in as an extra book to read this coming week.

I'll be buying finished and autographed copies of all the books to add to my High School Media Center collection. I'll also be taking pictures and getting autographs for my Author Memory Book.

What do you have planned for the coming week?

Stacking the Shelves (June 22, 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.

I am not doing very well with my goal of lowering the height of my TBR mountain this summer because a number of the books I'm reading have sequels that I just have to read or are parts of series. I am a completist and want to read all of a series or all books by an author if I enjoy a book. Therefore, this is what I added to my stack this week.

I finally read Hounded by Kevin Hearne after it spent a few years on my TBR mountain. I really enjoyed it. Hexed and Hammered were already on the mountain but I had to add Tricked, Trapped, and Hunted to my physical stack (because I'll be sharing them with my technophobic brother.) Taking three books off the stack and adding four doesn't really help me meet my goal of lowering TBR mountain though.

I bought Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn when it was a Kindle Daily Deal. I have two other books in the series on my TBR mountain already. This is book two in the series and books one and three are the ones I already have. 

I also bought Shattered by Kevin Hearne for my Kindle. My brother can wait for the paperback release but I wanted to be able to read the book sooner.

I also added two review books to my stack. Cast in Flame by Michelle Sagara is the eleventh book in the Chronicles of Elantra series. I have read them all and couldn't wait to read this July 29 release. 

I also got Visions by Kelley Armstrong from Penguin's First to Read program. I read the first book in the Cainsville series and enjoyed it. This is the second book. It will be released on August 14.

What did you add to your stack this week?

Book Review: The Collector by Nora Roberts

The Collector
Author: Nora Roberts
Publication: Putnam Adult; First Edition first Printing edition (April 15, 2014)

Description: From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a novel of a woman who needs nothing, a man who sees everything, and the web of deceit, greed, and danger that brings them together—and could tear them apart . . .

When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. . . .

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn't capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . .

My Thoughts: THE COLLECTOR was an excellent, heart-pounding romantic suspense title. House-sitter and YA author Lila Emerson has a habit of watching people and telling herself stories about their lives. One evening, while watching the apartment building across the street, she witnesses a murder. Being a good citizen, she calls the police and reports what she saw and tells what she has seen in that window in the past.

She didn't see the killer but she tells the police all about the man she has seen in the window in the past. That man is the brother of Ashton Archer. The brother is also found dead in the apartment. Ash is sure that his brother didn't harm his girlfriend and recruits Lila to help him prove it.

Ash is an artist who is also part of a very wealthy and powerful family. He is the one the family turns to when a problem needs solving. He is decisive and managing which rubs wrong against Lila who is used to be the one doing the managing in her own independent, gypsy lifestyle.

The story works its way into the world of art and those who collect it. Ash's brother got his hands on a Faberge egg and got himself killed for it. Now, Ash has the egg and is determined to find and punish the ones who killed his brother. Meanwhile, the collector and his henchwoman assassin are trying to find the egg too and are more than willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.

The relationship between Ash and Lila is one of two independent adults forging a relationship through compromise. Ash, being decisive, is the first to know that Lila is the woman he wants for life. Lila is less willing to jump into a relationship. She is more the type who wants a plan and a guarantee. Both characters are wonderfully drawn and likable people. Both also have best friends who happen to have been married to each other in the past and who are now forging their own relationship.

I loved this combination of romance and suspense. Nora Roberts has another hit!

Favorite Quote:

"Fictional people are people, too, otherwise why would we care what happens to them?"

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

Friday Memes: The Collector by Nora Roberts

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 The Collector by Nora Roberts. This one has been on my TBR pile for a while. Here is the description:

From #1 New York Times-bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a novel of a woman who needs nothing, a man who sees everything, and the web of deceit, greed, and danger that brings them together—and could tear them apart . . .

When professional house-sitter Lila Emerson witnesses a murder/suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as she knows it takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, the woman with no permanent ties finds herself almost wishing for one. . . .

Artist Ashton Archer knows his brother isn’t capable of violence—against himself or others. He recruits Lila, the only eyewitness, to help him uncover what happened. Ash longs to paint her as intensely as he hungers to touch her. But their investigation draws them into a rarified circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession. . .

Beginning:

She thought they'd never leave. Clients, especially new ones, tended to fuss and delay, revolving on the same loop of instructions, contacts, comments before finally heading out the door.

Friday 56:

She wondered if it would be slightly less awkward if he was pudgy and bald or twenty years older. Or anything that didn't hit every single one of her yum buttons.