Friday Memes: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison

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 book from my TBR mountain. I chose Coveted by Shawntelle Madison both because it is about werewolves and because I have the sequel next on my review stack. Here is the description:

SOMETIMES WHAT YOU COVET IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP. 

For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she's stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures. Restless and recovering from her split with gorgeous ex-boyfriend, Thorn, Nat finds comfort in an unusual place: her obsessively collected stash of holiday trinkets. But complications pile up faster than her ornaments when Thorn returns home--and the two discover that the spark between them remains intense. 

Before Nat can sort out their relationship, she must face a more immediate and dangerous problem. Her pack is under attack from the savage Long Island werewolves--and Nat is their first target in a turf war. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and it's enough to give anybody a panic attack. With the stakes as high as the full moon, Nat must summon all of her strength to save her pack and, ultimately, herself.

Beginning:

Werewolves in no shape or form should own a fast food restaurant.

Friday 56:

I glanced at the conveyor belt. Somehow two candy bars had replace the box of condoms. My brother wasn't that dumb.

ARC Review: Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones

Running Wild: The Men From Battle Ridge
Author(s): Linda Howard and Linda Jones
Publication: Ballantine Books (November 27, 2012)

Description: In book 1 of this steamy new contemporary Western romance series by two blockbuster authors, a cowboy and a woman on the run take a stand and fight for love.
 
Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyoming, a small town in the middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she’s made her first mistake. Rugged, sexy, and too distracting for his own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon things are getting way too hot in the kitchen.
 
Zeke doesn’t challenge Carlin’s terms: cash, dead bolts, and no questions. It is easy to see that she’s a woman in trouble. Problem is, he’s so blindsided by his attraction to her he can’t think straight. Zeke tries to stay all business, no complications—but that game plan is sabotaged the second Carlin gets under his skin. And when her terrifying past follows her to the ranch, Carlin faces a heartbreaking choice: run away from the man she loves, or put him in the crosshairs of a madman.

My Thoughts: Carlin is on the run. After two dates with a guy named Brad, he developed an obsession with her - sneaking into her apartment, following her, making harassing phone calls. When she reported him, she was blown off. He was a local boy and a cop and had made sure no one saw the two of them together. First Carlin runs to Dallas. However, Brad followed her and killed a woman he thought was her because she had lent her friend her raincoat. 

Now Carlin in trying to live off the grid. She is travelling from town to town to try to get away from Brad. She comes into a small Wyoming town only intending to stop for something to eat and then to move on but she finds a job and and friend Kat. Kat has a cousin who is a rancher who needs a housekeeper but hasn't been able to find one.

Carlin thinks Zeke is hot but also really grumpy. She is torn between taking the job and moving on. She decides that an isolated ranch wouldn't be a bad spot to be for the winter. Zeke will pay her in cash and let her build up a nest egg for the next time she has to run. Both are convinced that the job is just temporary and neither one is looking for a relationship. 

However, as they get to know each other, they come to love each other. But it isn't until the truck she is riding in almost slides off the edge of a mountain in an ice storm the Carlin decides to begin a physical relationship with Zeke. The love scenes are hot and it is easy to see that they are falling in love with each other. But the stalker hasn't forgotten about Carlin.

This one has danger, romance and hot cowboys along with a seriously creepy stalker. Fans of romantic suspense will love it.

Favorite Quote:

"This isn't exactly New York City, you know," he said, sounding more than a little grumpy.

"My bad. And here I was all set on going to a Broadway show on my half-day off," she responded calmly, without turning to look at him. "I guess I'll just have to use my opera glasses to spy on cows."

Zeke started to grin, caught himself, and growled, just a little. He didn't want or need to be entertained by her, but damn, it was hard to resist. The thing was, unless he was wrong about her, she wanted him to get grumpy at her verbal jabs. "They don't dance much, and they never sing. I hope you didn't have your heart set on a musical."

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

WoW:Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where we can post our links and see what books others are waiting for. It spotlights upcoming releases.

While browsing Amazon for upcoming releases, I spotted Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden which will be released on Nov. 27. I will admit being drawn to the cover first. But this description didn't hurt:

As a fallen Angel of Death, Azrael is cursed to walk the earth alone in search of redemption. One night, as he wanders the streets of New Orleans, he discovers a woman surrounded by panther shifters. No longer able to contain the anger simmering within, Az summons his dark powers and attacks, determined to protect this innocent human from certain death. Only Jade Pierce is no delicate flower. She's spent years learning to survive and fight the evil forces sent by her ex-lover who refuses to let her go. But after seeing Az in action, she figures she could use a little supernatural help. And so she plans a course of seduction guaranteed to arouse his interest and his angelic passions...

Can't wait to read it!

Teaser Tuesday: Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones

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!

This week my teaser comes from Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones. I received this eARC from NetGalley. I chose it on the strength of Linda Howard's name. I really enjoyed her contemporary romances when I used to read them. I was eager to see what she was writing now.
Here is the description:

In book 1 of this steamy new contemporary Western romance series by two blockbuster authors, a cowboy and a woman on the run take a stand and fight for love. 

Carlin Reed lives in fear, off the grid, moving from place to place. So Battle Ridge, Wyoming, a small town in the middle of nowhere, seems like a good place to lie low for a while. But after becoming cook and housekeeper to cattle rancher Zeke Decker, Carlin suspects that she’s made her first mistake. Rugged, sexy, and too distracting for his own good, Zeke is pure temptation mixed with something deep and primal that makes Carlin feel almost safe. Soon things are getting way too hot in the kitchen.

Zeke doesn’t challenge Carlin’s terms: cash, dead bolts, and no questions. It is easy to see that she’s a woman in trouble. Problem is, he’s so blindsided by his attraction to her he can’t think straight. Zeke tries to stay all business, no complications—but that game plan is sabotaged the second Carlin gets under his skin. And when her terrifying past follows her to the ranch, Carlin faces a heartbreaking choice: run away from the man she loves, or put him in the crosshairs of a madman.

The cover was also a draw. ;-)

Teaser:

"It'll do," she said, her tone definite. Luxurious? No. But the spare quarters met all her needs, and even without the private bath it was far superior to sleeping in the Subaru, which she'd done more than once, and didn't like. 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (Nov. 19, 2012)

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.

I had a good reading week this past week. I finished five books. All of them were from my November review book stack.

Dangerous Waters by Toni Anderson was an excellent romantic suspense title. I liked it so much that I went to Amazon and added two more of her romantic suspense titles to my Kindle. My review is here.

Running Wild by Linda Howard and Linda Jones was a romance with some suspense. It was pretty typical for the genre but I did enjoy the byplay between the two main characters. Both characters were well-rounded people and their romance felt realistic. My review will be posted on Nov. 22.

Vlad All Over by Beth Orsoff was a Chick Lit sort of romance. Both main characters had strengths and flaws that made the result something other than the usual HEA that I like in a romance. I was interested to see that the story will continue in a second book. I will be looking for it. My review is here.

Griffin's Storm by Darby Karchut was an excellent third book in a series. I recommend this one highly. It had  adventure, danger, friendship, and some romance. It would make a good gift for the middle grader or younger YA reader in your life. My review will be posted on Nov. 22. 

Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman was a contemporary young adult novel that explored growing up, the changing nature of friendship, and dealing with cultural expectations in a fun story that included advice from fortune cookies. My review is here.

I am currently reading The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse which is a young adult dystopia. I have just begun it and haven't formed an opinion yet. This is the first book in a new trilogy.

Next week is my Thanksgiving Break. I am hauling these review books home with me to read. I should have lots of reading time as I don't intend to do any shopping this weekend. Black Friday is a time for me to stay out of the Mall and any other place where crowds gather as there is nothing in the world I want bad enough to fight a crowd to get it. 

Kept by Shawntelle Madison is an adult urban fantasy on my Kindle. 

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence is a print YA fantasy that I got from Amazon Vine. As is usually the case in YA these days, this is the first book in a trilogy.

Tears in Rain by Rosa Montero is a science fiction story I got from Wunderkind PR.

I got Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst from the author. I am intrigued by this fantasy and can't wait to start it. 

I got a PDF of Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years by David A. Goodman from Wunderkind PR for review too. I think it is time to immerse myself in all things Star Trek again. Too bad I didn't get a finished copy with the cool, lighted stand. This one is definitely a coffeetable book for the devoted Trekkie.

If I finish these, I will have my December review books home with me too. I would love to get a little bit ahead before the Holiday season gets even busier. 

What are your plans for this week?

"Clear Your Shelf" Giveaway Hop

I have been doing some weeding and reorganizing of my bookshelves and it turns out that it is just in time for I Am a Reader, Not a Writer's November "Clear Your Shelf" Giveaway Hop.

I will be filling the largest (12" x 12" x 5 1/2") USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box with adult ARCs from the stack of those I have already read. The exact contents will be a surprise but you can get a good idea by looking at the books I have reviewed lately on this blog.

Rules:

• You must have a US mailing address
• You must fill out the form completely.

Being a follower of this blog would be nice but is not required for this giveaway.

Fill out this form to enter.

Check out the list of other participants here (I'm #87):

Stacking the Shelves (Nov. 18, 2012)

Tynga of 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 six books to my stack. On the Kindle are:

I just finished Danger Waters by Toni Anderson and had to go looking for anything else she has written. I found Storm Warning and Edge of Survival. I hope they are as good as the book I read.

I have recently become a fan of steampunk. I had Skies of Steel by Zoe Archer on my Kindle already. So I added Nights of Steel by Nico Rosso, Skies of Fire by Zoe Archer, and Night of Fire by Nico Rosso to complete the set. 

I also added a print review book to my stack this week.

Tears in Rain by Rosa Montero was sent to my by Emily at Wunderkind PR. I thought it sounded like an interesting science fiction story. 

What did you add to your stack this week?