A Slight Obsession...

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I wasn't feeling well last week so I took a break from most things until I felt better!

Anyway...

Things on the writing front are going really well. Upfront Centre Stage is gaining momentum, I have rewritten my first 4 chapters and I am MUCH happier with them. I felt my previous ones, especially the first, just weren't showing enough of my voice and were a little too awkward sounding.

Also I have found that now that I have plotted a little bit (with the help of my new friend The Board) I'm much more motivated to continue writing. On some days I have been getting close to writing 5k, which I am so pleased with.

Now, you may be wondering what all this has to do with the title of this post.

Well the answer to that is that I am currently suffering from a book addiction - in particular buying new books! Which isn't a good habit to have at the moment when I am trying to find the £11,000 it's going to cost to remodel our bathroom and kitchen!

Last week I bought nearly 15 new books (some brand new, some second hand, and a few ebooks!). Someone on twitter mentioned that there needed to be an ebook addiction support group, and I think I may need that. I counted up and my ebook numbers reached close to the 300 mark... gulp! I don't even want to go into the number of books I have on my shelves, they are bulging once again and I only had a clear out a few months back.

In an effort to try and curb this unnecessary addiction I have been going to the library a lot. I live next door to my local one, I'm in there nearly everyday checking out new books or ordering ones in. The other day I had such a large pile that they slipped out of my hands on my way to self service checkout and crashed down on the floor causing a very loud noise in the small and quite library... Embarrassing.
But at least it only cost my pride and not my depleting funds!

Sitting at my desk this morning after trying to cram my newest acquired books on the shelves I have decided I need to actually read EVERY unread book on these shelves. I mean really, it is unacceptable that I am buying books when I have so many yet to read. All I can say is that if there was ever a nuclear explosion or something that I somehow survived, which caused me to be trapped in my house then I would have plenty of entertainment.

I'm not going to buy any more books.

Stop rolling your eyes... I'm not!

Nope, instead I am going to get whatever I want that is new from the library and make an effort to actually read all those unread books on my shelves.

Or, I'm going to try my damnedest anyway. If you catch me in Waterstones... well, perhaps you could pretend you didn't see me!

Of course, gifts don't count and are always welcome ;-)

What books have you read/bought recently?

Xx

Pretty much sums it up!

Book Review... The Forbidden Ferrara - Sarah Morgan

The Forbidden Ferrara - Sarah Morgan
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890785











My rating

From the back cover:

"A Ferrara should never share a bed with a Baracchi-however high the stakes! 
 Dark-hearted Santino Ferrara has always remembered how long-legged, hot-tempered Fia Baracchi felt in his arms-much to his frustration. Then a million-dollar business deal throws them together, and keeping his distance is no longer an option. 
But Fia is living a lie. If it's ever discovered that her precious little son is Santino's heir, she'll be disowned-their families' feud is legendary! But her real fear? That she can't forget the scorching memories of her one night with the enemy-and that she still craves more..."


I have been waiting for this book to finally land in my hands for ages! I loved the first book in this duet by Sarah Morgan (Once a Ferrara Wife...), so I was pretty excited about this one.

I have to be honest and say that I was a little disappointed with this one. I'm not saying this is a bad book, it most definitely is not! I just felt it wasn't quite there.

I usually love a 'secret baby' book but there has to be a good reason for the baby being kept secret - in this book I don't really think there was.

The heroine was beautifully written and my heart broke for everything she'd been through but this didn't really make up for not telling the hero about his son.

I simply loved the hero! He was so accepting, and open as well as really committed to building a good life with the heroine and their child. He didn't act irrationally when he found out nor was he cruel! These are major pluses in the book.

I loved the whole family feud, forbidden love thing! It was written fantastically.

The writing is flawless, full of passion and emotion, with plenty of angst. Very enjoyable.

Xx

Book Review... Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss - Maya Banks

Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss - Maya Banks
Harlequin Desire
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373731565









My rating

From the back cover:

"Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy's business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.
But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holds-barred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes…especially now that she's pregnant?"


I was looking forward to reading this book, I really enjoyed the first two books in Maya Bank's Pregnancy & Passion Mini Series (Enticed by His Forgotten Lover & Wanted by Her Lost Love).

I have to be honest and say that I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous two, but this is still very much an enjoyable book.

I particularly liked that the author didn't shy away from making the hero behave badly, and he knew it as well. The heroine is fun, flighty, and spirited, she is definitely different to a lot of romance heroines.

There is plenty of passion that sizzles on the pages and suits the hero and heroines relationship perfectly.

It was interesting to read how the heroine tried to change herself, to become more like what she thought the hero wanted, only to begin to lose what it was that made her likeable. I think this is quite honest, and true of some difficult relationships.

Overall, very enjoyable.

Xx

Wednesday on Writing... My new toy!

Being a recent convert to the Save the Cat! method of plotting (I talked about it last week) this week I'm going to show you my brand new plot board.

Here is is -

As you can see, at the moment it is still very much a work in progress.

But what it has allowed me to do is work out firmly how many scenes and/or chapters to have and what should happen in each, as well as whether they work in the story or not. The pink bits are used for either word count or timings, I have a tendency to get my days very confused!

As a result of using the board, and actually staying away from the WIP for a while, I removed something like 5 planned scenes that I found really were not working, and added better ones in.

Behind each chapter card are cards that I have scribbled snippets of dialogue, flow charts, descriptions, etc, that relate to the chapter - I want to add that not everything is pinned up at the moment - when I'm working on that scene or chapter I take these cards down and spread them across my desk so I can refer them whilst writing. Then I pop them back up for safekeeping.

Funnily enough the girl who never plotted has written more words in two days than the last two months with the help of my new board (I was suffering a serious lack of motivation).

The board has really helped cement in my mind what needs to happen, but while I'm in the middle of a chapter I am still very much 'pantsing' it.

I have rewritten my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chapters entirely and even I have to say they are much much better.

Yes, I'm definitely loving my new board. I just need to hang it on the wall now so it's not balancing on my stereo any more!

My Favourite Heroines...

Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Now, I'm going to come right out and say it; Buffy is my favourite TV program. EVER! Nothing will ever match the brilliance of this show in my mind and heart.

So, I admit to being a little biased when it came to picking my first 'favourite heroine' in this blog feature. But seriously Buffy is, and probably always will be, one of the best fictional heroines ever created. 

If we ignore the super powers bit for the moment, she is still a brilliant heroine that has to deal with real issues. What I like most about her character is that she has real flaws, and quite a lot of them too. 

She's the blonde girl who is a little bit shallow, likes shopping and all things girly, she is hopeless at relationships (Parker... Riley!!), has one true love that she refuses to let go of... I could go on.

Most fans know that one of the most endearing parts of the show is that we, the fans, got to grow up with the characters. I was in my teens when the show began and followed it right into early adulthood. We got to experience the same kinds of life decisions and mistakes Buffy did. 

As a super hero, Buffy sacrificed nearly everything to do her duty, but she never stopped making puns or stopped moaning about it.

Her character proved to us 90's girls that we can be strong and confident and go after what we want, yet still be the ultimate 'girl'. 

I mean, if Buffy can fight Vampires in a graveyard wearing platforms and a mini skirt then so can I... well I could if I dared wearing a mini skirt and, you know, if there was such things as vampires!

I know there is so many more Buffy fans out there, tell me what you like about Buffy?

Who is your favourite fictional heroine? 

Xx

Book Review... Lori Foster's Buckhorn Brothers

Buckhorn Beginnings - Lori Foster
HQN Books
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373776122












My rating

From the back cover:

"Sawyer 
The only doctor in Buckhorn County, Kentucky, Sawyer Hudson knows a thing or two about saving lives. But when he rescues the beautiful Honey Malone from a car wreck and nurses her to health at his home, he finds himself dreading the day she's well enough to leave. Because now that he's met the woman of his dreams, he's not about to let her go…. 
Morgan 
Buckhorn's big, bad sheriff, Morgan Hudson, wants a wife—one who's even-tempered, undemanding and content with small-town life. So why can't he stop thinking about brazen Misty Malone? The dark-haired city girl is downright aggravating—not to mention she's found herself on the wrong side of the law. But though she may not be perfect, Morgan is hell-bent on convincing her they'd be perfect together!"


I read the Buckhorn brother's books years ago when they were first released. In fact they were some of the first ever romance novels I read and I still remember their bright red covers - they were released under the UK 'Sensual Romance' category.

When I saw that they had been re-released I thought I would give them a go...

But I don't remember them being so damn wholesome.

I'm not talking heat level here, 'cause the books are actually quite steamy, but in the 'could these men be any more chivalrous' way!

Putting that to one side, these two stories are sweet, funny, steamy, and above all charming. Morgan's story is the better of the two, in my opinion.

My only complaint about these stories is that the author has created two fantastically feisty heroines but it is ruined by the fact that she has also made them total damsels in distress.

A good read, and certainly nice to revisit these books I read as a teenager!

***

Forever Buckhorn - Lori Foster
HQN Books
Harlequin, 2012
ISBN: 9780373776474












My rating

From the back cover:

"Gabe 
Gabe Kasper, the heartthrob of Buckhorn County, Kentucky, can have any woman he wants. But it's prickly, uptight Elizabeth Parks who gets under his skin. She thinks Gabe's some kind of hero and wants an interview for her thesis. He doesn't consider pulling a couple of kids out of the lake heroic, but he'll answer her questions in exchange for kisses…and more. 
Jordan 
Jordan Somerville thinks he wants a woman who's a paragon of virtue. But then the gentle veterinarian—rescuer of strays—meets Georgia Barnes, single mother and exotic dancer. She's a far cry from Jordan's dream woman—and she's made it clear that he's hardly her dream man, either. So why is he suddenly tempted to break all his own rules? "

I mentioned above that I read this mini-series when they were first released, however I had never read Jordan's story. So I was looking forward to reading it finally.

Once again these are two very steamy stories, but just a little too 'good' for me. These brothers are seriously too good to be true, I need more flaws! Perhaps I am too used to reading Presents that my taste in heroes tender to err on the side of brooding-angry-alpha goodness.

There is something that has bugged me about all four of these stories and that is the fact that hero in each story doesn't realise/work out that he loves the heroine until one of his brothers tells him that he [the hero] loves her. This was almost exactly the same in each story.

But regardless of my negatives I have to be honest and say that I really like these books. There is something very endearing about them, and of course it helps that they are really well written.


Xx

Wednesday on Writing...

It has been Easter bank holiday weekend here in the UK, which means that my husband had Friday and Monday off work. And typically it rained all of those 4 days, so nothing was really done other than having a nice relaxing long weekend. Of course by the end of Monday I was so ready for Richard to go back to work (!).

Anyway my point is, I didn't update this blog or do anything remotely work-like on Friday or Monday because of this. Weekends and holidays I like to relax and have a break rather than work.

I have called this blog post Wednesday on Writing and this is [I hope] going to be a regular post every Wednesday with an update or feature on writing.

Please email if you have any suggestions or contributions you would like me to feature.

***

I have been reading a few writing craft books recently, in an attempt to both improve my writing as well as kick my recent lack of motivation up it's bum!

The first book I decided to read is Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder.

Save the Cat! is a book that I have heard a lot about but never actually got round to reading. But I am so glad I have finally done so...

Not only is the book written with a fun and casual style, as though Blake Snyder is telling you all of this in a conversation, but it is also very useful. Especially if you ignore the amount of Steven Speilberg references (clang!).

Even though the book is written for screenwriters, most everything can be used by those of us writing other stuff. I have seen many authors recommending this book.

What I found most useful is the Logline, Beat Sheet and the advice on using The Board for plotting out your story before actually getting down to writing.

For me this was a revelation! I have no shame in admitting that I am a total pantser when it comes to writing, seriously... During my many years in higher education my essay plans were never longer than half an A4 sheet of paper! However I often hit walls and find certain bits that I want to include just simply don't fit or don't work, so by using The Board I hope this will help me not to hit these walls too often. Blake Snyder's rule of limiting the amount of cards used on it and structuring it round the Beat Sheet, I think, gives a nice balance. I can plot but still very much be a pantser!

I also liked Blake Snyder's honesty about writing, storytelling, and writers.

"To be a [screen]writer is to deal with an ongoing tug of war between breathtaking megolmania and insecurity so deep it takes years of therapy just to be able to say 'I am a writer' out loud"

Other great quotes that really gripped me are:

"Because liking the person we go on a journey with is the single most important element in drawing us into the story."

"A screenwriters daily conundrum is how to avoid cliche.
You can be near the cliche, you can dance around it, you can run right up to it and almost embrace it.
But at the last second you must turn away.
You must give it a twist."

So, I have done my logline and I am in the process of filling out my Beat Sheet whilst fiddling with index cards ready for The Board!

And what is really great about this book is that reading it has made me excited about writing again... hooray!


Xx

Policy is boring...

As you may have noticed I do a lot of book reviews on this blog! That is something I love doing and will continue to do so even though I am no longer being silly and trying to read a book a day or more. However, I feel the need to add a page of information about my reviews to make it clear how I go about things.  I have received a few books from authors to review and to avoid any confusion the information will include what I will accept, etc.

This will be posted on it's own page, on the tabs above, but I am posting it now as an update.


Introduction

One of my passions is reading and as such, a feature of this blog is book reviews. The majority of the books I read and review I have acquired myself. Either bought in either physical form (brand new or second hand), ebook form via most ebook stores and read using e-reading apps available for the iPad, or borrowed from my local library.
The books are usually chosen by me, but I am always interested in recommendations.

Review Copies

If you are an author or publisher and would like me to consider reviewing your book(s) please contact me via email -
everydayisthesameblog (at) gmail (dot) com

Please bear in mind the following criteria for my acceptance of a book.

What I will review

I mainly read books that fall in the 'women's fiction' area, including mainstream/general fiction, romance including category and single title, chick lit, suspense etc. This is not an exhaustive list.

What I will not review

I read most things.
I don't tend to read erotic romance/erotica, however a book that falls within this category yet has strong romantic (or other) elements - where the sex is secondary to the rest of the story and not gratuitous - may be considered at my discretion. Other books I do not read are paranormal, inspirational, historical, sci-fi, horror, action, etc. But once again, these may be considered.
Definite no-no's are books that include indecent content, taboo subjects, and unnecessary violence especially towards children and animals.

I'm not here to judge what you read, it's just that I chose not to.

Format

I am happy to receive books in physical or ebook form. For ebooks please be aware that I use an iPad to read on, I have most e-reading apps (iBooks, Kindle, Overdrive, Bluefire, Kobo) so it will need to work on those platforms.

About my reviews

All my reviews will be in the form of a blog post on here. The post will include a cover image, title and author info, publisher's info, category line where applicable, year and date of publication, ISBN, and blurb.
Please note that the publishing info and the ISBN will usually relate to the UK release of the book - let me know if you would like to have release info for other countries included.

The reviews will consist of my rating followed by my summary and review.

I don't like every book I read! Where I have chosen a book myself and end up not enjoying it, it's more than likely that I simply will not write a review for it. However if the book has been sent to me for review, then the review provided will be honest and detail why I didn't like it.

I do not resort to insults (especially towards the author), nor do I use unnecessary snark. Reading is subjective and while I may not like something another person will. I'm British after all, and we are unfailingly polite!

Turnaround

Books sent to me will be prioritised as soon as they are received. I would hope to read the book and post the review within 14 days. However, life does sometimes get in the way so I can't always promise this.

My rating

I know it is sometimes difficult to understand the different review ratings out there. Here are mine in the simplest possible terms:

1 star - Hmm, I really didn't like this one. Sorry!

2 stars - I didn't like this, but some bits were OK. Perhaps this was not for me...

3 stars - I enjoyed it... but not all of it. Who's perfect though, right?!

4 stars - Really, really enjoyed it! Yes, some bits were better than others but that's life!

5 stars - Absolutely loved it! It was amazing, brilliant, great, fantastic... etc!

A half-star is used when I am being indecisive and can't decide to be more negative or more positive... I'm indecisive a lot!

Other stuff

I also post my reviews on goodreads as well as tweeting my review including a link. *If you would like me to '@' you in the tweet you must let me know as I wouldn't automatically do this.

I am also happy to host authors and/or giveaways here on my blog. In fact it would be my pleasure to do this, please email!

I would be interested in reviewing other stuff including products if this suits my interests. Please contact me by email to discuss.

I DO NOT review unpublished work, and I am not able to provide critiques to your work.

Where to find me

email - everydayisthesameblog (at) gmail (dot) com

Twitter - @RLAeverydaysame

Goodreads - RLAeverydaysame

Thank you

Xx

My Favourite Heroes...

This is a new weekly feature to my blog... 'My Favourite Heroes & Heroines'. Each week I will feature a different hero or heroine from the fictional world (books/TV/Films etc) that I particularly love, and I will tell you why.


I'm starting with this man...

Dr Luka Kovač  from ER


I have to admit that Dr Kovac is at the front of my mind at the moment because my husband and I are currently working our way through the complete series of ER DVD's. But this man... oh, he is not one to be forgotten.

So what type of hero is he? Well, that is an easy question to answer! He is the 'tortured hero'.

Not only has he had to deal with losing his wife and children after they were killed during a bomb attack on their apartment building during the Croatian War of Independence, he has also faced his own loss of faith and the guilt that is associated with that, many failed relationships, a minor sex addiction, being captured and held captive by the Congolese Mai-Mai, a stalker seeking revenge, and a deep yet dysfunctional relationship with the character of Abby Lockhart.

There is an episode where Luka reveals that he didn't lose his virginity until his wedding night, and the way it was done just made me sigh, such great characterisation.

At heart Luka is a family man, with a very deep ability to love that he is desperate to lavish on the right woman, but he is also a true Alpha-male.

Yet what makes him extra-special is that he is by no means perfect; with a habit of taciturnity, a quick temper, a disregard to policy, and his love of video-games... Oh, I just love him!

His character is brilliantly written. Portrayed by the drop-dead-gorgeous Goran Visnjic.



Who are your own favourite fictional heroes?

Xx

I'm back...

Although I would love to tell you that my silence in bloglandia for the last two weeks has been because I have been having some kind of adventure, preferably of the vacation kind, but no, I have still been here, just not around.

That is to say I have been having a break from writing, reading, my desk, etc. I felt the need to relax and regroup and spend a little time with me... However after two weeks I have realised that spending time with me is kinda boring, and I felt a little lost without something to actually do!

So, I am back now. My knuckles are cracked and ready to get back down to business with my current WIP as well as some exciting new features for my blog.

Watch this space...









Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... The Stats

So yesterday I blogged about the end of my 365 books in 365 days challenge. Today is my chance to geek out and share a bunch of stats that I kept a record of throughout the challenge.

Enjoy!

Fastest time reading one book - 1 hour 40 minutes
Longest time reading one book - 8 days (a whole week of babysitting!)


Most number of books ahead of schedule - 12
Most number of books behind schedule - 33 (I read like mad to catch up!)


Total number of different authors - 185

Format

Own-Copy - 190
ebook - 105
Library-copy - 70

Ratings

1 Star - 4
1.5 stars - 1
2 stars - 22
2.5 stars - 14
3 stars - 78
3.5 stars - 39
4 stars - 160
4.5 stars - 38
5 stars - 9




Average rating - 3.59 stars

Most read authors

Publishers/Imprint

Mills & Boon - 275
Harlequin - 70
Silhouette - 17
Entangled Publishing - 1
Wild Rose Press - 1
Carina Press - 1

Category Lines (for Mills & Boon/Harlequin/Silhouette books)

If you have managed to get to the end of this geektastic blog post, then I applaud you!


Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge .... The End!

Well, I did it.

On the 19th March 2011 I decided to set myself the challenge of reading 365 books in 365 days and document it in the form of reviews on this blog.

Yesterday, Sunday 18th March, I read my 365th book.

I would love to say that it has been easy and/or fun however at times it hasn't, but I was determined to complete it and I am so proud that I have done so!

Along with the reviews, I have also kept a track of some figures and stats, in a note pad that my husband colloquially named my serial-killer book, which I will post about later.

I would like to thank anyone who has read this blog, whether it was once, twice, or everything.


Out of the books I read 14 of them were sent to me by the authors. A huge thank you to the following authors for that -

Heidi Rice
Sarah Morgan
Liz Fielding
Wendy S. Marcus
Kate Walker
Nicola Marsh
Lucy King
Maisey Yates
Samantha Hunter
AJ Nuest


All of the books I read for this challenge were new reads, I had not read them before. Naturally along the way there have been some casualties, or DNF's, which I did not include in the challenge.

These were -

The Rancher's Reunion - Tessa Radcliffe (Inspirational is not my thing)
Fallen - Michelle Hauf (Paranormal is not my thing either!)
The Italian Millionaire's Virgin Wife - Diana Hamilton (Heroine came accross as though she was a child!)
Return Match - Penny Jordan (hero and heroine were first cousins - couldn't read it!)
Temporary Measures - Leigh Michaels (hero and heroine were third cousins - again couldn't read it!)
Cheap Thrills - Tiffany Wild (just didn't enjoy it!)

I think out of 365 books to only DNF 6 books is pretty good going!

I will continue to read (of course!) and review books, although I am going to have a little break from it all!

Once again thank you to all of you who have follow me along this very crazy challenge.

Happy reading.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #365!!!!

Gold Ring of Betrayal - Michelle Reid
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1997
ISBN: 9780373119172
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459269408










My rating

From the back cover:

"They've never stopped being married... 
Nicolas Santino doesn't accept that Lia is his daughter. He believes Sara, his wife, cheated on him with another man, and Lia is the result of that betrayal. 
So Sara and Nicolas are separated - until the silence between them is forcibly broken: Lia has been kidnapped! Nicolas knows he is the only one who can secure the little girl's safe return, but it means he must go back to Sara - and find that, even after three long years, she still wears his ring ..."


So, this is it... the 365th book. Which I read bang on the 365th day... I made it!

The heroine Sara and the hero Nicolas see each other for the first time in three years when he arrives to help Sara through the kidnapping of her daughter. Sara knows that Nicolas hates her as he believes that she cheated on him, although she desperately wants him to believe that she is innocent right now all she cares about is getting her precious baby back in her arms. Once Sara was a shy and nervous girl whose spirit and confidence was crushed under the dominance of the Sicilian life she married into, but Nicolas's cruel betrayal of not believing in her has changed her. Now she is hard and determined to fight for herself and especially for her daughter. But one thing that is still the same is the desire between Sara and Nicolas, and after Sara's daughter is found they go back to Sicily where Nicolas asks her to try again with their marriage and put all the betrayals behind them. Sara tries her best, but eventually realises that she can't live her life with Nicolas still believing that she could ever betray him.

This is a true classic when it comes to both Michelle Reid's books and Harlequin Presents. There is so much to this book - angst, hate, betrayal, passion, fear, love, forgiveness, sadness, etc - and it is all woven together perfectly. The hero and heroine's story is intense and it plays out wonderfully, at times this book is impossible to put down. So often in books where there is a supposed betrayal I find the reluctance of a certain character to believe in the other very frustrating, but in this book I could understand exactly why the hero felt this way. Even though the POV from the hero is rather sporadic I was still able to sympathise with him, as well as rooting for the heroine. That is all down to Michelle Reid's powerful writing.

This book is drama with a capital D, and totally absorbing. Highly recommended.


I really hope you have enjoyed reading my reviews of all these 365 books, it has certainly been and interesting challenge. I will be posting a summary blog post all about this later on.
Thank you to everyone who has followed/read my blog over the last 365 days!


Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #364

Girl Behind the Scandalous Reputation - Michelle Conder
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890631











My rating

From the back cover:

"Red Carpet Confession!
Getting falsely arrested feels like a scene from a bad movie for rising star Lily Wild – especially when she discovers the conditions of her release: round-the-clock surveillance by world-class lawyer Tristan Garrett. Ignoring her attraction to the sinfully sexy man who crushed her youthful heart is getting harder by the minute!
Lily belongs to Tristan now, and when he says jump she’d better ask how high! With a reputation founded on control, he’s determined not to lose his head over this little minx again. But he blazes white-hot every time he looks at her, and it’s burning away his couldn’t-care-less façade!"


This is the debut novel from Michelle Conder, I love reading new authors so I was looking forward to reading this one. 1 book to go...

The hero Tristan is begged by his sister to try and get the heroine Lily freed from where she is being held after she was arrested for apparently smuggling drugs into the country. Tristan agrees but is less than happy about it as not only does he detest drug users, and he is certain Lily is one, but also has never approved of Lily and her wild ways. Lily is thankful that Tristan has been able to free her until he informs her that the condition of her release is that she has to remain in his custody. Lily has never been able to forget the passionate encounter she and Tristan had when she was a teenager, nor has she forgotten his scorn when he later accused her of doing drugs. She tries her best to convince Tristan that she is innocent of everything he has accused her of but nothing gets through to him. One thing that is certain though is that there is a deep seated desire between them and it is not long before the passion between them explodes.

I really enjoyed this book, it is a brilliant debut. The story is very fresh and totally twenty-first century in style. The hero and heroine bounce off each other perfectly and there are plenty of heated exchanges between them. I love that the heroine is so feisty and independent, her backstory is different, interesting and little daring and used throughout the story perfectly. I could have done without her being a virgin as this felt a little clichéy. The hero acts like a jerk at times, but this does work within the story.
The sexual tension between the hero and heroine positively crackles throughout the entire book, and the romance develops at a nice pace.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable book. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #363

The Legend of de Marco - Abby Green
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890600













My rating

From the back cover:

"Rocco de Marco. Legendary financier and billionaire. The most important man in the room. And he’d just witnessed her filching canapés from the buffet…
If waitress Gracie O’Brien’s first meeting with Rocco is memorable, the second is unforgettable. For when he finds her breaking into his office he doesn’t believe her innocence – so he’ll keep her close until he finds the truth.
Yet it’s impossible for Rocco to stay angry with the sparky redhead – she’s making him feel emotions Rocco thought he’d buried for ever… And the sexual tension between them is reaching explosion point!"


In my opinion Abby Green writes some of the best Mediterranean heroes around, so I have been looking forward to reading this book.

The hero Rocco spots the heroine Gracie at a business function and is immediately captivated by her, but he has no idea who she is and she disappears before he has a chance to find out. A couple of weeks later and a chance meeting leads Gracie to Rocco's office after her brother goes missing. Rocco sees red when he discovers that his captivating Gracie is related to the man who has stolen a lot of money from his company, and he can't get the thought that she is involved out of his head. He tells Gracie that until her brother makes contact then she is not to leave his sight, she tries to make him believe she is innocent but also refuses to believe the worst in her brother. While the animosity between them heats up so does the desire each of them feel and Rocco begins to realise that Gracie is different to any woman he has ever met, but his difficult past as left him unable to trust easily. And his lack of trust in her only ends up hurting Gracie, as she has fallen head first for Rocco.

This is such a powerful and moving story, I couldn't put it down. It hooked me in right from the start - I loved the how the hero and heroine first meet, that opening scene is so evocatively written. The relationship that develops between the hero and heroine literally has it all; angst, betrayal, passion, pain, etc. It creates such a wonderful intense mood, that combined with the very dark childhood each of them experienced makes this a very compelling story,.

There is plenty of passion and emotion packed into this book, and it is wonderfully written. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #362

Redemption of a Hollywood Starlet - Kimberly Lang
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263893038











My rating

From the back cover:

"The Marshalls… A rich, powerful family that mixes business, politics…and pleasure. If the US had a royal family this would be it!
The tabloids just couldn’t get enough of A-List couple hotshot producer Finn Marshall and Hollywood wild-child Caitlyn Reese. Then Caitlyn fled the glaring lights of Tinseltown, leaving an indelible mark on the Walk of Fame – and an empty seat on the back of Finn’s motorbike.
Now Cait is back! She’s still got the X-factor, and Finn is struggling to banish his X-rated thoughts! Because one thing is for sure…he isn’t just interested in a quick Hollywood retake… To interest him, it’ll have to be a full-budget epic remake…"


This is the third and final book in Kimberly Lang's 'The Marshalls' mini-series. I really enjoyed the first two books ('The Privileged and the Damned' & 'The Power and the Glory') so I have been looking forward to this book.

The heroine Caitlyn has just been cast in the hero Finn's latest movie however he is not at all happy about it. Cait and Finn were once Hollywood's hottest couple mostly knows for their wild antics, however their relationship, along with Cait's reputation, crashed and burned after one too many scandalous incidents. Cait has spent the last few years out of the limelight and rebuilding her career, but Finn is still bitter about the way Cait up and left him and refuses to believe that Cait's wild child days are over. It is clear that the desire between them is still as fierce as ever and despite all the on set politics and publicity stunts it is not long before Finn and Cait are acting on the passion. But with all the public and private history between them, as well as Cait wanting to relaunch her movie career, all they can ever have is a temporary fling. Even if their feelings for one another are much more than either of them are ready for.

I loved the subject and setting of this book and I think it is really well portrayed. The movie set setting is a great backdrop to the very intense nature of the hero and heroine's relationship, and there is a lot of honesty about some of the less exciting and less nice parts of the Hollywood lifestyle. The history between the hero and heroine is full of angst and well used without unnecessary lengthy flashbacks, this helped to cement all the tension between them.
I found the heroine's rather unpredictable mood swings and her habit of blaming the hero a little frustrating to read. But overall they worked great as a couple and there is some fantastic fun and sweet moments in their relationship.

Plenty of passion and a well written, engaging story.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #361

Deserving of his Diamonds - Melanie Milburne
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890624










My rating

From the back cover:

"His not-so-perfect fiancée… 
Emilio Andreoni’s goal is perfection: a corporate king and Italy’s most eligible bachelor, he craves only one more thing to complete his phenomenally successful life – the perfect woman! Once he thought that woman was shy Gisele Carter – until her scandalous goings-on became headline news and he called off their seemingly perfect engagement. 
But now Emilio is faced with proof of Gisele’s innocence! He’s determined to win back the only woman who ever truly satisfied him, but first he must persuade Gisele she’s worthy of wearing his diamonds again… "


4 books to go...!


The hero Emilio has just discovered that the reason he kicked the heroine Gisele out of his life two years ago was wrong. In fact it has just been revealed that Gisele has a twin sister she has never met or known about after they were separated at birth. Emilio knows that he needs to apologise for all that he accused her of, but when he goes to see her Gisele is not at all pleased to see him. Gisele doesn't want Emilio's empty apologies, he broke her heart when he refused to believe that she was innocent and the trauma she had to deal with, alone, when her precious baby died has left her harder. Emilio knows the minute he sees Gisele again that he wants to win her back so they can have the life together they had planned but she doesn't want anything to do with him. However Emilio convinces her to spend a month with him in return for her financial security and he hopes to seduce her into once again falling in love with him.

This is a very powerful story and a nice twist on the reconciliation/revenge theme. The plot is well thought out and gripping right from the start, and full of plenty of emotion. The heroine's journey is particularly poignant - she went through so much and came through the other side still sad but strong, and refused to give in to the hero like she had done in the past.
I could have done without the blackmail+offer-of-money part of the story, as plot elements go this felt a little lazy.

But this is a roller coaster of emotion and passion, and a very absorbing read.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #360

One Night in Paradise - Maisey Yates
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890693












My rating

From the back cover:

"All her most exotic fantasies are about to bubble over into reality! 
Clara Davis knows the moment yes slips from her lips that she’s in way over her head. Just how is she supposed to pretend to be her boss’s fiancée on his luxury honeymoon? 
Zack Parsons’s Don’t date the staff rule has prevented him from ever seeing beyond Clara’s baker’s apron. But now he’s looking at her in a completely different, rather more tempting light. Giving in to one night of wickedness should be enough to satisfy their new-found cravings… 
Shouldn’t it?"


This is the fabulous Maisey Yates's latest.

The hero Zack has just been jilted but his best friend Clara, the heroine, notices he is a long way from being heartbroken. Zack confides in her that it had never been a love match, which he doesn't realise hurts Clara. Clara has had feelings for Zack for a while and finally begins to realise that her comfortable friendship with him is only making it more difficult to move on. However she promises to travel to Thailand, on what should have been Zack's honeymoon, to help him secure an important business deal. When they arrive and Zack tells her that they need to pretend to be a couple he doesn't understand Clara's angry, almost hurt reaction. But the beautiful surroundings and their time together makes them both realise that underneath their friendship is much more, including a fierce desire for one another. They indulge in their passion for one night, but the need doesn't go away when they are back in the read world. And the more time Clara has to spend pretending, the more her heart breaks.

This is a really beautiful book, definitely one of my favourites from Maisey Yates. I have always been a fan of the friends-to-lovers theme, and it is done perfectly in this book. There is some great dialogue between the hero and heroine, they bounce of each other brilliantly and the chemistry between them positively crackles.
The surroundings are vividly portrayed and really intoxicating, the perfect backdrop to the relationship. Both the hero and heroine have well thought out, 'real' issues and they are dealt with well. The writing flows beautifully, it's full of passion and fun as well as plenty of emotion and angst - I felt every one of the heroine's tiny heart breaks.

I also felt that there was more to be told about the hero's former bride-to-be, and I'm pleased that Maisey confirmed that she has her own story (will be out later in the year, called 'A Game of Vows')!

Really, really enjoyable. Recommended.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #359

The Nurse's Not-So-Secret Scandal - Wendy S. Marcus
Mills & Boon Medical Romance 
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263891645 (Paperback 2-in-1 edition)
eISBN: 9781408973295 (individual ebook edition)

N.B. The cover image is from the individual ebook edition





My rating

From the back cover:

"Between family nightmares and a series of lousy guys, nurse Roxie Morano’s life is a disaster zone. But enigmatic (and gorgeous!) new colleague Ryan ‘Fig’ Figelstein is ignoring her hazard warnings – instead, he’s signalling his attraction! Now Roxie’s bulletproof heart is at risk…but dare she dream Fig will stick around when he discovers all her secrets?"


The lovely Wendy S. Marcus very kindly sent me a copy of this, her latest release, in exchange for a review. Thank you so much, Wendy.

The heroine Roxie is only just managing to hold her life together when she meets the hero Fig. Hoping for a hot and heavy fling to take away some of her stress but she is left frustrated and angry when Fig stands her up then later accuses her of steal hospital drugs. However things go from bad to worse for Roxie when a sex-tape of her is put up on the internet and her mentally ill hoarder mother sets fire to their home. The only one who sticks by her is Fig. Fig is not without his own problems - a serious childhood illness that has left it's mark in more ways than one, a manipulative mother, and his own control issues - but they each find solace in each other, wanting nothing more than a casual thing. Until everything becomes much more complicated between them.

This was not what I was expecting, at all. I have never really been into books from Medical Romance line, but it appears that I have been reading the wrong ones, or perhaps it's simply that Wendy S. Marcus has taken everything about this line and turned it on it's head. I suspect it's the latter.
This story has so much spark, and it is very, very fresh. One thing that stands out for me, apart from the love-scenes (more on that in a moment), is that a lot of issues are dealt with in this book, and they are dealt with very well. To cram sex-scandals, blackmail, hoarding, mental illnesses, germaphobia, a touch of racism, and the actual romance into one [category length] book and make it work is quite impressive.
I was totally surprised by the heat level in this book, especially for the Medical line, during some of the love-scenes my eyebrows were raised so high I'm surprised they're not stuck!
The heroine is fabulous; so forward and gutsy and as far away as you can get from a lot of the dainty, pearly-white heroines you often find in romance novels. I adored her, she is the ultimate modern day heroine.

The story is gritty and believable, full of passion, heat, honesty, and real in every sense. Quite simply, I loved it.
If you like Sex and the City and ER combine the two and you will get this author's style, and that can only be a good thing!

This is my first Wendy S. Marcus book, and it will not be my last!

Recommended.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #358

The Soldier's Secret Daughter - Cindy Dees
Mills & Boon Intrigue
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263895124











My rating

From the back cover:

"'I hated you, but I still wanted you.'
Dashing spy Jagger lived in a world of danger. Not even a sweet brown-eyed siren could be trusted, especially when he had to bring down her employer. Somehow Emily broke through his defences – and set him up for two years of captivity. Or so he thought. 
Emily hadn’t expected a cryptic message to lead her to rescue the man who’d disappeared after their night of passion. Nor had she known that he’d been held prisoner and believed she was responsible. Despite the suspicion, they must work together to stop the threat against them…and protect their precious daughter."


I bought this recently from the M&B website, I hate the cover and title!

The hero Jagger is sent to try and infiltrate a shipping company suspected of being a front for an international terrorist organisation. He spots the heroine Emily about to enter the building, knowing that she is an employee Jagger charms her into thinking he also works there and that he is interested in her. Emily falls hook, line, and sinker and with no idea that he is simply using her she gives in to temptation and spends the night with him. But she wakes up alone, feeling every bit a used as she was, only Jagger didn't walk out on her, he was abducted. Two years later Emily receives a strange email leading her to discovering Jagger in captivity in a shipping container. She helps him escape but Jagger refuses to trust her, thinking that she is in cahoots with those responsible for kidnapping him. He realises her innocence when they are forced to go into hiding and she nurses him through a serious injury. Emily reveals to him that their one night together resulted in a baby girl and Jagger is desperate to meet her, feeling like with Emily and their daughter around he finally has something to live for. But he is also determined to bring down the terrorists and Emily can't stand the thought of losing Jagger when she has only just found him again.

OK, what to say about this book... Well, it's exciting that's for sure. But it is way too over complicated, especially crammed into a 50-60k word book. I really liked all the action and tension in the book, and love that the author has tried something very different, but there is something that doesn't quite work and I'm not even sure what that is. The secret baby plot is unnecessary, it's almost forced in and isn't even mentioned until over half-way in. There is enough story without it.
The terrorist's are German - you're thinking Die Hard, right?! I know I am. The Iron Curtain fell a long time ago, I don't want to be reading lines such as "you Stasi SOB". Move on...

Anyway, good suspense, action, and passion. Not so good details.

Xx