Re-Read Challenge 2010: August!!

Seriously, I can't believe it's the end of August and the summer already. It just went by in a blur :( However, the nice weather seems to be hanging on, so that is some consolation LOL. Blogland has been very quiet lately - and I'm not the only one who think so! I'm hoping things will pick up soon, I've missed you all!!

All right, back to business. End of the month also means Re-Read challenge :) and the good news is I made it! Woohoo LOL. It's a good thing that I made it, because seeing how blogland is scarce, I'm not expecting many entries ^_^; Ah well, it's okay :) For those who are going to make it this month, you know the drill :) Re-read your book, post your review and let me know the link in the comment section :)

Enjoy everyone!


Hilcia: Rising Tides by Nora Roberts
Nath: Visions in Death by J.D. Robb
Ames: The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon
Leslie: Loyalty in Death by J.D. Robb

Re-Read: Visions in Death by J.D. Robb

End of the month for me means Re-Read Challenge :D Looks like I'll make it this month, and on time! Woohoo LOL. I can't believe August is over already. That means kids are back in school and that the summer is over :( Time really went by fast.

Last month, I missed the Re-Read challenge. I was hoping to read two re-reads this month, but it didn't happen. Well actually, I did. I re-read The Search after writing my review... but given the fact that I've just reviewed it... I doubt you guys want to read another review of it, LOL. Perhaps next month. I have a few ideas of what to re-read and I've been kind of slumping lately... so this will be perfect :D

Okay, enough blabla. Onto the review :)


Visions in Death by J.D. Robb
published by Berkley/Putnam in January 2004

The summer had been long hot and bloody. Fall, with its cooler temperatures was coming. Maybe people wouldn't be as inclined to kill each other. But she doubted it.'

In 2059 New York City, technology and humanity collide, Detective Eve Dallas searches the darkest corners of Manhattan for an elusive killer with a passion for collecting souls...

On one of the city's hottest nights, New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is sent to Central Park-and into a hellish new investigation. Her latest homicide case is a particularly vicious case. The victim, Elisa Maplewood, a young mother, is found on the rocks, just above the still, dark water of the lake. Raped and strangled in the park, her body naked but for what appears to be a single red ribbon tied around her neck. Her hands are posed, as if in prayer. But it is the eyes-removed with such precision, as if done with the careful hands of a surgeon-that have Dallas most alarmed.

Eve starts investigating Elisa's friends and relations, and as more bodies turn up, each with the same defining scars, Eve is frantic for answers. An offer of help comes from an unlikely source. The only reason Eve agrees to meet with psychic Celina Sanchez is that she is a friend of a friend. But Celina claims to have experienced visions of the killer and can recite precise details of the case - details that the police have kept to themselves. She is also no glory-hunter - she doesn't want her name released to the media. Haunted by the visions of death that she sees, all she wants to do is help Eve catch the criminal so that she is left in peace. Though Eve remains sceptical of Celina's abilities, against her instincts, she serves the greater good, and she will use all the resources she can to track down the killer before he strikes again...

The psychic who offers one vision after another-each with shockingly accurate details of the murders. And when partner and friend Peabody is badly injured after escaping an attack, the stakes are raised. Are the eyes a symbol? A twisted religious ritual? A souvenir? With help from her husband, Roarke, Dallas must uncover the killer's motivation before another vision becomes another nightmare...

Genre: Romantic suspense, mystery
Series: In Death series, Book #22

The Story: The blurb is pretty self-explanatory, right?

My Opinion: I chose to re-read Visions in Death because Leslie has just recently reviewed it here. In my memories, Divided in Death and Visions in Death will always be a marking point in the series. First, because that's when the In Death series started being released in hardcovers... but more importantly, that's when I considered stop reading the series. As a result, I've always associated a bad feeling with these two books and as such, I haven't re-read them ever. However, I was kind of intrigued after reading Leslie's review, given she's enjoyed it so much. So I decided to give it another chance :D

After reading Visions in Death, I can definitively say that it wasn't as bad as I remembered LOL. Eve is thrown into a new case and soon realizes that she is dealing with a serial killer. While chasing the perp, Eve has to deal with a psychic with information that obviously, given at how cynical Eve is, she doesn't trust, but does not want to dismiss. She also has to confront some nightmares of her own as well Mavis' demand that Eve be her birthing coach and aiding Peabody adapt to her new position. Visions in Death was actually pretty solid. There's definitively a lot going on and at times, it felt a bit too much for me. I think that Ms Roberts tried to cram too many In Death elements in single book. You know how there are some In Death books more case-oriented and others, more characters-oriented; well Visions in Death was trying to be both at the same time. Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting case and I, like any other fans of the series, love it when it deals more with Eve and Roarke's lives; however, in this case, it was definitively too much. I mean, there was the visiting of the shelter, Eve nightmares, Mavis baby, Peabody and McNab moving together, the get-together with Charles and Louise, Eve telling Peabody her past, Peabody getting attacked. Each and any of these elements could have been explored in a book on its own and would have made for a great book, but instead, they're all put together in a single book. The most remarkable though is that Ms Roberts make it work and there is actually some balance in the Visions in Death! LOL.

I love reading  the more personal aspects of this book. Seeing Eve get-together with friends, navigating the social ethics such as the moving together gift LOL. The scene where Mavis asks Eve and Roarke both to be present at the baby's birth and their reaction. Priceless. These are definitively what make this series stand out and are the parts that readers love the most. And I do too :)

The case was okay, although it seems almost too easy, the investigation. Of course, that's all thanks to Eve and you have to admire how her mind works LOL. Problem is, they kept referring at how much the crime were horrifying... and I didn't feel it. Usually, Ms Roberts does a great job at making the case integral to the book and it engages me. However, with Visions in Death, I felt this connection was missing. Again, it comes back to too much going on in the book.  Still, the case was interesting and there was an awesome twist at the end, one that I really didn't expect... but looking back, it makes sense.

I think the reason why I wanted to stop the series when I first read Visions in Death was an overload. I've just read several In Death books one after the other and hit this one and it simply was too much. Re-reading it now, it makes me realize how pivotal this book is to the series, especially for Eve and Peabody's partnership :) In the end, it turned out to be a good and solid read for me, but not the best unfortunately ^_^;

My Grade: B. Even though it's a re-read, it's hard to forget my first impressions. Have I really enjoyed Visions in Death the first time around, I believe that the grade would have been higher. As it isn't the case, it has to make with the modest B :P

Hauling Sunday IX

Why do I have a feeling I'll be playing catch-up blogging this week? Perhaps because I'm posting my Hauling Sunday post on Monday! LOL. Factor in all the posts that we usually have at the beginning and end of the month and I can safely say it's going to be chaos LOL. Ah well, I'm going to try my hardest to blog this week, but I doubt any of my posts will be on time :P

I had a great week-end though. The weather was gorgeous and I took advantage of it. On Saturday, I actually went to see Cavalia, a horse show, with some friends.  I have to say, it wasn't as impressive as I expected. This is mainly due to the fact there were a lot of subtleties that someone who isn't horse-crazy wouldn't really catch such as the steps. Ames would have love this show though :P Then, we went out to eat and some of us ended up at my house to play Mario Bros Wii :) We actually finished it... at 1am!! LOL. No surprise though, there's a secret world 9... however, we need to go back and get some stuff to unlock it. More fun in the future :P


On Sunday, I went to do some errands... Got two new pairs of jeans, wooohoo - kind of needed them ^_^; Got lunch and on the way back, we stopped to try out Cold Stone. This is new here in the Quebec province and my sister and I have been wanting to go for a wile :P It was pretty good and we'll probably return :P The good news is that there isn't one that close to my house, so we won't always end up there LOL. I was also able to finish season 2 of Chuck :) We're really liking this show, it's funny and entertaining. I was going to blog after supper, but I was so tired... because my dad chose to mow the lawn :( It's kind of a habit at my house... My sister and I will never make the first move towards mowing the lawn, but if my dad does and we're at home, we do it instead of him. So that's what happened yesterday, under the shining sun ^_^; The heat and lack of sleep combined, I ended up snoring at 8.30pm ^_^;  Thus, not having my Hauling Sunday post up in time ^_^;

Funny things about timing right? I mean, couldn't it have happened last week, when I didn't have any new books? Guess not :P

So, what are my  new precious this week?

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole - So I caved ^_^; I was so bored earlier last week that I went out and bought Demon from the Dark thinking that I would read it right away... but of course, I didn't ^_^;

Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch - This is a recommendation from a co-worker. I thought I'd try it out, even though I'm not much into sci-fi. Apparently, it's pretty funny :)

Love Me if You Dare by Carly Phillips - This one was kind of an impulse buy... Like I say, nothing was really calling to me last week, but I knew I kind of wanted to read a contemporary romance. Hils said this one was better than Kiss Me if You Can and so, in my haul it went :P

Burning Up by Susan Andersen - I love Susan Andersen. Not all of her books are great, but she's an auto-buy for me :)

Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder - I love, love, love Poison Study and Magic Study by Ms Snyder. Just love them, which put Ms Snyder on my auto-buy list forever. I have to admit though, the Glass trilogy hasn't been a winner for me... I just don't like Opal, the heroine. As a result, I'm not sure when I'm going to read Spy Glass, especially given the ending (yes, bad habit!). Still, I'm not giving up on Ms Snyder as I love her writing :) Does anyone know if she has more books in this world planned? I know she has a new YA series, first book sitting in my TBR pile at home, and her next release is the 2nd book in the YA series... but I don't know what she has planned after... I really hope it's going to still be in this world, because it's a great one :)


Last One to Die by Kate Brady - Last, but not least LOL. Okay, what caught my eyes with this book was the fact that Tabitha had it on her sidebar. Then, I read the blurb and thought it was pretty interesting. Reading One Scream Away, Ms Brady's debut novel last week was just the reinforcement I need to get this book :P

There you have it :) My haul for last week. Hopefully, this week will be as fruitful LOL. How about you? What are the new books you've just gotten? and how was your week-end?

Review: Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

Sigh, it seems to me I've been playing catch up on my blogging the whole week. I need to blog during the day, not at night ^_^; I find that when I post at night, it counts for two days LOL. Know what I mean? Ah well, I have no plans this week-end, so I might try to work on a few posts :P

By the way, what are you all reading? I've been looking at my TBR pile and nothing calls to me.

In any case, I'm done reviewing my books in June!! Yes, Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas was the last of my June reads that I wanted to review :) You can find it here, over at Breezing Through. It's another buddy review with Ames :P See how hard-working we are? :P And soon, very soon,  I'll be current in my reviews! Well I hope :P

In the meantime, everyone, enjoy August's last week-end!! Hopefully, that means everyone will come back to their routine and action will pick up in blogland :P


Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

published by St. Martin's Press in June 2010

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted.and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man-just to avoid spinsterhood?

Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul-and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep.and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love-and a passion that can't be denied.

Review: The Search by Nora Roberts

I went to see Inception yesterday - which is why I didn't blog. Good movie, but I was expecting more from all the talks. Did you guys see it?

I've kind of noticed a pattern in my blogging lately - absent in the beginning of the week and trying to catch up the rest of the week ^_^; I've been dragging my feet the whole day writing this review and I don't really know why LOL. Work is better than a few weeks ago, but still busy. Especially when my boss asks me to unearth data from months ago. Seriously? Who remembers?!?

Anyway, I'm finally done and I'm happy at how the review turned out :) Actually, it makes me want to re-read some passages, so I think that's what I'm going to do before sleeping :) Enjoy!!


The Search by Nora Roberts

published by Putnam in July 2010

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare...

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fianc and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands...

Genre: Contemporary romance, mystery
Series: None

The Story: The back blurb does a very good job at describing the story and I really have nothing more to add LOL.

My Opinion: Quite frankly, I hesitated writing this review, because LOL, I don't have anything earth-shatteringly new to say about Nora Roberts or The Search. If you've read my reviews of Nora Roberts books or other bloggers' review of The Search, you know how great an author Ms Roberts is and how solidly good her books are... and The Search simply reinforces this opinion. Still, in the end, I'd like to share with everyone how much I enjoyed this book :)

I've said it many times, but it bears repeating, Ms Roberts is a great author and she consistently delivers good and solid reads. She has a very appealing writing style, simple and enjoyable, does a great job at developing characters and is an expert on relationships, dynamics and interactions. The Search is no exception and contains all the elements that have made Ms Roberts a success.

I really enjoyed The Search. I loved Fiona and Simon. She was a strong heroine that didn't let herself be pushed around, but at the same time, she wasn't so strong that she couldn't accept help when offered. She overcame the bad hand that was dealt to her and build a life filled with purpose and people. I mean, it's hard not to admire a woman like her. I especially liked the fact that if you didn't know what has happened to her, you wouldn't guess by how she lives her life. She's a survivor, not a victim and it's a really important distinction in her life. As for Simon, I loved him. Seriously, Ms Roberts definitively has a knack at writing grumpy heroes LOL. I like his grumpiness, I like the fact that he likes to be alone and doesn't like to be disturb. It doesn't make him a bad guy at all... Sure, socially, his manners could use some polish, but it usually means someone unpretentious and honest, someone solid. LOL, I like the fact that he found himself helping out and doing some nice things unwillingly and being surprised. In fact, Simon reminded me a lot of Brody in Angel Falls. Of course though, neither were perfect men... and the one thing that bothered me about Simon is his negative talking... In many instances, he talked about Jaws or had to praise him... and used some negative adjectives. It wasn't in a mean way and it wasn't enough to turn me off, just enough for me to notice ^_^; Still the man is sexy and handsome and brooding. Winning combo :P 

The Search was quite a thick book and I'm happy to report that most of it was spent developing the relationship between Fiona and Simon :) The two of them are great with each other. They don't exactly complement each other, but there is chemistry. I liked how both pushed and gave in... the key to relationship is communication and compromise and they seem to know it. What makes this relationship work as well is the timing and pacing. They both took time to get to know each other, felt the attraction and gave in, let it transform into something more. It wasn't rushed or stretched out, each moved at their own rhythm. Readers who like the relationship to be the focus will be really happy and satisfied in my opinion :)

The overall story was also interesting and well developed. I felt the mystery was more connected to the characters this time and was less random than in Black Hills, as in the motive made more sense. I also feel like Ms Roberts have read our reviews and she scaled down on the villain POVs. Perhaps the suspense could have been ante up a bit, but I was happy with it.

Another thing that Ms Roberts excels at is choosing a subject, researching it and integrating it in her stories. This time, she chose dog trainings and canine search and rescue and seriously, I learned tons about it :) LOL, owning a dog - a disciplined dog, sure is a lot of work :) There was a lot of information and some will think too much; however, for me, it's always good, because it makes the book more realistic and because the research is always very complete.

Finally, I cannot write this review without mentioning Bogart, Newman, Peck and Jaws - the dogs :D They really made me want to get a dog, but I know better LOL. The way they were written, you can feel that Ms Roberts have been around dogs in her life, because they were so real :P In any case, they were great additions to the book acting as the comedic factor, the cuteness factor and the comforting factor. All four were cute, but Jaws being the baby just made me go awwww. And the scene when Fiona brings them to the vet for their shots - Newman. Oh god, so funny! LOL.

My Grade: B+. The Search was definitively a great read that I enjoyed a lot. It was more contemporary romance than romantic suspense, which is what I've now used with her stand-alone title. However, you won't hear any complaints from me on that front :P I definitively liked Fiona and Simon and them as a couple and enjoyed their journey. If I had to rank The Search, it'd fit nicely between Black Hills and Angel Falls - more than solid, but not exhilarating. I guess very enjoyable sums it up :P

Monthly Reads: July 2010

Okay, so no Hauling Sunday this week, as I did not buy any new books :( I did think of going to the bookstores on many occasions and ended up going once LOL, but didn't buy anything. There was no new releases I was expecting and nothing that caught my attention. Also, I've missed two TBR challenges in a row and I think it's time that me and my TBR pile get reacquainted :P Aren't you proud of my self-control? LOL.

Since there's no Hauling Sunday today, I thought perhaps working on my Monthly Reads post would be a good idea. I can't believe the month is already more than half-way over ^_^; So this post is way overdue, sigh. It's been a rough summer, but I'm getting back my groove. I'm happy at how many books I reviewed in the past few weeks :) Especially since I've been dragging my feet a lot on some of the reviews ^_^; I've finally completed the reviews for May... and I'm that close to April and June! See, catching up LOL.

Now, let's catch up on my Monthly Reads :P


1) Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh:B


2) A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr: C-

3) Crazy for Love by Victoria Dahl: B-/C+

A few months ago, Chloe Turner's life was normal and she was happy, about to get married. Everything changed though the day her scum fiancé tried to fake his death - apparently to avoid marrying her. The media sinks their teeth on the story and Chloe's life turns to hell, as they portray her as the crazy Bridezilla. Deciding that Chloe needs a breather, her best friend Jenn brings her to an island, far away from curious eyes and the media. There, Chloe meets Max who is on vacation with his brother. Max is a treasure hunter with a little quirk - he worries about everything and everyone and he's very tired of it. He is wary of starting a fling with Chloe, but attraction wins out. Unfortunately for both, reality was bound to catch up to them...

I read Talk Me Down by Ms Dahl and while I didn't love it, it was enjoyable. Thus, I was looking forward to sampling Ms Dahl's writing again. As it goes, I had no complain with the writing; however, I did with one element of the story: the media. It was so frustrating to read how the media distorted the whole story and how they portrayed Chloe. She's just a regular woman who was going to marry a guy who didn't have the guts to face his mother and call off the wedding. She's the victim here and yet, it's as if it's all her fault. I just plain hate the media and reporters ^_^; Really, I think that the media and public in real life have lost sight of what is news worthy and what's not.

The media aspect did tame my enjoyment of Crazy for Love a lot. Aside from it though, the book wasn't bad. I liked the characters, especially Max. I thought he was interesting with his problem. He simply worries about everything: if someone light a fire, that it'll spread and burn everything... if someone goes diving, that there'll be complications, etc. I would have liked Ms Dahl to focus a bit more on this and whether it got better or not. It's unfortunate that Chloe's identity was revealed so early and once Chloe and Max left the island, I felt they didn't interact enough. The relationship didn't feel solid for me... Something I did enjoy though was  enjoyed the secondary romance between Chloe's best friend and Max' brother.

In the end, the overall story wasn't bad. It had potential to be very interesting and could have been funny, since the Bridezilla thing was so overboard. Unfortunately, the media really ruined it for me. However, that's really more of a personal issue ^_^;


4) The Search by Nora Roberts: B+
Upcoming review.

5) A Groom of One's Own by Maya Rodale: C+

After Sophie Harlow was jilted on her wedding day, she needed to leave her little village to distance herself from the bad memory. One year later, she finds herself in London, making a living as a wedding reporter for The Weekly. For someone who's been jilted, this is the worst job possible... however, it's the only one available if she doesn't want to be a seamstress, governess or mistress. While running out of a wedding before having an anxiety attack, Sophie meets Mr Brandon and for the first time in a year, Sophie's hope in love is renewed... until she finds out that the handsome Mr Brandon is actually the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon and that he's actually betrothed to the perfect lady. In fact, she is going to spend one month reporting all the juicy details of the "Wedding of the Year." The Duke of Brandon does not believe in love,but he does in lust... and he believes that's the only thing he feels for Sophie. However, the more time they spend together... the harder it is for him to deny his feelings...

Read the blurb of A Groom of One's Own and it intrigued me enough to buy it. I enjoyed the writing; unfortunately, they were a few things that bothered me. Basically, it was the behaviors of the H/H. I didn't like the way they dealt with their attraction. Brandon is betrothed and about to get married and yet, he's attracted to Sophie like he's never been attracted to his fiancée and it's reciprocal. Against her better judgment, the more time she spends with the double duke, the more Sophie finds herself falling in love with him. However, she knows that nothing will come out of it... that he cannot break his engagement. Yet, instead of putting some distance between them, to cool down their attraction, Brandon and Sophie sneak around and spend time together at every opportunity. They flirted with each other in public, even in front of Brandon's fiancée, who turns out to be a very sweet girl. And it wasn't discreet at all, everyone figured it out. I thought it was callous of both of them. I know they're attracted to each other, but they should have dealt with it a different way. Brandon should have broken off the engagement or something. I hate how Sophie was hopeful and hinting at Brandon to do just so. Sophie kept saying how she didn't want Celia to be in the same situation she's been (being jilted) and yet,  her attitude told a different story. I don't like love triangles and I dislike it even more when the heroine has to "steal" the hero :( The worst though? All of Brandon's reasoning for not breaking of his engagement were just excuses. There were not a single good reasons. Money? Brandon has plenty and even paying the penalty would not have hurt him. I mean in the end, he did not hesitate very hard!

Ah well. Again, it's just a story that didn't suit me. This was my first time reading Ms Rodale and thought her writing was good and very suitable for Avon. I liked the fact that Celia, Brandon's fiancée was a nice, sweet and smart girl. She wasn't blind to the fact that Brandon wasn't in love with her and was actually interested in Sophie. She also gets her own secondary romance which was okay. Love is unpredictable and definitively cannot be planned. By the way, this seems to be the first book in a quartet series. Ms Rodale introduces us to the other Writing Girls, each with a different column in the newspapers. I do think I'll be trying out the next book if the blurb sounds interesting. So technically, this was again more: it's me and not the book issue.

6) Rushed to the Altar by Jane Feather: C-

Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, and his two younger, twin brothers are summoned by their uncle to his sickbed. The wealthy uncle has re-wrote his will and Blackwater, who is in dire need of money, will only inherit if the three of them marry fallen women. Clarissa Astley's father has passed away recently and her uncle got custody of her little brother. She has not had news of him in months and thus, had come to London to find out what happened to him. She's worried, because if anything happens to Francis, their uncle is the one who will inherit the family fortune... Clarissa has not been staying in the best parts of London and one morning, while she was following her uncle, she runs into Blackwater. At first, Blackwater believes she is a thief and after seeing where she lives, a prostitute. She fits the criteria of his uncle and thus, Blackwater decides that she will be his fallen woman. Clarissa decides to keep up the charade as Jasper is in position to help her.

I've seen Ms Feather books on the shelves for years and finally decided to give her a try.  The story is nothing new, but it could have been very entertaining.However, I found myself a bit disappointed.I don't know, I think there was a lack of chemistry between Jasper and Clarissa. I don't really get why Jasper set his eyes on Clarissa. She was a bit different than the other women he is used to, as in she didn't bow to him because he was a duke, but otherwise? Why go to the trouble for her? I also didn't get why Clarissa went through this whole charade. Clarissa is from a good family, but when she comes to London, she finds lodging in a brothel ^_^; Jasper follows her to her lodging house and assumes she is a prostitute and strikes a deal with the Mama of the house for an exclusive relationship with her. Huh? It's one thing to find reside in a brothel, but another to let herself talk into being someone's mistress! I don't know, Rushed to the Altar just didn't do it for me ^_^; Hard to believe story, no chemistry and the ending at the end, well I just didn't believe in it.



7) Money, Honey by Susan Sey: B
Upcoming review.


8) The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg: B


9) Demon Blood by Meljean Brook: B++


10) Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber: B
Upcoming review. (Book obtained from Net Galley)


11) The Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger: B+
Upcoming review.


12) All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins: B
Upcoming review.

13) SOS: Convenient Husband Required by Liz Fielding: C

May Coleridge just found out that according to her grandfather's will, she must marry before she turns 30 in order to inherit the Coleridge house. Only little hick is that her birthday is in a month. If she loses the house, she'll lose her livelihood as she has turned Coleridge into a B & B. Adam Wavell has problem of his own as well. His unreliable sister has just left her daughter - a niece that he wasn't aware of - with him, evading the baby's father and a probably custody suit, to lay low. Her only advice is to contact May for help. The problem is, May and Adam had a thing when they were in high school... however, Adam was completely humiliated by May's grandfather action and her abandonment. When he finds May's circumstances, he offers his help for hers... secretly rejoicing the opportunity to take revenge and humiliate the Coleridge's name.

I read a review over at Dear Author and was intrigued. LOL, I know, I'm easy. It's pretty much a story about marriage of convenience, old high school flame and revenge. May's grandfather was a bastard and basically made life for May difficult and set out to ruin her life by not warning her about the terms of the will. Adam never knew why May broke up with him, he thought it was because of his social status and has been nursing a small grudge. Now that he has the opportunity to show everyone what he made of himself, he doesn't hesitate... and he realizes that he's never really forgotten May. She's the one who got away. So yes, pretty typical story. I don't know, this one didn't really do it for me either. I think May and Adam had chemistry, but the timeline was too short for them to truly reconnect. Add in the secondary storyline and I just thought it was developed too quickly. Also, I don't know how Adam found out the truth of what happened in the past. It just seemed out of nowhere. One final thing that bothered me was the ending. It felt a bit rushed, especially given what happened ^_^; So not the best category I've read.


14) Burning Up by Susan Andersen: B
Upcoming review. (Book obtained from Net Galley)


15) The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells: B-
Upcoming review.


16) Whisper of Sin (Burning Up) by Nalini Singh: B+
Upcoming review.


Books bought: +15
Books read: -15.25
TBR pile: -0.25

Sorry, running out of steam ^_^; Yeah, I have a negative balance LOL. Not by much, but LOL, it's negative so I'll take it. Since Whisper of Sin was a novella, one story out of four, I decided to count it as 0.25 LOL. I'm quite happy with the number and it was read steadily throughout the month. However, looking at it, it seems I have a lot of reviews in store for you guys LOL.

Review: Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

Okay, I gotta ask... Where is everyone?!?! I know, I know... I keep saying that blogland is quiet, but you have to admit it, it is! It's not just me, right? I hope everyone is enjoying the end of the summer :)

This week is going by slowly, but at least, it's almost the end. I have no plans this week-end and all my family is going to be busy... so I guess I'll just chill.

Anyway, nothing interesting going on with me LOL. So let's get on with the review :) It's over at Breezing Through and it's a buddy review of Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas with Ames. Find out what I thought of it here. Stay tuned because next week, it's going to be Love in the Afternoon :D

Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
published by St. Martin's Press in May 2010

For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters-a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges' older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat can hardly believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. But when one quarrel ends in a sudden kiss, Cat is shocked at her powerful response-and even more so when Leo proposes a dangerous liaison.

Leo must marry and produce an heir within a year to save his family home. Catherine's respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her. But to Leo, Cat is intriguing and infernally tempting, even to a man resolved never to love again. The danger Cat tried to outrun is about to separate them forever-unless two wary lovers can find a way to banish the shadows and give in to their desires.