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R4: SSS Bookies (4)

Roll 7 - Spot 37
(Book 7 in a series)
Read:

Finished: 9/24/14
Series: Women's Murder Club #7
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
OK, I'm hooked! I really like this series. I love the characters especially the women in the Murder Club, Lindsay, Clair, Cindy and Yuki. I was surprise about Lindsay's love-triangle with Joe and Rich. But that's what happens when you read the series out of order.
Current Spot: 37
Read:
Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding (Dreg City #3)
Finished: 24 September 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
Nonstop action and raw emotion make the third part of this series another thrilling pageturner. The Triads' raid on a science lab filled with horrifying hybrid creatures comes back to haunt Evy, once again thought dead by all but a few, as its creator, aruthless scientist obsessed with the idea of finding an antidote to vampirism wants her as a test subject for his experiments and won't hesitate to harm her loved ones to get her. Meanwhile we also get a few closer looks into her past through several flashbacks to different pre-series events. Kelly Meding never fails to deliver a gripping read!
Read:

Finished: 24 September 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
Nonstop action and raw emotion make the third part of this series another thrilling pageturner. The Triads' raid on a science lab filled with horrifying hybrid creatures comes back to haunt Evy, once again thought dead by all but a few, as its creator, aruthless scientist obsessed with the idea of finding an antidote to vampirism wants her as a test subject for his experiments and won't hesitate to harm her loved ones to get her. Meanwhile we also get a few closer looks into her past through several flashbacks to different pre-series events. Kelly Meding never fails to deliver a gripping read!

Alternative: Pink Cover

Rating: 5 Stars
Finished: 9/23/14
I’m a huge fan of Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series, so when I heard that she was going to be releasing a New Adult Contemporary Romance, I was stoked. I immediately added it to my TBR on Goodreads and waited impatiently for it to come out. Then I was approached to read an ARC of the book for review and I jumped at the chance. I had a feeling I was going to love this book and I was right. I connected with these characters immediately. I loved Anna from the moment we met her. She is exactly what I love in a character, strong, vulnerable, stubborn and smart. I loved the way her and Drew interacted, the witty remarks that weren’t just quick comebacks, but some really smart, thought out discussions. They played off each other so well.
Drew is so amazing. I am not usually into the really nice guy. For me, I always need a little more…a little jerk, I guess you could say. I don’t necessarily need it in the books I read, but definitely in real life. But Drew is a nice guy that I would totally date in real life…if he was either a little older or I was a little younger. There is something about his confidence, not only in himself, but in Anna. He sees her in a way that no one else has, not even Anna. Their journey was amazing to be a part of and I loved how it all progressed. There were some interesting moments of drama that I wasn’t expecting, that really worked for the characters and the story.
And at this point, I don’t think I’ve even mentioned the chemistry between these two. It is beyond off the charts. The way they connect with each and where they take each other. Hot damn. I’m pretty sure my Kindle almost melted and I’m really glad that I didn’t continue trying to read this book at work. It made me blush for sure and that is not an easy thing to do. With every scene, I really, really wished I had my own Drew.
I loved Kristen’s use of football and what comes along with being a football star. The cast of characters that make up Drew’s team are so great. I cannot wait to see who else, besides his best friend Gray, we get to see in future books. I’m really looking forward to Gray’s story. I really enjoyed the epilogue to The Hook Up. It was the perfect ending for these two strong, fantastic people, but I really hope we see more of Drew and Anna in Gray’s book.

Options
~Book 4 in a series
~Book 1 in a series
~Book 41 in a series
~a Stand Alone book
~a book with a beach on the cover
I don't have all that many #4s coming up at the moment, so I'll save the last one on my September TBR for the Sunday roll and go with a #1: reading
.


Read: The Family Way
Finished: 9/25
Rate: ****
Review: This is one of the shorter, older books written by Jayne Ann Krentz under the name Stephanie James. The girl gets pregnant, but wants the guy to marry her for love. She gives him an ultimatum, marry me or I am leaving. She leaves. He finds the bill from the clinic and goes after her. They get married, she finds out he knew, and then they start dealing with old secrets and family drama. Very typical JAK. He is such an alpha male, but she is just independant enough to make a couple decision and gets him to compromise every once in a while. I always enjoy reading stories about the extremely protective and a bit possesive men. If that's what you like, then this is a nice, quick romance to enjoy.

(Book 4 in a series)
Read:

Finished: 9/26/14
Series: Love at Stake #4
Rating: ★★★
Review:
Jean-Luc is honor-bond to protect Heather Westfield and her family. After she saves him from an old enemy from his past. And the Love Story begins..... Can Jean-Luc earn the trust needed to win her heart? Of course, the gang from MacKay Security and Investigation are there also to help protect Heaher. The book brings us into the fashion world and we learn a into more about the vampires and their families. Fast Read, Nice Story.
Current Spot: 41
Read:
Charming by Elliott James (Pax Arcana #1)
Finished: 27 September 2014
Rating: *****
Review:
Action, mythology, humour, secret societies, a gripping plot that kept me hooked right from the start, a protagonist with an attitude you just gotta love, a great cast of characters all around - a brilliant debut from a promising new voice in the Urban Fantasy genre. Can't wait to explore this fun new universe further in the next book!
Read:

Finished: 27 September 2014
Rating: *****
Review:
Action, mythology, humour, secret societies, a gripping plot that kept me hooked right from the start, a protagonist with an attitude you just gotta love, a great cast of characters all around - a brilliant debut from a promising new voice in the Urban Fantasy genre. Can't wait to explore this fun new universe further in the next book!


Rating: 3 Stars
Finished: 9/26/14
This was a pretty good story. It was my first with a rugby player as the main character. I would have preferred a little more rugby action, although I understand why the first half was rugbyless since Spencer was on break. I really like Spencer. He was so great with his grandpa and with Caitlyn.
Caitlyn was a little bit boring to me. I didn't really connect with her, but I did enjoy what she did for a living. That was definitely new for me. I also liked her with Spencer, for the most part. She had some issues from her past that had really shaped who she was and those took some getting used to and I didn't really like how that had her reacting to Spencer. The drama was predictable and a bit annoying.
I will definitely read the other books in this series. I'm looking forward to reading Liam's book. I liked him in this one and I hope he find's someone better than that horrible chick Megan.

Options
~Book 4 in a series
~Book 44 in a series
~a book with a red cover (must be at least 50% red)
Current Spot: 44
Read:
The Prince of Darkness by Jean Plaidy (Plantagenet Saga #4)
Finished: 30 September 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
Upon the death of Richard I, called the Lionheart, his younger brother John (known for various lovely things such as being the über-villain in a lot of Robin Hood stories and trying to usurp his brother's throne pre-ascension to the throne and losing most of the British possessions in France, signing away a significant amount of his power through the Magna Carta, losing the crown jewels, quite possibly having murdered his nephew and generally being a horrid person all around) becomes king. Accomplished historical novelist Jean Plaidy chronicles his reign from John's own POV, but also various others such as his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, his wife Isabella, William Marshal and more to present a complex, engaging story without feeling the need to make her characters any more likable than historical facts suggest. A good read as always!
Read:

Finished: 30 September 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
Upon the death of Richard I, called the Lionheart, his younger brother John (known for various lovely things such as being the über-villain in a lot of Robin Hood stories and trying to usurp his brother's throne pre-ascension to the throne and losing most of the British possessions in France, signing away a significant amount of his power through the Magna Carta, losing the crown jewels, quite possibly having murdered his nephew and generally being a horrid person all around) becomes king. Accomplished historical novelist Jean Plaidy chronicles his reign from John's own POV, but also various others such as his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine, his wife Isabella, William Marshal and more to present a complex, engaging story without feeling the need to make her characters any more likable than historical facts suggest. A good read as always!

Read:

Finished: 9/30/14
Rate: *****
Review: Yay Linda Howard! Okay, so I like to read about pushy men. They are decisive, and they aren't afraid to go and get it. I am sure in real life, it would be annoying and/or creepy. Oh well. This isn't real life. The hero is pushy, aggressive, possessive, and arrogant. He also has some PTSD, which makes him a little less...perfect isn't right, manly isn't right either, but moving on. In this story, the heroin tries to be strong, but she just can't fight the physical side of things that are scary intense for her. I imagine some readers might dislike her lack of backbone there, but it doesn't bother me. I love the ending of this book. The hero has a hard time showing vulnerable emotions, but at the end, the dame breaks, and you see him finally express what he really wants/needs and your hearts melts and softens for him. Well, at least me anyway. This is one of my favorites.

Book 4 in a series

Rating: 4 Stars
Finished: 9/30/14
Holy crap are Brent and Hayden hot together. After reading Officer Off Limits, I knew it was coming, but it was even better than I expected. They played off each other so well and the tension between them was strong. I wasn’t sure about the drama because it seemed a little too obvious, but it still worked for them. Misunderstandings and money always get in the way. I can’t believe how horrible Hayden’s mother was. I really wish someone would have smacked her around and put her in her place.
Matt’s story is next and I just know it’s going to be amazing. How could it not, with all that quiet, controlled, hotness? I love this series and I am so glad that it just got better and better after the first book. I am definitely a Tessa Bailey fan. She knows how to set a Kindle on fire while creating meaningful, heartfelt relationships. I cannot wait for more.

(Book 4 in a series)
Read:

Finished: (10/2/14)
Series: Nora Gavin #4
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
Cormac & Nora are back on the recovery team for another ancient bog man. But this time, with the body of a modern time Dublin TV host. What's the connection to the past and modern times? Could it be The Book of Killowen? An ancient book where the past and present men may have been killed because of it. I loved the twists and turns in the plot. It was great how the author could mix Irish folklore with history and science. That's what made it so intriguing. There were some really interesting characters in this book. A really good mystery.

Options
~Book 5 in a series
~Book 50 in a series
~A stand alone book
~a book set in Texas

Read:

Finished: 10/2/14
Rate:****
Review:
If you ever wanted to read a story where Merlin was an alien wizard who turned Arthur and his knights into champion vampires while their women became witch/magi, who need each other to survive. This is a fun, rather sexual, series with dragons and gods/goddesses and demons and magic and fairies and werewolves(actually called Direwolves). There are battles as well as love as well as fun/cheesy/naughty dialogue. You need to read the whole series in order at least once, but after that, you can pick and choose your favorite stories to read whenever you need a sexy hero.

(a book set in Texas)
I'll be reading

Set in El Paso, TX
Current Spot: 50
Read:
Ghost in the Stone by Jonathan Moeller (Ghosts #5)
Finished: 03 October 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
Her fifth adventure takes Caina to the city of Cyrioch to protect Lord Corbould, the Lord Governor of Marsis who is there for a visit, from assassination. Along with Theodosia in whose entourage she travels, she faces Kindred assassins, a plot to start a war, a sorcerer turning people to stone - and Sicarion, who turns up as well. Then there is the renegade Kindred assassin who keeps crossing paths with her... and the spirit of the Moroaica which was trapped in Caina and continues to haunt her. An engaging, enjoyable read as always. In addition to the action-filled plot, it was also great to see Caina get a love interest - looking forward to seeing where that story thread goes in the next book!
Read:

Finished: 03 October 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
Her fifth adventure takes Caina to the city of Cyrioch to protect Lord Corbould, the Lord Governor of Marsis who is there for a visit, from assassination. Along with Theodosia in whose entourage she travels, she faces Kindred assassins, a plot to start a war, a sorcerer turning people to stone - and Sicarion, who turns up as well. Then there is the renegade Kindred assassin who keeps crossing paths with her... and the spirit of the Moroaica which was trapped in Caina and continues to haunt her. An engaging, enjoyable read as always. In addition to the action-filled plot, it was also great to see Caina get a love interest - looking forward to seeing where that story thread goes in the next book!

(a book set in Texas)
Read:

Finished: 10/4/14
Alternative: Set in Texas
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
Wow! Great Book!
I loved it. Set in El Paso, Texas where Reba, a reporter for a local magazine was trying to interview Elsie of "Elsie's German Bakery" for a feel-good Christmas Story. As Reba was asking questions it took Elsie back to a dark time in her life. In 1945 during a horrible time in her country's history. How do your survive and still follow your conscience? It was thought-provoking as well as heartbreaking. A blend of present-day and the past, the border patrols of Texas and the close borders of Germany. An excellent Story!

Stand Alone

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Finished: 10/4/14
I really wanted this book to knock my socks off the way Once is Never Enough did. This book was sweet and a fun read, but it was lacking that something that would usually make me really root for Jeff and Darcy. When they were apart, I wasn't as convinced that they needed to be together, but when they were together, that's all I wanted. I think part of the problem was that neither of them was being 100% truthful with each other or themselves.
There was a lack of communication that got really frustrating. I wanted to reach into the book and shake them both, hoping that it would knock some sense in to them. There was a definite chemistry between Darcy and Jeff. Their time in Vegas was really sweet and the time that they spent getting to know each other once she moved to LA. I would have liked to actually see more moments of them getting to know each other instead of just hearing about it. And I really would have liked more time once they decided that they really did love each other and want to be together. The ending was like a hallmark movie and was not as satisfying as I would have liked even though it gave me the warm fuzzies.
I will definitely check out more by Mira Lynn Kelly. I have a couple more of her books waiting in the wings already.

Options
~Book 5 in a series
~Book 3 in a series
~Book 53 in a series
~a book off of the fun shelf

Read:

Finished: 10/7
Rate:****
Review: Katie MacAlister is another off favorite authors. This is the second in the series where Aisling Grey has to figure out how to be a demon Lord to one demon, a guardian and a wyvern's mate. She is quirky and spunky and fun to read about as she goes through all of her troubles. He isn't my favorite hero, but that's okay. Effrijim, her demon, is all kinds of fun with his sarcasm and snarky comments.

Fun Shelf

Rating: 5 Stars
Finished: 10/5/14
I absolutely loved this story when I read it from Avery's POV and it was equally as great from Cam's POV. That man is so amazing. There's a reason he's been on my book boyfriend list for over a year. I loved watching his persistence from his side of the situation. It was even more endearing and adorable.
I'm ready to continue on in the series now. I'm actually even more excited to read Theresa and Jace's story now that I've seen things about them from Cam's POV.
Current Spot: 53
Read:
Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells (Sabina Kane #5)
Finished: 07 October 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
The conclusion to this great UF series takes Sabina and friends to Italy with the aim of hunting down Cain to avenge her sister's death. Before taking the fight to him, they must try to find the elusive mage Abel, who they hope will give them the edge they need to defeat Cain. Abel's true identity, however, proves to be quite the unexpected twist. Sabina has come a long way from the cold and lonely assassin persona we met in the first book - here we get to see how deep her connection with Adam, Giguhl and the rest has become and how she can finally embrace all of herself. A satisfying finale for an enjoyable series - loved the ending a lot.
Read:

Finished: 07 October 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
The conclusion to this great UF series takes Sabina and friends to Italy with the aim of hunting down Cain to avenge her sister's death. Before taking the fight to him, they must try to find the elusive mage Abel, who they hope will give them the edge they need to defeat Cain. Abel's true identity, however, proves to be quite the unexpected twist. Sabina has come a long way from the cold and lonely assassin persona we met in the first book - here we get to see how deep her connection with Adam, Giguhl and the rest has become and how she can finally embrace all of herself. A satisfying finale for an enjoyable series - loved the ending a lot.

(a book off of the fun shelf)
Read:

Finished: 10/8/14
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
A inspiring book which reminds one not to get up on your dreams. As Santiago is going forward on his journey. He's meeting people that he's learns some very valuable lessons. The story also reminds me of the book, The Little Prince and his journey of lessons. I heard that a movie maybe in the works. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :)

Options
~Book 5 in a series
~Book 7 in a series
~Book 57 in a series
~a book set in England


Finished: 10/10
Rated: ***
Review:
Ruth Ann Nordin writes some sweet little stories. They aren't anything amazing or special. I enjoyed reading them once and there is one I've read a couple times ( this isn't the one). There was a misunderstanding, and they were caught in a compromising situation. Her father happily demands that they marry. Bride and groom are both angry. He is angry because he thinks she is conniving, and she is angry because of how he treats her. They get to know each other better through a various smallish events, and by the end of the story, everything is good. I wish they could have had a happy ending for the friend, but alas, I do not see his name in subsequent books in this "series".
Current Spot: 57
Read:
The Battle of the Queens by Jean Plaidy (Plantagenet Saga #5)
Finished: 11 October 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
The fifth book in the Plantagenet Saga concentrates on the titular behind-the-scenes battle between English queen Isabella of Angoulême, mother of young king Henry III, and Blanche of Castile, Queen of France. Through the stories of these two strong but very different women who hated each other from their very first meeting and the stories of those surrounding them, Jean Plaidy once again skillfully brings a piece of history alive. Another compulsively readable novel from this great author which I enjoyed very much.
Read:

Finished: 11 October 2014
Rating: ****
Review:
The fifth book in the Plantagenet Saga concentrates on the titular behind-the-scenes battle between English queen Isabella of Angoulême, mother of young king Henry III, and Blanche of Castile, Queen of France. Through the stories of these two strong but very different women who hated each other from their very first meeting and the stories of those surrounding them, Jean Plaidy once again skillfully brings a piece of history alive. Another compulsively readable novel from this great author which I enjoyed very much.


Book 5 in a series

Rating: 4 Stars
Finished: 10/11/14
I'll post my full review when I write it, but here's my short and sweet one.
This series just keeps getting better and better. I really liked Holly and Will when we met them in other books, but together, in their own book was even better than I expected. Their situation was amped up considerably and I couldn't put the book down. I love this series and I can't wait for more.

(a book set in England)
Read:

Finished: 10/11/14
Rating: 3.5 ★★★
Review:
Seven years has passed and Mina is remembering what really happened with her encounter with Dracula. Nobody knows about her secret journals till now. Wow! a good re-telling. Suspenseful, lustful, and a big surprise at the end. A Quick Read!

Options
~Book 5 in a series
~Book 8 in a series
~Book 58 in a series
~a book with a black cover
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Books mentioned in this topic
A Case of Possession (other topics)2nd Chance (other topics)
Flash (other topics)
A Case of Possession (other topics)
If He's Dangerous (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
K.J. Charles (other topics)Camilla Chafer (other topics)
Jean Plaidy (other topics)
Linda Robertson (other topics)
Rob Thurman (other topics)
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Pink cover
Read :
Finished : Sept 22
Rating : ****
Review :
This series is a lot of fun. If you do not enjoy some sexual humor, then I would suggest you find something else. But if you do, it is a cute, fun love story about deadly paranormal/otherworldly problems for a Gaurdian of an immortal goblet and a man who is trying to save himself and his brother. The supporting characters are fun too, which encourages the reader to finish the series. I fall a little bit in love with the hero every time I read it.