The Escape Diaries, Life and Love on the Lamb by Juliet Rosetti

Mystery

Mazie Maguire is in prison for killing her cheating no good husband.  The only problem is ….she did not kill him.  Someone set her up with a fake tape taken with a nanny cam.  Sentenced to a life term she has been in prison for four year when a tornado gives her the chance to escape.

 I loved how Mazie channeled movie and TV programs to help her during her escape.   Even so Mazie really is not the best escape artist ever.  She stays out more by luck than skill.  It is like watching a train wreck.  You know that she should not do what she is doing but you can’t stop watching.  She goes from one bad situation to another but somehow comes out on top.

Read the Escape Diaries for a quick fun read.  There are some great characters that help Mazie.  I loved Ben Labeck (read the book for his real first name).  He is good looking, very smart and a real gentleman.  Muffin, the dog, is a real scene-stealer.  Eddie and Rico are two wonderful teenager characters.  They add a lot to the humor in the book.  But the very best side character is Magenta who wears a variety of costumes but is a true friend when you need one.

It takes awhile to find out who the bad guy really is.  The program that Mazie and friends set up to out him is great.  Mazie is free at the end of the book but not all is resolved.  According to the note at the end of the book Juliet Rosetti "is plotting new escapades for Mazie Maguire.”  Sound like there is more fun in store.

I received a free copy of The Escape Diaries from Netgalley.   You can click here to read a free sample of The Escape Diaries.

Loveswept published The Escape Diaries by Juliet Rosetti in 2012. 

Goodread Summary:

Introducing the hilarious new heroine, Mazie Maguire, in Juliet Rosetti’s irresistible debut novel that follows the outrageous adventure of a woman on the run.

Wrongly convicted of killing her philandering husband, Mazie Maguire is three years into her life sentence when fate intervenes—in the form of a tornado. Just like that, she’s on the other side of the fence, running through swamps and cornfields, big box stores and suburban subdivisions. Hoping to find out who really murdered her husband, Mazie must stay a few steps ahead of both the law and her mother-in-law, who would like nothing better than to personally administer Mazie the death penalty via lethal snickerdoodle. With the Feds in hot pursuit and the national media hyping her story, Mazie stumbles upon a vast political conspiracy and a man who might just be worth a conjugal visit—if she survives.

Semper Fidelis by Ruth Downie

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Historical Mystery

Goodreads Summary: 

Back at his post as a doctor in the Twentieth legion in Roman-occupied Britain, Ruso uncovers a new danger even closer to home than the neighboring barbarians. As mysterious injuries, and even deaths, begin to appear in the medical ledgers, it's clear that all is not well amongst the native recruits to Britannia's imperial army. Is the much- decorated Centurion Geminus preying on his weaker soldiers? And could this be related to the appearance of Emperor Hadrian? Bound by his sense of duty and ill-advised curiosity, Ruso begins to ask questions nobody wants to hear. Meanwhile his barbarian wife, Tilla, is finding out some of the answers-and marked as a security risk by the very officers Ruso is interrogating. With Hadrian's visit looming large, the fates of the legion, Tilla, and Ruso himself hang in the balance.

Ruth Downie has done it again.  Semper Fidelis is another great story in this mystery series. Just a quick warning, there are a few spoilers in my post.

If you have not read any of this series don’t start here.  Go back to book one where you first met the two main characters, Ruso and Tilla.  Russo is a depressed, unhappy person.  His father squandered all of the family money before he died and Ruso as the oldest son is the one who has to keep the family afloat.  He is doing this by serving as a doctor in the Roman Army in Britain.  Most of his pay goes to his family in Gaul.  Tilla is a native of Britain and life has not been kind to her.  In spite of everything that has happened to her she remains upbeat.  The two seem to be a real mismatch.

There is a big change in the two characters when you get to Semper Fidelis. Even though Russo and Tilla start out in a good place that changes for the worse.  They arrive at a unit where all is not as it seems.  Bad things happen to both but like previous books they work together to find the truth. Even though Russo just wants to be a doctor he is forced into investigation again.

One of the great things about this series is how Ruth Downie works the history of the Romans in Britain into the story.  I think it helps that she lives where much of the story is set and can visit the sites she writes about.  I get a real picture of life in Britain under the Romans. 

I did think I saw a foreshadowing of an event that will bring further change to the lives of Russo and Tilla.  I will just have to wait and see.

I received a ARC of Semper Fidelis from Netgalley.

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Bloomberg will release Semper Fidelis by Ruth Downie in January of 2013.

Stacking the Shelves December 29, 2012

Welcome to my Stacking The Shelves post!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews so follow the link and check out what other stacked on their shelves this week.  

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books I am adding to my shelves each week. Thank you for letting me share my excitement for my newest books. 

From Netgalley:

If you give a Rake a Ruby by Shana Galen

From Edelweiss:
 

A Bride by Moonlight by Liz Carylyle

From Amazon:

The Bad Luck Wedding Cake by Geralyn Dawson and Emily March 
Bah Humbug by Heather Horrocks
The Marriage Bargain by Sandra Edwards
The Sleeping Night  by Barbara Samuel
Just a Kiss Away by Jill Barnett

	Just A Kiss Away	Barnett, Jill	December 24, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.


My Book Beginning this week is from The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke.  I received a free copy of the book from Angry Robot. The book is due out at the end of January.

"Many year later Cat still remembered the damp twilight on her skin and the way the dewy grass pickled and snapped beneath her bare feet as she ran up to the edge of the forest that surrounded her childhood home."

Goodreads Summary: 

The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is the heartbreaking story of the journey from childhood to adulthood, with an intriguing science fictional twist.

There’s never been anyone - or anything - quite like Finn.

He looks, and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task is to tutor Cat.

When the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world.

All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen

Steampunk Audio Book

Goodreads Summary:

"Inspired by two of the most beloved works by literary masters, "All Men of Genius "takes place in an alternate Steampunk Victorian London, where science makes the impossible possible.
Violet Adams wants to attend Illyria College, a widely renowned school for the most brilliant up-and-coming scientific minds, founded by the late Duke Illyria, the greatest scientist of the Victorian Age. The school is run by his son, Ernest, who has held to his father's policy that the small, exclusive college remain male-only. Violet sees her opportunity when her father departs for America. She disguises herself as her twin brother, Ashton, and gains entry.
But keeping the secret of her sex won't be easy, not with her friend Jack's constant habit of pulling pranks, and especially not when the duke's young ward, Cecily, starts to develop feelings for Violet's alter ego, "Ashton." Not to mention blackmail, mysterious killer automata, and the way Violet's pulse quickens whenever the young duke, Ernest (who has a secret past of his own), speaks to her. She soon realizes that it's not just keeping her secret until the end of the year faire she has to worry about: it's surviving that long."

I picked this up off of the new audio books shelf at my local library. I got a recommendation as I was checking it out.  “You will love the humor” was the comment.  They were right.  As I listened to the book I had many laugh out loud moments.  Violet, Ashton, Jack Cecily, Miriam, Drew, Toby, The Duke, and Fiona along with all of the other side characters were wonderful.

I did have to suspend disbelief when reading that Violet managed to pass as a man for an entire school year but that was part of the fun of the book.  I enjoyed the world building.  The inventions were really unique.  Look for the one that the housekeeper came up with.

In the middle of a lighthearted tale the book did deal with some serious issues in a way that did not detract from the story.  I had a lot of fun listening to All Men of Genius and was sorry when the story was over.

All Men of Genius is Lev AC Rosen’s first published book.  I hope to see more about this Victorian Steampunk world he has created.

Recorded Book published All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen in 2012.

Alien vs Alien by Gini Koch

Science Fiction/Paranormal Romance

Goodreads Summary:

Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini and the rest of the American Centaurion Diplomatic Corps are still recovering from their introduction to Washington D.C. politics, parties, and conspiracies. So when compromising pictures arrive, no one’s too surprised. They’re also the least of anyone’s worries.

Evil androids running amok, birds of all kinds and from all places creating havoc, a Senator trapped in an ever-tightening web of intrigue, and escalating international tensions all seem tough but manageable. But the disappearance of Jeff Martini and Charles Reynolds during the International One World Festival signals more than the usual nastiness — and it looks like even ACE can’t help them.

Then new trouble arrives in old packages and even with the best hackers in the world, beings from near and far, the full might of Earth’s military, and the Wonder Twins on their side, Centaurion Division’s outmanned and outgunned.

Now Kitty’s racing against the clock to find not only Jeff and Chuckie, but to keep the peace between Middle Eastern countries, all while searching for the bases of super-soldier operations — to stop them or die trying. 

“Kitty” Kat is still in the middle of the action.  There is a new threat from some new enemies, a new talent for Kitty, and no surprise some old enemies show up again.  Look for new and surprising friends, great action from some old friends, and more of those wonderful AC’s.  Once again Kitty helps save the day.

Alien vs Alien is action filled but the pace seemed a little slower than previous books.  I like that as I got to savor more of the characters.  There is less of Jeff and Chuck in this book and more of Kitty and others.  I did like that the jealousy thing seems to be settling down and maybe disappearing.  There are some new romances, some new information about what has happened in the past and a set up for future stories.  The next book is already set to come out so there are future fixes for fans of Kitty and friends.

Alien vs Alien is book six of the series.  You could start reading here but why miss all of the fun.  Start with Touched by an Alien and continue in order.  You will enjoy the books much more that way.

DAW published Alien vs Alien by Gini Koch in 2012.

Still Life with Shape-Shifter (A Shifting Circle Novel) by Sharon Shinn

Paranormal

Goodreads Summary:

For her entire life, Melanie Landon has hidden the fact that her halfsister Ann is a shapeshifter—determined to protect Ann from a world that simply wouldn’t understand.

After months of no contact, Melanie fears the worst when a man shows up on her doorstep saying he’s there about her sister. A freelance writer, Brody Westerbrook intends to include Ann in a book about the existence of shapeshifters. While Melanie is immediately drawn to the stranger, she knows revealing Ann’s secret isn’t an option.

Protecting her sister has always been such an enormous part of Melanie’s life, but when Ann finally appears looking frail and sick, Melanie must come to grips with the fact that saving her may mean letting go.

Still Life with Shape Shifter is the second book in the Shifting Circle Series.  Even though it features shape-sifters it is really a story about love, love in all of its forms.  I always call Sharon Shinn’s stories gently stories.  Don’t look for non-stop action, a lot of sex, or over the top stories.  She writes in a very down to earth style with a lot of character development that builds the story.

Several of the characters for A Shape of Desire are in Still Life.  Dante and Maria are side characters here but William is one of the main characters.  Still Life follows two women,, Janet and Melanie.  Both love a shape-shifter but in very different ways.  For the most part their lives are separate but both face loving and losing the person they love.  This is the story of how they face that impending loss.

There are other characters that play a major part in the novel.  Brody is almost too good to be true.  He meets Melanie and has to work hard to win her trust.  Melanie’s best friend, Debbie is just the kind of best friend everyone wants to have.  Janet also has friends that supply a support for her.

Each woman’s story is separate and unique but in the end they meet in a sad but true way.  There is room for future stories in this universe and I hope more are written.

ACE published Still Life with Shape-Shifter by Sharon Shinn in 2012.

Fun Christmas Stories

Did you get gift cards for Christmas?  If you haven't had your fill of Christmas Stories here are some others to put in you stocking today.

Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley - This one is great novella for anyone who has been reading the Mackenzie Family books.  The story features all of the Mackenzie brothers and their wives.  I loved it because Ian was featured more than any other.  There were also characters that may be featured in future books.  I though I saw foreshadowing for at least two new books.

One Snowy Night Before Christmas by Pamela Fryer - This one was free on Amazon.  It turned out to be a really sweet Christmas story.  I loved both of the main characters and was pulling for them both.  Then there was Santa Claus.  If you don't believe before the story you will after you finish it.

Five Golden Rings: A Christmas Collection by Sophie Barnes, Karen Erickson, Rena Gregory, Sandra Jones, and Vivienne Lorette - This is a collection of five stories set at Christmas.  Each is set in a different time and I enjoyed each one.  

The Final Battle, Betrayed by Graham Sharp Paul

Hope everyone is ready of Christmas.  I have finished everything and am spending the day reading.

The Final Battle, Betrayed,  Helfort's War Book V by Graham Sharp Paul

Military Science Fiction

From Amazon:

Cowed into appeasement by the threat to destroy their home planets with antimatter warheads, the Federated Worlds are a spent force. Only a ragtag rebel army stands between the Hammer of Kraa and total victory. The consequences of that triumph are too terrible to contemplate. Thousands of worlds will be subjugated, millions murdered, and billions enslaved by an empire spanning hundreds of light years, an empire fuelled by blood, an empire built on the bones of its enemies. The rebels need help; without it, they too face annihilation. And their time is running out, fast. Michael Helfort?s mission is simple: persuade the reluctant Feds to give the rebels the support they need to defeat the Hammer of Kraa. And, with the future of all of humanspace at stake, he cannot fail. But when Michael is betrayed by those he trusts most . . 

I have been reading the Military Science Fiction series from the beginning.  When I got this one I was surprised by the book.  It is not a trade paperback like the previous four.  When I check the published I saw that none was listed.  Seeing that I realized that it was self-published.  I could not find anything to confirm what I decided but it looks like this is another series that the publisher canceled with only one book left.  Today when this happens an author can self-publish and let his readers finish the series.  

This one lives up to the previous books.  Full of surprises,  action, and good characters it is a good finish to the series.  Thanks Graham Sharl Paul of writing and publishing the last book in this series

The Final Battle by Graham Sharp Paul was published in 2012.

Andromeda’s Fall by William Dietz

Military Science Fiction

Goodreads Summary:

The roots of the Legion of the Damned lie deep within the mythology of the future. But now, national bestselling author William C. Dietz goes back to the Legion’s early days with the story of one recruit’s rebirth and redemption…

Hundreds of years in the future, much has changed. Advances in medicine, technology, and science abound. Humanity has gone to the stars, found alien life, and established an empire.

But some things never change...

All her life, Lady Catherine Carletto (called Cat) has lived for nothing but the next party, the next lover, the next expensive toy. Until, in a bloodthirsty power grab, Imperial Princess Ophelia and her cadre of synth assassins murder her brother the emperor, and go on to purge the galaxy of his friends and supporters—including Cat’s family. The Carlettos are known to be staunch supporters of the Emperor and Carletto Industries has been in the forefront of his pet project—developing cybernetic technology for use by the masses.

Now Cat, one of the last surviving Carlettos, is on the run. And, like countless others before her, she finds her sanctuary among the most dangerous of society’s misfits.

Welcome to the Legion.

Cat Carletto vanishes, and in her place stands Legion recruit Andromeda McKee. A woman with a mission—to bring down Empress Ophelia—or die trying.

I want to start this by saying a big thank you to the publisher and the cover artist.  Finally, finally, finally a female military science fiction main character who does not appear on the cover wearing a tank top and holding a big gun.  Cat does have a big gun but she is dressed in body armor looking like she could survive a battle without losing a lot of skin,  This is how a military character should look.

In Andromeda’s Fall William Dietz has written is a classic Military Science Fiction novel.  He has gone back to his Legion of the Dammed universe, in fact he has gone way back to the beginning of that universe to start what looks like a new series of stories.  This time the main character is a member of the ruling family that is marked for death when the Emperor is killed by his sister.  Cat’s uncle warns her allowing her to escape and join the Legion.  From there expect a plot filled with non-stop action, many unexpected twists, and great characters.  Cat or McKee as she becomes find she has strength's she did not know she possesses.  She is one of those people who thrive in adversity making her a great fit for the Legion.  As Andromeda's Fall ends there is  a lot of room for future stories.  I am looking forward to seeing more of Cat and more stories set in this part of the Legion of the Dammed Universe.

Ace published Andromeda’s Fall by William Dietz in 2012.

Stacking the Shelves December 22, 2012

Welcome to my Stacking The Shelves post!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews so follow the link and check out what other stacked on their shelves this week.  

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books I am adding to my shelves each week. Thank you for letting me share my excitement for my newest books.  

From Amazon Free:

One Snowy Night Before Christmas by Pamela Fryer
Lichgates by S.M. Boyce 
To Love a Thief by Darcy Burke

From Amazon Purchased: 
 
Renegade by Nancy Northcott
Mackenzie Family Christmas: The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley 

 From Netgalley:

The Importance of Being Wicked by Victoria Alexander
Double Enchantment by Katheryne Kennedy


Free From Barnes and Noble:

Inappropriate Thoughts by Ian Dalton
The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter  
From Notting Hill With Love by Ali McNamara   


 

Book Beginning on Fridays, December 19, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include  include the title and author so others know what you're reading.


I have two books beginnings this week.  The two books are Blackout by Connie Willis and All Clear by Connie Willis.  They are really one book divided  and published as two.  The combination won the Hugo Award in 2010.  Blackout was the pick for our Science Fiction Book Club this month.  While everyone liked the story they were upset when the book just stopped.  A common thought was that the book could have been edited down to about half its length.  I immediately checked out the next book and felt that it too could have been edited enough to allow one book instead of two.  Here is the beginning of both books.  Some other thoughts will follow.

Blackout - "Colin tried the door, but it was locked."
All Clear - By noon Michael and Merope still hadn't returned from stepney and Poll was beginning to get really worrked."

I know why this won the Hugo.  This is a story that really has stayed with me.  There is so much going on and while I expected some of the ending part of it left me feeling sad.   If you are a Science Fiction fan and like Time Travel novels you should read these two.  Just expect it to take awhile as both are long novels.

That Night by Diane Dooley

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Contemporary Romance Novella 

I have read and reviewed Diane Dooley’s Science Fiction Romance stories and enjoyed them all.  I knew she could write and tell a good story.  When she asked if I would like a copy of her contemporary romance novella, That Night, I said yes.

That Night is the story of what can happen when a one night stand is not enough for one of the parties.  Lindy has a rule, no dating a co-worker but she breaks it one night when she has too much champagne.  Her way of coping is to play like nothing happened.  Alex has different ideas.  He bides his time until both are snowed in a remote cabin just before Christmas.  Then he begins his attack.  What follows is fun and entertaining.  I said Diane Dooley could write and while I would have preferred another SFR I really enjoyed That Night.  

That Night is only 44 pages but it manages to tell the complete story of two people who need to give their relationship a chance.  Pick it up for a good entertaining short read.  That Night is an ebook.

Wild Rose Press published That Night by Diane Dooley in 2012.

Goodreads Summary:

Lindy Hopkins works early, works late, always gets the job done and never, ever has incredible one night stands with handsome coworkers. Until that night. But it's okay. She's just going to keep on pretending that it never happened.

Alex Anderson never imagined that buttoned-down workaholic Lindy had the ability to transform into a table-dancing, champagne-guzzling femme fatale. Until that night. And it's not okay that she's been giving him the coldest of shoulders ever since.
Neither are prepared to face the other, but they have no choice. They've each booked the company Catskill cabin for a few days before Christmas and are both too stubborn to budge. Over mulled wine and under a blanket of snow, it's starting to look like that night might happen all over again. But this time Alex is playing for keeps, while Lindy is determined that no man will come before her career. Will they find that love is forever or will it be just another night to remember

A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn MacNamara

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Historical Romance

Goodreads summary:

In Ashlyn Macnamara’s stunning romance debut—perfect for fans of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sabrina Jeffries—two childhood friends in Regency England discover love with the most unlikely of partners: each other.
After watching her beloved sister Sophia pine over the ton’s Golden Boy for years, Miss Julia St. Claire has foresworn love and put herself firmly on the shelf. Unfortunately, her social-climbing mother and debt-ridden father have other ideas, and jump at the chance to marry Julia off to the newly-named Earl of Clivesden…the man of Sophia’s dreams.

Since resigning his Cavalry commission, Benedict Revelstoke has spent his time in London avoiding the marriage mart. But when he discovers that the Earl of Clivesden has set Julia in his sights, Benedict tries to protect his childhood best friend from the man’s advances—only to discover more than friendship driving his desire to defend her. He surprises them both with the force of his feelings, but when she refuses him and her father announces her betrothal, he fears he’s lost her forever—until Julia approaches him with a shocking scheme that will ruin her for all respectable society…

…and lead them into an exquisite world of forbidden pleasures.

This book is unusual in that there are two sisters and instead of each getting their own book A Most Scandalous Proposal tells both stories.

Characters:  I wanted to shake Sophie.  It was apparent that she was wasting her time hoping that Clivesden would notice her.  Clivesden was a real heel, not worth anyone’s trouble.  Julia just would not listen to her own heart.  Benedict had been Julia’s friend since childhood.  He was almost too good to be true.  The Earl of Highgate is wounded one who is perfect for Sophie.  I did feel that putting the two stories in one book resulted in less character development for Benedict and Highgate.  The secondary characters were well drawn but did make some quick changes that did not ring true.

Plot:  The plot was good.  It used some tried and true devices.  There is a Father that gambles and looses too much. There is a misunderstood Earl who is only now coming back into society.  Of course there is a duel, just get one of the heroes shot so that someone realized they really do love him.  They all are needed to move the story and they work, but it does keep the story from being as original as it might have been.

Tension:  The tension does build over the course of the story.  I did keep wondering how some things were going to be accomplished. 

Writing:  The writing style is very good.  This is a first published book for this author and she shows great promise.

Ballentine will publish A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn MacNamara in 2013.

I received an ARC of A Most Scandalous Proposal from Edelweiss.

Teaser Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser today is from Debris Dreams by David Colby.  (I received a copy for Netgalley.)  I just started the book and so far I am enjoying the story.  There is a lot of background at the beginning.  It is so well written that everything blends smoothly into the story.  Here are the two sentences I choose as my teaser:

"I remember crying endlessly when they had been taken away on a shuttle, taken away to work on an Elevator they said would take a decade to finish."  (Talking about her parents.)

"I'd learn to live with it, to see it as something to hope for and hate in equal measures." 
 
Goodreads Summary:

2068
1.5 million kilometers above the surface of the Earth

Drusilla Xao has only seen a tree in movies and vid-games. She has never breathed air that wasn’t recycled, re-filtered, and re-used a hundred times over again. She has never set foot on the Earth.

And now she never will.

When a terrorist attack by a radical separatist group on Luna destroys the space elevator that had called so many – including her parents – to live permanently in space, Dru is cut off from any hope of ever reaching Earth and her beloved girlfriend, Sarah. The Chinese-American Alliance declares immediate war on the rebels and conscripts everyone they can get their hands on…including Dru.

Cast adrift, forced to become a soldier, trapped in a nightmare of vacuum and loneliness, Dru’s training will help her survive, but only Sarah will be able to bring her home 

Musing Mondays (Dec.17)

This week’s musing – courtesy of http://www.kwizgiver.com - asks…
Is there a particular book that is your nemesis–the book you’re determined to one day finish?
I can't think of one.  There are books I have never started but think I should take the time to read.  Most are biographies.  It seems there are more fun fiction books that I would rather read so I do.  

Lord Stillwell’s Excellent Engagements by Victoria Alexander

Historical Romance

As I found out at the end of this novella Lord Stillwell decided he was more than a secondary character in Victoria Alexander’s novels.  He showed up in her study demanding a book of his own.  To quote the author “I knew the man wasn’t going to leave me alone until I gave him what he wanted.  But I will make him earn that happy ending.  It won’t be easy for either of us.”

Lord Stillwell’s Excellent Engagements is a prequel in novella form to “The Importance of Being Wicked”  It tells the story of Lord Stillwell’s three previous engagements and why they failed.  Part of the tale we learn from letters written to Stillwell’s cousin Grey in America and part in story form.  This is a great background for what is to come.  The story drops off at the end of the last engagement and before the start of the full length book Lord Stillwell demanded from the author.  After reading the novella I am anxious for the book.

With that enough is said.

Kensington Books published Lord Stillwell’s Excellent Engagements by Victoria Alexander in 2012.

I recieved an ARC of Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements from NetGalley.

Goodreads Summary:.

In an enchanting novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander, eligible viscount Winfield Elliott searches for a bride and discovers that love may be lovelier the second—or even third—time around…

ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN…

Some say I do not take my engagements seriously. Nonsense. What man with no interest in marriage would find himself proposing not once, but three times? And each time, I’ve felt certain that this, at last, is the absolutely, positively, perfect woman.

Miss Felicia Whitingdon, for instance, has youth, beauty, style, grace—and a handsome fortune. Lady Lucille Eustice is a widow of impeccable social standing, and a balm to my soul. Then there is Miss Caroline Hibbit, sweet and charming in every way. Any one of these intoxicating treasures could make a man happy. Any one of them could be an ideal wife. But which—if any of them—will it be?

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover, The Second Rule of Scoundrels by Sarah MacLean

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Historical Romance

Goodreads Summary:

The second in the incredible new Rules of Scoundrels series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean. Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.

Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion - the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting . . . and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts - and giving the lady precisely what she wants.
 

I have to admit I loved One Good Earl Deserves a Lover.  This is the second book in the series.  I have not read book one but can tell you that book 2 has not trouble standing alone. Philippa Marbury is a really fun character.  You can count on her doing the wrong thing and it turning out right for her and for Cross.  Cross on the other hand was a bit of a disappointment.  I did not find his reason for dropping out of society that good.  I loved the tension in the book and everything that Philippa did to save Cross even as he though he had to save her.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Avon will publish One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean in 2013.
 

I received a ARC of One Good Earl Deserves a Lover from Edelweiss.

Stacking the Shelver December 15, 2012

Welcome to my Stacking The Shelves post!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews so follow the link and check out what other stacked on their shelves this week.  

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books I am adding to my shelves each week. Thank you for letting me share my excitement for my newest books.  

From Barnes and Noble:
 
Andromeda's Fall by William C. Dietz
Tyrant Trouble by Phoebe Matthews

Free from The Quillary:

Crooked Fang by Carrie Clevenger

Free From the Author:

That Night by Diane Dooley

From Amazon: 
Five Golden Rings by Sophie Barnes, Karen Erickson, Rena Gregory, Sandra Jones, Vivienne Lorret
The Pilot  by Diane Burton 
Chocolate Kisses  by Judith Arnold
The Last Dollar by Maryann Miller
When We Touch by Brenda Novak