Monday, September 30, 2013

Musing Mondays September 30, 2013

Musing Mondays (http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/) asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
MusingMondays5• Describe one of your reading habits. • 
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

 I just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I am a sucker for a contest.  If I see a blog post that says leave a comment for a change to win a prize, I leave a comment.  I love Rafflecopter and always enter at least once.  Sometimes I win. Sometimes I get the prize I won.  Sometimes I don't.  When they tell me I have won and they need my address I always sent it by return email.  This muse came about because I got one of those emails several weeks ago.  It was a blog hop put on by quite a few authors.   I have yet to get the prize.  Has this happened to any of you or do you just skip the contest?

 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

What Else I Read in September 2013

One day early but current:

The Shy Bride by Lucy Monroe - This was a free offering from the author.  I loved the story.  Cass was a wonderful character and Neo is just the right match for her.  It is a very sweet love story.

Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr - I have been reading the Virgin River Novels.  I have not read in order.  This is Luke and Shelby's story and it is a good one.  It also features two other couples who are still getting together.  After this I have one book to go - Second Chance Pass. 

A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr
How to Date a Dragon by Ashlyn Chase
The Man From Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller
Lighthouse Island by Paulett Jiles
To Make a Match  by Liana LeFey
Love and Other Scandals  by Caroline Linden

Audio Books:

There's Nothing to Be Afraid Of by Marcia Muller
Looking for Yesterday  by Marcia Muller
  

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Stacking the Shelves September 24, 2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I am adding to my shelves. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves.

From Amazon Vine:

Unforgiven  by B. J. Daniels

From the Library:

One Heart to Win  by Johanna Lindsey
Range of Ghosts (audio book) by Elizabeth Bear

From Author for Review:

A Cadence Creek Christmas by Donna Alward

From Netgalley:

A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway
A Study in Silk by Emma Jane Holloway
Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach
Dating a Cougar by Donna McDonald
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie





















 

Friday, September 27, 2013

Ice Red (Once Upon a Red World #1) by Jael Wye


Ice Red (Once Upon a Red World, #1) Science Fiction Romance

 What Goodreads says:

"Mirror, mirror, full of stars,
Who will claim the throne of Mars?

The princess: Engineer Bianca Ross, heir to a megacorporation and the Mars elevator, needs to acquire a mine on the surface to secure her place in the company. All that stands in her way is the mine's charming owner, Cesare Chan.

The evil stepmother: Victoria Ross is plotting to gain control of Mars. She plans to assassinate Bianca and seduce Cesare to further her goals, and Bianca's trip is the perfect opportunity.

The charming prince: Cesare shouldn't get involved. Bianca's visit could reveal the escaped slaves he's hiding at his mine, but he can't ignore a damsel in distress—especially one as beautiful as Bianca.

Alone, neither would stand a chance against Victoria. But together, they could rewrite a tale that's meant to end with Bianca's blood."


This is a fun Science Fiction Romance set on Mars. 


Worldbuilding:  The story did not need much.  Most of the action is set on Mars and we all know what the surface is like.  There is mention of how humans are surviving as they change the surface of the planet. A little is told about the Space Elevator and what is happening in the rest of the Solar System.  


Characters:  There are two main characters, Bianca Ross and Cesare.  They are fleshed out and we know a lot about each as the story builds.  Not much was required to build the character of Victoria Ross, the evil step-mother.  All you had to know about her was told when she looked into her mirror.  There are other side characters whose development depended on their place in the story.


Plot:  Victoria plans to start her take over of the Solar System with Mars and she needs to get rid of Biana.  Lots of danger and tension fill the story with a romance thrown in for spice.   The development of the romance was mixed into the story in a very believable way and lead to a  HEA for Bianca and Cesare.  This is book one so look for hooks for future books and a few things left unsolved.


Writing:  The story was well-written, moved smoothly and built to a great climax.


This is a nice Science Fiction Romance.  I loved the fact that the romance built up as the story progressed.  It felt very real.  Ice Red is a great choice for SFR fans.  As an additional  plus we can look forward to other books in the Once Upon a Red Planet series.


Carina Press published Ice Red by Jael Wye in 2013.


I received an ARC of Ice Red from Netgalley.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Book Beginning on Friday September 27, 2013

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.

From Unforgiven by B. J. Daniels:



"The wind howled down the Crazy Mountains, rocking the pickup as Sheriff Frank Curry pulled to the side of the narrow dirt road.  He hasn't been to this desolate spot in years.  Like a lot of other residents of Beartooth, he avoided coming this way."

I just recently got hooked on B. J. Daniels recently so when Unforgiven  showed up on Amazon Vine Last Harvest I asked for a copy.   This is book one the the Beartooth, Montana series.  I have read book two and three and really liked both.  I am looking forward to reading book one.  

"In Beartooth, Montana, land and family are everything. So when Destry Grant's brother is accused of killing Rylan West's sister, high school sweethearts Destry and Rylan leave their relationship behind in order to help their families recover from tragedy.
Years later, Destry is dedicated to her ranch and making plans for the future. Plans that just might include reuniting with the love of her life…until her brother returns to clear his name and the secrets of the past threaten her one chance at happiness.

Rylan is done denying his feelings for Destry. But when clues begin to link her brush with death to his sister's murder, will discovering the truth finally grant them their chance at love or turn them against one another for good?

Forsaken by B.J. Daniels


Forsaken (Beartooth, Montana, #3)Mystery
What Goodreads says:
"Danger runs high and passions burn hot in Montana's wild country
Big-city detective Bentley Jamison is a long way from home in the Beartooth wilderness when one of local rancher Maddie Conner's ranch hands goes missing. Towering mountains and a small, tight community are as unfamiliar to Jamison as herding sheep, but he's never shied away from a challenge. As the new deputy sheriff, he's sworn to protect every inch of this rough terrain--starting with unraveling a mystery that has left Maddie a wide-open target.

Maddie's as beautiful--and untamable--as the land around them. Like Jamison, she won't back down from danger. But desire that flares hotter than their tempers only raises the stakes when a fierce storm traps them in the high mountains. Caught in a killer's sights, Jamison and Maddie must trust one another, because now survival--and love--are all that matter."
Forsaken is #3 in the Beartooth, Montana Saga and it is a good one.
The writing in Forsaken is crisp and clean.  The two main characters (Bentley Jamison and Maddie Conner) are people you care about and their interaction adds to the story.  The plot is well developed.  The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife.  The book is told from several viewpoints and features several different characters.  Each of the side characters have an important part and keep the plot moving.  Each scene ramps up the tension and mystery in the story.
I had to put the book down and take a break several times.  I was so involved in the story and so worried that something bad would happen to several of the characters that I was afraid to keep reading.  At the same time I did not want to put the book down.  This is not a bad thing.  It is the sign of a very well thought out, well written book.
While there is a solution to part of the mystery some things are left open.  There is also a recurring mystery that started in a previous book and is not solved in Forsaken. 
If you like a good mystery with great characters, good writing, and a lot of tension pick up Forsaken.
Harlequin published Forsaken by B. J. Daniels in 2013.
I received an ARC of Forsaken from Netgalley.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Charming (Pax Arcana #1) by Elliott James


Charming (Pax Arcana, #1)Urban Fantasy 
What Goodreads Says:

"John Charming isn't your average Prince...
He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chainmail and crossbows to kevlar and shotguns, he was one of the best. That is — until he became the abomination the Knights were sworn to hunt.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, he tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. One that shouldn't change just because a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar... Right?"


Let me start by saying that I loved Charming.  From there let me break down why I loved it.

WorldbuildingCharming had some of the most intense worldbuilding I have seen in any book.  Almost every scene and every character had to be explained and it had to be done in a book written in the first person.  This is a set up something I really hate – a lot of time in a characters head with no action just long winded explanations.  That did not happen here.  John Charming the main character did have to do all of the explanations for the world but it was so skillfully done that the story never faltered.  Something needed to be explained and the explanation appeared in the context of the story.  In an interview at the end of the story James stated that he cut put pages and pages about the world and he hated to do it.  He left in just the right amount to keep the story moving and for me to understand the world and the characters.  Very, Very well done.

Characters:  We start with John Charming, one of those Charming who have helped save the world numerous times.  He has problems and they help drive the story.  Sig is the main female characters and is a species that we think are imaginary.  Along with the intense worldbuilding there is some really intense character building in the story.  Much of it is necessary to explain the history of both the two main characters and several of the side characters.  Again everything arrived when needed and did not slow the story down.

Plot:  It is a standard plot.  Evil in the person of the vampires, good from the two main characters and some of the side characters.  A few surprises from some of the characters who are not as good or as evil as expected.  The characters and the worldbuilding take this from just the same old plot to something special.  Some things were settled but this is book one so look for loose ends that will be the focus in book two.

Writing:  This is the first published novel by Elliott James.  He has published numerous short stories in the past.  He is very good.   It takes very good writing skills to have the level of worldbuilding and character development you find in Charming.  The story moved smoothly and the tension built as the story progressed.

I highly recommend Charming.  It was fun, full of tension and had a high quirky content.  All in all a book I had trouble putting down.

Orbit published Charming by Elliott James in 2013. 

I received an ARC of Charming from Netgalley.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Teaser Tuesday, September 24, 2013


Hunter and the turtle.  Who is teasing who?

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 The Man from Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller.  This is a book I got from Amazon Vine Last Choice.  It came yesterday so the teaser is for me as well as all of you.

The Man from Stone Creek (Stone Creek, #1)"Sam assessed his crop of pupils as they filed obediently into the school room the next morning and took their places without a word or a glance in his direction."

"Terran Chancelor's presence surprised him a little; he'd half expected Maddie to undertake the remainder of her brother's education personally, if only to keep him safe from the fiendish new schoolteacher."  

What Goodreads says:


There was trouble in Haven, Arizona, and Ranger Sam O’Ballivan was determined to sort it all out. Badge and gun hidden, he arrived posing as the new schoolteacher, and his first order of business was to bring the rough ranchers’ children under control. To that end, he called on Maddie Chancelor, the local postmistress, whose younger brother was in firm need of discipline. 

Sam wasn’t sure what to expect - but it was definitely not this graceful woman whose prim, proper stance was so at odds with the fire in her eyes. Working undercover to capture a dangerous band of rustlers and train robbers was a job that had always kept him apart from other people. He was a man with his heart firmly in check - until Maddie. Now she was unwittingly tempting him down a path he swore he’d never travel.
 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Musing Mondays September 23, 2013

Musing Mondays (http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/) asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
MusingMondays5• Describe one of your reading habits. • 
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

 • Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

Today I am musing on books that are reissued with a new cover and sometimes with a new title.  I ran into one last Tuesday.  It was Deadly Pursuit by Nina Croft and is a Blood Hunter Novel.  It has a 2013 copyright and was listed on Entangled Publishing's email of recommended books.   I like the Blood Hunter books and went to Amazon to check it out. I knew it sounded familiar when I read to blurb then I found that it had been published before and had reviews from 2011.

I know authors want to sell more books but they need to treat their readers fairly.  Say it is a re-print.  If I had purchased this book and then found it was a reprint I would have been very angry.  How do you feel about reprints?   Are authors and publishers trying to fool the readers? 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough


The Plague Forge (Dire Earth Cycle, #3)Science Fiction
What Goodreads says:
"After discovering the first key in the wreckage of a crashed Builder ship, Skyler Luiken and his crew follow the migrating aura towers in search of the four remaining relics. But time is running out: the team learn that the next Builder event will be the last, and one of the objects has already fallen into dangerous hands...Will the survivors finally reveal the Builders' plan?"
That is a very short paragraph describing the action in The Plague Forge, book three in the Dire Earth Cycle and yet it says it all.  There was not that much substance in the third book.
The book followed various characters from the previous books as they retrieved the keys for the Builder’s ships.  While each team faced unique challenges after awhile each one sounded a lot alike.  This is worth reading if you have followed the first two books but otherwise you can skip The Plague Forge.  The ending was not what I expected.  They did find out what the Builder’s wanted and it may set up a new series but for me it was a bit of a disappointment. 
Del Rey published The Plague Forge by Jason M. Hough in 2013.
I received an ARC of The Plague Forge from Netgalley.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Stacking the Shelves September 21, 2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I am adding to my shelves. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves.

This was the week for a Amazon Vine Newsletter.  There were only a few books and none that I wanted so I hit the Last Chance button and picked several romances I had passed on before.

The Man from Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller
Love and Other Scandals by Caroline Linden
To Make a Match by Liana LeFey

Purchased or Free From Amazon:


A Disappearance in Drury Lane (Captain Lacey Regence Mysteries) by Ashley Gardner

Battle Scars by Sherly Nantus


The Last Rakosh – A Repairman Jack tale (Repairmen Jack) by Paul Wilson

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson


Science Fiction

What Goodreads says:

"Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge."

Let me start by saying that I love Steelheart.  I received an ARC from Amazon Vine so got to read it before it came out.  That is the good news – the bad news is that I have to wait until the Fall of 2014 for Firefight, book two to come out.  So on to why I loved the book.

World Building:  It was spot on.  Steelheart is told in the first person and by page 13 the world had been explained in action and dialog, all from the view of an 8 year old.  As new elements were needed they arrived in the same way, through action and dialog.

Characters:  You meet David first in the prolog as an eight year old.  The next time you see him he is 18 and you get to watch him grow and change.  Next you meet the Reckoners (Tia, Prof, Cody, Megan, and Abraham) and get to know them as individuals.  You see much of their character as you watch them planning and then acting on their plans.   Then there are the Epics.  They are the focus of the story and each has an individual talent and a weakness.  You learn a lot about the Epics from the dialog between the Reckoners.  By the end of Steelheart you know and like David and the rest of the Reckoners team.  There are some surprises as some of the characters are not what they seem.  I saw some foreshadowing that gave a hint of things to come.

Plot:  This story focuses on taking out one of the more powerful Epics, Steelheart.  That drives the story and the actions of the characters.  It sounds like a very simple plot but as the story develops so do the characters and while the focus stays the same the reason for the action and the reactions of the characters keeps the plot from being one-dimensional. 

Tension:  There is internal tension within the team.  The fact that David is young and a new member sets up some of that.  There is the external tension as the team takes on Epics with super powers.  And then there is the tension when the plan and action do not work as planned.  All in all this is a tension filled book.

Writing:  I think all I need to say here is that Steelheart is written by Brandon Sanderson.  He is a master of the craft and Steelheart is a very good example of the mastery.

Pick up Steelheart for a book that is exciting, suspenseful and surprising.  There is a satisfying conclusion to the story in Steelheart but as I mentioned at the beginning this is the start of a series.  There are loose ends and the end of Steelheart is just the beginning of new problems.  Book Two, Firefight, comes out in the Fall of 2014.

Delacorte Press published Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson in 2013.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Book Beginnings on Friday September 20, 2013 - A Disappearance in Drury Lane by Ashley Gardner

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 A Disappearance in Drury Lane ( a Captain Lacey Regency Mystery) by Ashley Gardner.  Today is the release date so it is hot off of the eBook press.  I pre-ordered the book and got the email telling me it had been sent to my Kindle this morning.  We are all getting the book beginnig on the same day.  For those of you who do not know Ashley Gardner is a pen name Jennifer Ashley.  

A Disappearance in Drury Lane (Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries, #8)A Disappearance in Drury Lane 

Chapter One

"Late December 1817

Marianne Simmons came to me on a cold December day when I was packing away my old life in order to begin my new."

The Captain Lacey Regency Mystery series is one that started in print and was discontinued by the publisher.  When Jennifer Ashley got the rights back she published them in eBook form along with a book she had written before the series was canceled.  They sold so well that she has written additional books (there are eight in all) in the series.  A Disappearance in Drury Lane is the latest.  The Hanover Square Affair (Book One) is .99 at Amazon.  If you like Historical Mysteries give it a try.  The prices for all the books in the series range for .99 to 2.99.  I love the series and hope some of you give it a try.

 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

A Tryst with Trouble by Alyssa Everett

 I published this review the first time on April 6, 2012.  I knew the book was purchased by  Dorchester Publishing and was in limbo when they closed their doors.  I loved it and went ahead and wrote a review hoping it would get picked up by someone else.  Well, it did.  Carina Press has published several other books by Alyssa and when the rights cleared they picked up A Tryst with Trouble.  When I saw it on the schedule I emailed Alyssa and told her I would re-post my original review near the release day.  I debated whether to cut the first paragraph of the review and decided to leave it in as it is part of the history of the book. Here it is my review of A Tryst with Trouble.  This is a really good book so I hope you will pick it up.

A Tryst with TroubleHistorical Romance
I debated publishing this recommendation. Dorchester Publishing had A Tryst with Trouble scheduled to be released on April 1, 2012.  In March of 2012 Dorchester closed it doors and no one seems to know what will happen to the books where they had rights.  So I don’t know when this book will be available but because I really liked ( I don't give many 5 stars but I gave 5 on Goodreads) it I decided to mention it and hope it becomes available soon.  
Here is the Goodreads Summary:
"Dogged for years by painful gossip about his father’s homosexuality, the Marquess of Beningbrough—Ben, to his friends—has protected himself by becoming the ultimate man’s man. Passed over by suitor after suitor in favor of her pretty but vapid younger sister, clever, forthright Lady Barbara Jeffords has reached the disappointing conclusion most men are shallow, boorish clods. When a philandering footman turns up dead, the two square off: he’s sure she’s determined to pin the crime on his hapless young cousin, while she thinks he means to shift the blame to her sister. To find the real killer, Ben and Barbara must declare a truce that threatens to expose both their buried insecurities and their growing desire for each other."
I loved the characters, the dialog, the tension, and the romance.  Alyssa Everett used a difficult situation to great advantage in the book, one that you seldom see in main stream historical fiction.  I loved how she handled the Duk'es preferences for men and when finally asked by his son “why” she had an elegant explanation.  That preference was a driving force in his son’s development and affected much of his action.  You would think that would weigh down the book but it was handled with good taste and a lot of humor.  
I think Alyssa Everett has a great future as a historical romance writer.  Fortunately, Alyssa does have another book coming out so we will not have to wait for Dorchester to get sorted out to read her next book which will probably be her first published book. Ruined by Rumor was released by  Carina Press on May 25, 2012. I got a copy from NetGalley. You can see what I said about Ruined by Rumor in my What Else I Read in April post.  
I do plan to keep an eye out for future books by Alyssa Everett and hope this book will be published soon.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Ultimatum (Rystani #3) by Susan Kearney


Science Fiction Romance

What Goodreads says:

"Dr. Alara Calladar needs a man...
...but she sure as krek doesn't want one.


If Alara doesn't make love soon, her cells will fail to regenerate and she'll die. Unfortunately, her only option is an enemy--Rystani starpilot Xander, her abductor... and a member of the race who has been battling hers since the beginning of time.
Xander issues an ultimatum: He'll make love to Alara only if she will use her psi-talent of identifying DNA to help him find the cure for the deadly Terran virus spreading across the galaxy.
Alara is trapped. She gives Xander what he wants--and gets when she needs. But Alara holds a pair of secrets: the more they make love, the more Alara's cells adapt to Xander's body, until the only person she can make love with is him--and the more time they spend together, the more Alara likes Xander.
When it seems that all the forces in the universe have aligned against them, can Alara trust Xander with her life... and her heart?


The Ultimatium is book three in the Rystani series but it works very well as a stand alone.  Some of the characters from the previous two books are mentioned but are not really a part of this story.

Backstory:  Everything is presented as part of the current story and explains the tension between the characters and the reason for the mission the characters undertake.  While this is part of a series there was never a time when I felt that I did not have the background I needed to understand the world.

Characters:  Susan Kearney knows how to create interesting and unusual main female characters.  Alara’s is unique because during certain times she has to have sex to regenerate or she dies.  At times that overshadows how intelligent she is.  Xander is the alpha male who brings her on his ship without knowing about the need Endekian women have.  Both are strong intelligent people who have to work out their problems in order to sued in their quest.  There are some very well developed secondary characters who add interest to the story.  Then there are the Perceptive Ones who show up in small segments scattered between the chapters.  

Plot:   It is fairly standard.  There is a virus that will kill everyone unless a cure is found.  There is a time limit that adds to the tension.  Secondary is the attraction between Alara and Xandar.

Writing:  The writing moves the characters and the plot along in an interesting manner.  The dialog was crisp, the action fit the plot and the characters moved in the manner that fit their development.  A very well done book.

I liked the story.  I am looking forward to reading next book in the series, The Quest.  If you like SFR this is a good choice for you.

Bell Bridge Books published The Ultimatum by Susan Kearney in 2013. 

This is a reprint as Tor published this in 2006.
I received an ARC of The Ultimatum from Netgalley

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Teaser Tuesday, September 17, 2013


Hunter and the turtle.  Who is teasing who?

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 a book I received from Netgalley; Charming (Pax Arcana #1) by Elliott James.  If the title makes you think of a fairy tale think again.  This tease sets the tone for the book.  Charming is Urban Fantasy written in the first person and John Charming is the main character.  I loved the book.  If you want to know more look for my review of Charming on September 26.

Charming (Pax Arcana, #1)"But make no mistake:  the reason there are so many stories about "Prince" Charming is that there was never one man - the Charming were an entire family line standing between humanity and all others generation  after generation, and in the old days it wa common to give any monster killer in a story royal status.  That is a heavy burden, but I carried my name proudly for as long as I was able."

Monday, September 16, 2013

Musing Mondays, September 16, 2013

Musing Mondays (http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/) asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
MusingMondays5• Describe one of your reading habits. • 
Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).

 • Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!


Today my musing is about Science Fiction movies.  I have to admit I am not much of a movie person. When I go it is with a  group of friends and  they don’t like Science Fiction.   When a Science Fiction movie comes on I will say that I am going by myself but then I will pick up a book and read instead.   For the same reason I don’t have any of the premium movie channels but when the free weekends come on I record all the movies I meant to see but did not.  That same reading a book gets in the way of watching what I record so they pile up on my DVR.   I don’t feel like I have to hurry to see them but now I am up against a deadline.

 Friday I go with a new cable provider and a new DVR.  I will lose all of the movies I recorded to watch later so today is Sunday and I am on a movie marathon. I started with John Carter.  I know the critics panned it but I liked it.   It was different from the book but still entertaining.  I would give it a B or B+.
 

Cowboys and Aliens came next.  That one I found a little slow and fast forwarded through parts.  Something I could not do in the theater.  I would give it a C- or D+.

I, Robot was next.  I like Will Smith and the movie is good.  Again not much like the book but entertaining. It gets a B+.

I have a few to go before Friday.  Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter was next.  Fantasy instead of Science Fiction but not something  my movie buddies would go to.  It turned out to be a DNF.  Since I did not pay to see that was OK>
 This does have something to do with books as all of these movies are taken from books - I have read I, Robot and Edgar Rice Burrows Mars books.

I will report on my progress during the week next Monday.  By then what I have not watched will be gone.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Summer is for Lovers by Jennifer McQuiston


Historical Romance

Here is what Goodreads says:

"His heart is unavailable.

Luckily, her interest lies in the rest of him…

Though she was just a girl when they first met, Caroline Tolbertson’s infatuation with David Cameron remains undimmed. Now fate has brought the handsome Scotsman back to Brighton for what promises to be an unforgettable summer. Soon, Caroline will have to choose a husband, but for now she is free to indulge her curiosity in things of a passionate nature.

That is, if David will agree to teach her.

Past mistakes have convinced David he’ll make a terrible husband, though he’ll gladly help the unconventional Caroline find a suitor. Unfortunately, she has something more scandalous in mind. As the contenders for her hand begin to line up, her future seems assured…provided David can do the honorable thing and let them have her.

(Formerly called Brighton is for Lovers)

When a spirited young woman is determined to break Society’s rules, all a gentleman can do is lend a hand…or more."


I like stories that move away from London and the ton.  Summer is For Lovers does just that.  It is set in Brighton and while the ton is involved they are visiting and life is not as structured.  

Trope:  A man who feel he is unworthy of any one because of a past mistake.  A woman who must marry for money in order to help her family.

Plot:  Caroline met David years ago when she was 11.  Now she is older and feels that she must marry for money.  The only problem is the only one she wants is David and he says he will never marry.  There are twists and turns.   Some caused by two Mother’s who are busy interfering.  There were a lot of elements in the story that required me to suspend disbelief.

Characters:  I loved Caroline.  She is very independent  and does not even try to act as society thinks a women show behave.   David on the other hand is not as strong.  He knows what he wants but refuses to let go of the past.  There are some very good secondary characters who are essential to the story.

Writing:  The writing is very good.  I like the way everything moved and most of the story was introduced in dialog and action. 

Summer is For Lovers is a good choice for a lazy afternoon read.  Summer is For Lovers has a beautiful cover that matches the story. 

Avon will release Summer is For Lovers by Jennifer McQuiston September 24th,  2013. 

There is still time for you to pre-order.

I received an eARC of Summer is For Lovers from Edelweiss.