Book Beginnings, November 1, 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.

My Book Beginning this week is from Sleep With the Lights On by Maggie Shayne.  Here is the Beginning:

"He watched the body sink in slow motion through the murky green water.  Tears blurred his eyes, obstructing his view, but he wiped them away,"  From the Prologue

"If the bullshit I wrote was true, I wouldn't have been standing in the middle of a beehive where all the bees were cops - not one worker bee in the hive, either - trying to get someone interested in finding out what had happened to my brother."   From Chapter One

The Prologue was so creepy I wondered if I could stand to read the book; then I got hooked and could not put it down.  It is a paranormal mystery/romance and the start to a new series featuring Rachel de Luca and Mason Brown.  After I finished reading Sleep With the Lights On I immediately went to NetGalley to get Wake To Darkness the next book in the series.  (I love being pre-approved by Harlequin)

Here is what Goodreads says: 

Through the eyes of a killer

Rachel de Luca has found incredible success writing self-help books. But her own blindness and the fact that her troubled brother has gone missing have convinced her that positive thinking is nothing but bull. Her cynicism wavers when a cornea transplant restores her sight. The new eyes seem to give her new life, until they prove too good to be true and she starts seeing terrifying visions of brutal murders crimes she soon learns are all too real.

Detective Mason Brown's own brother recently died, leaving behind a horrific secret. In atonement, Mason donated his brother's organs, though he's kept the fact quiet. Now he wants to help Rachel find her brother, but when he discovers the shocking connection between her visions and his own brother, he suddenly has to do everything in his power to save her from a predator who is somehow still hunting from beyond the grave


 
 

The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodal

Historical Romance

What Goodreads says:

"Maya Rodale's captivating new series introduces London's Least Likely—three wallflowers who are about to become the toast of the ton…
Lady Emma Avery has accidentally announced her engagement—to the most eligible man in England. As soon as it's discovered that Emma has never actually met the infamously attractive Duke of Ashbrooke, she'll no longer be a wallflower; she'll be a laughingstock. And then Ashbrooke does something Emma never expected. He plays along with her charade.
A temporary betrothal to the irreproachable Lady Avery could be just the thing to repair Ashbrooke's tattered reputation. Seducing her is simply a bonus. And then Emma does what he never expected: she refuses his advances. It's unprecedented. Inconceivable. Quite damnably alluring.
London's Least Likely to Misbehave has aroused the curiosity—among other things—of London's most notorious rogue. Now nothing will suffice but to uncover Emma's wanton side and prove there's nothing so satisfying as two perfect strangers…being perfectly scandalous together."

Characters:  Ashbrooke is really something else.  He has had it too easy with women so Emma is something he has no experience with.  He starts out likeable and while he changes that does not.  Emma is great.  She has wit and intelligence, neither a plus on the marriage market.  It is fun to see the two interact and finally get together.  Ashbrooke’s aunt plays a major role and she is a wonderful character, old and near the end of her life but still a force of nature.

Plot:  No one believes in Ashbrooke’s invention or business interest.  Emma is tired of the social scene and just want to have a husband and family.  They need each other but the thing that stands between them is who sent the engagement notice to the paper and who will inherit the Aunt’s money.  I had a suspicion on both and it turned out both were true. 

Writing:  This is a very well constructed story with great dialog (some so funny I was laughing so hard I had to quit reading) and description, wonderful characters and an interesting plot.  The writing holds everything together and kept me reading into the night.

A Wicked Wallflower is full of fun.  It is an enjoyable read.  I have heard that laughter prolongs live and if that is true I laughed enough reading A Wicked Wallflower to add several years to my life.  There are other wallflowers introduced and ready for their stories so I will be on the lookout for the next wallflower book.

Avon published A Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale in 2013.

I received an ARC of A Wicked Wallflower from Edelweiss.

Take Me Home For Christmas by Brenda Novak

Contemporary Romance

What Goodreads says:

"Too bad all memories aren't pleasant. Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned. 

But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. So when he goes missing, she secretly hopes he'll never come back—until she learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm. Not only has he left Sophia penniless, he's left her to face all the townspeople he cheated…. 

Sophia is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted, now a successful suspense writer. He can't bring himself to turn his back on her, not at Christmas, but he refuses to get emotionally involved. He learned his lesson the last time. 

Or will the season of love and forgiveness give them both another chance at happiness?"

Take Me Home For Christmas is Ted and Sophia’s story.  Ted is part of the Friday coffee group in Whiskey Creek. 

Characters:  All of the regulars at Friday coffee show up in the book.  Ted and Sophia have been secondary characters in previous books.  In Take Me Home for Christmas their characters are fleshed out and we get to know them much better.  Sophia’s daughter Alexa plays a major role in the story.  There is a cast of characters list at the beginning of the book.  You can go there if you don’t know who or how some of the secondary characters fit into the town.

Plot:  This is pure redemption and forgiveness.  For Ted this is forgiving Sophia and for Sophia it is forgiving herself.  Part of the plot does deal with two very difficult issues; alcoholism and spousal abuse.  All of this is part of the journey to an HEA.

Writing:  As with the other books the writing brings to story together.  There are surprises and they are presented with dialog.  This is a book written in the active mode so everything moves with action and dialog.

World Building:  The world of Whiskey Creek as been developed in previous books so the only world building in fleshing out Ted and Sophia’s place in Whiskey Creek.  It would add to the enjoyment of the story if you had read the previous books but Take Me Home For Christmas can stand-alone.

I enjoyed the story.  There were things that I found a little too pat but this was a journey to a HEA and it was an interesting and different journey.

MIRA published Take Me Home For Christmas by Brenda Novak in 2013.

I received an ARC of Take Me Home For Christmas from Netgalley.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne

Contemporary Romance
 
Christmas in Snowflake Canyon is a take on beauty and the beast except the beauty is seen as spoiled rotten and the beast has war injuries.

Genevieve is a lot more than people think she is but she puts on a show and gives people what they expect.  Dylan is just plain hiding out after losing an eye and part of his arm in Afghanistan.  The two really have nothing in common, or do they?

It was fun to see how the two got together.  Who would have though Genevieve would start a bar fight and that Dylan would join in.  Both are arrested and then have to do community service together.

This is a Christmas story of healing.  It deals with some very tough issues but in a way that blends into the story without being preachy.  Both Genevieve and Dylan are very well developed characters and they are supported by equally well draw secondary characters.  All play an important part in the story.

Pick this up for a nice Christmas read.  It is a good addition to the Christmas stories that come out this time of year.  Christmas in Snowflake Canyon is part of a series but it is strong enough to stand-alone.  This is the first book in the series that I have read and I never felt that I was missing anything.  I enjoyed reading it and will pick up future books in the series.


Harlequin published Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne in 2013.

I received an ARC of Christmas in Snowflake Canyon from NetGalley.

 From Goodreads:

"Holiday gifts don't always come in expected packages... especially in the town of Hope's Crossing.

No one has ever felt sorry for Genevieve Beaumont. After all, she has everything money can buy. That is, until she discovers her fiancé has been two-timing her and she's left with two choices: marry the philanderer to please her controlling father or be disinherited and find a means to support herself.

Genevieve's salvation appears in the most unlikely of prospects: Dylan Caine, a sexy, wounded war vet whose life is as messy as hers. Dylan's struggling to adjust after his time in Afghanistan, and the last thing he needs is a spoiled socialite learning about the real world for the first time. True, she may have unexpected depths and beauty to match. But he knows he could never be the man she needs…and she knows he could never be the man she thinks she wants. So why are they each hoping that a Christmas miracle willl prove them both wrong?"

Teaser Tuesday, October 29, 2013

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 if from Awaken Me Darkly (An Alien Huntress Novel) by Gena Showalter.  This is book on in the series.  The publisher has reissued the book and priced them at $3.99.  Walmart had them for $2.99.  I have not read any of the series so I picked up book one.  I haven't started reading yet; I just opened the book up and picked a teaser.  It is as much one for me as for all of you.

"Side by side, Dallas and I pounded down the steps, taking them three at a time.  Still dizzy from Lilla's mind control, Dallas wasn't as agile as he normally was.  He stumbled once and had to grip the banister to keep from tumbling face first."  page 49

Musing Monday, October 28, 2013

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• 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).
 • What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 
 • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I just finished reading The Perfect Match by Kristin Higgins.  I have been on a contemporary romance reading binge.  I have not read any of her books before so wanted to give them a try and did not know what to expect.  What I found was a complicated love story with a great female main character.  I loved Honor.  She is intelligent, loyal and has loved Brogan, the wrong man, for years.  I didn't like her taste in best friends.  Dana was not best friend material and she just did not seem to see it.  I did love her family and how she took care of all of them putting her needs last.  I was in her corner through out the entire book. 

I liked the marriage of convenience story concept. However, I did not warm up to Tom, the groom in the marriage of convenience.  He was just too closed off for me.  I was glad he came to his senses so there could be a HEA but I got really tired of him before it happened.  

I would like to read another book by Kristin Higgins to see how I react to some of her other characters. 

I received an ARC of The Perfect Match from Netgalley.  The book will be released tomorrow.

Here is Goodread’s Summary of The Perfect Match.

"What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise? Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done. 

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind. 

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience—and make her ex jealous in the process. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love….What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise? Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there…or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done. 

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind. 

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience—and make her ex jealous in the process. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love…."

In Love With a Wicked Man by Liz Carlyle

Historical Romance

What Goodreads Says:

What does it matter if Kate, Lady d'Allenay, has absolutely no marriage prospects? She has a castle to tend, an estate to run, and a sister to watch over, which means she is never, ever reckless. Until an accident brings a handsome, virile stranger to Bellecombe Castle, and Kate finds herself tempted to surrender to her houseguest's wicked kisses.

Disowned by his aristocratic family, Lord Edward Quartermaine has turned his gifted mind to ruthless survival. Feared and vilified as proprietor of London's most notorious gaming salon, he now struggles to regain his memory, certain of only one thing: he wants all Kate is offering—and more.

But when Edward's memory returns, he and Kate realize how much they have wagered on a scandalous passion that could be her ruin, but perhaps his salvation."

I like Liz Carlyle’s writing and story telling and she did not disappoint me with In Love With a Wicked Man.

The Trope:  Kate’s horse jumps a stone wall and causes Edward to fall and hit his head when he pulls up so they do not collide.  When Edward wakes up he does not know who he is.

The Characters: Kate is the titleholder at Bellecombe Castle.  She is strong, efficient, busy and never expects to marry.  Edward is a second son who was turned off at a very early age.  He is attracted to Kate but even though he has not memory of who he is he feels he is not worthy of her. Add to the mix the man Kate refused to marry returning, Kate’s sister, and Kate’s flighty Mother.  Both the main and side characters are very well developed.

The Plot:  As in most journeys to an HEA there has to be a problem.  Here it is Edward’s loss of memory, Kate’s old betrothed returning to pressure her to reconsider and marry him, and Edward regaining his memory.  Sub-plots include Kate’s sister’s desire to marry to local parson, and Kate’s mother’s secrets being revealed. 

All of this is mixed together to make a very enjoyable read. 

Avon published In Love With aWicked Man by Liz Carlyle in 2013.

Stacking the Shelves October 26, 2013

Some of the Books Stacked on My Shelves

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 week I have three items from the library.

New Earth by Ben Bova
The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear (audio book)

And one book from Barnes and Noble.  (Those 15% off coupons get me every time.)

Time Thief by Katie MacAlister

Book Beginnings October 25, 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.

My book beginning this week is from A Most Discreet Inquiry (The Regent Mysteries) by Cheryl Bolen.  This is book two of the series.  It will stand alone but would be much better if you read With His Lady's Assistance first.  

"Not since the next-to-eldest of Lord Sidworth's daughters snared the Duke of Lankersham had Sidworth House been in such a dither.  Footmen in scarlet livery, madly scurrying chambermaids, and a contingent of supervisory-sounding servants were practically tripping over themselves readying the earl's home for the day's momentous occasion:  the wedding of Daughter Number One."

Here is what Goodreads says about A Most Discreet Inquiry.

"Book 2 of The Regent Mysteries series
Humorous Regency Romance Mystery
Sensuality Level: Sweet
Approximate word count: 64,000

It all started quite innocently when Lady Daphne Chalmers's duchess sister came to her sleuthing sibling for help in retrieving love letters she wrote to Major Styles, now deceased. But as Daphne and her own lover, Captain Jack Dryden of His Majesty's Hussars, join forces to track down the letters, they follow a trail of treachery and murder that threatens the entire kingdom."

When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

Historical Romance

What Goodreads says:

"What happens when a carefree, disreputable, stone-broke bachelor is forced to find a wife in a hurry? He hires a matchmaker, of course. What happens when the matchmaker doesn’t want to help him? Well, that’s when the fun begins…
Nicholas Stirling, Marquess of Trubridge, loves his life just as it is: dissolute, scandalous, and deuced good fun. His father, the Duke of Landsdowne is not amused, and when he cuts off Nicholas’ trust fund, the fun-loving marquess is forced to find an alternate source of income—in other words, he has to marry an heiress.
Every new-money American heiress knows Lady Belinda Featherstone is the key to social acceptance. Once a new-money nobody herself, Belinda discovered first-hand how heartbreaking the game of love and matrimony could be after a reprobate British earl married her for her money. Now a respectable widow, Belinda has become England’s most successful matchmaker, guiding young American heiresses through the hazards of the London season and helping them to find husbands worthy of them. To her mind, the Marquess of Trubridge is nothing but a fortune-hunting scoundrel and she has no intention of allowing him to charm his way into any American girl’s heart, including her own."

Usually the male in the book had to make a big change but in When the Marquess Met His Match the opposite is true.  Lady Belinda Featherstone had a very unhappy marriage and she is determined to keep that from happening to anyone else.  She has to change how she looks at men and Nicholas Stirling in particular.

Nicholas on the other hand is just what he seems.  His character does have to grow but he is not the reprobate Belinda thinks he is.  Bringing the two together is where the fun begins.  Belinda has a lot of fun matching Nicholas with first a chatterbox and then an empty headed heiress.  For most of the book Nicholas spends a lot of his time trying to outfox his father.  It takes Belinda giving him an honest assessment of his behavior to make Nicholas decide that a bride is not what he needs.  He needs to find a way to make money without depending on someone else.

I loved the way Nicholas changed and the way Belinda came to his defense with his Father. 

There were several funny scenes in the book and some great dialog between the characters.  There were some really interesting well-developed side characters that supported the story.

The writing was brisk and the plot well developed.  The meeting his match in the title has a double meaning and is a great fit to the story line.  This is book one in a new series and it is a winner.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Avon published When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke in 2013.

I received an ARC of When the Marquess Met His Match from Edelweiss.

Christmas At Cardwell Ranch by B. J. Daniels

Mystery and Romance

What Goodreads Says:

"AT CARDWELL RANCH, THE HOLIDAYS CAN BE BRUTAL...
It had been years since Tanner "Tag" Cardwell's boots touched Montana soil. This Christmas he was determined to change that. Until a run-in with local Lily McCabe revealed dark secrets from his past and deep trouble for his future.
Cowboys came and went in these parts. But Tag Cardwell caught Lily off guard in more ways than one when the two became entwined in a murder mystery. What was it about Tag? The dreamy eyes... The rugged physique... The protection she felt in his strong arms...
But before they could lose themselves in each other they had to trace a killer. Or risk finding a crime scene under the Christmas tree."

This is a short fast exciting Harlequin Intrigue book featuring some interesting characters.  Other books have been set on the Cardwell Ranch and some of the characters are reoccurring.  There are mentions of past stories while new characters become the feature and some old ones play big part in the drama.  This is the first Cardwell Ranch book I have read and I had no trouble reading this as a stand alone.

“Tag” and Lily are both strong characters.  They both become part of the mystery and the danger is what draws them together.  Tag’s father and uncle play an unexpected part in the story.  Even though Tag thinks that his father is just a beer drinking, guitar playing no account he still shows up at Christmas hoping to get to know him better.  What he learns is that his Father has an interesting past that is at odds with his public appearance.  Other characters are also not what they seem and they add to the danger.

The drama and intrigue play out very fast.  Neither the reader or the characters have time to draw a breath before more danger is added to the mix.  Pick this one up if you like your mystery and romance to move at a fast pace.  While the book is not long the story is so well written and well developed that I never felt that anything was rushed or anything important was left out.

Harlequin Intrigue published Christmas at Cardwell Ranch by B. J. Daniels in 2013.

I received an ARC of Christmas at Cardwell Ranch from Netgalley.

Teaser Tuesday October 22, 2013

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 Cursed by S.J. Harper.  Cursed is a new release and the first book in A Fallen Siren Series.  Here is the teaser:

"Zack smiles.  "Hector? You're on a first name basis with the delivery boy?  Please tell me the two of you don't have a thing going."

"A Thing?  You, my friend, are watching too much porn."

I just finished the book and really enjoyed it.  S.J. Harper is the pen name for Samantha Sommerby and Jeanne C. Stein.  Both have published books under their names.

Here is what Goodreads says about Cursed.

Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She's cursed. He's damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.
Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.  

Musing Monday October 21, 2013

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…
• 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).
 • What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it! 
 • Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My rant today is about books in series that are really not a series but one long book divided into 3 separate books.  What identifies these?  For me it is when a book just ends and leaves me hanging.  I don't mind series books where part of the problem is solved for the main characters in the story but there are additional problems that can be addressed in future books.  What I don't like are books where nothing is solved the book just ends with everything up in the air.  And what brought this on?  I just finished two books where that happened.  I probably would not mind that much but I have to review one for a publication and I don't have much nice to say about it.  Not my favorite thing to do. 

 So how about you.  Do you even like to follow series?  Is there anything about series that you do not like?

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne

Contemporary Romance

What Goodreads says:

"No one has ever felt sorry for Genevieve Beaumont. After all, she has everything money can buy. That is, until she discovers her fiancé has been two-timing her and she's left with two choices: marry the philanderer to please her controlling father or be disinherited and find a means to support herself.

Genevieve's salvation appears in the most unlikely of prospects: Dylan Caine, a sexy, wounded war vet whose life is as messy as hers. Dylan's struggling to adjust after his time in Afghanistan, and the last thing he needs is a spoiled socialite learning about the real world for the first time. True, she may have unexpected depths and beauty to match. But he knows he could never be the man she needs…and she knows he could never be the man she thinks she wants. So why are they each hoping that a Christmas miracle willl prove them both wrong?"

This is a take on beauty and the beast except the beauty is seen as spoiled rotten and the beast is has war injuries.

 

Genevieve is a lot more than people think she is but she puts on a show and gives people what they expect.  Dylan is just plain hiding out after losing an eye and part of his arm in Afghanistan.  The two really have nothing in common, or do they?

It was fun to see how the two got together.  Who would have though Genevieve would start a bar fight and that Dylan would join in.  Both are arrested and then have to do community service together. 

This is a Christmas story of healing.  It deals with some very tough issues but in a way that blends into the story without being preachy.  Both Genevieve and Dylan are very well developed characters and they are supported by equally well draw secondary characters.  All play an important part in the story.

Pick this up a nice Christmas read.  It is a good addition to the Christmas stories that come out this time of year.  Christmas in Snowflake Canyon is part of a series but it is strong enough to stand-alone.  This is the first book in the series that I have read and I never felt that I was missing anything.  I enjoyed reading it and will pick up future books in the series.

Harlequin published Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne in 2013.

I received an ARC of Christmas in Snowflake Canyon from Netgalley.

Stacking the Shelves, October 19, 2013

Some of the Books Stacked on My Shelves

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.

I got several books this week.  Barnes and Noble had a 20% off coupon so I used it for two books (coupon only worked for one but they were counting on me buying more than one).  I visited the library and got one book and two audio books, and a pre-order from Amazon arrived.  I visited Sam's and found one more and then I won another.  Much larger haul this week.

Amazon:

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

Barnes and Noble:

Cursed by S. J. Harper
Celtic Moon by Jan DeLima

Sam's Club:

The Cowboy's Christmas Baby by Carolyn Brown

Library:

Blue Skies by Robyn Carr (audio book)
River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay (audio book)
Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear

Won:

Heavy Metal Heart by Nico Rosso


I usually buy Baen's monthly bundle.  These are the books that Baen releases that month.  When I do I can give that bundle free to someone who as never purchased from Baen.

Here is the December Bundle:

Mars, Inc. Partial (3/4 Ebook now; full Ebook available 11/16/13) by Ben Bova

1920: America's Great War Partial (3/4 Ebook now; full Ebook available 11/16/13) by Robert Conroy

Man-Kzin Wars XIV Partial (3/4 Ebook now; full Ebook available 11/16/13) created by Larry Niven

Dragon's Teeth Partial (3/4 Ebook now; full Ebook available 11/16/13) by Mercedes Lackey

Tiger by the Tail Complete by John Ringo and Ryan Sear

Night and Demons Complete by David Drake Here is the January Bundle: Revolution: Book Three of the Secret World Chronicles Partial (1/2 Ebook now; full Ebook available 12/16/13) by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, and Veronica Giguere 1636: Seas of Fortune Partial (1/2 Ebook now; full Ebook available 12/16/13) by Iver Cooper The Forever Engine Partial (1/2 Ebook now; full Ebook available 12/16/13) by Frank Chadwick A Liaden Universe Constellation, Volume 2 Partial (1/2 Ebook now; full Ebook available 12/16/13) by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller A Rising Thunder Complete by David Weber Sunset of the Gods Complete by Steve White The Iron Breed Complete by Andre Norton If you have never purchased from Baen, are a Science Fiction fan, and would like the receive one of these be the first to leave your email in the comments telling which bundle you want.  Be sure to tell me which month you want (you can only get one). Baen will send you an email with a link to receive the books.