Stacking the Shelves, September 14, 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.

I went a little crazy on Netgalley this week.  All but one of my new books come from there and all are ebooks for review.

The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh by Ella Quinn
The Seduction of Lady Phoebe by Ella Quinn
Temptation Bay by  Anna Sullivan
Vampires Need Not Apply by Mimi Jean Pameiloff
Gareth by Grace Burrowes
Gabriel by Grace Burrowes
Delectable by Adrianna Lee
Legend of the Highland Dragon by Isabel Cooper
Everlasting Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy

From Desert Breeze Publishing:

Borealis, - Akira's Choice by Vijaya Schartz

Book Beginnings on Friday, September 13, 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 today if from Gabriel:  Lord of Regrets (Lonely Lords #5) by Grace Burrowes.  Here is the beginning:

"It's time I rose from the dead."

"The Dowager Marchioness of Warne eyed her guest acidly over her teacup, despite the impact of his words."

I have read the entire series as it has been published.  It was written before the Windham series and the Mac Gregor series and I can tell that the writing is not as polished but it is still fun to read.  I met Gabriel and Polly in the previous books, Beckham.  They appeared to be star crossed, in love but never together.  Then Gabriel left.  The beginnings says what he is planning to do.  It is a good start to the story and I was happy to see that they were both getting their HEA.  This was a fun read.  If you like Grace Burrowes' books you will enjoy this series.

I received an ARC of Gabriel from Netgalley.

A Most Devilish Rogue by Ashlyn MacNamara

Historical Romance

What Goodreads says:

"Fans who adore Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sabrina Jeffries will savor Ashlyn Macnamara’s sensual new novel, which proves that two hearts are better than one.
Years ago, when Isabelle Mears was still a young miss too infatuated to know better, she surrendered her innocence to a dishonorable man. Though ruined and cast out from society, she has worked hard to shelter her illegitimate son, Jack. Having sworn off men in her quiet but dignified life, Isabelle is unprepared for the deep longing that rips through her when a handsome stranger rescues her rambunctious six-year-old from the pounding ocean surf.
George Upperton is a man in trouble with debts, women, and a meddling family. He is, by all accounts, the last gentleman on earth Isabelle should be drawn to. But loneliness is a hard mistress, and caution gives way to desire . . . even though Isabelle is convinced that happiness can’t be found in the arms of such a devilish rogue. Only when Jack is kidnapped does Isabelle discover the true depth of George’s devotion—and how far a good man will go to fight for the woman whose love is all that matters."

Main Characters:  George Upperton has lived his life playing the part his Father required.  He was not that likeable.  During the story he begins to develop those traits that are most natural to him and he becomes a much different man.  Isabelle starts and ends very strong.  There are some side characters that help move the action along but the story depends on George and Isabelle.

Plot:  This was a little short on real plot to me.  George saves Jack, Isabelle’s son, Jack is kidnapped, George is drawn to both Jack and Isabelle,  They rescue Jack and separate.  They finally have an HEA.  I did not find much mystery in who did the kidnapping and that meant that everything moved without a lot of tension.

Tension:  The kidnapping, the fact that Isabelle is a ruined woman, George and Isabelle’s attraction to each other all provide both internal and external tension.

Writing:  In spite of the other weaknesses in A Most Devilish Rogue this is very well written with great dialog and interesting interaction between the characters. 

For me this was a three star book.  I enjoyed it but it is not a keeper.  I liked MacNamara’’s first book A Most Scandalous Proposal much better and I enjoyed seeing several of the characters from that book in A Most Devilish Rogue.

Ballentine published A Most Devilish Rogue by Ashlyn MacNamara in 2013.

I received an ARC of A Most Devilish Rogue from Netgalley.

Sweet Revenge, A Nemesis Unlimited Novel by Zoe Archer

Historical Romance

What Goodreads says:

"The first in a breathtaking new series about the dangerous business of undercover revenge—and the undeniable pleasure of passion…
In the Business of Vengeance
When Jack Dalton escapes from Dunmoor Prison, he has only one thing in mind—finding the nobleman who murdered his sister and making him pay. But when he reaches the inn where the Lord Rockley is rumored to be staying, three well-dressed strangers are there to meet him instead. And the pretty blonde is aiming a pistol right at his head…
Desire Is Always Dangerous
Joining Nemesis, Unlimited has made Eva Warrick much more than the well-mannered lady she appears to be—one who can shoot, fight, and outsmart any man in the quest to right the injustices so often suffered by the innocent. She’s not afraid of the burly escaped convict, but she is startled by their shared attraction. She and her partners need Jack’s help to get to Rockley, but Eva finds she wants Jack for scandalous reasons all her own."

Characters:  This is the first book in a new series so the main characters have to be introduced.  Eva Warrick is a strong woman who believes in helping those who have no place else to turn.  She is part of Nemesis Unlimited and is the focus of this book.  Jack Dalton is the other focus.  He is a very strong personality who starts out thinking of himself as good for nothing but a dumb bodyguard.  With the help of Eva and others his character develops and he starts to see that he is a man with great intelligence and strength.  He and Eva both change and become a great team.  Other members of the team have an important part in the book and while they their characters development is not complete it is enough to help carry the story.

Plot:  This is interesting and different.  It starts with Jack Dalton in prison and being told his arch enemy is in the neighborhood.  This starts a chain of events that include a jailbreak, introduction to Nemesis Unlimited and the job they have signed up to do.  An important part of the plot is the fact that Nemesis helps those who have no other place to go for justice.  While action is a big part of the plot so is the character growth that brings Eva and Jack together.  This is after all a romance and needs a HEA.

Writing:  I have had mixed feeling about books written by Zoe Archer.  She writes in the passive mode in some books and the active in others.  I always like a story told written in the active.  Sweet Revenge hits the mark in active writing.  There is dialog, action, more dialog and more action that kept my attention and kept the story moving at a fast pace.  I never questioned Archer’s writing skill just the mode she writes in.  This is a very well written book.

World Building:  Much of this is based on the class history of the times.  Using that history Archer has created an undercover group that helps those who have no voice that allows them to get justice when treated unfairly by the upper class.

I found Sweet Revenge to be a great start to a new series and I will be looking for the next book Dangerous Seduction coming in December 2013.

St. Martin’s Paperbacks published Sweet Revenge by Zoe Archer in 2013

Teaser Tuesday September 10, 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!

Since I have a picture of my cat teasing the turtle I think it is only fitting that I use a book about cats as my teaser today.

I am reading Cat Sense by John Bradshaw.  The subtitle is:  How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet.

This is a fascinating book.  With DNA today you can tell who the predecessors of the  domestic cat are, how to train your cat (very difficult), how your cat trains you (very easy) , and many other interesting facts.  Here is my teaser:

"We also lack scientific research on cat intelligence:  the past decade has seen an explosion in studies of the mental abilities of dogs, but cats, popular subjects for such studies in the 1960s and 1970s,  have subsequently been eclipsed by "man's best friend" - simply because dogs are easier to train."

One more interesting fact;  Bradshaw mentions that we don't know how the cat will continue to develop because we have just started to spray and neuter our cats and that may change what traits are passed down.
 

Musing Monday, September 9, 2013

Musing Mondays (http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/) 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 have been listening to CD's of the Sharon McCone Mysteries by Marcia Muller.  The first one was There's Something in a Sunday written in 1989 and number 8 in the series.  I really noticed the things that dated the story.  28 years made a big difference - for one thing no cell phones.  McCone had to keep looking for pay phones.  I jumped forward to Burn Out #26.  This one was written in 2008 and it was written just five years ago and was not dated.  Now I am listening to Coming Back #28.  This one is full of statements about the policies of both the current administration and the previous one.  I got used to that when I read the Commissario Guido Brunetti novels with the statements about Italian politics but not in novels set in the US.  It is a good place for a author to make any statement that they want and Marcia Muller is doing just that.

Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller

Contemporary Western Romance

What Goodreads Says:

"The "First Lady of the West," #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, cordially invites you to Parable, Montana-where love awaits. Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn't enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by Hutch Carmody. She's over Hutch now, and running a multimillion-dollar business is challenging enough for this country gal. So she should avoid falling head-over-boot-heels for A-list actor Zane Sutton. He's come home to his rodeo roots, but Hollywood lured him away once and just might again. Yet everything about him, from his easy charm to his concern for his young half brother, seems too genuine to resist.... 

Zane didn't come to Parable for love-but count on a spirited woman to change a jaded cowboy's mind. Problem is, Brylee's not convinced he's here to stay. Good thing he's determined to prove to her, kiss by kiss, that she's meant to be his bride."

Big Sky Wedding is book five in the Parable, Montana series.  I won the first three books in the series and book five when I entered Linda Lael Miller’s August contest on Writerspace .   It just happened that I had checked out the audio book of Big Sky Summer book four and was listening to it on my way to Texas and World Con.  I have not read the first three yet but wanted to hear Brylee’s story since I had met her and liked her in Big Sky Summer.

It seems that Brylee was ready to let go of the past and just the right person showed up to help her.  I loved the characters.  Zane is just great as the new man in Brylee’s life.  He is down to earth in spite of his fame.  He deals with Nash, his young half brother and Brylee with just the right touch.  Cleo, Zane’s housekeeper, is one of those unforgettable characters.  She provides some of the best humorous dialog in the book.

Most of the tension in the book comes from Brylee’s fear about committing and getting hurt again.  She and Zane moved very fast and I loved the way Zane slowed everything down so that their relationship had a chance to grow and mature.

While some of the main characters from the first 3 books do appear they only have walk on parts.  It looks like the series is moving on to focus on new people.  I saw some hooks for the next book, Big Sky Secrets.  I will just have to wait and see if I am right about who the two main characters will be.

Big Sky Wedding is a good addition to the Parable Series.  Pick it up for an enjoyable read.

Harlequin published Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller in 2013.

Stacking the Shelves, September 7, 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.

I was at LoneStar Con (World Science Fiction Con) in San Antonio last week.  I was very good with the purchases and only received a few free books.

My Purchases:

Tau Ceti by Kevin J. Anderson - Sequel by Steven Savile
Tranquility by Tracy S. Morris
Gods and Other Children by Bill D. Allen

Free at World Con:

Wolf in Shadow by John Lambshead
Greatshadow by James Maxey
The Crown of The Blood by Gav Thorpe
Redlaw by James Lovegrove
King Maker by Maurice Broaddus
My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland
Four Stories by Keffy R.M. Kehrli
Shimmery (Vol 16) 

Won from Writerspace and Linda Lael Miller:

Big Sky Wedding,  Big Sky Mountain,  Big Sky River,  Big Sky Country 

From Amazon Vine: 

Lighthouse Island by Paulette Jiles
In Love With a Wicked Man by Liz Carlyle