Wednesday, February 29, 2012

RAK Wrap Up: February

Book Soulmates

This month was my first time participating in BookSoulmate's RAK event--but I promise you, it will not be my last!

The point of RAK is to share books with others, whether it's a book you already own and wish to send to another reader, or a new one you have shipped to them from Amazon.

But I think I'd be lying if I didn't mention that, of course, receiving RAKs is as much fun as giving them! :)


Here is what I sent to other readers this month:


Sent to Mary R @ Sweeping Me

Sent to Franny @ Mind Reader

Sent to Aanchal @ Book Flame

Sent to Danielle @ Ramblings From This Chick




And here is what I received from fellow readers--a big thanks to each and every one of you, I loved my gifts and I can't wait to read them!

Received from Danielle @ Ramblings From This Chick


Received from Andee @ Heart and Soul of a Writer


Received from Andee @ Heart and Soul of a Writer


Received from Em @ Musings From an Addicted Reader


Received from Mersadies @ My Book Obsession


Received from Sarabeth @ Chronicles of Sarita



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What about you--Have you participated in RAK before? If so, what are your thoughts on it? If not, are you interested in joining? Stop by BookSoulmates later this week when they post the signups for March's RAK!




Enjoy,



Until Next Time,
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 *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Winner from the Ruthie Knox Giveaway!


KRIS
Congrats Kris!

I will be sending your email address to Ruthie and she will get your prize to you. I hope that you enjoy it!



Enjoy,





Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Monday, February 27, 2012

[Review]: "A Taste for a Mate"


A Taste for a Mate by Carrie Ann Ryan
Series: The Redwood Pack, 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Summary (Amazon.com);
Jasper Jamenson’s only responsibility to being the Beta of the Redwood Pack, second son of the Alpha, is to protect the Pack from themselves and the human world. After a century of selfless service, his brother’s new found mating forced him into taking a good look into his life. He isn’t sure he wants a mate, but fate may have other ideas.

Willow Delton is a skinny, bakery owner – the type most woman love to hate. Being without family, she finds herself alone to the Greek god with green eyes who saunters into her bakery every morning. Her desire to follow him, to be with him, overrides every rational sense she possessed.

Jasper and Willow are drawn together, despite every nuisance that works against them. But evil beyond even Jasper’s supernatural compensation will make war against him, by going after the only thing in his eternal life he desires – Willow. Is Willow’s heart enough to overcome Jasper’s soul to save her life? A fight he cannot win, but to save her life – he must.



Where to Buy*: Kindle | NOOK
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site


Other Books in the Series:
Book 1: An Alpha's Path
Book 3: Trinity Bound (April 2012)



 My Review:

The Redwood Pack is the strongest werewolf pack around. But when a rival pack, whose leaders are pure evil, enlist the use of a demon to take down the Redwoods, there will be casualties—on both sides. The war has begun, and the Centrals are not willing to back down. Can the Jamenson family, along with the rest of the pack, take the Centrals out—before it's too late...?

Willow and Jasper seemed to be made for one another—which, considering that they are mates makes sense. The chemistry between them was spicy hot, if a bit sudden. There wasn't nearly enough romance in A Taste for a Mate, at least not for my tastes. I would have been happier watching Willow and Jasper fall in love. Instead, we see Jasper claim her as his mate and she quickly accepts it. The end. Wait-where was the romance? The love? The getting-to-know-each-other banter? I enjoy a good “predestined mate” storyline, such as this, but there should also be a visible connection and development of feelings between the hero and heroine, which I just couldn't find in this book. The sex might have been hot, but the lack of connection between them quickly threw a bit of a cold towel on the action, at least for this reader.

The characters were nothing spectacular, and by that I mean they were not the sort that I will remember long after the book is done with. Willow seemed to be a bit lacking; she tried to show how she was supposedly a strong woman who knew what she wanted, but I didn't see it. And Jasper wasn't much different. Other than the fact that he is a werewolf, with strong ties to his pack and family, I didn't get much from him either. The conversations between the two, as well as conversations between other characters, seemed a bit stiff, and didn't really fit. It made it a bit more difficult to enjoy this book, as, besides Reed (who was a bit different from the others), I didn't really feel a connection—of any sort—to any of the characters.

The story was fairly interesting, though it didn't hold my attention from start to finish. There were more than a few rough spots, and while they didn't ruin the book completely, these rough patches did take away from the story's overall quality. For most of the book, the story and pace both seemed very rushed. And yet there were other times when it dragged on a bit. I wish the pace had been just a bit more smooth and steady, though perhaps this will improve a bit as the series goes on.


3 STARS! Carrie Ann Ryan has managed to write a very sexy shifter novel, filled with fantasy and action. The tender romance elements may have been MIA, but I still enjoyed A Taste for a Mate. I look forward to reading future books about the Redwood Pack. I'm especially intrigued by Reed, Jasper's younger brother, and hero for book three in the series. Apparently, Reed swings both ways—sounds like his story could be one heck of a ride then!



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I received a PDF copy of this book from Goddess Fish, in addition to participating in their virtual blog tour for Carrie.
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*Note*: Carrie will be back for a guest post on March 1st!

Enjoy!






Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Lusting for Covers (61)


Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.
Here's what you do:

1- Take the graphic (code for it is below) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the Mr. Linky widget at the bottom of this post and allow others to come and see what you picked!
4- (OPTIONAL): Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required.

Grahpic HTML--grab and post!

<a href="http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com/search/label/Lusting%20for%20Covers"_blank"><img src="http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa72/The_Book_Queen/blog_graphic_meme_2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

NOTE: PLEASE link back to my blog (http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post, letting viewers know that it is my meme, not something you are trying to call your own. Failing to do so, with the intent of actually calling this your own work, will result in trouble! I hate threatening, but really, is it so hard to post a link that says "This meme is hosted by TBQ."? Link love is great, and actually quite easy-- please use it! :)



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Here's my candidate for the week:
Captivated by Lauren Dane
Series: Phantom Corps Series, 3^
Publisher: Berkley Trade (May 1, 2012)

Summary (Amazon.com):
Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the threat his father poses. But he's not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but kindred spirits.

However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. Having been captured and held in near total isolation by imperialist troops, their immediate response is to protect her.

Emotionally shattered but resilient, Hannah rebuilds herself. Because of the warm safety she finds in the arms of Julian--and Vincenz she becomes someone harder, stronger and bent on preventing the Imperialists from harming anyone else.

For the two men, wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War is about to send all three into harm's way and an equally dangerous secret could tear them apart.

^Note, author's website says 3, Amazon says 5...

Where to Buy*: Amazon | Kindle | BN.com | NOOK
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site


Why?
I bet by now you have noticed a trend: If it's got a yummy man on the cover (preferably at least shirtless), it will no doubt make my L4C post. :)

 So reason #1 for this book should be self-explanatory!

Reason # 2: The story sounds good, but I would have to read the previous books first. 

Reason #3: I like blue covers. :)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

"Ride with Me" Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway with Ruthie Knox!

Meet Ruthie:
Ruthie Knox figured out how to walk and read at the same time in the second grade, and she hasn’t looked up since. She spent her formative years hiding romance novels in her bedroom closet to avoid the merciless teasing of her brothers and imagining scenarios in which someone who looked remarkably like Daniel Day Lewis recognized her well-hidden sex appeal and rescued her from middle-class Midwestern obscurity.


After graduating from Grinnell College with an English and history double major, she earned a Ph.D. in modern British history that she’s put to remarkably little use. These days, she writes contemporary romance in which witty, down-to-earth characters find each other irresistible in their pajamas, though she freely admits this has yet to happen to her. Perhaps she needs more exciting pajamas. Ruthie abhors an epilogue and insists a decent romance requires at least three good sex scenes. She’d love to hear from you, so drop her a line.


Where to Find Ruthie:


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Banter as Foreplay


Romance novel characters find all kinds of ways to seduce each other. Some of them go with the tried-and-true classics — rose petals, fancy hotel suites, cocktail dresses and tuxedoes, champagne and strawberries. Others take the road less traveled — Krispy Kreme donuts (in Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me), say, or catheter removal (in Jessica Scott’s Because of You). They all work for me, though I’ll confess to having a weakness for the offbeat approach. But my favorite form of romance-novel seduction isn’t anything fancy. It’s verbal.


I love characters who use banter as a form of foreplay. Here’s a classic example from Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep. Detective Philip Marlowe is talking to Vivian Regan, a not-so-innocent rich woman who’s tampering with his case.








She took the photo out and stood looking at it, just inside the door. “She has a beautiful little body, hasn’t she?”







“Uh-huh.”







She leaned a little towards me. “You ought to see mine,” she said gravely.







“Can it be arranged?”







She laughed suddenly and sharply and went halfway through the door, then turned her head to say coolly: “You’re as cold-blooded a beast as I ever met, Marlowe. Or can I call you Phil?”







“Sure.”

“You can call me Vivian.”







“Thanks, Mrs. Regan.”







“Oh, go to hell, Marlowe.” She went on out and didn’t look back


.
They’re going to jump each other any minute, don’t you think?



Banter is the best of all forms of flirtation, for several reasons. First, it gives a woman a chance to size up the most important hidden organ of her potential sexual partner: his brain. Honestly, girls, it’s what’s between his ears that counts, and if he can keep up with you in a verbal sparring match, it bodes well for his sexual prowess.

Second, banter has a built-in exit strategy. Start bantering with a man, and you’ll find yourself smiling and laughing — or frowning and shooting daggers at him with your eyes. Either way, your pulse rate’s going to pick up, and things are going to get a lot more exciting. But if he says something really hopeless and lame — if he pisses you off or reveals that he’s a jerkwad — you can retreat gracefully and pretend you never imagined kissing the man, much less unbuckling his belt and pushing him onto a nearby flat surface. Whereas if you’d engaged in one of the more obvious, less awesome forms of seduction, it would be harder to back out. Because let’s be honest: once you’ve paid for the suite and climbed into the hot tub with a fella, it’s going to be hard to pretend you didn’t intend to finish the night rolling around on those rose petals you scattered over the bed.


Finally, banter is wonderfully funny. It’s not always funny for the characters, mind you — there’s jokey banter, but there’s also I-want-to-put-barbs-in-your-eyes banter — but for the reader, a great bantering scene is Made of Win.


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In this fun, scorching-hot eBook original romance by Ruthie Knox, a cross-country bike adventure takes a detour into unexplored passion. As readers will discover, Ride with Me is not about the bike!

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger — a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.


Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?


Where to Buy*: Kindle | NOOK | Publisher


Read my review of Ride with Me HERE!


And be sure to follow the rest of the tour!


~*~*~*~*~

GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER--THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to win a digital copy of Ride with Me. Winner will pick up their copy through Net Galley. Good luck!

How to Enter:


Mandatory: Leave a comment, answering Ruthie's Question, on this post WITH a valid email address. If you do not wish to post your email addy on your comment, then you must have it visible on your Blogger profile!
NO EMAIL ADDRESS MEANS NO ENTRY!




Ruthie's Question is: What about you — do you like funny banter, snipey banter, or some other form of character foreplay best?







Giveaway ends Feb. 28th. I will announce the winner on Feb. 29th!
~*~*~*~*~

Thanks to Ruthie for stopping by and writing this wonderful post--I love the topic and I hope everyone enjoyed it! Feel free to ask her questions, comment on what she wrote, or comment on Ride With Me, if you have already read it.

Thanks to Romance at Random for putting on this tour and allowing me to be a part of it. Also, a big thanks for the chance to review Ride With Me.




Enjoy!




Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

[NOR + ARC Review]: "When a Scot Loves a Lady"


When a Scot Loves a Lady  by Katharine Ashe
Publisher: Avon (February 28, 2012)
Series: The Falcon Club Series, 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Summary (Amazon.com):
London gossips are asking: What use has society of an exclusive gentleman's club if no gentlemen are ever seen to pass through its door?
After years as an agent of the secret Falcon Club, Lord Leam Blackwood knows it's time to return home to Scotland. One temptation threatens his plans—Kitty Savege, who warms his blood like a dram of fine whiskey. But a dangerous enemy stands in the way of desire, and to beat this foe Leam needs Kitty's help . . .
Kitty never wanted to spend her holidays in a wretched country village! With snow up to the windows, escape is nowhere in sight. A roguish Scottish lord, however, is. His rough brogue sends heat from Kitty's frigid toes to her chilled nose, but she's confident she can withstand that. What she cannot control is the reaction of her guarded heart when she discovers this beast is no beast at all . . .


Where to Buy*: Amazon | Kindle | BN.com | NOOK
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site | Excerpt




My Review:

NOTE: While reading this review, it may seem like I am being snide or rude, but please know that that is not the way it is meant to come across! I am trying to be honest about the flaws that I found in it, but I am not the sort of reviewer that writes nasty hate reviews, no matter the book. As we know, sometimes a simple sentence, when written on a computer screen, can come across more than one way, often without us meaning to. If this happens with anything I say in this review, I am truly sorry!

Now, on to the review, shall we?

For the first half of this book, my opinion on the story was a bit indifferent really—many time I almost put the book down, marking it as a rare DNF. But something told me to stick with it, and that's exactly what I did, even though the journey was a bit rough and tedious at times. I can't say that I regret the decision to finish the book; while it may not have been my favorite, When A Scot Loves A Lady was a decent read, if a bit slow.

One of the main reasons that I had such a difficult time with this novel was due to its editing. Although, yes, this is an ARC of the book, and therefore uncorrected, I would like to know one thing: where were the quotation marks? Not one in the whole book, and yet there were numerous conversations, although at times you couldn't tell due to their formatting. Perhaps it is not fair to judge this flaw because of the nature of the book's format (ARC) but I couldn't stand the absence of basic editing. Trying to distinguish between story and conversation—and more importantly who was participating in said conversation—gave me a headache. And when a book causes a headache, believe me, it's hard to focus on other things—such as storyline and characters. It even made the love scenes more of a struggle to read instead of an enjoyment!


Perhaps, then, my opinion on much of this book could change upon reading the final copy. But while I never expect an ARC, or even a final copy, to be perfect, some basics, like quotations, are a necessity.


The story itself was okay, but nothing grand. I was both confused and bored by the majority of the book, though it did get a bit more lively at the end (through use of a lot of sudden plot twists). However, it wasn't anything spectacular, I am sorry to say.


The one thing (besides the gorgeous cover) that I enjoyed in When A Scot Loves A Lady is the loving. It was, no doubt about it, very fulfilling and almost made up for the other flaws in the book. It was tender at times, and rough during others. Case in point: my favorite scene, which takes place on the kitchen counters at night...pots go flying and the servants, as well as the Watch, are called out to investigate! Yet it was always very passionate and emotional; it was not just a convenient way to relieve the couple's...tensions.

I can't say much about the characters—as much as I wanted to love them, they felt a bit flat, not fully developed. I had a better grasp on Leam's character toward the end, when he stopped playing the Highland barbarian but even then I knew I wasn't seeing the full picture. Which brings up another thing: I love a Scottish hero, but spelling his words out to match how they would actually sound gave me a headache as well, as, like Kitty, most of the time I couldn't tell what Leam was trying to say. Give us other clues and hints about his accent—but please, don't use odd spellings to get the point across! I wish there had been more, to both Leam and Kitty, as good strong characters could have went a long ways towards redeeming the book.


 
3 STARS! An enjoyable enough read, When A Scot Loves A Lady was missing a few things, though it didn't turn out to be a complete disappointment. I wish there had been more to the story (or that it had been told in a different way) as it didn't hold my attention completely. This isn't to say I won't read more of Ms. Ashe's books or recommend them to other readers—I plan on doing both. I just might wait for the final copies of her future work and hope that some of the kinks are ironed out before it goes to print...


 
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Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this e-book ARC for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
~~~ 



Enjoy!



Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

[NOR Review]: "Lost in Time"

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 27, 2011)
Series: The Blue Bloods, 6
Genre: Teen Fantasy/Paranormal
Summary (Amazon.com):
The stakes have never been higher for the young Blue Bloods of Manhattan. After their brief yet beautiful bonding ceremony in Italy, Schuyler Van Alen and Jack Force depart for Egypt, desperate to find the elusive Gate of Promise before Jack must face his twin, Mimi, for a blood trial. A blood trial that only one of them can survive. But everything Schuyler thought she knew about the gate turns out to be a lie, and they soon find themselves ensnared in a deadly battle against the demon-born. Schuyler and Jack take up arms, only to realize that there is a much graver threat simmering in the Kingdom of the Dead.



Meanwhile, determined to save the only vampire she still loves, Mimi has followed Kingsley Martin into Hell. With the help of her new human Conduit, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Mimi makes a bargain with the Queen of the Dead that she may soon regret. When the time comes to choose between love and revenge, both Mimi and Oliver will learn the true meaning of sacrifice.


Confronted by danger, betrayal, and loss at every turn, the Blue Bloods must find the will to fight—and love—another day.

Where to Buy*: Amazon | Kindle | BN.com | NOOK
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site


Other Books in the Series:
Click on the covers to buy from BN.com; the title links to the book's page on the author's site  Amazon (Author's site is not working right now).

Book 1: Blue Bloods
Book 2: Masquerade










Book 3: Revelations
Book 4: Van Alen Legacy









Book 5: Misguided Angel













My Review:

Schuyler and Jack are fighting, not only for their lives but for their love, the chance to be together forever. But one thing stands in their way—Jack's (Abbadon) bond with Mimi (Azrael). As long as their immortal bond still holds, they cannot be with anyone else. But the bond is not something that can be easily broken, and in trying to do so, they may just end up risking their own lives for nothing...

As any fan of this series knows, Melissa de la Cruz does not write a simple story. Oh no. Just when you believe that you may have things figured out, a new twist is thrown in, a new secret is learned, and you are back to fumbling in the dark with the characters, only seeing part of the overall scene, waiting for the lights to be turned on. In Lost in Time, Melissa does this yet again. But while the story may be complex and ever-changing, the basic premises still hold: finding out the full truth about the Blue Bloods' world, how Schuyler, a half-breed that should never have existed, fits into all of this, and whether or not Jack and Schuyler will ever get their chance to be together. While it would be nice if I could look you in the eye and tell you that all of that has been figured out within the pages of Lost in Time—I'd be lying. Melissa leaves us on yet another cliff hanger, waiting anxiously for the next, and final, installment in this captivating series!

There is simply too much going on in Lost in Time to even begin to explain it in a review—besides the fact that the explanations would be nothing more than a big spoiler for future readers. Because of this, I won't even try. Even after reading all of the books in this series (not including the final book, due to be released in another year), there were many times that I felt a bit lost while reading this one. I kept wondering if I had missed something—even going back to check that I did indeed have the previous books in this series—because one moment the story would be going along, and suddenly a new character would be mentioned, or a new task or secret that had been told, and I had no memory of ever reading about it. It seems like a lot of things were left out of the book, things that apparently happened right before Lost in Time started, or things that happen in between the chapters.

Speaking of chapters: rather than being told from one character's POV, this novel switches from three different stories (rotating chapters). One chapter will tell of Schuyler and Jack's struggles and adventures, the next would tell of Mimi's, and then it would switch to Allegra's (Gabrielle) memories from before Schuyler was even born. Each chapter would take place in a completely different time; there was no time line to follow while reading them. One moment, it would be only two weeks since Event A happened, next chapter it is suddenly two months—and we haven't heard about anything that happened in between! Perhaps dates at the beginning of each chapter would have helped...or else a different approach to the writing of the three separate stories. Either way, while it wasn't a complete mess by any means, it did make it a rougher ride than it needed to be.

I, personally, couldn't see the reason for Allegra's chapters, as none of them really told us anything pertinent to this story. Yes, we see the problems that she had with Charles (Michael), as well as her love with her human familiar (who will become Schuyler's father), but nothing else is told, though she is constantly begging for Charles to tell her the truth about secrets he has been hiding from her over the years. Allegra's chapter was the last one in this book, and we still had not learned anything—even though this chapter was set in the present, rather than memories from 20 years ago. We're left still wondering what big secret Michael, the Uncorrupted and Pure, is hiding from everyone—including his own bondmate, his other half. With the way he's been dragging it out, refusing to tell her all these years, I wonder if we will ever find out before the end of the series...

4 STARS! Lost in Time is another wonderful installment in a truly fabulous series! If you haven't already been bitten by the Blue Blood's bug, now is the time to start the series, as you will have time to read books one through six before the final book comes out in 2013. The series may be written for a YA audience, but believe me when I say that this is also a great pick for those of us who graduated from high school years ago! The storyline is very unique, as Melissa's idea of vampires are not what we've grown up with, and the plot is constantly changing, thickening, as we journey towards the end. I can't even begin to image what the final book will hold, but I know that it will be just as captivating and fast-paced as the rest of the series. If you are looking for a great paranormal romance, one that is filled with adventures and myths, love and second chances, fate and personal choices, Lost in Time is the novel for you!

~~~
Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this book for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
~~~ 



Enjoy!






Until Next Time,
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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

Monday, February 20, 2012

[NOR Review]: "The Other Guy's Bride"

The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway
Publisher: Montlake Romance (December 22, 2011)
Genre: Historical Romance
Summary (Amazon.com):
Determined to prove her worth as a budding archeologist, Ginesse Braxton vows to solve one of the world's greatest mysteries--to find the location of the lost city of Zerzura. Unfortunately, no man dares take the risk of escorting the resolute young scholar across the open desert. But on her way to Egypt, Ginesse engages in a daring deception: She will switch places with Mildred Whimpelhall, who is traveling to meet her fiancé.

Cynical adventurer Jim Owen will do anything to escape the dark secrets of his troubled past. Betrayed by the woman he loved and scorned by proper society, he agrees to carry out a danger-fraught task: escort Mildred Whimpelhall across a lawless desert to her intended. But Jim is about to learn that "Mildred" isn't exactly what she seems...and the dangers they face together are eclipsed by an even greater peril: falling in love, against all reason, with another guy's bride.



Where to Buy*: Amazon | Kindle | BN.com
More Info: Author's Site | Book Site | Excerpt

*Note*
This book is a sequel to As You Desire.

My Review:

When mistaken identities, secret lives, and an exotic locale like Egypt are thrown together, the outcome can only be one thing—a rocky roller-coaster ride that provides plenty of entertainment!

Ginesse (Ginny) Braxton has been judged by her name for years. As the only daughter of the infamous Harry and Dizzy Braxton, the world expects her to be much like them—a successful Egyptologist who discovers countless finds. But while Ginny has worked hard all her life to fill those shoes, she's never quite done it. And now she's finally realizing that perhaps this career choice was the wrong one for her. There is no passion for her to find in this job, and Ginny has always dreamed of having love and passion—especially in her personal life...

But Ginny wants to give it one more try, and off she goes to find the ancient city of Zerzura, which has been lost for centuries. She knows that no one would dare to be her guide through the desert—first, because of who her father is, and second because she is a young woman. But she won't give up that easily, and when she sees an opportunity arise that would take her close to her final destination, she takes it. She thought she would be finding Zerzura in the desert; she never expected to find love instead...

Jim Owens, believed to be a rough, no-good scoundrel by many who “know” him, is finally repaying his debt to Colonel Lord Pomfrey by delivering his fiance, Miss Whimpelhall, to the fort he commands in the middle of the desert. His first look at Mildred reveals everything Pomfrey told him about the woman—brassy red hair. But her actions are not that of the quiet lady Pomfrey described her as. She says she is Mildred Whimpelhall, so she must be....right? Jim doesn't give it much thought; his job is simply to take the girl to Pomfrey. Besides, he is not who he pretends to be either, so he can't judge her too harshly.


As the days in “Mildred's” company go by, Jim finds himself wishing that he was someone else. It's not right, wanting another man's bride, but even when she returns his affections, he can't offer for her when he has nothing to call his own...Unless he takes back his old life—and his rightful title. But will Mildred—or she he say Ginny—take him up on his offer?
This was a wonderful historical romance, full of adventure and set in exotic Egypt (one of my favorites!). I found The Other Guy's Bride had just enough twists in it to keep the story alive, but not so much that it left it feeling cluttered. I was surprised a few times, which only added to the over-all adventure.

The romance was very nicely done—both tender at times and very steamy during others. It was everything a fan of this genre could ask for—and more! I loved watching Ginny and Jim come to terms with their feelings for each other. They fought the inevitable for so long, but rather than this being an annoyance, it was actually rather fun to read.

Brockway has a talent for writing humor into her romance—it is subtle for the most part, but still very enjoyable. I laughed during more than a few scenes (usually when Ginny was fighting Jim—she is not a quiet, shy woman by any means, if she has something to say, she speaks her mind!).


^Favorite Quote:


With one arm around her waist, he used his free hand to tip her chin up so he could look directly into her eyes. "I love you," he said, and this time the words did not sound light or incidental. "I love you, Ginesse. Don't you see? You are my Zerzura. You are my undiscovered country, both my heart's destination and journey. Gold and temples, jewels and gems don't hold one bit of your enticement."




4 STARS! A truly magical romance set in Egypt, The Other Guy's Bride was a light, enjoyable read—and one I will no doubt visit again in the future. I'm very curious to find out more about Harry and Dizzy's love story, which has already been told, so I will be adding their book to my list as well. Connie Brockway is a must read author for any historical romance fan, and The Other Guy's Bride is a rare treat, one to be savored again and again!



^Quote is from my ARC copy, and therefore may be slightly different from the final copy. The quote is property of the author, and I do not claim the words in anyway!



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Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this ARC for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
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Enjoy!


Until Next Time,
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