review: aching for always by gwyn cready

Aching for Always kicks off with murderous intrigue in the prologue and plunges into steamy romance by the middle of chapter two. It's a great beginning to another stellar time-traveling novel from award-winning Gwyn Cready. Here Joss is all set to marry her new business partner despite knowing him for only a few months (they became close while her father was in the hospital). But then Joss runs into a time-traveler who causes her to doubt everything she's ever trusted regarding her life. Soon Joss faces a major life-altering decision made all the more difficult by the new reality she must contend with.

I particularly enjoyed the way Cready wove the story of the mapmaker into the overall plot. The fairy tale, which Joss's mom told, is revealed at the beginning of certain chapters as other parts come in Joss's reflections on her virginity as well as conversations she has with time-traveling Hugh. At the end comes a nice revelation about the story.
4/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Pocket Books.

a book invasion!

So not that I'm complaining, but books have kind of taken over my home! Although I'm fortunate enough to have some built-ins in the living room, I still need additional storage. So I started browsing the web for some options. There are the traditional shelves of course, but I kind of like console tables since they provide some versatility.

I think I've found the one that I want... It matches fairly well with what I already have and should fit nicely in the dining room. Once I get it, I'll post an update. It'll be nice to finally get the stacks of books organized!


I'll receive a free product for review from CSN Stores for making this post.

giveaway winner: the secrets of newberry

Wanda is the lucky winner of The Secrets of Newberry! Congratulations.

giveaway: september forever romance classics

I am thrilled to host this great giveaway from Hachette. Three people will win the September Forever Romance Classics package of three books! The books are A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore, The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt, and Hot Wheels and High Heels by Jane Graves.

Publishers Weekly about A Hint of Wicked:
"Two devastatingly handsome gentlemen vie for the love of the beautiful Sophie, duchess of Calton, in this debut historical romance, which delivers almost too thoroughly on its heart-tearing premise. Garrett, duke of Calton, returns to England barely recovered from amnesia following the battle of Waterloo and finds that after thinking him dead for eight years, Sophie has married his cousin and best friend, Tristan, now duke in his place. Sophie is torn between her sensual attraction to Tristan and her childhood love for—and legal bond to—Garrett, while the rivalry wrecks the men's lifelong friendship and pulls Sophie's two young children between their warring fathers. Haymore portrays the three so intensely and sympathetically that by the end, all of Sophie's possible choices seem guaranteed to bring misery to the lovers, leaving readers distressed and unsatisfied."

Booklist on The Raven Prince:
"After reviewing her somewhat precarious financial situation, Anna Wren comes to the conclusion that she needs a job. When she discovers that Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, requires a new secretary, it seems like the perfect solution to her employment problem. Having already lost two secretaries because of his temper, Edward reluctantly agrees to give Anna a chance. Much to Anna's surprise, she finds she likes working for the often stubborn but unexpectedly kind Edward, and Edward soon realizes that Anna is not only an excellent secretary but also an extraordinarily intriguing woman. Hoyt's superb debut historical romance will dazzle readers with its brilliant blend of exquisitely nuanced characters, splendidly sensual love story, and elegant writing expertly laced with a dash of tart wit."

Publisher description for Hot Wheels and High Heels:
"Trophy wife Darcy McDaniel has just discovered that, thanks to her embezzling husband, her posh, upper-class life is gone for good. Now she's trading her suburban palace for a trailer park and her weekly salon appointments for a job. Darcy needs a new man--fast--one who'll keep her in the manner she darn well deserves. Problem is, the hottest prospect around is the my-way-or-the-highway hunk who's making off with her beloved Mercedes!

"Ex-cop turned repo man John Stark is sure that hiring the furious blonde in his headlights is a colossal mistake. He knows Darcy's high-maintenance, designer-labels-only type--after all, he's used to taking their cars. But he never expected this hellion to have the smarts and the spunk to go from receptionist to repo agent in record time...or to drive him insane with desire. She's the last thing this tall, dark, and dangerous loner needs...and everything he never knew he wanted."

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower (one extra each for the blog and Twitter) or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on October 16. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.

review: the human bobby by gabe rotter

This post contains affiliate links.

In a story about a man who loses everything when he makes the mistake of letting his childhood crush (a recovering addict) back into his life, Gabe Rotter makes excellent use of foreshadowing. While the story of lose is incredibly tragic, there were still humorous bits throughout The Human Bobby, particularly involving the happier times of Bobby and his wife.

Right up until the end, The Human Bobby was stellar, gripping, and kept me guessing. I raced through wondering how it would end. Would Bobby win back Ava by finding their son? It seemed likely as it would make for a happy ending though it would take a lot of work. But when the book did end it felt like an easy way out. And yet I hesitate to say that it was. There were a few hints sprinkled throughout that lead me to believe the ending was exactly what Rotter was working toward all along. It’s worth a second read.

One thing that I still working out is that The Human Bobby starts with Chapter 31 then goes back to Chapter 1 (this part really worked for me), but then the Chapter 31 that comes in the normal sequence isn’t the same as the one that started off the book. If other readers have thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them!
4/5
Review copy provided by Newman Communications.

review: fly away home by jennifer weiner

According to the acknowledgments, it was ten years ago that Jennifer Weiner started writing Fly Away Home, a touching story about family turmoil that kicks off with the revelation that the Senator had an affair with a legislative aide. This just goes to show that politicians have been cheating on their wives for a long time. But the affair is not the true focus; its public announcement is simply what causes the Woodruff family to finally begin dealing with their issues.

Oldest daughter Diana has created a perfect life but it's all a façade. She's never really been interested in her husband, not even when they first started dating; she's now having an affair of her own (with a 25 year old intern at the hospital where she’s a doctor!). Lizzie, the troubled youngest daughter, is fresh out of rehab and acting as live-in nanny to Diana's only son. And with Richard’s infidelity out in the open, Sylvie escapes to her family’s isolated beach house and finally examines her life and marriage, which she must admit has not been all that she expected. After Diana confesses her affair to her husband, she packs up Milo and heads to the beach house as well; meanwhile, Lizzie has shocking news of her own that has her taking up her mom’s invitation to the beach house. That’s when everyone starts being honest.

This is one that pulls you in a bunch of different directions. Fly Away Home is sad at times (Tim telling Sylvie about the breakup of his marriage is a heart wrenching), but also quite humorous. There were times when I sympathized with the characters (and I adored Lizzie), but times when they were frustrating beyond belief (see Lizzie shutting out Jeff). In all it is an excellent novel.

5/5
Review copy provided by Engelman and Co.

giveaway: last to die

As part of the Last to Die tour, Hachette has granted me five giveaway copies!

If you read my review, you know I really enjoyed the book. Here's what Publishers Weekly said:
"Brady's second romantic thriller (One Scream Away) sports a winning combination of complex characters and intricately woven plot. Mourning the recent death of her father, Maryland police detective Dani Cole is called back to work to investigate a murder because she knows the victim, a former prostitute named Rosie whom Dani helped to start a new life. An unlikely link between Rosie and arts foundation director Russell Sanders dissolves when Sanders is also found murdered, but by then Dani has reconnected with an old flame: Mitch Sheridan, the foundation's owner. The independent, solitary cop stubbornly resists Mitch's charms, but as bodies begin to pile up, Mitch and Dani find themselves at equal risk of falling in love and being killed. There's nothing exactly new here, but Brady's deft style will keep readers turning pages."

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower (one extra each for the blog and Twitter) or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on October 2. Winners will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winners must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.