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Synopsis: THE AWAKENING

Safe, steady…and unsatisfying — that pretty much summed up Maggie Stanton's life. Until a stranger stirred her imagination until she blushed, a stranger who made Maggie do the unimaginable: take a risk….

Shockingly, the man who'd compelled her to forsake predictability for passion was the full-grown version of her childhood best friend. Only, this Matthew Stone wanted marriage, not a walk down memory lane.

For a while, Maggie almost believed that their whirlwind wedding was the union of soul mates. Almost. Then she learned the secret Matthew was keeping.

My Thoughts: I think I expected more out of this one. Probably because I’d just finished Otherwise Engaged (The 3rd in the Sunrise Key Trilogy) and wanted something close to caliber of Pres and Molly’s story. The story of Maggie and her Jungle Man, Matt, just was not it. There were some good moments, and I did finish it, so that’s something.

Verdict: This was Okay. It’s not a keeper because I doubt I’d ever read it again, but it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Okay, Suzanne Brockmann

Synopsis: Kissed by a phantom at midnight, she had no choice but to surrender….

When Dr. Marshall Devlin spotted Leila Hunt alone on the dance floor, he yearned to charm the violet-eyed Cinderella into his arms, but how could he court the lady when they fought over everything, and always had? Then the clock struck twelve, and Leila was possessed by the passion of a familiar stranger. He'd captured her lips -- and her soul -- in a moment of magic, but could she learn to love the man behind the mask?

In a debut that celebrates the delights and disasters of falling in love with the boy next door, Suzanne Brockmann wins every heart! He'd teased and tormented her since childhood, hidden his white-hot desire for the woman she'd become, but once a fleeting embrace threatened to reveal his secret, could he make her his forever?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Marsh and Leila’s story very much! Theirs was a great tale with just the right amount of obstacles to make this an enjoyable reading experience.

Verdict: This was Very Good and really set the bar for me to want to read other Brockmann tales in the future..

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Synopsis: He knew just the right moves to melt her resistance….

Allowing Simon Hunt to play her partner on her latest assignment probably wasn't Frankie Paresky's best idea ever, but the P.I. found it just as hard as most women did to tell him no! When a chase to solve a long-ago mystery sparked a sizzling attraction between old friends, Frankie wavered between pleasure and panic. Could the best bad boy she'd ever known be the man she'd always love?

Utterly seductive, irresistibly inventive, Suzanne Brockmann’s merry romp celebrates a love as torrid as the Florida sun – and as steamily passionate as a first kiss! She'd vowed never to be a notch on anyone's belt or settle for one night only, but could she turn down a dare that promised a real taste of heaven?

My Thoughts: This was the first book I read in the trilogy, and my least favorite of the three. I admit, the pretty cover sucked me in. But in my own defense, the story sounded right up my alley. The problem was there was no angst, there really was no pinnacle turning point of the story. It just was.

Verdict: This was somewhere between Okay and Good. I liked the characters ~ there just unfortunately wasn’t much of a story there.

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Synopsis: His lips made an offer no woman would dare refuse . . .

Funny, charismatic, and one heck of a temptation, Preston Seaholm made a wickedly sexy hero as he rescued Molly Cassidy from tumbling off the roof! The pretty widow bewitched him with a smile, unaware the tanned sun god was Sunrise Key's mysterious tycoon -- and one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. He needed help fending off unwanted advances, but once he convinced her to play along at pretending they were engaged, would he discover the pleasures of surrendering to her temptation?

Weaving a fast-paced tale as touching as it is passionate, as witty as it is irresistible, Suzanne Brockmann reveals the perfect gift for the man who has everything: true love! He promised her the world if that would make her happy, but would a notorious pirate confess that the only prize he yearned to capture was a lady's heart?

My Thoughts: This was another awesome tale by Suzanne Brockmann. I enjoyed Pres and Molly very much, as well as Molly’s son Zander. I couldn’t stop reading this once I started and it was a great way to spend a few hours on a rainy day.

Verdict: This was Very Good and was a great story to end the trilogy with.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Suzanne Brockmann, Very Good

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Synopsis: A romantic game of chicken—and they’re both too stubborn to flinch.

Lucy Fairchild, lawyer and heiress to the Fairchild fortune, has just had the worst day of her life. Her father has found the perfect man for her to marry. Yes, she’s thirty and single, but that doesn’t give her father the right to run her life. She’ll choose her own husband—someday.

Jake Dalton is struggling to make his fledgling construction company a success. Ever mindful of his father’s derogatory comments that he’d never amount to anything, he’s spent his entire life trying to prove he’s not a failure.

From their first meeting on a construction site, verbal sparks fly. Their argument escalates into a dare for a date—and the game is on. Lucy thinks Jake is the perfect fake boyfriend to parade around in the hopes of getting her father off her back. Jake is amused by the chance to annoy both Lucy and her dad—he doesn’t intend to take the dating thing seriously.

But the heart is a fickle thing, and not above playing dirty. In their quest to prove something—to each other, or maybe to themselves—they find themselves building a case…for love.

And suddenly all the rules have changed.

My Thoughts: Jaci Burton is a new-to-me author. I picked up a few (well, actually three) of her ebooks awhile ago and have been anxious to read them. Dare to Love was the first that I tried. Honestly, I enjoyed it so much I could not stop reading it. So much so, I was almost late for work yesterday because of it (note to self: you really have to stop reading in the bathroom on workdays!).

Lucy and Jake are a great pairing. Sparks flew from their first meeting and just continued from there. I love the concept that their romance started on a dare ~ Jake dared Lucy to go out with him and she surprised them both by saying yes. The banter continued from their first date, to the forming of their friendship, and to everything else after that. I thought this was a great story and I’m so glad that I chose this as my introduction to Jaci Burton’s storytelling. She has a great writing style and the story just flowed.

Verdict: The story was Very Good. I’m glad I have two more of Jaci’s books in my TBR pile. I look forward to reading them soon!

PS ~ I really want a trampoline now.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Jaci Burton, Very Good

Just Finished:Synopsis: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OPPOSITES ATTRACT?
Free-spirited Zoey Adler is about to hijack a federal agent. And not just any federal agent, but very Special Agent Dante Torelli, a man whose designer suits and Italian shoes are more GQ than FBI. But when her baby niece, Pete, is snatched right in front of her eyes, Zoey doesn’t hesitate to scramble into Dante’s spotless BMW. She needs his help to rescue the baby . . . if only she can ignore his Lips of Sin.

OH, BABY!
Dante’s original mission is down the drain and he’s dodging bullets with a loopy redhead by his side. He likes quiet. She never shuts up. He likes to follow the rules. She throws the rules out the window. But these opposites do more than attract—they ignite. With a henpecked hit man running wild, cooking-obsessed matrons chasing down contraband spices, and a relentless killer tracking them all, Dante and Zoey will risk everything—for themselves and . . .

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Dante and Zoey ~ perfect opposites that made this story very fun to read. Dante is an uptight, buttoned down FBI agent; Zoey is a free-spirited health food worker who likes greasy drive-ins and Twizzlers. As if that wasn’t fun enough, add in a hen-pecked mobster and his son, two Indian sisters-in law (the Guptas) in search of their stolen saffron, and a crazy road trip tying in all of these elements and it made for a great ride.

Dante and Zoey’s story was built slowly enough to be believable, yet fast enough to keep it interesting. Their verbal sparring was fun and I as the reader enjoyed the little undercurrents with every argument they had.

The Guptas added some fun comic relief. They were two elderly sisters-in-law who had come to America to open an Indian restaurant. And of course to do that, they needed to very, very best ingredients indeed. These two characters just seemed to meld right into the madness of the story and added a great element.

The henpecked mobster, Neil, was a fun addition as well. His wife, Ashley, was nothing like I expected and it was fun seeing him grab excuse after excuse in order to try to appease her.

True, there were many elements to this story ~ definitely a lot of layers. Nevertheless, it was easy to follow and made for a fun romp.

Verdict: The story was Very Good. I really enjoyed it and now must hunt down Julia's other story, Hot, so I can read that too!

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Julia Harper, Very Good

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Synopsis: The first in a sensational new series, Jill Shalvis introduces Cameron, Stone, and T.J. Wilder – three bad-boy heroes who effortlessly mix breathtaking adventure and scorching sex appeal . . .

GET WILD . .. AND THEN GET WILDER . . .

Accountant Katie Kramer is a quintessential good girl – working hard, recycling diligently, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. That’s all she wants. Well, that – and amazing sex, and the kind of daredevil escapade she can look back on when she’s crunching numbers in a dusty cubicle. Which explains why she just took a job in Wishful, California, working for Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. Waking up to find a magnificently built stranger towering over her bed – that part defies explanation . . .

After wandering the planet for months following a life-changing accident, Cameron Wilder has come back to the only home he knows. Under other circumstances, he might be thrilled to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in his cabin, but now, while he’ll risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits. Still, Katie’s killer smile triggers something deep in his gut . . . among other places. Showing her how exhilarating it can be to stop balancing her life as if it was a checkbook is the biggest rush he’s ever felt – and an adventure Katie’s wishing would never end.

My Thoughts: Once in a great while, a book comes along that is so perfect, it touches the core of who you are as a person. This book is that for me. I enjoyed it thoroughly from beginning to end.

Katie and Cam had a rather unique way of meeting. From that first meeting, I was hooked. Cam had just returned home after a year of wandering, and Katie was trying to mentally recover from a horrifying accident. There were fireworks from the beginning of this book that continued to the very end.

I laughed a lot. Katie has spunk, that’s for sure. And sometimes, I think Cam was completely dumbfounded by her. Their story held everything that I the reader look for in a good book. I cared about the characters and actually felt like I was there the whole time. I knew Katie. I knew Cam. There was a lot of heart in this story, amazing chemistry, and it was hot. Really hot.

Then there’s Annie, the aunt that raised Cam who is trying to fight for her marriage to Nick. Loved her. And every apron she wore had some kind of zinger on them. Loved that too. Poor Annie. She went through a lot of embarrassment to try and get her man. But, when he finally got it, he got it and it was completely rewarding for me as the reader.

No to mention, Jill has laid a beautiful groundwork for more stories. Stone, the middle Wilder, and Emma Sinclair, the new town doctor; Harley, the mechanic, and TJ, the eldest Wilder brother. Then there’s Serena, Cam’s ex. I like her. I’m hoping for more of her in the next Wilder book.

Take my word for it. Get this. You will not be sorry.

Verdict: The story was Excellent. I loved it from the very beginning and was sorry to see it end. I became submerged in this story and fell in love with the town of Wishful and everyone in it. I am now impatiently waiting for July when Stone's story is published. I cannot wait.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Excellent, Jill Shalvis

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Synopsis: COOL. CALM. COLLECTED...
Nothing fazes Taylor Donovan. In the courtroom she never lets the opposition see her sweat. In her personal life, she never lets any man rattle her—not even her cheating ex-fiancé. So when she's assigned to coach People's "Sexiest Man Alive" for his role in his next big legal thriller, she refuses to fall for the Hollywood heartthrob's charms. Even if he is the Jason Andrews.

CONFIDENT. FAMOUS. IRRESISTIBLE…
Jason Andrews is used to having women fall at his feet. When Taylor Donovan gives him the cold shoulder, he's thrown for a loop. She's unlike any other woman he's ever met: uninterested in the limelight, seemingly immune to his advances, and shockingly capable of saying no to him. She's the perfect challenge. And the more she rejects him, the more he begins to realize she may just be his perfect match...
My Thoughts: The banter got me first. I’m a fan of quick wit, so I really enjoyed how the two leads continuously tried to one-up each other. This book was fun from beginning to end ~ so much so, I could not put it down once I started reading it. Taylor and Jason were strong, independent, and successful characters so it was a delight watching them both change as the story progressed. And as far as chemistry?? These characters had it virtually leaping off the pages.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I enjoyed the banter between the two characters and was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole book. I cannot wait to read more from Ms. James in the future.

Labels: Berkley, Contemporary Romance, Julie James, Very Good

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Synopsis: When Ethan agreed to work at a sawmill his family is purchasing, he didn't foresee getting fired on his first day. He should be mad at the fiercely outspoken female foreman, but something about her seems disconcertingly familiar--even though Ethan is sure he'd remember meeting a stunning beauty like Anna Segee before.

Anna has never forgotten Ethan--or the schoolgirl crush she had on him before her father whisked her off to Canada. Now the shy, gangly girl is grown up and back in Oak Grove with a new name, new confidence and a newly inherited mill of her own. Her superb reputation in a male-dominated industry hasn't come easy, but even harder will be ignoring the sexy man Ethan has become....

My Thoughts: Janet Chapman only mildly disappointed me with this second installment of The Logger series (I’ll get to that in a moment). The book gets off to a fun start when Anna Segee fires Ethan for stepping in front of her loader, not knowing that his family is the new owner of the sawmill and, in essence, are her new bosses.

From there, the arguments just keep getting better. The fun just keeps on coming when Ethan moves into an empty cabin at Abby’s property, but invites himself to sleep in her home because the cabin isn’t exactly up to code for anyone to live in. Anna finds him to be as overbearing as her father and four over-protective brothers that she left behind.

I enjoyed the sparks between Anna and Ethan from the start. In that, Janet Chapman didn’t disappoint. What I didn’t like really had nothing to do with the story. It was the fact that Paul, the playboy of the Knight family, wouldn’t be getting his own story. His HEA was tidily pieced together in just a few pages of this book, and really disappointed me. I wanted to see Paul fall for a strong woman just like his brothers Ethan and Alex did.

Like I said, the only disappointment I felt had nothing to do with Ethan and Anna. Their story was excellent and kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I highly recommend it!

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Janet Chapman, Pocket, Very Good

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Synopsis: He set out to seduce her for all the wrong reasons -- but found himself falling in love with her for all the right ones.

Alex Knight is dead -- or so everyone thinks. A widowed logger baron with a risk-taking streak, he took on a South American engineering project and was reported dead after a rebel attack. So when he turns up back in Maine very much alive, his grieving family is shocked. But the biggest shock is Alex's, when he discovers he's now married -- to a woman he's never met.

Sarah Banks is ready for a change from running a quiet Bed & Breakfast, and working for the Knight family offers not only a bigger opportunity, but also the family life she yearns for. So she's glad to help secure custody of Alex's orphaned children, whom she's come to love, by marrying their father by proxy before he's legally declared dead. But when Alex returns, the sexy, determined woodsman upends all of Sarah's plans. Because suddenly she's married to a passionate stranger with an easy smile...and tumbling headlong into a fiery dance of seduction.

My Thoughts: I don’t think I’ve ever read a story before where the hero was presumed dead and comes home to find himself married to a woman he’s never met. I’m sure there may be more books like this out there, but I’ve never read them. So, I was interested in how JC was going to pull this unbelievable theme off. But then I started reading and from Sarah and Alex’s first meeting I was hooked. They had unbelievable chemistry right from the start that just continued to grow as the book went on.

Then there is the rest of the Knight family: Grady, the matchmaking schemer of a patriarch; Ethan, the gun-shy middle brother; and Paul, the youngest brother, a flirtatious lady’s man who is never at a loss for a date; and Tucker & Delaney, Alex’s children that Sarah adopted when she believed him to be dead. There are also the two side characters: John Tate, the local sheriff and Daniel Reed, the local Fish & Game Warden. I can only hope that they will all eventually get their own stories.

Alex was an awesome hero. I love how he and Sarah would try to best each other by coming to the rescue of each other, all ideas they each got by reading Sarah’s romance books. It was just hilarious. I had several laugh out loud moments as the two continuously tried to one-up each other throughout almost the whole length of the book.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I didn’t want this story to end. I got sucked in to the world of the Knight family and their Maine home from the very beginning and could not put the book down. I am anxiously looking forward to reading Ethan’s story, The Stranger in Her Bed, and sincerely hope that Ms. Chapman finishes this series.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Janet Chapman, Pocket, Very Good

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Synopsis: She's the perfect executive assistant — or at least she was until she agreed to be put under hypnosis at a party. Overnight, the very proper Annabelle Scott turned into a terrible tease. Now she doesn't "do" typing or filing and spends most of her time wondering which of the naughty items in her wardrobe might do a good "job" — on her boss.

Wagner Achrom is a sexy workaholic who barely knows that she exists. But she plans to change all that when she lets down her hair and clues him in to the fact that, in future, the new "Belle" plans on leaving her most intimate things where they belong — off! After all, she's learned firsthand that you can never be naughty enough….

My Thoughts: I enjoyed Belle and Wag’s story very much. Seeing Isabelle transform into Belle and watching Wag’s reaction to her was a treat. Pre-hypnosis Isabelle was self-conscious, unsure of herself, and made a lot of fumbled attempts to get Wagner to notice her. Post-hypnosis Belle was daring and just naughty enough to catch Wag’s attention.

Once she caught his attention, it was a fun ride. Of course, as the story progressed, they both had pasts that they needed to come to terms with. Eventually the just got around to enjoying being together, and it was great to see them both let the guards down and just let it happen.

Verdict: This was Good. I’ve wanted to try a Jill Monroe book for awhile now, ever since I became addicted to Author Talk. This was a great introduction, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Harlequin, Jill Monroe

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Synopsis: For Hannah Novak, running a bed-and-breakfast with her two best friends was adventure enough. But they didn’t feel that way. They wanted to devote the summer to serious manhunting — loser cleans toilets! Fine for them, but Hannah was, uh...inexperienced. How could she seduce anyone?

Then out of the blue came Zach Thomas, looking for a bed...and breakfast. Hannah had always thought the rugged cop was the sexiest man alive, and, bet or no bet, she wanted him. So she checked him in — to her own room — with every intention of checking him out!

My Thoughts: Anyone who reads my blog regularly knows that I’m a new fan of Jill Shalvis and am now trying to get my hands on her entire backlist. Out of the Blue is a Harlequin Temptation from 2000 that I’m glad to have discovered.

I enjoyed Zach and Hannah right from the beginning of this story. Even better, for me at least, is that Zach is the older brother of Hannah’s best friend so it had the element of childhood crush in it as well. If you know me at all, you know that unrequited/lost love stories are my favorite things to read. I think the couple had great chemistry from their first meeting in the kitchen of Hannah’s B&B to the very last page.

Verdict: This was Good. This was a quick, enjoyable read and I’d recommend it to anyone that wanted something light to read.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Harlequin, Jill Shalvis

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Synopsis: When Dorie Anderson meets a cute guy, she becomes a huge klutz. But one phone call has turned her dead-end dating life into an adventure: she's won a trip on a singles' cruise to Fiji. On board, she soon meets pro baseball player Andy, and the ship's hunky French doctor. She's sure she'll fall head-over-heels in no time. Unfortunately, she's right: soon, she trips over her luggage right in front of them. Mortifying. But a bigger disaster is just on the horizon. Dorie finds a man murdered in his bunk the same night a storm wrecks the ship, stranding everyone on a deserted shore. It'd be a perfect setting for romance-if it weren't for the fact that there's a killer among them.

My Thoughts: I don’t even know where to start. I loved this story. Dorie and Christian? Amazing! From their first meeting before the start of the cruise, was hooked. Poor accident-prone Dorie, and smoldering Dr. Christian, who can’t keep his eyes off her. And the two just seemed to come together from there, in spite of themselves.

I enjoyed the friendships Dorie made with the other passengers on the boat as well. Cadence, Brandy, and Andy were all great additions to this story, as were the other members of the yacht crew: Denny, Ethan, and Bobby. I also enjoyed the fact that there was a bit of a mystery involved in the read, and I literally didn’t know who did it until it was revealed. JS gave each of the characters just enough of an edge, that even though I as the reader liked the character, he/she very well could have been the guilty party.

Going back to the reason I read this: Dorie and Christian. Let me sum it up. Dorie and Christian in the cabin, trying not to succumb to their attraction? Hot. Lagoon Sex? Hot! Shower Sex? Hot.

If you haven’t read Jill Shalvis before, start with this one. JS has written a fun, witty, humorous, romantic read that was a wonderful thing for me to curl up with on a cold, blistery day.

Verdict: This was Excellent. I could not stop reading this story and looked forward to every breathtaking page. Keeper, definitely.

Labels: Berkley, Contemporary Romance, Excellent, Jill Shalvis

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Synopsis: UNEXPECTED CHANGE CAN BE LIKE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR— A LITTLE BRISK AT FIRST, BUT MAGIC FOR BODY AND SOUL...

Cartoonist Sarah Moon tackles life's real issues with her syndicated comic strip just Breathe, which is how the subject of infertility became fair game for her wickedly satirical pen. As Sarah's cartoon alter ego, Shirl, undergoes artificial insemination, it mirrors Sarah's own desperate attempts to conceive after her husband's bout with cancer. However, Sarah's dreams of the future did not include the infidelity of her now fully recovered husband. Faced with the unthinkable, Sarah asks herself, what would smart, sassy Shirl do? She'd floor the gas pedal straight out of Chicago.

She heads back to the small Northern California coastal town where she grew up. Just as she's settling in, a sudden dizzy spell lands her in the arms of somebody she never expected to meet again: Will Bonner, the high school superstar she'd skewered happily in her old comics. Now a local fireman, he's raising his teenage stepdaughter alone and looking better than ever. It is at this promising juncture that Sarah discovers she's pregnant. With twins.

The irony is delicious. Here she is, back home in a place she couldn't wait to leave, pregnant with the babies of a man she just divorced. Now her heart is calling out to a single father of a troubled girl who reminds Sarah a lot of herself. Hardly the most traditional of new beginnings, but who says life, or love, is predictable...or perfect? The winds of change have led Sarah here. Now all she can do is just close her eyes...and breathe.

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The story covers a year (maybe year and a-half) of Sarah’s life. It begins in Chicago while she is happily married to Jack, and is hopeful that she and Jack will soon be expecting a new addition to her family.

Things happen (will not divulge any spoilers here, sorry!), and Sarah finds herself back in her hometown in Northern California. There, she must go about rebuilding her life and coming to terms with her past. Unfortunately, Sarah was an outcast in school ~ an artsy type who never fit in. She soon learns that not everything is how it seemed in high school.

I enjoyed the building of her relationship with Will, a former classmate. The pacing was slow, which I appreciate. Sarah and Will were not friends in high school, so I appreciated the fact that Susan took the time to build their relationship and actually make it believable. I also enjoyed Sarah’s relationship with Aurora, Will’s daughter. The fact that they became friends before Sarah and Will did added a great likeability for me to this story.

There were a few choppy things I couldn’t get passed. The first was Sarah’s babies. In one chapter, they were three months old, and then it seemed like the next chapter they were eating cheerios, sitting in high chairs, and able to indicate when they wanted to be picked up. Evidently, there was a passage of time between the chapters, but I missed any indicators if there were any.

The second, something big happens to Aurora’s friend, Glynnis that effects Sarah, Will, and the whole coastal town where they live. But we don’t see it in the story. It’s referred to, but the story’s not told. Glynnis is supposed to be Aurora’s best friend. And the fact that Aurora is Will’s daughter and therefore, a central part to the story ~ I just thought that what Glynnis did and how they found out should have been in the story. Aurora’s reaction should have been there. The fact that it wasn’t, seemed to leave a tiny hole in the tale for me.

Verdict: This was Very Good. It would have been excellent, but there were some timing issues that I couldn’t get passed. As far as I’m concerned, Susan Wiggs rarely disappoints. This is a definite keeper.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Mira, Susan Wiggs, Very Good

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Synopsis: An irresistibly delicious novel about the power of love and dessert.

Like other well-meaning mothers, Julie Mueller’s believed she did the right thing when she secretly ended her teenage daughter’s crush on Michael Slayton, a wild older neighborhood heartthrob with a penchant for Shakespeare and the pedigree of trailer trash.

Twenty years later, Betty Mueller has come to realize that was a big mistake. Her daughter Julie -- divorced and raising a teenage daughter alone -- is a workaholic obsessed with her career. And Michael, the one man who could make her happy, is the one man to whom she won’t speak.

Now dying and determined to make amends, Betty stages her last great feat of motherhood by reuniting the couple in a dessert class where she hopes the sweetness of a chocolate almond Torta Caprese will erase the bitterness of a wretched misunderstanding.

”Sweet love, renew thy force; be it not said thy edge should blunter be than appetite,” Shakespeare once pleaded -- though it will require more than poetry and passion fruit for Julie and Michael to renew their love.

It will, in fact, require the sweetest sacrifice of all.

My Thoughts: I’m forewarning you now, this is not a light fluffy read. I thought it was going to be. After all, it has my two favorite elements: a woman who becomes reacquainted with the man she fell in love with when she was seventeen, and food. I thought it would be cozy read for a Sunday afternoon. And it was, to a point, until chapter fifteen.

The story starts off in Betty’s point of view. Knowing there’s something wrong with her health, she purchases tickets for her daughter Julie and Michael, the man she never got over, to attend three dessert classes by a local chef. Julie fell in love with Michael as a teenager, but nothing ever came of it. They did remain friends, however, until a work-related snag kept them from speaking for the past six years.

The tale is told in the first-person from Julie's point of view. Now in her forties, Julie is a single mom on a career path at a local news station. She doesn’t date, and devotes any of her free time to her family; either her daughter, or her parents who share a duplex she purchased so that she could be close by in case she was ever needed in a hurry. She is the typical middle-aged woman, trying to juggle a teenage daughter along with the responsibilities of caring for two aging parents, all the while attempting to have a successful career that at the very least pays the bills.

Michael and Julie’s relationship was very well written. I enjoyed watching them become reacquainted and tenuously rebuild a friendship that had been fractured six years ago. Add to that the fact that Michael is the one that Julie never got over and it’s a great story.

There are things that happen in this book that I’m not going to divulge here ~ I just don’t want to take away from the story. The title of the book says it all. Sweet Love It’s not just a romance. It’s unrequited love, it’s familial, it’s friendship, it's history, it’s food, it’s just life in general. Love isn’t always the roses; sometimes it’s about the thorns and what makes us stronger.

Verdict: The story was Excellent. I’ve never read Sarah Strohmeyer before, but I’ve been impressed. I’ve heard this is her best work to date, and though I haven’t read any of her other work, I’m not about to dispute it. This is a powerful story that touches on so many factors. Read it. You won’t be disappointed.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Dutton, Excellent, Sarah Strohmeyer

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Synopsis: These men are heroes — strong, fearless…and impossible to resist!

Fireman Ethan Winters ran headlong into a burning building to find Rosie Carrington. Rescue worker Brett Gannon defied the aftershocks of a San Francisco earthquake to prevent Haley Brubaker from entering her collapsing home. And emergency-room doctor Matt Walker braved gale force winds and rising floodwater to rescue scientist Molly Stanton.

For Rosie, the heat in Ethan's eyes was enough to start a three-alarm blaze! As for Haley, being trapped amidst the rubble with Brett meant heightened tension — and heightened passion. And sheltering together from the storm, Molly needed Matt to make love to her. It was the only way for her to know she was still alive…and that she'd stay that way.

My Thoughts: Recently, the ladies at Book Binge had Jill Shalvis as their guest author and after reading her interview, I admit to developing a major girl-crush on the woman. Anybody that witty had to translate that humor into her stories right??? Luckily, I had one Jill Shalvis in my TBR pile ~ part of the Men of Courage anthology that I won from Melody’s Reading Corner a few (okay, more than a few) months ago.

The book consisted of three short stories by three authors I’ve never read before: Lori Foster, Donna Kauffman, and Jill Shalvis. Now, short stories are hit-or-miss with me. Sometimes, they’re just too rushed; sometimes, they’re the perfect read when you’re between books and have no idea what to read next.

Stranded! by Jill Shalvis: I read the stories somewhat out of order, but the stories weren’t connected so I wasn’t turning my back to series-order karma. Remember, I read this just because of the Jill Shalvis factor. Her story was the last in the anthology: Stranded! Stranded is the story of Matt, an emergency room doctor who has no time for a life out of the ER, and Molly, a scientist who loses touch with the outside world when she starts working. Molly and Matt are trapped together in Matt’s home due to a vicious storm that would have killed Molly, if Matt hadn’t rescued her.

The story was the shortest in the anthology, only 92 pages. I wish it would have been longer, I really do. I’m not sure if the publisher only allowed her so many pages or not.

The chemistry between Matt and Molly was great and this story could have easily been longer in order to allow for the development of the relationship between the two main characters. In the end, I enjoyed the story but the ended was rushed. I didn’t like that, but even though I was disappointed that the story was too short, it was a great sampling of Jill Shalvis work. I’ll definitely read more of her in the future. Verdict: Good

Trapped! by Lori Foster: The second story I read was the first in the anthology. Ethan and Rosie are long-time friends. Actually, Rosie is the younger sister of the man that used to be Ethan’s best friend. Rosie has held an unrequited torch for Ethan for years. Rosie finally lets Ethan know how she feels, forcing him to re-evaluate his feelings and his relationship with the woman he’d always thought of as just a friend. Ethan’s alpha came out full-force, I have to say. It made for a great reading.

The story was 139 pages and I think Ms. Foster did a great job in telling a complete story in the short amount of pages allowed. Although, I will forewarn you, the summary for this one is a bit misleading. Ethan never ran into a burning building in order to rescue Rosie. That’s okay, though. This was by far my favorite in the anthology. Verdict: Very Good

Buried! by Donna Kauffman: I initially wasn’t going to read this one, but I didn’t feel right posting about the book if I hadn’t read it in it’s entirety. Haley’s home was destroyed by an earthquake. Brett is the Search & Rescue worker who comes to her aid to try and rescue her dog who was in the house. Turns out, Haley dated Brett’s older brother in college and Brett has been carrying a torch for her ever since. However, things go south after Brett rescues the dog and an aftershock leads to injuries. However, as Haley nurses him back to health, she begins to nurse something else as well.

The story was 140 pages and was my least favorite of the anthology. Something just was missing for me on this. That being said, I do have to say I enjoyed the last two pages immensely. Great end to the story. Verdict: Okay

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Donna Kauffman, Good, Harlequin, Jill Shalvis, Lori Foster, Okay, Very Good

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Of all the Marcelli sisters, the one who dreams of running the family's winery is Brenna -- and she's about to get her chance. But taking the helm at Marcelli Winery is tougher than she bargained for -- especially when she butts heads with her grandfather, whose Old World ways dictate that a male should inherit the business. In need of some fast capital in order to prove her grandfather wrong, Brenna turns to Nic Giovanni, her family's nemesis....Years ago, she ended her secret relationship with Nic, choosing loyalty to her family over the hot passion they shared. But now he's back in her life, he's loaned her a million dollars, and their feelings for each other are stronger than ever. Brenna must find out for herself: is Nic the love of her life? Or the schemer who could topple the Marcelli dynasty -- and break her heart?

My Thoughts ***CONTAINS SPOILERS***: I enjoyed this one maybe most out of the series so far. Anyone who knows me at all knows I’m a sucker for an unrequited love / lost love kind of story. Brenna and Nic secretly dated 10 years ago and fell in love. Because they come from families that are mortal enemies of each other, they reached the point in their relationship where they needed to choose their future. Nic chose Brenna; Brenna chose her family. Nic was kicked out of the family and went to Europe while Brenna married a man she didn’t love.

Brenna finds herself working with Nic and the more time she spends with him, the more the old feelings surface. And when the old feelings surface, new conflicts arise. Such as Brenna finding out Nic had betrayed her. How she and her family handle this betrayal is great story telling by Susan Mallery, in my opinion.

I also enjoyed that the long-lost brother Joe makes an extended appearance in this story and I found myself really liking him. I enjoyed the reluctant, uncomfortable bond he formed with his sisters and how he soon adapted to being a bit of a protective older brother, especially to Brenna.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I enjoyed Brenna’s story very much and was happy to see that the conflicts that had been hinted at in the previous books came to a very satisfying conclusion. And I have to say, I found myself really liking that old crusty man, Lorenzo Marcelli, by the end of this story.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Francesca Marcelli married at eighteen -- right on schedule, according to her warm, colorful family, who have always said a beauty like Francesca need never worry about finding love. But a few years later, finding herself on her own with a wide open future ahead of her, she pursues her educational passions -- with a risky experiment that takes her straight into the arms of playboy CEO Sam Reese. Delighted by Francesca's interest in a no-strings relationship, Sam suddenly finds himself needing her outside the bedroom when a secret from his past lands on his doorstep. But Francesca soon has a secret of her own to tell -- a bombshell that will force the diehard bachelor to show his true colors. Are there "I do"s in Sam and Francesca's future? Only if she can persuade him that home truly is where the heart finds happiness.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Marcelli series is a great way to spend a day. I enjoyed Francesca and Sam’s relationship, starting from the unusual way they met. And of course, the writing’s on the wall as soon as they agree to have sex with no strings. They soon formed a friendship that turned into a relationship, unbeknownst to them.

The only thing I couldn’t forgive about the book and something that still bugs me is how Kelly (Sam’s secret daughter) traveled to Santa Barbara from New York. The 12-year-old girl ran right up to the counter, late for the flight and they let her right on??? No ID? No parent? A child claiming to be 15 and they didn’t question it? The way airport security is now? That was a stickler for me and still bugs me.

Okay, maybe a second thing bugged me a bit too. The use of the word “panties”. Maybe it’s a regional thing, I don’t know. But I don’t think grown women wear panties, do they? Underwear? Yes. Lingerie? Yes. Panties? Again, maybe it’s just a regional thing. But that left me with a bit of an ick factor.

Verdict: This was Good. Mallery’s writing is very good in this one, I just couldn’t get past the few things that bugged me. All in all, though, I did enjoy the read and was happy to spend some time with my favorite Irish-Italian family again.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery

Just Finished:

Synopsis: A party planner extraordinaire, Katie Marcelli loves her big, boisterous family -- even when their chronic matchmaking drives her crazy! In the Marcelli household, fine wine and good food are as celebrated as true love, so when her eighteen-year-old sister announces her engagement, Katie promises her the perfect wedding. There's only one hitch: the father of the groom, Zach Stryker, who is adamantly opposed to his son marrying so young. Now, despite her instant attraction to the handsome, arrogant attorney, Katie must approach with caution: Zach, who hired Katie for a major fundraiser, holds the fate of her business in his hands -- and how can she trust a man who is willing to break her sister's heart? It will take a passionate battle of wills to determine if wedding bells will ring for a Marcelli bride, and to unlock the deepest desires -- for family, love, and home -- inside a strong-willed man's heart.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. I’ve had the Marcelli books in my stacks for quite awhile now, but after talking to Nath and Anne over at Anne’s blog, I was motivated to whip these out and start reading them. And can I just say, I had an uber-crush on Zach from the very beginning???

This book is not only about Katie and Zach, but also encompasses the entire Marcelli Irish-Italian clan. I enjoyed the family aspect of the story, and I think SM did a wonderful job of world building for the future Marcelli books. I enjoyed Francesca, Brenna, and Mia almost as much as I did Katie and Zach (notice I said almost). Did I enjoy the grandfather, Lorenzo’s, male chauvinistic views?? No. Not so much, but it gives great groundwork for Brenna’s story and I can’t wait to see how she resolves this conflict.

As far as the much coveted ILY, I thought it came too soon. I was just starting to actually believe in Zach and Katie as a couple and then in the last two pages, it was over. I wouldn't have minded if the story would have been a little longer, but I suppose 326 pages is long enough. I have no suggestions on what could have made this better. It's just my opinion.

Verdict: This was Very Good. This was a wonderful starter book for the series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest soon (hopefully).

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery, Very Good

Just (Didn't) Finish:
Synopsis: Is there anything sweeter than a first love?

Don''t ask Claire Keyes. The twenty—eight—year—old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family—which is just part of the reason she hasn''t seen the family bakery or her two sisters in years.

But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can''t boil water, she''s determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to—do list…along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.

Ruggedly sexy Wyatt just might fit the bill. Although he keeps saying that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet—talk him into her bed…and her life.

My Thoughts: I couldn't get past page 50. I tried. I just couldn't. I hated Nicole (the sister), Jessie (the other sister) just disappeared, I didn't like Wyatt (the love interest), and after 50 plus pages I didn't feel like I'd gotten to know Claire (the heroine) enough to care one way or the other.

Verdict: This was Awful. I've enjoyed the few Susan Mallery books I've read in the past, so I'm not giving up on her; but I am doubtful I'll read the rest of the series.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Did Not Finish, Harlequin, Susan Mallery

Just Finished:

Synopsis: Min Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man like Cal Morrisey, who asked her to dinner to win a bet. Cal Morrisey knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.

But Fate has other plans, and it’s not long before Min and Cal are dealing with meddling friends, wedding cake, a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kremes, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a frantic bride, Chicken Marsala, a mutant cat, snow globes, two Mothers-from-Hell, great shoes, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of including the biggest gamble of all--unconditional love.

My Thoughts: Two words: Loved it! Min first meets Cal when she thinks she overhears her ex-boyfriend and him betting on whether he can get her into bed. So, when Cal oozes charm and asks her to dinner, she says yes thinking that it'll upset her ex, David, by making him think that Cal may have a chance to win the bet. Besides which, Min needs a date to her sister's wedding so she thinks she can at least keep him on a string until after the wedding.

After an awkward dinner Min knows she wouldn't be able to keep him at bay for three weeks, and they part ways thinking they'll never see each other again. However, they seem to bump into each other everywhere. And the more they try to avoid each other, the more they bump into each other. Oh and then there's the humorous little accidents they get into while thinking about each other while trying not to think of each other. So eventually they decide to give in and actually try to date for real.

I liked the fact Min was bigger and that she had body image issues. I loved that Cal loved her body as it was and wanted her to eat all the good, gooey, horrible, awful carbs and butter she could stand. What a guy.

Verdict: This was Excellent. The story was engaging and I enjoyed the read thoroughly from beginning to end. Another great for Crusie, and another keeper for by bookshelf.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Excellent, Jennifer Crusie, St. Martins Press

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Once upon a time, Hayley believed that a good woman (her) could turn a bad boy (her ex) into a knight in shining armor (pure fantasy.) Ten years of marriage to Michael Goldstein finally drummed the truth into her head. People don't change with time. They just become more of who they were to begin with...

Hayley Goldstein should be jumping for joy. She's been offered the chance of a lifetime: to bake a cake for world-famous rock star Tommy Stiles. But why would such a celebrity send his big-time lawyer to her small-time South Jersey bakery? Hayley's had enough hard knocks in her life to always suspect the worst. And she has a sneaking suspicion that this is about more than just cake...

Well, lawyer Finn Rafferty has to admit she's right. The truth is, Hayley is Tommy's long-lost daughter, and the aging rocker wants to meet–and maybe spoil–Hayley and her daughter. With her world turned upside down, Hayley will need help letting down her guard and hanging onto the things that matter most. And Finn may just be the man for the job . . . .

My Thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this story! Finn and Hayley were real if you get my meaning. Well, as real as fictitious characters go. She is 38; he is 39. She is a mother, a baker, a small business owner who is barely making ends meet. According to her, her thighs are a condo where cellulite has made themselves at home. She is a classic TV fan and had the pets to prove it ~ Mary, Murray, Rhoda, Ted, and Mr. G (a little Mary Tyler Moore, anybody??). She has one failed marriage behind her, and an ex-husband who quite frankly isn’t worth the energy it takes to breathe in oxygen. Add to that a mother who she doesn’t quite have a relationship with because she is always on the road lecturing, an aunt who helped raise her and who is now a permanent fixture in her daughter’s life, a 14-year-old daughter who could probably out maneuver the best businessman in the world, and a best-friend who is also her former sister-in-law and that pretty much sums up Hayley’s life.

Finn is a lawyer full-time and a rocker part-time. With the rocker part of his lifestyle he finds himself part of an extended, loving, mixed-up menagerie of Tommy Stiles children, ex-wives, fiancé, band members, and all that comes with that. Tommy however, is not your typical rocker. He has his head on straight when it comes to family and it definitely shines through to all who know him. There’s also Anton, a shaved-head, tattooed, pierced, hard-rocking man who likes to bake, cook, and read romance novels on the side. (Who for some strange reason reminds me of Preacher from Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series ~ not sure why? Maybe because Preacher screams like a girl?????)

When Finn and Hayley meet they can’t stop looking at each other. He, because he is looking for a family resemblance to Tommy Stiles; she, because he keeps looking at her. That’s how it starts. Then it extends to emails, phone calls, last minute dinners, and soon a romance has developed.

But this book is more than a romance. It’s family, friendship, forgiveness, chaos, gossip, and all that goes with it. It’s a wonderful, wonderful story that immediately sucked me in from the moment I started it until I finished it.

Verdict: This was Excellent. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, I got the “ahhhh” moments ~ it was just an awesome. This was my first Barbara Bretton, but most definitely will not be my last. I loved every minute of this book and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

Labels: Barbara Bretton, Contemporary Romance, Excellent, Jove