TBR Challenge 2014 Summary

Another year at the end and once again, I've finished the TBR challenge I joined at the beginning of the year. I'm so glad to have done this and to do it again next year. I think it's a funny way to read and to look for titles in the pile. Here are my small impressions about each title.

Thank you again to Wendy, for hosting it.

January - The Untamed Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (short story)

This short story was a success for me because I love the series and plan on keep reading until its end. The story was well paced for its length. It's about a man, family to the Mackenzies but not always accepted. Now he has family and a woman he wants to protect and love.

February - Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair (series catch-up)

I had some struggles with this story because I loved the previous book and this one, just like the title, had a darker shade and that changed the way I felt about it. Couple Gabriel and Chaz are still looking to defeat the enemies that want to control the Fleet and everything and while in their journey they accept a man that will make them be at odds and that will change permanently their lives.

March - Devil's Honor by Debra Dier (new to you author)

This was a new author for me and it's one of those older books that haven't really changed with time and it shows. The story was so so and not very exciting. I barely remember any detail. It's about a man not wanting commitment and having to marry and of course his intended being amazing and they fall in love. New edition released this year.

April - Sex and the Single Fireman by Jennifer Bernard (contemporary read)

This was a sexy story about a couple that almost had sex and when things went wring they discover the next day they are to be boss and employer. A well seen troupe that I usually like and this one was both funny and sexy and well done, in my opinion. It was also well paced and has good scenes, which makes it good enough for me.

May - Forever and Ever by Patricia Gaffney (more than one book by the author)

This captivating story features a couple from different classes and with different takes on life that fall in love and have to overcome many obstacles to be truly happy. This book is part of a well liked trilogy and I liked it for the most part. Some things didn't seem perfect for me, but I liked the storyline and the possibilities it highlighted.

June - Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (romance classics)

So many readers love this story and the hero but for me it was just good, not amazing. I think the romance wasn't as special as I imagined after so many good opinions. Sara makes Derek Craven fall for her and comes a time his life is completely changed by that fact and not even his own opinion about his character will change her feelings. Sweet but could be better.

July - It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (RITA winner)

My first book by the author. It's about not seeing past first impressions and to slowly fall in love. Several memorable scenes, a good pace and structure and interesting characterization. Phoebe and Cal prove opposites attract, enemies can become lovers, great two troupes, and even more if they see the qualities of the other. I liked it and already have the rest of the series lined up for next year.

August - I Never by Lena Matthews (erotic story)

Sorry, who cares what's this is about, I didn't like it. I suppose a good plot and development could turn this lovers wronged story line good, but I never saw it and got bored and only finished just because.

The worst of the bunch.

September - Wife By Wednesday by Catherine Bybee (recommended read)

This wasn't something on my radar but I'm glad Ive tried it. It's a light story about a woman with a matchmaking business looking to pair up an important man but they end up falling in love. I think it's a sweet story but it lacked some depth and development. Still, it was enjoyable, good to just relax, despite the small angst moments.

October - Crash Into Me by Jill Sorensen  (romantic suspense)

I liked this one. I can recognize the author's style, two romances in one, being one a YA sub plot. The mystery is well inserted in the romance (or vice versa) and it provides a good character study. I think more romantic scenes and dialogs would help but overall this story about a woman being undercover to see if a man is a murder and instead they fall in love is a good story with a satisfying end.

November - The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin (historical romance)

This was quite the surprise, set in ancient China, it offers a very different type of story development, cultural details and social rules. I was rooting for the couple from different social classes, the poor girl and the playboy rich man who fell in love while trying to prove a murder and help someone else. I plan to read more by the author.

December - Snowflakes and Stetsons anthology (Christmas holidays)

An anthology with three stories, I only really liked one, the others were OK but not exceptional. All stories set during Christmas time, all historicals. Of the three authors I only knew one and that was the author whose story I preferred, about a Marshall guarding gold in a train but a snowstorm and a planned robbery change his plans and he has to take care of a woman and two children. Romantic.

-> All in all, a successful year, the ones I liked were more than the ones I didn't enjoy that much. Still, none of my picks will make my Top of the year. Maybe I should have picked better, but overall, many entertaining hours or reading were chosen, so no regrets.

More details following the links.

TBR Challenge 2013 summary

 When I decided to join this challenge I was looking for something to make my months more fun and I confess it was always quite the eagerness to start the book for the month. Obviously all the books were new stories for me and although I knew about some of the author's styles, the plots and characters were always a surprise in waiting. Sometimes I had luck, others not so much. But the goal here is to read, not to be with only magnificent books..although that's an appealing thought!
Thanks to Wendy for the challenge itself and once more, to Hilcia, for it was in her blog I knew about this in the first place!

As for the books chosen, here are just a few words about them...

January: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan (novella)
This story was very interesting and well written, although a little something in one of the main characters put me slightly off. A governess demands satisfaction from her previous employer about her work and his man of affairs is told to take care of it, but...things aren't as simple as that. This is the beginning of a great series which I kept reading and loving!

February: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (recommended by friends)
This one is so well raved by many readers of romance, some people told me I would love it and I did. It's the story of two different people with apparently nothing in common who agree afetr a disastrous first date not to see each other again..but fate has another plan for them. Witty and fun, what a story!

March: Embrace Me at Dawn by Shayla Black (the most recent in the Doomsday Brethren series)
This wasn't as captivating as I thought, considering I'm a fan of the series. A man tortured after a terrible loss tries to regain his wife's forgiveness and love but she is changed, which means new experiences and paths for them both until they reach happiness. Apart from the apparent change of personality from one book to another in the main female protagonist, all the usual from a paranormal.

April: The Wild Marquis by Miranda Neville (new author to me)
This one wasn't bad but I had high hopes for it. The plot wasn't as amazing as that even with the bookish themes in there. A woman starts working for a titled noble to find out some rare books he wants. In the meantime they fall in love and have to deal with others bent on finding the same books. A bit of a disappointment.

May: The Naked Duke by Sally McKenzie (more than 1 book by her to read)
I thought this would be a funny but special read. Instead, I had a story of a silly woman from America coming to meet her family but finding an even sillier duke before that. They start a relationship at some point but honestly I wasn't very impressed or interested. I know it had some good details and well explored but overall a major disappointment.

June: Morning Glory by Lavyrle Spencer (it won a RITA)
This was in my radar for a long time becaue it had poor heroes and usually I love stories where they don't have much but are humble and good people. The romance between and ex convict and a widowed single mother others thing crazy more than captivated me, I was amazed by how much  loved these two characters trials until they got their HEA. Wonderful!

July: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (it's a classic romance alright)
This is a classical author and one whose work I enjoy quite a lot. I immediately thought of her when I saw this theme and I did like the story of Fanny and how she had to deal with people whose behavior wasn't humble or morally acceptable and how difficult it was for her to show the man she loved things only had to be simple between them. It was a very interesting read but not as good as some of the author's works.

August: Cooking Up the Storm by Emma Holly (erotica read)
This is an erotic story which I picked because it talked about a chef and right now I'm all into those ind of shows on tv. Anyway, this is the story of a chef coming to a city where he hopes to work at a restaurant and eventually buy it from the owner. But he falls in lust and later with love with her so he changes his mind eventually. Lots of sexual positions and partners in this one. Not what I'm into these days so it wasn't as special as that but I can't say it was bad for what it aims for.

September: Montana Man by RC Ryan (western)
Hum...I already forgot what this one is about, I only recall a man who loved a girl and she left, he wanted to forget her, now she's back and they fall in love again. Don't like lovers reunited at all, but as always we think THE book can change our mind...oh well, not this one for me.
The biggest disappointment. 

October: Water Bound by Christine Feehan (paranormal suspense)
This book was good enough for hat I expected of it. Although very much into the usual trademark of the author, not worthy feeling like characters who have a common goal at one point and eventually fall in love forever. Lev and Nikki have secrets, mostly Lev, but together they find out they're stronger and after dealing with an enemy who wants to ruin their lives, they get their HEA at last. Good but not impressive.

November: The Witness by Nora Roberts (a book very talked about when it was out) 
This one is a winner, I love the author's work, she was my first addiction in terms of romance novels and I'll aways cherish her name for that. This story is powerful, it's about a woman who saw what she shouldn't as a teenager and now that she's a grown up she's still hiding until a police officer gets himself into her life. Together they'll hunt the bad guys and live happy ever after. Perfect story and telling!

December: Western Winter Wedding Bells by Cheryl St John, Jenna Kernan, Charlene Sands
(Christmas)
This one was good overall, one story better than the others. All of them had the Christmas in the horizon and a wedding too. All three stories had strong main characters looking for happiness and being special in their own way. The second story was my favorite about a young women considered a thief but innocent who lies to a sheriff to be his governess. Funny, sweet and romantic in my opinion.

-> So, in the end, this was fun, interesting and a joyous experience and that is why I'll go for it again next year, hopefully with another set of good books to pick and enjoy during that. 
Have fun!

TBR Challenge: Western Winter Wedding Bells anthology

Small town Christmas--Three big proposals
"Christmas in Red Willow" by Cheryl St. John
Chloe Hanley must save the town church. But only if she can convince reclusive carpenter Owen Reardon to help repair the broken heart of the community and open his own up again-- in time for Christmas
"The Sheriff's Housekeeper Bride" by Jenna Kernan
Running from her past and a crime she didn't commit, Eliza Flannery bumps into her future--all rugged six-foot sheriff of him Single father Trent Foerster mistakes her for his housekeeper, but there's no mistaking his desire for a mistletoe kiss from this mysterious miss....
"Wearing the Rancher's Ring" by Charlene Sands
Cooper Garnett is shot and left for dead near Double J Ranch when widow Rachel Bodine comes to his aid. Could his unexpected arrival be the best Christmas gift ever-- a second-chance family for Rachel and her little son?

Comment: This is the last challenge post of the year, but in 2014 there'll be more as I've signed up for another year. A post about this to come soon.
Anyway, this month the theme is holidays and obviously it's easier to jut pick something Christmas, being in the air all around and all that. I chose a book about Christmas exactly for that reason and it had the words in the title, otherwise it would be difficult as I don't have many of these laying around. I was convinced about this one because of Cheryl St John's name, an author Ive read and liked before, but overall I was curious to read the three stories in this anthology.

So, this being an anthology, it has different stories about a certain theme, this being marriage proposals on Christmas. I was curious to read them and most importantly, to see how each author would present a short story that could deliver everything a full length one does in a shorter amount of time.

Besides the marriage proposal at the end, these stories also had in common the little detail of their possibilities. I mean, for shorter stories having to be told with a certain amount of pages, they worked quite well and I was impressed by how the authors made an effort to write in a way to time go by so things didn't look as rushed as they were. But the three stories have potential to be bigger stories and I think all of them could be a full length book with no problems. Many authors write shorts in such a way it's difficult to see them bigger, but not these ones; these stories feel well structured and despite the rules they had to abide, they still managed to be a sort of special little Christmas' sweet.

As for the each story in particular...
"Christmas in Red Willow" by Cheryl St. John
This story was the weaker of the lot for me. I knew about the author so I expected something romantic, but I thin too much detail was paid to the surroundings instead of the romance and I thought they didn't have much chemistry. I was happy for Owen and Chloe but I wasn't eager to see them together because it looked like it wasn't the most important thing. Besides, this story is a version of the friends to lovers trope and I don't like it that much, probably my second least favorite trope in a romance, right after lover's reunited. I prefer my books to have the thrill of finding out that special person for the first time. Anyway, this story provided an interesting setting and it had its moments, but everything together felt rather too plain.


"The Sheriff's Housekeeper Bride" by Jenna Kernan
This one was my favorite, I love the situations where one of the protagonists aren't who they say and how part of the conflict comes from there. In this case, Eliza had reasons to hide her identity and the story developed with the expected situations in these cases, the not knowing about past conversations, the lack of particular skills, among other things. But the relationship between Eliza and the sheriff was funny to watch, I liked them together and the scenes with the sheriff's daughter were sweet. I also liked how Eliza had to struggle and had had troubled experiences in her past and she needed as much love as he sheriff and his daughter. I'm a sucker for stories with little children and couples that find in each other the love and acceptance they didn't had before. This story was spot on for these things and it made it my favorite.
I'll have a look at the author's other work too.

 "Wearing the Rancher's Ring" by Charlene Sands
In this story we have a very traditional theme in romances, the I don't deserve you but eventually I'll stay with you. Cooper lost his family and is looking for the man responsible. He is robbed though and later on rescued by Rachel.
Rachel is a widow left with a young son but after getting to know Cooper she starts having feelings for him. They have to overcome some obstacles, mostly emotional ones, and they get their HEA.
This is the most sensual story but still very sweet. I liked how the main couple didn't seem to care what the other thought at first but things changed. I agree with some readers it was a bit too fast and at times it looked like they just couldn't wait to be intimate, which didn't sit well with the tone of the story in my opinion. However, their reasons were exploited and reasonable enough for me. I thin they were two people waiting to be loved again and in the end the kid and the hope sealed the deal, although I think this is the story with more potential to be stronger.

Overall, I liked the three stories but each one made me feel interested for different reasons.I thin each author has done a good job, with space left to much improvement nevertheless.
On their own I don't know which grade to give, but as a set of stories featuring Christmas and hope and warm thoughts, this guarantees a few hours with a smile on your face, so... still, the bigger portion of my grade goes to story #2, very good indeed!
Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Nora Roberts - The Witness

Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.
Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems--and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something--and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed. 

Comment: The theme for this month's challenge is a book that has been raved by many and we missed so now it was time to get a go at it. 
Last year many praised this book by Nora Roberts but I decided to wait to buy the UK paperback edition. Still, I saw how many people loved the book and even said it was one of her best. I'm a big fan of this author, actually she was the author that motivated me to start reading fiction in English for personal fun. Until her I only read in English school texts. From her on, I'm now an avid English reader, even more so than in my mother language. So, in a way, I own it all to her stories because during months her work was my addiction and since her I never stopped.

This is the story of Abigail and Brooks. Abigail is a freelancer computer analyst but she is kind of a genius with computers. She recently moved to a small town in Arizona and is the target of many conversations among the inhabitants of the town, including the chief police, Brooks.
Having a handy excuse to visit her secluded house, Brooks wants to talk to her after a not so good first meeting in the supermarket. Brooks is intrigued by her air of mystery, her isolation and her strange appeal to him...

I loved this book! It has many things to love, but I can't say no more until I let out my most favorite thing of them all about this book: This story doesn't have a lunatic or dissimulated villain hiding and hunting our beloved heroes!! Finally, a mystery book where the good guys have the knowledge and the power to strike back while the villain doesn't even need to make a rushed or horrifying presence apart from the first one! Yay! I can't say how grateful I am for not having to bear all those pages of dreading when the villain would attack or kill some beloved character we'd mourn but who has nothing to do with the main plot! Ohhh what a relief, what a breath of fresh air!!
This was indeed my favorite thing in the story and it can be done well. This didn't make the book seem weaker or lacking! It works! Oh why aren't more authors trying this..? Mysteries of the universe.

My reverent praise stated, I can say I liked the story a lot. There's a little bit issue about Abigail's character I wished could be different, but it's just personal wishful thinking, nothing really related to feel of the story. In the end, all the little details abut this story had an important place and importance. Some things are harder to believe real, but there's nothing impossible, only highly unlikely.
Abigail has forged an existence for herself using her head and her computers. I suppose it's not as easy s it looks like from this novel, but bearing the fiction purpose in this, I'd say it was quite the elaborate story and showed the author's well researched subjects and how she had to keep her information straight, otherwise it would look sloppy and all over the place. She does know how to build up the plot and the things happening.

The characters. One of ms Robers strengths in writing is how she can create believable personalities and make them seem real and act and how we feel empathy towards them and want to see them happy. I thought the main couple was well suited and I enjoyed their dialogs because Abigail is so pragmatic and to the point and Brooks is more relaxed and their conversations are both balanced and funny. Their relationship starts slowly and but the progress is believable. The romance is well done because Abigail doesn't think she's entitled and Brooks tried his best to make her see that she does.
Abigail had had a very weird live because of her relationship with her mother and how she was shaped and told to act a certain way. She feels guilty because she rebelled and that was the starting point of all the bad things in her life. She thinks she is just surviving but love from Brooks also makes her understand she can love and be loved. Her personality is intriguing and her life even more so. Nothing is as simple as that with her and we feel empathy even when she acts in a way not very warm. But we learn to like and support her, just like Brooks, someone closer to reality and with a personality Nora Roberts hot us used to. All their interactions were good.

The plot had two main focus. It's Abigail's past and present and what she did, what she does and what she starts seeing is possible to do since she met Brooks and saw the love a family can give her and Brooks' work and what he has to do. These two things aren't exactly connected but by mixing this with their lives, Abigail and Brooks manage to be even more important for each other because as their love grows, also the confidante and trust between them does too.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Little details stop a perfect ten, but it's very, very close. Added to the fact this author is still one of my favorites ever, this was indeed a fantastic book, much better than some of her recent ones, which I agree with other readers when they said some seemed not as strong.
I hope what is to come keeps up the good storytelling and the creativity, because Roberts can write an can imagine. This one is a winner!
Grade: 9/10

TBR Challenge: Christine Feehan - Water Bound

The last thing Lev Prakenskii remembered was being lost in the swirling currents of the ocean and getting sucked deeper into the nothingness of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just a miraculously, he was saved—pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger. But Lev has no memory of who he is—or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and for the life of his unexpected savior.
Her name is Rikki, a sea~urchin diver in Sea Haven. She has always felt an affinity for the ocean, and for the seductive pull of the tides. And now she feels drawn in the same way to the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger, and their tantalizing secrets will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.

Comment: It's time for the challenge book of the month. October has the theme of paranormal or romantic suspense. I chose this book because it's been in my TBR list for three years and I thought it would suit the paranormal part, the romantic one and even the suspense as well! So, three in one on this one. It might not be most fascinating pick but it will be one out of the pile, so...

This book is a spin off of the Drake Sisters series and it focuses on another set of sisters, not biological, but from the heart. 
This story is about Rikki, she has an affinity with water and her work is all about catching sea-urchins to sell. She has a troubled past and has been running from fire all her life since her parents died. She found safety with her new sisters who take care of her and made possible for her to have a good life and close to the ocean, which she needs to be around.
Lev Prakenskii is found by Rikki after a huge wave rocks her boat. He was on another boat and escapes from an explosion barely alive. Rikki rescues and helps him and while he recuperates, he starts seeing the possibility of a live with her, but only if he takes care of who's after her first.

This book wasn't that bad, and it provided  good enough storyline and scenes. It had some changes from what I'm used to from her other novels. This book was a bit more easy to follow in terms of plot and character building, something not always easy in other books because most times, the author wants to delay things.
I thin this book wasn't as prolonged as others and I think it wasn't so bad in the plot development; it was possible to see where things were going in a more decisive way. Still, when the book was over and I had turned the last page I had the immediate thought the 443 pages used could have been less and I'm pretty sure one hundred pages less would have gotten the job done as well and probably not all that bad either. The author takes a long time writing things that could be shorter. But I guess for those hard core fans this is also part of her appeal as a writer, so... it's just that, for me, after all the books by her I've read it can become a bit tiresome.

The characters were likable enough too. Lev is the image of her trademark heroes, mysterious, dark and dangerous when not with people he trusts. You now, the usual. A big part of the plot was about his new identity and how he coped with the things he did in the past.
The real surprise was Rikki, she is a heroine I don't remember seeing in the author's novels and I liked her a lot. She has a disability and has managed to build up her life despite that and even after many hard times and experiences. She was quite the refreshing heroine and it was very interesting to follow her and her mental processes and way of life. I liked her a lot and she saved he book for me.

The plot isn't new or surprising. It's about two people surviving a wave at sea, then she helps him, he wants a new life, he helps her and she shows him he is worthy of love while telling her she has the right to be loved as well. Simple.

Apart from the usual elements expected in this author's books and the prolonged size of the text, I actually had a good time reading because what was predictable I didn't hate and in the end some things were different enough to grab my attention. I think this is an author whether you like and set your hopes on a good routine thus loving her work, or you like some things and find other annoying (like it happens to me).

All in all, a good enough book, strong elements and a solid enough story to base the plot and voilá, the usual trademark by the author in an emotional and hopeful story.
Grade: 6/10

TBR Challenge: R.C. Ryan - Montana Legacy

They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...
She was the one person who shook Jesse McCord's quiet determination. She was the only one he ever let in, body and soul. Then suddenly Amy Parrish was gone and the oldest McCord cousin devoted his life to the family ranch. Now Amy is back, offering help to Jesse find the McCord gold. Yet Jesse's not about to give her a second chance, and he hopes his pride will protect him from her irresistible charms. But under the wide prairie skies a dangerous, unseen enemy is fast closing in, threatening Amy and Jesse's very lives and the promise of their ...Montana Legacy.

Comment: I got this book in march and I got it already thinking it would suit this month's theme. I haven't read anything by the author either and I was curious to see if I had here another auto author.

This is the story of Jesse McCord. His beloved grandfather has recently died and he is very angry and hurt. In the will, his grandfather desired his three grandsons to keep looking for the treasure said to be lost somewhere in the family's land. Jesse doesn't see his cousins often and e isn't convinced they would stay long enough to fulfill their grandfather's wish, but he welcomes them and after a while the search is on. Then there's Amy, the neighbor's daughter and someone with whom Jesse has had an history...

This comment won't be that big. I wasn't impressed at all with the story and to be honest, I found it boring and unattractive. It wasn't even the case of just wanting to get it over with, it was more the fact I didn't want to pick it to read.
The whole plot revolves around the search for the gold but not once in the story they do look for it or should I say, the reader doesn't see that They talk about it, and we see them planning things but it's more talk than action.
The romance isn't good enough for me. I wasn't eager to see them together and the fact they are lovers reunited also puts me off as I don't tend to enjoy those stories much. They didn't seem that passionate and despite being together intimately a couple of times those scenes were also not very impressive as I had the feeling of reading things like tat a million times and to be honest many authors write more vibrantly. Besides I felt I never knew them that well, they're boring and it looked like there wasn't anything special about them.
The villain was a surprise I didn't see coming, I'll give the plot that. I didn't expect it and in a way, it was the highest moment in the book. 
The old grudge between neighbors was solved in an event and once more, if things were that simple to solve, why bother...
The writing isn't very appealing. I thought the way things were done wasn't special or particularly interesting. I really didn't care much for those characters or the situation they were in. The ratings at goodreads aren't that bad, so I guess it's just me. I guess this story didn't push my buttons anyway and in the end it wasn't such a great thing.
I'll leave it here, as I don't know what else to say. I just didn't give this only one star because of that villain surprise and because there were some interesting possibilities about another character...which I fear I won't see because I don't feel like reading more. Another author with a dead end for me.

TBR Challenge: Emma Holly - Cooking Up a Storm

The Coates Inn restaurant in Cape Cod is about to go out of business, when its striking owner, Abby, jumps at a stranger's offer of help—both in her kitchen and her bedroom. Storm, a handsome chef, claims to have a secret weapon—an aphrodisiac menu that her patrons won't be able to resist. It certainly works on Abby, who gives in to the passions she has denied herself for years. But can this playboy chef really be Abby's hero if her body means more to him than her heart, and his initial plan was to steal the restaurant from under her nose? Storm soon turns the restaurant around, but Abby's insatiable desires have taken over her life. She's never known a guy into crazy sex like him before, and she wants to spend every spare moment getting as much intense erotic pleasure as she can. Meanwhile, her best friend Marissa becomes suspicious of the new wonder-boy in the kitchen. Before things get really out of control, someone has to assume responsibility. But can Abby tear herself away from the object of her lustful attention long enough to see what's really going on?

Comment: It's time for another challenge read. This month the theme is steamy reads and I went through my books to see which erotic books I might have and despite having read quite a few some years ago, I see that nowadays it's not what I look for to read. So I didn't have that much to choose from...I mean many books have enough sex to count as erotic but I wanted something more in the genre and I had to stick with Emma Holly. The author isn't new to me, as I've read several of her books in the past and enjoyed them, but taste changes and I picked this book with some suspicion and wondered if I would like it.

Anyway, this story is about Abby Coates. She has a business with her sisters but she's the one who works the most towards maintaining the restaurant their father left them. She's in trouble and needs clients fast. So she puts an ad in the paper wanting a chef.
Storm Dupré is in California, unhappy with his life and seeing the ad he decides it's the best thing that could happen to him. There he goes and by meeting Abby, something tells him she's would be special even though his aim is to buy her restaurant from her. However, while seducing Abby, he also learns to see in her someone he develops feelings for.

I wasn't very curious over this book. I'm not in an erotic stage right now and I don't usually look for these kind of books, although I have read them in the past with will.
I new this story would have enough sex to overcome the plot so in a way I can't say I'm disappointed, plus I knew what type of writing the author offers. But, there was still a part of me, the side that prefers romances, that looked at this and sighed over wasted possibilities.
It's not the contents of the story, or the fact there were several different sexual partners in there that made me wrinkle my nose..it was more the fact the main couple could have taken this opportunity to develop a better relationship and that didn't seemed to happen. Right at the end, for instance, even though it was obvious they had feelings for each other, although not spoken out loud yet, still Abby gave in to her impulses and had sex with another man. I thought she was done exploring. Well, Storm thought himself in love with her well before that and he had sex with someone else too,so...but I mean, if things were meant to be like this, I would be fine with it, this could be a free choice menage or whatever, but it's said at some point, they're jealous of each other, so why pushing the issue like this? I must be very naive....

Abby and Storm had personal things to solve. They had issues fro their pasts and I cared for that. But of course the way they went about to deal with them could have been done differently, specially in respect to both of their behaviors.
Storm had a bad experience in his life with his mother, so in a way, his treatment of women was justified enough I guess. 
Abby started as someone innocent and not very daring but ended up discovering her inner sex goddess which she explored quite well by having sex with almost all the characters n the story. But she did it with class so I can't say it was that bad...well, she did distributed the love often I'd say.
There are also secondary characters that provide amazingly deep characterization, considering the air time and the fact most of that time is spend having sex. But it's still a proof of the author's talent to bring such interest to the secondary characters.

In the end I liked some of the settings, some of the issues dealt in the book, but despite recognizing this as a good erotic story, I'm in a point where it doesn't step over interesting. Still, I intend to read the other books by the author I have.

TBR Challenge: LaVyrle Spencer - Morning Glory

ELLY - In town, they called her "Crazy Widow Dinsmore." But Elly was no stranger to their ridicule--she had been an outsider all her life, growing up in a boarded-up old house under the strict eye of her eccentric grandparents. Now she was all alone, with two little boys to raise, and a third child on the way.
WILL - He drifted into Whitney, Georgia, one lazy afternoon in the summer of 1941, hoping to put his lonely past behind him. He yearned for the tenderness he had never known, the home he'd never had. All he needed was for someone to give him a chance.
Then he saw her classified ad: WANTED--A husband. When he stepped across Elly Dinsmore's cluttered yard, Will Parker knew he had come home at last ...

Comment: This month the theme of the challenge is books that have won a Rita or some award. I had three novels by ms Spencer and I thought it would be the best opportunity to read this book, which I knew so many readers loved, besides the fact it did win a Rita award. I was very curious about this book and why it's still in the best beloved romances even today.

This is the story of Eleanor and Will. Will is a poor man, an ex convict, and he is hungry. When his boss realizes were he's been, he's dismissed and again leaves. On the way he stops at a bar to read the paper and perhaps find something he could do and he sees an ad asking for a husband. Having nothing to lose, he goes to the address and finds Elly, a pregnant woman with two small children at her feet. Wary of each other at first because nothing in their lives has been easy, after some time together they start to see the beauty in the other and even with some challenges, they manage to fulfill their hearts with love and hope.

I did love the book. I wasn't disappointed after so much expectation and I'm really happy to have read the book and I get it why so many others loved it too.
I think it's the mix of apparent simplicity and romance that makes this so endearing to me. I really liked how the author created the right amount of background to make the protagonists special. These days, so many authors rush that or don't give it as much importance and sometimes it's not done in a very balanced way and somehow, in this book, all those things seemed well done and you can't help but notice when a story flows more easily, more naturally, better. I guess it's one of the reasons why this novel is so good.

Then, the two main characters..I really loved Will. He's one of those heroes that remains with you...I felt sorry for him when he was hungry and suffered injustices. Yes, the times were others but...were they really? Nowadays prejudice still happens. Anyway, I loved how he wanted to prove to Elly he was a good person, he deserved that place to stay and even better, I loved how patient he was about everything, especially from the moment he realized he was in love with Elly...he gave her time and that was wonderful. Of course he had his moments, but even when he seemed like a stubborn example of the male of the species, I still liked him.
Elly was sweet too. She is the kind of heroine I like, she's poor but has her pride, but she's not stupid to want to do things alone all the time and she treated Will with respect, something I really appreciated considering his past. I think the author has here a couple that proved they were worthy of each other and their inner battles only made them stronger and more receptive to cherish love and the feelings between them.

I'm not going to talk about all the little - and bigger - details about this story, but I really liked the pace of things, how the reader gets to learn things step by step, the information isn't dumped on us. I liked how ms Spencer inserted th things she wanted very cleverly, because the story feels so easy to come up with and I'm sure it probably wasn't. I think this is a romantic book, so many beautiful, special scenes with them, with the children, with the other characters. Loved the final scenes and even how Elly did something she didn't think she could just to help Will. Isn't it wonderful to read a story about a romantic true love?

In the end, I was really glad to have read this one. I'm now quite curious to read the other two I have by her. I hope they're as romantic even is not as good. This one I recommend, without a doubt.

TBR Challenge: Sally Mackenzie - The Naked Duke

Sophisticated. Scandalous. In fact, Miss Sarah Hamilton, a proper Philadelphian, finds London society altogether shocking. How can it be that she has awakened from her innocent slumber to find herself in bed next to a handsome--and exceedingly naked--man? The laughing onlookers standing in the doorway are no help whatsoever and surely this amorous lunatic cannot be a duke, as he claims. She is compromised--though she most certainly will not marry him!
James, the Duke of Alford, is enchanted by his unexpected bedmate--and not at all afraid of her pink-cheeked fury. True, the circumstances and place of their meeting are most unusual, but the spirited American who's pummeling him with a pillow is an incomparable beauty. If Sarah will only listen to his perfectly reasonable explanation, James is sure that he can capture her heart...forever.
 

Comment: This month's TBR theme is to pick one of more than one books by an author we might have. I thought about two authors actually, this one and Sherryl Woods, but I've read one book by mrs Woods and it was very boring, so I though it would be best to just try Sally Mackenzie. This was the first book by her I've tried but I was hopeful I'd end up reading the others too.

The Naked Duke is the first in her naked nobility series and being obviously historical, it was also clear it would focus in different couples too. I was a bit eager to get to it, I knew a couple of people whose opinions I know a bit have said they were entertaining and fun, so I thought the worst it could happen would be for me not to share the humor. I have to say the cover does make the book seem a bit silly, there are fun covers and funny covers and this one was on the sillier side of it, so I was eager but not dying to get it.

This is the story about Sarah Hamilton, she's left with nothing in America because her father was one of those doctors that just give things for free and didn't bother with money so after his death she doesn't have a choice but to go to England, looking for her uncle, an earl. When she arrives someone makes a mistake and gives her a room where later on the duke James steps into. Apparently the poor thing was mistaken with a prostitute. They end up in the same bed, she sleeping so not knowing he as there and he thinking she was someone else. They are found out and obviously now it's time to marry.

I get why some people would say this book is fun. I just don't think it was that much. I see the potential in several scenes but in the end I think it was a bit lack of the author's talent to write them. If the purpose was to write a sort of comedy I don't think it was that well done.

I think the story offered some plot lines interesting enough to make a more dramatic story without being too heavy. I mean, Sarah just arrived a strange place, where she doesn't know anyone, where she couldn't get a room, her belongings have been lost at sea, she is mixed up with a prostitute, she wakes up in a compromising position with a strange man and she has no money, no prospects...and easily there she goes to live with him because luckily her cousin is his best friend. Of course, something had to happen for the story to keep going, but I think the situation wasn't that funny or that easy to solve for the story to be treated as airily as that. A bit more of seriousness here and in some other moments could have made this book a stronger one.

The main characters were interesting yes. James is the perfect guy, a wealthy duke, respected, caring, helpful and now attracted to Sarah. He seems too good to be true, but at some point he goes along the path, she is danger I should step back so she doesn't get a target...for such a perfect guy he could have been a bit more confidant in his actions. People also have some wrong ideas about his character and it was fun to see how different he was from the public opinion and despite the unlikeliness of that in those days, it was still rather interesting to read about.

Sarah was a bit more believable, she had her beliefs, her goals and she knew she shouldn't be chosen to marry a duke, but her path is mostly believable. Her fears are real and I liked her personality. She comes from America where people seem to be more liberal but her behavior is correct and I liked how she seemed humble and caring instead of conceited girl like I imagined she would turn out to be. Don't know why but by the blurb it looked like she might.

The secondary characters provided good scenes and it gets clear who might be a protagonist in the future. The villain was weird, not very smart, more of a bully and the end concerning him was a bit silly as well.

Of course, in the end everyone gets what they deserve and all is well.

After finishing the book I could easily put it aside. This means I wasn't as impressed by it as I wanted to be. I get the positive opinions I knew about but I think this book isn't that good, it's not bad either, it's more just good enough, you know? Some things were good, others too stupid in my opinion, but there's a strange air of balance in it too. Weird. But that's it. I was thinking, should I read the others? I think I'll go as long as I end up at least satisfied by it, because I do have the books and as this one wasn't a complete failure, I hate to think more books would just be there, all alone and miserable...Perhaps the others are much better. Let's keep the faith.

As for this one, well, I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but it's entertaining enough to read between more serious things I guess.

TBR Challenge: Miranda Neville - The Wild Marquis

The Marquis of Chase is not a reputable man. He is notorious for his wretched morals and is never received in respectable houses. The ladies of the ton would never allow him in their drawing rooms ... though they were more than willing to welcome him into their bedchambers.
Ejected from his father's house at the age of sixteen, he now lives a life of wanton pleasure. So what could the Marquis of Chase possibly want with Juliana Merton, a lovely, perfectly upstanding shopkeeper with a mysterious past?
A moment's indiscretion?
A night's passion?
Or a lifetime of love?
Even the wildest rakes have their weaknesses...

Comment:  It’s time for another TBR challenge post. This month the theme is new to you author, and as I like to follow the scheduled themes, I chose a book by an author I haven’t tried before. This book has been in my pile for I don’t know how long, but I’m positive it was somewhere last year, minimum. I got it after knowing the heroine was bookish and wasn’t considered that interesting but I didn’t read any other reviews, so in a way I went to this reading almost blind.

This story starts with the marquis of Chase looking for mrs Merton, the owner of a bookshop, in order to have help in upcoming auctions to purchase a book very important to him. Knowing the owner of the bookshop is a woman was a surprise but he didn’t mind that, and expected her help. They started a relationship soon after, despite issues to settle in both of them and past experiences. Chase has a very rakish reputation and isn’t taken seriously by other book collectors, but after some time he gets very involved in the world of books and even helps mrs Merton discover her true heritage, while changing his ways to become a better man.

I don’t think I liked this book that much. I mean, it has some points that are compelling, but I found myself not very fascinated with the story of the character’s traits. It’s not that the story is boring, although it had some moments where I wasn’t very interesting in reading, but I feel the bigger issue I had was the writing itself. It was obvious the author has done a lot of research and even used her experience working in Sotheby’s to build her story, but in general I didn’t feel it was that well done. I mean, of course she writes better than, say…me!, but for me her style wasn’t very appealing. I’ve read several other authors very similar, but I don’t know, her narrative just wasn’t very dazzling and I never got that feeling that I just had to read one more page. I put the book down easily when I had to and didn’t feel itchy to get back to it. I don’t know about you, but if a book makes me want to forget everything else so I can read more is always a winner for me! This, unfortunately, wasn’t one of those.

The characters have their strengths and weaknesses of course. Chase is known for being a rake that even his father expelled him from the house when he was 16. Throughout the book we know why and I have to admit, it was a original enough plot line that I found wouldn’t be that unbelievable, after all, we know it’s hard to apologize, to try to make things better and we let time pass because we don’t know how to work things out and in this case Chase didn’t want to make things worse so he led everyone to believe he didn’t mind what happened to him before. The way he found some closure was human and true, so no concerns on that field.

Juliana, mrs Merton, also had some baggage to solve from her past and I found her troubles a bit more uninteresting, but in the rules of a good romance, Chase helps her and they get their HEA.

While they both had good points apart, together not so much. I don’t think their story was very romantic; there wasn’t that intensity I expected in two people falling in love. As they didn’t know each other, there wasn’t the simplicity of already knowing someone for a long time either. Another person that read this book along with me has said that they lacked chemistry and I agree, sure they can be in love from a certain point on, but it’s not obvious and although that idea having merit, according to their behavior and conversations, it should be, so I think it really lacked romance. What a pity.

I guess I’m being a bit hard on this book, but not even the talk about books and all those interesting things saved the lack of romantic gestures, even when they were meant to be. This is a truly just OK story for me.

Now, there are some secondary characters that seemed intriguing but I wasn’t really interesting in reading their stories…but I’ve read some reviews about the next book and it sounds something I would like to try but the writing puts me off… has anyone read it, what can you say about it?

So, this book was OK, it had an interesting but not very developed storyline despite its promising mystery and details. Overall, a good enough effort, but it lacked several things to make me more than just satisfied with it.

TBR Challenge: Shayla Black - Embrace Me at Dawn

Anka MacTavish lost everything when Mathias D’Arc captured her, shattered her bond with her mate, and broke both her body and spirit. Determined to heal her bleeding soul, she joins the Doomsday Brethren’s fight to vanquish the evil wizard and seize her revenge. But becoming a magical warrior will require close contact with her former mate, the love who’s never left her heart, Lucan. And she’ll have to explain why she left him and fled to the arms of another lover…
Lucan’s world crumbled when Anka escaped Mathias and sought protection from his long-time rival, Shock. Now she has returned, and Lucan must train her to confront a new and terrible danger that threatens magickind. With every punch, blow, and parry, Lucan discovers that Anka isn’t the demure wife he once knew, and his growing desire for this woman is a need he can’t control. He vows to do whatever it takes to reclaim her heart and make her his once more. But when the Doomsday Brethren are forced to make an unlikely alliance, it will test Anka’s resolve like never before. To survive, she and Lucan must rely on one another, face their deepest fears…and expose the dark secrets that threaten to destroy everything, including their love.

Comment: I've had this book to read since august of last year and I've picked it for the challenge just to change genres a bit, as I don't foresee paranormal in the challenge in the upcoming months.

This is the 5th story of the Doomsday Brethren by Shayla Black. It's a world of wizards, witches and magic in a classic battle between good and evil. 

Lucan and Anka, they have been mates for a long time until the day the bad guy kidnapped Anka and raped her, severing the mate bond wizards have with the women they love. It was a cruel thing and the mental shields of the two of them broke and Anka forgot about her former life for a few months. At the same time, Lucan experienced pain and craziness in his mate-mourning, even more so because when Aka was released from captivity she went to Shock, a childhood friend and the double spy of the god guys, also a bit the enemy of Lucan. However, the feelings between them never changed even if in a hiatus for a while. Now, after a long time seeing each other again, dreading seeing the other exchanging energy with somebody else (wizards and witches recharge their energy and magic levels through sexual contact), they are teaming up to fight the bad guys and still trying to get their common life again.

I've been a fan of this series since book #1 although it only got better at book #2. I liked this idea of a special mate for each wizard and witch, but as Shayla Black also has erotic books, this series despite being paranormal, also has a bit of sexual importance here, especially in the characters need to have sex to increase their magic levels, otherwise they would waste away. In a way, it's an interesting topic, I've seen it in other series out there, but in here it's done in a good way too. 

In the previous books this idea of sharing that experience with others was meant as a friendly task, also a pleasurable one. But once mated, usually the characters would stick to their mates, except in special cases. Anyway, I was eager to see Anka and Lucan sharing that again, but unfortunately this was ruined by one or two situations I didn't think were that well done by the author and which caused this book to feel weaker than the previous three to me.

Anka has suffered abuse and rape in the hands of the bad guy and never really recovered. Now she wants to fight to battle not only the wizard that raped her but her own fears. A bit like a cathartic move on her side. This idea has merit but since her awful experience, her never mentioned before submissive needs have come to the surface and she wants a bit of control in her sexual relationships to let own frustration and fear. Also understandable. But I can't help feeling this was a bit too handy, the character never showed any of this needs and now here she is, an almost perfect Sub. Hummm....I wasn't convinced of this, but I let it aside. 

Lucan has suffered immensely when Anka was kidnapped from their house and abused. Their mate bond was severed and he had trouble to recover and seeing her with an enemy was too much, but as he never stopped loving her, he put it aside to love her again as show her. Once again, it was quite handy he welcomed the idea of controlling her sexually despite it never had happened. I mean, it was an interesting change, and surely people are different after an abusive ordeal, but there was something about it that I don't think it was that special about the whole situation, although I knew this series had a strong sexual side. I guess only by reading someone gets the point..despite many readers have welcomed this "healing" for the main couple. I liked seeing them mending their relationship, but it didn't have to be like this, I think.

Apart from this was the plot subject f teaming up with the bad guy to find an object. Of course the good guys were the winners of that meeting but I can't help thinking that it was a bit shocking to see them working together after so many awful deeds by the villain. In the end he got what he deserved and I'm happy with it, but still...

The secondary characters play a special part in the book too, many scenes had their presence and I think it's always a good thing, to make the reader see the bond between people, to see them working together, being part of something, not there just to fill space. I'm curious over the next characters having a book, which I hope they will, because the author is now self publishing this series and I fear this might mean lateness...I just hope she doesn't stop before writing the books of the two final main characters.

The book is full of interesting things, the writing is fluid and good, the settings and descriptions aren't boring or too informative and I liked it. Despite this and that, things I wish could have been done differently, this book was god, not as the others, but still in par with the usual feel of the series. I finally caught up with it and now can't wait for the next one, which I hope it's better than this one.