TBR Challenge: Snowflakes and Stetsons anthology

The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by Jillian Hart
Wrongly imprisoned, Caleb McGraw is finally free—but the bitterness he holds still makes him feel trapped. Until he sees the beautiful Caroline holding a little boy with eyes just like his own. Discovering his long-lost son is just the start of Caleb's Christmas miracles!
Christmas at Cahill Crossing by Carol Finch
One Christmas night, outcast Lucas Burnett finds a silver-haired angel buried in the snow. But Rosalie Greer is no pale spirit—she's a fiery, independent woman, as wild as the mustangs Lucas breeds. Can she be the one to finally thaw Lucas's frozen heart?
A Magical Gift at Christmas by Cheryl St.John
Meredith has always dreamed of a grand life but, stranded on a train in heavy snowfall with two young stowaways, she unexpectedly finds she has everything she needs with just one strong man to protect her..

Comment: I have had this book for a bit more than a year. I got it after Hilcia suggested it to me for the holidays and I immediately thought about it for this challenge. But last year I already had a book picked, so I saved this one precisely for this month's reading, as it fits the theme, holidays.

I was quite eager to read the three stories after seeing how Hilcia liked it, and I dived in right away. Sadly, I don't know if it was me or the way the stories felt like to me, but I wasn't dazzled by any of them...

The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle is a very cute story about a man who paid a price for a crime he didn't commit and when he finds out that caused problems to the women he had feelings for, he is miserable. Even more so when he discovers a child he never knew he had. The plot revolves around his helping the woman who is taking care of his son and how they come to terms with what he done and the fact they are falling in love with each other.

This was my least favorite story. I got the idea and it was interesting, redemption is always a good theme for Christmas, but I think this story sinned for it's small page count. I think a better and lengthier development would have suited the type of story much better. It's not that is badly written but I think the theme, the way the characters had so many things in their past to work out was done so fast and without the proper time to deal with their issues. My opinion. I'm glad things worked out well but the conflict because Caleb was in prison had to be taken care off differently to be better done, I think. The idea was there but for me the execution wasn't the most appealing one.

Christmas at Cahill Crossing is the story of Rose Greer an how she got to be stuck in a snow storm and was about to be buried beneath the snow when Lucas Burnett, a loner, saved her. After he saved her, she does everything she can to make him attend Christmas at Cahill Crossing instead of just being alone. He starts to like her and to be with her, so they start a relationship and despite the social differences between then«m, their feelings are stronger than anything.

I liked this story better but I admit I thought the physical intimacy started a bit too soon, considering the time they knew each other. Knowing each other from a distance doesn't count, I think. The stage was set though, for them to get closer. A snow storm and a savior are potent attractions to someone who already felt something for him, even if they had never talked before, but overall, I liked the story and the idea behind Rose's actions and feelings. She is a good heroine and perfect to do some saving too. In a way, this couple felt balanced and that helped a lot to make the story feel stronger. I'm curious about other characters as well. This wasn't perfect but I liked it more than the other.

A Magical Gift at Christmas tells the story of a US Marshall who is guarding a shipment of gold in a train and after trying to save it by leaving one of the train's carriages behind finds out a young woman and two children were left behind too without his knowledge. Now they have to work together to keep the gold saved from possible robbers and to keep the cold away. 

This was my favorite story, the main couple bonded well and worked together to reach an aim. I think this was where we better saw the character development, despite the limited page count. Jonah is serious but he isn't made of iron and by the end I believed his feelings changed and were shaped by what he felt and saw during the time he had to trust Meredith and have her help to take care of the children and to keep the bandits away. I think the author is talented to write short stories and it showed. The end was sweet and I even would have liked an epilogue, but overall, the story was well structured and stronger than the others. This was was really intriguing to read and made me eager to know more whereas the others weren't as addictive.

-> All in all, a satisfying collection of short stories, but it wasn't an amazing read. Despite one being better than the others, I still think this wasn't as powerful as I imagined. Maybe it was just my state of mind, but I didn't feel the pull other readers have talked about. Still, I plan to keep on reading Christmas anthologies that are usually well done and the ones I appreciate the best.

This had an author I've read before so I was glad I liked her story better. The other authors didn't win me over although I respect their goal with their stories here.

I have hopes next year my pick will be more exciting.

Grade: 6/10

TBR Challenge: Jeannie Lin - The Lotus Palace

It is a time of celebration in the Pingkang Li, where imperial scholars and bureaucrats mingle with beautiful courtesans. At the center is the Lotus Palace, home of the most exquisite courtesans in China...
Maidservant Yue-ying is not one of those beauties. Street-smart and practical, she's content to live in the shadow of her infamous mistress—until she meets the aristocratic playboy Bai Huang.
Bai Huang lives in a privileged world Yue-ying can barely imagine, yet alone share, but as they are thrown together in an attempt to solve a deadly mystery, they both start to dream of a different life. Yet Bai Huang's position means that all she could ever be to him is his concubine—will she sacrifice her pride to follow her heart?

Comment: This month the TBR Challenge theme is historical romance. I do confess to have countless of titles that fit the bill. But as I schedule books for each month, I looked at the titles for November and several could be chosen but I decided to go with this one because it's different from what we usually see in historicals. Personally I've never read about set in China, a romance that is. I've seen movies but books not really, so I thought this would be a good choice.

The Lotus Palace is the story of Yue-ying, a maidservant to one of the most beautiful courtesans in China. She knows her place and what her life will always be like but she is content to help Mingyu, the person she owes it all to.

But as a guest of the Lotus Palace, Bai Huang keeps tracking her down. And he isn't just looking for sex as she first thought, despite his possible choice of several other women much prettier and accomplished than her. What Bai Huang wants is her help to find a mysterious person who is guilty of several crimes, including murder. Someone who frequents the Lotus Palace...

While looking for clues and maneuvering social etiquette, Yue-ying will have to weight in her own feelings and her expectations about her life so she can find happiness....or not.

I was really surprised by this book. Nothing like I ever read in the genre, but I saw its praising in some blogs and review sites and decided to try it. I got this book back in May, but now was the time I picked to start it.

I've seen movies set in Asia and some have moved me amazingly. «Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon» was an amazing movie and it portrayed romance and tragedy and all the impossibilities we might have found in an Asian society heavily based on honor and duty and rules. I loved the movie even though I cried a lot, but I found this Lotus Palace to be a book very similar in subject and ideas, but with obviously if different story and situations.

The book shows us characters very different in society's eyes. Yue-ying is poor, a maidservant and a former prostitute. She was rescued by her current mistress and she is faithful to her and is content to live this way for she hated being a prostitute. She didn't have much choice though, and not only because a birthmark on her cheek stopped her from being a more respected courtesan. Yue-ying just never got a chance since she was a young child. She is every cynical abut the world, about how things happen but of course there's nothing she can do and often during the book we see her say exactly that when faced with any situation. There are many secrets about her existence but what made me notice her the most was how little she allowed herself to dream. I think this is one of the biggest differences I saw in this book when compared to an historical set on other places, like England. Despite the difficulties there's always the idea dreams can happen somehow, but Yue-ying lived in a place where that wasn't even possible because society is so peculiar.

Bai Huang was a good counterpart because he seemed more flexible but he had a responsibility too and both his sides, the funnier and the serious ones fit together properly.

The cultural differences to what I was used to slowed me down a bit. The characters are very faithful to that idea that passion and exuberance are to be hidden or non existent, something we might see in other novels, and here I had a bit of a hard time picturing the main characters happiness even when they talked about good things. It just seemed doomed all the time. I think there's a clear negative vibe throughout the book. Some things are so unfair and illogical to be true, but I know the author must have been very faithful to how society was during that time.

The romance showed this as well. It seemed things couldn't only go one way and no matter what the characters did, doom was the only path. They could be happy but there would be a price to pay and that could be both their honor, their dedication to each other and although acceptable by law I can understand how and why that wouldn't do. A HEA happens and I'm glad but it was gotten by miracle almost. Not totally innovative but after such heavy trouble before it almost seemed the HEA was a consolation prize and not a necessity. Just my feel about it.

The mystery solution was done well, the intensity of what was happening,, the reasons why some characters took action had a special an powerful meaning and were understood quite well. I think the author did a great job in setting the action, the atmosphere to better understand all the details a society like that and why the murderer go away with it for a while. The guilty had their deserving end too.

The study one can o on these characters is quite interesting. The author made them all alive somehow and gave them souls and minds to fit the plot and a complexity we can't help but see. Each one acts a certain way and almost walks all the emotions of a human being. I can't explain it well, but I felt their actions and the weight of their lives in their actions and words. I think this isn't easy to do and the author managed it well.

All in all, a brilliant character development, an intriguing plot but for me the most interesting thing, almost the bittersweet one, was the characterization of everyone in this book. I get it but it still made me down a bit sometimes, over the helplessness of things and despite the great work, the negativity of some things just made me feel sad and thus a not perfect grade.

Still, this is a recommended read for sure.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Jill Sorenson - Crash Into Me

Though he’d gone into virtual seclusion, Ben Fortune was still the world’s most famous surfer, known as much for his good looks as for his skill. He’s also a suspect in a series of brutal murders that may have begun with his late wife. 
Now FBI Special Agent Sonora “Sonny” Vasquez has been sent undercover to the elite beach community of La Jolla to make friends with Fortune. With her fierce beauty and take-no-prisoners attitude, she’s more than equipped for the job, and soon she and Ben have collided in an affair that is both intense and irresistible. But for the first—and worst—time in Sonny’s career, her emotions are threatening to get the better of her. 
Could this sensual, wounded man, who is genuinely anguished over his troubled daughter, really be a killer? And could falling in love blind Sonny to the greatest danger of all?

Comment: I've had this book in my TBR since April. I've read another book by the author and I liked so I've decided to try more of her work, this being the one that, by blurb alone, seemed the most intriguing one. I was quite pleased it would fit this month's theme for the TBR challenge.

This is Sonny Vasquez story and how, being her a FBI agent, she was charged of the investigation of Ben Fortune, a suspect of killing women in his residence area, all because of the gossip about his wife's murder years before. Sonny takes a new identity and starts to get closer but she didn't count on all the drama around Ben's life, her own and the fact there's a strong attraction between them.

Ben just wants his surfing and to take care of his daughter. But Sonny brings him feelings again, along with a huge amount of problems. But is he really guilty as evidence makes him look?

This book is very deceptive. Only author's fans or previous readers know this is filled with drama and situations that are hard to solve magically, as it happens in so many contemporaries. And I don't mean the crime, I'm referring to the character's lives and what they are making out of it.

The main issue is the solving of a series of crimes committed around La Jolla beach. Ben Fortune is a former professional surfer and he lives nearby. His fame carries on, even more so because his wife was murdered and he was the one who found her. Of course, he was a suspect but his innocence was proved although suspicion follows him still.

However, his main problem is to deal with his teenager daughter, who has issues of her own, and who seems to be changing as all teens do at some point.

Sonny comes in and starts to change his way of seeing life, of thinking about himself. I liked the ay they started to matter to each other and how what they were before meeting was simple and objective, but their perception of things changed along with their feelings. This could be done rather obvious to better pop up to the reader, but there are so many things surrounding their lives that I think there's a constant layer of drama just waiting for confrontation.

As aways, there's a secondary focus, in this book is Carly and her new boyfriend who isn't just any random guy. There are a lot of personal links in this book and some are real surprises, at least they were to me.

In this book, there are many things to bear in mind, and many issues societies nowadays seem to overlook for the sake of their own problems. Other people's challenges are their own. I think the author presented some very crude visions of what it's like to live with guilt, insecurity, fears and weights that carry one's head down. I still think there was a slightly darker vibe around the story and that can put off some readers I suppose and to be honest I wish the author could have dosed the good things a bit more. I understand the fact this book is as it is but a lighter mood here and there would have been nice.

The romance ended up with a HEA which has a good amount of sweetness but not overly done. I liked how Ben and Sonny talked a bit, how some of their issues were dealt throughout the book.

This story is meant to be serious and accomplished that well. All the subjects addressed are things we all should pay attention to, so in terms of building up a good environment to the story, the author did well.

The crime isn't the most ingenious in the world and the villain becomes almost obvious from a certain point on and I wasn't surprised by who it was. Still, all things surrounding it aren't as easy and obvious to deal with and the path all characters had to take to reach  sort of positive end was hard and with plenty of lessons to be learned.

In the end, this was a good book, many interesting subjects, a good and hot romance, two sweet but impulsive teenagers, lots of drama and situations that seem unreal so much work did they cause. But I like the author's style, despite the things I would remove if I could. I do plan to read more by her.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Catherine Bybee - Wife By Wednesday

Blake Harrison:
Rich, titled, and charming…and in need of a wife by Wednesday. Blake turns to Sam Elliot, who isn’t the businessman he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, beautiful and feisty with a voice men call 1-900 numbers to hear.
Samantha Elliot:
Owner of matchmaking firm Alliance and not on the marital menu…that is, until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. And there’s nothing indecent about this proposal. The money will really help with her family’s medical bills. All Samantha will need to do is keep her attraction to her new husband to herself and avoid his bed.
But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and sexy charm prove too difficult for Sam to resist. It was a marriage contract that planned for everything…except falling in love.

Comment: This book was recommended to me by one of my friends on GR. As this month's theme is exactly recommended reads I thought about picking up this one which seemed to be a sort of book you read fast and with a lighter tone. I was totally right and this proved to be one of those stories you read between darker or more serious ones.

This story features Samantha Elliott, she has a matchmaking firm and matches men and women looking for a wedding, for whatever reason. She plans to grow her company into the top. Her newest client is the wealthy Blake Harrison, a man who is also a British duke, so she knows publicity will be enormous should she be successful.

Blake Harrison has to be married in order not to lose the land that goes along with his dukedom. His father's will has said so clearly. Blake meets Sam and the more he thinks of her a the perfect wife, putting aside the other candidates' names. But what should be only a marriage of convenience develops into something more...

These kind of stories don't seem to be the ones most romance readers get nowadays. Still, I was curious over how the author would play this along and how it would work without looking silly or too much fantasy-like.

The main premise is a marriage of convenience which sounds pompous and unlikely to the kind of society we live in but maybe it's not that unfeasible, if one considers any circumstances that could make it the only option. Still, it's harder to accept it these days but the author uses this idea as a business deal and Sam had good reasons to accept it.

I think the author had to go the only path good enough to make this more believable and it added to part of the relationship's details, but deep down it still feels too weird on a book out of Harlequin, for instance.

Sam is a pragmatic woman and she works fairly and in order to help her younger sister Jordan, who is hospitalized. Her past makes sense and it's the explanation to her attempts to work hard and have an uncomplicated life once more. I think her past was a good tactic to shape her character but I think a deeper take into her life and emotions would suit this story a lot, I also think more pages wouldn't hurt either, for despite everything having a place to work, there's still a slight feel of rush and more pages with some more time delving into the character's path in life could accomplish a deeper meaning into everything, My opinion, of course.

Blake is powerful but he still feels he needs to follow his father's wishes because he wants to keep his estate not only for him but mostly out of his cousin's hands. I get the ideas and the reasons but one again, it's something a bit more hard to accept these days, even more so considering he was rich on his own. On the other hand, he tried to keep a tradition, something people these days don't seem to pay much attention to, so it was good to see how he wanted to keep things in a way that would respect the whole meaning of what it was like to be part of aristocracy and to maintain place he was fond of.

So, both characters were in unusual places in life, dealing with things they wanted to preserve so they joined forces to reach their goals. When one thinks about it, it can be justified so, not so unlikely as I imagined at the beginning. I guess this is me looking for clues where they weren't meant to be - did the author have this aim? - but overall, I must say, this worked for me in the end.

Sam and Blake's relationship started as a partnership but evolved into something more. I guess I would find it more romantic if they were a bit more reluctant to change the relationship, which I found was done too easily and too fast. It almost felt like this was staged all along and this was it, but I think some more surprise and sexual tension before they got together would suit this a lot, would make the romance more passionate and true. Once again, my opinion.

In the end, I gave this a good grade because I surely was entertained and I am curious to read the following story, at least. This one had many great elements, it had a satisfying conclusion and interesting details, although I confess it also has all the expected clichés in this sort of story, jealous exes, secrets and friend's advices and so on. Still, I enjoyed it and in the end that's what matters.

Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Lena Matthews - I Never

Thanks to his friend's thirtieth birthday, Tripp Kowlaski is forced to face the two people he's been avoiding for the last year — Skylar Daveigh and Gideon Foley. At one time the three of them had been part of a close-knit group of friends, but that all changed thanks to one game of I Never.
Some things can't be forgiven or forgotten. Unfortunately for Tripp, Gideon isn't in the mood to do either. He and Skylar are happy now together. The last thing either of them needs is to be reminded of what they can't have.
Skylar is conflicted. She's in love with two men who can't move past their anger or fear to admit their love for one another. All she wants is the three of them to be happy, together, but some wishes aren't meant to come true. The birthday surprise is on them though, because they're receiving a gift none of them will ever forget. The only question is, will they make the same mistake the second time around?

Comment: Here we are again, at another book for the TBR challenge. This month, the theme is luscious love scenes, which means - for most people - erotic stories where it is the focus. 
I picked a book I've had since 2009 or 2010 which I got during my times of discovery of MM romances and how I've read several MMF to see if I would enjoy MM on its own. Like many readers out there, nowadays I kind of prefer MM instead of MMF which I tend to find mostly boring and uninteresting because I like the MM parts better.
This story was no exception, in particular because it was on the short side and didn't allow much development the way I think it could use, but well...

Anyway, this story is the second of a trilogy of shorter stories the author has written for Ellora's Cave. The trilogy is set on the idea of naughty games, those games teenagers play but this time a group of seven friends played it with consequences for them all. 
In this story's case, Tripp, Gideon and Skylar, who were best friends, took their friendship further with a game of I never, which proved to them all how attracted they all were with each other, but Tripp wasn't in the best place emotionally and he left the other two. Now, two years after, they are told by another friend to try to mend their problems and to see if what they still have between them is worth it all.

Despite being part of a trilogy, all stories apparently take place at the same time and one doesn't have to read the others to understand everything.
I thought this story would focus on the erotic part of their relationship, which I imagined would be developed with some structure. I think the fact this is short, I'd say it is a short story, didn't leave much room for progress. There are sex scenes and we have scenes from two years ago, when things went bad. I understand this was a device the author used to show the reader why these three have things to deal with, but obviously it took some time from the current working out of things. And I don't think that knowing how sexually tuned with each other was that necessary to understand their issues, because after all they were always supposed to be good together.

So, there's a short story and a good part of it is showing a sex scene from the past before things went wrong. The major issue here happened between Gideon and Tripp because Tripp wasn't ready to tell himself he had important feelings for Gideon, the same he had for Skylar. They had sex and Tripp got scared and he said things that hurt Gideon. A this point it became rather obvious the main problem was between the boys, and I have to say, the conflict wasn't that badly done, their issues had some merit.
The biggest thing for them to solve then, was how Tripp would accept their relationship and how Gideon would forgive Tripp. Eventually everything worked out well, although I still had the feeling it was all too fast.

In fact, I had some trouble believing things could be dealt that fast even more when Gideon and Tripp had serious things to talk about. I really think a bigger story where we could see the nowadays time going slower and where they could talk better would suit them. In a way, this story was about the two guys and how what they would do would affect the trio.
So, where was Skylar in all this, she had a good relationship with both guys, even if Tripp hurt her too, but she was quicker to forgive, like her presence was there to just balance the guys. There were times where I even thought she was redundant, just to allow a different erotic level, but honestly her presence wasn't such a big win for me. If this is the story itself or my better opinion of just MM romances, I can't really say for sure.

Then the sex, this is labeled erotic, it has sex scenes, it has menages and sexual situations usually addressed in erotic stories. Still, I can't say the sex parts were that important. I think if we removed them the story would still be there, with its interesting points and lac of solid development because of how short it was and because it doesn't have the feel of a well developed story. At least to me. Perhaps I picked an unsuitable story, but the truth is, the sexual content wasn't that impressive, at least for the type of story it was supposed to be in. I still think the best scenes were between Gideon and Tripp...

In the end, not only was the story short, it didn't convince me in terms of structure, it wasn't that sexy or sensual and it was more focused on the guys than the menage itself. After all the things I found fault with, the good aspects weren't enough to me.
I don't plan on reading more by this author. She can be talented, but based on this story alone, I wasn't convinced.
Grade: 4/10

TBR Challenge: Susan Elizabeth Phillips - It Had To Be You

What if a woman who knows nothing about sports inherits a professional football team? The Windy City definitely isn't ready for Phoebe Somerville, the outrageous York knockout who’s taking over their home town team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars' head coach Dan Calebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. This is the book that began it all. The Chicago Stars are about to take the field... and they’re not the only ones playing for keeps.

Comment: Here's the challenge read of July. The theme was something RITA related, whether a winner or a nominee. I've picked this book by SEP not only because it fit the theme because it won a RITA in the 90s but also because it has been on my TBR for a lot of time, so one down.
Unfortunately I liked it very much and now I want to buy the other 6 books, which will add up to said TBR list even more. But is it really a loss? Only a reader would answer that as a no.

This is a book so many readers have read but I never got to it before no reason why, it just was there. It's Phoebe Somerville's story and how she went from a reluctant football team owner to a successful woman to be respected. The story is developed mainly while Phoebe has to follow her father's will to own the team and she will only keep it if they win at the end. Phoebe is unique and presents a glamorous facade but deep down she's lovely and quieter than people think.
Dan is the coach of the team and he thinks she's a bimbo set on getting on his nerves. As time goes by he gets to know her and to understand sometimes what you see isn't what really matters.

As I said, I liked this story a lot, mainly because Phoebe had awful experiences a child and she tried to cope and to be better anyway. Reading about her childhood was sad and even more about her days of depression and self hate. Although this was told in a very loose way, I still felt a bit emotional. But it also help the reader to move forward quicker, I mean, Phoebe's life experiences until the place where she is now aren't so extensive this turns into a soap opera or a drama, but it's enough to the reader to feel sympathy towards her.

This brings me to the author's writing style, considering this is my first book by her, I was expectant about how I'd enjoy the book, and I liked how the pace seemed to move forward but not in a boring or redundant way. It was nice to savor the story without having the feeling the author herself was bored. I can't explain it, it's only a personal feeling I've had with some authors here and there. Ms Phillips wrote her story and despite the change in POV in the middle of a chapter without any graphic hint, I still liked it although that hint could have been useful even if it was over very small POV changes.

Dan was an interesting character, he seemed rude and overbearing often but he had a softer side that made him more realistic. My main dislike about him was how he was divided at some point for two women and despite we know how he was just deceiving himself it still bears a note.
I liked how he understood Phoebe when it mattered and how he was there for her in the crucial times, especially when she needed to tell her story. The epilogue was very sweet.

Overall, the book was intriguing and full of very special characters, for all the reasons they were on the page. But this is also about football and people have said the author was very realistic in her football descriptions..I'll take their word for it because I still was left in the dark and I guess for any reader not familiar with football it was the same. In a way the explanations weren't enough for me to follow the football references but I have to confess more of that and it would be boring. We don't have this kind of football in my country nor is it something we see much on tv, so I was even more in the dark than Phoebe. However, this didn't ruin my enjoyment of the story and I could see it was important to the characters, which made it easier to read about.

In the end, a great romance, very interesting topics and even better, a couple with little things enough to match and to suit. The bad guys had their fate, the good guys learned their lessons and the HEA was perfect. The cover though...I think there would be better ways to give the sports and glamor idea..I don't like this cover but it was the one I got... not that it matters to the plot or the book itself, but it's a bit annoying.
I really had a good time with this one and sometimes you don't have to analyze it all to make it a good book, sometimes you just enjoy.
Can't wait to read the others now, I'll have to buy them soon.
Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Lisa Kleypas - Dreaming of You

In the shelter of her country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven—and into Derek Craven's dangerous world.
A handsome, tough and tenacious Cockney, he rose from poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house—a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world—with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion...and the promise of love.

Comment: This month, the theme for the challenge is romance classics. I picked this one  not only because I had read the first one back in May but also because I thought it suited the theme, as this book has been part of any list of the best historicals ever and many already consider it a classic type of story and it's one of the books many compare others to.
I was very eager to read it, especially because of its fame but also, like the first one, it had been in the pile for about four years...

This is Sara Fielding story and how she wants to do research for her next book, for she is quite the successful writer and she doesn't want to disappoint her readers. By chance she saves Derek Craven and helps him home. From then on, Sara is allowed to be in the gambling house to do some research because the servants all like her.
Derek is annoyed at first but after keeping an eye on Sara he starts to see someone different, someone who makes an impression on him. With time his feelings, always so well guarded, start to change too and their relationship also starts to be different, more serious and sensual...

Well, I have to say I wasn't as impressed with this story as so many readers seem to be and not as much as I was over the first one, which was truly magical and enjoyable to me. This one isn't bad, it just didn't strike me as so powerful and with such a wonderful romance as the first was. Of course, it's all a matter of perspective and in the way each person sees the little details and the intentions of what's on the page, but looking at the two stories, the other one felt more romantic and the characters more intense in their relationship than this one.
So many people have wonderful thing to say about Dreaming of You that I think any new reader kind of creates this expectation of perfection that I felt a bit disappointed because to me it was good, but not the special read I was looking for.

Like I said, the book isn't bad and I read it as fast as I could because I wanted to know what was going to happen but the reading experience isn't only about the book itself, it's our hopes and state of mind while reading too and in this case, I thought it would be so much better. Still, I felt happy when the main characters had their HEA and it was amazing to see the characters from the previous book and even better it was the epilogue, with such a wonderful scene of peace and happiness and the idea that in the end, love will be the best thing to have a good life.

Derek is a fascinating character. He was poor and did things to survive, to be someone that most people dislike and disapprove but they still gamble at his place. However, he hides a honorable soul and that's his best trait, how after such poverty and bad deeds, he keeps an innocent part of himself and develops that to help others somehow too. The dichotomy in his character is very interesting but I thought it would be more obvious in this book and it wasn't so. Although, in a way, it suited me, because if he were an awful rake, it would be even more unbelievable to see his turn of path. I also thought his speech, something pointed out in the previous book as one aspect of his life he wanted to change was barely mentioned here and not even Sara, a writer was seen to help him, or something. I just thought the way he speaks would be a element to explore here.
I still like him a lot, but he's not Alex, an even more amazing hero for me.

Sara was a bit the opposite of Lily. She was sweet and helpful and presented a quiet manner but deep down she wanted passion and love and seduction too. I liked that she never changed her perspective but I prefer heroines like Lily, who seem to be something a bit reckless and after all are quieter underneath what they show others. But I liked how Sara didn't gave up on Derek and on what she felt he deserved and needed and how she had fears and wishes but would settle at some point, just to keep a good life. Not everyone has to be adventurous. I enjoyed her path and her inner struggle between what was safe and the chance of love and was really pleased with the end, but if her choice had been different at first, like it seemed to be, I couldn't really blame her either.

In the end, the romance was achieved, the protagonists well suited after all and even the elements to create opposing forces, like the exes that offered the difference to the main romance's balanced love, were good enough, had enough presence to keep the story line going but weren't too strong to make this a circus. 
I think the author created here a well structured story line, since the first book and had a great ending with this one.

I'll keep reading books by the author because even in the things I think could be better, she has more talent than many and the atmosphere in her books is generally captivating enough to keep reading.
This one was good indeed.
Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Patricia Gaffney - Forever and Ever

Connor Pendarvis has a bitter past and a driving ambition—exposing the harsh working conditions in Miss Sophie Deene's copper mine is only the beginning.
Sophie Deene is her father's daughter—proud, fiercely independent...and bound by convention. She might hire a handsome, insolent Cornishman to work in the mine, but she wouldn't fall in love with him. Impossible, unthinkable. What would people say?
But she swallows her pride for love, defying everyone, never thinking Connor could betray her. And he risks everything he thought he wanted for a love that will last...

Comment: This month, the theme for the challenge is more than one book by this author, meaning, a book by an author whose books pile up here and there in your house. Math done, I must have around 10 more books by this author to read. The biggest problem of collecting, as you all surely know yourselves. Anyway, I've decided to read the author's most known trilogy and this is the third book. I think it also fits the theme, so here is was.

This is the story of Sophie Deene, a character that briefly appeared in the other books (or just the previous one, I can't remember properly) ans she is a lady, focused on her work and her responsibilities. She wants what's best for those who work in her mine and also for herself, as a person in whom others trust and admire.
Connor Pendarvis works for a group wanting to reform the working class system, in particular the conditions in the mines and how that affects workers. He meets Sophie not knowing she is the person he came to investigate but even after that he can't seem to forget her and neither can she. But when the truth comes off, what will happen?

The previous two books in this trilogy were good enough. Not as amazing as I imagined considering the hype they have in the romancelandia, namely the second one. I wasn't expecting this to be super amazing either and my expectations were met. This was very good, but not past the expected.

The story focuses on the two man characters and what they want out of life and are they behaving like others expect them to? This is a thought that follows many of us, so it wasn't something that unbelievable to imagine. Sophie has a position in the society scale and she likes to be respected although her attitude isn't vain or superior. I thought her character to be realistic and positive and I must admit I felt much empathy towards her and her deepest hopes. She is a very likable person and from her confident start, to her troubles and her winnings I felt she was a strong and solid character.

Connor was a more complex character, I felt. He seemed to be realistic too and indeed, his biggest fault was pride, but all things considered, I can't fault him for his worst words or attitudes in the novel. One can say better communication between them would have solved many things before the conflict arose but I thin it's quite humane to let things go, to let them build up to the point where is very hard to bridge and to talk again. We do this in our daily lives, so I thought that, as with all the major communication issues in the story, this wasn't badly done, quite the opposite. Of course, it's frustrating because we want everything well right away, but it's just the plot device at work.

Sophie and Connor don't have the best start and it was hard to seem at odds in the beginning, because we knew what their backgrounds were and why they acted like that, but for the purposes of plot development, it was important for them to take their time, to be antagonists so when their relationship changed tunes, it would be like a crescendo before reaching the point where we just new things couldn't work out right then. Still, it was good to see them deal with both their hopes for what was happening between them, to act a united front when needed..I loved the moments where they took the step to work things out. I don't think the conflicts were that difficult, but considering the time of action, the period, the society rules of the time and the natural flow of the story, it wasn't that bad and at times it also made me emotional, especially if thinking about being in their shoes.

I loved the scenes where we could see the main characters from the previous books happy. It was that special touch to prove to the reader the suffering was worthy the HEA and it also gave hope to this story, although I would have liked a more confirmed idea instead of the possibility that it's left in the air. Things end up well, yes, but this is a romantic story, I wanted a bit more romance.

Overall, I was glad with this one. There are many parts I'd have liked to see different, but I can't say they didn't worked out. Still, there's this feeling that there could have existed a better expression of feelings between them besides the obvious, some things did feel a bit forced to make other things work, but in the end, it was a good story for me and I didn't want to put it down. Comparing to the previous ones, I have to say I liked it better, if not because for most of the time, it looked like the main couple was ore balanced in their individual positions which meant a stronger relationship in the end. At least, it looks like it at the moment.
A solid read, for sure.
Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Jennifer Bernard - Sex and the Single Fireman

There's a hardnosed new training officer in town, and that's bad news for the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel . . .
But great news for firefighter Sabina Jones . . . maybe.
The toughest captain on the East Coast, single father Rick Roman has come thousands of miles to San Gabriel to put an end to the "Bachelor Firemen" media hype. But when a stunning woman he nearly hooked up with in Reno turns out to be a firefighter from his new station, Roman realizes it's going to be tough keeping the tabloids at bay.
But there's even more Sabina isn't telling him. Before dedicating herself to battling blazes, Sabina led a very different life, one that made her famous. The last thing she wants is to have her secret exposed. The papers, bloggers, and TV gossips will have a field day with that -- expecially when they sense the obvious sexual heat between Sabina and Chief Roman, who's torn between firing her . . . and falling in love with her!

Comment: It's time for another post for the TBR challenge. This month the theme is contemporary and I've picked a book I had here since last year because at the time the blurb seemed interesting. I wasn't aware this was actually the third in a series, but now that I've read it, I don't feel like going back. I might read the following ones one day, I was interested enough in the characters to do so.

This is the story of Sabina Jones, she liked her job as a firefighter and she loves he idea she's working to help others. Sabina has had a very different life before the anonymity of being just another firefighter and she wants to keep things that way.
Chief Roman comes from New York to help the fire house to deal with the excess media attention they're having lately all due to the amount of times the station has been on the news and not always for work purposes, the thing is, the firemen of Station 1 are well known to be bachelors and when one of them got married, they all got even more popular.
Sabina and Roman meet one day without knowing the identity of the other. They almost made love but Sabina lost her nerve, so it was very funny to see both their faces when Roman was introduced as her new boss the next day. From here on, their relationship changed, developed and their feelings too.

I was sold on this one the moment I saw the two protagonists didn't know the other would be a co worker and how that would stress their professional relationship. I was curious to see how that would happen. After a bump start with a misunderstanding, they got to know each other during a blind dinner let's call it, and the chemistry was obvious. But Sabina thought twice before sleeping with him despite her attraction (smart girl) and she never knew he would be her boss. That scene was funny, when they both saw each other after Sabina left without saying something and by having left only a note under the door. At first they struggled to keep things professional but it got more difficult the more time they spent together and even more so when even in their spare time they run into each other all the time, like in Roman's son baseball practice where Sabina had a "borrowed" sister too, and in the restaurant near their work. All the apparently random meetings only enhanced their attraction and a personal involvement was to be expected.

I liked the protagonists. Sabina was running fro the memories of a past where she couldn't be herself, where others expected something from her and now that she's living the life she wanted, the past is returning. This part of the story provided enough bases to justify Sabina's character and was an interesting opposition to her current life and way of thinking. I thin some situations were exaggerated and in a way I guess it was meant to offer a funnier side of things but I thought that it wasn't that special. I'm glad that it didn't went into stupidity level. The best thing in all the background was that it showed how committed and professional Sabina was about being a firefighter. I liked that she was proud of this side of herself.
Roman lost his wife in the 9/11 and moved to California so his son could join a baseball team and also to help with a famous fire house presenting a more formal identity after all the media apparatus of lately. Things aren't as easy because of several reasons and Roman actually gets to a point where he fears he's made a mistake. But his son's happiness and his growing feelings for Sabina tell him he should give life another chance which he does, even more so than we think at first. The end of the novel is quite the surprise for Roman's character.

My general feelings about this novel are pretty satisfying. The story was solid enough, had good bases and a good enough structure. It's meant to be funny, I did laugh at some scenes and was glad this wasn't meant to be a joke. I think it was serious enough on the right moments and still managed to offer a good image of how to deal with feelings too. The scene where Sabina tells Roman she's in love with him was very cute.

The secondary characters were interesting. The upcoming heroes seem interesting, I hope the settings can still function around the fire house, I think it's one of the things that could add a bit more seriousness to the plot, a bit more scenes within the fire house to present a more complex professional situation. My opinion, of course.

The story isn't perfect, but I enjoyed it and was happy enough with the way things were dealt with. As far as contemporaries go, this wasn't so bad. The characters had reactions believable enough and the chemistry between Sabina and Roman wasn't badly done. I also liked they didn't had sex right after seeing each other again at the fire house. Their relationship developed slowly, giving them time to know each other better until it was obvious they were already feeling something more than lust by the time intimacy happened. The situations outside themselves were done well enough to add some veracity to the demands of life.
All in all, an enjoyable story, good and strong elements, some lack of that extra thing that could put this in perfection level, but certainly a good story nevertheless. Recommended to contemporary fans.
Grade: 8/10

TBR Challenge: Debra Dier - Devil's Honor

When Isabel Darracott went to London to meet her guardian, the Duke of Marlow, she never expected to be ravished in the library by a half-clad barbarian--or that the rogue would turn out to be the duke himself! Though she found herself devastated by his kisses, prim-and-proper Isabel knew she could not give in to temptation... for he was the devil in a very handsome disguise.
Known as the Devil of Dartmoor--the most man in London--Justin Trevelyan preferred the company of widows and prostitutes to the charms of innocents. The last thing he needed was this impertinent maiden and her two young sisters under his wardship. Yet from the moment he laid eyes on Isabel, he was captivated by her sweet beauty and somehow needed to protect her as well as possess her. But before he could gain an angel's trust, he'd have to prove his...DEVIL'S HONOR

Comment: Another month, time for the challenge post. This time, it's the new-to-you author theme and once again, I had lots to choose from, but decided on this not only because I have had it for years in the pile, but also because I felt like getting it over with, therefore strong reasons to finally read this one. The author is new to me, I no longer remember why I got it in the first place and I had hopes this would be amazing enough that, 1) I'd feel glad it was good and 2) I could make others envious over my good luck, so glad to have read something good.
However, it wasn't as pretty as that.

Te story follows Justin Trevelyan, a duke famous for his reckless ways and not proper behavior. The story starts when he is awakened by a young lady asking about his late father. Thinking the lady is a prank sent by his brother, they kiss - because that is what strangers did in the 19th century - and after making things right, the lady leaves Justin with the news he is now a guardian to three females and they need his help to have means to survive. Justin mans up and goes after Isabel, the recently met and apparent older ward of his.

There's something between Isabel and Justin from the start, although they tend to deny it even when they kiss - again - and among some arguments here and there. Many cliched in historicals to go through, the older friendly grandmother, the gold diggers, the true love knows it all, the innocence meets the experience, real feelings change it all, among other expected things, all until the more than known HEA, something that proves true love exists, as does life after lust.

Well, this book has all the expected elements in historical romances. The story is from the late 90s, so it's not characteristic of older times where women behaved in a certain way. But it looked like the author tried to insert all the things one wants to see in historicals and make a go at it. If it's certain she did a much better job than what I could ever aspire to do, I also think in the end everything sounded a bit boring. I mean, I liked it overall, but there wasn't any detail any new thing, new elements that changed this from cliché to a fresh historical, timeless and amazing. I don't mean only the action or the character's personalities. I mean the behaviors, the plot, the feel one historical has... I wasn't engrossed by the story although I admit it didn't take me long to finish it. But this happened more because of my rhythm of reading than by the story itself.

The plot is more of the same. After all the obstacles are dealt with, true love beats it all. But there wasn't anything about this that made me think, wow the author was so clever by writing it this way or by making me think about this character like this...it just went through the motions.
The characters did their part, both in action and in thinking. I liked them on the surface, but it seemed they didn't have more than just the expected reactions to the usually seen scenes in historicals, jealousy, lack of self confidence, wrong images of themselves, I don't know, everything.
Isabel had her moments but she didn't move me as much as I feel she could. Her attitude was just too plain. And Justin was seen as a libertine, but in truth he wasn't one, despite trying to maintain that image. Things that, with another take, could have been a good challenge, but in reality no, because everything was done only on the surface, it lacked some depth I think.

The author did a good effort, she tried and she delivered a story with the right elements, but all things considered, her writing just wasn't special enough for me. And I think the fact some of the character's actions being there just to fill some apparent expectations of what a romance should be like in this era of sexual content everywhere, where characters act very sexually although certainly it wasn't so in those days, and by putting in evidence the sex side of things instead of the romance and the seduction, well, it was a bit of a let down. I understand the appeal and some author do it well. But in this case it felt something seen so many times... perhaps a different take would have been better, I don't know...

In the end, a good effort yes, but several things that, having been different, could have given a different and better take on tis desired timeless novel.
Grade: 6/10

TBR Challenge: Linnea Sinclair - Shades of Dark

Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah "Chaz" Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she's a fugitive from the justice of a corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind until the news of her brother Thad's arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It's a ploy by Sully's cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding, and it works.
With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz's Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully, and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice, changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.

Comment: For this month, the challenges' theme is series catch up. I have tons of these so to pick one wouldn't be hard. When I was fixing the challenge page my eyes went to one of my shelves and the first boo part of a series I saw was this one, so this was pretty much my reason to pick sci fi romance, just a random look.
Linnea Sinclair writes sci fi romances of course, and this book is the second in her Dock Five series. So far the series has 4 books, I have no idea if more are to come, but obviously I'm late on this one, so another good - secondary though - reason to read this for the challenge.

This book follows the things that happened in the first book, Gabriel's Ghost. In that book, Gabriel rescued Chaz from prison and asked her help to destroy a common enemy, while they dealt with possibilities in their relationship and consequently, fell in love. Gabriel, or Sully, had a secret he shared with Chaz and she not only didn't push him away, she welcomed him and proved she loved him; it was a romantic story indeed.
Now, their mission goes on but things get more complicated when other people's ideas get in the way, especially people they trust at first. Help isn't always welcome when it comes to hidden agendas neither Sully nor Chaz know about and perhaps when they do it's already too late to solve things...

I was very eager when I started the book because I knew it would feature two people in love and I couldn't wait to see their relationship solid and true. One of the best things about series is to see the confirmation of everything the characters have worked for settled and strong and even hopeful.
This subject actually left a certain negative impression in my mind, though. The way the story ends isn't very clear on how things stand in reality for them. We know they are together but what happened during the book shaped them differently...I have to confess I finished the book a bit worried about them, it's almost like something was left untold, unsolved, in the air... the following books in the series will have different protagonists, so I worry about the relationship between Sully and Chaz. This left a worrying note for me...I hope it can be explained or solved in a future boo, but the way it ended wasn't good enough for my taste.

As for the plot, once more we see the author's talent with imagination and description of situations and characters not easy to portray so readers can fully understand the author's vision. I'm still amazed by how easy it seems to see what the author pictured in her own head...I guess it's a matter of talent because many authors write sci fi and honestly many are boring but m Sinclair does a great job in describing all the machines, beings and even weapons in a completely made up world. Very interesting.

Also interesting is the emotions played here. After reading the first book the idea of prejudice seemed a key stone in the plot and once more, a feeling, an emotion, sort of, seems to play a good role in this novel as well. I'm talking about expectations. 
Perhaps it was me, after all every reader sees things from their own POV so, every comment is personal and different... Well, in this story both Sully and Chaz have expectations about their relationship, and I think this was played well by the author. But then a new character showed up and created situations where everyone had their own expectations about behavior, opinions...attitudes. People are just wired to expect something, whether feelings or actions. I think in this novel expectations proved too much for some things...I think the fact Sully expected something and trusted what those expectations meant was one of the reasons things went wrong at some point. I'm not talking about him and Chaz but it got to them too. If people wouldn't have to follow expectations and the consequences of failed actions...I mean, in this case, Sully trusted someone and expected a certain result but things got really complicated and something bad happened. I don't know if those are expectations one can live with in the end... Expectations can shape out ideas and our actions but after the dust settles, can we really say it was a god thing to follow them?
Something to really think about...

In the end, a good story where one can see the writing skills and technical talents of the author. As for the content, some troubles for me there but I can' say it was bad, just too much in the air, in my opinion. Let's see the next book - when I read it - and if it's as good as people say it is.
Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Jennifer Ashley - The Untamed Mackenzie

To redeem her family’s disgraced name, Lady Louisa Scranton has decided to acquire a proper husband. He needs to be a man of fortune and highly respectable in order to restore both her family's lost wealth and reputation. She enters the Marriage Mart with all flags flying, determined to find the right bachelor.
But Louisa’s hopes are dashed when the Bishop of Hargate drops dead at her feet—and she is shockingly accused of murder! Soon, Louisa’s so-called friends begin shunning her, because the company of a suspected killer is never desirable in polite society.
The problem comes to the ears of Detective Inspector Lloyd Fellows, by-blow of the decadent Scottish Mackenzie family and an inspector for Scotland Yard. He has shared two passionate kisses with Lady Louisa–and vows to clear her name. For not only does he know she’s innocent, he recognizes he’s falling for the lovely lady.
Fellows is Louisa's only hope of restoring her family's honor—and it is he alone who intrigues Louisa in a way that may be even more scandalous than murder…

Comment: Here we are again, for another year of the TBR challenge. Once more, the theme for January is short stories. I've chosen this one because not only am I a fan of the series, but I've heard many good things about it and I was curious, so in reality, three reasons to read it. I was hoping to see a good story, so I didn't have to think about which story to pick.

For those who know the Mackenzies, Fellows is a character that seemed a villain in the first book but we find out what was behind such animosity and now he is someone we want to see more often. His story starts when he is called about a crime and there he meets again Lady Louisa Scranton, sister to Isabella from book #2. They have shared looks and kisses in the past and now that she's in danger, he only wants to help her, but Louisa isn't indifferent and their relationship changes...

The main thing I looked for in this story was to see Fellows give in to his feelings, because he always looked professional, distant and even a bit arrogant, all traits apparently shared with his half brothers, but I wished I could see some change if he was falling in love. This happened a bit too fast for my taste but when one thinks about the time that has passed since they met, we could actually admit enough time has gone for the feelings between them could simmer and fill them with hope.

This story features a crime, and being Fellows a policeman, we see him go through the clues to reach the guilty one. The way we found out about the killer is done after the guilty one is caught, and we just know the how after it happened. Usually I don't have an issue with this tactic to create suspense until the end, and I guess with such a short amount of page numbers things have to happen behind scenes, but it was a bit rushed to see things go this way. But well, I never suspected the author of the crime nor other of his crimes, so, I can't say it was such a bad thing..but it could have been different.

Now, the most important part, the romance of course...well, apart from the way it seemed too fast considering we don't see many scenes between them before they admit their feelings to each other, I actually liked how they always felt the other was right for them, how the other seemed to fill their head with images of happiness and their hearts with love. It was nice and they are two characters I really hoped to see find some happiness.
Louisa is accused of being the killer but obviously she didn't do it and I thought it was brave of her to try to help and to prove her innocence. I liked her character and her belief Fellows was worthy and admirable and she never thought about loosing a position in society to be with him. It was commendable.
Fellows of course had a more realistic idea of hoe things could be, he knew he wouldn't be worthy of her but he didn't do the "honorable" thing and tried to stay away, he always admitted she was special and after he admitted his jealousy to himself he went after her. I like a hero who doesn't play that act of the "I don't deserve you"...I don't know why but when a woman does this, it feels like humility but with a man it seems just annoying...a matter of perspective, really.

I also liked to see other Mackenzies show up and be a part of their story. Tis happened in all the full length books, why not in this one as well? Plus, it was wonderful to know the Mackenzies accepted and wanted Fellows to feel part of the family. I think the brother's relationship is one of the strongest points in the whole series.

In the end, the story had the needed elements to work out, personally I feel some things could have done better, but overall, I can't say I was disappointed. I know some readers didn't like it as much because of the whole romance focus and all, but I fully hope to see the main couple again and their story seemed balanced enough to be good. Not perfect, no, but enjoyable.
Grade: 7/10

Joining in 2014 TBR Challenge

 

Next  year I've decided to join the same challenge I've tried this year that's ending. I had lots of fun not only picking books for myself but to look out at some of the other people's choices. I've added a few more titles to my own pile because of that! Still, I can't wait to chose next year's books.

Here's Wendy's site, where everything happens!

In the following days I'll write a post about this experience and about the books I picked and my overall impression of them. Nothing big, just a sort of conclusion.
I'll also fix the page about the challenges.

As for the 2014 schedule. I know Wendy says themes are optional all the time but I kind of like to follow instructions on these things, that's the challenge, otherwise...I mean, reading anything isn't a challenge for me ever, so...the fun thing is to actually think and pick a book for that month's theme. I know many people don't feel this, but for me, it's how I like things. So I'll try to find books in my piles to suit each month.
Here's the link in Wendy's blog about the challenge

Here are the themes Wendy suggested for 2014:

January 15 - We Love Short Shorts! (Short stories, Novellas, category romance)  
February 19 - Series Catch-Up (pick a book from a series you're behind on)  
March 19 - New-To-You Author (an author you've never read before)
April 16 - Contemporary romance  
May 21 - More Than One (An author who has more than one book in your TBR pile)  
June 18 - Romance Classics (classic book, classic author, classic trope/theme etc.)
July 16 - Lovely RITA (past RITA winners or nominees)
August 20 - Luscious Love Scenes (erotic romance, erotica, a "sensual" read - leave those "just kisses" books alone this month!)  
September 17 - Recommended read (a book recommended to you by someone)
October 15 - Paranormal or romantic suspense  
November 19 - Historical romance  
December 17 - Holiday themes (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, it's all good!)

I can't wait to start!

(Image belongs to Wendy)