A Summer to Remember and The Slightly Sereis by Mary Balogh

Hero: Kit Butler
Heroine: Lauren Edgeworth
Category: Historical
Page Count: 361
Grade: C+

Kit Butler, Viscount Ravensberg, is cool and dangerous—one of London’s most infamous bachelors. Marriage is the last thing on his mind. But Kit’s family has other plans. Desperate to thwart his father’s matchmaking, Kit needs a bride...fast. Enter Miss Lauren Edgeworth.
A year after being abandoned at the altar, Lauren has determined that marriage is not for her. When these two fiercely independent souls meet, sparks fly—and a deal is hatched. Lauren will masquerade as Kit’s intended if he agrees to provide a passionate, adventurous, unforgettable summer. When summer ends, she will break off the engagement, rendering herself unmarriageable and leaving them both free. Everything is going perfectly—until Kit does the unthinkable: He begins to fall in love. A Summer to Remember is not enough for him. But how can he convince Lauren to be his...for better, for worse, for the rest of their lives.
Not even the most devoted gambler would take odds on this match as Mary Balogh surprises and delights yet again in an unexpected love story that will hold you in thrall until the last glorious page is turned.

This was my very first Balogh book and it was....okay. There were parts I really liked and parts that just irked me to no end.

First let me say that it bothered me that Kit was short! Well I don't know that he was necessarily short but it kept being repeated that he wasn't as tall as other men. Normally I'd be able to forget that fact and make my own tall hero in my head but it KEPT BEING STATED OVER AND OVER! Sheesh! But as Holly pointed out he could have just been average and the other men were tall and the heroine of the book was also said to be tall. But still. Ya know?

Also I didn't like that Kit was ALWAYS laughing, either out right or with his eyes. Now this isn't a bad thing for a hero but somethings should have some sort of a serious feel to it. Like when they first have sex? Yup, he had laughing eyes.

And Lauren? ALWAYS so cool and aloof. But the difference with her is we saw the reason why she was like that AND we saw her loosen up during her summer with Kit.

I really did enjoy the romance bloom with the two of these characters. They were just so completely different. And I loved how they were just completely honest with each other....for the most part. Of course they were honest about everything EXCEPT their feelings toward the end of the book.

But hey without that would we have gotten the great scene when Kit came for Lauren? What you want to know what happened? Well go read the book. I'm not spilling all here. lol.


Hero: Aiden Bedwyn
Heroine: Eve Morris
Category: Historical
Page Count: 342
Grade: B+

Like all the Bedwyn men, Aidan has a reputation for cool arrogance. But this proud nobleman also possesses a loyal, passionate heart--and it is this fierce loyalty that has brought Colonel Lord Aidan to Ringwood Manor to honor a dying soldier's request. Having promised to comfort and protect the man's sister, Aidan never expected to find a headstrong, fiercely independent woman who wants no part of his protection…nor did he expect the feelings this beguiling creature would ignite in his guarded heart. And when a relative threatens to turn Eve out of her home, Aidan gallantly makes her an offer she can't refuse: marry him…if only to save her home. And now, as all of London breathlessly awaits the transformation of the new Lady Aidan Bedwyn, the strangest thing happens: With one touch, one searing embrace, Aidan and Eve's “business arrangement” is about to be transformed…into something slightly surprising.

I LOVED Aiden! He was that strong silent type. Mmmm mmmm yummy. lol.

A man of honor he followed through on a dying soldiers request. To protect his sister at all costs!

Aiden had never seen a marriage for himself in his future, since he was a Colonel and was always in danger and moving around. But he had just started to think maybe he could have a family of his own, with a woman that was used to following the drum. No he wouldn't have love, but he'd have companionship and his own family.

All that shattered when he happened upon a soldier about to die, and promised him he'd protect his sister. It ends up being that marriage is the only way to save Eve.

Eve had no intention of taking Aidens offer of help and marriage. But when things get worse and she realizes she holds the fate to more that just her own future she doesn't have much choice. Especially considering her two foster children.

They both decide to enter into a marriage in name only. They will marry which will save Eve from a unhappy fate and then they will part ways. Forever....but as the day draws near that Aiden will leave Eve finds her heart breaking just a little. Thinking it will be the last time she ever sees him she watches him ride away.

But when the Duke of Bewcastle, Aiden's older brother, finds out about this marriage he sets things in motion that will change the type of marriage Aiden and Eve both thought they had entered into.

With a dragon of an Aunt trying to change everything about Eve, and Aiden trying hard not to fall in love with this strong loving woman he married. But of course that isn't in the cards for him.

Oh and Aiden with the foster kids? OMG sooooo heart warming.


Hero: Rannulf Bedwyn
Heroine: Judith Law
Category: Historical
Page Count: 342
Grade: B-

With his laughing eyes and wild, rakish good looks, Lord Rannulf Bedwyn is a hard man to resist. To Judith Law, a woman in need of rescue when her stagecoach overturns, Rannulf is simply her savior, a heroic stranger she will reward with one night of reckless passion before she must become a companion to her wealthy aunt. Imagine Judith's shock when the same stranger turns out to be among England's most eligible bachelors…and when he arrives at Harewood Grange to woo her cousin. Certainly, they had made no vows, no promises, but Rannulf never did forget his uninhibited lover…nor did she forget that one delicious night. And as scandal sets the household abuzz, Rannulf proposes a solution…but when Judith refuses to have him--in love or wedlock--Rannulf has only one choice: to wage a campaign of pure pleasure to capture the heart of the woman who has already won his.

Fist let me just say that I find it hard to believe that as innocent as Judith was Rannulf believed that she was an actress. But that said I guess it just goes to show how good of one she really could have been if she had pursued it. lol.

Okay so for some reason I'm drawing a blank on details in this book and I don't want to put off my review any more.

So I'll just say....there was an annoying younger brother to Judith that was the reason her family was becoming rapidly poor and she was forced to go as a poor relation and stay with her aunt and uncle with their snotty daughter. The only good thing was her grandmother was there and they got along great.

After the one night of passion and deception she allowed herself with Rannulf she never thought she'd see him again. So imagine her surprise when he shows up at her aunts house to call on her cousin. And imagine Rannulfs surprise when the woman he thought was an actress that he became a little obsessed with and that ran out on him was indeed a poor relation staying at the house of the woman his grandmother wanted him to marry.

Try as he may Rannulf cannot resist the pull between him and Judith. But to convince Judith to marry him ends up being a lot harder than he thought.


Hero: Joshua Moore
Heroine: Freyja Bedwyn
Category: Historical
Page Count:374
Grade: B-

Growing up with four unruly brothers has made Freyja Bedwyn far bolder than most society ladies. From feisty manner to long, tumbling hair, Lady Freyja is pure fire, a woman who seeks both adventure and freedom.
Adventure soon finds her on a visit to Bath, when a handsome stranger bursts into Freyja's room and entreats her to hide him. His name is Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, a man with a hell-raising reputation of his own who is quickly intrigued by the independent beauty. So intrigued, in fact, that he makes her a surprising request: to pose as his fiancée and help thwart his family's matchmaking schemes. For two people determined to be free, it's the perfect plan…until passion blindsides them both. For as Joshua sets out to achieve his complete seduction of Freyja, a woman who has sworn off love is in danger of losing the one thing she never expected to give again: her heart…
From the Paperback edition.

When I read A Summer to Remember Freyja was a big part of it. And I didn't like her, AT ALL! So I was not looking forward to her book at all.

But the chemistry between Joshua and her was sooo funny I definitely changed my opinion on Freyja. And we definitely got more clarification on what happened involving her in ASTR.

The storyline I thought was a little to like ASTR but I guess since the characters were so different (well the heroines were) it worked. Joshua and Kit actually had some similarities, in their characters. Both of them had those "laughing" eyes, yes the part I didn't like in ASTR was the same in this, but not as much. While Joshua did have a tendency to be amused at almost everything, he did have a serious side. Thank God.

What started off as a joke for the two of them. Pretend to be betrothed just so Joshua wouldn't have his grandmother play matchmaker ended up with true feelings blooming. And what was supposed to last one week ended up lasting a month and then more.

Right when they would have broken it off Joshua gets hit with a life changing charge and Freyja decides to stand next to him in this hard time. And what comes next is for you to find out when you read their story.

Hero: Gervase Ashford
Heroine: Morgan Bedwyn
Category: Historical
Page Count: 356
Grade: B+

Young. Ravishing. Exquisitely marriageable. From the moment he spies Lady Morgan Bedwyn across the glittering ballroom, Gervase Ashford, Earl of Rosthorn, knows he has found the perfect instrument of his revenge. But wedlock is not on the mind of the continent's most notorious rake. Nor is it of interest to the fiercely independent Lady Morgan herself...until one night of shocking intimacy erupts in a scandal that could make Gervase's vengeance all the sweeter. There is only one thing standing in his way: Morgan, who has achieved the impossible - she's melted his coolly guarded heart. For Gervase, only the marriage bed will do, but Morgan simply will not have him. Thus begins a sizzling courtship where two wary hearts are about to be undone by the most scandalous passion of all: glorious, all-consuming love.

My favorite of the series is tied between this one and Wulfs story. Both sooo great. But you know I think this one wins by a margin.

I loved how independent and sure of herself Morgan was. She meets Gervase and he is obviously trying to woo her and she plays cool and aloof. She does let her guard down a little with him in her time of need and he is the only one available. But when the cold truth slaps her in her face that she was just a pawn in a revenge plot against her brother she fights back.

Instead of just humiliating Gervase, Morgan decides to accept his marriage proposal make him fall in love with her and then very publicly break their betrothal.

Only she doesn't expect to find such a honorable and lonely man under his mask. And some of her hardest challenges is deciding if she is seeing the real him or another mask.

The only thing that wasn't so great about this book is it was very anti climatic. The book was full of drama and then the end was just blah kinda. But I still loved the book very much!


Hero: Alleyne bedwyn
Heroine: Rachel York
Category: Historical
Page Count: 342
Grade: C+

As the fires of war raged around him, Lord Alleyne Bedwyn was thrown from his horse and left for dead--only to awaken in the bedchamber of a ladies' brothel. Suddenly the dark, handsome diplomat has no memory of who he is or how he got there--yet of one thing he is certain: The angel who nurses him back to health is the woman he vows to make his own. But like him, Rachel York is not who she seems. A lovely young woman caught up in a desperate circumstance, she must devise a scheme to regain her stolen fortune. The dashing soldier she rescued from near-death could be her savior in disguise. There is just one condition: she must pose as his wife--a masquerade that will embroil them in a sinful scandal, where a man and a woman court impropriety with each daring step...with every taboo kiss that can turn passionate strangers into the truest of lovers.

Why did it take me forever and a day to get through this book!!! OMG it wasn't even bad, it had a really good story line and I loved both H & H. Maybe cause I was reading it right before Christmas and my life was crazy but.....never the less lets get on with the review.

So Alleyne is traveling with a very important letter to deliver to the front of the battle lines but on his way back he is shot in the leg.....and his horse knocks him off his back and Alleyne hits his head being knocked out cold.

It is there that Rachel York finds him when she is supposed to be out searching dead bodies for money.

Rachel had been a companion to an elderly woman when she was swept off her feet by a lying thieving man. He took her measly savings and when she had bumped into her old nurse turned whore he pretended to care for even them and stole their entire live savings. Now Rachel was staying in their home with four working women. And they were determined to get what was theirs back.

But when Rachel finds Alleyne she yells that it's her husband and she needs help. He is taken back to the brothel she is staying at and when he awakes he remembers nothing. He knows not who he is or where he is from.

Alleyne needs to pay Rachel back for saving his life and he is also not so excited to venture out into England now knowing if he has any family awaiting him or where they are. So he goes with Rachel to her uncles house pretending to be her husband so she can get her jewels that are her inheritance.

We all know what happens to fake marriages in romance novels. Right? lol. So I am sure I did no justice to this story but go read it and see the journey Rachel and Alleyne take and how he finds himself and his love.

Hero: Wulfric Bedwyn, Duke of Bewcastle
Heroine: Christine Derrick
Category: Historical
Page Count: 365
Grade: B+

All of London is abuzz over the imminent arrival of Wulfric Bedwyn, the reclusive, cold-as-ice Duke of Bewcastle, at the most glittering social event of the season. Some whisper of a tragic love affair. Others say he is so aloof and passionless that not even the greatest beauty could capture his attention. But on this dazzling afternoon, one woman did catch the duke's eye--and she was the only female in the room who wasn't even trying. Christine Derrick is intrigued by the handsome duke…all the more so when he invites her to become his mistress.
What red-blooded woman wouldn't enjoy a tumble in the bedsheets with a consummate lover--with no strings and no questions asked. An infuriating lady with very definite views on men, morals, and marriage, Christine confounds Wulfric at every turn. Yet even as the lone wolf of the Bedwyn clan vows to seduce her any way he can, something strange and wonderful is happening. Now for a man who thought he'd never lose his heart, nothing less than love will do.

With her trademark wit, riveting storytelling, and sizzling sexual sparks, Mary Balogh once again brings together two polar opposites: an irresistible, high-and-mighty aristocrat and the impulsive, pleasure-loving woman who shows him what true passion is all about. A man and a woman so wrong for each other, it can result only in the perfect match.

I really really loved, well liked soooo much it bordered on love, this story! I absolutely am in love with Wulf! I want to cuddle him. haha.

So he is the aristocrat that never breaks any rules and lives but the very high standards of the ton. All the time....Until he finds himself getting a little lonely now that all of his siblings are married off.

He usually loves to be alone but it's kind of different when you choose to be by yourself in a household of people and when your all alone in every house you own and there is not even anyone to try and escape from.

So very uncharacteristically Wulf finds himself accepting an invitation to a house party. Thinking it is a gathering of intellectuals he is shocked and appalled to find himself at a house party hosted to celebrate a chits betrothal!

Not only that but he cannot keep himself from a certain school teacher that is also at the party. Certainly nobody he would have ever rubbed shoulders with but for some reason every time she does something horribly inappropriate he finds himself shocked and very much drawn to her.

In this last book we see a different side of Wulf, we see him as a man not only a Duke. We see how he has always struggled with his roll in life, and what an honorable man he is. And how no matter how cold he seems....he has a heart, it can break and he can definitely love.

Overall Grade for the Series: B

After The Night by Linda Howard

Hero: Gray Rouillard
Heroine: Faith Devlin
Category: Contemp
Page Count: 327, pb
Grade: B-
Buy It: Here or here.

Faith Devlin: A poor, outcast child in Prescott, Louisiana, she'd always adored the town's golden boy from afar. But he called her white trash that sultry Southern night when his rich, respected father disappeared, along with her pretty Mom. Now Faith wanted to hate Gray Rouillard...not to feel a powerful surge of desire. But she couldn't quench her passion, any more than she could hide the truth about the past she had waited so long to unravel.
Gray Rouillard: Even when he raised hell, he did it with style. Reckless, charming, and backed by Rouillard money, Gray controlled the town of Prescott -- and Devlin was a name he never wanted to hear again. But when he gazed at Faith Devlin, all he saw was a swirl of tangled sheets and her silken flesh beneath him. To care for her was impossible, unthinkable...because Gray Rouillard planned to use all his power to ruin her.

Okay for some reason I've been having trouble putting together reviews lately. And this one was no better, so I'm warning you now this is the only way it was happening, and there might be spoilers. Well there will be, I couldn't explain myself without them.

What I loved: How funny Grey was with Faith after they got together. When they were in bed and she told him about the 'talking in French' when he was with another woman and not with her. So the next time they made love he purposely talked to her in french. I just loved how he was with her. For the most part. He cracked me the hell up in the bathroom "God damn woman! Can't you tell I'm busy in here!" (or something like that)ha ha ah.
I love Faith's red headed temper! She didn't back down, even when she was scared.
She rocked!

My Issues: (there are way more issues than loves) Monica has major issues, and they were never dealt with. She just gets to forget that she was pretending to be her mama for seven years and screwing around with a old family friend? And she said to Faith that she sent the notes and cat but would never do what Alex did. Yet didn't she go to her house with a gun that night??? Hello!!!! She should have been put into a crazy house.
Alex said he killed Guy by accident....ummm how do you shoot someone in the head by accident? And yeah he could have been lying but why did it seem that people still bought it in the end?
Grey never said sorry to Faith for calling her trash that one night. Never explained why he took his anger on her mother out on her.
And I didn't like how Grey cared so much about his crazy mother all through the book, at the expense of Faith, then in the end just told her to shove it basically. She was crazy from the get go.

In ending: Even though I had more issues than loves for this book it ended up being pretty good. It still had me intrigued the entire time. Even if I didn't like the way it was tied up. I really wish it had an epilogue, I wanted to see what happened with Micheal/Monica, Grey/Faith, and the mother, you know after the weddings. But Grey was hot, Faith was awesome so overall it was good.

Sunny Chandler's Return by Sandra Brown

Hero: Ty Beaumont
Heroine: Sunny Chandler
Category: Contemp
Page Count: 209, HB
Grade: B-
Buy It: Here, here or here.

Sandra Brown has won over fans and critics throughout
the world with more than fifty New York Times
bestselling novels. Her early works were hailed by
Rendezvous magazine as stories with “larger than life
heroes and heroines [who] make you believe all the
warm, wonderful, wild things in life.” Here is
the unforgettable story of a woman who returns to
her small hometown in the South—and finds
that the sins of her past are right where she left them.

Never. Sunny Chandler always said she’d never go
back to the tiny town where she grew up. It was just
three years ago that she was at the center of a notorious
scandal—and the good folks of Latham Green,
Louisiana, made it clear they’d never let her forget it.
So Sunny packed up and headed for New Orleans, and
now she wouldn’t give up city life for the world. But
when she’s invited to her best friend’s wedding, Sunny
has no choice but to go home. And with her return
come the whispers…the looks…the rumors she tried
to escape. It doesn’t take Sunny long to see that
Latham Green has nothing new to offer. Except
maybe Ty Beaumont.
The moment Ty and Sunny first meet at a party, he can
see she’s no ordinary woman. With her dazzling hair,
and eyes the color of gold, she’s a flesh-and-blood
fantasy—and Ty vows he’ll have her in his bed before
the week is out. Yet even when he turns on his southern
charm, Sunny makes it clear she’s not interested.
Sure, a night with Ty would be wilder than Bourbon
Street at Mardi Gras. But Sunny’s not in town to
become some good ol’ boy’s latest conquest, no matter
how sexy he is. Little does she know that Ty
isn’t used to taking no for an answer—and he isn’t
about to start now.

Soon what began as an innocent flirtation becomes
a tantalizingly slow, skillfully deliberate, and
overwhelmingly seductive pursuit that even Sunny
finds hard to resist. But resist him she will. For
Sunny is harboring an agonizing secret—the painful
truth of why she left Latham Green the way she did.
What she really needs now is a friend—and that’s when
she discovers there may be more to Ty Beaumont
than meets the eye. Despite his roguish facade, Sunny
comes to see he has a heart of gold. Still, she doesn’t
know if she can trust another person with her secret
heartbreak—not even the one man who may
be able to heal it.

I love Sandra Brown, especially the way she can write anything from a spine chilling thriller to a plain and simple romance. Well not really, cause there isn't much plain and simple about Sunny Chandler in this book.

Sunny's finally returned home after the scandal she caused all those years ago. And for nothing less than a wedding, her best friends. Quite ironic since a wedding is what caused the scandal to start with. Most likely it didn't help that she refuses to tell anyone why she did what she did, not her parents, not her best friend no one. So why one night, when the man that has been pursuing her since she came back to town, does she pour out her soul bearing all her secrets? Well no other reason except Ty makes her defy all reason. He's openly told her he wants to sleep with her, and in much more detail, that he's even bet on it with a buddy. So why can she not stay away from him? The more things turn against her in her home town the more she shares with him, and he really seems to understand. He's not judging her, and he believes in her. The more she gets to know him the harder it is to resist. And the more Ty pursues Sunny and the more she resists he realizes that there just might be more to it than getting her to bed, he just might be falling for her. And wouldn't that be bad with the secret she's holding on to.

This was a cute book, it was funny and a little sad. I was a little surprised with the scandal. Not the why of it, that's fairly easy to figure out. But the way she did it and her reasons for not telling. I liked Ty too, he was pretty arrogant but it worked as Sandra Brown has a way of doing with her hero's. It was a light fast read, nothing spectacular but still a good read.

This is Chick Lit edited by Lauren Baratz- Logsted

The genre of fiction known as "chick-lit" has been a lightning rod for debate in the world of literature, raising questions such as Is chick-lit really literature or just harmless fluff? Is this really an accurate portrayal of the lives of modern women? Eighteen renowned authors--including Jennifer Coburn, Raelynn Hillhouse, Harley Jane Kozak, Cara Lockwood, and Rachel Pine--weigh in with the best of chick-lit--proving that this genre deserves as much, or more, respect as any other. In addition to their story, each author elaborates on her feelings about the 'chick-lit' label, and recommends literary fiction writers that have inspired them.

Some time ago a book titled "This is not Chick-Lit" was published. Well not much of a surprise to me, but quite a few authors of Chick-Lit were upset. Well the finished product of some up in arms Chick-Lit authors? A great book titled "This is Chick-Lit", and I've had the honor of reading this book (or most of it) and posting this review.
This book is a combined effort of 18 different authors. Each of them writing very different stories, each their own. At the beginning of each of their stories they give a brief description of what Chick-Lit means to them. Not only that but there is also a portion of this book, in the back, called 'Reaching Across the Aisle' which is each author recommending a book by a literary author they think their readers would enjoy. I love this!
I've only read 7 of the 18 stories so far, but I though maybe since there are so many stories I would break up the review to a two or three part thing. Sound good? Great! Okay, here we go.
Some I liked, some I didn't, lets be honest no matter what genre you read your never going to like it all.

Two Literary Chicks by Jennifer Coburn

(I won't be posting what each author wrote about Chick-Lit, but as I think this author summed it up perfectly I'll just post her thoughts.)

"As a feminist, I find the attack on chick-lit more than a bit disheartening. Is this where we are-one group of women writers mocking another, deeming it's work irrelevant? Are women really criticizing each other about what they read?! And author recently commented that the term chick-lit sounds as if the writing is about, for and by women, nothing more. Nothing more?! Why isn't that enough?! I love chick-lit and am proud to be associated with this genre. People who don't appreciate it should stop moaning about the relevance of chick-lit and simply spend their time reading what they like."

Very good story. About two women who were in a writing group together in college, neither really liking the others work. Years later they cross each other on the street and make some small talk. One is a published author of a very successful book the other has a great book written but is struggling to get it published. Through different events they end up getting to know each other better and liking each others work. As well as helping.
Although I think it was well written and a good story I also felt it was inconclusive. Your left wondering about Marley at the end to much. I just wish it was tied up a little better in the end.
But I will definitely read this author again.

The Infidelity Diet by Harley Jane Kozak

Gripping. I really enjoyed this one and it was ended very well for a short story.
About a woman that starts to wonder about her husbands faithfulness to her. She's been married for quite awhile, and they've just both grown so comfortable. Long nights at work and some thoughts start to crowd in. Looking for advice from all different friends make for an entertaining view on woman's thoughts on cheating men. I'm not totally sure what we were meant to think of Christopher (husband) in the end, but I would love to read more of this author.

Confessions of a Three-Eyed Freak by Arielle Papa

Okay not one of the ones I liked. A story about a woman uncomfortable with a birthmark on her neck and goes to get it removed. She ends up waking up with an eye where the mark was on her neck. Okkkkaaay..... I kept thinking she was going to wake up and it was a weird dream. But no, it was real. She grew to like the third eye and was obsessed with it. Only when the eye started looking at different men did she go to have it removed. The eye was getting out of control. Ummmm......need I say more???? And the woman in the story had the same name as the author. That's just weird to me. This entire one was strange.

The Commitment Phobe by Cara Lockwood

Loved this one. Soooo cute! About a woman and man that are dating and of course she's ready for the next step, marriage, and he is content the way they are. He isn't against marriage it just seems like something they'll do eventually. Well she shakes some things up and gives her man a wake-up call. He is so cute, how much he loves her. Adorable read. I am all kinds of excited to find more work by Cara Lockwood!

Mama Knows Best by Kayla Perrin

Short, sweet and kinda funny. Yeah this one had me laughing a bit. Sometimes when you read a book about a black couple all you hear about is the color factor. You only hear it once or twice in this story, and not in a way to draw attention to the fact. Just in regular description like any other person or story. It really was a good read. A woman dumps her fiance the day before (or is it the day of) their wedding when she found out he cheated with a stripper. Then on a girls night out her ex is there with a Tyra look a like. Taking a deep breath she pretends to be there with a hot guy that happens to be sitting next to her. After a perfect performance she apologizes to the hot man and kisses any chance of actually talking him up now that he probably thinks she's a crazy. But surprise surprise who is her mama setting her up with the next night???

Nice Jewish Boy by Karen Siplin

Absolutely no point to this story. It's about two women, best friends since high school. They go to a friends baby's party, Jewish friend. One of the girls is Jewish on is black. The story is mostly about how the black girl stands out in the crowd of Jewish people. And then how all the Jewish mama's wonder if she is a mother herself even after she told them she is single and living with her parents. It's made out to be like every black woman is supposed to be a single mom. Sorry but I don't make that assumption or a normal basis! The the other girl gets propositioned for an affair with an ex that is married. Well I have no clue why she is only wearing the skimpiest outfit ever. So basically it's two mid-30's women that both live with their parents and wonder why nobody takes them seriously.....hmmmm, I don't know I just can't figure it out. Oh and did I mention neither of them drive so the parents still drive them around....oh and the 'nice Jewish boy'? Yeah that's a 15 yr. old that hit on the black girl. No more to say.

Dead Men Don't Eat Quiche by Deanna Carlyle

Started this story thinking it was kinda cute. A girl living in France her parents coming to visit. Blah blah blah. They tour the city have fun, of course she is dragging her feet. Then we find out her ex was murdered and she was a suspect. Oh but wait she figured out the true killer and cleared herself. So they go out to the restaurant that her mother made reservations at and there is a mix up. No availability, they lost the reservation. The mother is yelling (and don't ask my why the daughter was embarrassed, I would have been yelling too!)Basically a man comes and says they can join their private party. They flirt all night, have a private bathroom get together. Next thing we know the guy ends up dead in the bathroom with a fork in his neck. Again the heroine is a suspect and again clears herself. Not a great read, not bad either. Kinda Meh...

So ladies. Like I said, some bad some good. Do I think you should run out and grab this book? Yeah, it's a nice book to have when you have a few minutes for a short story. It's nice cause they are very short and mostly interesting. Also introduces us to many new authors that we may not have otherwise read. I love the purpose behind the book!

Grade~ B-

Sinfully Sexy by Linda Francis Lee

After a close encounter of the sexy kind,
Chloe discovers her wild side. . . .

Plain-Jane Chloe Sinclair has never been bad . . . until she stumbles- literally-into the arms of a gorgeous stranger. To make matters worse, the morning after, her world is rocked completely off its axis when the sensual dreamboat turns out to be the man brought in to save the TV station where she works.

Sterling Prescott is hard-driven, sexy as hell, and determined to take over the struggling KTEX TV. But all bets are off when the shameless wildcat who disappeared on him last night walks back into his life-acting like a squeaky-clean librarian. Life gets truly complicated, however, when Sterling decides to win more than the station-and to show her that being sexy isn't a sin.

After taking, and failing, a 'how sexy are you' quiz Chloe decides to see how sexy she can be. And with that ends up nearly having sex with a stranger in a hotel bathroom. Opps...but just in time she is snapped back to her senses and flees, never believing she'd see that mystery man again.
But the next day when she walks into a meeting at work and sees that very same man standing there she nearly faints. Not only does she see her mystery man again but he turns out to be (or at least she thinks) an employee of Sterling Prescott. Cutthroat businessman who swoops in and buys out businesses in trouble and rebuilds them, with no remorse. So she does what she thinks is best....pretends she's never seen him before.

Sterling Presscott cannot get the sexy woman from the hotel bathroom out of his mind, and he cannot believe she walked away from him! HIM, Sterling Prescott, CEO of Prescott Media. Granted she doesn't know he is Sterling Prescott, she thinks he is Trey Tanner, his own employee. But what shocks him the most is she's pretending not to know who she is!

Through this book we see a bet with a brother, a TV show gone a little kooky, and lots of hotness with our H & H.

Okay even though I DID like this book! ALOT! There were some of the same issues in this book as the last. Alot of starting up with the hot and heavy....then.....STOPPING! And something else I didn't mention when I reviewed the last book but was there was the fact that the hero's both "Grunted and Cursed" almost every singe page! Goodness. And last but not least, I hate when certain phrases get played out, and LFL used this one in BOTH books "You undo me". Cute but very played. Sorry.

So while I did like the book, there were obviously thinks I didn't like.

Grade: B-

Read them all, in order:
Suddenly Sexy
Sinfully Sexy
Simply Sexy

Suddenly Sexy by Linda Francis Lee

When a legendary bad boy returns to town, Kate must summon her inner temptress.
Kate Bloom’s ordered world is turned upside down when notorious bad boy and superstar athlete Jesse Chapman comes home. Seeing him again reminds Kate of all the reasons she harbored a Texas-sized crush on him back when they were kids. But she isn’t a little girl anymore . . . and she’s ready to show this hell-raising playboy just how sexy she can be.
After a reporter starts digging into his past, Jesse Chapman returns home looking for space. The last thing he needs is a distraction, but that’s just what he gets when he sees his little Katie. Suddenly the girl next door is hot and sexy–and more than even this legendary ladies’ man can handle.

First let me say woooo hooooo! I'm outta my reading slump! I started this book yesterday afternoon and finished today! Or I think that's when I started it. Anyway . . . back to the book.

Kate (or Katie to our hero) and Jessie, what a pair. Friends since childhood, Jessie is four years Kate's senior. He's the one she runs to every time her mom divorces or remarries (5x's). She's the one he opens to when his mom dies and he has problems with his father. But while Kate is completely open and honest with Jessie about her problems and her feelings for him, he withholds. Partially because how can he go into detail about issues with his father that involve sex, smoking and drinking when he is 11 and that would only make her 7. Jessie learns quick to become a buddy to his dad and to turn into a wild boy in order to keep his father close and not lose him like he lost his mother. But he also loses his brother in return, or at least his brothers respect. But with his brother being 7 years older he should have been the one protecting his younger brother from the bad influences of their father, not begrudging him the attention he got or the way he turned out. Which makes for a lot of sibling tension through the book. One of the things Jessie picks up while always with his father is golfing. Which he takes to from the start. So as he lives his wild life he becomes a professional golfer. He has women, he has his game and he feels he is in no way good enough for his Katie. So when on the day of his brothers wedding Kate walks in on him naked and offers herself he pushes her away. But not before he let himself see how sweet it could be with her, he stops in the nick of time. After telling her no and to leave, she flees crying.
So when Jessie comes back into El Paso and into Kate's life she is a bit weary. Her job is falling apart she is "dating" a great guy that she just can't drum up any passion for and just the site of Jessie makes her melt.
Time after time we see the simmering heat between our h&h. After awhile I'll be quite honest I felt like screaming "JUST DO IT!!!" I did love the character development in the book. We really got a good glimpse of who these characters are and what made them the way they are. But there was just to much getting it on to a certain point then just stopping between Kate and Jessie. You know? I get she was going for good sexual tension but it got old real fast.
We do get a big surprise for our hero in the middle of the beginning of the book that really puts a sweat and emotional turn on the story. But to which I don't' think the author knew enough on the subject to write it as well as it should have been.
With Kate being a News Anchor I also felt that there wasn't enough on that, we never really got to see what she was before her ratings plummeted and made her resort to doing "Getting Real With Kate" while the GRWK segments were funny they lacked reality of what that job would really be like.
I did love the friendship between Kate and her two best girlfriends, Chloe and Julia. In the beginning of most of the chapters we read emails back and forth between the girls. It was fun and added to the story a lot.
All in all it was a good book, I just felt as if the author should have tweaked it a bit more before releasing it. So it made me want to read the next book and also hope it's written just a little bit better.

Grade~ B-

Read them all:
Suddenly Sexy
Sinfully Sexy
Simply Sexy


*****Editing to add something I forgot******

The surprise that I told you about...with the hero? Well in the end of the book it never got an ending so to speak. Pretty annoying...

Grade must go down to a C+ for that alone.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry. And in all truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better...

-Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814

But this time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry, he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intendeds older sister, Kate Sheffield the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate's the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes to not make the best husbands and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate's determined to protect her sister but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...

Well I must say that this book was just okay for me. I mean it definitely kept my attention the entire time but Anthony really irked me. He was such a total jerk to Kate the entire first half of the book, and not just a little but horribly mean. And I do not think he made up for it in the least. There was no grand gesture or anything.

I really liked Kate in this book though. She was strong, never pitied herself, and was so loving to everyone. And when she found out about Anthony's fear she didn't mock him for the stupidity of it she just said it was totally understandable but he was wrong. That it would be okay. She was just great.

I must admit that I am getting more and more curious about who this Lady Whistledown is though. I do have my suspicions but I will keep them to myself till I know for sure. Over all I like the book and my grade would be....

Grade: B-

Read the books in order:
The Duke and I
The Viscount Who Loved Me
An Offer From A Gentleman
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
To Sir Phillip, With Love
When He Was Wicked
It's In His Kiss
On the Way to the Wedding

Undressed by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Suzanne Forster, and Alison Kent

Undressed: Illicit Dreams/ Unfinished Business/ The Sweetest Taboo

Reality can be even better than fantasy in New York Times bestseller Vicki Lewis Thompson's scorching tale...
Lindsay Scott can't help but overhear Hunter Jordan's nightly activities though her thin apartment walls. But she finally decides to do something about her crush when she discovers a naughty book full of ideas guaranteed to make Hunter her sex slave...

New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Forster proves that with sexual revenge, everybody wins...
Two years after waking up married to her one-night stand, writer Melissa Sanders has created a sensation with her new book based on sex tricks she uses on her "husband," Tony-the erotic stranger she hasn't seen since she fled the scene. But when he suddenly shows up on her book tour, it's clear the honeymoon is far from over...

Steamy, sexy, satisfying. Bestselling author Alison Kent explores that sweet taboo: the bad boy ...
Erin Fletcher sees no reason why she can't hook up with the wrong kind of guy until Mr. Right comes along. So what if her mysterious neighbor is a recluse, maybe even a bit dangerous? He's consumed her thoughts for so long, it's time to see what Sebastian Gallo is like for real...

Illicit Dreams

The shortest of the three stories but a very good story.

Lindsay is in the middle of helping her best friend plan her wedding. Every time they go to the Devine Events to make more wedding plans she is drawn to the red leather book full of sexual fantasies. The book is there to be used, to tear out a page and fulfill a fantasy. But all Lindsay can think of is her neighbor Hunter. And she won't be having any sex with him. Just listening to him having world class sex with his model type girlfriend through their paperthin walls. Oh and their Saturday morning hang outs while they both wash their clothes.

Hunter cannot get Lindsay out of his head. He has a perfect looking girlfriend that he likes a lot and they have great sex, but his mind keeps wandering over to his neighbor Linsay. So feeling guilty about having fantasies about one woman while with another he breaks up with his girlfriend.

Want a hot hot story? Read this...and just wait and see if Hunter and Lindsay act out his fantasy of doing it in the laundry room on top of a cycling washer! And all the other inventive things they can think up and the helpful hints they get from the 'Red Book'. Straight and to the point we see some unsure feelings, a little misunderstanding, and a very hot sex.

Grade: B

Unfinished Buisness

Melissa and her girlfriends take a trip once a year and had decided on cancun this year. One night with all of them drunk Melissa ends up getting proposed to and married, not to mention the best sex of her life. But when she wakes up in a hotel room and realizes what she's done she flees. Not even sure if the marriage is legal she doesn't wait to find out. Two years later, she has used that one incredible night and her many fantasies about her 'husband' to write a how to book on Sex. 101 Ways... It is a smash hit and next thing she knows she is wanted on a book tour and talk shows. Only one problem, they want her and her husband! The one that she dedicated her book to, the one that she only meet and was with for one night. What to do now!

Antonio has no idea what possessed him to get down on one knee and propose to Melissa only that is was right. She was right for him. So they got married, had the best sex ever....then she was gone. Her name on the marriage certificate is unreadable so he has no way of tracking her down, heart in pieces he tries to move on. Two years later, he is more than shocked to be contacted by Melissa's publicists and given an offer he cannot refuse. Pose as Melissa's husband, get a quick annulment when it's done, and just maybe a little revenge for her walking out on him. But he needs to keep one big secret from her till the end of the book tour.

Full of a lot of sexual tension. I felt it drug along a little but made up for it with all the good parts. A nice shock at the end, makes your heart ache and maybe cry a little. But of course has the happily ever after we all want in a good romance.

Grade: B-

The Sweetest Taboo

Erin is up to her eyeballs in work with the planning of her anniversary party for her pub. One year and counting. She has no time for a relationship which is good since the last few were so bad. But she cannot stop dreaming about her neighbor upstairs. Hot, dangerous, what would sex be like with the wrong guy, with no strings. Just until Mr. Right comes along?

Sebastian knows Erin watches him, he watches her too. He has never let anyone into his world. His world is his and his alone, no room for friends no room for romance. He is to messed up with a painful past and a lonely future.

But when both of them find themselves at the end of their rope (sexually) they can't resist. And what they tell themselves is only physically turns out to be so much more.

A little dark, a lot hot, and some powerful writing this is a must read too. A nice sub plot with another couple is a nice addition even if it didn't compare to the intensity to the main plot. I couldn't stop reading it.

Grade: B