Paperbacks And Frosting

20May
0

Sleight of Hand

by: Kate Kelly

Published: September 5th, 2011

ASIN: B005LI4B42

From Goodreads: Chance Spencer, doesn’t steal. Not any more. Suddenly suspected of stealing half a million dollars of art work, he can’t afford to have the FBI delving into his covert past. Chance coerces the real thief’s daughter, Sarah O’Sullivan, into helping him flush her wily father out of hiding. But his plan quickly deteriorates when he falls in love with his enemy’s daughter.

 

This was definitely a unique read for me. When I first started reading it, I wasn’t sure how I felt about either one of the characters. I felt like I was missing too much of their story to understand what was happening and I felt like Chance wasn’t a hero I could grow to love. But as I continued reading I got caught up in it. I found myself really caring about the back stories of these characters because it explained so much about what was happening and reasons they felt certain ways. By the end of this novel I was completely involved in Chance and Sarah’s story. It’s not often there’s a story I’m reading that makes me really feel like the two main characters have a connection. A lot of the time it doesn’t feel real to me. That wasn’t the case in this story and I definitely was invested in their love story. Everything surrounding the art theft was also very interesting and I found myself very curious and wanting to learn more about it, because it’s not something I would have ever I definitely would recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense! :)

Cupcakes:    

Buy from Amazon here: Sleight Of Hand, A Romantic Suspense (Stolen Hearts)

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13May
0

Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies (HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!)

Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies by Cynthia Cooke

 

Family secrets must be kept, and painful wounds must be ignored.

After an all-out assault by a vicious terrorist bent on destroying her entire family, a former government agent must break the strict rules she has always lived by when she emerges from hiding to reluctantly accept the help of her all-too-sexy ex-lover. Running a deadly race against time, they rush to rescue her kidnapped sister, find her missing father, and bring the notorious villain to justice. But nothing ever goes as planned. Bullets fly, danger abounds, and their passion reignites even faster than the lies are flowing. But their stubbornly held secrets just might spell the end of their rekindled love and hopes for the future…as well as their very lives.

 

Buy this from Amazon here: Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies

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10May
1

Return to Me

by: Tara Fox Hall

Published: November 3rd 2011 by Melange Books

From Goodreads: Determined to find the source of the nightly creaking she alone can hear, Sam Reading discovers Harrison Benning, a ghost who becomes corporeal for one night of the year; the summer solstice. Their warm friendship soon becomes powerful love that lasts through decades, tragedies, and even beyond death.

This is another short story by Tara Fox Hall and I gotta say, I think I liked this one even more than Surrender to Me. I’m a sucker for those love stories where it seems absolutely impossible for two people to be together. This was really cute and I felt so unbelievably sorry for Harrison. This was a very short story, but definitely worth the read if you’re looking for something quick and entertaining. I felt like these few pages packed a lot more into them than I would’ve expected, but after reading Surrender to Me it isn’t that surprising! I would definitely recommend this short story though to anyone who loves a good paranormal romance.

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Buy From Amazon Here: Return to Me

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01May
1

Surrender to Me

by: Tara Fox Hall

Published: September 23rd 2011 by Melange Books

ISBN: B005TLPVCC

This is a short story and normally I don’t read short stories unless it’s for a class because I prefer novels where I can get more fully absorbed in the story, but I didn’t feel like I was missing that with this story. The characters were beautifully written and drew me into their world. The story did move very, very quickly and it felt shorter than it’s 28 pages, but it was a great escape from reality for a short period of time. Devlin is a wonderfully written hero. He’s a vampire, but he’s not the type that is seen so much in stories these days. His personality is so different, but still very attractive. Anna is so completely trusting and loving that’s it’s hard not to like her. She’s completely someone that I would adore if she were in real life, just like I adored her character. This story was gripping, even if it was very short. I can’t wait to see what this author can do with a full novel!

 

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Buy this from Amazon here: Surrender to Me

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18Apr
0

While You Were Dead

by: CJ Snyder

Published: September 24th 2011

ASIN: B006PTW9WW

From Goodreads: Lies have consequences…

Twelve years ago, Max Clayton had no choices. Honor bound to hunt a traitor, the government declared him dead to the outside world. He completed his mission, but lost the only woman he ever loved and a child he never knew existed.

And so does breaking a woman’s heart…

Max was her life, her very heartbeat. After his death, alone and haunted by a dangerous past, Kat Jannsen made the ultimate sacrifice to keep their daughter safe.

When Kat discovers Max is alive her carefully constructed jigsaw puzzle life is torn to pieces. But an old enemy has been watching…waiting to strike. As the danger mounts, she has nowhere to turn but to Max. She can trust him with her life, but does she dare trust him with her heart?

 

This book was so exciting. I didn’t want to put it down. The action was intense, but not overwhelming. I sometimes get annoyed when there’s a lot of action going on in the book, like if it seems like it’s going on too long… but I didn’t get that feeling with this book. I also LOVED the story between Kat and Max. I really can’t imagine what it would be like to have to go through something like that. Losing someone is bad enough, but having to adjust to them coming back into your life after everything? That’s gotta be insanely difficult. The way this book mixes emotion and action is what I loved most. There was always something exciting going on and it made me want to keep turning the pages. The story line with their child is also one that I found really interesting and got involved in it emotionally. That’s another thing that’s gotta be something incredibly difficult to deal with, but these two characters get through the situations they get placed in in a way that’s both realistic and admirable. Kat and Max are definitely strong people and love each other and their family very much. I also thought that the ending was very interesting, especially when we find out who was behind it all! Crazy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone looking for an action packed novel. :)

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Buy from Amazon here: While You Were Dead (Black Fire)

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11Apr
0

Gnome on the Range

by: Jennifer Zane

Published: December 27th, 2011

ASIN: B006QQRH3A

From Goodreads: Jane West has everything a woman could want. A job in a small Montana town’s only adult store, two busy young boys and one dead husband. Everything except a little excitement–a little zing. But that changes one summer morning at a garage sale when her kids buy some garden gnomes.

Now someone wants those gnomes and will let nothing get in their way. Including Jane. This new excitement for Jane spells trouble for a relationship with new neighbor–and hot fireman–Ty Strickland. Can Jane and Ty handle a relationship meddling mother-in-law, crazy kids, and stay alive while trying to solve the mystery of the garden gnomes?

 

Honestly, I thought this one of the most creative mysteries that I’ve read in a while. There weer a lot of uncomfortable moments that made me laugh out loud. Right from the beginning I found this novel to be funny and entertaining. This is definitely not a novel for someone that is easily offended by things that are sexual in nature. But I really thought this was an easy and fun read. I found myself wanting to continue reading it instead of doing things like… going to class and eating. :P  Ty is an absolutely wonderful hero to this story too. The romance that and chemistry between him and Jane is undeniable.  Everything about their relationship is great, right down to the way they met. I really enjoyed their story and it didn’t feel at all forced or tacked on the way romances between main characters can in stories like this one. Jane is a great narrator to this story and I loved being inside her head. It was fun being in the head of someone so normal, especially someone who is a single mother and has to deal with the trouble that two boys can get into! I laughed while reading this and fell for tricks the way the characters in the book did. I loved the writing style and the way the story moved along quickly and captured my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read!

Cupcakes:

Buy from Amazon here: Gnome On The Range

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11Apr
0

A Lady’s Point of View

by: Jacqueline Diamond

Pages: 219

Published: October 1st 1989 by Harlequin Books

ISBN: 0373311141

From Goodreads: This 219-page, lighthearted tale in the traditional Regency style; no sex, but plenty of romantic complications and a happy ending was originally published by Harlequin Books.

Meg Linley has good reason to feel cursed in the ballrooms of Regency England. Though a beauty, she can barely see and is forbidden to wear spectacles. When she accidentally cuts the prince’s friend Beau Brummell at a ball, the scandal sends her packing to the countryside.

Her faulty eyesight causes her to enter the wrong coach, which delivers her to the estate of handsome Lord Bryn. He mistakes her for the governess who was due to arrive from London and, preferring work over a life of isolation, she goes along with the erroneous impression. She can’t help adoring his orphaned niece and nephew, a mischievous pair who’ve driven off their previous governesses.

Deception has a way of turning the tables, however. When Meg begins falling in love with the handsome lord just as he’s about to become engaged to another woman, she can’t see a way out of her dilemma. But then, eyesight was never her strong point.

 

This was a cute novel. I enjoyed the fact that all of the conflict was because the heroine had poor eyesight. I myself can relate to that and if I didn’t have my contacts and glasses I’m sure I would’ve ended up in situations like this too. I liked the way Meg created a new future for herself instead of giving up and giving in to what her mother wants for her. I enjoyed reading this novel and thought the characters were fun and I found them to be good company. Lord Bryn is a great hero, even if he is a bit unreasonable at times. ;) The children in this story were absolutely adorable, I wanted to bring them home and play with them myself. They might have been troublemakers, but I thought they seemed like a lot of fun. I didn’t find this novel to be anything that wasn’t easy to predict though. It was a fun, enjoyable romance. It had entertaining moments, especially at the end when everything becomes complex, but I wouldn’t consider this novel to be a challenging read. If you’re looking for a very cute and lighthearted read that can be read quickly and let you escape into a romance for a few hours, then this is for you. I would recommend it to romance fans who don’t mind if their novels are a little predictable.

Cupcakes:

Buy from Amazon: A Lady’s Point of View

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30Mar
0

Shadowfever

By: Karen Marie Moning

Pages: 594

Published: Jan. 18th, 2011 by Delacorte Press

ISBN: 0385341679

From Goodreads: MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.

 

 

Can I just say… FINALLY!!! I’ve been waiting to read this book for what feels like AGES. It was definitely worth the wait. I can’t tell you enough how much of a fan I am of this series. This series is refreshing for this genre because it’s a lot different from anything else I’ve seen or read. Her writing style is incredible. I get caught up in the story and can feel every emotion. I was sad to see it end, and most of the time if everything is tied up, I’m pretty okay with series ending. But I’m thoroughly depressed that I won’t have any more Fever books to look forward to. But okay, wow… let’s focus on this book in particular. I love when an author goes, “What’ll happen if I just rip my own series apart and the seams? Let’s do it and find out!” I kinda expected something like that would happen in this book though, so I was prepared. We learn SO many things and there are so many twists and turns that I never saw coming. And let me just say that the storyline between Mac and Barrons has ALWAYS been a weakness of mine. I love it. This book really is wonderful and it was a great conclusion to a fantastic series. Seriously, if you’re an urban fantasy fan PICK THIS UP. NOW. :)

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27Mar
0

Danger Music

by: Jackie Hyman

Pages: 243

Published by: Five Star

ISBN: 1594141975

From Goodreads: When an investigative reporter begins digging into a Hollywood cold case, someone will go to any lengths – including murder – to ensure the truth remains hidden. Freelance writer Kenny Rubin has an unusual magazine assignment: to solve the strangulation five years earlier of aspiring actress Melinda Rivers. And she’s supposed to do it before the airing of a TV movie that’s probing the same subject. Many of the people involved in making the movie knew Melinda and, as Kenny begins interviewing the principles, people around her start dying. Someone, it appears, is afraid the truth really might surface. When events take an unexpected turn, she finally puts the pieces together – only to discover that she’s delivered herself right into the hands of the killer.

 

I honestly loved this mystery. I thought it was funny and entertaining. I have never been inside the head of someone that was bipolar before and I think it was one of the most entertaining experiences I’ve had! This novel really gives you an idea of what it’s like to experience the mania that is associated with this disorder and it made for a very interesting main character. Besides having that condition, Kenny is someone that I would enjoy hanging out with. Her views on everything are different from the usual person trying to solve a mystery and that makes this a very unique novel. I also enjoyed the other characters in this novel. The characters were so colorful and well-described that I felt like I actually knew them. I didn’t figure out the mystery until the very end, it kept me guessing throughout the story. I also enjoyed reading about the Hollywood lifestyle from someone who wasn’t trying to become and actress. It was a very refreshing read. I would definitely recommend it for a mystery lover or anyone just looking for a fun read!

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26Mar
0

Touch Me In The Dark

by: Jacqueline Diamond

Pages: 231

Published: 2010 by K. Loren Wilson

From Goodreads: An eerie house … a malevolent ghost … and Ian Fanning, a brooding ex-cop obsessed with painting the woman his grandfather murdered. Into their midst arrives Sharon Mahoney, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the dead woman. When past and present collide, will Ian save or destroy her?

Through a rain-dashed window, a watcher observes as Sharon Mahoney drives up to the Victorian house where she has rented rooms.

As she and her seven-year-old son run to the front door in a flash of lightning, the watcher smiles at the knowledge that a role has already been written for her in the tragic history of this house, a role scripted to end in Sharon’s death.

Could the watcher be Ian Fanning, a former policeman whose grandfather killed his grandmother in this house sixty years ago? Since being injured on duty, he has become obsessed with painting the murdered woman – a double for Sharon.

Or is the watcher Pete Gaskell, a would-be mystic who, with his wife, has rented an apartment here in hopes of contacting a vengeful spirit?

Could it be Jody Fanning, the elderly spinster who raised her nephew and then her grandnephew, Ian, after both sets of parents died violently? Or is it the spirit of Ian’s murderous grandfather, stalking the house and planning to kill again?

 

Most of the time when I come across a book like this, I’m extremely wary of there being a “cheesyness” factor that will turn me off of the story. But this novel didn’t do that for me! I kept reading and didn’t find myself thinking the events were too over the top. I was also a little unsure about how I felt about the romance in this book. It won be over, by the end I could see how Ian and Sharon worked together and could feel the chemistry. I guess all that got me was the idea that they could trace their family lines back and have them eventually match up, but they were far enough apart for it not to matter, even though Ian refers to her as a cousin at one point. Beyond that this novel was gripping, and the ending took me entirely by surprise. I honestly had thought of every other solution than the one that was presented to me. I love when I read a book and that happens! It adds that much more excitement to the story. I found myself getting caught up in the characters lives and caring about them. I liked all of the characters, right down to the villain and was interested in their storylines. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun romance with some thrills and excitement. This is in no way a cheesy ghost story, and the writing is excellent. :)

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