Twice Tempted by a Rogue - Tessa Dare

How long could she resist him?

Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper, who dares him to take on the demons of his past — and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.
Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.


Well Tessa Dare did it again! She followed the debut of this series with another wonderfully, touching, sweet, saucy, sexy tale.

OH MY how my heart bled for Rhys. Also, I loved Meredith. I thought she was strong, self reliant and pretty bad ace to take on huge drunk louts. But also, I wanted to bop her on the head a few times. I mean here was this guy she had loved all her life and he was standing there practically begging her to marry him and she wouldn't give the guy a shot...WTF? However, she did redeem herself in the end!! Also, there was someone in the town sabotaging Rhys at every turn and it was never someone I would have guessed and I will not reveal that here!!

Also, finally we got some more answers as to the murder of the founder of the Stud Club. It turns out the final answers will lie in the last book Three Nights with a Scoundrel. It seems that maybe Leo (the founder) was not the intended target but in fact Julian Bellamy...so soon I will find out that burning question as to what happened to Leo.

Also, sorry about the short review but I'm very tired right now and my bed is calling my  name!!  OH and before I forget to get your own copy of Rhys and Meredith's story just go here -->Twice Tempted by a Rogue

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One Dance with a Duke - Tessa Dare

True temptation begins at midnight…


A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members — yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke — until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?

This is the first book in Tessa Dare's new Stud Club Trilogy. In it we learn the foundations of what exactly is the Stud Club? No it isn't a club full of hot men (although that is not a bad idea) but it has to do with horses.
 
The Club's founder is found dead and thus starts the search for his killer. Was it just random? Or planned? We do not find out who did it in this book but I'm hoping that with the third book in the series Three Nights with a Scoundrel we will find out the who and why behind his murder.
 
In this book is Amelia...almost on the shelf, a bit plump and busy taking care of everyone else except herself. Then there is Spencer rich, handsome and a Duke no less. When he proposes marriage to Amelia she is thrilled but also a bit suspicious. In the end she agrees to do it as she says for her noble yet poor family. So not only is he trying to get what he wants (a horse) but he is trying to find a way to win over his wife which he never thought he would want to do. At first theirs is an arrangement but even in marriages of convenience silly things like hearts and feelings start showing.
 
Tessa Dare does a fantastic job setting up the rest of the series with this book and also the other characters. They have bleen outlined but I know with each book they will be fleshed out even more. Also, hotty toddy sparks literally fly off the page with this one but that is no big surprise. Mrs. Dare is a very (VERY) spicy writer indeed. All I can say is if you don't like graphic detail in a romance novel then this book (and her others) are definitely not for you...good thing I don't mind, right? Also, her books are fast readers and you get so caught up in them you are feeling soo much...practically everything the characters are feeling and to me that is a sign of a true gem of an author!!
 
Alright if you wanna read not only a sweet but a sexy romance then don't wait any longer and go pick up yourself a copy of this book...you can get one here -->One Dance with a Duke
Also just for fun you can check out her other series and the books in it are Goddess of the Hunt(this book is great especially the wardrobe scene...talk about scorching), Surrender of a Siren: A Novel(come on who doesn't love a pirate), A Lady of Persuasion (alas a jilted lover gets redemption).

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Mistress by Mistake - Maggie Robinson

Charlotte Fallon let her guarded virtue fall once—and she’s paid dearly for it ever since. She swore she’d never succumb to men’s desires again. But even a village spinster’s life miles from temptation can’t save her from a sister with no shame whatsoever. Or a heart that longs for more, whatever the cost.
Sir Michael Bayard found more than he expected in his bed when he finally joined his new mistress. He’d fantasized about her dewy skin and luscious curves, assured her understanding that what passed between them was mere dalliance. But he didn’t expect the innocence and heat of her response in his arms. Nor her surprisingly sharp tongue once she was out of them…
A few days of abandon cannot undo the hard-learned lessons of a lifetime. Nor can an honest passion burn away the restraints of society’s judgments. Unless, of course, one believes in nonsense like true love…

Okay guys this review is going to be very short and I do mean VERY short.
 
I loved the characters created by Maggie Robinson they feel real and not some sugar coated confection. I mean Charlotte has a few gray hairs even though she isn't 30 yet which is honestly realistic.
 
I honestly felt like their relationship progressed naturally and I never felt that it was foisted upon you unrelentlessly. Also, Maggie has some wonderful secondary characters which is the perfect set up to the next two books in this series. Also Michael's ex-wife (sort of) is a complete and total whacko and I enjoyed that element of it!!
 
Also talk about some steamy love scenes...YOWZA!! They were very sexy in deed!
 
If you want to read Charlotte's and Michael's story just go here --> Mistress By Mistake to get it for yourself!

Also I need to do a blog on my review of Tessa Dare's first book in her Stud Club trilogy One Dance with a Duke and then I need to review the movie The Expendables!! Alright I'm off to bed...so sorry for the short and probably not all that helpful review I just wanted to get it up!!

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A Kiss at Midnight - Eloisa james

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales…or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince…and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.
Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.
Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.
Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble…
Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune…
Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

This is the first book I have ever read by Eloisa James...although I am still trying to acquire all of her books in her Dutchess series I think I got like 2 or 3 more to go!! Also isn't that cover just devine?? I think so!!

This is a take on the tale of Cinderella although there is an evil stepmother there are no ugly stepsisters. In fact I liked it like that because I found Kate's stepsister to be a joy so I'm glad that the book was not overrun with meanies, LOL!!!

I simply adored this book. The relationship of Gabriel and Kate is totally believeable. Also the pressures of real life and what one must do was also very real. It is the tale of falling in love but not exactly with the right person! Gabriel knows he should be enamored with his Princess bride to be but she doesn't stir his blood quite like the kind yet strong Kate. Kate is from a noble family but has been relegated to "not quite" a servent!!

But enter her long lost godmother and things in Kate's life finally start going to way she always planned before her father died.  Also the secondary characters are an absolute treat. From Kate's godmother Henry who even after three marriages still believes in love and loves love, hahaha!! Also there is Toloose whom I must say I garnered a bit of a crush on in his short face time, LOL!! I love a book where not only the primary characters are a delight but the seconary characters can make you smile. Because if they were like pieces of wallpaper in the background well the story would probably be a snore.

As I said before the love you feel between Gabriel and Kate is pure and real and does not feel forced down your throat.

Overall this was a very pleasant and enoyable read and I would recommend it highly for anyone looking for a sweet, caring romance but with a little bit of steam thrown in!!

If you want to get your hands on this book and read the heart warming story of Gabriel and Kate you can just go here --> A Kiss at Midnight

OH yeah I completely forgot to post my review of Maggie Robinson's Mistress by Mistake so I will try to get to that tomorrow (but you guys know me it will probably be Sunday, LOL!!)

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Percy Jackson Books 2-5

OH man am I absentminded or what! I remember posting my review for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and immediately after that I read Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters but I must be losing my mind because I never posted a review of it. I then finally bought the last three books and just recently read them and then I noticed I hadn't posted reviews of them either. But please excuse my absence of a brain but I just don't think I can go into to great of detail about all of these books now.

Although, I will say this these books are pretty much the bomb. I love them because Rick Riordan does a great job of making it not only a great story and interesting but also fast paced. I never felt like I had to struggle through them in order to get to the end. All of them were hard to put down. One of the main reasons I love these so much is because I've always loved history and been a fan of Greek Mythology and just love books/movies or whatever about them. Also, I'm excited Rick Riordan has a new series coming out and the first book, The Red Pyramid, is already out and this series focuses on Egyptian Mythology and I have always been fascinated with this. I love to watch the History Channel especiallly if there is something on about Egypt. I have to say if I didn't have the skin of a ghost or liked bugs I would have loved to have been an egyptologist.

AND he also has a new Olympus series coming out. It starts with The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero and it comes out on October 12, 2010...OH YEAH!!

If you are interested in reading these books you can just go here --> Percy Jackson and the Olympians Hardcover Boxed Set (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)  or if you want to check out his new series just go here -->  The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) OR if you want to pre-order his new Olympian Book just go here -->The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero

Well all in all I loved every single one of these books and therefore I give Books 2-5 the following rating:

UP NEXT: I hope to have my review of Inception posted tomorrow!!!