GIVE AWAY!! GIVE AWAY!!! CLOSED

Well everyone my contest is closed because no one entered! Boo this makes me sad....see :o(

Anyway I've decided to just give away one to the first person to post over on my Facebook Page . So if you want it just be the first person to comment and I'll send it your way and you will have until January 31, 2012 if after that no one does I'll just be keeping them for myself which makes me even sadder :o(

Hey everyone I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you spend some wonderful time with family and friends!!

And in celebration of Christmas and with being a part of Lisa Kleypa's Lisa's Divas I have a surprise for you!! I'm going to give away not one but TWO...yes TWO copies of Lisa's book Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. I have not read this book yet but I can tell you I cannot wait to read it!! It is such a beautiful book I mean look at it...

SO I am sure you are wondering what you have to do to win your very own copy of this! Well all you have to do is tell me what your favorite holiday tradition is....whether it be baking cookies with the kids or decorating the tree whatever it might be let me know either here on the blog or over at my Facebook Page.

This contest runs from December 23, 2011 until January 2, 2012 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). I will then take all the commenters names and use random.org and pick two winners. This is open only to people within the United States. 

I cannot wait to hear what your favorite Christmas traditions are. And in case you are wondering mine is listening to Christmas music and just admiring the tree!

Merry Christmas,
Mindy

Hellooooo...can anyone hear me??

Well hello my beautiful and wonderful readers!! Alas, it is your romantic book nerd back from the bed...well not really, LOL!

I hope you all have been doing wonderful. If not I hope things begin to look up for you soon! Because as my mom always told me if you get to the point in your life where you honestly and truly think you have hit the lowest of low that you could not possibly go any lower...well your in luck then...why? Well there is only one other way to go and that is UP!!

You are probably wondering about the crazy inspirational speech but I just wanted to let you guys know that I have not abandoned this blog. I've just found my reading time constantly dwindling what with work being crazy and our daily calendar packed full of things...to doing things with family and friends (I used to be more of a homebody but I've recently started trying to go out more...YAY ME!) to all these darn awesome TV shows coming on TV now! I mean seriously I'm surprised my poor DVR doesn't beg for mercy, LOL!!

But I think I'm headed in the right direction with my reading because last night was the first time in a LOOOOOONG time that I have read before going to bed. So I'm hoping that means I will be reading more, SUPER YAY!

This is mostly exciting because of the following:

1. I bought the new Kindle Fire and as we speak it is making its way to me right now!!

2. I still have at least 80 (or more) paperback books that I must read!

3. All of my favorite authors have refused my advice about giving me a break with all the wonderful books coming out!

4. Also, all the new authors I've found through Facebook keeping putting out books!

With all of that it is not surprising that I feel like I'm drowning in a see of books...but at least they have pretty covers, LOL!!

Well you guys I am going to quit rambling and I hope to have a new review up for you soon! I will also report to you on how much I love (I hope) my new Kindle. I used to say "I'm never getting a Kindle". Well when pretty much any available space you have is already filled with books you need to read you start reconsidering the previous statement. Also, I've already added about 20 books to my Kindle wishlist and some are free :) !!!!

Alright my fellow book nerds I'll catch ya later (hopefully sooner rather than later!!)

Mindy

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Kattnis, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

Finally after what feels like forever I was able to finish Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I knew that if I just had some time to sit down and read I would read it quickly! Well I had a quiet office on Friday at work and I read the whole thing!!

I loved this book soo much!! I thought it was a wonderful conclusion to an already wonderful series.

Katniss is having to deal with being the rebels Mockingjay and all the while dealing with not knowing what is happening to Peeta who was captured by the Capitol.

The rebels continue to take over the district slowly cutting off the Capitol. Katniss wants to go into battle she wants to kill President Snow.

The rebels are able to rescue Peeta and other captives of the Capitol but he's changed. He's not the same Peeta Kat remembers. The Capitol has brainwashed him to hate her and question all of his memories of her.

So even though she has Peeta back she has to work to regain his trust and help him remember what they shared.


SPOILERS!! DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT THIS BOOK SPOILED FOR YOU!!





So while I did love this book but I have to say throughout the whole series I personally loved Gale more than Peeta. I don't know I guess Gale is more my type than Peeta. So in the end when she chooses Peeta over Gale I was not really surprised but I kind of wish she would have chosen Gale but what can you do?

Also I was super sad Finnick died. I had really liked his character and think maybe he should have had the chance to be happy.

Also OMG I about fainted when Prim (Kat's sister) was killed. I was just completely shocked!!

OVERALL RATING:

Currently Reading: A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare
Up Next: A Beginner's Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch

Operation Auction - Maya Banks Video by Tessa Dare

A few months ago a bunch of other romance book lovers such as myself got together for a great cause in Operation Auction...which you can read more about HERE.

So one of my favorite authors Tessa Dare donated a home made video trailer for the winning author's book and the lucky winner was Maya Banks!! Although I've never read her books I have to say after watching the delightful video below I have decided I need to do so immediately.

So without further ado here is the book trailer for Maya's highlander series made by the funny and wonderful Tessa Dare...

I hope you enjoy and I hope you can support Maya...I honestly plan on getting these books!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

 
 
They call him many names, but Angelic isn't one of them . . .
Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain, is big, bad, and dangerous to know. No respectable woman would have anything to do with the "Bane and Blight of the Ballisters"—and he wants nothing to do with respectable women. He's determined to continue doing what he does best—sin and sin again—and all that's going swimmingly, thank you . . . until the day a shop door opens and she walks in.
She's too intelligent to fall for the worst man in the world . . .
Jessica Trent is a determined young woman, and she's going to drag her imbecile brother off the road to ruin, no matter what it takes. If saving him—and with him, her family and future—means taking on the devil himself, she won't back down. The trouble is, the devil in question is so shockingly irresistible, and the person who needs the most saving is—herself!

Okay after hearing a lot about this book around the web (my favorite romance book haunts) and hearing nothing but positive things about it I decided to get it. This is my first book by Loretta Chase.

I have to say I'm very glad that I took the advice of  all those lovely ladies and got this book.

Although there was a lot of positive things of course there were people who found the hero a bit brash and hard. But I decided to make my own decision on this. So I have to say that those descriptions of him are what made me love him so much. I have to admit (and some of you may already know this from previous posts) but I love a dark, tortured hero. I don't know what it is about them and finding redemption with love. It sounds so darkly poetic and Gothic. So yes Sebastian was gruff, hard and somewhat unpleasant but when you read of his background it is not hard to see why. Also, from what I could tell from his description he was HOT but he found himself to be completely ugly thanks to his father. He was a child when he thought his mother just abandoned him because how could she love someone so hideous. So yes I do understand where he was coming from there and understand why he was the way he was.

I also love a smart, sarcastic and sharp tongued heroine just as much as I love my tortured heroes. I love that they speak their mind and aren't afraid to do so. And you must remember this is a historical so women who speak their mind were pretty rare I'm sure during this time. Jessica Trent came from a large family and helped raised many of her nephews. She was a great beauty like her grandmother and felt she did not have to settle for one of the many proposals but could wait for love. OH that makes me think I loved her grandmother Genvieve she was awesome!

This book was absolutely wonderful and I had a hard time putting it down. The character interaction was great but was seriously worried that Jess' brother would end up trampled to death by horses because lets get real he was stupid as they come!

I am also excited because this is book three in a series and I read it first and totally did not freak out which is awesome. I have always thought I had to read every book in a series in order (well some you kinda have to like Harry Potter) but mostly with historicals you see reoccurring characters but nothing so that would hinder you from reading a few out of order.

So I loved this book and have bought Loretta Chase's newest book Silk Is For Seduction and I cannot wait to plunge into that one!

So if you want to read a wonderful and beautifully told book then you need to do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Lord of Scoundrels TODAY or tomorrow's fine to but at least by the end of the week, LOL!!

Overall Rating:

Sexiness Rating:

Currently Reading: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3) by Suzanne Collins
Up Next: Silk Is For Seduction by Loretta Chase
Watching:
 

HAPPY READING!!
Mindy
xoxo

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Well I finally finished reading Catching Fire. I've been having a rough time reading lately. I just have not been able to find the time to read. I used to be able read at work but unfortunately our client base has picked up and I've been working a lot longer so it took me twice as long to read because I've had to read maybe 2 or 3 minutes here and there.

This is the second book in the Hunger Games series. In this we find Katniss Everdeen having won the Hunger Games and is on the victory tour with her fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark. Also with her open defiance of the Capitol by simply trying to save Peeta's life she has become an even bigger pawn in not only the plans of the Capitol but also in the plans of the rebels starting to up rise.

So after going through the victory tour she gets ready for the next Hunger Games and the Quarter Quell (happens every 25 years) and the special circumstances that will come.

Well in a show of force by the Capitol the 75 Year Quarter Quell takes former victors of all districts and uses them as the pool to draw from for that year's tributes. So for District 12 there are only 3 victors. Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch. So Katniss will be going in the ring again to fight for her life and soon Peeta is her partner again.

So in the ring the tributes fight for their lives and in the end Katniss learns in the end that the revolution has begun and she is the most integral part because she's the girl on fire. The symbol of the revolution!!

I loved this book. I've become deeply addicted to the Hunger Games!  I cannot wait to see the first movie and read the last book, Mockingjay. I was going to read it next but decided to through a historical romance in the mix just to shake things up a bit...yeah I'm crazy like that!!

So if you want to read this for yourself just go here -->Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)

Overall Rating:

(No sexiness rating)

Currently Reading - Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Up Next - Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins


Thanks and happy reading,
Mindy

Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage - Kieran Kramer

Every woman dreams of saying “I do.” Jilly Jones did—and years of a deeply imperfect marriage followed. Now living in London and working in a charming bookshop, the free-spirited Jilly is perfectly content with her newfound independence…until she meets a dashing naval officer who sparks her longing for a real happily ever after.
Captain Stephen Arrow is just home after years of service, and he’s in no hurry to give up his hard-won freedom. The meddlesome bluestocking Jilly Jones is exactly the kind of woman he doesn’t need…But there’s something about her that keeps drawing Stephen back to the bookshop. With her sparkling wit and understated beauty, she seems like a surprisingly real match for Stephen. But will a scandalous chapter in Jilly’s past stand in the way of their heated attraction? For this bachelor, nothing is impossible…

This is the third book in Kieran Kramer's Impossible Bachelor's Series.  I was an instant fan of Mrs. Kramer and have come to find her books synonymous with a great and enjoyable read.

I instantly felt a connection not only to the main characters but also between them.

Stephen was just wanting to take some time off after spending most of his life in the service of the Royal Navy. And Jilly was trying to escape the horrible marriage she had.

So the two meet up on what most people considered the most unlucky street in London...Dreare Street. What with its excessive fog and ornery residents it was just not seen to be the place in London to be.

So Jilly, because she wants to keep her book shop afloat, decides to hold a street fair and hopefully get the rest of London to see that Dreare street really isn't all that dreary after all.

Stephen agrees to help her because as he spends more time with Jilly he becomes aware that maybe his life after the service was not meant to be spent partying all night but maybe with a family.

Full of fun characters especially Otis Jilly helper and his crazy and outlandish fashion!! I adored this book but only gave it four stars simply because with the part of Jilly and her husband I just felt like something was missing other than that this book was a very enjoyable and funny read.

So if you want to check out a book that will having you laughing (and sighing especially at the thought of Captain Arrow in his dress uniform) then you can get your very own copy here -->Cloudy With A Chance Of Marriage (The Impossible Bachelors)


Overall Rating:

Sexiness Rating:

Currently Reading:

Up Next:


Also please be sure to check out my Facebook fan page - Romance Book Nerd Facebook Fan Page

Happy Reading,
Mindy

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Hi everyone so here is my review of The Hunger Games.  I hope you enjoy.

Also, I'm sorry I didn't realize I had my computer stereo turned up so loud, LOL!!

If you want to get your own copy just go here: The Hunger Games

I will get my review up of Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage in the next couple of days.

Also, I hope to get up on my other blog pictures of my Katy Perry look! When I do get it up it will be at My Life: Movies, Makeup and Madness

Overall Rating:

Currently Reading: Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Up Next: Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

I'm Still Alive!!

Hi everyone I just wanted to make a really quick blog to let you guys know that I'm still alive and breathing, LOL!

I honestly have just been super busy lately. I was working late at work and then I went out of town for a wedding and then add on top of that the most dreaded thing for those of us who love to read...a slump. Yep I've finished The Hunger Games and even did a video review but for whatever reason just never posted it. So my goal for tonight when I get home and have done my exercise and whatnot I will post that review.

I am happy to say I think I might be out of that ugly slump because today at work (here by myself and the phones were quiet) I was able to read a whole book so I will work on getting that review up in the next couple of days. I will then read the other two books in the Hunger Games Series first it is Catching Fire and then Mockingjay and I'm very excited to read those.

So I just wanted you guys to know that I have not forgotten about this blog and I hope with this slump behind me I can start posting more reviews for you!!

See you later!!

Just Like Heaven - Julia Quinn

 

 
Honoria Smythe-Smith is:
A) a really bad violinist B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child C) not in love with her older brother's best friend D) all of the above
Marcus Holroyd is:
A) the Earl of Chatteris B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister D) all of the above
Together they:
A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake B) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance C) fall quite desperately in love
It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is . . .
D) all of the above

I've been a HUGE fan of Julia Quinn for well a while now. I love her Bridgerton novels and her book The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever is probably one of my favorite historical romance novels. I wanna say probably only second to Johanna Lindsey's A Man to Call My Own.

So during the adventures with the Bridgertons you meet the Smythe-Smith girls. They hold a musicale every year and unfortunately they are all dreadful. People of the ton probably go simply because it is tradition because I do not know of another reason why people would subject themselves to such awfulness.

Well after being just side characters in those books the Smythe-Smiths garnered a place in the hearts of probably most Julia Quinn fans. So after what feels like ages we finally have a Smythe-Smith story.

Honoria Smythe-Smith knows the only way to be excused from performing in the annual musicale is to be married. So after only one year she decides she wants to marry. But also she wants to marry because with being the only child left in a house which was once full of laughter she wants her own family.

Marcus Holroyd was raised like all proper Marquis should. Strictly and learning everything there is to know about being a Marquis. Unfortunately all that time studying that left Marcus without what all children need...love.

So in Honoria's older brother Daniel he finds a best friend and soon finds himself enfolded within the warm arms of the Smythe-Smith family. After a scandal Daniel is forced to leave London and asks Marcus to look after Honoria by making sure she doesn't marry someone unworthy.

Honoria just doesn't understand why the suitors she had just stopped coming around. She also wondered why Marcus always felt it necessary to scowl at her across ballrooms.

Soon Marcus is injured quite literally from a trap set by Honoria to snag a potential husband. After saving Marcus' life Honoria realizes that a world without Marcus in it is just a cold place and realizes she loves him. Marcus soon learns that Honoria is the only person who ever understood him and loved him despite of all his shortcomings.

Soon Honoria learns that she was nothing but an obligation to Marcus but she is quite hopelessly in love with him so what is she to do?

Okay after much waiting I was finally able to read about the Smythe-Smiths. I have to say I was not disappointed. If I thought I loved them before I've come to realize I love them even more now. Just the interaction between Honoria, Sarah, Iris and Daisy will leave you in stitches...well at least they did me, LOL!!

Also, the story of Marcus and Honoria was soo sweet and tender I was literally sighing out loud when he tells her he loves her! It was sooo wonderful and I must admit I got a little teary eyed as well.

And darn it if Marcus did not somehow grab a hold of heart and not let go although he did not dislodge Nigel Bevelstoke (TSDOMMC) from my top spot of favorite Julia Quinn's heroes. Also, Colin Bridgerton makes a cameo and I remember just how much I loved him. This book was soo much fun it especially when it was like visiting old friends again.

I personally cannot wait for the next Smythe-Smith book!!

So if you want to read a sweet-tender romance just go here -->Just Like Heaven (The Smythe-Smiths)

Overall Rating:

Sexiness Rating:

Currently Reading: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Up Next: Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage by Kieran Kramer (I swear this will be the next book I pick up no MATTER what!!)
Listening To:

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart - Sarah MacLean

 

(Also this picture does not do this cover justice it is like HOT pink!!)

 
She lives for passion.
Bold, impulsive, and a magnet for trouble, Juliana Fiori is no simpering English miss. She refuses to play by society's rules: she speaks her mind, cares nothing for the approval of the ton, and can throw a punch with remarkable accuracy. Her scandalous nature makes her a favorite subject of London's most practiced gossips . . . and precisely the kind of woman The Duke of Leighton wants far far away from him.
 
He swears by reputation.
Scandal is the last thing Simon Pearson has room for in his well-ordered world. The Duke of Disdain is too focused on keeping his title untainted and his secrets unknown. But when he discovers Juliana hiding in his carriage late one evening—risking everything he holds dear—he swears to teach the reckless beauty a lesson in propriety. She has other plans, however; she wants two weeks to prove that even an unflappable duke is not above passion.

This is the third and final book in Sarah MacLean’s Numbers Series. (You can go here to read my reviews of the two previous books - Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake and Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord).  Even though this is only Sarah’s third romance novel I have to say she quickly became one of those authors who I absolutely adore!! I find myself excited to read her newest book.

This book is about Juliana Fiori the half-sister of Gabriel (Nine Rules) and Nicholas (Ten Ways). Juliana is not only the daughter of an Italian merchant but daughter to one of the most infamous Marchionesses that the ton has seen in a while. When she first lands in London she catches the eye of Simon Pearson whom she would later find out to be none other than the Duke of Leighton or more commonly known around the ton as the Duke of Disdain. After finding out about Juliana’s parentage he quickly lets her know that she is unworthy of any kind of association with him.

Simon Pearson wants nothing more than to protect his family. His sister is off in the country about to give birth without being married. He thinks by marrying a completely respectable English girl whose family has plenty of money and power and title then when his secret is revealed the ton may gossip but it won’t be much considering whom they will be talking about.

But Juliana has other plans. She wagers with Simon that within two weeks she will have him on his knees. She will make him succumb to passion which he finds to be a completely useless emotion in a good and proper English life.

Simon wagers that he will teach her a lesson that sometimes life must be lived stricter and that living a life full of passion can only lead to scandal and heartache.

The two set out to prove they are in the right. Juliana by tempting Simon at every turn with her sharp tongue and fiery passion. Simon by showing her that he still plans to marry the English “grape”. 

OMG let me just tell you this book was as I told Mrs. MacLean on Twitter – “bloody brilliant”!! At first you hate Simon and you are thinking how in the world is she going to redeem him? Because in the last book Ten Ways you get a bit of a taste of whom he is but then in this book you really see him. So you are wondering how she is going to turn this around. But she does so just beautifully!!  You actually start to feel a bit sorry for him especially after meeting his mother. Juliana wants nothing more than to fit in to the English society even though she claims it does not matter. She wants Simon to realize that a life lived without love and passion is a life only half lived. The story evolved naturally and without seeming pushy.

I know at the end of this story I was sighing and laughing and crying all at the same time. So if a book can do this then all I know is it has to be good!

I will say this the one character that really caught my eye in this book was Benedick the Earl of Allendale whom is the brother of Callie from Nine Rules. I soo would love to have his story!!

So if you want to read an incredibly beautiful and moving love story then you definitely need to read this book and I have a feeling you want be disappointed!! Get your copy here --> Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart

Overall Rating:

Sexiness Rating:

Currently Reading: Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (yes I got my copy early it was not supposed to be released until May 31st!!)

Up Next: Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage by Kieran Kramer

Watching: The French Open

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Okay my faithful followers I'm going to be honest with you. The only reason why I decided to get this book was because of the movie coming out in August based off of it. The movie stars Emma Stone whom I love since seeing her in Zombieland and Easy A. So yes for that reason alone I decided to buy this book. I got my copy off of eBay for a great price for the hardback version.

This is perhaps one of the best books I've ever read. Period. The way Kathryn Stockett writes is new and refreshing. She has a way to keep you soo engrossed in the story that you absolutely will not want to put it down.

She tells the story from the perspective of three very different women:

Aibileen - She is an older maid who has seen many things in her time caring for white children. Even after the loss of her only child Treelor she continues to live her life after she overcomes her grief enough to move on.

Minny - A fast talking ball of fire. She speaks her mind to anyone and everyone (even her employers). However, even with all that fire and that attitude she is stuck in a marriage to a man just like her father (which she said she would never do) - a drunk.  He not only drinks but he beats her. She does not think she can leave because she has 5 kids of her own to consider.

Miss Skeeter - She is a white girl who has just returned to Jackson. However, she wants nothing more than to leave and go to New York City to become a writer. She has to deal with her Southern mother who is always trying to get her married and is constantly trying to fix all of her imperfections - too tall, skinny, crazy hair. However, she does not want to get married simply because that is what is expected of her.

How do these three come together??

Well Skeeter gets a job at the Jackson Journal writing the Miss Myrna column which is a weekly column about helpful household tips. But how is a girl who's never cleaned a thing in her life to write a column about that?? Well she goes to her friend Elisabeth and asks her if she can speak to her maid Aibileen about it. Elisabeth agrees.

Soon the talk turns from the Miss Myrna column to something else that has been plaguing Skeeter. Her beloved maid Constantine stopped writing her all of sudden while she was at Ole Miss and when she comes home she finds her no longer there. So she starts asking Aibileen about Constantine and at first Abileen is resistant to help.

After awhile Skeeter begins to notice how her "friends" treat their maids. Especially Hilly Holbrook. Hilly is cold and manipulative to everyone (except her children). She has dreams of her husband going to a government office and would do almost anything to make sure it happens. Hilly is also starting a movement to make it a law to have a separate bathroom for the help outside because of sanitation. It is with this that Skeeter begins to really examine the people around her and just does not see how Hilly could be like this.

So Skeeter goes to Aibileen with a proposition - how about writing a book from the prospective of the help. Aibileen agrees because it was her son Treelor's dream to be a writer. Soon Abileen is able to convince Minny to help them and soon after she is able to get quite a few more maids to help in secret.

What really gets the maids to agree was the actions of Hilly Hollbrook. First she fires Minny for allegedly stealing her mother's silver and for not feeding her. Which as everyone in the white part of town and the black part of town all know is Minny's food is excellent.

Also, during this time Skeeter gets her first love and soon has her heart broken not only by Stuart but also by the cold, hatred afforded to her by her "friend" Hilly Holbrook.

In the end their book is published under Anonymous and even with the name of Jackson changed to Niceville and names changed everyone who reads it just know it is about Jackson. But thanks to Minny's Terrible Awful Thing to Hilly they will not be able to speak it aloud for fear of facing Hilly Holbrook.

Skeeter finally finds out the truth of what happened to Constantine from Aibileen (after much prodding mind you). So she goes to her mother with the truth. Her mother does not deny it and feels she should tell her daughter because she gets sicker by the day.

I am not going to tell you what Minny's Terrible Awful Thing is (trust me you will be like "what!!!") and I will not tell you about Skeeter's maid Constantine because you guys to need to have something to look forward while reading the book.

I will tell you this book had me laughing and crying. I loved it and I very much recommend you reading it! So if you want to do just that you can go here --> The Help (paperback version) or The Help By Kathryn Stockett (hardback)


Overall Rating:

Currently Reading - Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean
Up Next - Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage  by Kieran Kramer
Listening To:

Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris

Here is my review of the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel or as they are also called The Southern Vampire Mysteries!!  Also this video is about 10 minutes long...sorry I just got some video editing software and I'm still learning how to edit video but I wanted to go ahead and get this up. I am also considering maybe making a YouTube channel but don't know yet!!

Also, don't forget to follow me on twitter it is @romancebooknerd or join up on my Facebook Page at The Romance Book Nerd

ALSO BE WARNED THIS VIDEO CONTAINS SPOILERS!!

OMG in my 10 minute ramble I forget to mention that Eric fights Victor and ends up killing him and some of his faction which is a HUGE thing to happen and will set up a lot of things in the coming books!!
Overall Rating:

Sexiness Rating:

I will be posting my review of The Help by Kathryn Stockett in the next couple of days!!


Currently Reading: Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart - Sarah Maclean
Up Next: Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage - Kieran Kramer
Listening to:

Seducing the Governess - Margo Maguire

A Proper Governess Should Never. . .
Assist a handsome stranger, alone on an unfamiliar road . . . unless the rake happens to be her new employer.
Take a position in a crumbling manor . . . especially if the household staff has been replaced by unruly former soldiers.
Allow her young charge entrÉe to her heart . . . for once done, it will be impossible to maintain proper distance.
Permit her charge's uncle a breathtaking kiss under a star-lit sky . . . henceforth she will most certainly lose composure whenever he is near.
And above all, she should never, ever fall completely, irreversibly in love with her employer . . . for nothing good can possibly come of it.

This is my first book by Margo Maguire and I'm pleased to say that I've found a new author to watch.

This story was different than many. In the fact that our hero was scarred from a fire on his face during Waterloo. However, Mercy saw past all of that and still saw the raw sexual appeal of her new employer.

I loved the beginning it had me laughing and I love that. I loved the fact that one of our main characters wasn't perfect but yet our other main character could see past the outside and fall madly and hopelessly in love with him.

The intrigue woven within the story was enough to get the book a little more meat. Although I do love historical romance books that are simply romance only BUT I do also love books where there is a bit of mystery and intrigue added in.

Also, I fell really hard for Captain Briggs the guy put in charge with finding Mercy for her real grandfather the Duke of Windemere. (I want say anything more - I'm trying to not give so much away in my reviews....*grin*) So I cannot wait to read his story and about Mercy's still missing twin sister.

I loved Nash and Mercy. To me they fit well together and complimented each other in many ways. Their relationship was sweet and endearing BUT I did feel the end was a bit rushed so that is why I only gave it four stars but all in all I really enjoyed this book.  Mercy came from a family who had shown her nothing but cool disdain and Nash had been raised completely opposite but even after his losses he, in the end, was willing to risk his heart (because he was worried about losing more loved ones) to be with the woman he loved.

If you want to read Nash and Mercy's story just go here --> Seducing the Governess


ALSO, I just finished the new Sookie book but I plan on posting that review tomorrow!!

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Currently Reading: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Up Next: Hmmm right now I'm not really sure, LOL!!
Currently Watching - NBA Basketball