A Night to Surrender - Tessa Dare

Welcome to Spindle Cove, where ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are . . . nowhere to be found.

Or are they?

Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men; it is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn't belong here. So far as he can tell, there's nothing in this place but spinsters . . .and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders togather a militia. It's a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch--a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram's makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle; but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

 

Hey guys I know I said that I was going to do a video review for Low Pressure but when I got home last night I looked at my (overflowing) bookshelf and saw this beauty glaring a hole in me. I started reading this book...gosh I know it has been over a year ago. I started it when I was going through some very personal and emotional things due to my father's illness and I lost all interest in everything even this book...the book was wonderful but my heart was just not in it...then last night I decided I was going to finish it and finish it I did!!

 

I'm so glad that I finally got through with this book and very happy with myself that I was able to pick up where I left off over a year ago without any trouble.

 

However, this review is going to be short and sweet...

 

Basically I absolutely adored this book and remembered why I fell in love with Tessa Dare's writing.

 

Also, Bram is definitely the epitome of a tortured hero and of course I loved him because I just have this thing with the whole tortured hero!

 

And Susanna was just absolutely awesome...she was the perfect match for our glowering, tortured hero!!

 

So please if you are looking for a wonderful story to read then definitely give this book a chance...immediately after finishing this one I bought the next book in the series A Week to be Wicked on my Kindle and I'm really looking forward to reading that one!!

 

Happy Reading,

Mindy

 

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SEXINESS RATING:

 

 

Reflected in You - Sylvia Day

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to. He was my addiction... my every desire... mine.

My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We'd never work. It was too hard, too painful... except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity.

We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession...


HELLOOOOOOOO fellow book nerds!!

Man I feel like I really neglect not only this page but my beautiful bookcase full of books that are just waiting to be read and loved. I am such an awful book nerd...I mean how can I honestly call myself a book nerd anymore when I no longer read like I used to?? I really blame TV. All my extra time I used to spend reading I now spend watching TV. Really why do they have to have so many shows on TV that I like?

Anyway enough of that now on to a very ambiguous review...(LOL you'll see what I mean) 

I finished up the second installment in the Crossfire series about a month ago but have yet to blog about it. I thought about doing a video but I’m still not so sure about them because my last was such a fiasco. But hey maybe I will bite the bullet and try again for the book I’m currently reading Low Pressure by Sandra Brown. I do plan on finishing it then reading the last book in the Crossfire series and then no matter what reading the Game of Thrones books.

So I have to say I actually enjoyed this book (Reflected in You) much better than the first book. I just feel like this one had a little bit more "meat" to it. More story. It seemed to move at a faster pace than the other (when I actually sat my butt down and turned off the TV).

There is a huge and I mean HUGE thing that happens in the book concerning Eva’s former step-brother and I wish....OH HOW I WISH....I could expound on it but I don’t want to have that big of a spoiler here so if you need to know but haven’t read the book then....you’ll have to read it because I just can’t say *agh the agony of containing a secret*

Also, an old flame comes back into Eva’s life and throws her world for a little bit of a loop. Also, Eva starts to slowly piece together what happened to Gideon as a child and even confronts his mother about it...that was probably one of favorite scenes in the book. Also, she confronts his ex-fiancé too and that was as well a great scene!!

*SIDE NOTE* My favorite Gideon and Eva scene was on the airplane to Vegas...trust me!

Also, because of the GIANORMOUS secret involving Eva’s step-brother Gideon starts to distance himself from Eva and she thinks that he’s finally done with her even after going to couple’s therapy with her. She sees Gideon exit his office with his former fiancé and she sees what she thinks is lipstick on his collar but is it? (I know what it is after trolling on Sylvia Day’s website forum and someone asked if it was and she told him it wasn’t...aghhh again I can’t tell you because it would give too much away!!)

Like I said this book had a lot more story to it and I can’t wait to see what happens in the third book. I highly recommend this book and this series (along with the Fifty Shades of Grey series).

Okay my lovely followers I must go before I accidentally spew spoilers....LATER!!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy

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SEXINESS RATING:

What Happens in Scotland - Jennifer McQuiston

Lady Georgette Thorold has always been wary of marriage, so when she wakes up next to an attractive Scotsman with a wedding ring on her finger, it’s easy to understand why she panics and flees. Convinced that Georgette is a thief, her may-be husband, James McKenzie, searches for her. As both try to recall what happened that fateful night, they begin to realize that their attraction and desire for each other is undeniable. But is it enough?

Hello my lovelies!! How have you been? I hope you have been doing well. I'm finally back with a new book review...YAY!!

I found this book while trolling through Amazon's Coming Soon section of romance novels a few months ago. As soon as I read the description I knew I had to have this book!

So I ordered it along with some other books (that I seriously need to get my butt to reading) and cracked it open immediately. Now I will admit that it did take a little bit to get going (kind of like a train starting out at the station) but once it hit its stride it turned out to be a very wonderful book.

Georgette heads to stay with her cousin in Scotland after what she feels is proper mourning for her no good husband. She had a marriage but it was not what she had pictured for herself and after her husband's death she decides that she does not want to ever be married again because marriage made her unhappy and now she is free to spend her inheritance any way she pleases.

However, what she does not realize is that her cousin has his own nefarious plans for her and her fortune.

So Georgette escapes his clutches and runs into the town of Moraig (I think that's the name I finished it some time ago...feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). She starts kicking her heels up at a local pub and soon wakes up to find herself in bed with Scotsman and apparently married.

When he awakens she throws a chamber pot at him...a freaking chamber pot...I was laughing soo hard at this I could barely contain myself. She flees but soon realizes she has no memory of the night before and that she needs to find her mysterious husband and make an annulment like yesterday.

James can't believe he does not remember the night before so he goes in search of the mysterious woman who threw a chamber pot (LOL) at his head.

So they each spend the day (yes this book only takes place in the span of one day) trying to find the other and enter a bar wench turned house maid, an over protective brother, a lost horse, a stray kitten, a butcher with missing teeth and several other zany characters and you have all the makings of a Hangover set in 19th Century Scotland!!

I will tell you guys the reason I'm only giving it 4 stars is because of the slow start but other than that I have no complaints with this book. I think this was a wonderful debut novel and can't wait to see what else Ms. McQuiston decides to pull out of her writer's cap!!

Also, guys I'm hopefully going to be starting a YouTube channel and will start posting all my reviews there but I will put links here. I just think that would be a really cool way to get a review that way you can really get a sense of my feelings for a book better than reading what I write.

So I hope you guys are staying happy and healthy I'm off to read Dead Ever After the last Sookie Stackhouse book...but I must be honest I'm having a hard time getting into it since I know the ending...thanks internet, LOL!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy

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Bared to You - Sylvia Day

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness…

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

HELLO EVERYONE!! I'm here for a review!! WHAT...WHAT!!! LOL!!

Well I finally finished the first novel in the Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day - Bared to You. This book was a scorching hot read let me tell you! If you liked Fifty Shades of Grey I am pretty certain that you will love this one as well.

Eva has spent her adult life trying to overcome a dark past that haunts her. With the help of her bi-sexual friend Cary she is trying to adjust to her new life in New York. So with a new job and a new place she hopes she can finally have the life she has been wanting.

Gideon has spent his life building his empire and the day he meets Eva everything for him changes. He has a dark past that has yet to be revealed and in Eva he finds someone who can love him for him and that is something he desperately wants and craves.

The tension between Eva and Gideon is very much apparent from the first moment that they meet and when they finally come to gather prepare yourself for an explosion OH-KAY!!

I'm dying to know what lies in Gideon's past that makes him have all of those nightmares and poor Eva and what she went through is simply awful.

I can't wait to pick up the next book Reflected in You because like I said I'm dying to know what demons are haunting Gideon and hopefully get to know more about this deeply dark and delicious character!! (There I go again mooning over the tortured hero..I think I need to find a support group or just read another book...hahahaha!!)

I will tell you guys if you are not into very detailed and erotic love scenes then you probably should not consider reading this or Fifty for that matter but for those of you who don't mind it then make sure you don't get burned!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy

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(More like a million, LOL!)

The Lizzie Bennett Diaries - MY OBSESSION!!

I have to be honest I've been dying to write this blog post for sometime now. I know I haven't posted any book reviews (bad book blogger, very bad book blogger!). 

Anyway I'm sure you all have heard of The Lizzie Bennett Diaries on YouTube. If not...first off gasp, shock, horror!!! Where have you been? I would be ashamed to call myself a romance buff and for that matter a fan of anything dealing with Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice...just kidding, no seriously!

Well just in case you have been living under a rock for the past year now I'll fill you in...

The Lizzie Bennett Diaries is a bi-weekly web series which is based on the most historical and romantic book of all time Pride & Prejudice. It puts a modern spin on it. In it the titular character Lizzie Bennett (aka Elizabeth Bennett) is doing a vlog for her independent study. She decides to post videos every Monday and Thursday and talks about her daily life including her parents, her sisters (Jane and Lydia - although the other sister Mary has been turned in to a cousin but that's a small detail), William Darcy and all the other characters from Jane Austen's classic tale.

I will admit that I did come a little late to the party on this and had to catch up with all the episodes that were out and it took me almost a whole day to watch them (thanks to buffering...boo for buffering). But I was hooked from the first one and find myself waiting (sometimes impatiently) for the next show. I just can't wait to log into YouTube on Mondays and Thursdays to see in my news feed the latest video. I've become truly invested in this new modern take on this wonderful classic that I find myself consumed by what will happen next and also telling pretty much anyone that will listen that they need to check it out. Since the series has started a couple of little spinoffs have been created you can also follow Lydia's videos to see what's going on with her which of course intersect with Lizzie's videos. Now you can watch William Darcy's sister Gigi's videos which also entwine with them. 

Even with all these extra little videos I still feel like that is just not enough...which is why I've come to the (obvious) conclusion that I'm just a (wee) bit obsessed with them. 

So if you are interested in watching this series then just check it out below!! (Also fair warning there are 86 episodes so you'll probably spend the rest of your day sitting in bed watching all of them just thought I'd warn you.)





And just in case you were wondering here are some of my favorite videos (which oddly enough are all some of the most recent ones and all after we FINALLY meet Darcy)!!

The first time we see (sort of) see Darcy:




AND THEN the most awesomey awesomest moment so far in LBD history (LOL!!!)




And of course the follow up:



And now my very favorite video...not sure why just makes me sigh longingly...





Darcy does costume theater...HOLY COW!!




Probably one of the funniest moments on LBD...




And lastly the most touching and wonderful video (although it has it's sad moment)

Kieran Kramer Contest

HEY EVERYONE!!

Again, I know it has been forever but I'm working on reading a few books right now but I'm going to be honest with you guys with soo much wonderful TV to watch I've kinda fallen behind again...ARGHHH!!

So I hope to have a review for you by next week because I AM going to finish Bared to You by  Slyvia Day and then read the sequel Reflected in You...I PROMISE...I PINKY SWEAR!!!

Anyway I love Facebook because I can keep up with all my favorite authors and their latest releases and one in particular I'm super excited about is Kieran Kramer's latest The Earl is Mine. I fell in love with her books immediately with When Harry Met Molly which has been one of my favorite reads ever in a romance book.  And if you are at all curious you can go HERE to see my review of it. I must admit I still have the last book in her Impossible Bachelors series to read and then I must get started on her latest series The House of Brady which I have the first book Loving Lady Marcia and I just need to get to reading!!

Anyway on to the real reason for this post...Kieran Kramer is having a wonderful contest for the release of the second book in her House of Brady series The Earl is Mine.

If you want to know more about the book and the contest then just click that lovely little box down below...and GOOD LUCK!! (Also I am posting this an entry for myself because hey I love to win wonderful book prizes!!)

As You Wish - Elyssa Patrick

Love doesn’t always follow the sheet music . . .

This Christmas, Portia Jackson needs a miracle to save her family’s generations-old florist shop. What she gets instead is a car that breaks down during a blizzard. Help arrives unexpectedly when the infamous Aubry Riley pulls over. She only expects him to drive her to the gas station . . . she never expects that kiss. But Portia lives in the real world—she knows this is only a holiday fling for Aubry. Except it doesn’t feel so temporary, and the last thing she wants is a broken heart.

Sometimes you have to sing some different notes . . .

Rock star Aubry Riley has no secrets. Thanks to the media, everyone knows about his troubled past. Six years have gone by since his world crashed, and now he’s ready for a comeback. But first he needs to reconcile with his family—starting with his six-year-old daughter. A month-long vacation at a Vermont lake house affords him the perfect opportunity to take a step in the right direction. He doesn’t need any other emotional entanglements, especially not with the bright-eyed florist he can’t stop thinking about. But no matter how hard he tries to resist her, he can’t. Now all he has to do is to convince Portia that there is nothing temporary when it comes to love.

I have to say that I got this book for free from the author to read.

Okay now that's out of the way I have to say I adored this book. It was a quick, funny and sexy read that I found very hard to put down.

I immediately fell in love with the characters and got a sense of where they were coming from and understood them.

Aubry is that quintessential rock and roll bad boy. But when you learn where he's from and the pain he experienced you kind of understand why he is who he is. Also, he wants to repair the relationship with his sister and also become the father his daughter deserves.

Portia is just trying to keep her family's flower shop from closing. It is her life but soon finds out that maybe there is more to life than running the shop.

I have to say this while I loved Portia and Aubry I found myself being drawn to the secondary story of Laura (Portia's best friend) and Finn (Portia's brother). I just felt so giddy and excited when I started reading there little pieces of the book.

Overall a wonderful debut!! I can't wait to read more!!

Overall Rating:

Sexiness Rating:

Hugs,
Mindy

A Night Like This - Julia Quinn

 

Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is . . .

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge—in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy—no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten year old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending...

OH WOW two reviews in about a week I'm doing good, LOL!!!

Well I have to say that I'm a huge, huge, HUGE fan of Julia Quinn. I fell in love with her Bridgerton series and even more so with the Smythe-Smith's who were secondary characters in that series. I am soo glad to be reading about them now!!

Anne Wynter (aka Annelisse Shawcross) is trying to get on with her life after a choice she made while she was 16 changed her way of life completely.

Daniel Smythe-Smith is pretty much in the same boat. After a drunken night of cards and a duel at dawn he has been in exile for the last three years. 

The two meet because Anne is the governess to Daniel's three younger cousins. He is immediately enraptured by her beauty and is determined to get to know her.

Anne tries her best to keep a safe distance away from Daniel. She has finally found a position she loves and does not want to risk losing due to the attentions of Lord on Winstead.

Soon they are having to deal with the demons of Anne's past. The man from her past wants his revenge for her having physically scarring him even though all she was trying to do was defend herself.

I absolutely LOVED this book!! As I stated previously I'm a huge fan of Julia Quinn. Her books always make me laugh. I have to say the sparkling gem in this book were Daniel's three cousins - Elizabeth, Frances and Harriet (who by far was my favorite!! And I think she deserves her own book, LOL!!) I love her books because they are always so light hearted (even though this one had some danger) and just make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

So if you are looking for a book just to lift your spirits then you need to get A Night Like This because I do not think you will be disappointed. If you are well then I feel bad for you, LOL!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy

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Currently Reading -  A Game of Thrones  by George R. R. Martin
Up Next: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

Fify Shades Freed - E.L. James

When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees.

Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.

Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn to reality.

Hi, everyone!! I’m actually back with a book review for you can you believe it? I’m super excited!!

I finally finished up the last book in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. It sat on hold for a while because of things being not so good in my personal life but I’m happy to say I did finish it.

Also, I have to say that out of the three books this was by far my favorite (although a little less raunchy so to speak, LOL!!).

So Anatasia and Christian are married and are having to deal with coping with the ins and outs of everyday married life along with Christian still struggling with being super, mega overprotective of everything. Also, having to deal with the complications that come with marrying someone you only know a very short time. They seem to work out all their demons and are able to be happy but in no way is it perfect.

They also have to deal with someone from Christian’s past who wants nothing more than to destroy him and his family. There is also some bad news for Anatasia whose father ends up in the hospital after an car accident.

But together they somehow find a way to work it out and at one point I was actually inwardly cheering Anatasia for standing up for herself to Christian and I think it also did him some good.

The best part of the whole book was the Epilogue because Ana and Christian are at their home and playing with their little boy and waiting on the arrival of another child. I am sure that being a father did help Christian out with some of his issues (although he still has some, LOL!!)

I really enjoyed this series but I have to say this - no it was not the most well written book at times but I was able to get past that and just enjoy the story.

So if you want a light (yet sexy) read then I would recommend trying out this series!!

Happy Reading,
Mindy Lu

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Fifty Shades Darker - E.L. James

Daunted by the singular tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house.

But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven and demanding Fifty Shades.

While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her, and make the most important decision of her life.

This is the second book in the Fity Shades trilogy by E.L. James. I have to say that I loved this book just as much as the first one.

We pick up right where we left Christian and Ana in the first book. Ana is still trying to work through her feelings for Christian and his dark side as a Dom in the world of BDSM. Can she really do that? She finds that her feelings for Christian are stronger than she ever imagined and decides that she is worse away from Christian than she is with him.

Christian is tortured by Ana's departure and comes to realize that the feelings he has for her is more potent than any thing he has ever felt before. He is slowly starting to shed of the pain from his past to realize that Ana is the only future that he wants. He decides to fight for that because she makes him everything that he has always wanted to be.

I feel that the relationship of Ana and Christian is very much real and find that in the other they find what they are missing that is why their love is so very emotional and strong.

Well I have to say that I have loved reading these books and am loving reading the last one right now. I mean where can I get my own Christian Grey? I mean complete with fetishes and money...no I'm not that picky, LOL!!

I think if you want a quick and very sexy read then these books are definitely for you but if you don't enjoy a little pain with your pleasure then they might not be the best for you.

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Hugs,
Mindy

Currently Reading: Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

Up Next: A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Well alas my fellow book nerds I am BACK!! Yes finally!! So after almost six months....YES SIX MONTHS of not reading I finally finished a book and I can feel that old feeling coming back!! YIPPEEE!!

I owe E.L. James a huge debt of thanks for knocking me out of quite possibly my longest EVER reading rut.

So over the last couple of months I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about the Shades of Grey trilogy. Well I decided to give it a try and see what I thought of it.

The story took off in an instant and it never let go. From the immediate meeting between Christian and Anastasia there is a palpable tension between them. Also, you gotta love a girl who literally trips over her own two feet into the office of one the world’s richest men.

Anastasia is of the belief that she’s gawky and well not really all the pretty as in comparison to her friend and roommate Kate. Although, she has guys constantly vying for her attention. I guess she is just to oblivious to it. The whole time I was reading this I kept hearing the song You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful by One Direction in my head, LOL!! I feel that the lyrics to that song described Ana perfectly.

Christian knows his affect on women and he’s bound and determined to have Anastasia Steele in his bedroom. Yes he’s rich. Yes he’s good looking but mostly he’s a very tortured soul. He has demons that as of this book are slowly being revealed but I’m sure we’ll learn more over the next two. (Again you guys know I love me a tortured hero, LOL!!)

Finally, Christian convinces Ana to give him a chance but soon she finds out that this man with the cool exterior is hiding a very deep and naughty secret. He’s a Dominant and he wants Ana to be his Submissive. He proposes this to her in the only way he knows how...a business deal. But Ana has wanted more out of life and soon she’s got Christian wanting to give her more and this takes him by surprise.

This book is filled with hot, sexy scenes that will make your heart race and if you read them in public maybe blush just a wee bit, LOL!!

I’m hooked on this series and can’t wait to see how the relationship of Ana and Christian evolves. I will be reading them but first I gotta read the next installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series...Deadlocked!!

So if you are looking for a hot (and I do mean HOT) read then this is the book for you. Now warning if you are not into stuff like BDSM and the like then I don’t recommend it. I read this and afterwards realized something about myself...with this and loving Vishous from The Black Dagger Brotherhood books who is also into BDSM maybe this is a pattern forming...hmmm....something to contemplate, no?

Hugs,
Mindy
The Romance Book Nerd

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Sexiness Rating: (yeah this doesn’t do it justice)

　

　
Currently Reading:

　
Up Next:

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!!

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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

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)

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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:

Claimed by the Highlander - Julianne MacLean

 

 
NIGHT OF CONQUEST
With his tawny mane, battle-hewn brawn, and ferocious roar, Angus “The Lion” MacDonald is the most fearsome warrior Lady Gwendolen has ever seen—and she is his most glorious conquest. Captured in a surprise attack on her father’s castle, Gwendolen is now forced to share her bed with the man who defeated her clan. But, in spite of Angus’s overpowering charms, she refuses to surrender her innocence without a fight…
PRISONER OF PASSION
With her stunning beauty, bold defiance, and brazen smile , Gwendolen is the most infuriating woman Angus has ever known—and the most intoxicating. Forcing her to become his bride will unite their two clans. But conquering Gwendolen’s heart will take all his skills as a lover. Night after night, his touch sets her on fire. Kiss after kiss, his hunger fuels her passion. But, as Gwendolen’s body betrays her growing love for Angus, a secret enemy plots to betray them both…

This is Julianne MacLean's second book in her newest Highlander series.

As with the first book in this series Captured by the Highlander I was grabbed on the first page and it did not let me go. Even when I found myself unable to read it I found myself thinking of the story and wondering what awaited me when I was finally able to pick the book back up.

I have come to love Julianne MacLean and this is on the second book I have read by her. I have come to love the way she writes. The story always flows well and never seems to lag but yet she gives you just enough detail to make you feel as if you are there but then she does not overload it where you find yourself dragged down in a bog of descriptive text. Her books are quick to read and also very enjoyable to read.

I absolutely loved Angus McDonald. He is one of those wounded, tortured heroes that I absolutely find myself attracted to. I guess I am attracted to them because I want to see them redeemed and changed.

I found that Gwendolyn was the perfect woman for Angus because while she admittedly was afraid of him she still found the guts and the willpower to stand up to her conqueror the Scottish Lion. She wants to do what is best for her clan and soon learns that she can come to love her enemy which shocks her but something which she overcomes easily.

Soon Gwendolyn and Angus find their  new and fragile love tested by people from their past and at the end of it all their love becomes stronger than either anticipated.

I'm soo disappointed that I have to wait until October to read the next book in this series Seduced by the Highlander which is the story of Lachlan McDonald the cousin of Angus and I must say I'm very much looking forward to it.

So if you want to read a sweeping, enchanting romance go get your copy here -->Claimed by the Highlander

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Currently Reading - Seducing the Governess by Margo Maguire
Up Next - To be honest I'm not really sure because on April 26, 2011 I got three books I will be buying A Tale of Two Lovers by Maya Rodale, Cloudy With a Chance of Marriage by Kieran Kramer and Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah Maclean - so there I'm not really sure which it will be!!
Watching  - The Memphis Grizzlies play the San Antonio Spurs in the Playoffs - GO GRIZZ!!!