See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

See Jane Score (Chinooks Hockey Team, #2)
by Rachel Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ahh now this is a book for a true Hockey Fan :) Lots of action on the ice in this book :)

THIS IS JANE

A little subdued. A little stubborn. A little tired of going out on blind dates with men who drive vans with sofas in the back, Jane Alcott is living the Single Girl existence in the big city. She is also leading a double life. By day, she's a reporter covering the raucous Seattle Chinooks hockey team—especially their notorious goalie Luc Martineau. By night, she's a writer, secretly creating the scandalous adventures of "Honey Pie"...the magazine series that has all the men talking.

SEE JANE SPAR

Luc has made his feelings about parasite reporters—and Jane—perfectly clear. But if he thinks he's going to make her life a misery, he'd better think again.

SEE JANE ATTRACT

For as long as he can remember, Luc has been single minded about his career. The last thing he needs is a smart mouthed, pain in the backside, reporter digging into his past and getting in his way. But once the little reporter shed her black and gray clothes in favor of a sexy red dress, Luc sees that there is more to Jane than originally meets the eye.

Maybe it's time to take a risk. Maybe it's time to live out fantasies. Maybe it's time to....

SEE JANE SCORE!

 

Jen's Review-

Loved it! We start off with Jane working on her newest article for Him Magazine - The life of Honey Pie - lol She's a total nympho But Honey Pie is not the same person as Jane - Jane is in fact the opposite of Honey Pie. She doesn't have her curves, she is too shy, and plain compared to Honey, That's why Honey Pie is her secret fantasy. And she writes it in secret.

When Jane gets a phone call from her boss, she finds out that the guy who normally writes for the Chinooks Hockey team is in the hospital, and wont be returning anytime soon. So she gets his job.
At first Jane was nervous. She knew she needed this job, and she was looking forward to the experience, but ... hee hee she knew nothing about Hockey, and she did know that female sports writers were not as welcoming with the teams... especially in the locker rooms.

When she was introduced to the team, they told her not to expect a lot of cooperation from them... she didn't expect it, but that wasn't going to stop her.

Their first game was out of town, traveling with the team was exactly as they said it would be. They tormented her at her hotel with hang up phone calls, and snuck off to dinner while she ate at the hotel alone, and even went as far as bringing her a dead mouse, just for laughs..

She read her Hockey books for dummies, and tried to follow everything going on it the games, In the locker room after each game, the guys had a special way of giving her their attention - by dropping their shorts just as she walks by. Ignoring her questions, she was really frustrated, but determined to get her job right.

Until the team wasn't keeping with their winning streak, and blamed their bad luck on Janbeing there.
Which got her fired from the sports section. She knew it was a possibility, after all, Hockey Players were very superstitious, but it still stung.

She tried to show she was better than the guys who called her "bad luck" and went to their next home game. She walked into the locker room and wished them luck. She shook hands of the captain, and walked out.
outside of the locker room she ran into Luc, the goalie. She knew he was the main reason she lost her job. She thanked him personally by telling him she needed that job, and calling him a Big dumb Dodo.

Luc felt badly, yes he was the one that started the rumors about Jane giving the team bad luck, but she didn't belong with the team.
But he didn't realize that she NEEDED the job.

So he had talked to the management and they told him they offered her the job back, but she didn't take it.
So he went to her apartment to talk her into it.
She was already planning on taking the job, but watching Luc talk her into taking it was better. She even weaseled an exclusive one on one interview! Something that no one has done before.

So that night when she was sitting in the press box before the game, the manager called her down to the locker room. The team was strongly superstitious, and since she made her speech and they won, then shook the captain's hand, and he had his first triple hat, they made her do the speech all over again. Which meant just before every game, she had to deliver the same speech, and call Luc a Big Dumb Dodo...

Things started getting easier, the team talked to her more after the game, and they included her a little more at the hotels.

When they had their home stretch, it was good to be back in her own apartment.
The team was invited to the retirement of Hugh's jersey (Hugh and John from the first book had retired after getting married a few years earlier to Georgeanne and Mae - remember them?? )

Jane had gotten a make over by her BFF Caroline, and showed up in the most stunning red dress she had ever worn.. and Luc couldn't believe it was the same short, flat chested, boring clothes Jane that she usually was.

This was a really cute story. I enjoyed reading about Jane learning the game. and the details about the actual games were pretty good too :)
 I love Luc - he's such a fun loving guy, HA! Who am I kidding. there isn't anything fun or loving about this guy, but he defiantly has a soft spot. He is great with his sister, and shows his true feelings towards the end :)

Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson

Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of my new favorite books :)
I LOVE books that involve little kids and I LOVE Hockey - so this book is a must read :)

Georgeanne Howard, charm school graduate and Southern belle extraordinaire, leaves her fiancé at the altar when she realizes she just can't marry a man old enough to be her grandfather, no matter how rich he is. John Kowalsky unknowingly helps her escape, and only when it's too late does he realize that he's absconded with his boss's bride. At the height of his hockey career, this bad boy isn't looking to be anybody's savior but his own, no matter how beautiful this angel may be. But a long night stretches ahead of them--a night too sultry to resist temptation.

When Georgeanne and John meet again, she is on her way to becoming Seattle's domestic darling and he is past his hellraising days. But he is shocked to learn that their single unforgettable night in paradise produced a daughter, and he is determined to be part of her life. Georgeanne has loved John since the moment she jumped into his little red Corvette seven years ago, but she doesn't want to risk her heart again. Is he really a changed man? And will he risk the wrath of his boss, and one final chance at glory, to prove that this time his love will be everlasting?  

 

Jen's Review-

The book starts off with Georgeanne as a 9 year old little girl. she over hears her grandmother talking to the doctor about her. She has a brand dysfunction. Back in 1976, a Brand dysfunction was anywhere between Dyslexia and retardation.. So no one knew what to think about this news.
Instead of learning in a regular school, Georgeanne was learning how to charm the pants off any man. She had been to just about every cooking school and charm school there was to offer.

Several years later, she was about to marry Virgil, the owner of the Chinook's hockey team. He was rich, but he was old.. and he didn't love her, but she didn't love him. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to be with someone she didn't love. So she grabbed her Over night cosmetic suitcase, and ran out of the church.

Luckily for her, she spotted one of the Hockey players getting into his car. She asked him for a ride.

Not knowing who she was, John saw a lady in a pink dress and gave her a ride.
When he realized who she was, he panicked. He was going to be traded for sure by helping the owner's bride to be flee his wedding. What was he thinking!
THe truth of it is, he wasn't. She wasn't wearing a typical wedding dress, and the way she looked, she was young enough to be his granddaughter!

But it was more than that. She had that "House cat" vibe, the "Love me, feed me, take care of me" breed. She Purred and rubbed and other than making a man yowl, wasn't' good for anything else.
So he'd take her where she needed to go, but the last thing he needed was to get involved.

Georgeanne was scared. She left her millions, she had 3 maxed out credit cards and $7 in her wallet. She didn't know what to do. Her grandmother died a few years ago, and she left her only friend back at the wedding.
She knew the only way to play this right, was the Charm her way to John's house and get him to let her stay with him for a few days until she could figure out what to do with herself.

John brought her back to his beach house. With her Southern ways, she had a tendency to ramble... a LOT - and it drove John NUT! But there was something in there that drew her to him.

They were flirting a little in the kitchen that night. She was trying to get him to let her stay a little longer, but not letting him think it was her idea. John knew he had to get out of the house, if he didn't, he was going to do something he'd regret, and sleeping with Georgeanne was defiantly the wrong career move for him.

But when he saw the "relief" in her eyes when he told her they wouldn't be doing the deed, he was offended.
So without meaning to, he told her to kiss him goodbye.
Trying to keep him there so she could use her charm to stay a little longer, she kissed him...
Only neither of them had expected the kiss to feel the way it did..
One thing led to another and ... screw it, his career was probably over anyways...

After a maddening night of pleasure neither of them had ever felt before, John became cold. He knew he had to get rid of Georgie before Vigil found out about it.. it was the only way.
So he bought her a plane ticket back to Dallas and dropped her off at the airport.

Heartbroken and confused, Georgeanne didn't know what to do. She couldn't go home.. home to.. nothing!

And that's when she found the "Help Wanted" ad that she's been looking for.
Mae just lost her twin brother, and business partner for their catering business. The business wasn't doing well, and if she didn't get this job... it didn't matter, She wouldn't lose this job...

When she saw Georgeanne standing there in that dress, she knew Georgeanne couldn't have a clue about being an assistant cook. but she needed the help, so she let her fill out an application anyways.

When her appointment came in the door, she shot down every idea Mae had. She was mortified. She wanted orginal!
That's when Georgeanne stepped in with a menu plan that was more original then Mae could have expected...
And that's when she hired Georgeanne

7 years later..... Co-owner of the Catering business, Georgeanne has finally made something of herself without having to depend on other people. She was happy and she was proud of herself.

At this big fundraiser banquet, she was nervous, but excited at the same time.

John was sitting there with his date trying to ignore her. He couldn't believe he asked her to come with him. She was annoying.
Looking around the room he spotted someone he didn't think he'd ever see again..
He excused himself and followed her to the door. Just as she reached for the doorknob, he called out to her. She spun around and froze. She couldn't see him now, not ever! She did everything she could to avoid functions that he could possibly be at.. what was he doing here??
A few things spilled out of her purse when it fell off her shoulder. He handed them to her, and when he reached down to pick up her checkbook, she was gone..

Running home, she freaked out. He couldn't find her, not after all these years.... and now we know why...
Lexie - the cutest, sweeties, most wonderful 6 year old in Georgie's life - Lexie and Mae were all Georgeanne had.

When John came by her house the next day to bring back her checkbook, he met Lexie.
Lexie was chattering away with him when Georgeanne got out of the shower. Hurrying out of her room, because Lexie must have let a stranger into the house... she froze again when she saw the look on John's face..
He knew...

This has got to be one of my favorite books now :) I really love the books where the child is more involved in the book instead of just a side character. Lexie is one of the main characters, and John wants nothing more than to get to know his daughter.

Really a great read that drags you in from the first page :)

A Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos

A Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fun story!

In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council.

Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way.

As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, Sierra finds herself the target of a power-sucking duo intent on stealing her mojo. And realizing she holds the key to the last hope of sealing the widening rift.

Product Warnings: Spook catching: may contain traces of ectoplasm and otherworldly nasties. Not recommended for those with allergies to ghosts, demons, and with boyfriends who think your power is theirs. While reading, avoid dark patches and stay to the light.

 

Jen's review-

Sierra Fox is a Ghost Catcher. She doesn’t hunt ghosts, but she does know how to communicate and deal with them.
Ghosts are known in this world. Humans know of their presence by feeling the bone chilling coldness. Usually ghosts don’t bother people, but sometimes a poltergeist will show up and get into mischief. They’re known for that.
In fact, that’s how she met her boyfriend Jonathan. He works in a bookstore, and the Poltergeist was tearing up books.
When Sierra helped take care of the problem, she and Jonathan clicked.
But she wanted to take things slowly. After a few months of their dating, her job kept getting in the way of their alone time.
Seeing ghosts has been something she’s been able to do since she was a baby. Her grandmother had the gift, but it skipped a generation, and her mother didn’t believe her.
Her grandmother had died when Sierra was a child, so her spirit/ghost had been there to help her through the hard times of dealing with the ghosts that spooked Sierra.
When she got older, she had learned to pretend they weren't there. But now that the Ghosts were known, she was able to advertise her job.

So her job was keeping her from having a normal life. And although Jonathan was a sweetheart and tried hard not to be offended about her having to cancel out on their alone time, or be interrupted while eating dinner by lonely ghosts that he couldn’t see, it was still putting a strain on their relationship.

When Sierra answered a call and went to help out with a haunting. The old lady that answered the door was as sweet as could be. She said she enjoyed about 20 years of having the ghost living in her kitchen, but it wasn’t until recently that the ghost started getting physically violent.
Sierra had noticed the heat coming from the kitchen and the smoke coming from under the door. She knew it wasn’t a ghost she was dealing with, but a demon. She called Father Luke to help her exorcist the demon out of the kitchen.
But what really happened was something that Sierra couldn’t even explain!

She knew she took the day off work to sort through her thoughts. She got a note on her doorstep Midnight @ 669 Wallace Street

After trying to get some sleep but failing, she knew she had to go to this address.

When she got there, she ran into a rude man who claimed he was a Vampire hunter, Conrad Hicks. A few mins later, another older man shows up, Oren McKee, a Witch Hunter. Then there was Vixen, a werewolf hunter and finally Lavie, a Demon hunter.
The man who called them all together, Burr.
We are here because we need to start working together if we want the fibers of the worlds as we know them to stay stitched together. And we’ll need the help of every single one of you.”

Burr works for a secret organization called Patch Watchdogs.

This book is about the different worlds that have different supernatural’s – and when the seams of the worlds start to unveil , the supernatural’s can get through. Being a Ghost catcher, Sierra had banished a few too many ghosts to the other worlds that didn’t get along here. There are a few too many who would love to get a hold of her.
Vixen felt the same way about the Vampires she had banished, as well as the others. So working together to find this tear in the patches would seem to be the only way to go.

This book was fun to read. Lots of original supernatural things hidden in here that made it more fun. The characters were great. None of them got along very well, so their bickering was consistent :)

Looking forward to reading the next book to the Sierra Fox series :)

Review: Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) by Larissa Ione

May 22nd 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Amazon

They're here.
They ride.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Born of a match between good and evil, four siblings stand between hell's minions and everything they want to destroy. They are the Lords of Deliverance, and they have the power to ward off Doomsday . . . or let it ride . . .

LETHAL RIDER
Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, ReganCooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.
Demon-slayer Regan Cooper never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted- a family.

Chas's Review:

 Rating: 5/5 Stars

Lethal Rider is like a long awaited embrace.  I've wanted nothing more than to read Than and Regan's story and it was explosive! 


Larissa Ione possess a natural knack for writing.  I never feel inundated with back story or characters even though there is ample on both of those.  I would, however, venture to say read from the start but that's only because I LOVE the series in the Demonica world. Can these novels be read as a stand alone?  Yes, I have no doubt.  Do you have to read the Demonica series before reading the Lord of Deliverance series? No.  Will you want to read the series one you crack open one of the books? Oh, hell yes! 


Equal parts action, intrigue, and romance makes Lethal Rider a non-stop read!  The only drawback I had was seeing too much of Regan's soft side.  I love when a character is multifaceted but reading of Regan's OCD nature was a little wracking on the nerves but I'm guessing that's because I could really imagine her cleaning Than's home like a mad woman.  However, that aspect of Regan's character is what makes her more endearing and more so you want to see her succeed.  Overall, I am a sucker for pregnant bellies so reading this installment was a treat.




View LLL Review's Author set for Larissa Ione:

Guarding the Coast by Samantha Gail

Guarding the Coast by Samantha Gail
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You can't help but love any story that has a guest appearance with THE Vin Diesel show up personally! Seriously - how cool is that!!!

Captain Frankie Moriarty is an ace rescue pilot -- a hundred pounds of redheaded dynamite answering mayday calls along the northern Pacific coast with her elite Coast Guard helicopter crew. As the commanding officer, she has a reputation to uphold and it’s one that doesn’t include getting involved with her coworkers. Gage Adams is not your typical pretty boy. The team’s co-pilot and former pararescueman has seen battle and lived to lose sleep over it. For four years he has worked alongside Frankie, treating her with respect, viewing her as a sister... Tonight, everything between them will change forever…

 

Jen's Review-

I've never read a book about the Coast Guards before, Navy SEAL, yes, Combat, yes, fire fighters, police, yes, yes
But Coast Guards have a GREAT job! I loved this book!

First we start off as Monday Margarita night is in full swing. Once a month, Frankie gets together with the girls - they drink all the tequila in the bar, make a LOT of noise, and share everyone's deepest secrets, and Lots and Lots of sex talk :)

That's where we learn about "the bet" Demon is Frankie's medic in her crew. He has got to be the horniest guy alive! He makes a bet with Frankie that he can get all the unmarried girls in her "sisterhood" group to sleep with him.
That's why at this Margarita night, she learned that she is missing out - Damon made Kristin see "Spots"...

It took years for Frankie to get the respect of her 3 co-workers/ crew. Their number one rule was no getting involved with any of them.. they respected it, and they all became good friends.

Damon is the medic on board, and Quinton was the one to help him lure the victim into the Helicopter. Frankie was the captain and pilot of the crew, with Gage as her co-pilot.

Out on a run, they pick up a couple of people. 2 of them died.
The guys knew how hard it hit Frankie, bringing back memories of her sister's death, so they left her alone. Gage close by in case she wants to talk.
After some time in her room, she needed to get out. She decided to go swimming. She motioned to Gage that she was going out.

About 2 hours later, Gage finished reading his book, he didn't realize that Frankie hadn't come back yet.. he started to panic. Everyone went out on the beach to find her.
WHen they did find her, she was on the edge of hypothermia.

Bringing her back inside, they did everything they could to get her warm. Almost an hour later, she was still shaking and unconscious. That's when Gage started to take off his clothes, and ordered Damon to do so as well. They snuggled up to her inside the sleeping bag,
LOL - Gage to her back, and poor poor poor Damon to her front. Let's just say, even unconscious, Frankie didn't like Damon snuggling up to her :)

The next morning, Gage felt Frankie snuggled down into him.. it was a .. painful night for him being this close to Frankie, and she really wasn't helping things. just as he was about to sneak out, he heard her mumble in her sleep "I want to see spots"

When Frankie woke up, she felt horrible. She knew better then to swim without her watch. When she asked who was in the sleeping bag with her, They all laughed, well, everyone except Damon :)

Work was slow, Damon suggested that they play a game of Naked Truth Poker - The winner asked any question to anyone, and if they didn't answer, they took something off.

ROFLOL - Some of those questions! HA!!

From Gage to Frankie " Have you ever had an Orgasm?"
Frankie kept a blank face, but the rapid pulse at her throat was a dead giveaway to everyone at the table. She reached down and pulled off her other sock.
"Never?" Damon blurted with undignified horror - she shot him a scathing look.

Mortified, but they still played on. A few easy questions to get back into the game, that is, until Gage won

What did you mean when you said you wanted to see spots?"
Everything happened at once, Demon spewed his coffee, the cat took off running, and Quinton grunted with surprise. Frankie lost her composure"

Not even knowing when she had said that, she stammered her way around trying not to answer it, but not having enough clothes on to skip around it.
But luckily for her, Damon was more than Happy to tell them all about his encounter with Kristin...

After that night, Frankie's sex life became Damon's main topic - and Gage was getting furious. No one would show Frankie "spots' except HIM!

This story was WAY cute. I totally loved how Frankie was the Captain of her Unit, in charge of all the guys, but in the bedroom she was able to let Gage take control.
There were some fun perks, crazy rescues and tense happenings all around in this book -

The only thing I didn't like was it eneed at 75% - I would have loved to have read more :)

A Modern Love Story

A Modern Love Story by Jolyn Palliata
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW! This cover is a bit much - the book isn't focused on this :)
But this book is just Awesome!
It was another book I have a love/hate relationship with.

After the death of her parents, Robbie Byrne is put in foster care where she meets her exact opposite, Luc Cintrone. Abandoned as a small child, Luc is a foul-mouthed rebel who takes it upon himself to be her defender, whether she likes it or not. As they grow up, they fumble through their different roles in each other's lives—family, confidants and then, ultimately, lovers. 

Just as the couple is settling into their newfound relationship, they encounter a beautiful lawyer, Payten, who is immediately taken by Luc's rough edges. But he denies her, making him absolutely irresistible in her eyes. Payten is a woman who has grown accustomed in her privileged life in obtaining whatever she wants, no matter the cost or sacrifice. And she is fairly confident Luc will eventually see things her way…one way or another.

  

Jen's Review-

I loved it. I really did - I even stayed up until 1:30 in the morning so I could finish it - it dragged me in, stirred up my emotions, and I wasn't going to stop until I was finished :)

We start the book off as Robbie as a 12 year old.. at 1% into the book, she's happy and having a great time driving through the country with her parents, at 2%, the accident happens, her mom dies and her dad is barely hanging on, she's 12, and and she's scared and I'm crying already - I knew this was going to be an emotional book :)

After a few months, Robbie is placed in a foster home with the L's - Leah and Lawson, and their 12 year old foster son, Luc-Robbie is scared little girl. but when she meets Luc, he is there to make sure she is going to be ok. The instant bond between the two is great. Even though Luc puts up a front and acts like he doesn't care, you can see just from their trip to the lake that he does care.

Luc is a tough guy, he grew up in foster homes, some good, some not so good. He knows how to take care of himself, and has learned that caring for people only leads to being left alone. But Robbie was his constant. She was there from the day she arrived, When they were 16 Lawson was in accident, and they had to move away, but Robbie and Luc were still in the same town so they could go to the same school.
Things were difficult for Robbie at her new foster home, so she spent as much time with Luc at his foster families home as she could. They were family, best friends.

Counting down to Robbie's 18th birthday, then she moved in with Luc who had moved out when he turned 18.
For her 18th birthday, Luc brought home a bottle of champagne and a pizza. After downing half the bottle of champagne, she finally had enough courage to tell Luc how she felt, but Luc thought it was the alcohol talking.

A couple months later, she's off to collage, living in a dorm with Lizabeth.

Present day, they're 22 years old. Luc is now the owner of Hooligan's bar - and Robbie is still struggling to find a job in her field
Luc drops off the paperwork at his lawyers, and now Conrad is part owner of Hooligans with Luc - As he drops off the paper work, his lawyer introduces him to Payton, a lusty lawyer who looks everything her money says she does. And she falls for Luc from the first time she meets him. But when Luc looks at her, all he can see is the big fat lawsuit she's going to file against him if he takes her to bed and leaves her the next morning. So he keeps his distance.

Except keeping a distance isn't as easy as he thought it would be. She comes into the bar every day to see him. He's rude to her, REALLY rude, but she doesn't care.
When she finds out about the relationship between Luc and Robbie, she sees it as a challenge.

It's Conrad that points out why Luc gets into his fowl moods every time Robbie has a date with someone else. And he points out WHY Luc gets this way. It takes a few mins, but finally Luc gets it.. He understands his feelings for Robbie are more than he ever imagined.

Then he goes to her apartment and lets her know....

That was a bit choppy for a review - sorry :) But I didn't want to give too much away. Their story is really cute. I loved watching them grow up together. Luc's bad boy image is there, and he covers up the way he feels all the time. He always has an excuse for everything.

Things get complicated towards the end, and I really REALLY wanted to throw this book out the window (but I would never do that to my kindle!)

But like I said, I was up until 1:30 am reading because I couldn't stop myself :)

WAY cute book - one I will defiantly be re-reading and recommending to my friends :)
Thanks Jul's for the recommend :)

The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm not sure how to rate this book - I had a love/hate relationship with this.

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption

Jen's Review-

Half the time I'm sitting there thinking "Did you REALLY Do that???" While the other half I"m thinking "Love can Conquer All, right?"
But then I get to the ending and .. it's just so many different thoughts running through my head! AHH! lol

Ok for those that haven't read this yet - it was pretty good. it was a hook and reel from the beginning - I loved the way it was told.. Present, the story as it's taking place now - then the past. a few stories that tell about their relationship in the past - both of them work really well together -

Let me explain that better -
We start off with Olivia at the music store. She is ducking out of the rain, but that's when she saw him.. it's been 3 years - 3 years of trying to get over Caleb, 3 years of trying to get him out of her head, out of her heart, and here he was in her side of town.. She realizes after 3 years, she still loves him like she did back then..

Standing there in the doorway trying to decide if she wants to make a run for her car, and leave Caleb behind, or go in and see him. of course she couldn't just let it go.
She walked in and casually strolled up next to him. he didn't take his eyes off the CD he was holding. She scooted closer, and he finally looked up at her. Taking in her appearance, He's looking at her as if it's the first time he's ever seen her..

Are they any good?" He asks about the CD she is holding onto.
"err, they're okay, They're not really your style."
He looked confused.
"They're not my style?"
I nod.
"What exactly do you think my style is?"
I'm looking for a clue to the game he is playing. He has always been good at facial expressions.
"Umm, you're a classic rock kind of guy... but I could be wrong." people change.
"Classic rock? He repeats. "I'm sorry, this is awkward, but I...uhh.. don't know what my style is. I have no memory of it."
Was this some kind of sick joke?

And there it is, Caleb had lost his memory in an accident a few months ago, he can't remember anything before then.
Olivia is shocked! BEYOND shocked... She has another chance with him. They could start over and he'd never know how badly she screwed things up between them in the past.
But of course Caleb only had Temporary Amnesia. He was going to remember again... but maybe she could soak in as much as she could now, and deal with it then...

Oh Olivia.... things can only get complicated from there.

We get flashback from the past. The day that Olivia was standing under a tree trying to get out of the rain, and Caleb noticed her. He was a jock, and there was no way he was seriously flirting with her. So she brushed it off.
When she got to her dorm room, her best friend and roommate pounced on her about blowing Caleb off! She couldn't believe she could do that to him..

Back to the present, Caleb asks Olivia to coffee. She tells him it's not a good idea for them to hang out, but Caleb has a way with getting his own way, rather she wants to or not. So she goes. They talk, and he tells her about how he lost his memory, and is feeling like he's living someone else's life, with another woman he isn't happy with. BUt he found an engagement ring in the drawer, and he couldn't figure out why he bought her a ring..

He wanted a friend right now, and Olivia knew this was wrong, but she couldn't tell him no. she didn't WANT to tell him no.

Ok so we go on with a blast from the past... cute story about how he asked her out..

Then back to the present, She is cooking him dinner, when Leah, his ex-girlfriend showed up at Olivia's apartment. She followed him there. She wasn't taking the breakup well, and being the good guy Caleb was, he took her home and left Olivia at home. The next day he calls her, and she tries to tell him it's not a good idea to see each other, but of course, he doesn't take no very lightly.

Ok more past stories -

It goes on like this for a while, divided up between the past and the present.
Things start to get a little complicated, and she starts to feel guilty. but she just can't help herself... OF COURSE NOT!

See that's the part that bugs me :) She acts like she has no conscience at all - she's always doing "Bad things" But they're all in the name of love... does that really justify things???

hum..... Things towards the end twist and turn a little...

All and all, I'd say I liked the book. I read it in a day, because I was drawn in. I enjoyed the story. I didn't agree with her choices, but I think that's the whole point :)

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines


This was a really REALLY Cute story! I'm not happy I have to wait 2 more weeks until I can read the 2nd story , but then I'm happy I only have 2 more weeks to wait :)

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

    
Jen's Review-

The story starts off with Ashton and her best friends Sawyer and Beau - 10 years before the story starts - the kids have known eachother since they were 5 - Sawyer and Beau were cousins, and Ash was the tom boy that always got in trouble with Beau -
When they were about 13, Sawyer's mom told him they were going to start noticing things about Ash - Beau had already started to notice.

10 years later, Ash is now 17, She and Sawyer have been together for 3 years, in those 3 years, Ash had changed. She was no longer the girl who snuck out at night to toilet paper houses, or throw waterballoons at passing cars. She was now Sawyer's girlfriend. The good preacher's daughter that everyone thought she should be. Everyone except Beau, that is.

When the story starts, Beau is drunk, and so is his on again, off again girlfriend Nicole. Nicole hates Ash, and the feeling is mutual. With Sawyer away visiting family over the summer, Ash is bored, but she knew that Sawyer would want her to watch over his cousin, because they were best friends, and that's what he did.. always bailed Beau out of trouble.
So Ash demaned to the keys to Beau's truck to drive him and his girlfriend home. At first he told her no way, but he was too drunk to argue, so she did. They kind of dumped Nicole into the back of the truck where she passed out :)

Once they started to drive, they had time to talk.. this talk was coming for a long time. See once Sawyer kissed Ash on the football field back when they were 14, Beau turned into "Sawyer's cousin" instead of best friend. he usually had a girl tied up around him somewhere, and when he spoke to her, it was always some wise crack. So she avoided him.

But now it was time to clear the air. Beau was being a jerk because he didn't like the change. He didn't like seeing Ash take everyone's crap with a smile. He tried to get a glimpse of the spark from the old Ash that use to have fun, never took crap from anyone.. and while at school, a couple of times he did see it.. So he tried ticking her off every time he got the chance. Tried to get the old Ash to come out and play... but she held it in.. all because she had to keep her image intact for Sawyer, for her father... and she hated it.

With Beau, she was able to come alive. He didn't judge her, he didn't look down at her, he saw her as the girl she use to be. and she loved that. She loved to be able to be herself and not hide behind the perfect face.

The next day she got a text from Beau asking to meet her at the water hole (lake) where they use to go as kids.
Feeling adventurous, she grabbed her red bikini that she knew Sawyer wouldn't approve of, and headed to their special spot.
When she got there though, she was nervous. One look at Beau, she didn't know why she came, she shouldn't be here, but she was..
After a little swimming, she climbed up on the docks and watched him.
She was feeling happy, and carefree.

She thought she could be his friend again. She missed him, missed how she felt when he was around. So when her parents left for the night for their anniversary, she called Beau over to watch a movie with her.
As soon as she saw him though, she felt the mistake. She cared too much about Beau to keep it friendly..
When they sat down to watch the movie, she felt Beau's arm around her, and she got lost in her own day dreaming. When Beau took his hands off of her and asked her what was going on, she found her self snuggled up to him a little more then she should have been.

When she woke up a couple days later, her mother came into the room, giving her some really bad news.

Sawyer was gone, she needed to get away, so she ran to Beau's house. His mother saw the look on her face and told her he was out back.
When he saw her tear streaked face, he climbed off the tractor and held her. They sat down under the tree and he held her while she cried and cried on him. He didn't ask what was wrong, but it was tearing him up not knowing.
When she finally told him, his heart broke for her.
She noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt and she had cried all over his chest. Starting to wipe it off, things started to heat up....

THis was a cute story, I love a good love triangle, especially when you get more than one POV going on. THis story we got to see Beau and Ash's POV - I wish we were able to see more of Sawyer's feeling in this story, but now that I know there is another story, I'm happier with the way this one went.

Firefly Beach by Meira Pentermann - Giveaway

Meira Pentermann
Author Bio

On slow, snowy days in her Colorado home, Meira Pentermann enjoys cozying up on the couch with a novel. Naturally, snow is not a requirement; neither is the couch. In fact, she sees no reason not to indulge in reading three-hundred-and-sixty-five days a year. Apocalyptic science fiction, mysteries, and young adult titles top her Kindle list, but legal thrillers and chik-lit make an appearance now and then.

When not absorbed in writing or reading, Meira enjoys life’s little moments with her family – the love and devotion of her black lab, the quiet wisdom of her artistic twenty-one-year-old, the trials and triumphs of her petite sixth grader, and the unlimited encouragement offered by her Dutch husband.

Meira strives to write stories that deliver the unexpected. She prefers down-to-earth characters that look and behave like regular folks. The prom queen and Adonis take a backseat to reclusive, soul-searching heroines and quirky, introverted gentlemen.

Visit Meira's Website

Link to Buy: Amazon

"When Beth LaMonte rents a cottage on the coast of Maine, she wishes only to withdraw and paint. A mysterious ball of light disturbs her peace and leads her to a secret beach where she finds the diary of a girl who disappeared in 1975. Now Beth is on a mission, not only to bury her own past, but to put to rest the spirit of Firefly Beach. "

Here's a little something out of the book :) 

Mary took a sip of water and leaned toward Beth almost whispering, even though
she knew perfectly well that Lou could hear her. “We have to mail him Lou’s invoices.
Heaven forbid we drop by in person. He won’t even answer the door. I know when he’s
there, the old coot. He just won’t answer the bell.” Mary enjoyed a bite of potato and
a big gulp of water before resuming her character analysis. “It’s like he has no need to
interact with other human beings.”
Beth looked down at her chicken and cut off a small bite. She took a brief inventory
of the last ten years of her life and wondered if her acquaintances and co-workers would
say the same things about her.
Mary prattled on, oblivious to Beth’s internal dialogue. “If it weren’t for people’s
boats breaking down—” She interrupted herself, turned to Beth, and explained, “He
fixes boats at the marina, but he spends most of his time on his own boat, tinkering
and sailing. The Bottomless Blue, he calls it. . . the boat that is. A rather sad name if
you ask me.” Mary took a sip of water and continued. “Anyway, if it weren’t for people’s
boats breaking down, I don’t think he would talk to anyone, period. I don’t know what
happened in his life to make him so cross. He’s got a few gears loose in his head if you
ask me.”
“He’s just a lost soul,” Lou said.
Mary glared with little compassion. “You mean he’s lost his soul.” She took a bite of
chicken and allowed a rare moment of silence. “My mother will tell you otherwise, dear,”
she said to Beth. “Mother says he used to be quite a gentleman and a decent neighbor.
I rather have my doubts. I vaguely remember him. I grew up here before I became a
military wife and moved all over kingdom come.” She flashed an impish grin in Lou’s
direction. “I believe he had a daughter in elementary school when Lou and I were in
high school. Obviously she hightailed it out of here as soon as she could, the poor dear.”
Mary sighed. “The man has no one, but it’s his own damn fault. He drives people away.”
Lou cleared his throat.
Mary ignored him. “It’s just as well he’s a hermit. I’d rather not have a conversation
with him, anyway. He gives me the willies, sucks all the good energy out of the room
when he walks into it.”

Now, who wants to win this e-book?
Open to anyone in the US
Give away runs until May 30th

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DISCLOSURE –
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of  this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading  Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was  no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not  necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure  is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of  Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

No Good Deed - Giveaway and Review

After a couple of days promoting this series and the author, I was curious. I had to find out what this book was about - so I read No Good Deeds - the first of the Kelly and Umber Series - and I have to say - this is every Soccer mom's dream come true :)  

Kelly McGinnis has spent her adult life trying to do the right thing, but as a newly down-sized mother of twins and the wife of a man living with Multiple Sclerosis, she also knows that trying isn't always enough.

While interrupting a scene of police brutality, Kelly unwittingly releases a real, live demon. After she manages to kill the creature through gut instinct and blind luck, she is approached to join a secret group of demon hunters who reveal an underworld of monsters and magic.

Against her better judgment, Kelly accepts the lucrative, if bizarre, offer; but when she meets Umber, a compelling incubus with an unexpectedly human story, she learns that the truth is far stranger and more terrifying than she imagined.

Jen's Review-

What can I say? Kelly is awesome!! She is so me!! I think we can all relate to Kelly in one way or another.. she's an over weight, middle aged soccer mom of twin 8 year olds..I have one 8 year old and he's enough (plus my other kids?? HA!) And her husband is sick with MS - that's one scary disease. and I' know from watching a friend that it takes a lot to control the pain. Her husband is awesome. 

But when Kelly loses her job because the company isn't doing well, she was expecting it.. it sucks, but she knew it was coming. 

WHen the book starts off, she's at the park talking to her sister Jen, her biggest supporter and she knows Kelly is hurting. but Kelly is strong willed in so many ways. She just has to go out and find a new job... even though jobs are scarce right now, and finding a job with benefits to pay for her husbands medical, not to mention the twins? Always needing something, getting hurt or sick... yeah, it sucks... but there has to be a way.. right?? 

Well when they left the park Kelly headed back to pick up her daughter's hat that she left. On her way, she decided to cut through the alley in order to save time.. but when she got to the Alley, she had noticed a big biker guy, pushing a shot gun to the head of a small older man.. there was no way she could walk away from that.

When she approached the men, the biker guy flashed something out of his wallet and told her it was police business, and to move along. But the older man was yelling for help. saying he wasn't a cop... who does she believe? 

When the biker guy drags the old man over to her to get to to go away, she sprays him with pepper spray. and the guy drops his hold on the old man, but instead of running, the old man charges after the biker, and... eats his hand off??  No way.... as Kelly starts to back up, the old guy changes .. all of a sudden, she's not looking at the head of an old man anymore... as he advances on her, she freaks out and empties the pepper spray on him, and he freaks out..... 

Now Kelly is trying to figure out what she really saw.. it didn't really happen, nothing like that exists.. right?? When she goes back the next day, she sees nothing out of the ordinary, Which convinces her that it really didn't happen... right?  But what about her dreams? Her imagination wasn't that good! 

So when she gets home, she gets a visitor... Now we meet Denis - the head of the Demon Hunters.. and he is there to talk to Kelly about what she saw.. She got Ivan killed.. the biker guy. and they needed to replace him. So since Kelly survived the attack of the demon, he wants her. there is something about her.. 

Noticing she's over weight, out of shape and  not even sure she believes in this, but between her curiosity , and the $10,000 he offered her for killing the demon, but she refused to take, gets the better of her..  Kelly needs some time, but that only presents a few more problems.. her son breaks his arm, with no insurance, $4,600 for x-rays and a cast, her husband has a dr appointment coming up that he needs to go to, bills need to be paid, and all she could think about was the money she turned down. 

Pretending she's working at an Antique shop, with full benefits, and commission, Could she lie to her husband and kids and go off and risk her life by killing these demons? 

And lets not forget the other Demon Hunters... Marianne - she's fun and a really happy person, then Paul, Mario and Rachelle, and Gerard are all pretty nice.  But then there is Suni and Sophia that live and breathe to make sure Kelly knew they didn't approve of her there... 

I have to say Bill Blais has an Awesome imagination! I can't believe the details and depth he went into with these demons - it was like you were right there. He painted the picture so well, I was excited to see what came next. 

I defiantly can't wait to get started on Hell Hath No Furry, the second book to Kelly and Umber Series :) 

Now who wants to win a copy of this e-book? 

The giveaway is for No Good Deed. The book comes in ebook format so the winner will have a choice between Epub, .Mobi, Kindle or PDF. The ebook will come signed by the author. As for the timeframe of the giveaway, I would like it run until the 31st to give people enough time to enter

And HOW can you win this book, you ask???

Leave a comment and let us know the following :) 

FOR THE GIVEAWAY:

**Has to be 18 or older

**Open to U.S. and International Fans


Click on   a Rafflecopter giveaway to gain more points :)

Leave a comment to let us know what you think :)
Make sure you have a working email address for us

 Good luck!!

Guest Post with Bill Blais - Kelly & Umber series

In keeping with Bill Blais's new cover reveal from Hell hath no Furry, we were able to get him to open up and give us a little more of an idea of who he is and where he gets his ideas from. 

Why I hate coming up with ideas.

Because I'm a thief.

Well, okay, that’s probably a bit overly dramatic. I don't steal clothes or cars or packs of chewing gum (okay, that one I did, but I was 9 and I did it pretty much directly in front of my father who walked me back to the store counter and made me apologize, in tears, to the cashier, so that was the end of that career) .

Instead, I'm a thief of the intangible, which, when said like that, sounds pretty lame. On the other hand, I would argue that the most important things in life are intangible. Can we put 'fear' in a frame and hang it on the wall to laugh at during the idle hours? How about a handful of 'love' to carry in my pocket when I'm feeling lost and alone? Is there a bottle of 'courage' (the non-alcoholic kind, mind you) kicking around somewhere?

These, of course, are the BIG intangibles, and I don't presume to mess with those (not yet, anyway).

No, the intangibles I steal are story ideas. In my experience, ideas tend not to come to me of themselves, but from ideas others have had.  After reading a local newspaper article on the end of state funding for post-rehabilitation support of individuals with mental difficulties, I wrote a story about a man's struggle to fit into society when society refused to help. In writing class, I was told to write a story with the color yellow, the character of a child, and the emotion of loss, which led to a boy who goes blind trying to prove that the sun is yellow. For the Kelly & Umber series, I've been even more blatant, piggy-backing off the themes and efforts of an entire genre.

As a younger writer, I had very different intentions: I was committed to writing only things no-one else had written, stories that had never been told until I had put them down. I wasn't going to just rehash other stories, a practice I looked down upon as derivative and trite (obnoxiously elitist, I know; I'm [a little?] better now).

The problem with that, though, was that if I sit in front of a blank piece of paper and try to come up with something new, something genuinely original, I generally end up with several empty cups of tea, a plateful of biscuit crumbs and . . . a blank piece of paper.

Is this bad? Not really. When I ‘steal’ the ideas, I'm not plagiarizing, because each of my stories is the product of my own approach to the source idea. It's been said that there's nothing new under the sun, and I generally agree. The story of star-crossed lovers is the story of star-crossed lovers, whether it's Juliet & Romeo, Buttercup & Wesley, or Bella & Edward.

What makes these 're-hashed' stories interesting, then, is in the manner of their dress, so to speak, whether it's Renaissance Italy, the almost-real country of Florin, or the vampire- and werewolf-infested Pacific Northwest.

And that, in the end, is what I attempt to do.

Which is why, when I’m given the ‘opportunity’ to write a guest post on any topic I want, I tend to completely dry up, like one of those scenes of the sun-baked, cracked-ground desert. I have no source from which to spring, no setting to re-imagine, no characters to re-dress, as it were.

I have nothing to steal.

 - But if that’s true, I hear you ask smugly, where did the last 600 words come from?

Didn’t anyone tell you? Thieves are usually liars, too.

Thanks so much to Chas and Jen (seriously!) for having me here and giving me ‘nothing to steal.’ I had fun with this and I hope you did, too.




And Thank you Bill Blais for this great interview. I have enjoyed reading the first book to Kelly & Umber's series, No good deeds,  watch out for my review on that posting tomorrow :) 

Cover Reveal Hell hath No Furry by Bill Blais

Hell Hath No Fury (Kelly and Umber Series #2)

Author:Bill Blais

Synopsis: After the horrific events under the streets of NewYork City, Kelly McGinnis quit the team of demon hunters who had recruited herand did everything she could to put the experience behind her. Six monthslater, life is nearly normal, complete with bills, school for her children andhospital visits for her husband.

Dreams of Umber --the handsome and intriguing incubus she saved--continue totease Kelly’s sleep, but it is only when far darker dreams--and worse--begin toinfect her children, that Kelly discovers what happens if you stop hunting
demons.

They start hunting you.

Bio of the Author: Bill Blais is a writer, web developer and perennialpart-time college instructor. His novels include Witness (winner of the NextGeneration Indie Book Award for Fantasy) and the Kelly & Umber urbanfantasy series. Bill graduated from Skidmore College before earning an MA inMedieval Studies from University College London. He lives in Maine with hiswife and daughter.

Author Website and Blog: http://www.billblais.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bill-Blais/182283748560756

Twitter: @onemoredraft

Where to Buy the Kelly and Umber Series books:

No Good Deed (Kelly and Umber #1): http://www.amazon.com/Good-Kelly-Umber-Novel-ebook/dp/B007IXY6UC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335582057&sr=1-1

Hell Hath No Fury (Kelly and Umber #2): http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Kelly-Umber-Novel-ebook/dp/B007IXY7RE/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335921706&sr=1-7

Read Sample Chapters of both books:

No GoodDeed: http://www.billblais.com/books/no-good-deed/no-good-deed-excerpt/

HellHath No Fury: http://www.billblais.com/books/hell-hath-no-fury/hell-hath-no-fury-excerpt/

Blog tour set up by IlluminatedTours (http://illuminatedtours.weebly.com/)

Fifty Shades Freed by E.L.James

Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great ending to a Great series!
Love this series!


When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed. 

Now, together, they have more – love, passion, intimacy, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control, and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present. 

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, misfortune, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past. 

Seductive, shocking, sad and funny, Fifty Shades Freed is the compelling final volume in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

 Jen's Review

WARNING **  This review has spoilers for the first and second book - I strongly recommend reading those before you read this review :) 

There really isn't a favorite part of this series -I just really enjoyed reading it - the first book was by far the best - getting to know Ana and Christian, the second book was fun with their engagement and still getting to know each other - a little messed up history to throw in some action - and then the third book -
It seemed to go by a little quickly - there were some places in there that they seemed to have skipped over - not that anything was left out, but they just seemed to have hurried a few spots in e-mails. Which was a pretty good way to show that days passing by.

I liked the flash backs to the wedding, that way we didn't have to go through the whole planning and whatnots, but we were able to still see how everything went. It was great.

It was a little predictable with Jack and the baby, but it worked in there pretty good. I was a little thrown off by how Ana dealt with the Jack issue - she didn't seem like the type of person to do something like that. I guess that's how we knew she was growing up as a person...

This series is going to stick with me for while :)
Glad I had the chance to read it :)

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW~ Lol That's all :)
There was like 20 different places E.L. James could have ended this book - she could have ended the series here too! But she didn't - she knows there would be millions of women in tears without more Christian Grey :) We all need our Fifty Shades!

Daunted by the singular sexual 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

 Jen's Review

Warning - this review has spoilers for the first book, do not read it - trust me the surprises are with it :) 

This book picks up a few days after the last one left off - I had to read this part in a hurry :) I was NOT happy with the way the last book left me feeling!

BUT This book picks up where everyone is miserable and really feeling crappy - there is no point in moving ahead, no point in dwelling on the past, over is over, is over .... at least until Christian Grey says it's not over anymore :)

Good thing Christian remembered Jose's art gallery coming up, because Ana needed a ride to Portland - and since she gave back the Audi and sold her beetle - she was secretly glad when Christian called her up and offered to share a ride.

She didn't want to think or talk about it, she just wanted it to be over. She felt horrible! Beyond Horrible! Without Christian in her life felt 100 times worse than what happened back in the playroom -

would she ever be able to forgive him??

Well yeah, she did pretty easily too :) She didn't have the heart to tell him know - they renegotiated the contract - ok they pretty much said NO contract anymore - he just wanted her in his life and couldn't any other way to survive it - so he decided he'd give up his darker side of his life...
But would that be enough for him to fully love Ana?? All these questions! All these fears -

This book was nonstop of all emotions!

The ending - the FINALLY ending (not the many endings in-between) really started picking up the tension - Now I'm really anxious to start the next book tonight - so I'm cutting this review a little short :)

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

So Sorry it's been too long since we've posted anything - I'm trying to get my garden ready for planting this weekend , and it's taking up a LOT of time :)

I've been re-reading the Fifty Shades series though. A friend of mine just got an IPhone and I put the Kindle on it for her. He husband bought her the Fifty Shades series because it's the #1 romance book on Amazon :)
So we decided to read it together :)
I LOVE this series!


Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Re-read this book May 3 - May 5 -
I'm not sure why but re-reading this was like reading it for the first time. As it was happening, I was remembering what was going on, but I had forgotten just about everything in this book -
My review is still how I feel about it though :)

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time. 

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - 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 adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

 Jen's' review 

That ending is just too raw in my mind - it's hard to go back to the beginning for the review -

OK so this book is not how I thought it would be at all - I've heard nothing but GREAT things about this book - and I have to agree, everything about it was right up there! TOP Notch!

The whole thing starts off with Anastasia (Ana) Steele goes for an interview with none other than the fabulous Christian Grey. The most Sexiest eligible Batcher in Seattle.

Ana didn't want to do the interview - she's doesn't even work at the College Magazine that is promised to have the article featuring Mr. Grey's article.. That would be Kate Kavanagh - Ana's BFF and roommate while at College for the last 4 years. Kate has come down with the Flu and after 6 months of trying to get this interview with Christian Grey. Finally he has agreed and she gets sick. Sending Ana in her place because this is her last article she writes before she graduates, and she wants it bad.

When Ana gets to the Office building, she starts off as her klutzy self and trips over her own feet and right into the blazing grey eyes of the georgous Christian Grey.

As she sets in and asks the questions Kate had written down for her, she secretly wishes Kate had included a biography of this man - he is nothing what she expected.

After the madness of the interview, Ana went back to school and her life and sighed she would never again see Christian Grey - well except in her dreams.

A week later, as she was working at the Claytons' hardwood store, she was at the desk checking over some inventory, when something grabbed her attention and she looked up, just to see Mr. Grey's eyes smoldering in hers.
After helping him find the items he was looking for, he asked her how the article was coming along. She said Kate was very satisfied with the articles, but had wished she had a few pictures of him. So he gave her his card and told her to set it up.

That totally made Kate's day, and secretly made Ana's day as well :)

After finals were over, Kate, Ana and a couple of their friends went to a bar to let loose and celebrate. Ana, having more than she could handle in tequila - while waiting for the restroom, she got daring and called Christian - when he realized she was drunk, he demanded to know where she was.

Great story - Loving this series and really looking forward to the next book - I wont be able to fall asleep until something changes in the next book :)

I am really in love with Christian - even his darker side :) I can see how Ana feels about the whole Dom/Sub thing - she's worried - I share her fears, but Curiosity always wins in the end :)

The BDSM play is pretty mild - but really HOT :)