Christmas in July! (Part II) **CLOSED**

Merry Christmas!!

*Yes, I know it's only July.

**Yes, I know it's the last day of July. Bear with me.

I've been a little lazy/stressed/distracted this month so I haven't gotten this giveaway up before now. But since it includes one hardcover AND two paperbacks, maybe you can forgive me?

Nora Roberts is one of my absolute favorite authors because somehow, for a reason I cannot for the life of me explain, her books don't get old. Or feel repetitive. Each one is unique and while I may not love them all equally I usually end up enjoying the time I spend with them anyway.

Victoria Dahl is a new-ish to me author and though I liked her books I think they might have a better home with someone who really loves historicals.

The titles up for grabs this time around:

The Gift by Nora Roberts

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

After years of world travel, prizewinning reporter Jason Law returned home to New Hampshire. He had carried the memories of Faith Kirkpatrick, the girl he left behind, for ten years --- now he was determined to win back her love. But she was a woman with responsibilities, and he was nothing but a wandering nomad. All they could have was this one Christmas together. Could Faith summon the courage to give Jason a once-in-a-lifetime holiday gift?

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

Identical twin boys Zeke and Zach wanted only one gift from Santa: a new mom! And when they first meet their music teacher at school, they could hardly believe their luck --- Miss Davis was a mom made-to-order. But convincing their dad was a lot harder than they thought. Mac Taylor wasn't willing to risk his heart, but when Nell brought love and laughter into all their lives, his heart began to thaw like a spring snow. Will the boys get their Christmas present after all?

To Tempt a Scotsman by Victoria Dahl

SHE HAS NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE—

After finding herself at the center of a very public scandal that left one man dead and another on the run, Lady Alexandra Huntington has exiled herself to her brother's estate and is content to manage his affairs. But the arrival of darkly handsome Collin Blackburn awakens her curiosity and her desire—and the advantage of being a fallen woman is that she can be ruined only once.

EXCEPT HER HEART.

After a promise sworn to his father, Collin Blackburn is compelled to seek the aid of the woman who brought about his brother's death in a senseless duel. Yet Lady Alexandra is not the shameless femme fatale he expected. In fact, Collin suspects she is guilty of nothing more than a hunger to experience passion, and the brawny Scot is certainly equipped to oblige. But the quick-witted, keenly sensual Alexandra has a few lessons of her own to impart—on life, love, and the delicious joys of succumbing to temptation.

A Rake's Guide to Pleasure by Victoria Dahl

TRUE PLEASURE.

Raised by a titled, yet degenerate, father, Emma Jensen never imagined the gambling lessons she learned as a child would one day serve her well. When she finds herself in dire need of money, she concocts the alias of Dowager Lady Denmore and sets off to bewitch London's noblemen by engaging them in games of chance. The fact that respectable ladies do not gamble does not intimidate her in the least. But the darkly handsome Duke of Somerhart does-for he's awakened a deep, sensual hunger in her.

IS ALWAYS WORTH THE GAMBLE.

The dashing Duke of Somerhart has the notorious reputation of being one of London's most incurable rogues. When he meets the alluring Lady Denmore, he is immediately intrigued. Her recklessness and innocence intertwined titillates him as no other woman ever has. But what secret is the lovely Lady Denmore hiding? He's determined to find out. But first he must seduce her until she surrenders completely to his most wicked desires...

To enter for a chance to win THREE AWESOME BOOKS, it's actually pretty simple -

Mandatory:

1. Leave a comment below telling me what genre of books is your favorite along with an email address I can contact you at if you win.

Extras entries:

2. If you follow Reading Amidst the Chaos via GFC or Bloglovin' leave an extra comment telling me so and you can get an extra entry!

3. If you follow Reading Amidst the Chaos on Facebook tell me that (also in an extra comment) for another chance to win!

**That's a possible total of 3 entries per person!

Fine Print:

1. Must live in the US.

2. Must be 18 years old or have your parents' permission to enter.

3. This is Part II of a two part giveaway done in conjunction with Good Red Herring. While you can enter both giveaways commenters can only win one (because that's only fair). Thanks!

This giveaway ends two weeks from now, at 11:59pm on Monday, August 13th.

Good Luck!

Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis *ARC Review*

LOVE CAN HAPPEN IN A HEARTBEAT

Grace never thought she'd be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh's lovable mutt to caring for his rambunctious son. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad . . .

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family-until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "good bedside manner." Josh and Grace don't know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day . . .

~~

There is something about Grace and Josh. After reading Lucky in Love and At Last I knew where Shalvis was going with her trilogy within a series (3 women, 3 hunky bachelorettes - you do the math) but I don't think I could have known just how much I was going to love this last installment. The previous books are good but this one really takes the cake, and not only in the sparks department; the balance of supporting characters, town cooky-ness, and past tragedy is done incredibly well.

There's a lot of back story by the time we come around to Forever and a Day. Josh is trying to raise his son and essentially his sister too, after a car accident killed both their parents. That's a really heavy load to have on you and Josh handles it as best he can (though no one's perfect and he has a tendency to be a bit heavy handed). Grace is just trying to figure out her next step in life and gets sucked into all this; they both enter this 'relationship' with serious misgivings. Neither feel ready to commit to anything long term, and they don't have much of a clue where the future is going to take them. All of this uncertainty combines into a book that I was totally engrossed in. I found myself smiling on almost every page (especially during a hilarious mom-daughter-Josh phone conversation) and feeling really committed to these two finding their HEA. 

There are less interactions with the town gossips, which I thought allowed the couple to shine more, and I enjoyed touching base with Amy and Mallory plus their now fiances. All in all I have no complaints and this book is my favorite of the three - though all of them are completely worth (and deserving of ) a read!

Overall Feeling - A+

Series - 1) Simply Irresistible 2) The Sweetest Thing 3) Head Over Heels 4) Lucky in Love 5) At Last 6) Forever and a Day (7/31/12)

**Title requested from NetGalley**

Mini Me: Sparks Fly by Katie MacAlister

Hell hath no fury like a ticked-off dragon…

Ysolde de Bouchier has a lot on her plate, which isn’t unusual considering her Light Dragon mate Baltic is still at odds with just about everyone, starting with his former guard Thala and her outlaw posse, right down to his dragon god father. Ysolde herself fairs no better, since the First Dragon has her in his sights as well, demanding that she right past wrongs…and her time to do that is quickly running out.

With the help of some familiar friends, Ysolde sets into motion an elaborate plan that will have repercussions throughout the mortal and immortal worlds. But when a member of her family is held hostage, no one is safe from the fire of her rage.

~~

Not bad, as fun quick reads go. I like MacAlister because her heroines tend to fall into the 'relate-able & spunky' realm which makes the romance that much more enjoyable for me. Ysolde's trials trying to get Baltic back into the Wyr while also convincing him that she doesn't have perversions are both and funny, as she doesn't take any crap. The whole scene in the paranormal sex shop where she tries to replace a friend's toys? Fantastic, lol, not gonna lie. Plus it's always great to catch up with Ainsling and May - it actually makes me want to go back and read those books! All in all no complaints, though it may perhaps do better as a library read because it's not off the charts amazing.

True Colors by Thea Harrison

Meeting your soulmate? Great. Preventing your possible murder? Even better.

Alice Clark, a Wyr and schoolteacher, has had two friends murdered in as many days, and she’s just found the body of a third. She arrives at the scene only minutes before Gideon Riehl, a wolf Wyr and current detective in the Wyr Division of Violent Crime—and, as Alice oh-so-inconveniently recognizes at first sight, her mate.

But the sudden connection Riehl and Alice feel is complicated when the murders are linked to a serial killer who last struck seven years ago, killing seven people in seven days. They have just one night before the killer strikes again. And every sign points to Alice as the next victim.

~~

Short and sweet with this one ok? These novellas are probably less impressive outside of the Elder Races series but as a little vignettes, looks into the lives of other Wyr, I love them. Alice and Riehl meet on a pretty craptastic day, as losing a friend to a homicidal maniac is never fun. They have to navigate those tricky waters, as Alice is next on the list, but also find a way to explore the sudden feelings they have for each other. (Does anybody else want a wolf of their very own? No? Just me? Oh.)

It's a fast ride with action and emotion - I can't comment on the rest of the novellas but I really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the next book.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - (Elder Races Novellas) 1) "True Colors" 2) "Natural Evil" 3) "Devil's Gate"

Teaser Tuesday (7/24)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"And that's where he was wrong. She'd been hiding all her life, right in plain sight. Pretending to be a Brooks, when the truth was, she wasn't pedigreed. She was a mutt. She disconnected, tossed her phone to the booth seat, and thunked her head onto the table."

-pg 65, Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis

The Darkest Day by Britt Bury

ALL-CONSUMING DESIRE . . .

Izel Campbell was raised to believe she is an immortal Fionn with the magical skills fo persuasion. But when she travels to Scotland to visit her ancestral home, Izel discovers that she is actually the world's last living human. Forced to run for her life, Izel crosses paths with Kelvin Kerr, the Campbells' greatest foe-and the most magnificent warrior she has ever seen.

BURNS BRIGHTEST . . .

A thousand-year-old battle chief of the Kerr clan, Kelvin lives only to avenge his father, who died at the hands of the bloody Campbells. Honor demands he kill the Campbell heir, but when he learns that the lovely Izel is both Campbell and human, Kelvin is torn between duty and desire . . .

ON THE DARKEST DAY

~~

After all the hooplah on Twitter and the reviews I've read for this book, I can see why The Darkest Day is considered one of those 'next big things' - it is a lot of fun. I was worried initially because Kelvin comes off as a bit of an ass, but things quickly pick up momentum in this story and while there's some drama it's handled well and I  never found myself annoyed by it. I've never been a fan of manufacturing reasons to keep the hero and heroine apart, but Bury successful turns their separation into a chance to meet new characters as well as to put faces on both sides of this Campbell/Kerr conflict.

Still, like all good romances, it's Kelvin and Izel that make this book what it is. Their Romeo and Juliet style 'forbidden love story' might not be new but the way their individual personalities play within it feels unique. They're drawn to each other but don't want to disregard the past and what their families have done in the name of vengeance. It of course results in a lot of tension - especially when combined with the physical attraction they feel for one another, and the way neither of them wants to admit what's happening. There's a special place in my heart for shapeshifter-esque romances and Kelvin's love for Izel and his desperate battle to make her forgive him his initial lies definitely worked for me. And ok I don't know how to do this without a spoiler, but near the end when he's sitting by her bedside? Heartstrings officially pulled! I almost teared up, not gonna lie.

The world building's good, reminiscent of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, and there are plenty of characters that Bury could pick to focus on in her next book (my vote's for Ian!). I'm look forward to it :).

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - 1) The Darkest Day

**Title requested from NetGalley** 

I need something happy

Done.

via

Sabine by Moira Rogers

…and the Beast, Book 1

After three years at war, the High Lord of the Forest returns to his lands, a victorious wolf leader intent on claiming his mate. Instead Ciar finds an empty bed and a court with no recollection of the woman he loved. Following her long-cold trail proves far easier than facing what awaits him at the end.

Sabine’s first instinct is to beg her beloved to leave. The High Lord’s mother hired a witch to curse Sabine, desperate to wipe the lowborn wolf from her son’s mind. But the spell worked too well, and Sabine has vanished from the thoughts of everyone who sees her. Including her own family.

The edges of his memory already blurring, Ciar and Sabine must race to find a way to reverse the spell. Yet every searing moment together is not enough to stop the curse’s inexorable progress. His only chance is to bind Sabine to him too tightly to be forgotten, before she disappears once and for all.

~~

Generally speaking, my biggest complaint about this short story is what good short stories usually leave you feeling - wanting more. Sabine and Ciar are a great couple overcoming a really sh*tty curse. Even with the page number I found myself tearing up in places because I felt so bad for everyone innocently involved. Rogers drops the reader in the midst of their relationship and it's believable right from the first moment - Ciar has come back from war to find his love gone and he's damned if he'll settle for everyone acting like they've never heard of her. There's not a lot of time for drawn out sexy times, but the ones we do get are heartfelt and I think advance the story well.

The final scenes felt a bit rushed and I wouldn't have minded an epilogue that included more of Farran and Illoria, but all in all I think Sabine was a fun read with a great HEA.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - 1) Sabine 2) Kisri 

they really used 'inner goddess' 58 times?

I don't want to harp on 50 Shades of Grey. I hate it. You know I hate it - or at least the friends and friends of friends to whom I've tried to do PSA's for know I hate it. I like erotica and erotic romance and I object to this book being held up as the prime example of how those books are written; I consider it an insult to an incredibly diverse and often well-written subset. But for all those people who don't believe me when I wave  my hands frantically and yell 'RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!' please take a moment and read the following review on goodreads - if that doesn't give you a clue to my issues with the book then nothing will.

via

Moonrise Kingdom (Movie Review)

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore -- and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl's parents. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl. -- Rotten Tomatoes

~~

I have to thank the universe (and an old as hell giftcard) for this Sunday afternoon delight, because Moonrise Kingdom was just incredibly awesome. That was really all I could think leaving the theater yesterday - that the movie I had just seen was fantastic. 

From the first scene of the movie you're transfixed, not only by the scenery - which looks like it's been Instragramed (I mean this in the best way possible) - but by the characters as well, as all of them are so cooky and ridiculous. Sam and Suzie run away together after one quick meeting during a church play followed by a series of letters and even when you can't believe they love each other enough to go through the adventures they do, they show you how it's possible. All of the dialogue is witty and hilarious; I found myself bursting out laughing on multiple occasions, overcome by sheer disbelief at what had just happened. As I'm sure every review says, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis are so much fun to watch and do a great job portraying the weirdos they've been given. In the end it's a film of people who don't quite fit but are convinced that Sam and Suzie are the odd ducks. I loved it and I can't wait to buy it on DVD.

P.S. - Oh and Suzie is by and far the cutest little mini- Lana Del Ray I have ever seen! 

That Thing Called Love by Susan Andersen *ARC Revew*

He's the last man on earth she should want...

For a guy she's fantasized about throttling, Jake Bradshaw sure is easy on the eyes. In fact, he seriously tempts inn manager Jenny Salazar to put her hands to better use. Except this is the guy who left Razor Bay-and his young son, Austin, whom Jenny adores like her own-to become a globe-trotting photojournalist. He can't just waltz back and claim Austin now.

Jake was little more than a kid himself when he became a dad. Sure, he'd dreamed of escaping the resort town, but he'd also truly believed that Austin was better off with his grandparents. Now he wants-no, needs-to make up for his mistake. He intends to stay in Razor Bay only until he can convince Austin to return with him to New York. Trouble is, with sexy, protective, utterly irresistible Jenny in his life, and his bed, he may never want to leave....

~~

I feel good contemporary romances often find themselves dammed by faint praise. There aren't any monsters the size of buildings or princesses to rescue from tall towers, instead they showcase emotional wounds and people working for their HEA. In That Thing Called Love Jake is working on forgiveness; he's trying to gain forgiveness from his son for leaving and learning to forgive his home town for not being the big city he thought he needed. Combined with a slow burn romance with Jenny and a supporting cast of characters that have me very invested in what happens next and you've got a great comfort read.

It just never gets old for me, those romances where the main characters are honest with themselves and each other about what they think they want. More respectful maybe? Jenny has her own fears that she brings to the relationship and they're both trying to work around that - as well as try not to alienate Austin. Some might think the ending is a little too pat for the issues Jake started with but I thought it was a truthful reflection of a father trying to do what's right and hey I ended the book with a smile on my face so I consider this a keeper :).

Overall Feeling - B

Series - 1) That Thing Called Love (7/31/12)

**Title requested from NetGalley**

To Do List by Lauren Dane

He wasn’t part of her balance sheet. But one week in his bed could tip the scales.

Since she could pick up a pencil, Belle Taylor has used lists and charts to map out her life. When she achieves a goal, she marks it off her to do list. Simple. But now, just steps away from her corner-office, name-on-the-letterhead goal, she realizes that the life she thought she wanted may come at too high a price.

Exhausted, she retreats home for Christmas vacation to rethink her life, complete with all-new lists. What she hadn’t expected is Rafe Bettencourt, her brother’s best friend, the man who she thought only saw her as a pesky younger sister. But when he kisses her under the mistletoe, Belle finds herself with a whole new set of goals to balance with what she thought she always wanted.

Rafe knows Belle is trying to figure out what to do with her life. He also knows he’s done loving her from afar, and he’s not beneath making it as hard as possible for her to choose to return to San Francisco.

Because Rafe can make to-do lists too—and his plan is to seduce Belle back home where she belongs. At his side. And in his bed.

~~

For me there are very few things like a well done small town contemporary romance. Even in the smaller novella form I think Dane hits it out of the park with this one, as the relationship between Belle and Rafe feels very 'real' to me. Due to their families being so close they've known each other forever - she had a crush on him in her teens, and he had a crush on her after seeing her later at her law school graduation party. The story opens immediately on their first kiss under the mistletoe and doesn't slow down from there. 

Even though their relationship is drama free and might seem boring to some, I connected to the family dynamics and loved how Rafe and Belle didn't take each other or their future for granted. They both had to face questions about their careers and happiness as individuals before they could come together successfully, and by the end I was pretty much grinning from ear to ear. As a cheap (price wise) quick treat, I highly recommend this story to romance lovers everywhere.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - None

The Covenant by Evangeline Anderson

Kaitlyn Richards is a witch with powers beyond the norm. Her unique abilities make her one of the few people in the state of Florida qualified to be an S.E., or Supernatural Enforcer. As part of her duties she uses her home as a magical holding cell for creatures too strong to be contained in normal human jails.

Holden Sumner is a three-hundred-year-old vampire on a mission—he’s been stalking a serial-killing demon for centuries and he needs Kaitlyn’s help to kill it. The problem is, she won’t give him the time of night. But Sumner is determined to get under her skin.

Though Kaitlyn is reluctant to get involved with a vampire, she agrees to help Sumner search for the killer. But in order to drive the demon back to hell and stop the slaughter of innocents, she will have to bind herself more tightly than she ever thought possible to a man she doesn’t want to love.

She and Sumner must form a blood covenant…or die trying.

~~

OMG an ebook! I feel like I haven't read any of these in forever - or at least, not  a new one anyway. I picked this up to be a quick read on my bus ride to NY and for the most part I feel like it performed its role quite admirably.

The story starts with Sumner getting Kaitlyn's attention by killing what appears to be a normal homeless man - on camera. When he looked up and winked, knowingly doing more to get Katilyn's goat, I figured that this was going to be a good banter book. And it is - they go back and forth, negotiating not only their feelings for each other but what Kaitlyn is willing to do to banish an evil that's attacking her coven. Still, what makes me give this a lower grade is a couple things: first I thought the HEA was rushed, because so much time had been spent on bad guy buildup and sexy times (not that the sexy times weren't well done, they were). Suddenly we're into her admitting her love for Sumner when she's spent 90% of the book saying she has 'feelings' but that's it. Second the bad guy was totally obvious. I don't want to spoil anything, but I would probably have preferred a random than the person who was eventually revealed - just too obvious for me. 

All in all it's a fine addition to the paranormal romance genre, and Anderson is one of my regulars for ebooks - her heroes tend to be the kind of humorous alpha males I enjoy.

Overall Feeling - B-

Series - None

Teaser Tuesdays (7/10)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


"Holy sweet baby Jesus on a skateboard. How on earth was she supposed to answer him when he said stuff like that?"

-pg 5, To Do List by Lauren Dane

Samurai Game by Christine Feehan

In a world so dark and seductive, expect nothing less than a triple-cross in the explosive all-new Ghostwalker novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan...

In an underground club, a high-ranking public official spends his secret nights indulging in fantasies as exciting as they are depraved. For a seductive employee of the Dungeon, it’s her job to fulfill them. But she’s playing a far more dangerous game -- one of blackmail, politics, and murder that reaches into the shadow world of the Ghostwalkers, and the creation of a spectacular, one-of-a-kind new weapon of defense.

But when a dictator makes his own catastrophic moves, the Ghostwalkers have no choice but to bring in two major players -- a man and woman both driven by passion and revenge. Both expendable. Both with nothing left to lose.

~~

First let me assure you that the blurb you see up above has pretty much nothing to do with the main couple in this story. Second, let me also tell you that the alpha male of this story, Sam, is not an asshole (ala Dark Predator). Feehan's Ghostwalker series has quietly become my favorite of hers because of the combination of alpha-but-still-loving men and fierce women. There's always a lot of action with plenty of sexy times and even when you think the plotline with Whitney (the big bad guy) is becoming stale, Feehan manages to come up with something new to keep things interesting.

While this book isn't the end of the series by a long shot, I would have to say that about 3/4 of the way through I wouldn't have been upset if it had been. I liked Sam and Azami quite a bit; she was scarred from her childhood with Whitney, Sam by his time in the military combined with his neglected to adopted backstory. But both of them are warriors. I mean Azami kicks ass before we even see the rest of the gang! She researched the hell out of the Ghostwalker compound and the motives of the people living there, ready to take whatever steps necessary to end Whitney's reign. Combined it all results in a great book with fast-paced, entertaining action scenes and a satisfying HEA.

P.S. - There is a lot of military jargon and weapons discussion in this book (more so than usual I feel) but it since it made sense to the characters I'm not going to quibble and say that it had no place in the overall story.

P.P.S. - Azami, while being Asian and raised Japanese, did not feel to me like a stereotype. Some more obvious qualities were picked to be shown in detail (ie, tea making) but any sense of subservience was quickly balanced by Sam, who wanted to serve her and be of use to her just as much as she did.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - ... 8) Street Game 9) Ruthless Game 10) Samurai Game

June in Review

Happy (belated) July 4th Celebration! I had a blast bopping around DC yesterday, avoiding crowds and eating as much as my body could possibly handle. One of my new found joys is how easy it is to go to the National Mall just by walking - no tourist filled public transportation for me!  Here's my one typical Instagram pic of the fireworks, but you can see a full jumble of my day over at Good Red Herring.

(I guess I should say there was also another kind of dramatic episode where I almost passed out/vomited waiting in line for dim sum in the heat, but luckily I managed to tough it out. KEEP HYDRATED FOLKS! The world is not playing around.)

Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Just for Kicks by Susan Andersen

That Thing Called Love by Susan Andersen (review coming soon!)

Charmed by His Love by Janet Chapman (B/B-)

Hidden Crimes by Emma Holly (A+)

The Witness by Nora Roberts

The Shadowing by Joan Overfield (B+)

At Last by Jill Shalvis (B+/A-)

Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston

A Hundred Words for Hate by Thomas E. Sniegoski (A-)

Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston

Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett (C-)

Beneath the Skin by Lauren Dane

Karakuri Odette by Julietta Suzuki (B)

Date Night by Emma Holly

Look for a new review on Friday - a day off gave me the chance to speed through Samurai Game!)

P.S. - I can't believe no one told me my May in Review posted as JUNE in Review! Not fair peeps, letting my epic fail go unnoticed - sometimes my brain needs a helping hand, lol.

Yeah, I went there

So I know there are things I should be doing. Writing reviews, reading books I haven't already reviewed, doing my monthly summary post. You know....things. But I just can't. The heavens have granted me a reprieve and I'm leaving work at 3:30pm. And after some shopping I probably shouldn't be doing I'll be starting on this bad boy:

Which after a B&N memberships and a 15% off coupon (print yours here!) I bought for a very respectable $6. 48. I hope you guys are having a wonderful Tuesday and a great almost 4th of July celebration!