How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken

Some things never go away, like vile enemies, bad ale, and annoying kin. Honestly, though, I thought I was finished with the one dragon I’d have done anything for: Éibhear the Blue, a big, gorgeous, blue-haired beast who thinks the world belongs to him. The world and, apparently, me.

If Éibhear wants to play the caring hero and travel into the most forsaken of Gods forsaken lands to protect the one woman who doesn’t need it—namely me—I’ll let him. Because while I’m trying to fulfill  a ridiculous quest for a pushy god, I’m going to draw this overconfident warlord much too close, rekindle his fires, and enjoy every minute of his delicious defeat...
~~

Ok here's the deal - great book, so much going on in this series. I probably should have gone back and reread The Dragon Who Loved Me because when they bring in some new-ish characters or talk about what happened in the last book...I admit to being a little lost. Still in spite of my own failings, and I do see them as *my* failings, this book was a blast to read especially since it's the culmination of a relationship we've been waiting for forever. It's like Hawke and Sienna! 

Éibhear has grown since we were first introduced to him, suffered heartbreak and the loss of comrades. It's hard on a person and he's not willing to take anyone's crap. It's hard to read but at the same time the book remains fun, because Aiken writes the characters as such; they suffer but are so full of life it's impossible to resist. And in this installment there are just so many adventures to go on!

Rhydderch Hael is back in Izzy's life, sending her on missions and pulling strings to get the results he wants. Éibhear has his own part to play but Izzy isn't willing to just fall into his arms in the meantime. The sparks between the two are off the charts but in this book you get fulfillment as they actually get together! Woohoo! I love Aiken's voice, as it's the way these two relate to each other, the emotion and the dialogue, that makes everything so fantastic. The supporting characters, who I hope get their own books later, continue to be relevant to the plot while not detracting from the hero and heroine - plus lots of ass gets kicked! 

In general this series continues to be the fun rollercoaster ride of action and romance - is anybody else thinking about Romancing the Stone? Because I swear, after writing that last sentence, it's the image stuck in my head.

Overall Feeling - B+/A-

Series - ....4) Last Dragon Standing 5) The Dragon Who Loved Me 6) How to Drive a Dragon Crazy

Run the Risk by Lori Foster

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend’s unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her...

Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new “construction worker” who’s moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer’s crosshairs?
~~

I have to remind myself sometimes that not all heroines are the same. Even when I'm yelling mentally at some stupid move, I can't make assumptions about what the character is going to do next. I can try but the author usually has their eye on the HEA better than I do so I should probably leave them to it, eh?

What I'm trying to say there is that I didn't always like Pepper Yates. In fact she down right annoyed me in the beginning because I hate people who seem to be trusting where no trust is deserved. When she's still feeling her way with Logan but listening to her brother I was not pleased; maybe I'm impatient? Their relationship was rocky enough and to watch her shove it even more in the wrong direction was a pain - looking back now that I've finished though I can say that Foster made it work. Logan isn't the innocent angel in this; he's working on a case to avenge his friend and come hell or high water he's going to make it happen, no matter who he has to go through. I ignored the 'but she's so plain, why do I like her?' moments because they were (thankfully) few and far between. I don't want to read about the heroes confusion over why he likes the nice/cool but 'plain' heroine. 

But as I said, there's not a lot of that before Pepper and Logan are butting heads with the truth laid out on the table. Pepper doesn't want her brother threatened but is also chafing under the rules of her virtual imprisonment (voluntary though it is). We're treated to a lot of action, sparks, and interesting sexy times. I call them interesting because even though they were hot the emotions weren't there for a while. There was two much hurt and misunderstanding for the love that began growing between them to show itself. But of course this is a contemporary romance so they get their HEA and the strings that Foster leaves for Rowdy (Pepper's brother) and Reese (Logan's fellow detective) have me excited for the next books. I'd recommend it because I think in the end this is going to be a really satisfying trilogy.

Overall Feeling - B

Series - 1) Run the Risk 2) Bare it All (April 2013) 3) Getting Rowdy (September 2013)

**Title requested from NetGalley**

Teaser Tuesday (9/25)

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!

"In the shadows her smile was a tantalizing mix of feminine invitation and challenge. "Are you always this hard to talk into bed?""

 -- pg 153, The Lost Night by Jayne Castle

2012 National Book Festival!

I think DC must be taking this 'first days of Fall' thing really seriously because this past weekend was fantastic! Both days were sunny and comfortable temperature-wise, which made my days at the National Book Festival a lot of fun. For the past few years I've been in NC for this event (Duke Homecoming) but I've gotta say that if this is the caliber of event the Library of Congress has been pulling off every year then I've got to continue sticking around.

You may have seen the pic I posted on my Facebook page, but Saturday was really all about R.L. Stine. His Goosebumps and Fear Street series filled my childhood and teen years with horror and I'm sure helped turn me into the reader I am today. I had too many things going on to get a book signed, but since I heard that the line was so ridonkulous that people had to be turned away....I think I'll just be grateful I got a seat for his talk. 

 R.L. Stine

There are more creepy stalker pics of course but the most important bit is the one video I took the entire weekend - Stine reading 'Haunted' by Shel Silverstein! So cool and I always find it interesting to hear what an author actually sounds like in real life.



Click below to read about Sunday! 

Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire

It’s been almost a year since October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities—training Quentin, upholding her position as Sylvester’s knight, and paying the bills—but she can’t help feeling like her world is crumbling around her, and her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters.

To make matters worse, Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child…only this time it’s the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne, who didn’t even know he was a father until the girl went missing. Her name is Chelsea. She’s a teleporter, like her father. She’s also the kind of changeling the old stories warn about, the ones with all the strength and none of the control. She’s opening doors that were never meant to be opened, releasing dangers that were sealed away centuries before—and there’s a good chance she could destroy Faerie if she isn’t stopped.

Now Toby must find Chelsea before time runs out, racing against an unknown deadline and through unknown worlds as she and her allies try to avert disaster. But danger is also stirring in the Court of Cats, and Tybalt may need Toby’s help with the biggest challenge he’s ever faced.

Toby thought the last year was bad. She has no idea.
~~

I've got to say that as usual, Sean McGuire has knocked it out of the park with Ashes of Honor. It's another great installment to a series filled with depth and intrigue and fantastic amounts of action. I personally find it harder to fall in love with straight urban fantasy series, there are probably only a few authors who I truly consider auto-buys, but Seanan McGuire is just irresistible.

We've seen Toby grow as detective into a hero, collecting friends and allies along the way, and in this book she needs all of them. There's tons of action as Toby tries to find Chelsea, the being(s) who are using her powers, and she's still trying to protect everyone along the way. Ultimately the action, while amazing, takes a backseat to the characters. I find myself engrossed in what's happening to everyone, and how that relates to the big finish - and because of how things ended with Connor in the last book Tybalt has an even larger role, which, no surprise to anyone, I LOVE. All in all, as I've mentioned in my reviews of the previous books, these stories are frightening and thrilling, filled with action and emotion, and with each one I finish I still can't wait for the next.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 1) Rosemary and Rue 2) A Local Habitation 3) An Artificial Night 4) Late Eclipses 5) One Salt Sea 6) Ashes of Honor

Mini Me: The Lost Night by Jayne Castle

Even the mysterious world of Harmony has people who don’t quite fit in. They’re drawn to places like Rainshadow Island, a beautiful sanctuary where anyone can feel safe—and where secrets are closely guarded...

Schooled in an exotic form of martial arts, and with the ability to detect the auras of dangerous psychic criminals, Rachel Bonner and her dust bunny companion have found peace and quiet on Rainshadow Island, operating a bookstore and café.

But her tranquil new life is thrown into chaos when Harry Sebastian, the descendant of a notorious pirate, arrives to investigate strange developments in the privately owned woods known as the Preserve.

Immediately drawn to the amber-eyed woman, Harry must tread carefully. While Rachel’s special talents can help him track down dangerous rogues who have violated the Preserve, they can also sense the heart of darkness within him. But desire can weaken the strongest of defenses—and leave even the strongest man wanting more…
~~

Can I just put a mini-me right here? I promise I'm not trying to phone it in but writing a long review just seems unnecessary. I like Jayne Castle, I like her Harmony series, and this book was no exception. Kick ass hero, kick ass heroine, neither of them jump each others' bones in the first five pages. Instead we get a nice romance, some sexy times, and a struggle to uncover the msytery of Rachel's forgotten night in the Preserve. Who the bad guys are isn't exactly 'OOH AMAZING' but hey, that's not why I read these.

And to finish up - I can't wait for the next one!

Dragon*Con Part II - The Costumes

I don't know how anyone does this. I LOVED the costumes I saw this year and narrowing it down to a manageable post is almost evil. It forces me to weigh one against the other in a battle royale of costume-y goodness. Plus my pics are probably sad little representations when placed against some of the DLSR photos but hey, I had phone.

This is just a small sampling of what's available in this album so don't forget to check it out!

P.S. - Click to embiggen! These costumes are seriously off the chains (yeah I said it).

 Avengers! I loved their attention to detail and overall feel - they'd obviously put a lot of time and energy into these costumes. 

 OMG LOOK AT THEM! Seriously - Mario, Luigi, AND Wario?! I may have had a squeal fest when I saw them but I admit nothing. 

Voyager is my #1 Star Trek love and by far this is the best Seven of Nine I've ever seen - props to the other dudes too but she was my favorite!

 Attack of my childhood! An amazing Labyrinth couple (and if you couldn't tell, Jareth is a girl!). I even saw them later in the weekend in another set of costumes from the movie. I loved them. And who could forget RU-FI-OOOOOOO! Plus with the possibly the best photobomb ever, you also get the Professor and the Powerpuff Girls! 

Click below for MORE!

Teaser Tuesday (9/18)

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!

"One look into those brilliant amber eyes and everything else that was important in his life dropped to second place on his list of priorities. In that first moment of meeting her he had known that even if he never saw her again he would not forget her." 

-- pg 46, The Lost Night by Jayne Castle

About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?
~~

This may have taken me way longer than was necessary, but I do have to admit that the blog-o-sphere did not do me wrong; this is a fun story with a great romance. On the surface Cath and Nev are all wrong for each other, completely different backgrounds, different 'places' in society, but when they were together (and I can't help but use Cath's phrase here) they were just more than when they were apart. And I loved that. Their romance is slow burn emotions wise, as Cath is so determined not to make another mistake. Instead of jumping in to saying 'I love you', Cath spends the beginning of their relationship not even calling him by his given name; it's instead always just 'City' keeping him at a distance and her feeling check.

I would definitely classify this as an erotic romance because the way these two connect in the bedroom is both frequent and hot, but the romance for me is what kept things going. Until the end there weren't a lot of big dramatic scenes, nothing crafted in such a way as to make sure their HEA didn't happen. I didn't trust that at first, Cath had so many secrets that I was positive they had to make a big stink at some point, but happily these two are able to slowly move forward from bed buddies to lovers to people who care. It's a great transition and while yes it's a little too nice how Cath wins over Nev's family, I still ended the story happy and that's a good thing.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - None
 

An Outlaw's Christmas by Linda Lael Miller *ARC Review*

With his wild heart, Sawyer McKettrick isn't ready to settle down on the Triple M family ranch in Arizona. So he heads to Blue River, Texas, to seek a job as marshal. But in a blinding snowstorm he's injured—and collapses into the arms of a prim and proper lady in calico.

The shirtless, bandaged stranger recuperating in teacher Piper St. James's room behind the schoolhouse says he's a McKettrick, but he looks like an outlaw. As they wait out the storm, the handsome loner has Piper remembering long-ago dreams of marriage and motherhood. But for how long is Sawyer willing to call Blue River home?

As the gray skies clear, Piper's one holiday wish just might bring two lonely hearts together forever.

~~

Not only have I not read a Linda Lael Miller in a while, I can't remember the last time I picked up a Western that I enjoyed as much as this. Yes, as a Christmas story you know you're in for a heartwarming tale with a great HEA, but the characters in this particular McKettrick installment were quirky, fun, and interesting the entire way through. 

Piper wasn't just an uptight schoolmarm - she has feelings and worries and in spite of all of those she ventures out to do what she can for Sawyer. Once he's actually awake and she's faced with the reality of a real live man living in her room at the schoolhouse...well then things get a little more complicated. She doesn't know what to do; she's nervous about having him there, attracted to him and his forthright attitude, but held back by the repercussions she knows will come about by having him recover there. It's a conundrum I tell you :).

Sawyer doesn't make it any easier just by being himself. He's a 'modern' man in this historical town, understanding that women are smart capable people - and appreciative that Piper doesn't take any crap. Their back and forths were my favorite part of the whole story because each of them were so clearly taken with the other but didn't know what to do about it. When Sawyer finally proposes marriage to salvage Piper's reputation (which should be a spoiler people - Christmas romance) nothing is rushed into. He's very respectful of her inexperience and wants her to enjoy the sexy times as much as he knows he will, lol. The supporting characters from the town and Piper & Sawyer's relatives enhanced the story and definitely played a roll in my overall enjoyment - they each serve a purpose in helping the hero and heroine grow but didn't overreach or become an unnecessary barrier to their HEA. 

Even without background from the rest of the McKettrick books this is a great feel-good stand alone and I highly recommend it. 

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - ...14) The McKettrick Legend 15) A Lawman's Christmas 16) An Outlaw's Christmas

**Title requested from NetGalley**

Heat of the Storm by Elle Kennedy

Give a SEAL an inch, and he’ll take your heart...

Lieutenant Will Charleston has waited fifteen long years to show up as anything other than a one-pixel blip on Mackenzie Wade’s romantic radar.  If a powerful storm is what he needs to send her into his arms, he’ll take it.  Once the hot sex is over, though, she seems determined to kick him right back into the friend zone.

Not this time.  This time, he’s going to teach her the meaning of tenacious.
Mackenzie has always had feelings for Will, feelings she fights with all her strength.  He’s her best friend, her safety net. The one man who’s not scared of her accursed psychic gift.  No doubt he drives her wild in bed, but their night of passion was more than a mistake.  It generated a tragic vision of the future, one that leaves her more confused—and afraid—than ever.

Problem is, Will knows her too well.  Plus he’s a SEAL to the bone.  And they don’t like to lose...
~~

After all the hype on Twitter about this author and her hot military men-filled books I definitely thought I'd like this more. It started off well, as we're dropped into the middle of this long friendship between Will and Mac that's finally turning into something more. There's a little bit of paranormal with Mac's visions but it never felt inconsistent or out of place with the rest of the story. 

I guess my  biggest complaint is about the how the relationship between Will and Mac gets resolved. Now I recognize that in a short story there's some emotional stuff that gets skimmed over because there's just room, but I hate the jealousy trope. Mac's being understandably hesitant in taking that step into full relationship status, and yes she could be a bit annoying with it at times, but Will didn't endear himself to me by borrowing his boss's girlfriend. Shrug. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great and I think I just expected more. 

It's a fine short story from a series that many other people seem to love, so take my opinion with a grain of salt ok? I guess my not-quite-perfect military romances are just going to have to keep coming from Lora Leigh.

Overall Feeling - C

Series - 1) Heat of the Moment 2) Heat of Passion 3) Heat of the Storm .... 7) Feeling Hot

Dragon*Con Part I - The Panels

As I mentioned in my Awkward and Awesome post, this year I spent a lot of time waiting in line. Which I HATE by the way, but is necessary if you've got limited time and incredible people to see. It's a conundrum I face every year, but this time around there were a few people I was dying to see (though I missed Mercedes Lackey! Dammit!) and for the most part all the waiting was worth it. 

To try and limit the ridiculous size of this post (though seriously, it's still too big) I didn't link to every random closeup I took of the guests, but you can check out the full album of pics I have here.

 Buffy and Angel Guest Q&A

Juliet Landau, James Marsters

Juliet Landau, James Marsters, J August Richards

This one was so fun! Marsters is always a riot but seeing Landau (Drusilla) and Richards (Gunn) was a treat. It was wonderful seeing them interact with each other and talk about some of the experiences they had working with the show's writers and of course, Whedon.

Weird, Amazing, Psychotic Life: The Farscape Cast Reunion

Keither R.A. Decandido, Rebecca Riggs, Gigi Edgley, Virginia Hey

Claudia Black and Ben Browder are my absolute favorites but I enjoyed sitting in on this panel and getting to hear from the villain of the show (Rebecca Riggs)

Stan 'the Man' Lee - Excelsior!

Stan Lee

A hilarious old man who loves his work and his fans. What's not to love?

Click below for MORE! 

August in Review

Look at that list! August was a busy month, with me getting through way more books than usual. I love that though because I read new books, old books, and books that randomly popped up on my newsfeed. Not all of them were great but that's the luck of the draw - sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. I hope you find something you like!

Oh and I'm working on the first part of my two Dragon*Con summary posts - look for the epicness soon!

Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur (C+/B-)
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews (A+)
Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston
Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Darkness Rising by Keri Arthur (C+/B-)
Darkness Devours by Keri Arthur (C+/B-)
Crux by Moira Rogers (B)
Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn (A)
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
Stygian's Honor by Lora Leigh (C)
The Search by Nora Roberts
Bleed For Me by Cynthia Eden (Mini-Me)
All Seeing Eye by Rob Thurman
Chasing Charlie by Kathy Carmichael (B)
Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
Much Ado About Magic by Shanna Swendson (A-)
Ghost Hunter by Jayne Castle (B)
Forever Again by Shannon Stacey (D)
Heat of the Storm by Elle Kennedy

My favorites from August? It's a tie between Gunmetal Magic and Much Ado About Magic - they're both additions to some great series and just made me happy :).

"Like a Wolf With a Bone" by Shelly Laurenston

Quiet little Darla Lewis couldn't be happier when the most-feared member of the South's rowdiest pack kidnaps her. A girl gets real tired of being overprotected by her own shifter family, and there's nothing like an oh-so-big bad wolf to start a pack feud, unleash her instincts- and have her surrender however and whenever she wants...
~~

I've decided to go ahead with a short review of "Like a Wolf With a Bone" because while Cynthia Eden's story is nice, this is the reason I bought the book. Finally getting to read about Dee-Ann's parents, Darla and the infamous Eggie, was a hoot. I went in figuring that I was going to read a somewhat complicated tale about how this crazy, 'only good at killing' guy managed to convince the pie queen Darla to marry him, but it's actually a sweet tale! Both of them see something wonderful and new in each other, and the quirks of their individual personalities are what make them so perfect. Darla talks a lot; Eggie's big on quiet - except apparently from Darla. Eggie's good at killing and Darla understands that not only is that who he is, she wouldn't want him any other way :).

Also, and as usual with a Shelly Laurenston story, the supporting characters (most of which we've met in previous books) were great. Janie Mae, Bubba, Thorpe (Blayne's Dad), the list goes on as we become acquainted with how well loved men and women got their beginnings. Especially as someone who read about the Magnus Pack back when they were just available in ebook, I had a big grin on my face the entire time. 

Highly recommended (though I think full enjoyment comes with reading the whole series).

Overall Feeling - A

Series - ... 6) Big Bad Beast 7) Bear Meets Girl 8) Howl for It (anthology with "Like a Wolf With a Bone")

Awkward and Awesome Thursday - Dragon*Con Edition!

TOTORO!!

Instead of inundating you with a million posts (which I hate writing and are probably boring for you to read) here's a quick A&A to be followed up by one (or two) picture posts. I'm always sad to leave Dragon*con but I'm so happy to be back to my life and my studio apartment!






Awkward:
-Getting an hour outside DC before remembering the baggie of jewelry still sitting on my bed.
-Creepy CVS guy trying to pull the 'I have to take a photo of you' card. Uh, no. F*ck you.
-Jason Mamoa bringing cups/bottle of beer into every panel he was on. Strange, strange man.
-The woman at the Jason Mamoa panel who asked to touch his biceps. THAT IS NOT RELEVANT OK?!
-The lines. Oh god, the lines. I did more waiting this year than I really like and it was poop every time.
-Losing your moisturizer in the one room you've had it in, only to have it found in a washcloth no one has ever seen before o_O.
-Fart wars. Really, Voyager cast? Ok then. You do you.
-Spending 20min the entire weekend in the art show. There is just not enough time in the day!
-Not having enough books to read. Or not having enough books that I really wanted to read.
-Humidity. Atlanta in the summer is the home of steamy heat and sweat, which when surrounded by 50,000 people who don't like to shower? Not good.
-With that said, B.O. I should not smell you from 20 feet away. It's a bad sign.
-Vlogging. How does anyone do that? Not only do I forget about my camera half the time, the other half I don't have anything interesting to say. Sigh. I think I'm just gonna give up. 

A little awkward, a LOT amazing.

Awesome:
-Burlesque Power Rangers were apprently a 'distraction' to people coming up the escalator, so hotel security politely asked us to move over 10 feet to avoid an accident. THAT TOTALLY HAPPENED.

And apparently I made this face.

-Chicken quesadillas. Cheese + chicken + salsa = magic.
-A slightly drunk (or exhausted) Robert Picardo stepping into the elevator with my friend Jessica and I, trying to find the room for his next panel.
-An entire elevator letting me know that they all agreed and thought I should cosplay as Inara from Firefly. Ok...
-People in MUCH better steampunk costumes than I wanting to take a picture of me and my makeup! So freaking cool!
-MEETING JEN AND JOHN FROM CAKEWRECKS/EPBOT! I found them completely by accident (I don't stalk Twitter enough) but I did it!
-Richard Dean Anderson is hilarious and old and I would still marry him in a heart beat.
-Leather corsets! Costs an arm and a leg but looks fantastic. I can wear it every day right? Leather's always aprorpriate for work.
-"My Drunk Kitchen". Don't kow it? Look it up! It's short, hilarious, and easily the most entertaining thing to watch on epic car rides.
-Cook Out. I know that's another food item, but it deserves it's own awesome spot. It's so good and the DMV is missing out! Hush puppies and cajun cheese fries? A corn dog as a 'side'? A chicken wrap as a 'side'? Genius!

Yes? Yes.

Forever Again by Shannon Stacey

Fifteen years ago, Gena Taylor and Travis Ryan were forced into a marriage neither wanted, the price they paid after one night of passion. But what he believed to be a lie forced Travis to walk out of her life shortly thereafter, crushing Gena’s dreams of a happily ever after with the only man she’d ever loved.

Fifteen years later, Travis and Gena meet again. Only now, she owns the inn he’s considering for his wedding – to another woman. And this time, she’s guarding her heart carefully. She’s not going to allow him to hurt her – or their daughter.

Despite their resolve to keep things impersonal, the past comes rushing back and feelings they both thought long dead rise from the ashes. But there are other lives at stake now, including that of the child Travis once thought was a lie.
~~

I had so much hope for this one. Yes it sounded like a Harlequin title but the excerpt totally had me excited: oh look - the heroine's not taking any crap! This dude was an asshole but she's gonna give him whatfore while both of them work towards a new relationship! Woot! 

Sadly, it was not to be.

Not only does Gena spend most of this book full of guilt and regret over a decision that personally, I felt made a lot of sense given the circumstances, she lets everybody else treat her like crap too! You'd get a moment where she had a spark and would talk back to Travis, but then on the next page she'd let her teenage daughter berate and manipulate her, and doesn't make Travis work for much of anything! Augh! I know that the daughter was working as the engine to keep their relationship going, but when the heroine has repeatedly said 'stop he's engaged' why the hell would you still go along with her obvious machinations? It makes no sense. Plus Travis was the classic alphahole, because while I think the hero is entitled to a little bit of anger in the beginning about the 'hidden baby' thing  (though this one was only slightly hidden), at some point you have to start redeeming yourself. Why is the only person speaking with any sense in this book the jilted fiance?!

All in all there was so many better places this book could have gone and I would have been a lot happier. I would have even been satisfied if Gena had stuck to her guns when in response to his original proposal she said 'no we don't even know each other' and they'd spent some time dating. Shrug. I just don't get it. 

Overall Feeling - D

Series - 1) Forever Again 2) Holiday Sparks 3) Mistletoe & Margaritas 4) Slow Summer Kisses

Teaser Tuesdays (9/4)

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!

"She didn't know these people and they were the mortal enemies of her best friend, but dammit, bad fashion was bad fashion. And she couldn't let someone go through life thinking that dress was ok."

--pg 35, Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston