used book haul

Know how much I paid for these? $3.44!

So much win in this little bag of goodies:

1) Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause

2) Legacy by Jayne Ann Krentz

3) Infinity by Maggie Shayne

4) Diamond in the Rough by Diana Palmer

5) The Shadowing by Joan Overfield

6) Just for Kicks by Susan Andersen

7) Follow My Lead by Kate Noble

I can't wait to get started - especially on my first Kate Noble!

Mini Me: Legacy by Jayne Ann Krentz

Honor Mayfield was about to walk into a trap. She thought that her her chance meeting with Conn Landry was a fortunate stroke of luck. In fact, he had cleverly set her up a long time ago.

As a member of the Thoroughbred horse-racing set in California, Conn was well respected. But Honor was about to discover the real man beneath the controlled exterior. Too late, she realized she was falling for someone who was seeking to avenge a legacy of murder and betrayal. A piece of her past was mysteriously linked to Conn, and now they were tangled together in a web of deception... and desire.

~~

You always take a risk reading a romance from the year you were born and this one turned out to be about a 50% hit. Honor and Conn's whole relationship had that 'Harlequin' feel in that he was a bit of jerk and for some reason she continued to put up with it. Because she 'loved him'. Go figure right?

I thought the mystery of their past was well done in the whodunnit sense but didn't weave as seamlessly with Conn and Honor's HEA. It's definitely an old fashioned romance and if that's your thing go for it; I'm glad I picked this up for $.50 because as much as I love Jayne Ann Krentz this is just not gonna go down in the annals of time as one of my favorites.

Bride of the Rat God by Barbara Hambly

After donning a cursed necklace for the cameras, a silent screen starlet and her entourage are terrorized by an ancient demon

It is 1923, and silent film reigns in Hollywood. Of all the starlets, none is more beloved than Chrysanda Flamande, a diva as brilliant as she is difficult to manage. Handling her falls to Norah, widow of Chrysanda’s dead brother. She has always done her job well, but she was never equipped to deal with murder.

When a violent killing shocks Chrysanda’s entourage, and other weird happenings swiftly follow, Norah begins to suspect that some strange power is stalking the star. In Chinatown she receives warning that a curse has been placed on the actress as vengeance for wearing a sacred amulet in one of her films—and this curse could mean death for all who surround her. 

~~

Bride of the Rat God was an unexpectedly enjoyable read. I requested it because of the great review on Dear Author but you never know - even trusted sources can't guarantee that I'll read it the same way. I can happily say now though that the action, romance, mystery, and paranormal elements all work together in a fantastic way. In fact I bet this would make a great movie as most of the characters and the time it's set in (1920's Los Angeles) are over the top and incredibly entertaining.

On the surface this is a paranormal mystery, with Norah trying her damnedest to figure out who (or what) is trying to kill her sister-in-law Chrysanda. There are spooky omens given by a 'Chinese mystic' and accidents that are just too planned out to truly be what they appear. It makes for a story you can't take your eyes from because you want to know what happens next. And me being a romance girl at heart, the slow development between Norah and Alec, from acquaintances to friends to something more, was another great thread to follow. Norah's working past the death of her husband and isn't sure she's ready for a relationship; instead of rushing it Hambly writes them both as people who slowly but surely finding a partner in the other. I highly recommend this title as something a little different that turns out to be a lot of fun.

Overall Feeling - B+

Series - None

**Title requested from NetGalley**

Teaser Tuesdays (5/22)

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!

"Since Victor was in New York, and Hailey was in school, I had the house to myself, which was good, because there would have been no way to maintain the sensual mystery of womanhood if anyone had heard the noises coming from that bathroom."

--pg 204-205, Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

The Gaithersburg Book Festival feat. The Bloggess!

In case you couldn't tell from my review of her new book, I'm a huge fan of Jenny Lawson. I think she's incredibly funny and yet at the same time speaks with sincerity to the crazy person in each of us. When I heard she was going to be vising Gaithersburg on the second leg of her book tour I knew I had to go - especially when I figured out that it was reachable through public transportation. 

Though I arrived hours before her scheduled time I really recommend the festival to people in the area. It was a beautiful day and the whole set up was fantastic. There were various tents set up for author talks & readings, in addition to the winding rows of publishing houses and smaller authors showcasing their own work. With food trucks on top of that and a park in the middle of a huge children's area, the event was family friendly in the very best way possible.

Now as any good event stalker will tell you, to get a good seat you have to get there early. As in I claimed a seat after the speaker before the speaker before the Bloggess. Yes this means I sat around for 45+min listening to people I had never heard of but hey - when Ms. Lawson walked out (escorted by the first cops I'd seen all day) I didn't have to do anything but sit there and enjoy. 

She started with a reading of Let's Pretend This Never Happened and then moved to a short Q & A session. I would have loved it if she'd been available longer but not only was she was one of the last speakers of the day, her autograph line was EPIC. Very much Dragon*Con proportions, as it went down a hill, wrapped around, and then went back up the hill. (Does anyone else wonder what other authors think when they see this kind of thing? Like are they happy for their peer's success, or jealous that their line had 5 people in it but they still have to sit in the sun for a while?)

I tried to balance both video and pictures so I couldn't get her whole chapter reading. I got a good half of it though and it makes me more than a little interested in purchasing the audio book (and since in general I never want to buy audio books, this says a lot). If you click over to the full video on YouTube I also included the questions (as I mostly remember them) from the Q&A. Happy Monday!

YES!

Let Me In by Callie Croix *ARC Revew*

On leave for Thanksgiving, the last thing marine lieutenant Talia Barnett expects to find is Liam Brodie waiting for her at the airport. He’s had a starring role in her fantasies for the past two years, and although she’d love to make them a reality, she has a dark secret that prevents her from taking things further.

A former Marine, Liam’s specialty is planning tactical operations, and that’s just what he plans to do to win Talia. The woman has kept him at arm’s length for too long, and this time he’s finally going to claim her—body and heart.

What begins as comfort quickly turns hot. When Liam shows Talia a hint of the dominant nature inside him, the submissive part of her flares to life. Though she desires him, she’s going back on deployment and doesn’t want to dump all her drama on him. Will he find a way to break through the protective walls around her heart and convince her they have a future that goes far beyond the bedroom?

~~

I haven't read a full blown erotic romance in a while but I've got to say Callie Croix is an author to watch - this book is hot, fun, and yet full of emotion. Tal and Liam's HEA is believable and realistic considering all that they've both been through and I commend Croix for handling some tough topics very well.

Tal and Liam have known each other for a while - she's friends with his sister and at this point considered to be one of the family. Which would be great if Tal didn't have the experience of knowing exactly what happens when 'family' goes very very bad. She's determined not to lean on the Brodie's any more than strictly necessary while Liam is just as focused on making her accept them - and his feelings for her.

There's a delicate balance between all of these factors when things with Tal's family finally come to a head, and Liam finally gets the chance to show her how trustworthy he is. The story builds quickly to some very steamy scenes between the two and those evolve to a more emotional connection. I loved Tal and Liam and think Croix did a great job moving between both of them; my favorite contemporaries always end up being the ones where I get to know the motivations and feelings of both the lead characters.

Overall Feeling - A

Series - 1) No Holds Barred 2) Let Me In (5/21/12)

**Title requested from NetGalley**

It Started With a Text (Part I)

Jessy: Um the chapter of your book where she gets lost and calls her husband...we've had this exact conversation..."Dana there's bushes, no I don't know what bus I'm on...why would I need to know that. I think I might be in MD. Help me"

Me: Well then maybe you need her ever special and unique GPS

Jessy: Or I can just keep calling you and hope you find me... like Waldo. Years later you will write a book about how I have impacted your life and then you'll be rich. You should thank me now.

Me: Oh don't worry I'm writing my thank you blog post now so I can be ready to post it years from now.

Me (again): There's gonna be a part about drunkenly trying to climb over snow drifts and ghetto cousins

Jessy: You should because Dana who else gets into fights with garbage cans, dances with strangers while dressed like a gnome, and comes drunkenly into your room at God knows what time tell you they want eggs?

Me: Example Chapter One: How We Tried to Get Home in a Snowstorm...and Almost Died

Me (again): Example Chapter Two: How I Left the House for a Few Hours...and Almost Died (in a gas explosion)

Jessy: Exactly! While telling some random man who was trying to murder me "Get away from me I don't need help! Don't touch me!"

Jessy (again): Ok maybe we could omit chapter two cause that makes it sound like I was trying to kill you and really it was just AN ACCIDENT

Me: Have you been reading The Bloggess? NOTHING'S an accident

*Yes I know this post makes little to no sense. If you really don't get it then I advise you to either head over to The Bloggess or even better pick up a copy of her new book Let's Pretend This Never Happened.

**No I don't have a book review to post today. I've spent the past week rereading books I've already posted reviews for because sometimes I'm a horrible blogger.

***Yes I have more chapter titles. They'll most likely be revealed in Part II (if I make it to a part II) so you should probably just keep checking back for more.