Secret HEA Society

WIP Wednesday (4)

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Thanks to Tami's Amis for hosting WIP Wednesdays

Let's see what's hot on our needles this week =)

Susi:

Not much progress on this one. Last week my needle broke and I didn't have another 3mm handy so I had to order one and it arrived today. Meh. So the Daybreak lay around most of the time. I got some more stripes done. But that gave me time to finally finish my cardi. YAY

Summer Bolero

I started this one after I finished the cardi. I needed something fast and wearable for next weeks convention. I love the color and well it's sooo summery. *g* I got the yarn at a supermarket sale. 4 skeins 100% cotton for like 3€ so it is also a really cheap project, too. It's my second Ribbed Lace Bolero and I really love it.

Caro:

Juliet Cardigan

(on my mom)

(On me)

I've been knitting a lot of Shawls this year and Susi knitting her cardigan made me realize I needed to knit something more than just a shawl. I planned on knitting a Juliet cardigan for the convention so here I am halfway there. My only concern is that I think it'll be too large. Well maybe not too large but it should have a 5" of negative ease and it shouldn't close in the front (that's how I liked it) and mine already closes in the front. That + blocking I think it'll be too large to please me. *shrug* First pic is on my mom (and yes we cheated coz it's actually way too large for her). Second pic is on me. It's knitting up very fast, I started on Saturday and by Sunday I was already starting the lace. BTW my mom wants one too so I'll make her one in her size but maybe I'll knit the yoke in stockinette instead of Garter. I find garter to look messy. Wish me luck I need to finish it before next week.

That's where we stand this week =)

WIP Wednesday (3)

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Thanks to Tami's Amis for hosting WIP Wednesdays

Let's see what's hot on our needles this week =)

Caro:

Taygete

Looks like an Aries sign! (or I'm just crazy)

Close up of the lace with the MANY markers

Last week Susi convinced me of ~~guinea-pigging~~ knitting a Taygete shawl. It's been in my Favorites for months and I never got to knitting it. So after the usual 2 days of deliberating on which colors to use I finally chose: Madelinetosh Merino Light in Teddy Bear color and Madelinetosh Sock in Fawn color. I know most people uses more colorful yarns with greater contrast (with a fantastic result I must say) but since this is going to be a Mother's Day present I tried choosing more 'neutral' colors my mom wouldn't hate LOL.
Knitting all these stripes was a bit boring but not extremely so. Picking up the right amount of stitches on the other hand was a freaking pain in my a*s! I don't know why but I just never had the right amount on each side. They I realized I'd forgotten a YO in the middle. It took me hours to get it right, so right-ish ;) And I should know better than knitting with a migraine because I had to unravel twice! I only just started the lace part but I'm excited about it. I put markers everywhere (18 on each side) and now I'm hoping it'll knit fast.
My only concern is running out of Fawn yarn. =S I already went down 2 needle sizes to compensate my loose kniting. Wish me luck!

Susi:

Daybreak

I started a Westknit! YAY. Well I hope it will be one I actually finish. *ahem* I chose some blue sock yarn I had on hand and planned to combine it with black but the dark blue in the sock yarn looked exactly like the black so after first row I ripped it back and started again with a sparkly violet yarn. This actually had a kind of subtle contrast but the yarn has a weird structure. It's kind of crinkly and the stitches looked awfully aymmetric so I ripped out around 6 rows and started again with a gradient sock yarn. It's really light gray-ish blue-ish. So far I like it. We will see if I will keep it.

Shapely Boyfriend

I resumed knitting this one for 20 rows or so. I'm a bad cardi knitter cuz I'm so easily bored so I only knit it at work- when I have the time and well my other knit is too complicated for work knitting. But I started the waist-shaping. YAY! Well after that I tried it on at home and realized that I shouldn't have started yet cuz my boobs are in the way. So I made some more plain stockinette rows after and resumed. It's going great but sloooooow. Perhaps I will be done before the next winter comes. *wink*

Susi's bf:

Chevry

Isn't it AWESOME???Without kidding, I'm the MAN!!

Now for real: because I haven't developed the proper knitting muscles in my left hand, I decided to skip one repeat of this tedio...ahh quite interesting shawl. I think it's big enough already. So all that's left to do are the nice stripes at the edge. And I'm really looking forward to see it blocked and... spread wide.

FO Friday (2)

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Thanks to Tami's Amis for hosting FO Fridays

It's Friday! That means it's time to share pics of our Finished Objects (FOs).

Caro:
Last Wednesday I told you how close I was to finishing my Catkin. There you are it's now done and blocked. Ok I still have to find pretty buttons but the knitting part is done at least ;)

The Graphite looks blue-ish on the pics because my camera sucks. It's very dark gray and flashy pink. I'm really happy with the result. =) It was an intense knit. All the charts nearly killed me. I had to unravel a bit because I wasn't reading the charts right =P But it's still pretty awesome.

Susi:

I finished my second Color Affection. I love the colors and the Malabrigo Lace is soooo soft. The only problem I had with this yarn was in the short row section with all 3 colors. The yellow stitches from the previous section started to felt together a bit from the up and down on the needles. That was a bit annoying but it's hardly visible now. Just a pain to knit. LOL
Next time I really should make an extra YO between the first and second stitch though and drop it on the next row. The edge is pretty tight. I really like how soft it is- can be worn even now that it's gettting warm outside. LOVE!

Bf finished his first project- a sleeve for our tablet (pattern was originally for an iPad). *g* We changed the pattern a bit. For the flap he did an icord bind-off and added a short icord loop in the middle for the button. It looks great for his first real project. There are some mistakes and tension problems but oh well I adore it and he's unbelievable proud- as he should be.

WIP Wednesday (2)

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:58:00 +0000

Thanks to Tami's Amis for hosting WIP Wednesdays

Welcome back to WIP Wednesday where we show you what's currently on our needles.

Susi: I finished my Color Affection last weekend and desperately wanted to started a lace shawl and was again caught in I-can't-decide-what-to-knit-next-hell. *sigh* I spent hours looking for a new knit and at some points had a bazillion tabs in my browser open and couldn't decide. So what did I start? A shawl I already knit in the past.

I started a new Ziggity by Kirstin Kapur because the first one I made was a gift for my mom. I loved that one so much that I actually considered keeping it for myself. But I was a good daughter and made her happy with the pretty. So I cast on again. This time I was a bit daring and knit with Malabrigo Lace in Marron Oscuro and Sapphire Green. I hope it won't come out too small as the pattern is made for fingering weight. We will see. And if it's still tiny after all the lace panels I can always add an extra lace panel. Or so I hope.

Also my bf started knitting a week or two ago and he already finished his first project. After that he started a Chevry by Stephen West because he loved Caro's so much. I'm unbelievable proud of him and well his progress is scary fast. A really clever knitter if you remember that he touched knitting needles for the time just 2 weeks ago. LOL God, I love that guy.

Caro: First I'd like to say I'm super proud of Susi's bf and I love his project already. Go bf!! *cheers*! So last week I only had a few stripes on my Catkin shawl but I've been working on it a LOT and I'm just a few rows from the end. I was really scared of running out of pink yarn and believe me it was a close call. I only had a few yards left.

I'm super happy of the result. I was scared of the charts and it's lucky I had Susi to explain how they worked LOL Hopefully I'll have finished pics for Friday's post.

Here's what's on our needles this week.

FO Friday (1)

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Thanks to Tami's Amis for hosting FO Fridays

Today it's finally time to show off some of our recents FOs (finished objects). Let's say we are pretty excited.

Susi:

Cladonia

I adore Kirsten Kapur's designs and the first time I saw this one I knew I had to make one for myself. Hell, it has stripes and pretty lace. *g*

I combined 2 self-striping yarns. One has some beige and green tones and the other one is a bit pinkish till orange. Was a bit of a dare but I like it.

I pretty much followed the pattern on this one. I just added some beads in the first Eyelet section.

The Picot bind-off was a close call. I had like 10cm of the yarn left when I was done.

The Candy Striped Bag

This bag actually was only a filler project I started while I waited for the new yarn to arrive. The pattern on ravelry (Garter Stripe Square Bag by Ishi-knit)is in Japanese but thanks to all the other notes I got the gist of it without actually knowing any Japanese. LOL It's made of 22 more or less square garter patches sewn together. The knitting was easy peasy and fast and well I like how the colors work together. The sewing was a pain- I HATE sewing but I survived the sewing day from hell. At the top of the bag I added an I-cord edge to make it a bit neater. The lining is an old blouse and surprisingly the stripes work with the stripes from the squares. At least for me. The straps are made of 6 crochet chains each and are simply braided together.

Caro:

Chevry

Last November I decided to join the WestKnit Shawl Club because I really love Stephen West's designs. So every month I got a pattern and April was the last. Stephen added Chevry as a Bonus pattern and I couldn't resist knitting it. I love the play of colors and shapes and textures.

One color is knitted in stockinette the other is knitted in garter. That means LESS PURLS!!! LOL (Yes like Susi I hate purling)
I admit that I got lazy and I only did 3 repeats of Section 4 instead of 4 =P But I think it's long enough as it is.

The Malabrigo sock yarn is awesome. It softens considerably after blocking. Colorway used: Arbol and Ochre.
I love the Arbol color. It's the second shawl I knit with it and it won't be the last.

Andrea's Shawl

My mom kept complaining that I never knitted her anything (which isn't true!). So I complied and searched for a pattern she would like. Believe me she's picky! No stripes, no 'manly' shapes, not more than 1 color. Well actually when I asked her which color to make it, she said 'White or beige or black'. Hum mom those aren't colors LOL. And she wanted some kind of Cotton yarn. Anyway I've been a good daughter and I decided to knit her Andrea's Shawl in just 1 color *rolls eyes*.
This shawl was a NIGHTMARE! I love the result but OMG I thought I would give up a thousand times. First and only time I'll ever knit a bottom-up shawl. The bottom lace border felt like it would never end. After hours knitting I didn't have much to show for it. Btw I knitted the Large size because it was stated by many others that it sized very small. Good thing I didn't go the lazy way. The Large size is perfect.
Since I didn't do stripes I added Eyelets rows every 20 rows to give it structure. I really love how it ended up looking. It has a vintage/old style look that fits my mom. She loves it to pieces so YAY. Mission accomplished!

Those are our recent FOs. =)

WIP Wednesday (1)

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:37:00 +0000

Thanks to Tami's Amis for hosting WIP Wednesdays

Welcome to our 1st edition of WIP Wednesday! Let's take a closer look at what's currently on our needles.

Caro's WIPs:
A new week a new project! I’ve been itching to knit myself a Catkin shawl. To be honest I spent 2 whole days trying to decide on the colors. It’s the most important part of it all in my opinion. I’m in freaking LOVE with these colors. I’m using Madelinetosh Merino Light in Graphite and Fragrant. It’s such a pleasure to knit I can’t stop. <3 My only problem is that I keep stopping every 5 minutes to pet the WIP LOL

I’m also knitting a Hekate shawl . Susi made one a few weeks ago and I knew I had to make one too! *g* . But as much as it was pretty easy for the most part, I’m struggling with the last lace part. It’s even more annoying considering that Susi said it was the “funnest” part to knit =P. I should point out that she loves knitting charts and I HATE charts! Anyway, I really like how the red pops out. It’s so big I’m having trouble taking any decent pic of it while on the needles. It's the second shawl I knit from this designer and it won't be the last I'm sure. She has such wonderful patterns!

I still have quite a few WIPs on my needles (like my Aidez Cardi!) but the others will have to wait a little longer. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Susi's WIPs:

I started a new Color Affection last week. This time in lace weight and I’m in love with the colors and the yarn. The stripes are just awesome and the colors are way more vivid in real. It’s a little sunshine good mood shawl. The first striped section was a bit of an endurance test but I survived and I’m now happily doing the three colored stripes. *g* I’m a bit worried yarnwise though. The last full length yellow stripe from the previous section looks like it’s starting to felt. All this going up and down on needle while I’m doing the short rows seems to be taking its toll. We will see if that will be visible after blocking. Fingers crossed it won’t. >.<

My second project will probably hibernate a bit now. I started a Shapely Boyfriend cardi and I do like how it works out but OMG so many purls on the WS. >.< I hate purling but well I will be a good girl and do a row here and there- mostly at work so the progress is always minimal. But well I can be patient with this one. (if you take a closer look at pic I just lost some stitches from my right needle while taking the pic but I could catch them all *whew*)

Here you have it! This is what's keeping us busy this week =)

Audio Bliss

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:14:00 +0000

Susi:

I just finished Witness in Death by J.D. Robb last night. That one might be one of my favorites in this series so far. I liked the moral dilemma Eve faces in this one and well I can’t say much on the whys but it really touched me. Also the emotional development of Eve’s and Roarke’s relationship was wonderful to see and Peabody finally gets more time for her story. And as always the narration was extraordinary. *g* I’m so hooked on this series.

After that cuz I was riled up and couldn’t sleep I started Tricked by Kevin Hearne and I so missed Atticus. He’s hilarious and made me snort and giggle in bed. I even woke bf once and he was so rolling his eyes at me. Well he actually is only jealous- I’m sure. Not far in on that one yet but I’m pretty sure it will rock.

Caro:

I started way too many audiobooks at the same time once again LOL I only JUST started Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb (yes Susi infected me with the In Death syndrome). The narrator is AWESOME!!! I was despairing over ever being able to read this (huge-ass) series and Audiobooks made it happen! But I stopped listening so I could start Tricked!!! Squeeeeeeeeeee! I miss Atticus and Oberon. I’m super excited. The narrator is so good I can’t have enough of his voice. I can’t stop laughing at his Oberon voice. I’m not listening much these days so it’ll take me some time to finish both. =P

I also have 2 other audiobooks started...Virgin River by Robyn Carr and Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones. So as you see be it books, audiobooks, or knitting projects...I always start too many at a time. This is eye opening lol

What are you listening to right now?

Have you read or listened to any of these books?

DIY Yarn Swift & Ballwinder

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:25:00 +0000

Last week I finally succumbed and ordered some Malabrigo Lace yarn. I just had to get some of their pretty colors. But why did I never do that before? They aren't really more expensive than other yarns but well they aren't balled yet. *gasp* Yes, I know I'm lazy but it's not only that. Last year the wonderful Caro gave me some Malabrigo Sock yarn in Tiziano Red and I tried to make my own ball. That's the result:

Bf holding the ruined yarn.

As you can see I suck at that. It took us hours to unravel that- okay actually 2 days speant in front of tv unraveling instead of knitting. Meh for that.

So after that fiasco I asked Caro how she makes her pretty balls. And she told me about her ball winder and how great that is. So I googled and discovered that a ball winder is freakish expensive (at least for me: 30-40€ that's like 6 books or enough yarn to make at least 3 shawls). So I asked bf if we could just build one ourselves. After googleing at work on how to build your own ballwinder we discovered that we should also build a yarn swift (I'm such a newbie at stuff like this). So that was our plan.

We build both out of stuff we had at hand so it actually cost us nothing. Here's the yarn swift:

Self made yarn swift

The under-construction is a turn table originally bought for a tv. The white thingies are an old and unused curtain rail.. In the middle we cut some of the plastic out so we could cross it. We measured the distance the pencils should have and drilled some holes in it. Here is it with some pretty Vermillion on it:

Malabrigo Lace Vermillion

The ball winder was actually even easier. We found some online instructions that told us to use and electric drill which I found rather scary. But luckily we found some antique thingie in our cellar- a really OLD hand powered drill. So I added some foam distance holders ,which are actually used under chair legs, to a pencil and we were ready to go:

Self made ball winder (and yes we're watching Star Trek - The Animated Series at the moment)

So the winding started and 21minutes later we have a ball of wonderful yarn:

I actually don't pull the pencils out cuz I'm a scaredy cat. But well it's better than my first attempt at making my own ball.

After accomplishing this I have to say yet again it rocks to live in an engineering household.

What's the best thing you ever build yourself?

Do you have a ballwinder or can you actually make real balls without it?

We're back

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:27:00 +0000

Hey everyone,
we know long time no see but life was chaotic here. We both were busy and when we had a free moment or two we spent those on Book Lovers Inc or on our newest hobby... knitting.

But well we both do love this blog and so we thought we might just start posting again. But how to get that lost blogging mojo back? Our solution: changing the rules.

We will from now on post about what we want to share be it book related or not. We hope you will bear with us until we will find our own way back.

And be warned- we both love to knit so there will be posts about stuff like that. Pretty pictures and all.

We also discovered audiobooks so we plan on talking about those too and well everything else that happens around here.

Caro's PS: I take full responsibility for infecting Susi with the Knitting virus. We both thought it would just be a phase, a few months and we'd go back to our normal selves. But we have to admit defeat and recognize that we're beyond hopes of recovery. ;)

July's HEAs

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:35:00 +0000

Susi's Books:
July was definitely not my month. Hospital stay, a bazillion doc appointments and my finals all in one little cozy month. Blech! I vote for August being a better month. So here my tiny list:

1. Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford (my review) - 4 stars
This was a really good m/m mystery novel. The setting was rather exotic and the characters highly intriguing. I will keep my eyes open for more of Ford's work.

2. Red Mortal (Gods of Midnight, #4) by Deidre Knight - 3 stars
Last book in the Gods of Midnight series *sobs* and I kind of expected more. Leo and Daphne always had this chemistry between them and for my taste they just spend to much time with denying themselves in this one. Got really annoying at some point to here the same reason again and again and again. And I'm still sad that Mason and Nikos won't have their own book. =(

3. Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour #1) by Olivia Cunning - 4 stars
OMG hawt hawt hawt. I read this one cuz Caro forced me to guinea-pig for her and I was always reluctant cuz I knew it would have rimming and just yuck. *Susi the prude* But well I just ignored those scenes. The rest was hot, hot, hot and the guys are fun in a rockstar kind of way. And they make me think of Apocalyptica doing dirty things. I approve. *g*

4. Rock Hard (Sinners on Tour, #2) by Olivia Cunning - 4 stars
This one was a bit more emotional and not so much focused on the sex. We still have tons of that but the emotional buildup is more complex and the overall feel more thought-provoking. Really liked this change of pace.

5. Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1) by Thea Harrison- 4 stars
This one was really good. Finally a new PNR I actually do like. I wasn't sure if I would like it because I read some spoilers (on accident) before I started it but I did like it. It's not that outstanding as everyone wanted me to believe but it is definitely one of the best.

6. Black Night (Madeline Black, #2) by Christina Henry (my review) - 3 ½ stars
This one was fun- it has awesome characters that will make you giggle and snort and it has the gory fight scenes that will make you O_o. I expected a bit more development of the romantic plotline but there wasn't much.

7. Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera (my review) - 3 stars
This one was funny and reminded me of Bridget Jones but on the other hand it was a bit too shallow and superficial for my taste. I really wanted to bang the heroine's head against some hard.

8. Changing the Game (Play by Play, #2) by Jaci Burton (my review) - 4 stars
Ohhhhh Gavin- I'm in love. I really loved to see how he and Lizzie found their HEA. A love story about to stubborn humans and the smex was hot. Highly recommended series!

9. Indecent Experiment by Megan Hart- 4 ½ stars
A short story I bought for being a good student. And OMG this was hot- this will show what sexual build up should be like. Wonderful and just awesome. All thumbs up.

10. Open Season by Linda Howard - 3 stars
I read this one cuz Has from The Book Pushers pimped it. A nice romantic suspense but for me it was a bit too slow. I wanted a bit more thrill. But it was a fun read with a wonderful condom scene that made me giggle and role my eyes at the same time.

Caro's Books:
I’m not sure why this was a slow month for me too (Susi: you missed me!! Awww. *hugs*) but it turned out that way. *shrug* I won’t complain though because I read some fantastic books. I’m still over-the-roof happy about Backstage Pass! *squee*. Here’s my list:

1. Only Mine by Susan Mallery - 4 Stars (my review)
This is a very cute Small Town romance. Easy to read and full of happy! I fell for this town and its inhabitants.

2. Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase - 4 ½ - 5 Stars
This was different from the usual Historical romances, for once the heroine is working and not an idle aristocrat. This was really good. I’m excited about the next book.

3. Venom Jennifer Estep - 4 ½ Stars - Audiobook
I think this was my favorite in the series so far. But I’m still annoyed at a few of my pet peeves in this series.

4. Something About You by Julie James - 4 ½ Stars
I wish it had more romance from the start. Otherwise it was very funny and the hero was yumilicious. NOM NOM NOM

5. The King’s Courtesan by Judith James - 4 ½ Stars (my review)
I was SO excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint. My review HERE

6. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning - Big fat 5 Stars
Woooot!! *suqeeeee* This was SO amazing. I loved it to PIECES. It’s just perfect. I’m still thinking about it now. *squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

7. Hammered by Kevin Hearne - 4 Stars - Audiobook
This was well narrated like the first 2 books but the story was a bit less interesting. Or better said it was a bit harder to follow mostly because I didn’t know ¾ of the deities/Gods/myths mentioned in this book. It was still a good book

8. Inside Out - Lauren Dane - 3 ½ Stars
As much as I love this series, I didn’t enjoy Inside Out as much as the other books. Not enough things happening and I didn’t care much about the main characters. I’ve been waiting for years for Adrian’s story though...I’m excited for Never Enough. It’s killing me to see everyone reading t now. WANTZ!!!

What was your favorite read in July?

Any recommendations we shouldn't miss in August?

ARC Review: Changing the Game by Jaci Burton

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Blurb:

Most people play by the rules. Gavin and Liz aren't most people...

Win at any cost. That's always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far and risks losing her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley, Liz realizes that she'll have to work extra innings to win him back. It might not be too much of a stretch. She's had a thing for this player's moves since she first laid eyes on him, and by the looks of it, he wants her just as bad.

Gavin's more than ready—especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. And as much of her as Gavin wants. For added thrills, he decides to throw a little curve ball Liz's way to see just how far she's truly willing to go to keep him as a client. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of them all.

Susi's Thoughts:
Elizabeth didn't have the best start with us as the readers in book 1. She played the role of the antagonist and I wasn't sure if I could warm up enough to her to really enjoy her book. But I did. Elizabeth is a complex character and there is so much hidden under her perfect and pretty shell. She isn't the shark and unfeeling agent we thought her to be. After the first few pages I already knew that I would like that woman. She is strong, won't back down and stands up for what's important to her. She is a fighter and never shrinks away from a challenge. I think she and sports are a fit made in heaven. She has the attitude and endurance to be successful in this branch. I loved to see how she ticks. She has so much heart and love inside her- she cares deeply for those she sees as her friends- it's just hard for her to show it.

Gavin is one hot alpha male.He knows what he wants, sometimes *winks*, and is as ambitious as Lizzie. He loves a good challenge and Elizabeth is his biggest yet. He loves her independence and her stubborness. He isn't one to back down either.

The predictment of their love wasn't pretty good from the start. The past makes it complicated for them to start fresh and without any burdens. The buildup was sexy as hell but also broke my heart one small step at a time. The emotional background in this book is always present but doesn't overshadow the actual story. Elizabeth's love for Gavin is always present but their "fling" gave the story a lightheartedness that just screamed fun. I really crossed all my fingers and toes for them- they really deserve a life together. They are so different but fit in a way that's just enviable. The way the love between these two developed was paced just right but still I wanted to scream and rant at them more than once

I have to say that Ms Burton really knows how to write her sex scenes. Wowza says is it all. She creates this great mix of emotions and erotic sensuality- my favorite kind. *wink* But I'll be honest, the dirty talk in Changing the Game wasn't exactly made for me. Dirty talk is always a hit or miss for me- sometimes I love it and other times it starts to annoy me at least a bit if it seems to be a too big contrast to the characters usual behavior. Another thing that irritated me was the baseball lingo but that could be because I have not the slightest idea how that play works besides that some guy hit that bat thingie against the ball and everyone starts to run around the field. I actually had to google words to see what it is. *hides in shame*

I can already feel that the next book will be awesome. We see some glimpses of Jenna and Ty- those two will burn the pages (and I actually know some things about hockey so I'm sure I will love the sports aspect in that one more).

Changing the Game is a great mix of everything I love in my romance novels. It is smoking hot and still made laugh and smile. When a book makes you love the bad girl it just has to be good. Never thought I would say that but Jaci Burton made me love stories about sports. Keep them coming, I'm already counting the days till Taking a Shot.

I give Changing the Game 4 out of 5 stars

with a HEA as it should be.

Author Links:
Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Goodreads

Book Links:
Lea's review @ Book Lovers Inc, Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Chapters, Nook, Kindle, iBookstore

Earworm of the Week - Book Sountrack (aka Apocalyptica Love)

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:48:00 +0000

Saw this on Michele Hauf's blog

Sometimes authors post their soundtrack for the books their released. It can be very enlightening. But often for me it's a black and white situation, either I love the same kind of music and it makes complete sense, or I really don't like it and I start wondering if I really want to read that book. LOL.

I remember when I was reading Kim Harrison's Hollow series, I would often go to her website to see which songs she thought fit the characters the most. She also posted people's choices and I thought it amazing. Readers can see very different styles for the same characters and I found lots of new bands to listen to this way. Most of MY choices for her books would be Nine Inch Nails songs. (No I promise I won't start rambling about my NIN love *is being a good Caro*)

Anyway, I'm reading Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning (and it ROCKS *sing song voice*) and it's about a rock band. I can't help but think of Apocalyptica. I'm not even sure yet which kind of music the Sinners really make but if I think sexy sensual rock-star I think Apocalyptica *g* Apocalyptica is everything I love about music, they ooze sex (again prolly just me *wink*) , I love their music, and I'm fascinated by their music videos ;) How I wish I had a backstage pass to THEIR concert! *dreamy sigh* I also really love that they often release 2 versions of their songs, the instrumental one and songs with singers from very different bands.

So now my Earworms of the Week will be dedicated to this delicious band.

Not Strong Enough (Featuring Brent Smith from Shinedown)

End of Me (feature Gavin Rossdale) <=== YUM

Since I can't pretty well add all the videos of the songs I love (WAY too many *g*) I'll just link a few more:
- I Don't Care (featuring Adam Gontier from Three Days Grace)
- The Path (Instrumental version <== love it)
- The Path (featuring Sandra Nasic from Guano Apes) <== Love it too *g*
- Bittersweet (featuring Ville Valo of HIM and Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus)

Ok will stop there because this could go on forever lol.
I will leave you with an insane video of The Hall of the Mountain King played live in Germany. It's insane how fast they play by the end. Look at their fingers playing.

I think this is the song I thought of the most while reading Backstage Pass, because the Olivia Cunning mentioned a few times how her characters had very 'adept' fingers. *g*.

If you've read Backstage Pass, which band did you think of when reading it?

Did you have a specific sound in mind?

If you haven't read it, do you like seeing the author's Soundtrack for their books?

Anyone else completely addicted to Apocalyptica?

PS: this post is dedicated to Susi, because I know she shares my love of Apocalyptica (AND Backstage Pass!

ARC Review: Seduction & Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:29:00 +0000

Blurb:

With the scandalous nature of her birth to live down, Isabella Fairmont dreams of a proper marriage—even if a passionless one. She saves her deepest desires for the novel she dares to pen, wherein a handsome lord with dark powers seduces her. But then her courtship with an appropriate suitor is threatened by the sudden attentions of the reclusive Earl of Black…whose pale blue eyes and brooding sensuality are exactly as she described in her book.
Isabella tries to resist the mysterious Earl of Black.

Yet as he pursues her, with inexplicable knowledge of her past and kisses that consume her, Isabella fears she will succumb.

If only the earl could tell Isabella the truth. With very real, and treacherous, thieves endangering her life, Black will need to protect Isabella from the very people she trusts the most….

Caro's review:
Seduction and Scandal is the 1st book in the Brethren Guardians series. I really wanted to love this book. I'm a big fan of Charlotte Featherstone's writing and I was very excited about reading this one. The blurb was warning us of a dark and mysterious hero, that's exactly my kind of hero, so I was looking forward to it.

I won't lie, I was disappointed by this book. It had real potential but too many things irked me. Still I think the series has a lot of potential and I'll be waiting for the next books because I really liked the 2 other Brethren Guardians. I'm pretty excited about their story.

But let's come back to this book. Isabella's past is better left a secret, she'd rather no one knew about her family's scandalous past. She lives with her cousin Lucy. Isabella is obsessed with Death, she writes a gothic novel where the heroine meets Death and he's dark mysterious, handsome...he is there to take the life of the heroine but she falls in love with him. Now, you'll tell me, she's an author, she can write whatever she wants! True, but Isabella, is obsessed by Death. And when she meets the reclusive Earl of Black at a ball she start seeing Death in him. He becomes her muse. I think my main problem was that the book had a huge Gothic vibe and I'm not really interested in those. I tried getting into the story but often the comparisons with Death made me roll my eyes.

I admit that I really liked Black after a few chapters. He's obsessed with Isabella, he knows more about her than she thinks. He'd do anything for her. I was very curious, I wanted to know her secrets too! Talking about secrets...Black is part of the Brethren supposed to guard some very important items with their life. This didn't go well either for me. So these 3 guys are hiding and guarding 3 crucial items but somehow they loose a few. Yes just like that. LOL I'm sorry but I also rolled my eyes there. I had a hard time adhering to this side of the story. The mystery surrounding this didn't grab my attention.

I think it all comes back to 1 thing: the gothic vibe. Charlotte Feathertone's writing was very much in vibe with the feel of the book. The prose was a bit too flowery for me. Black often declares his undying want of the heroine, with metaphors and hyperbolas.

For the whole book though, I was captivated by the secondary characters. I'll admit I wanted to slap Lucy a few times and the ending really was a bit too much BUT, still I will be waiting for their story. And most of all I'll be waiting for book 3 which will feature my favorite characters *g*.

So in conclusion, if you like gothic romance novel you should read this one. It's a good story, it just wasn't really for me.

I give Seduction & Scandal 3 stars.

With a cheesy HEA

Author Links:
Website

Book Links:
Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

June's HEAs

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 19:19:00 +0000

Caroline's books:
Making this post is a real eye opener for me. I seem to have a problem with rating books LOL. By that I mean...look at my books and see the ratings? If you ask me I’d tell you that there are different kinds of ratings depending on the genre I read. I’m more demanding of a Historical romance than an erotic novella. THIS is my problem, I don’t seem to know how to rate as a whole, but by genre. So yes I know it looks like I’ve given the same rating to all the books... *sigh* Anyway...

1. Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews (4 ½ stars) :
It was fun and exciting. Not the best in the series but it was good. I can’t wait for more Roland time. Yes I’m Team Roland LOL

2. How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries (4 ½ stars) :
This 1 was a bit slower than the previous books in the series but it was still really good. I love this series and I can’t wait for the next 2.

3. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn: (4 ½ stars)
Cute! A very cute story. Alright, so it wasn’t very smexy but it was funny and easy to read. I loved seeing the Bridgerton again.

4. Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison (4 ½ stars)
Hot, fun, fast-paced, original. NOM Talk about a hot hero! I have to admit there might have been some eye-rolling at the heroine’s secret but it was still fun. Will be waiting for next book.

5. Kisri by Moira Rogers: (4 ½ stars)
Short and satisfying. Smexy steamy story. (Review)

6. Hexed by Kevin Hearne (audiobook) (4 ½ to 5 stars).
I listen to this Audiobook and it was awesoooooome. I fell in love with both the narrator’s voice(s) and the characters. I am in withdrawals, i NEED book 3. NEED!! *eyetwitch* Only a few days to wait.

7. Shameless by Anne Stuart (4 ½ Stars)
I loved it, loved nearly everything about it. It ranks high on my top book of 2011 list. Once again Anne Stuart delivers a fantastic tale and give us the HEA of the characters of the previous book. <3 (review)

8. Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep (Audiobook) (4 Stars)
It was a nice book but it felt a bit slow at times. I guess it’s because this audiobook is narrated quite slowly. I wanted to rush the narrator. I also really dislike the ‘hero’. REALLY dislike him. I also discovered one of my pet peeves with this series. The heroine can see LOTS of things in a look...I mean things like ‘something flashed into his eyes, hurt, guilt, desire, regrets, ..bla blabla’. O_O yes right, you can see all that in 1 look. O_o anyway...still good series. I’m addicted and book 3 is really good so far.

9. Unlocked by Courtney Milan (4 ½ stars)
How I wished this had been a full length novel. It was very original and emotional. I loved it to pieces. I think even Susi would have liked it!

10. Seduction and Scandal by Charlotte Featherstone (3 or 3 ½ Stars)
I wanted to love this book but I was disappointed. I’ll still be waiting for book 2. Review to come soon.

Susi's books:
June was pretty good but I only read so many books because many of them were shorts or novellas. And I cheated with the anthologies- I only read one story in those. *bad Susi*But I read some pretty good books. So yay!

1. Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changling #10) by Nalini Singh - (5 stars)
We waited so long for Hawke's book and let's just say it was worth every second. LURVED it!

2. Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, #5) by Ilona Andrews - (4 stars )
As always I really loved it but it was a bit slow in the middle. Still better than most but you know, high expectations and all.

3. What a Goddess Wants (Forgotten Goddesses, #1) by Stephanie Julian - (4,5 stars) (my review)
Great start to a new series. I adore Julian's mix of sexy, fun and exciting moments.

4. Rode Hard, Put Up Wet (Rough Riders, #2) by Lorelei James - (3 stars)
Still very hot but I didn't like how easy Carter had it at the end. >.<

5. Two Weddings (Southern Arcana #3.5) by Moira Rogers - (4 stars)
Very entertaining short- makes me want to read Cipher even more.

6. Pushed to the Limit (Limit Wars #2) by Nico Rosso - (3,5 stars) (my review)
Really promising scifi. Great setting but the romance developed too fast for me.

7. Blue-Eyed Devil (Travises, #2) by Lisa Kleypas - (5 stars)
I adored this book. Awesome romance and heartbreakingly good plot. All thumbs up.

8. Smooth Talking Stranger (Travises, #3) by Lisa Kleypas - (4 stars)
I really enjoyed this one too but it was my least favorite of all three. Still better than most books in this genre though. I highly recommend this series to all romance lover- outstandingly good.

9. Kisri (And the Beast, #2) by Moira Rogers - (3 stars) (my review)
I enjoyed this one but for me Rogers werewolves will always be my favorites.

10. Fragile (Rafferty, #1) by Shiloh Walker - (3 stars)
I expected much of this one but sadly it was too much emotional talk with too many repetitions.

11. Cat's Tale: A Fairy Tale Retold by Bettie Sharpe - (3 stars) (my review)
Very unique retelling of Puss in Boots. The setting was funny but the heroine was a but too much for me.

12. Burning Up (Psy/Changeling #8.5) by Nalini Singh - (5 stars) (I only read Magic Dreams)
So far Singh never disappointed me. I love her writing and the changeling have a special place in my heart.

13. Hexed (Kate Daniels #4.5) by Ilona Andrews - (4 stars) (I only read Whisper of Sin)
It was soooo good to read about Dali and Jim but it was over too fast. After reading the last sentence I turned the page and was like WHAT? It's over? *sad susi*

14. Return To Shanhasson (Blood and Shadows, #3) by Joely Sue Burkhart - (3,5 stars)
This last part of the Trilogy was not what I expected. I times I felt like a prude Greenlander. LOL But still so good to see this awesome series come to a conclusion. review to come!

Did you discover any great reads last month we should check out?
What was your favorite read in June?

Cover Sneak Peak (Aka the Happy Dance cover)

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Today was worse than a 'Monday from Hell' at work (that's saying a lot!) but when I came home I saw an email from Suzanne McLeod.Then I actually screamed, squeeeeed and made a 'happy dance'.

Suzanne sent me the new US cover of The Bitter Seed of Magic which will be released in December. I'll share it with you but be warned that this might not be the final version (her eye color might need some fixing).

I feel so honored to be quoted on the cover of this book. *squeeeeeeee* This is one of my favorite read this year (and a favorite series!) and I still can't believe it.

Thank you so much Suzanne for letting me know about it and letting me post a special preview of the cover!

Spellcrackers.com series:

#1 : The Sweet Scent of Blood

#2: The Cold Kiss of Death

#3: The Bitter Seed of Magic

Have you read this series? As you can guess I highly recommend it *g*

Is there anyone else who's impatiently waiting for the release of the next book in the series?

ARC Review: Shameless by Anne Stuart

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Blurb:

A long string of tragic loves haunts Viscount Benedick Francis Alistair Rohan. Cool and cynical, he's weary of life's fickle games and wants a prim and proper wife he can ignore while indulging his sensual appetites.

Lady Melisande Carstairs is nothing less than a tornado storming into Benedick's measured life. Possessed of boundless energy and the soul of a reformer, Melisande always conquers, whether it's saving the souls of soiled doves or seducing the man she's inconveniently fallen for. When she informs Benedick that his brother's newly revived Heavenly Host has graduated from simple carnal debauchery to sadistic violence, he's compelled to investigate, undercover. Under those covers, however, is Melisande herself, playing a dangerous game in the name of justice.

And the Heavenly Host has just seen her hand, and more…

Caro's Review:
Shameless is the 4th book in the House of Rohan series. I am a big fan of this series and I just couldn't wait to read this last installment. It was on my Auto-read list, it was such a sure thing in my mind that I would read it that I didn't read the book synopsis. So when I started the book, I didn't really connect the dots. You see, the first 3 books followed the House of Rohan on 3 generations. So I was expecting Shameless to be about the kids of the previous heroes. Ah! Of course I should have read the synopsis! Shameless is set about 5 or 10 years (I can't remember the exact number!) after the end of Breathless and is about Miranda's (Heroine of Breathless, you still following?) oldest brother.

What a good surprise! When I finally realized who it was about and how it was situated , it all clicked together and I'm pretty sure I squealed. *wink* . Benedick, the hero was married during the set of Breathless and for some reason I didn't think he would get his story. I thought him safe in a somewhat good marriage. I also saw him as a stuffy lord. Oh what a delight it was to realize he was actually quite wicked and such a cynic person.So what? Yes I love my heroes wicked, evil and dangerous, and Anne Stuart delivers! Each time! All the heroes of this series are wicked in their own way, they are all very different but each very delicious.

Benedick is a cynic but he has his reasons. He's been married twice and both wives died in childbirth leaving him without an heir. So he decided to find a wife to get that heir and a spare. He just wants a brooding mare, someone he can just forget all about outside the bedroom. As you can imagine, it won't work that way ;).

Melisande is not your typical lady. For once she lives with more than 20 former prostitutes! She's the widow of a wealthy elderly lord. Now with her money she tries to reform prostitutes and help them find a real respectable job. As you can imagine she's not really someone who would be invited to balls and party by Society. I found Melisande very likable, she's a good woman and she really wants to help save these girls. I found her devotion to her 'gaggle' very endearing.She might have been married but Melisande is still a near-virgin when it comes to the pleasures of sex. It was cute to see such an innocent woman leaving with women who enjoyed having sex so much and it made me laugh a few times.

When Melisande hears that the secrete society called the Heavenly Hosts has been revived and that now they started becoming very violent with prostitutes/young women she decides to act. Melisande knows Benedick's brother, Brandon, is a member of this secret society so she decides to warn Benedick about it and asks for his help. I really enjoyed seeing them together, they have such a chemistry! *swoon* They don't plan to get involved with each other but it's like it's out of their hands. The more they fight it, the harder it is. God, I loved Benedick, he's such a jerk! He has a vicious tongue, very cutting. The smex scenes are hot and very well written. Benedick is confident in his skills and I just love that in my heroes *g*.

If you read Breathless, you'll remember Brandon, the youngest Rohan. He was so young and cute and innocent. Really brave too. The man we meet in Shameless is just a shadow of his old self. Brandon has been to war and he's come back wounded both physically and in spirits. He gave up on life and he's become reckless. We get glimpses of him and what happened when he came back from war. Now, I have to tell you I'm REALLY hoping he's getting his book because if not I'll be pissed. Why? Because we get glimpses of his story and a possible romance and I couldn't believe it ended this way. Anyway, I can't say more but I am crossing all my fingers and toes we'll get his book. (I've spent 2 hours on the web searching for any indication there would be one but *sob* I couldn't find any info about it *sob*)

I LOVED that we got to see quite a lot of the HEA of Miranda and Lucien (Heroes from Breathless, yes I also do Cliffnotes as you can see *wink*). I remember raging at the ending of Breathless because it didn't have an epilogue. *squeeeeeeeeee* We get it in Shameless. Seriously I was grinning the whole time we got to see Lucien and Miranda. And we see them from Benedick's POV, which is pretty hilarious since he HATES his brother-in-law so much. I loved seeing their life through his eyes. I can't thank Anne Stuart enough for indulging us like that. *g*

I was ecstatic when I finished Shameless! It has an epilogue!!! *squeee* And a very good one. It's not cheesy I promise, because I'm not sure Anne Stuart can do cheesy. But it left me smiling and feeling very good. <3

Shameless is a wonderful book, it really does justice to this series. You want to root for the characters and it's hard to stop reading once you started. It keeps you enthralled and always wanting more while giving you some closure about the story (and about the previous book). I still feel pretty emotional about this book. It sure left his mark in my mind and in my heart (see? I can be cheesy!)

ps: I'm sorry about it being such a long review. And THIS is the short version ;)

I give Shameless 4 1/2 Stars.

With a Shiny HEA, full of hopes and happiness

Author Links:
Website

Book Links:
Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

ARC Review: Kisri by Moira Rogers

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Blurb:

After three years at war, Ennon bears the burden of seeing the High Lord's vast armies home. Keeping thousands of fiercely independent lions in line isn't easy. When his soldiers discover a beautiful, royal female hidden beneath an illusion spell, the lure of her inheritance threatens the order of his camp.

The men of her family protected Kisri, until the war stole them away. Tired of defending herself from greedy suitors, she's in search of her only remaining male relative. Instead she finds Ennon, her cousin's most dangerous warrior. Perhaps the only man in the kingdom who has no interest in claiming her birthright. Which makes him unique...and tempting.

Delivering Kisri to his High Lord's side--while keeping his distance--is Ennon's one and only duty. Yet Kisri's untutored advances crack his formidable resistance. And she proves to be a dangerously adept student. Especially when their passion wakes a magic beyond their control...

Warning: This story contains a dangerous shapeshifter warlord, a lioness with a sword, innocent passion, sexual awakenings and a happily-ever-after worthy of any fairy tale.

Susi's Review:
I really adore Rogers' writing- their voice is just enthralling. It grabs you and bang- 2 hours later you finished their novella without even noticing how time passed. It was like that with Kisri- the way they tell their tales.

In Kisri we are thrown back into the fantasy world around our 4 shifter nations. This time we see the side of the lions. Ennon has to escort the High Lords' cousin to him- unharmed and untouched but as you can imagine it doesn't happen that way.

Kisri is the High Lords' cousin- this makes her nobility for the lions and she never had a shortage of admirers who try to get her attention. But the ground rules changed in the last few months and now she's to stand up for herself or find someone who will do it for her. Kisri is a strong woman but also still a girl. She seemed strong and independent at times but in other moments she was rather shy and seemed to be very young. I would have loved to read more about Kisri's past and why she had to run. Yes, we are told what happened but that is just not the same as seeing it while reading. Also I always waited to see why Kisri is deemed untameable. In my eyes she was rather nice and all. I always waited for the stubborn lioness to come out but all her moments of "play" were again pretty tame in my eyes.

Ennon is a sexy warrior and a strong person. He's one of those men you just can't NOT like. He is the High Lord's right hand and I was a bit surprised about how un-alpha he was with Kisri. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually complaining about the over the top alphas but Ennon could have been a bit more of a challenge for Kisri.
I pretty much liked both characters but I didn't really connect to them. I think I usually need a bit more insight into their characters or their pasts to really feel with them. There love scenes were really good though and I still really enjoyed reading this book.

The story was in retrospective perhaps a bit light but it was definitely enough to keep me glued to the pages.

Kisri is a good addition to the and the Beast series. It shows us a new side and perspective. I loved to actually see how Rogers imagines a different kind of shifters. But I have to say their wolves will always be my favorite. I love this series- the fantasy is wonderful and their books always make me crave more.

I give Kisri 3,5 stars.

with a cute and sweet HEA

Author Links:
Moira Rogers Website, Bree Twitter, Donna Twitter, Facebook

Book Links:
Caro's review @ Book Lovers Inc, Goodreads, Amazon, Samhain Publishing

Guestpost: Lea's & Tori's perfect HEA

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:31:00 +0000

Today we are very happy to welcome two ladies here at Secret HEA society again. Tori & Lea usually blog all around the interwebs, Closetreader, DIK and Book Lovers Inc just to name some of them. Today they are here to talk about their idea of the perfect HEA. Please give them a warm welcome and share your thought with us in the comments.

Tori and I were delighted when Susi and Caro extended an invitation to travel overseas and spend a little time at the Secret HEA Society. Along with their hospitality they asked that I offer my thoughts on the Happily Ever After in romance.

I’ve blogged about this topic before and it is one I’ve personally pondered a great deal because it is ever evolving. I truly believe that it comes down to the question of what in our modern romance reading world, is a "traditional HEA"? I mean, we have humans, aliens, demons, vampires, shapeshifters including werewolves, and any number of other shifter folk, sorcerers, witches, etc. etc. Then of course there are the various sub-genres of romance that all these species, human or non fit into, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, suspense, military suspense, fantasy, m/m, historical and so on and so on.

So, what am I getting at? On more occasions than I can count I've noticed fellow romance readers responding in blog comments, readers groups etc. that they've "gotta have their HEA". I'm not saying that is bad because it isn't, at all! I mean, I look forward to a happy ending incorporated into the conclusion of my current read too. However, are we talking a "traditional" happy ending here, as in a white wedding dress and white picket fence, or as modern women and men reading a variety romance sub-genres are we more open minded regarding an HEA? I would like to think and hope the latter is true.

As an example, if we are talking about a bad boy hero or heroine who has major 'issues' that they work through over the course of a story, wouldn't a more open ended Happy For Now (HFN) seem more appropriate? Maybe the hero and heroine decide to live together or make a commitment to be monogamous and see what happens. In the case of black ops or military heroes, who live on the edge with danger and intrigue at every turn and will likely to continue this life despite finding their love match, I find it more realistic if there is a non-traditional commitment at the end of the story to be together and see how things work out. Now, I'm not saying that a white wedding dress and picket fence isn't appropriate in this type of scenario, because it certainly depends on the characters and the plot of the story. However, for me a more open ended, nontraditional ending is perfectly acceptable too.

Which brings me to paranormal beings, and I'm going to use the example of Larissa Ione's seminus demons from her Demonica series. Now these guys don't just mate, they bond, for-ever. In fact, the female takes on the same dermaglyph markings as the male when there is a blood exchange and sex during what is a physiological as well as emotional bonding ritual.In Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed Series, her alien male vampires mate for life with a unique human female breedmate who has the blood composition the male requires to sustain him. These are just a couple of examples of HEA’s and there are certainly a litany of others in the thousands of paranormal romance novels on the shelves. There quite often isn't a traditional wedding ceremony or white picket fence when you are reading paranormal romance, and it likely wouldn't fit given the dark tone and the alternate societal structures developed in the storyline. Would it?

I do think historical romance readers tend to see a more traditional HEA in that genre as it has to be kept in context with the times. Traditional marriage was the norm otherwise the woman was considered a whore and the man a hedonist. Of course the guy playing around was accepted and often expected in the good old days but that is a whole other topic, and don’t get me started. (I think in some respects that archaic attitude still prevails today. lol)

In contemporary and erotic romance I've read a number of more nontraditional types of HEA's, HFN’s or even one night stands where there is no commitment expectations whatsoever and I have been very satisfied. In fact, as I mentioned above, for me anyway, this type of conclusion added realism to the story. As a case in point in the polyamorous romance I like it when the conclusion is more open ended because I feel the lovers involved in this type of relationship dynamic would have significant issues to sort through - jealously being the major one. I guess, from my perspective anyway, I find it much more appropriate for there to be an HFN - "I love you both and we will see where this takes us", conclusion rather than a rush to the church for wedding bells (not to mention in many places in the world polygamy is not only considered taboo-it’s illegal - lol).

So what is my favorite type of HEA? As you can see from my ramblings above, I don’t have one. I like a conclusion to the love story that fits the relationship development in a compelling well-written romance, no matter what the sub-genre.

So, what are your thoughts regarding a Happily Ever After in a romance? Does it have to be wedding bells and the white picket fence, or can you handle a more open-ended relationship commitment?

Many thanks to Susi and Caro for inviting me to blog at the Secret HEA Society today. :-)

Review: Breathless by Anne Stuart

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 18:49:00 +0000

Blurb:

Ruined beyond repair and shunned by London society, lovely Miranda Rohan rebelliously embraces the freedom that comes from having nothing left to lose. However, this dangerous course throws her under the power of the darkly enigmatic Lucien de Malheur—known to many as the Scorpion.

Seeking to destroy the Rohans, Lucien traps Miranda in a marriage she thinks is based on friendship but instead is rooted in vengeance. Yet even when she realizes the truth, their enmity fuels a shocking passion—and perhaps even more.

Such a man might drive anyone to murder....

Caroline's review:
Breathless is the 3rd book in the House of Rohan series. I loved the first 2 books and I was a bit scared to read this one. Anne Stuart has been known for her abrupt endings and I knew this one didn't have an epilogue. This is why it took me months before I dared read it. How wrong I was! This book was amazing. It made me go all 'O_o' quite a few times but in the end it was just a fantastic read.

Lucien is the most wicked, the most ruthless hero I've ever read about. In comparison the heroes of the first 2 books were very very tamed. He's soooooo wicked. Lucien wants revenge for his sister's death. He wants to make the Rohan family suffer really bad. So in order to get this revenge, Lucien had Miranda kidnapped and ruined. He paid someone to do this and marry her but she escaped and her family protected her. Now a few years later she's happy to live outside society. But she feels lonely, she's been shunned by the rest of the world. This is not enough for Lucien, he wants to make her and her family suffer all their life. He bids is time, you know the saying 'revenge is better served cold', well this hero believes in it. He plans on winning her trust and then seduce her.

I think what really surprised me is that I thought Lucien would reform. He would soften with time, but he's one wicked son of a b*tch. Don't get me wrong, I loved this character but he's very evil. The whole book kept me on edge. Miranda is a fantastic character, she's strong and she is very courageous. I loved that nothing would keep her down, she tries to see the positive side of everything. When Lucien brings her to his gloomy ruin of an estate he thinks he'll kill her spirit (seriously that's his goal for the whole book! if that's not ruthless what is!). How wrong he was! It was hilarious to see Miranda remodel the house to her liking.

What had me in hysterics was that their fight for power never cease. The ending of the book was really abrupt and it was very bittersweet. More bitter than sweet though. I'm seriously hoping we'll see what happened to them next in the new book in the series (Shameless).

As in all the books in the series there is a secondary romance. I loved seeing Jacob Donnelly and Jane Pagett fall in love. He is London's most notorious thief and she is the heroine's best friend. I LOVED this romance. I was so eager to see what would happen to them. Their chapters were so good I couldn't stop reading. They meet by accident, she surprise him while he's stealing something and it's passion at first glance. She doesn't know who this wicked man is, it was too dark when they met. So when they meet again, she doesn't recognize him. Oh how I LOVED those 2! It was sweet and hot and I was rooting for them from the start. I loved everything about this story. Very satisfying. I even wish we'd seen more of their story.

Breathless is the best book in the series in my opinion. It had me raging and shouting at the book. I loved to hate the hero. Even a month after reading it I'm feeling strongly about it. Anne Stuart did her magic again and gave us a book you cannot easily forget.

I give Breathless 4,5 Stars

With a Devil of an ending!

Author Links:
Website

Book Links:
Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

HEA Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:49:00 +0000

So today we were both thinking about what to post and thought it would be fun to share our latest acquisitions with you. Not so much fun because now I feel BAD. *head hangs in shame* So here you can see what fed our addiction in the last 2 weeks:

Susi: I might admit that I went a bit book shopping crazy and it seems I have to stop cuz the TBR shelves are full now. But look at the pretties. I got the signed Lauren Dane book from Stacie aka @GeishasMom73. She got it signed at RT and it took only 8 weeks to reach me. LOL I think the ladies at the German customs enjoyed this one. I bought the Olivia Cunning books cuz Caro dared me to get over my prudish self and now I have them and just have to start reading. LOL I wanted to buy Fragile for ages and it was on bargain at Book Depository so I just couldn’t resist. The cover is sooooo pretty. I love it. I bought Wasteland cuz I wanted the Lilli Feisty story and it has one by Eden Bradley and Sabrina @ About Happy Books always loves her books so I thought I should try them. (yes I notice that I have an explanation for everything LOL).

Caroline: Muahahaha and to think that I haven’t even read the Cunning book yet. I feel machiavellic *g* And Susi ...lol @ having an explanation for every book you ordered. I swear it’s the same for me and Netgalleys!

Susi: Has from The Book Pushers just wouldn’t stop raving about Vaughan’s books so I finally gave up and bought it. Hexed was a must buy cuz it has an Ilona Andrews story and I auto buy all her books. LOL The Thea Harrison book was actually a lucky coincidence. I swaped it for another book with Sullivan McPig. *g*

Susi: Yes I have a bit of contemporary phase right now. I won the Nora Roberts at Ally’s place. Unfortunately the German post hates me and damaged it while forcing it into my mailbox but non of the important pages is ruined so it’s okay. Still makes me sad. =( The rest were actually rec’s I got on twitter when I asked for contemp novels that rock. I so can’t wait to start the Lisa Kleypas ones! I lurved Sugar Daddy so much!
And let’s not talk about ebooks! *hides behind her new books*

Caro’s loot:

Caro: I have been (relatively) good this last 2 weeks. I will admit that I pre-ordered quite a few books though . But they don’t count...yet *wink*.
Usually when I order books I don’t read them asap, sometimes it takes months (*cough* years) before I read them. But I’ve been a good girl this month. On the pic, those are the books I got in the last 2 weeks. I’ve already read 4 and am reading the 5th. *g*

- The Wedding of the Century (anthology) I wanted the Charlotte Featherstone story SO bad!! NOM NOM
- Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
- Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn Soooo cuuuuuuute
- Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison Hot hero *g*
- Hexed by Kevin Hearne ok so maybe I also got the Audiobook. But it’s totally worth it. <3 <3 <3 I’m in love with this series
- Hexed (anthology) I got this one for the Ilona Andrews story only.
- Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance I can’t wait for the Pritkin love.

So you see, in comparison to a certain German lady I won’t name...I feel like I have been a good girl *g*. I’ll still admit that I have a Netgalley addiction that I need to address (translation Susi is making me stick to a reviewing plan and I am on a Netgalley diet starting today! <==yes because i requested a book yesterday lol).

Susi: Gah I forgot Magic Slays and Kiss of Snow in my pics. *hides some more* And I want my copy of Hunt the Moon. Still not here. *super sad*

Since we started our 12 step program to stop ordering/requesting so many books, anyone has tips on how to do that? ;)

Anyone wanna hold our hair while we pu...huh I mean stare at empty Ordering Basket?

Do you always have a ‘good reason’ to buy a book? (Yes i’m talking about Susi’s explanations)

We're talking about Japanese covers today!

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:58:00 +0000

This week we decided to cross European borders and give you...*drumrolls* Japanese covers!

Just so you know, searching for covers on the Japanese Amazon when you don’t know a word of the language is a risky adventure. We finally decided on a few covers from well known authors.

I hope you’ll enjoy this visit to Japan.

Come on over and join us!

Find the Difference!

noreply@blogger.com (pattepoilue) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:51:00 +0000

A few months ago when the cover of Magic Slays was revealed, Susi and I couldn’t help but notice a few disturbing things. Since we’re not known to be silent about our qualms, we ended up making a post about ‘everything wrong about this cover’ over at Book Lovers Inc (you can see the post here). lol

Now Magic Slays has been released and something struck us when we saw the cover...

To emphasize our point, we’ll show you the cover we posted a few months ago next to the new one.

So...did you see it?

Susi: I can NOT NOT stare it. LOL It screams to me now that I saw it LOL.

Caro: Yes ladies and well ...ladies (let’s be honest here!)... Kate finally got a boobjob! Look more closely at #3

Susi: A backward boobjob after the offending one we complained about LOL

Caro: You know, I’m very happy about this change. I’d like to think our collective venting (coz we weren’t the only one having a problem with her big boobs) was heard. ;)

Susi: Yeah it could be or Ilona was as offended as we were LOL. But we have to say great job Ace- another reason to love you.

Did you noticed it too? What do you think?

Do you think bloggers' opinions can play a part in making publishers alter a cover?

Could we hope Orbit would finally see reason and change the new Gail Carriger covers too? ;)

May's HEAs

noreply@blogger.com (Secret HEA Society) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:10:00 +0000

Susi's Reads:
May was my recommendation months. Most books were highly rec’d or review books I actually hungered for- so this list is nearly completely full of win. YAY! Hope June will stay that way.

1. Goddess With A Blade by Lauren Dane - 4 stars
Surprisingly different from Dane's usual style. Gritty and witty urban fantasy with a slight touch of romance. Review will be posted tonmorrow at BLI together with an author interview and giveaway *hint*

2. A Brush of Darkness (Abby Sinclair, #1) by Allison Pang - 4stars
This was a recommendation from Caro and I have to admit I resisted for a long time cuz the only thing I could imagine while thinking of this book was unicorns.*shudders* But this best best and funniest unicorn ever. Funny and witty read with more smex than I expected. So YAY!

3. Come Back to Me by Julia Rachel Barrett - 4 stars
Such an emotional book. This one really touched me on the deepest level. It is a book about life and the bad times it has. Be warned it is full of heartbreak, pain and sadness but we shouldn’t look away from those. Recommended read.

4. Menage by Emma Holly - 4 stars
Another recommendation I got on twitter for smexy contemporary and OMG it was just that- smexy. LOL Nothing like I read before. It is focused on all things sexual but still adds a emotional twist to the story. Very nice done.

5. The Neon Graveyard (Signs of the Zodiac, #6) by Vicki Pettersson - 4 stars
This is one novel I hungered for over a year and it delivered what I wanted. Great final book in a great and unique series. My full review can be found here. You really should check that series out.

6. Contra Alliance: Shadows of the Past by Tom Kolega - DNF
I really looked forward to this book but it wasn’t as I expected it to be. Too much military in it for me- the pacifist in me can just take so much. LOL I was also confused by all the code-names and military abbreviations. But bf really loved this book so it seems to be me being picky. You can read bf’s review here.

7. Seeing Stars by Megan Hart - 4 stars
Set in the world of Passion Model- love that setting and the story really fits the overall “problems” of that society. Check it out.

8. Strange Attractions by Emma Holly - 3 stars

Again really nice and smexy but her approach to scientific part wasn’t for me. Perhaps my inner geek can’t handle this. LOL I even discussed her ideas with bf and we agree on this one.

9. Long Hard Ride (Rough Riders, #1) by Lorelei James - 4 stars
Another recommendation and oh why didn’t I start these sooner. Hot hot cowboys. Me likey- even though some parts were to much for me- made me feel like a prude. You can read the Cowboypst here.

10. Sugar Daddy (Travises #1) by Lisa Kleypas - 4 stars
Adored it- so different from the usual romance. Loved it. Rave about it can be found here. It deserves all the praise it got on twitter.

11. Enemy Games (Enemy, #2) by Marcella Burnard - 4 stars
I really love this series- Burnard writes wonderfully complex scifi romance. Great setting and characterization. Full review @ Book Lovers Inc.

12. Kamikaze (Last Call, #1) by Moira Rogers - 5 stars
This one was pure bliss. A short cute read, full of sexy times and wonderful geeky wit. I loved how you could feel their connection grow- always surprises me when this happens in such a short story. The characters are quirky and fun- and yes I just adore those hunky geeks- we need more of those in real life because seriously I agree with the heroine: geeks are sexy as hell. Very recommended- this really made my day sweeter.

13. Accidental Abduction by Eve Langlais - 2 stars
This one wasn’t what I expected. Silly at times and full of the annoyingly immature and antagonizing heroine. Also the story is weirdly familiar. More soon in review.;)

Note: I finished Kiss of Snow on June 1st but Caro forbade me to include so I won’t tell you how much made of awesomesauce it is. *sticks out tongue*
Caro: PS: Don’t you try to cheat Susi!!! June 1st is JUNE!!! LOL *g*
Susi: Most of it was read in MAY!!! LOL
Caro: I don’t wanna hear it!! You already read more books than me LOL *stick tongues out too*

Caro's Reads:
I can say this was a good month book-wise. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I stop reading book I don’t like? lol yes probably. But that’s something I’ll have to deal with sooner or later. I discovered a few new authors and I’m very happy with the result. Also I listen to Audiobooks while driving to work and the suspense is killing me. I can’t wait to go back into my car every time *g* :
1. Master of Crows by Grace Draven 4 ½ Stars
Very good fantasy romance. The world-building is intricate and fascinating. Top quality fantasy! And very smexy.

2. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones (Audiobook) 4 Stars
What a funny UF! I giggled a lot both the book and the narrator worked for me! I’m pretty sure it worked because of the narrator. Made it very lively.

3. For I have Sinned by Darynda Jones 5 Stars
I LOVED this short story. It’s from a ghost’s POV and it’s heart-wrenching, funny, cute. All that in only a few pages. Not to be missed!

4. Breathless by Anne Stuart 4,5 Stars
(review to come soon) Wow, Anne Stuart did it again. This book made me go all O_O a few times. And the ending is so bittersweet. It has one REALLY evil and twisted hero! Def worth reading!

5. The Wedding of the Centuryy by Mary Jo Putney 4stars , Kristin James 3,5 stars, Charlotte Featherstone 4,5 stars
I loved this anthology. The Charlotte Featherstone story is the cherry on the top <3 <3 *swoon* Review can be found here.

6. The Truth about Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries 5 Stars
I loved this book. Start of a great series. I love the mystery unfolding piece by piece.

7. A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries 5 Stars
Loved it too! Again I have nothing to say against this book. <3 Great series, great writing.

8. Spider Bites by Jennifer Estep (Audiobook) 4 Stars
It was a huge change from my usual funny audiobooks. It started slow but now I'm addicted. The narrator is growing on me.

9. Poison by Jennifer Estep 4 Stars
I started reading it before Spider Bites and I wasn’t getting interested. I went back to it after and I really enjoyed it. It’s easier to appreciate it when we know the characters. Cute.

10. The Devil in Disguise by Stephanie Sloane 3,5/4 stars
(review to come soon) I liked it but i wanted a bit more. I think some things were too rushed. Still good though.

Did you discover any great reads last month we should check out?

Review: Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Blurb:

Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas—if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty is a complication he doesn’t need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.

When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty is under the spell of a billionaire tycoon—a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family’s past.

Susi's Review:
Before I start squeeing and ramlbing about this fantastic book let me make one thing clear: I started this book without any expectations besides reading a good contemporary. I got many recommendations for this series so I just thought why not and started it. I didn't even read the blurb- I just took a peek at the reviews- or better said the ratings and thought, yep most reviewers liked it so I will buy it. I started reading it before I even looked at the back and just started reading.

This book is pretty addictive and I just couldn't seem to stop. It has a quite different feel than the ordinary romance novel. For me, it felt more like a biography told out of our heroines view. We start in her youth and experience her life while she tells us about how she remembers it. This made the whole book so much more intimate that it touched me deep inside. The writing is so smooth and just seems so real, as if you're really in Liberty's mind and listen to her recollections. I loved to see her mature through the story and my heart broke for her more than once. This book definitely is a tearjerker. So many hard and sad times in her life but Liberty survived them.

It is weird because I usually like the more relationship centered romance novels but this book is more about Liberty than the romance. It's her story that's being told and I'm sure that is also the reason that some readers were disappointed. I just glimpsed at some reviews and they all mention that we meet the Travises too late. It seems it was for once good that I didn't read the blurb before because it really is misleading. Everything it says actually happens near the 2/3 of the book and readers expecting this early are sure to be disappointed.

I can't say enough how much this book made me feel. It grabbed my heart at the start and never let it go for just a second. It is more about family, friendship and intimicy (not the sexual kind). This book shows us how hard it can be to let people close and how much actual friendship means in life. I loved to see the interaction between Liberty and all the wonderful sidecast. They helped me through the story as much as they helped her.

I loved that, at least for me, the romance came with a surprise. For me those is always the best kind. I loved to see how such a wonderful love grew out of nothing- even less than nothing. The slow buildup made all that sweeter for me too. These two are so good for each other. *happy sigh*

One thing I have to point out again. This book is, even though the series is called The Travises, not really about them. Yes they play a rather big role but they join the story really fast and the focus never leaves Liberty. So if you want about them you will actually be dissapointed. It is about Liberty and for me it was the right way to tell this story. She deserves the spotlight and her story is heartbreakingly good. So give her a chance.

This is a wonderful book that I just can't seem to praise enough. It made me heart skip some beats, made me smile and laugh and it made me cry. Reading Sugar Daddy was a very emotional ride and I'm sure I will go that road again in the future. If you love romance with a good story and a good characterization this is the book for you.

with a perfect happy sigh HEA

Last Note: The title is also a bit misleading- even though it makes sense at the end. But don't expect the obvious here- you won't get that.

Author Links:
Website, Twitter, Facebook

Book Links:
Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository

Romance and Cowboys- Yeehaw or neehaw?

noreply@blogger.com (SusiSunshine) — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:02:00 +0000

I have a confession to make: I had prejudices. (notice the past tense please) Big surprise I know. But for me Cowboys were never something I would have imagined I would like reading about. The big question is why? After talking on twitter about my first real cowboy experience I came up with some reasons:

1.) I'm European and it seems the whole Cowboy world is just so foreign to us. For us Germans in particular it mean Carl May movies and I always hated those. We don't have rodeos here either so I have no idea what this is like. I just have my prejudiced imagination about how bad for the animals that is.

2.) Cowboys smell like horse and animal dung. LMAO Yes I said it. And I know it's stupid. *hides in shame*

3.) They have old fashioned views on woman and their role in life. This is something I gathered from the experience with German farmers who all seem to want a good wife who will cook, make the laundry and bear a bunch of children.

4.) Cowboys are country bumpkins and don't know how to party. Yes I'm a city girl through and through. For me living in the country means as much as never going out and not be able to get a burger when I want one at 3 AM (even though I never feel like that- but I could if I wanted).

I read Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James last week and she cured me (cuz it is for free right now at amazon and b&n - thanks to Nadia Lee for pointing out to me that I can also get it for free in German Kindle store now). I was totally blown away by her story and the way she presented her cowboys. This was a really naughty and dirty read and her men weren't at all how I pictured them. Her series is set in a contemporary world and follows a group of cowboys who earn their living through participating in rodeo. They all have their farms too but we see them letting loose while on the road.
So why do I like it all of a sudden? I think it has to do with the contemporary setting. I wouldn't like it playing in the past. I don't even want to imagine how that guys would behave. *ick* (me picturing guys spitting around)

So now I'm curious about what you guys think. I asked around on the interwebs and here are some opinions:

NellDixon

Love cowboys, am sucker for a cover showing man in stetson

CheekyReads

I'm not a fan of Cowboys in Western romances. If more contemp-feel then maybe. Only a few I've enjoyed.

Hate to say I think it's because I grew up in Cowboy country & know what they are really like. NOT SEXY. At least to me

On the other hand, Carolyn Brown & Vicki Lewis Thompson have created modern cowboy romances I've loved.

NadiaLee

I don't really like cowboys in general.

I prefer big cities in my contemp romance. Cowboys =
not city. Also after they've been working w/ horses? Sweaty and stinky.

I also I don't find ranches particularly romantic or
interesting. Rodeo seems just suicidal to me.

I feel like rodeo cowboys are going to end up dead
or something. Not my idea of HEA.

I think cowboys are popular b/c of romanticism &
what they rep: rugged American individualism, etc.

blodeuedd83

This may be silly but to me they are "exotic" and hot of course...it's the hat I think, and the horse lol

LauraSummers

I love cowboys stories, I think it's because that life is so remotely different from my life, you don't get cowboys in UK!

PaulaSHx

I like them when there is something to them. When they are just brutes I wouldn't waste my time.

Stella @ Ex Libris:

As an European I find cowboys a kind of hero I have difficulty to make up my mind about.. first my urban European prejudices would make me think of cowboys as not very intellectual and rather "simple"
but then I read a few Westerns and they were so much better than I would have thought. I love the thought of a man on a horse but as an urban girl through and through I would find it difficult to live happily ever after in a ranch far away from cities.
I will have to read more cowboy romances because now my opinion is not too favourable: the books I have read so far the H/H were quite old-fashioned: with mindsets as if stuck in thze '50s.. I havent given up hope that there are good Western rmances, so if you can give some recommendations, I'm open =)

It seems I'm not completely alone out there.

So what do you think?

What is your biggest prejudice concerning cowboys?

Do you like to read about cowboys?

Do you have a favorite setting?