Book Lovers Inc.

Review: Impulse Control by Sara Brookes

Stella — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:00:40 +0000

Format read: ebook
Release Date: 22 July 2011
Number of pages: 28 pages
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: Book #1 in the Sypricon Masters series
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, B&N, Decadent Publishing, All Romance eBooks

Blurb:

Planetary Deputy Chief Marshal Selene Orasova is looking for a reminder pleasure still exists in the universe. Fresh off her latest case, she heads to Tawse, a BDSM club on the planet Sypricon. However, upon her arrival she finds the club almost empty as nearly all the staff has been hired out for the night. Disappointed, she starts to leave, only to walk face first into a wall of muscle.

Vaughn, one of the few Doms at the club Selene hasn’t been under the command of, is immediately intrigued by the hard edged cop. A few instructions and she’s easily under his guidance. However, Vaughn quickly discovers Selene has a problem relinquishing total control. She likes to top from the bottom and that isn’t something Vaughn will stand for. Determined to correct her, Vaughn pushes her limits with a little impulse control.

My Thoughts: Impulse Control is a very short sci-fi erotica novella of merely 28 pages, the first in Sara Brookes’ Masters of Sypricon series. The story starts off with an in medias res beginning: we jump right in the middle, no introduction, no gently easing into the story, the first scene is already taking place at the fetish club. Selene is a Deputy Chief Marshal and due to the very dominant aspect of her job she is in need of relinquising control and being the one put into submission for once. She couldn’t think of a more ideal candidate for the post than Vaughn, a highly coveted Dom of the club and a man Selene has had her eye for some time now.

Vaughn takes over the reins and wants to show Selene how to be a submissive, but his strategic education executed in various steps made the seduction fractured to me and disconnected me from the emotional, sensual side of the scene.

Of course due to the length limitations there wasn’t much time for character development. Vaughn repeats several times how Selene is always opposed to having her boundaries stretched but we don’t see any proof or example of that.

Verdict: Impulse Control is a story more about control and dominance than erotism and sex. And though the ending came around a bit unexpected and rushed, Impulse Control was a short novella I enjoyed. Sara Brookes introduces an interesting new world and I’m looking forward to reading more of this series.

I give Impulse Control 3 stars!

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

My Wishlist: The Absolutely-Must-Have-Now Urban Fantasy Edition

Stella — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00:50 +0000

Hi Everyone!

It’s been a long time since I last did a My Wishlist post as I was trying to be good and not make my pleading TBR pile explode, but you know how it is with us bookaholics, we just can’t stop or say no for that matter… So take a look at all the new releases I have been coveting and yearning for, I know that my creaking TBR pile will understand and be happy to welcome these new additions, I mean who wouldn’t be ecstatic to get their hands on these fantastic books?

So let me show you which books I can’t wait to add to my shelves!

Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent

Book #2 in the Unbound series

If you live in the dark long enough, you begin to forget the light…

Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she’s ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, Kenley, even if that means taking it from someone else…

The job? Recruit Ian Holt—or kill him.

Ian’s ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he’s on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower’s top Binder: Kori’s little sister.

Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they’ll have to choose between love and liberty….

Amazon – Book Depository

I LOVE Rachel Vincent’s books! Seriously, she is one of those authors who enjoys such trust and faith from me that I buy all her books in a series even before I start reading the first (happened with her Shifters series and I was SO glad to have Book #2 and #3 once I was done reading the first one and that I didn’t have to curb my addiction and wait weeks/months/years before reading the next one), and that’s the case with her new Unbound series. I was excited last year when Book #1 Blood Bound was released and now that the release day of Shadow Bound has arrived I know which “Buy Now” button I’ll be clicking

The Taken by Vicki Pettersson

Book #1 in the Celestial Blues series

He’s a fallen angel. She’s a rockabilly reporter. Together they must solve a deadly string of murders plaguing the mortal and the immortal worlds.

Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was over fifty years ago when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Now he’s a Centurion, an angel who assists other murdered souls through their journey to the afterlife. But while Shaw might be an angel … he’s no saint. Haunted by the mysterious events surrounding his own death, he seizes a chance to wreak some vengeance when he witnesses a deadly attack on journalist Katherine “Kit” Craig.

Joining forces, the unlikely avengers take to the streets, hunting a killer whose trail of bodies stretches across Las Vegas and into an immortal netherworld. It is a dangerous trek that lead them into the darkest corners of Sin City and into the heart of an evil conspiracy extending beyond the lights of the Strip that could destory them both.

But destruction isn’t the only threat Griffin faces. The closer he gets to Kit, the more he finds himself bewitched by her mortal charms. Can he resist falling under her spell? And does he want to?

Amazon – Book Depository

I will blushingly admit that I haven’t read any Vicki Pettersson novel yet (but I added her Signs of the Zodiac books to my TBR list I swear!). But when I saw this gorgeous cover of The Taken, the first book in her new series I knew I had to have it even if she was still a new author to me. I just love everything about this cover, if I could I would put it up as a huge poster on my wall, that’s how much I love it!

Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander

Book #1 in the Nightshifted series

Nursing school prepared Edie Spence for a lot of things. Burn victims? No problem. Severed limbs? Piece of cake. Vampires? No way in hell. But as the newest nurse on Y4, the secret ward hidden in the bowels of County Hospital, Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient you can imagine—from vamps and were-things to zombies and beyond…

Edie’s just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she’s haunted by the man’s dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she’s on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul. Grey’s Anatomy was never like this…

Amazon – Book Depository

Another book which got caught in my radar due to its eye-catching cover and then when I read the blurb I was hooked. I love dragons and how cool and original does Nightshifted sound? Me.Want.To.Read.It.Now!!

So tell me, which newly released or soon to be released urban fantasy, paranormal romances have caught your eye and have you counting back the days ’till you can have your hands on their shiny new covers?

Spill the beans, I want to know I’m not the only one who gave in to temptation

Romance and Me: Venturing into m/m Land

Stella — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:00:44 +0000

I am a kinda m/m virgin (you’ll see why the “kinda” below).

Those who have been living under a rock and don’t know what m/m is, here is a very official (insert sarcastic snicker) definition: ”m/m stories are romance stories with male protagonists” as in hero&hero instead of a hero and a heroine.

Lately m/m stories are in a boom and now not just specific publishers like Dreamspinner Press are releasing this romantic subgenre, but mainstream publishers like Harlequin as well (their Carina Press imprint has a wide variety of m/m novels. Be it contemporary, historical or supernatural m/m you’ll find it.).

I first heard of this set-up in romance novels and that it had its own subgenre qualification through blogging: some of my favourite romance bloggers like Sophia from Fiction Vixen and Mandi from Smexy Books are big fans of this subgenre, but until recently, despite their praising reviews though my curiosity was piqued, I was happy with my more conventional m/f romances. But then two things happened: I read a romantic ménage erotica novella which explored the love and affection between two men beautifully and everyone’s glowing reviews of Ava March’s Brook Street series intrigued me. So now I am embarking on an m/m adventure, I’ve packed my bag and I’m ready to discover this subgenre. I think I’ll start by Thief by Ava March as it’s a historical m/m romance and with HR you can’t go wrong, right?

So tell me,

Have you ever read an m/m story?

Are you a fan of the m/m subgenre?

In your opinion what is its appeal (since it seems it is mostly women who read it)?

Why do you think they became so popular recently?

Any good recommendations in the genre you could give?

Review: Endless Heart by Emma Lang

Susi — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:00:37 +0000

Format read: ebook
Series: Book #31 in Heart series
Genre: historical western romance
Release Date: 29th May 2012
Number of pages: 170 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Samhain, Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb:

She’s learning to live. He’s forgotten how. Love will be their teacher.

Heart, Book 3

Lettie Brown has lived in the shadow of violence. After escaping her brutal past, she’s finally at home in Forestville, Wyoming, where she would live a normal life—if she knew how. She’s content working at The Blue Plate and printing the town newspaper, if not happy. Then a stranger stumbles into her world and turns everything upside down.

Shane Murphy is a shell of a man, destroyed by the aftermath of the war, his personal tragedies and a penchant for cheap whiskey. When he lands, literally, on Lettie’s feet, his future takes a hard right turn.

As they fumble through a relationship that should not have been, a deep love takes root, one that cannot be denied. Together they discover a bond as unbreakable as steel and as undeniable as life itself—until the past rears its ugly head and threatens the happiness they’ve found in each other.

Product Warnings
Get ready for a deep, intense love story that will leave you crying, cheering, shouting, squirming and sighing. Prepare for a hero who needs to be held, a heroine who needs to be loved, and a story that needs to be told.

My Thoughts:

I read this book because Lea told me what a great author Beth Williamson aka Emma Lang is and that I shouldn’t miss out experiencing this. So I said hell yes even though it is a historical and book 3 in a series no less. Usually I try to steer clear of those because I tend to be to put off by the woman of previous times. But thanks to the almighty coffee-bean Lettie is not like those wallflower heroine’s at all.

Lettie had a turbulent and violent past which even though she tries to forget still influences her present. She covers her insecurities with a tough as nails exterior and a mouth that would cuss a pirate into blushing. She’s honest to the point of being mean. She doesn’t really do that on purpose. She just can’t seem to find the right words so she says what she thinks- no matter what this might be. It might be unintended but the result actually fits Lettie: people give her the space and isolation she seeks. The only person she ever lets in is her friend Angeline who she loves like a sister. I realy liked Lettie. Yes, she is harsh and direct but in a very honest way. She doesn’t do this to hurt people- it’s just the way she is. She tries to be strong- to be even stronger because of her past. She has to keep this shield of temper around herself or people will see how broken she is inside. My heart wept for her and even though I didn’t always agreed with her behavior I was proud to see her stand up for herself. To not flinch away like a scared rabbit and just be the woman she is.

Shane’s first appearance doesn’t paint him in a good light. He seems to be a lazy drunk guy who doesn’t care about much else than the next sip of booze. Thankfully Shane is not like that at all. His past broke him in the worst way possible- it shattered his heart. Self-imposed guilt kept him in a pit of despair and self-loathing and until he met Lettie and the rest of the Blue Plate crew he never had a reason to come out of it. Shane is a fighter who just needs the right reason to go on. In this aspect he is the opposite of Lettie. when she started to get cold and unyielding he succumbed to illusion of a carefree life the alcohol gave him. Once hooked on that high it is even harder for a broken man to find his way back in life where he can’t escape his painful past. Surprisingly this doesn’t made me think less of him as a man. His recovery after the assault that brought him into the Blue Plate he tries hard to be a better man. He wants to be worth the kindness everyone showed him.

Lettie’s and Shane’s past dominates their developing relationship from the start. How could it not? Both are haunted by bad memories but their attraction for each other closes the gap, openess and honesty do the rest. Their tempers clash from time to time but how boring would a life without that be. I loved the emotional build-up and the careful steps each one of them took. It’s a heartwarming and very touching love story.

Endless Heart is about kindness, forgiveness and love- a heady mix that drew me in from page one. Lang delivers a highly emotional story with characters you just have to love.

I give Endless Heart 4 stars

Guestpost “Why, yes, I do cry when I write” by Emma Lang + Giveaway

Susi — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:00:59 +0000

We are very happy to welcome Emma Lang aka Beth Williamson here at Book Lovers Inc today. Her latest Emma Lang release, Endless Heart was released yesterday and let me tell you I gobbled this book up. It’s wonderful heartfelt and soul-warming book. Makes me all warm inside just thinking about it. Today Beth will tell us a bit about emotions in books and how those actual find their way into one of her novels. Please give her a warm welcome and be sure to answer her question for you chance to win her giveaway.

Hi, my name is Beth and I cry when I write my books. It’s true, so very true, and I always have a box of tissues nearby. My hubby has looked at me and said, “Why are you crying, these people aren’t real. You made them up!”
But he’s wrong, they are real to me. When I sit down to write a book, I have not only a mental image of the character, but I also know their background, their history, their likes/dislikes and their problems. My characters are three-dimensional people with real issues, similar to those the rest of us face every day.

You may think, what? You write historical westerns, how are their issues like mine?

Social and personal issues haven’t changed much over the course of history. People have substance abuse problems, lose their jobs and homes, are abused by someone who has power over them, have physical disabilities or bills they cannot pay.
All of these happened in the 1800s as they do in the 2000s, perhaps a different flavor, but at their core, they are the same issues. My characters fight against these types of issues and thanks to the magic of the HEA, find a way to conquer them or accept them.
I feel their pain, deep into my molecules, as I write their stories. After all, I’ve had problems myself, who hasn’t? I’ve had to deal with them, and that emotional well burbles up when I write my books. It’s real emotion, y’all, straight from my heart.

ENDLESS HEART is a prime example of a book with characters who have Herculean tasks to overcome. Lettie survived physical abuse, but the emotional damage lingers. She’s built a shell around herself for protection, using her natural defenses to keep people at a distance.

Shane is an alcoholic, drowning his sins in whiskey until he nearly dies from a beating he received while blacked out from drinking. He sits at the bottom of a barrel, hiding his pain and huddling in the shadows from the world.
The two of them were like two stars, drawn to each other by the force of gravity. The universe aligned and bam! They were helpless to fight against the attraction and fate. Together they find a way to heal their wounds and put the past behind them.

I wept quite a bit writing ENDLESS HEART, one particularly powerful scene gets me teary-eyed just thinking about it. I took the journey with them, emotionally and as a writer, the ups and downs and everything in between.

I hope readers find the characters and stories as real as I do. I put my heart and soul into them, fighting my way through the words until I find that HEA. As a reader, if a book can make me feel – whether it’s laugh, cry, squirm, or whatever – then I know the writer has felt the same while creating it.

What about y’all? What aspect of a book most appeals to you as a reader?

About the Book:

She’s learning to live. He’s forgotten how. Love will be their teacher.

Heart, Book 3

Lettie Brown has lived in the shadow of violence. After escaping her brutal past, she’s finally at home in Forestville, Wyoming, where she would live a normal life—if she knew how. She’s content working at The Blue Plate and printing the town newspaper, if not happy. Then a stranger stumbles into her world and turns everything upside down.

Shane Murphy is a shell of a man, destroyed by the aftermath of the war, his personal tragedies and a penchant for cheap whiskey. When he lands, literally, on Lettie’s feet, his future takes a hard right turn.

As they fumble through a relationship that should not have been, a deep love takes root, one that cannot be denied. Together they discover a bond as unbreakable as steel and as undeniable as life itself—until the past rears its ugly head and threatens the happiness they’ve found in each other.

Product Warnings
Get ready for a deep, intense love story that will leave you crying, cheering, shouting, squirming and sighing. Prepare for a hero who needs to be held, a heroine who needs to be loved, and a story that needs to be told.

Goodreads | Amazon | Samhain | Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Beth Williamson, who also writes as Emma Lang, is an award-winning, bestselling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her books range from sensual to scorching hot. She is a Career Achievement Award Nominee in Erotic Romance by Romantic Times Magazine, in both 2009 and 2010.

Beth has always been a dreamer, never able to escape her imagination. It led her to the craft of writing romance novels. She’s passionate about purple, books, and her family. She has a weakness for shoes and purses, as well as bookstores. Her path in life has taken several right turns, but she’s been with the man of her dreams for more than 20 years.

Beth works full-time and writes romance novels evening, weekends, early mornings and whenever there is a break in the madness. She is compassionate, funny, a bit reserved at times, tenacious and a little quirky. Her cowboys and western romances speak of a bygone era, bringing her readers to an age where men were honest, hard and packing heat. For a change of pace, she also dives into some smokin’ hot contemporaries, bringing you heat, romance and snappy dialogue.

Life might be chaotic, as life usually is, but Beth always keeps a smile on her face, a song in her heart, and a cowboy on her mind.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Beth has generously offered a US$15 amazon.com gift card for one lucky commenter!

All you have to do is answer her question at the end of her post!

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please leave us a way to contact you.
(Email in blogger profile or twitter name – no way to contact you – no entry).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, June 9, 2012; and we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

New Releases: May 28 – June 3, 2012

Alisha — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:00:27 +0000

Tangle of Need (Psy-Changeling #11) by Nalini Singh

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past–one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno…and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

Read an excerpt from Tangle of Need

A Blood Seduction (Vamp City, #1) by Pamela Palmer
A Gentleman Undone (Blackshear Family, #2) by Cecilia Grant
A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet #2) by Julia Quinn

All Spell Breaks Loose (Raine Benares, #6) by Lisa Shearin
Along Came A Duke (Rhymes with Love, #1) by Elizabeth Boyle
Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes Trilogy, #1) by Shannon Dittemore (YA)

Big Sky Country by Linda Lael Miller
Bleeding Out (OSI, #5) by Jes Battis
Blood Lite III: Aftertaste, edited by Kevin J. Anderson (anthology)

Blue-Blooded Vamp (Sabina Kane, #5) by Jaye Wells
Casket of Souls (Nightrunner, #6) by Lynn Flewelling
Charmed by His Love (Spellbound Falls, #2) by Janet Chapman

Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, #3) by Jennifer Estep (YA)
Darkness Becomes Her (Offspring, #6) by Jaime Rush
Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London (YA)

Dreamless (Starcrossed, #2) by Josephine Angelini (YA)
Drive Me Crazy by Jenna Bayley-Burke
Embrace Me at Dawn (Doomsday Brethren, #5) by Shayla Black

Endless Heart (Heart, #3) by Emma Lang
His Dark Embrace by Amanda Ashley
Hot for Fireman (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, #2) by Jennifer Bernard

Luminous (Phoenix Institute, #2) by Corrina Lawson
Night’s Engines (The Nightbound Land, #2) by Trent Jamieson
Seduced by the Vampire King (Vampire Warrior Kings, #2) by Laura Kaye

Seeker of Shadows (Moonlight, #6) by Nancy Gideon
Summer Days (Fool’s Gold, #7) by Susan Mallery
Tattooed by Pamela Callow

The Bandit King (Hedgewitch, #2 ) by Lilith Saintcrow
The Bewitching Tale of Stormy Gale (Stormy Gale, #2) by Christine Bell
The Janus Affair (A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #2) by Philippa Ballantine & Tee Morris

Beware, ye unsuspecting TBR lists; this week (and the next, even) are full of follow-up books in popular genre fiction series. Julia Quinn is putting out her new historical romance, and Laura Kaye’s second Vampire Warrior Kings story is being released on Friday. And of course, one of the queens of paranormal romance, Nalini Singh, is releasing her eleventh book in the Psy-Changeling series; word is that the new book refreshes things a bit, which is always welcome to hear about any long-running series, IMO.

I’ve noticed a bit of a commonality amongst several of the releases from this week. Namely, the words in the titles are gloomy and doom-y, really unlike the lighter, summery fare one might expect at about this time of year (i.e., Memorial Day in the U.S.; unofficial start of summer!). Words like dark(ness), shadow, stormy, night…they’re showing up in quite a few of the titles. And then for many that aren’t, the book description implies plenty of darkness. So if you’re in a midst of a deep and intense reading mood, now’s the week to take notice. Poor Summer Days by Susan Mallery, all lonely amongst the hard core books… ^_^

Keen on any new followup releases? Do you ever get into prolonged reading moods (only wanting to read dark/light/short/reread/etc. books for several reads in a row)?

Review: Guarding Jess by Shannon Curtis

Anna — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:00:45 +0000

Format Read:ARC provided from NetGalley
Release Date: May 14th 2012
Publisher: Carina Press
Formats Available: E-Book
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Kindle store, B&N

Book Blurb:

Jessica Pennington’s work as an etiquette coach requires her to be polite and proper at all times, especially now that she has a book coming out. The only thing that rattles her reserve is the increasingly violent emails and texts from her persistent stalker. With the book launch in jeopardy, she reluctantly hires a bodyguard.

Noah Samuels hates stuck-up, prim people like Jessica. He’s more the blunt, straightforward type. But to advance up the ranks at McCormack Security, he has to take the high-profile assignment. After a near miss on his first day on the job, Noah realizes that the stalker isn’t just hype cooked up to sell books-the threat is real.

As the stalker escalates from letters to letter bombs, Noah sees a vulnerable side of Jessica that rouses more than just his protective instincts. But can she let down her guard long enough to trust Noah before it’s too late?

My Thoughts:
Guarding Jess is yet another quite entertaining but not at all unique or memorable romance title I read this year… There was absolutely nothing wrong with Guarding Jess but I’m afraid it lacked most of those elements that would make it a story that could stand out among all the other romantic stories that one can choose from. On the other hand it was fun and quick and in its entirety an enjoyable read.

Let’s face it, I’m a sucker for romantic suspense stories, especially those that have a sexy and hot bodyguard in them. Granted, I like my heroines strong and not a damsel in distress in need of a knight in shining armour, but once in a while, I crave for a good alpha male that saves the heroine a couple of times. And Guarding Jess, had exactly what I was looking for: a delicious alpha male who was more than able to save the heroine, Jess. And Jess in turn, may have been a damsel in distress but she wasn’t weak at all. And I really liked that about her. Even when she was scared and her life was in danger, she was strong, she tried to mask her fear in a veil of stubbornness and didn’t run and hide when facing a dangerous situation. All those things made me really enjoy this story.

But, as I said in the beginning, there was nothing quite memorable about anything in Guarding Jess. Even if the story was well executed and interesting, the recipe is well known and even more well used. I can’t even count how many similar stories there are out there, and even if Shannon Curtis did a good job with her writing, in the end of day, I’m quite certain that I will forget everything about this book sooner rather than later.

I can’t pinpoint exactly where those feelings come from. Maybe because both Jess and Noah didn’t possess that certain quality to make me really feel them and invest on them. They were nice characters but nothing extraordinary. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t really love them, I couldn’t care for them. I just read their story, which might have been interesting, but that’s it. As soon as the book was finished, I moved on, forgetting all about them.

The clipped sentences, didn’t help matters either. They just made the narration seem forced. All those short sentences just distracted me a bit I guess.

And Noah and Jess I’m afraid weren’t the definition of a hot couple. I couldn’t feel the spark between them and in cases, I felt that the way they were brought together was a bit forced once more. I couldn’t feel their connection, their feelings towards each other. And the sex scenes lastly, were just okay. Or maybe I felt they were just okay because I just couldn’t invest in the main couple. Don’t know exactly what to blame for this one.

All in all, Guarding Jess is a cute and quick read that you will have a good time while reading it, but other than that there is nothing special about it. But it is not a bad book, not by a long shot.

I give Guarding Jess 3 stars

Guest Post by Cindi Myers + Giveaway

Stella — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:00:41 +0000

Today we are very happy to welcome Cindi Myers to Book Lovers Inc! Cindi’s latest novel Always the Bridesmaid is one of Entangled Publishing’s latest releases in their new and wonderful Indulgence imprint. So far we at BLI have been very happy and delightfully surprised by these Idulgence titles and Always the Bridesmaid didn’t disappoint either. It was a wonderful, heartfelt, sweet and sexy love story, be on the lookout for my review later this week, and until then read on and enter for your chance to win a copy of Cindi’s novel!

Relatable Romance
by Cindi Myers

Romance endures – and romance novels remain popular through the decades. There’s something so satisfying about the experience of falling in love and living the promise of happily-ever-after that keeps us coming back again and again. In a world full of stressful jobs, too-small bank accounts, whining kids, family feuds and bad news, a romance novel is a fun escape from reality.

So you could say it’s the fantasy of romance that makes them so popular – the fantasy of that gorgeous, perfect man, who falls in love with you – um, who falls in love with the heroine, who is someone you could imagine yourself being, or might want to be. Romance makes you feel good, and we all need to feel good, right?

But I think romance novels have so many fans today because the stories are relatable. Though the best romance novels over the years continue to find new fans, new books have kept up with the times. The characters in many of the best novels today are people like you and your friends. They have real-world problems, many of them things that weren’t talked about a lot in earlier times – the heroes and heroines may be divorced, they may be single parents. They have money problems and family problems and work woes. They could be your sister or brother, your neighbor or best friend – they could be you.

In Always a Bridesmaid, the hero, Mike Brubaker , is a divorced dad. The heroine, Stephanie Ludlow, works and attends grad school. Trying to stretch a tight budget, she ends up sharing a house with a group of roommates and her sexy landlord, Mike. She’s no blushing virgin – Stephanie has had a couple of bad relationships and doesn’t want to get hurt. Falling in love isn’t an easy journey for Stephanie or Mike – just as it isn’t easy for a lot a real-life people who’ve been scuffed up by past relationships.

Sure, the fantasy is still there, but it’s shaded with a dose of reality that makes it even easier to get lost in the story.

So, what do you think? Are your favorite romances the ones that deliver a heavy dose of fantasy – or do you like romances that are grounded in real life? Weigh in with your comments – I’m curious to know!

ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID by Cindi Myers

She’s sworn off weddings…

After two failed relationships and six stints as a bridesmaid, Stephanie Ludlow is convinced she’s man-poison. So when her hormones point due south to her sexy—but not so charming—new landlord, she can’t help the sparks that fly. It’s a good thing she’s declared a strict “no sex” policy, because Mike Brubaker might as well have “it’s not happening” tattooed across his delectable chest.

He’s sworn off love…

Spurned single dad Mike has learned the hard way women are the source of all evil and should be avoided at any cost. And that definitely includes his gorgeous new tenant. But when they’re thrown together in the wedding party from hell, both will stop at nothing to fight the heat building between them. Giving in is not an option for either of them.

May the best man—or woman—win.

Read an excerpt

Buy at Amazon – B&N

Cindi Myers is the author of 50 published novels, including Always a Bridesmaid, from Entangled Indulgence. Her historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction have garnered praise from reviewers and readers alike and several have been Waldenbooks Bestsellers. She is a former Rita nominee and was the 2005 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Writer of the Year.

When she’s not writing, Cindi enjoys skiing, hiking, camping, gardening, knitting, quilting and of course, reading. She lives in the mountains of Colorado with her husband and two spoiled dogs. For more about Cindi, visit her at web sites at http://www.cindimyers.com and http://www.romanceofthewest.com or her blog.

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~~Giveaway~~

Entangled Publishing has generously offered an ebook copy of Always the Bridesmaid by Cindi Myers to a lucky commenter!

All you have to do is answer Cindi’s question: Are your favorite romances the ones that deliver a heavy dose of fantasy – or do you like romances that are grounded in real life?

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, June 9th, 2012; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

Explore This!: New Zealand

Jackie — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:32:38 +0000

I have to admit, I know very little about New Zealand. What I have experienced has been through friends’ travel photos, which were stunning. In fact, in searching for images, I found more often than not, the pictures were from either sites offering desktop backgrounds or on travel sites. Why? Because New Zealand has to be one of those perfect blends of lowlands and mountains, land and water that is pure fodder for photographers! Let’s take a look and see for ourselves:

Anaura Bay, Gisborne

Waves at the North Island.

A little wine with our tour perhaps?

A lovely panorama.

I can just imagine the view from this cable car!

There's a secluded beauty about this road through the mountains.

Nature at its best.

Can you tell this is one of those wallpapers I was talking about?

A deserted boardwalk; pure inspiration for a budding photographer.

As the sun sets over Queenstown, we say goodbye to this virtual tour...

For reading material, try Faye Robertson’s Kiss and Make Up, which takes place all over New Zealand

So, opinions? Have you been to NZ? Would you go, if you could? Do you know of other books that feature this beautiful island?

Review: A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

pattepoilue — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:00:08 +0000

Format Read: E-Arc
Number of Pages: 384 pages
Release Date: May 29th 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Series: Smythe-Smith Quartet #2
Formats Available: Paperback, ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Book Depository

Book Blurb:
Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is…

But she’s managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge — in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy—no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he’s the first man who has truly tempted her, and it’s getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith might be in mortal danger…

But that’s not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family’s annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she’s a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending…

My Thoughts:

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Julia Quinn’s books. There’s something special about her books that always makes me come back for more. Even the books I didn’t love never really disappointed me. And for some reason I can always tell it’s a Julia Quinn and no one else’s.A Night Like This is the 2nd book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet series.

If you’ve read the Bridgertons series you must know the Smythe-Smith. If you don’t then let’s say they are pretty (in)famous for their annual musical recital, where every year 4 young girls from the family play (or try to play) in front of all the Ton. This leads to very hilarious scenes, because let’s be realist this recital is a torture for both the audience and the poor girls playing.

In the previous book we learned that Daniel Smythe-Smith, the Earl of Winstead, has been in exile on the continent for years after a terrible incident that left one of his best friends a cripple. Now Daniel has decided it’s time to come home but he’s not sure he’ll be safe from his past. Some people still want him dead. I really loved that we finally learned why he was abroad and what really happened that night. I love Daniel and his easy smile. He dotes on his cousins and it was quite adorable.

When Daniel arrives home he meets his cousin’s new governess, Anne Wynter. Anne’s past is a mystery. She’s young and very capable but no one really knows her past. Anne is very mature for her age. She fights her attraction to the young and dashing Earl because she knows nothing good can come from this. She’s hiding from her past too and she knows she would loose her job if the scandal of her past was to be discovered. I loved Anne too, she’s a very patient governess with her her young charges. She’s capable and reliable. She’s had to fend for herself for years. Her past was really not easy and it explains a lot about her personality.

Daniel’s pursuit of Anne was very endearing. He never gives up, even when she keeps pushing him away. The humor was there. Maybe not as much as in previous books but it was still there. Both characters are in danger from their past and we don’t know what/who’s the threat . This is the big mystery…well ok maybe it wasn’t too hard to guess but still it had me riveted to my seat. The last 100 pages were action-packed.

A Night Like This will make you laugh and smile. It’s a very cute feel-good romance. While it’s not my favorite Julia Quinn book it’s still a very good and enjoyable read. After all…you can’t go wrong with a Julia Quinn!

I give A Night Like This 4 Stars.