Book Binge

What Are You Reading? 3-2-12

2012-03-02T14:00:00.005-08:00

Holly: It's Friday again. I know I shouldn't sound so surprised by this, but I'm currently living in BABY BUBBLE. Last week there were 2 days I didn't even leave my bedroom until almost 5pm. 0_o

Today I'm trying to read A Night Like This by Julia Quinn. I say trying, because Princess Bowie is at the age now where she needs to be entertained when she's awake. I'm ok with this. Entertaining a baby is very rewarding. Seeing her little smiles...ahh, bliss. But it's also exhausting. My house is a disaster and my reading has greatly declined. Ah, motherhood.

Anyway, I'm enjoying ANLT, though not as much (so far, anyway) as Just Like Heaven. We'll see if I change my mind as the story goes on.

Yesterday I re-read Anything But Mine by Linda Winfree, book four in the Hearts of the South series. If you haven't read this series, you really, really, really need to. Winfree writes such real characters. Her stories are engaging and really tug on my heartstrings. Go forth and buy..says me.

Rowena: I can't believe it's Friday and like Holly, I'm in a kid bubble of my own. My daughter turns 13 tomorrow. I can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday she was 2 and now she's 13. She's a frickin' teen. If I get through tomorrow (she has two basketball games and then it's shopping and birthday celebration time) unscathed then my reward will be reading A Night Like This by Julia Quinn. I started it last night (though I've started a bunch of different books this week and nothing has stuck so far) and made a pretty good dent in it so I'm excited to read more. It's good to see these guys again. I'm anxious for more. For my YA blog, I'm reading The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal and so far, it's just okay. I'm hoping it'll pick up because my reading slump hasn't left me completely and if it doesn't pick up, I'm going to lose interest and move on.

What are you guys reading this week?

Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

2012-03-02T06:00:00.002-08:00

Holly's review of Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, Book 2) by Lisa Kleypas

Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington, with a boyfriend, Kevin, who she believes is her soul mate. She has always had a magical side - a gift that finds its way into the breathtaking glasswork she creates - and she struggles to keep it contained. But when Lucy is blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal, she questions many of her choices. Her boyfriend leaves her and his new lover is none other than Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over this devastation is multiplied buy the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life.

Meanwhile, facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's family, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on the San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy so that she can more easily move on. But when Sam and Lucy begin to feel real sparks between them, Lucy must ask herself if she can easily risk her heart again.

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life - even after are being broken - can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

This is a sweet, magical story. It took a small suspension of disbelief to buy into the paranormal element, but in the end I think Kleypas made it work.

Speaking of the paranormal element - which is really more mystical than paranormal - I have to say it took me by surprise at first. I didn't read the blurb (I rarely do when I'm reading an auto-buy author, which Kleypas is for me) so I didn't realize there was a magical undercurrent. After thinking about it, however, it shouldn't have surprised me. The theme of the first book was magic, and that carried over here. By adding a touch of whimsy, Kleypas gave the story some much needed air. Otherwise I think it would have been bogged down by both Lucy and Sam's past disappointments. To be fair, the blurb does mention the magic, and it's introduced in the first paragraph. It doesn't come out of left field or not make sense in the context of the story. For those of you who don't care for paranormal, I'd recommend you try it. It's a very small part of the story and incorporated well.

There was something very real about the characters. Though its fun to read about the uber-alpha hero, I enjoyed how *normal* Sam was. Here was a man who wanted sex without complications, but was willing to offer friendship as well. There was no dark brooding if he was denied her bed, no emo-like sulking of she didn't call or fall in line with what he wanted. There were only two mature adults dealing with life and learning each other. I wouldn't say Sam was beta necessarily, just a more modern-day man. He worked hard and knew what he liked, but wasn't afraid to let Lucy have a life of her own.

It was refreshing that they had interests outside each other. Lucy was passionate about her glass making and Sam about his wine making. Sam had his brothers and niece, and Lucy had her friends. Too often in contemporary romance the hero and heroine find themselves wrapped up in each other, or meshing their lives completely. I'm glad that didn't happen here.

The shadow comes from Lucy's sister Alice, and her relationship with her parents. While I understood the reason Lucy thought she needed to forgive Alice, I wasn't at all impressed with the way Kleypas handled that story-arc. Though this is more about Lucy and Sam growing individually as well as together, I wanted to see a progression in the relationship with her family as well. Or at least a more satisfying resolution.

I was also annoyed at the POV hopping as sequel bait. I didn't need to read things from Alice's perspective, nor from Alex or Zoe (Sam's brother and one of Lucy's best friends, who will be featured in the next book).

Overall this was an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the third book in August.

4 out of 5

The series:

This book is available from St. Martin's Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Review: Wrangled and Tangled by Lorelei James

2012-03-01T14:00:00.001-08:00

Tracy’s review of Wrangled and Tangled (Blacktop Cowboys #3) by Lorelei James

Janie Fitzhugh and Abe Lawson have long been divorced and living apart. Now she's back in town, a changed woman-making cattleman Abe want to wrangle an invitation to her bed...

To get his dream ranch, Renner Jackson has partnered with spoiled daddy's girl Tierney Pratt. She thinks she can handle this cowboy, but Renner won't make it easy. Little do they know they will be entangled in ways neither dreamed possible.

Abe and Janie got married very young and though they loved each other they had a serious communication problem. On top of that Abe was stuck in his ways and wanted to keep his ranch exactly how it had been when his parents ran it. Janie kind of felt like it wasn’t really her ranch or her house – that she was just a visitor there. Eventually Janie, instead of talking to Abe, left. They divorced and Janie left Wyoming. Though Abe never stopped loving Janie he went on his way and ultimately decided to make some changes in his life.

Janie is now back in Wyoming and working at the new resort, Split Rock. When Janie has a couple of accidents and they think it’s an old stalker of hers Abe immediately moves her into his house and in the end, into his bed. The couple have issues to work out but they discover that they still love each other and that they can through whatever issues come up in their lives.

Renner is the owner of Split Rock. Due to the economy he found that he needed financing and gets it from a large company in Chicago. That company is run by Gene Pratt whose daughter, Tierney, works for him. When Gene overlooks his daughter for an executive position even though she’s more qualified she tries to resign. Gene won’t let her so she invokes a clause in her contract that says she can take 6 months to act as an overseer at of the companies properties. Tierney chooses the Split Rock Ranch and Resort. Tierney is not exactly welcomed at the Split Rock and Renner almost goes out of his way to make her life miserable rather than trying to get to know her. Part of his antagonism is that despite the fact that he thinks she’s a spoiled little rich girl who was sent by Daddy he’s incredibly attracted to her.

Tierney and Renner don’t exactly work out their differences before they move into a sexual relationship but they soon find that the person they’re sleeping with wasn’t who they thought – on either side. Tierney is a 26 year old virgin who is trying to break away from her father’s rule and possibly strike out on her own. Renner is a man who likes to take care of those whom he loves as well as his business ventures. While the couple still has their issues it’s really Gene Pratt who ends up being the problem for both of them and their not sure how to work it out.

Wrangled and Tangled was a bit different from past Blacktop Cowboy stories in that James gave us two romances for the price of one. We got both Abe and Janie’s love story as well as Tierney and Renner’s. I do think that Renner and Tierney’s story took up more page time than Abe and Janie’s but it seemed that Abe and Janie had more to work out than the other couple. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that we didn’t get to see Abe and Janie working through their past difficulties on a more in depth level. They had some serious communication issues and while I felt they did deal with some of their problems I thought there were plenty more that needed attention. That being said I really did like them together. Janie was great at business but I felt she still had a ton of growing up to do. I think that Abe was a solid person to have by her side while she working toward that goal.

Tierney and Renner were great together in my opinion. While she really didn’t know what she was doing in the bedroom, at first, she learned quickly and since the pair couldn’t keep their hands off of each other they were intimate quite a lot during the book. Despite Tierney’s sexual inexperience she excelled at her job in the financial realm. She was good at what she did and had a great head on her shoulders. There was only a bit of angst between the couple once they became intimate and I really liked that about them – especially since we were getting so much of that from Abe and Janie.

In the end it was a good book. So far I’m really liking the Blacktop Cowboys series and plan to keep reading it. I would definitely recommend reading books 1 & 2 in this series before reading this one as you might be a bit confused by characters that are mentioned in this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from NAL Trade. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Review: Time Out by Jill Shalvis.

2012-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rowena's review of Time Out by Jill Shalvis.

Hero: Mark Diego
Heroine: Rainey Saunders

Sign up for recreational adult programs now!
Class: How to Drive Him Crazy

Instructional program for women unexpectedly facing the totally dishy guy from their past. Everyone welcome!

NHL coach Mark Diego's plan to spend his off-season volunteering in his hometown goes awry when he learns that not only is he coaching teenage girls, but that the program is coordinated by energetic (and five feet two inches of trouble) coordinator Rainey Saunders, his childhood friend—and the woman he could never stand to see dating any other guy….

When their tempers flare, Mark and Rainey discover their fireworks don't just burn angry—they burn very, very hot! But that'll just sweeten the victory. Because Mark always plays to win. And with Rainey, he's planning on playing very dirty, too….

Now here's the Jill Shalvis that I know and love. It's pretty neat how much of a punch Shalvis can pack in such a short story. She writes characters that are a lot of fun and heroes that you want in your bed. She also writes steamy romances that makes you sit up and pay attention.

This book follows Rainey Saunders as she deals with the fact that the guy that she had a major crush on when she was 16 and totally humiliated herself in front of is back in town and helping her out at work. She's totally over Mark Diego so it shouldn't be a big deal but sure as shit, it is. She's not over Mark and he's all sexy and available and she'd like to eat him for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a midnight snack.

I'm all about the one that got away and this was definitely one of those stories. Mark is four years older than Rainey but they were good friends growing up as Rainey hung out with Mark's younger brother Rick. Things fizzled out when Rainey humiliates herself in front of Mark and when Mark moves away for a job, Rainey moves on.

All these years later, there's still chemistry there and Mark isn't walking away anymore. He wants her and he's in town for a month so he's putting on the charm and she doesn't stand a chance.

It was fun watching Rainey melt under the full force of the Mark Diego charm. It was fun seeing them light up Rainey's bed and it was fun to see them grow close again and it was just an overall fun read. I really enjoyed it and I'm so glad that I got it for review. Reading a Shalvis contemporary always puts me in a good mood and this story wasn't any different. I enjoyed getting to know the hero and the heroine and really, what more could you ask for? Charming characters, a steamy romance and a hero that just won't quit? I'm all about it.

Mark was a solid hero. He was good to the people he cared about, he had a good relationship with his family and he took care of the people that needed him. He was the kind of man that just handled things and I loved that about him. He wasn't this perfect hero that does and says the perfect thing every time but he was real and he had flaws and I ate it all up.

Rainey is independent without being annoying and she had a great support system with her family but most especially with her friends Rick and Lena. It was a treat to get to know them and reading this book has made me just that much more anxious for Adam's book (Animal Magnetism series), I need another Shalvis story to read pronto!

Overall, it was a great contemporary romance that I definitely recommend.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This book is available from Harlequin Blaze. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Review: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.

2012-02-29T14:00:00.002-08:00

Rowena's review of Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas.

Hero: Sebastian St. Vincent
Heroine: Evangeline Jenner

A DEVIL’S BARGAIN

Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!

Sebastian’s reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden’s good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.

But Evie’s proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine’s callously discarded broken hearts —which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions…or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

I really liked this book, I loved how Sebastian turned into one of those reformed rakes that we all know and love. I love the way he took care of Sebastian and the way he protected her from her evil Uncles, and I just love how his I'm bad and don't you forget it attitude, he was definitely swoonworthy.

Do I like him more than Derek Craven though? No. Is he my favorite hero of Lisa Kleypas? No.

I really liked Evie as well, I've always liked her and I loved watching her come out of her shell and to see her stammer slowly disappear, the more comfortable she got around Sebastian, the more happy I got. She was a great heroine, I knew I was going to enjoy getting to know her. I loved the whole story, getting to know her, see where she was, the mystery surrounding her family coming out was just GREAT! I loved reading every bit of this book.

But for some reason, Secrets of a Summer Night still holds the title of my favorite Wallflower book. I really enjoyed Sebastian, seeing him grow and fall in love with Evie, of all the girls in London, for him to fall to the shy girl with the stammer, just made my heart go pitter patter in my chest, it was just all that's good and yum in this world!

It took me one day to read this book, I inhaled it and was glad that I did because it was just so good...Sebastian and Evie were such a great couple and their book was fantabulous! Can't say enough good things about this book...

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Reading Order:

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

A Recap of the Passion and Prose Event in Long Beach, CA

2012-02-29T10:00:00.002-08:00

Over the weekend, I attended the 2012 Passion and Prose event that was held at the Westin in Long Beach, CA. Lots of awesome authors attended the event and I was able to hang with some of my favorite book buddies and I also got to meet some pretty awesome new book friends too.The event started promptly at 9am, but really all you did was register, get your badge, eat breakfast and meet your friends.

The first person I saw when I got there was Super Librarian Wendy. Wendy is one of my fellow So Cal Blogging buddies and it was good to see her again, we chatted for a little bit and then Lori from I Just Finished Reading arrived and we caught up with Lori, Helen Kay Dimon and Zoe Archer. It was a little early in the morning but that didn't stop us from laughing it up until 10am came around and it was time to go in and get seated.

Each table seated about 8 people around and an author was seated at each table, so us readers got to eat with our very own author for the entire day. I sat at Zoe Archer's table and she's pretty fanfrickin'tastic. She, along with the other ladies at the table kept the conversation going throughout the day and it was great to meet and chat with others who share my love of books for an entire day.

We had a lovely breakfast of danishes, bagels, chocolate croissants and a variety of pastries, a variety of teas and coffee. Everything tasted delicious and I was seriously in Heaven.

They were also selling books that were provided from the bookstore that is literally like two minutes away from my house. Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, I can't believe that I haven't been inside this bookstore and it's so close to my house. It's a lot closer to my house than my Barnes and Noble store is and that's the bookstore that I usually go to. After attending this event, I will definitely be checking this bookstore out. I had a blast at the Passion and Prose event.

My table was a bit toward the back so the pictures that I took of the keynote speakers are really grainy because I was taking the pictures with my iPhone and not a camera or anything, so sorry for the grainy pics. The first keynote speaker was Gail Carriger and she had me laughing up a storm that I marched out at the first break and bought her book. I'm not a fan of steampunk, I'm too chicken to try it out (its way outside of my comfort zone) but after sitting through Gail's speech, I'm definitely going to give it a try. If her books are anything like her personality than I'm totally going to enjoy it.

Gail talked about pretty much everything from tea to her background in academia and she taught me what "killing your darlings" mean and I really just enjoyed her whole keynote speech. She was cute, she was funny and she made me want to branch out and try other genres outside of my comfort zone so steampunk, here I come...=)

Afterward, we broke for the first of a couple of book signings and author chat fests. There were tables set up outside of the conference room where the authors were sitting, ready to get their sign and chat on. This is where I went kind of crazy. Being the airhead that I am, I forgot to bring books for the authors to sign so I had to buy books, not that I was really all that mad about spending money on books.

Sylvia Day and Zuri Day

Tessa Dare

Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson and Lori
I'm a huge fan of Jill Sorenson and I was thrilled when I asked her to take a picture with her and she told me that she's never taken a picture with a fan before. WHAT? Why in the heck not? I mean, she's pretty awesome so everyone should be taking pictures with her but yay me on being the first fan to ask Jill Sorenson to take a picture. Lori!!! We were the first fans to take a picture with Jill!

After the first book signing, we went back into the conference room and the Breathless Reads panel was up. Can I tell you just how adorable they all were? I really enjoyed listening to them share their stories with us. They shared their publishing stories, their writing styles and funny stories that was totally enjoyable. I run a YA book blog so I thought that I knew most of the YA authors out there but I hadn't heard of two of the authors but I definitely know who they are now and will definitely be reading their books soon.

Lunch was served while the Breathless Reads Panel was up there talking and I was so hungry that I didn't take a picture of my food before I scarfed it down but it was good, trust me...that's why afterward, my plate looked like this:

Before I inhaled that, it was a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. It was fabulous, so much better than the rubbery chicken that people say they usually serve at these kinds of things so I was a happy camper.

After lunch, they served sundaes for dessert and it was delicious!

Oh, and they also served macarons. I've been itching to try these out since my friend Foti came back from Paris and was gushing about how good these little things are. I finally tried them and loved them. I'm on a mission to find a bakery that sells these.

I tried the lemon and the coffee one (didn't want to feel like a total pig) and I'm definitely going to try more of these.

After the Breathless Reads panel, we broke again for another author signing...and this is where I stalked someone's life. =P This is where I went in search of the YA authors that were apart of this event.

Jessi Kirby.

Andrea Cremer
Beth Revis
Now, after I took this next picture, I could have walked away from this event and my life would have been complete. I mean, if you've followed this blog from the beginning then you'll remember how many books I read and reviewed by this author on this very blog and you'll remember how much I absolutely LOVE this author.

She seriously rocks my socks! Look guys, it's me and MEG FREAKING CABOT!

Meg Cabot was the freaking bomb. She's so funny and super cute and I was thrilled to have gotten the chance to chat with her for a little bit. When we went back into the conference room, it was the last keynote speaker of the day, Meg freaking Cabot.

I can't express how cute she is. I have a serious girl crush on her. I love her books, I love her personality and she made me the happiest person because she told me little tid bits about THE NEW HEATHER WELLS BOOK! It comes out in the summer and I'm more than a little anxious for it.

Meg Cabot is such an entertaining speaker. She shared story after story and had everyone in the audience laughing and smiling all over the place. She's got such a sparkly personality that its hard not to get wrapped up in her. She told us the story about how she first got published, she told us stories that happened in her real life that led to books, she told us about Whitney Houston optioning off The Princess Diaries into a movie and she told us the story of the movie premiere for the movie and all of her stories were just as adorable as she is.

She wrapped up an event that was fabulous, fun and something that I'd definitely come back to for more. The entire day was a good time and I thought everyone that had anything to do with putting it together did an outstanding job. From the authors to the tiny details of lunch, venue and seating, everything was great. I would definitely recommend this event to readers of romance and young adult fiction. You'll have a good time, I promise!

How can I forget to talk about the goodie bags? Those were fabulous! Check out the swag that we got for coming to Passion and Prose...love it!

And where's what I bought at the event:

I'm definitely going next year! It was so good to see my buddies Lori and Wendy. It's always nice to get together with my girls and chat about books and catch up on life. I love my girls!

My favorite person of the day was definitely, this lady!

If you haven't read anything by Helen Kay Dimon, you're missing out because she's hilarious and one of the very nicest people I've ever met. All in all, it was a fabulous day of books, authors and food- my favorite things in all the world! =)

I'm cross posting this over at my YA blog, The Book Scoop because there's no way in hell I'm going to recap this day twice.

I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of me, Wendy and Lori. I suck. I'm late adding my recap of the weekend but you can read Lori's recap here and Wendy's recap here.

Guest Review: Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks

2012-02-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Judith's review of Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss by Maya Banks.

No Man’s Bargaining Chip

Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy’s business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her.

But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holdsbarred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes…especially now that she’s pregnant?

The hero of this story, Devon Carter, is a man any father would be delighted to have for a son-in-law, especially if he was the CEO of a well-known hotel chain and whose corporation wants to merge with "daddy's" hotel conglomerate. One little caveat: Devon had to court the daughter in a way that would never clue her in that this was an "arranged" romance. Add to this the fact that Devon had come from such a dysfunctional family situation that he didn't believe in romantic love anyway. Now he has fulfilled Dad's requirement, has truly romanced, wined and dined Ashley to the point that she has fallen in love with her handsome suitor, and has even chosen him as the man who will take her virginity. The engagement ring is huge, the wedding glorious, but the sword of disillusionment is set to fall on this couple--on their wedding night.

This is a story that sort of surprises readers in that the romance seems to be going well when all hell breaks loose. Not only that, in her desire to keep the man she loves even though he has been "purchased" for her, Ashley becomes a different person--a woman who no one knows, whose friends become concerned because the light has gone out of her eyes, and whose sense of joy and being comfortable in her own skin is no longer a part of the Ashley who is not Devon's wife. The interesting thing for me is that Devon is clueless--he sees this Ashley as impetuous, impulsive, childish, frivolous woman who must now become the public hostess and begin to take her place in the upper eschelons of business entertaining. It is a testimony to how dead his own emotions are that it takes tragedy to awaken him to the value this woman has in her own right and the quality of living she could bring to their relationship were he only to value her delight in life.

This is a story that is really an emotional roller coaster, a tale of love and joy that become a story of disappointment and betrayal, a journey these two people must undertake in order to find a way to peace, to genuine relationship, to authentic love. The background characters are quite interesting as well and they give depth and color to the story. Factor in the close friends who are advising, often with good intentions, and you have a situation that most readers can relate to, even though most of us haven't had to be under the kind of pressure--either business-wise or socially--that Ashley and Devon live with daily. Yet I know the power of advisors and friends to either make or break relationships and I found this aspect of the story to be particularly interesting for me.

This is a very well-written story and one that I think most romance readers will enjoy. It is full of real people, regardless of their financial or social status, and there are some important life issues that are addressed through the experiences of the main characters. It is not one that is excessively long, but it is substantive enough that readers will feel that they have read and enjoyed a complete story. It is really a very, very good read.

I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Review: A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean.

2012-02-28T14:00:00.002-08:00

Rowena's review of A Rogue by Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels #1) by Sarah MacLean.

Hero: Michael, Marquess of Bourne
Heroine: Lady Penelope Marbury

What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets. . .

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London's most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to an unexplored world of pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London's illicit underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them . . . .even her heart.

I had every confidence that I would like this book but I didn't think I'd love it as much as I did but I shouldn't have expected anything less since Holly (who is harder to please than I am) really enjoyed this book. This book had everything a romance novel should have. It had sexual tension, a courtship, a hero that was delicious and a heroine that flat out rocked my socks. It's surprising to me at how much I liked Penelope because usually, the heroine doesn't make it to my radar but Penelope wasn't that kind of heroine.

Forget, me wanting Penelope to be my best friend. I wanted to be her. She wasn't this boring, virginal heroine who needs rescuing at every turn. She had a brain that worked, a wit that had me cracking up and a heart that was pure.

If you read Eleven Scandals to Start to win a Duke's Heart, you should remember Penelope Marbury as she was engaged to Simon Pearson before he dumped her and married Julianna. If you ever wondered what happened to her, this is the book for you.

There is so much good in this book that it's hard for me to choose where to start. This isn't a girl meets boy and they fight and make up and then find their happy ending kind of book because these two characters have known each other for quite some time now. They were childhood friends, best friends even who let time and distance get the better of them. They were neighbors and played together. There were three of them back then. Michael, Penelope and Tommy. The three amigos and all of that goes up in flames when Michael loses everything (and I mean, everything) to Tommy's father in a card game. That night changes everyone's lives and things are never the same again.

Nine years later, the land, Michael's land, becomes Penelope's father's and he attaches it to Penelope's dowry in hopes to attract a suitor for her to marry. Tommy, who stuck around and kept up his friendship with Penelope, offers for her hand in marriage but Penelope turns him down. Tommy had his reasons for wanting to marry Penelope and I admired him for those reasons.

Michael finds out about the land, the dowry, Penelope and does what any scoundrel would do...he steals her and in turn, gets the land.

Michael is not the same boy that left all those many years ago. At first, Penelope is so hot dang happy to see him but soon realizes that the man before her is a stranger to her. He's someone she doesn't know at all and that starts their journey to true love.

I adored getting to know both Michael and Penelope. I think my favorite part of this book were the letters that these two exchanged while Michael was away at school. Seeing Penelope hold out hope that Michael would come back made me so freaking happy when he finally did go back. Seeing Michael slowly come around where Penelope was concerned, seeing the way that the ice around his heart thawed with his childhood friend- it all made for such a wonderful romance. They weren't perfect characters but I loved their imperfections. Getting to know them drove me crazy but made me happy at the same time. It was such an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed getting to know the other characters as well. Cross, Chase and Temple? I'm itching at the bit for more of them and Penelope's sisters? Awww, I'm thrilled to see that we'll be getting Pippa's story and her hero? LOVE THE PAIRING! This is a fantastic start to a brand spankin' new series from Sarah MacLean and I'm super excited for more. You could even say that I'm greedy for more. I enjoyed it that much.

Read this book!

Grade: 5 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Guest Author (+ a Giveaway): Sarah MacLean Stops by to Discuss The Rules of Scoundrels!

2012-02-28T08:00:00.003-08:00

Book Binge: Please welcome bestselling author Sarah MacLean to Book Binge. She's here today to chat about her new romance series, The Rules of Scoundrels. Book one, A Rogue by Any Other Name, releases...TODAY!

Take it away Sarah...

Sarah MacLean: The Strange Chemistry of Romance or, How the Grape gets her Rogue.

About halfway through writing Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart, I knew that Penelope Marbury—darling of the ton and eldest daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby, soon-to-be ex-fiancée of the Duke of Leighton and . . . worst of all . . . The Grape—was going to need her own book.

Now, this was not because she happened to be there, lurking in the background. After all, I’ve had a number of secondary characters lurk about for one or more books without feeling the urge to give them their own stories (I’m looking at you Benedick, Lord Allendale), but there was something about Penelope . . . the way she seemed to hate the gossips of the ton as much as Juliana did . . . the way she washed her hands to calm herself . . . the way she seemed to be victim to the sad, tragic truth of the Regency—and maybe of today—that so many women rely on men to make the decisions that change their lives. For better and worse.

Penelope, there was no doubt in my mind, deserved her happily ever after.

But it was not going to be an easy one. After all, being passed over by a duke for an Italian was not exactly the best thing for one’s marital resume. No, Penelope was going to have to work for her love. That part I knew. But I didn’t know how hard she was going to have to work.

Because, you see, at the same time Penelope was washing her hands and suffering a tragic scandal, I was building the world of The Fallen Angel—the most exclusive, legendary gaming hell of pre-Victorian London. And this wasn’t just a gaming hell. It was a haven for sin and vice and secrecy, and its owners—Bourne, Temple, Cross and Chase, were no ordinary aristocrats.

Whether by chance or by choice, all four had fallen far from the circumstances of their birth, each with a scandal more wicked than the last. These four were not your standard textbook rogues with gooey, loving centers hidden by a charming, rakish exterior—they had issues. Some emotional, some physical, some self-inflicted, some out of their control. But to redeem them, they’d need one hell of a woman.

The first, the Marquess of Bourne, was cold and hard, selfish and unkind. He’d lost everything nearly a decade ago (ironically, right around the time that Penelope was feeling like she’d lost everything herself) in a single turn of the cards, and he had gained it back ten-fold through the hard work that comes from vengeance.

I hesitated for a long time, putting these two together. Penelope was too soft, I thought. Too much of a grape, isn’t that what Juliana had taught me? She needed someone charming . . . maybe Cross? Someone who would destroy anything and anyone that threatened her . . . Temple, perhaps? But surely not Bourne. Bourne would wreck her. She wouldn’t have it in her to stand up to him.

Except, here’s the thing: She did.

Right there at the back of my mind, as I wrote Juliana and Simon’s love story, Penelope started standing up to Bourne. She took his cruelty for what it was—a desperate need for love—and she gave him what he needed—a strong, unbending partner, who would not tolerate his ridiculousness.

She met him eye for eye, quip for quip, kiss for kiss. And by the time I opened a new Word document to start on A Rogue By Any Other Name, I had no doubt in my mind that not only were these two perfect for each other . . . there was absolutely no one in the world who could love them better.

The journey was as challenging for them as I thought it would be, and I would be lying if I said it weren’t equally as challenging for me—but I am so very happy that they’re finally here, so I can share them with you!

A Rogue By Any Other Name: The First Rule of Scoundrels is available Tuesday, February 28, 2012, wherever books are sold.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Our friends over at Avon have kindly given us a copy of A Rogue by Any Other Name to give away here on the blog so if you want your name thrown into the hat for a free copy, leave a comment here telling us why you're excited to read this book. Holly and I both have read and adored this book and we have every faith that you'll enjoy it as well so leave a comment here and let us know why you're so excited. We'll close the giveaway for entries on Friday, 3/2/12 at 11:59pm. Winners will be announced on Monday, 3/6/12. Please don't forget to include a valid email address with your entry so we can contact you if you win. Thanks!

Good luck!

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Review: A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

2012-02-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Holly's review of A Rogue by Any Other Name (The First Rules of Scoundrels, Book 1) by Sarah MacLean.

What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets . . .

A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.

A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.

Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them . . . even her heart.

Another stellar release from MacLean. This is a novel I'll re-read again and again.

Bourne had everything taken from him in an instant. His guardian, the man his father trusted most in the world, ruined him in a card game. He lost everything - including his land. 10 years later he runs a very successful gaming club. He's a powerful man with a lot of money behind him. But he still wants revenge. When he finds out his property is part of the dowry of Penelope Marbury, his old childhood friend, he doesn't hesitate to compromise her into marriage.

Penelope was basically ruined when the Duke of Leighton called off their engagement for a love match. She's firmly on the shelf and - mostly - happy there. She doesn't want to settle for a boring, perfect marriage. She wants more. When Michael kidnaps her and says he plans to force her into marriage she realizes this is her chance to really live, to have an adventure. She agrees to marry him as long as he agrees to rejoin society, so that her sisters might make good matches. She also makes him agree to give her adventure.

In order to get the ton to accept him back into their fold and facilitate marriages for her sisters, they pretend to have a love match. But pretending to love each while keeping their feelings out of it is almost impossible. Her feelings for him are tied up in her memories of him from childhood. His are wrapped in the feelings she opens up inside him.

Michael is a dark and tormented man. Penelope is a bright and innocent woman who longs for something more than a boring ton marriage. Together they are...perfect. Her inner strength came through wonderfully. I very much enjoyed watching her grow into her own...and watching him fall for her as she did. She didn't enjoy being thrown over by Leighton (something that happened in MacLean's first series), but it made her realize there was more to life than duty. Leighton married for love, and though Penelope doesn't hold out hope for that, she does think she can be happy. In the beginning she's somewhat timid and innocent, but she changes as the novel wears on. She finds her confidence, and in the process catches Michael.

Bourne wants nothing more than revenge. He has a plan in place to bring down his former guardian, and that plan includes Penelope. But he doesn't want a wife, especially not one who makes him feel. Right from the beginning Penelope has him tied up in knots. She surprises him at every turn. She isn't the same girl he remembers from childhood. She's bold and warm and caring and willing to stand up for those she cares about..and she's way too good for him. He's determined to protect her from himself. He starts out as cold and cynical, but Penelope wears him down. She opens him up and makes him want more from life.

The characters were well drawn and three-dimensional. In the end I came to care for him. I ended the novel feeling warm and fuzzy inside. What more can a reader ask for?

5 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here or here in e-format.