Showing posts with label Contemporary Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contemporary Romance. Show all posts

Welcome Tom & Lexie From Ruthie Knox's New Release Ride With Me & Giveaway!

Cheeky Reads is super excited to welcome Tom and Lexie, the hero and heroine of Ruthie Knox's new contemporary romance to our site! I hope you enjoy meeting them as much as I did and don't forget to comment on their interview to enter to win a copy of their story!

How We Met: An Interview with Tom and Lexie

TOM: So what are we supposed to be talking about, again?

LEXIE: How we met, I think.

TOM [scowling]: I don’t want to talk about that.

LEXIE: Why not?

TOM: Because I was a jerk.

LEXIE: Actually, I wouldn’t say you were a jerk.

TOM [hopeful]: You wouldn’t?

LEXIE: No, I’d say you were a dick.

TOM: Oh, thanks, babe. That’s great.

LEXIE: Well, it wasn’t great at the time. It worked out okay.

TOM: I was trying to do the right thing.

LEXIE [smiling a little]: You were. You couldn’t bear to think of what might happen to me if I rode across the country by myself, so you let me ride with you. And then you wouldn’t talk to me.

TOM: You’re the one who gave me the silent treatment for three days.

LEXIE: Only because you deserved it.

TOM [reluctantly]: True. But in my defense, you’re kind of a lot to get used to. All that yammering. [smiles]

[Lexie punches Tom in the shoulder]

TOM: Plus, you were pretty awful to me, too. You told me you were married.

LEXIE: Only because you were so cocky. Like, [pitches voice low] I’m not going to sleep with you, sweetheart, so don’t even think about it.

TOM: So you were, like, Screw you, buddy, and the horse you rode in on.

LEXIE: Exactly. Except you rode in on a bike.

TOM: We both rode in on bikes.

LEXIE [smiling fondly]: Yeah. And you have such a nice ass. That was really my downfall—the view. That, and it turned out you have unforeseen charms.

TOM: I do?

LEXIE: Sure. I unearthed them. I had to dig around in your pants for a while, but—

[Tom covers Lexie’s mouth with his hand]

LEXIE: Mphm-bmbh mm hmubph mbuh.

TOM: We’re done here. They’ll have to read the book if they want to know the rest. [winks at CheekyReads] Thanks for having us.

CHEEKY [blushing]: You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

[Tom pushes Lexie out of the room, keeping one hand firmly over her mouth.]

Curtain falls.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Ride with Me, available from Loveswept on February 13, 2012!


In this fun, scorching-hot eBook original romance by Ruthie Knox, a cross-country bike adventure takes a detour into unexplored passion. As readers will discover, Ride with Me is not about the bike!

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger — a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.

Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?

BIO


Ruthie Knox figured out how to walk and read at the same time in the second grade, and she hasn’t looked up since. She spent her formative years hiding romance novels in her bedroom closet to avoid the merciless teasing of her brothers and imagining scenarios in which someone who looked remarkably like Daniel Day Lewis recognized her well-hidden sex appeal and rescued her from middle-class Midwestern obscurity. After graduating from Grinnell College with an English and history double major, she earned a Ph.D. in modern British history that she’s put to remarkably little use.

These days, she writes contemporary romance in which witty, down-to- earth characters find each other irresistible in their pajamas, though she freely admits this has yet to happen to her. Perhaps she needs more exciting pajamas. Ruthie abhors an epilogue and insists a decent romance requires at least three good sex scenes.

GIVEAWAY - One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to win a digital copy of Ride with Me. Winners will pick up their copy through Net Galley. Good luck to all!

Book Review: Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coonts

Book Review: Wanna Get Lucky by Deborah Coonts
Mystery/Contemporary Romance  
Published By: Forge Books
4 Heart Review 

A young woman plunges from a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter, landing in the Pirate’s lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in the middle of the 8:30 Pirate Show.  Almost everyone writes her off as another Vegas victim.
 
But Lucky O’Toole smells a rat.  She’s head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, the newest, most opulent mega-casino and resort on the Strip, so she’s got a lot on her plate: the Adult Film industry’s annual awards banquet, a spouse-swapping convention, sex toy purveyors preying on the pocket-protector crowd attending ElectroniCon….  Still, Lucky can’t resist turning over a few stones. 


When a former flame is one of the snakes she uncovers, Lucky’s certain she’s no longer dealing with an anonymous Sin City suicide.  To top it all off, Lucky’s best friend Teddie—Las Vegas’ finest female impersonator—presses to take their relationship to the next level.  Leave it to Lucky to attract a man who looks better in a dress than she does.


Lucky must manage the Babylon’s onslaught of outrageous festivities, solve a murder, and struggle to keep her life and libido from spinning out of control… not to mention keep her balance in six inch heels.

Wanna Get Lucky is the first book in a new-to-me series that I wanted to catch up on before book #3 releases this February. After finishing this one, I'm itching to start on book #2.

I really enjoyed almost everything about this story. It takes off at a quick pace and doesn't slow down - which is fitting since that's exactly the way the main charcters life is like and I felt the story matched up to that perfectly.

One of my favorite new author blogs is called Wonk-O-Mance and this book is perfect for them!  Their blog focuses on Romances with wonky heroes and heroines - stories with characters and plots that just shouldn't work but totally do. Characters so over the top that instead of not believing in them, you heart them so hard.

That's exactly how I felt about this book. It's totally a wonky little mystery/romance and I heart  Wanna Get Lucky and it's heroine hard. Lucky is a force of nature bit with every action you can really envision her taking on all the crazy things that happen in her Vegas world. The crazy works.

Add in a cross-dressing hero who's also trying to make the move from best friend to lover and the crazy becomes amped up 10 more notches. But, and I was truly surprised at this one, it totally works. Yep - a cross-dressing hero worked for me. In this insane little story it all works and that is in large part to the author's ability to create characters of depth that I connected with instantly.

As I mentioned above this is also a fast-paced mystery that keeps you pushing forward as the pages fly by. That is yet another reason Wanna Get Lucky works. Everything about this book worked for me.

I did see the twist at the end coming but I think the reader was meant to - or at least the author meant to instill the hope in the reader that what is revealed is what they were hoping for all along. Sigh. I really loved that last twist and had hoped for it as I got further along in the story.

I'm off to read book #2 in this series - Lucky Stiff - this weekend so I'm ready for the newly released novella Lucky in Love and the 3rd full book in the series So Damn Lucky which releases on February 28th.

I'm so lucky to have found the Lucky O'Toole series! Yes, you can go ahead and groan. I did, but it was too good to pass up.

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Sabrina

Welcome Authors Ros Clarke & Faye Robertson & Enter To Win 2 Holiday Romances!

Entangled Publishing is pleased to offer new imprints, Flirts and Ever Afters.  All I Want for Christmas (So nice of Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber to do the promo single for this title), by Ros Clarke, and Holly’s First Noel, by Faye Robertson, are paving the way for these two lines. We hope you enjoy our holiday gifts to you with these Christmas novellas. Flirts are priced at just .99 cents and enjoy Ever Afters for only $2.99.

Meet the authors behind the Christmas magic…

Meet Ros Clarke:
This year, I have two jobs which means two office Christmas parties.  Two Secret Santa presents bought (must remember to wrap them up).  Two menus to choose from. Two outfits to select. Two opportunities to embarrass myself in front of my work colleagues.

Fortunately, I have never embarrassed myself as much as the heroine of my Christmas novella, Anna Gardner. The office party is the one night in the year when she lets her hair down, with alarmingly predictable consequences. One too many glasses of punch and Anna always ends up at the karaoke machine. Anna has a great repertoire of Christmas classics, including Mariah Carey's hit (reprised this year with Justin Bieber!), "All I Want For Christmas Is You.”  Have you seen this fun version featuring the crew of a Royal Navy warship as they come home after eight months of deployment?  So much better than the Bieber version!


 About All I Want for Christmas:

Last night, Anna Gardner was the life of the office Christmas party—right up until she threw herself at gorgeous advertising executive playboy, Hugh Munro. Again. Last year, Hugh let her pretend their passionate kiss never happened, but this year he’s determined to make Anna admit she wants him as much as he wants her.

 Except, Hugh doesn’t know the office party is the only night of the year his friend lets her hair down. That every hour she’s away from the office is spent caring for her sickly mother. That her mother’s condition, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, is hereditary.

When Hugh finds out what she’s been hiding, he’s forced to do some serious soul-searching. It’s not fair to Anna or her mother for him to get involved casually, but casual relationships are all he knows. Can he prove to himself—and to Anna—that she’s all he wants for Christmas?

About Ros:
Ros Clarke is a writer, a student, a church worker, a crafter, a blogger, a twitterer, a lazy gardener, and an appalling housekeeper. She is interested in almost everything except cricket and football (US and UK) and mostly she likes happy endings in fiction and in real life.


You can find Ros at her website and follow her on Twitter!
Get a copy of All I Want For Christmas at
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books On Board | Amazon UK


Meet Faye Robertson:
Coming up with a catchy title for a book is never easy, and the title for this one went through several incarnations before we settled on the final choice. I wanted something Christmas related, and liked the idea of echoing a carol. I considered setting the story in a hospital so I could call it Holly and the I.V. Actually my first idea was to echo a line in the book where Holly comments on the amount of snow that will fall overnight, but my editor assured me “Six Inches by Morning” was more of an erotica title. Likewise, I steered clear of anything to do with the North Pole and O Come all ye Faithful, not wanting to give the wrong impression.
But eventually we settled on Holly’s First Noel, and even though a dear friend has asked, “Does that mean she’s going to have a second one when she’s finished with him?” I think the title suits the story very well. It’s a sweet and sexy tale with, I hope, an uplifting emotional message—that the magic of Christmas isn’t to be found by making a traditional dinner and creating a perfect day, but that—without being too mushy—it’s what’s in your heart that counts, and love can turn any day into a celebration.

About Holly’s First Noel:
Music teacher Holly Jones is in a festive predicament. Her boyfriend just dumped her the week before Christmas, so why is she only depressed he made off with the mince pies? When the charming science teacher next door overhears the dreaded call and suggests she accompany him on his Scottish holiday retreat, she accepts, eager to spend a quiet week rediscovering herself.

Noel Coward’s wife died on Christmas Eve three years ago. To bury the memories of that day, he spends the holidays getting drunk and watching action movies—which makes him perfect company for a fellow teacher in need of solitude. Except, instead of wallowing in his grief, Noel finds himself comforted by Holly’s presence, fascinated by her mind, and after one innocent kiss, on fire for her touch. As the snow piles up outside, the temperature inside soars, while together, they discover the human heart’s amazing capacity to heal…and love.
About Faye:
Faye Robertson lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, and sexy contemporary romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and hunky but approachable heroes. She’s won several romance writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. She also writes romance under the name Serenity Woods.

You can find Faye at her website, on Twitter or connect on Facebook!

Get your copy of Holly’s First Noel at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books On Board | Amazon UK

So tell us, what's your favorite Christmas carol and why? Leave a comment and be entered to win an ebook of both of these awesome holiday stories!

Contest is open internationally! The contest ends at 11:59 on 12/18 and a winner will be announced 12/19 so you'll have plenty of time to read these stories while you're still in the holiday spirit!

Book Review: Merciless by Diana Palmer

Book Review: Merciless (Long, Tall Texans Series)
By: Diana Palmer
Publisher: HQN
Contemporary Romance
2 Heart Review

Tall dark and eligible? That’s all that matters to the women of Jacobsville when it comes to handsome and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his efficient and reliable assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he’d be at the mercy of husband hunters — but the more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is....

While Joceline can’t deny that her boss is attractive, as a single mother with responsibilities she’s determined to be professional. But when Jon is accosted by a criminal seeking revenge, she comes to his aid — fueling the spark that is growing between them. As the attempts on Jon’s life increase, Joceline stands by his side. But when the smoke clears, will the man who avoided love realize that all he ever needed was right there all along?

*Note* - This was one of my hardest reviews to write because I had to wonder if my reaction to the book was really about the writing or about a difference of beliefs. After going over and over it I believe that it really was the writing.

If you're a regular reader of Cheeky Reads you might remember that I read my very first book of hers a little while back and it wasn't exactly to my reading taste. But, so many of you are fans that I decided to give it another try with her newest book Merciless. I hate to say it, but I'm still not a huge fan.

What I did like about the book was that Mrs. Palmer creates a very nicely connected family and does well with threading their stories together. Sorry to say that's about all I found that I liked about the story.

Mostly what I didn't like are things that are mainly personal preference and I'll try to touch on them here without giving away any spoilers. First, I read romances that that touch on religion and enjoy many of them. Debbie Macomber is a favorite and she does an excellent job of including religious sentiments in her stories and characters without it feeling forced or overwhelming.

I didn't feel that way with this book. It felt like religious beliefs were thrown around as an excuse for bad behavior, prejudice and plain out rudeness. I won't go into details for spoilers sake, but in the real world I've lived in some small religious towns and in none of them would they act the way some of these characters did toward a woman who had a child out of wedlock. They might not like it, but the actions in this book were so over the top it stunned me. Was this book set in the 1950's?

My main issue with this book were that I felt most of the characters were one dimensional. Especially the hero's mother. She so flat as a character in this book and I felt like her dialogue could have been that of a 6 year old kid for all the maturity and depth it had. She and her lack of a real motive for her hateful actions really annoyed me.

In fact, this book would have been more of a 3 Heart Review if the mother could have been thrown out. She really was totally unnecessary to the plot and what little she contributed could have been figured out some other way. This character tainted the entire book for me both in her actions and the utter lack of her being a fleshed out character.

All in all, I felt like the characters were teenagers in their maturity level and I questioned the decisions of the hero and heroine at every single turn in the story. This just wasn't a story for me.

Which leads me to the conclusion that Diana Palmer is just not an author that will work for me. I know she has legions of fans so obviously she works for others! If you are a fan of hers, I think you will like this book because it has much of the same feel of the previous book of hers that I read.

I don't see myself picking up another Diana Palmer book to read and review because at this point I know it won't work for me and I'm not here to review books just to bash them. I might have one of our other reviewers read her work and see if it's only me who can't seem to connect with the stories.

What about you? Have you read this book and if so, what did you think? Do you love Mrs. Palmer's books and think I'm a stupid head for not getting the appeal? Or are you like me and had trouble with it? I really want to know!

5 Heart Review: Rising Freestyle by Vivian Arend

Book Review: Rising, Freestyle (Xtreme Adventures Series)
By: Vivian Arend
Contemporary Romance 
Published by: Samhain
Rating: 5 Heart Review

Stuck between a rock-solid man and a hard place…

Melanie Dixon’s body may have recovered from a horrific climbing accident, but her nerve is long gone. So is the natural enthusiasm for life she took for granted. Tired of being scared, beyond ready to conquer her fears, she pulls up stakes and moves to her brother’s new hometown to start over. Her first step is the most terrifying—to tackle the wall at the local climbing center.

Derrick James is mesmerized by Melanie’s dark beauty, and equally impressed with her climbing abilities and determination. Watching her retune rusty skills spurs a desire to partner with her—on and off the ropes. Melanie’s a compelling mix of wit, sensuality and vulnerability, and it’s his delicious task to convince her the scars on her body are no match for the heat rising between them.

Then a man from Melanie’s past shows up, pushing their relationship to the edge. Nathan King wants photographs for a “where are they now” series, but his side agenda is more personal in nature. A proposal that brings her out of her sensual shell and onto a precarious sexual ledge. Where trust is crucial…and too easily shattered.

Rising, Freestyle is a novella about a woman, Melanie, trying to find and be happy with herself again. She had a rock-climbing accident and was hurt and scarred. She had a lover reject her for her scars and she is not happy with herself anymore. That is until she meets Derrick who is teaching her to rock climb again. Then, enter Melanie’s childhood crush, Nathan King. He is totally into Melanie, but she’s with Derrick.

The story is about Derrick and Nathan healing Melanie. She needs to feel better about her body. She needs to feel beautiful again. Derrick has healed her most of the way, but she needs another man to show her that she is attractive as well. Nathan is that man.

The book has quite a few very well written and steamy sex scenes (of course, it’s Vivian Arend!) I found myself loving the voyeurism scenes; you can feel the passion between all of the characters. There are quite a few scenes leading up to the actual voyeurism, due to Nathan’s photography.

Vivian Arend has a way of telling the story from differing viewpoints so that you don’t dislike Nathan for his role, and so that you understand why he acts the way he does. You certainly won’t feel creeped out by the voyeurism. I think Vivian does a great job of writing voyeurism so that it can appeal to everyone, even people that are not typically into scenes or scenarios that contain it.
Read An Excerpt

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Meagan

Welcome Guest Author Cate Lord & Enter to Win Lucky Girl!

I'm pleased to welcome author Cate Lord to Cheeky Reads today! Cate recently released Lucky Girl, a Chick-Lit story with loads of romance and is stopping by to tell us more about it and chat with readers. Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Cate and you'll be entered to win an eBook copy of Lucky Girl - open internationally!

Here's the lowdown on the story:

Jessica Devlin isn’t looking for love. Heartbroken after being dumped by her unfaithful ex-fiancé, she’s determined to have a fabulous time during her vacation in England where she’ll be maid-of-honor at her cousin’s wedding. After working overtime as beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine, avoiding dating, and putting on ten pounds, Jess is ready to toss her past like an empty lipstick tube and party like a single gal.

But when she steps into the church on her cousin’s wedding day, she sees the one man who could sabotage her plan—James-Bond-gorgeous Nick Mondinello. She’s never forgotten the London marketing exec who held her in his arms after her beloved grandfather’s funeral two years ago. Ambitious, and lusted after by women everywhere, Nick is completely wrong for guarded, Plain Jane Jess.

Could Spy Man Nick ever fall for her? Nope. Not unless Jess is one lucky girl.

Welcome Cate!

This is your first Chick-Lit book, but it still has a strong romance storyline. Did you find it difficult to change genres or was it fun to blend the two? It was a lot of fun, actually! J I saw Lucky Girl as a healthy creative challenge. While the book is written in first person like most Chick Lit novels, and has a Chick Lit tone, I wanted the story to be a romance. The tricky part was to make the hero, Nick, multi-dimensional, when all we know about him is revealed through Jess and thus is highly subjective. Hopefully readers will get a good idea of Nick’s swoon-worthy character and will love the book as much as I adored writing it.
Characters really make the story for me. What 3 words would best describe your heroine & what about her called out to you to write her story?

I’d describe Jess as insecure, quirky, and loyal. She represents all of the issues modern women deal with: weight, appearance, finances, dating, workplace politics, fashion disasters, family conflicts, and more. I love to write stories about wounded characters who are “healed” through love. Jess is one such character. The issues she confronts—usually in a funny, self-deprecating way—are part of her journey to overcoming heartbreak, regaining her self-worth, and finding true love. By the end of the book, she’s “whole” again.

Part of this story takes place in Orlando, FL and part takes place in England. Did you get to travel to England for research? Was it fun to write a contemporary story not totally set in the US?

I didn’t travel to England specifically to do research for Lucky Girl. I lived and studied in the UK for a year (when I met my husband), and I drew upon some of my personal experiences to write about Jess. Since my husband is British, and he and I have relatives in England, we travel there every year or two. I always thoroughly immerse myself in the local culture (it’s a great excuse to stuff my face with Cadbury chocolate, clotted cream and scones! Yum!)

Yes, it was fun to write a contemporary novel that was mostly set outside the US. That helped to provide humor for the story.
What else do you have in store for readers and where can they find you next? I’m mulling over the possibility of a follow-on book to Lucky Girl. Jess’s cousins were fun secondary characters, and I’d love them to be heroines in their own books. I’m also working on two paranormal novels—one contemporary and one historical. I encourage readers to visit my website for updates on my books and appearances: http://www.catelord.com

I think authors are the best people to ask this question - What have you read and loved lately? Any newbie authors or books you would recommend?
I haven’t done much reading lately; my schedule’s been too full. I have several books by friends published by Entangled Publishing, though, in my to-be-read pile, and can’t wait to have some free time to start reading them.

 
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers about you, your books or even where to connect with you online?
I love interacting with readers. I really appreciate when they leave comments on my blog posts and I have a chance to connect with them. Readers, after all, are very special people to us authors. J Readers can also connect with me via
Facebook and Goodreads.

Thanks so much for the interview! I enjoyed the questions.
Thank you Cate!
Ok readers - what questions do you have for Cate? Leave a question or comment below and you'll be entered to win an ebook copy of Lucky Girl!


4 Heart Book Review: One Night In Boston By Allie Boniface

Book Review: One Night in Boston
By: Allie Boniface
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4 Hearts

Book Blurb:
Can anything really change in 24 hours? Can everything? Maggie Doyle is about to lose her home, her business, and her last grip on sanity unless she comes up with fifteen thousand dollars to pay off the bank. Her only option? Forget the pain of one life-altering night, find the stepbrother she hasn't spoken to in years and ask him for help. Everything in Jack Major's life ...moreCan anything really change in 24 hours? Can everything? Maggie Doyle is about to lose her home, her business, and her last grip on sanity unless she comes up with fifteen thousand dollars to pay off the bank. Her only option? Forget the pain of one life-altering night, find the stepbrother she hasn't spoken to in years and ask him for help. Everything in Jack Major's life is going according to plan. He's rich, powerful, and about to marry Boston's most successful attorney. There's just one problem: he can't seem to forget his first love, the one who left him in college after a whirlwind trip to Vegas with a secret she couldn't trust him to keep.

When Maggie and Jack meet up at a high-profile charity ball, past collides with present and the sparks fly. But is it too late for a first love to ignite again? And if Maggie reveals the reason she left Jack all those years ago, will he be able to forgive her?

A single night in Boston takes Maggie and Jack from the glittering lights of the ballroom to the windswept city streets and back through the years to relive old memories. Will morning light bring new hope for their future together? Or are some secrets too deep to ever truly overcome?
I was a little dubious about whether I would enjoy a story set over 24 hours as I’ve never read anything like it before but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Maggie is a very confused and desperate person who has one last chance to contact her step brother to see if he is willing to help her so she doesn’t lose everything. She has had a complicated life that never seems to go right for her.

Jack lost the love of his life when Maggie left him but he picked up the pieces and carried on, burying the heartache and concentrating on his career. He has done well for himself and has convinced himself that he is happy. But when he begins to remember the past he has buried he starts to question his current situation.

Maggie attends the ball in a last ditch effort to try to find her step brother who she hasn’t spoken to for years. When she unexpectedly bumps in to Jack it brings the past and the memories that have been plaguing her to the surface.
The relationship between Maggie and Jack is a complicated one but made me hope that they would find a way to work through their past problems and have their happily ever after.

Maggie used to have a great relationship with her step brother, Dillon. But after one fateful night when they were younger their relationship became strained and eventually Maggie severed all contact.

The anger and pain that Maggie felt made her seem more real to me although I did question the depth and the reasons for this on occasion. I liked the strong friends that surrounded Maggie and provided her the support she so obviously needed. Eden and Neve were fantastic characters and seemed like true friends to Maggie.

I did struggle a bit with all the flashbacks from the different perspectives throughout the story but it did help develop an understanding of how and why the situation that the characters found themselves in at the present had been affected by the past.

Ms Boniface did a fantastic job of keeping this a fast paced story, with all the twists and turns to keep it interesting but still developed the characters so it felt like grew to know them.
I enjoyed this story and felt all the highs and lows right along with the characters. The twists kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next and I couldn’t put the book down. I was kept me guessing all the way through whether Maggie and Jack would get their HEA and also if there was a chance for Maggie to reconcile her relationship with Dillon.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a complicated, angst filled love story.
Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl Vicky

Apparently Sex Gets Texas' Panties in a Twist - Calling Romance Fans to Action


News hit today that the Texas Department of Transportation is suing Author Christie Craig over the title of her brand new release Don't Mess With Texas.

So okay, I'm not saying they can't defend their brand but they way they are going about this makes it a direct attack on the content within the book.

Check out this article for some eyebrow raising quotes from TxDOT.  Not to mention the total asshole headline the blogger uses.

It also pisses me off that according to a MSNBC article, they have never sued anyone before. (looking for that article again - why didn't I save that link!?) Which kinda has everyone questioning why this book? Sounds like Texas doesn't like sex to me.

So what can you do? Tell the TXDOT what you think of this on twitter @TxDOT. Even better? GO BUY THE BOOK! I've read and reviewed Mrs. Craig's books before and they are hilarious and fun -so I expect no less from this one.

Go to Christie Craig's Website For Buy Links!

Book Review: Making Waves by Tawna Fenske

Romance Book Review: Making Waves
By Tawna Fenske
Contemporary Romance
Sourcebooks Casablanca
3 Heart Review

Story Blurb:

She Always Wanted To Belong...Just Not To A Dysfunctional Pirate Crew

Juli has trouble fitting in, though she'd prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns.

He Knows Plotting A Diamond Heist May Be Considered Unusual Behavior...

But Alex isn't feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb after twenty faithful years. Meeting Juli doesn't do much to restore normalcy to Alex's life either, but it sure is exhilarating!

As Alex and Juli bare each other's secrets – and a whole lot more – they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful.

This book is pure wacky fun and definitely the kind of book you should pick up if you are looking for a light-hearted book that makes you laugh and feel good.

Juli was a much more interesting character than I expected from the back of the book blurb or even from the first chapter or so. She grows on you, with her over-the-top hijinks and unbelievable family members. Really, they are unbelievable – but you want to read about them and love them for the fact that they are so zany.

The same can be said about the band of corporate pirates – the personalities are out there. Sometimes really out there. But out there can be so fun! It's a motley crew you'll enjoy, but there are also times where you come out of the story questioning how in the world  to explain something. For instance, we have out of work pirates who can afford to bring and cook gourmet meals on board? I mean yes, at one point they fish, but what about all the expensive sounding ingrediants? Really? As much as I liked hearing about the food, it always made me think it was out of place.

I liked Alex, but I didn't love him. In fact, I was bothered by his being the mastermind behind the pirate adventure and not fully buying a man that reached such a high position in a huge company not knowing more about saving money or being invested in many different areas. He was acceptable hero material and fun to see with Juli but I didn't connect with him. He's the reason I didn't give this book a 4 Heart Rating.

Which kind of leads me to say that I would have enjoyed the book with any hero, as long as Juli had stayed the same and even if she'd been the sole star of the show. I could easily see her as a women's fiction character just as easily.

The best part of reading this book was that the author Tawna has such an original voice that I can't wait to read what she puts out next because I know it won't be a run-of-the-mill generic romance.

Have you read Making Waves? If so, what did you think? What's your favorite zany, off the wall character or book you've read? Do you like funny or darker contemparary romances better?

Romance Book Review: It's In His Kiss by Caitie Quinn

Romance Book Review: It's in His Kiss By Caitie Quinn
5 Heart Review

Jenna’s been letting life pass her by as she works on her career. But, when she needs to do some research of this kissing kind, things may get a little more heated than she expected.

Research has never been so fun.

WARNING: This 10k short has no vampires, shape shifter or scorching sex, but it might make you snort your diet Coke out your nose.

A good friend of mine sent me this lovely little story and told me I'd enjoy it. She was right! Although it's only 10k long, this story really is a satisfying and complete read that had a voice exactly like I love to read - cute, witty, sarcastic and just plain fun. Throw in emotional depth and you've got a winner!

This is pure sweet sass and delivers to the reader one of my favorite parts of any romance - the meet cute. I loved it and it's sweetness.

I know some will be worried about the short length, but I thought it worked perfectly and at the end of the story I knew that this couple would have their HEA. It was almost sweeter to get to have the fun of thinking up their future together in your own imagination.

That's the thing with short stories, not everyone can leave you feeling like you got enough of the story. This story left me totally satisfied and smiling. Enough so that I've read it at least 3 times now.

So, if you like sassy, cute, emotional and witty sweet romances I would highly recommend this story to you. Even better? It's only $.99 for your Kindle at Amazon!

A Double Dose of Desire: 2 Harlequin Desire Book Reviews

Double the Desire Book Reviews: The Sarantos Secret Baby by Olivia Gates - 2 Heart Review
Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day LeClaire - 3 Heart Review

I thought I would do short reviews of 2 Harlequin Desire books I read and just never had time to write up my thoughts. Since they are past the month they are available in stores, but still available online in print and ebook format, I thought I should still tell you a little about them.
 
Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day Leclaire – January 2011

“I'm having you baby.”

With those words Emma Worth changed Chase Larson's life forever. Having been bron on the wrong side of the marriage bed, the millionaire vowed no baby of his would be so cruelly labeled. There was just one thing that might keep him from making Emma his wife: their feuding families.

She'd never dreamed one night with Chase would bind them forever. The pregnant heiress desperately wanted to raise their child together, but only if Chase could forget they were enemies...

A complex and emotional story, I really enjoyed seeing Chase and Emma grow together. Particularly with Emma helping Chase heal some wounds with his father and past. I'd give this a solid 3 Heart Review and say you would enjoy this book and it would be a fast read.


The Sarantos Secret Baby by Olivia Gates – April 2011

Forbidden Lover...Hidden Heir

He was as tall and dark as the devil...and was her family's hated adversary. But that didn't stop Selene Louvardis from wanting Aris Sarantos with her every breath. Or grabbing her one chance for a forbidden night with him.

He was never supposed to learn she'd borne his child. But when Aris stormed back into Selene's life and discovered the truth, nothing would stop the ruthless billionaire from claiming his own. Not her family, not the billion-dollar contract at stake and certainly not something as inconvenient as love.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but as I read it just didn't keep my attention. Small things in the story bothered me, even though the story itself was fine – there was nothing I can pin-point as being wrong, it just didn't feel right for me. Some of the love scenes seemed over the top for me, but I think they were supposed to be. All in all this wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't one for me. I'd give it a 2 Heart Review.  

Welcome To The Whirlwind Blog Tour & Enter To Win An eBook Copy Of Whirlwind!

Whirlwind Blog Tour

Welcome to Cheeky Reads and the Whirlwind Blog Tour! I'm excited to showcase Robyn and her new book Whirlwind - a sexy romance with a mystery/thriller plot.

To start, here's the low-down on Whirlwind:
Love at first sight is a myth to aspiring journalist Melissa Williams, but when she meets Jason McAlister at a friend’s wedding, a Cinderella-like fantasy turns her no-nonsense world upside down. She sees in his penetrating blue eyes not just an evening, but a lifetime together that includes much more than a glass slipper and a kiss.

Realizing she shared a few salacious emails with Jason months ago, a humiliated Melissa loses herself in the crowd, thankful he doesn’t know who she is. But he does know—and with a gentle touch and a steamy kiss, he soon picks up their flirtation right where it left off.

As midnight strikes, Melissa succumbs to Jason’s sexy pull, unaware that a woman’s body has been discovered in the wake of the party. When evidence points to Melissa as the killer’s next target, the lines between fantasy and reality blur. She goes into hiding, charmed by one mysterious man and hunted by another.

Cinderella lost a shoe—Melissa could lose both her handsome prince and
her life.

Cheeky Summary: What I enjoyed most about this book was the relationship between Melissa and her friends, as well as the one with Jason. I felt like Melissa's inner monologue about her friendship with Mitch and her insecurities were nicely done and appreciated some well done, but not over the top, sexy scenes! I will say that it was hard to get comfortable with the 1st person point of view at first since that's not traditionally what you find with a romance. But, having that insight into Melissa's thoughts helped explain some of her reactions to Jason and the relationship that otherwise might have been hard to decipher. I had fun reading this book and would give it Cheeky Reads 3 Heart Review!



TOMORROW JUNE 18TH:
LIVE Chat with Whirlwind author Robin DeJarnett, plus eBook giveaway!
LIVE CHAT link: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/99133

Want to win an eBook copy of Whirlwind for youself? Leave me a comment letting me know what you think about the idea of love at first sight and you'll be entered to win! This contest is open internationally so anyone can enter and I'll pick a random comment and post the winner on Thursday June 23rd - good luck!

AudioBook Review: Trust Me On This by Jennifer Cruise

Audio Lovin: AudioBook Review of Trust Me On This
By Jennifer Cruise
Narration by Angela Dawe
Brilliance Audio – Unabridged – 5 hours
Story – 3 Heart Review
Narration – 4 Heart Review

Dennie Banks is an investigative reporter chasing down the biggest story of her career. Alec Prentice is a government agent working undercover to catch an elusive grifter. When they meet by accident, it's a case of mistaken identities at first sight. What they don't mistake is the instant attraction they have for each other, an attraction they'll do everything in their power to resist – because Dennie thinks that Alec is running interference for her interview subject, and Alec suspects that Dennie is linked to his swindler. As the confusion grows, so do their feelings for each other, and what begins as a romantic comedy of errors may just end in the love affair of a lifetime.

Jennifer Cruise says at the beginning of this story that this is the only screwball comedy she's ever written and I think she should write more! It still has her signature voice and wit all over it, but it is slightly different than her other books. That's one of the reasons I gave this a 3 Heart Review for the story. The story works so well – really it does, but because of it being a comedy of errors, one of the “rules” of romances is not to let the conflict be something that if the couple just sat down to talk it would all be worked out. There is definitely an aspect of that to this story as it's a case of mistaken identity. I wanted Dennie and Alec to have that talk to discover this long before they did – but again this is part of writing this type of story and I'm just not used to it.

The narrator Angela Dawe has done other stories I've listened to and yet her voice really does change based on the tone of the story. From book to book she constantly seems to take on the characters and transform her voice.

She is great at hitting just the right inflection to make you feel the story is flowing in the same way it would be in your head if you were reading. She also does the male voices in a way that doesn't annoy or take time getting used to. Each of her characters is distinctive and she even changes the cadance of her speech to match the personality of the character. She's very good and I usually enjoy her performances. She brings the books and characters to life in a a way that doesn't make you feel like you could have imagined it any better.

I really enjoyed this audio book and hope that one day Jennifer will attempt to write another screwball comedy. If you don’t mind the whole “just have a conversation with each other” aspect to the story, then I think you’ll love this one.

Book Review: As Good As His Word By Susan Gable

Book Review: As Good As His Word

By Susan Gable
Harlequin Super Romance – May 2011
4 Heart Review

He's seen what loving Ronni gets you.

Ronni might be back in his life, but Hayden's going to watch her life a hawk! He thought he'd seen the last of her when she broke his brother's heart years ago. Ronni's betrayal hurt that much more because she was the only woman Hayden could've seen himself settling down with...except his brother wooed her first.

So now she's in trouble and needs his help? Well, that's payback for you. But then, there's the promise Hayden made to his dying brother – to take care of the struggling mother and her kid. Guess a guy's got to do what a guy's got to do. Even if a guy likes doing it a little too much for his own good.

Cheeky Summary: This book blew me away with how real and emotional it was. Susan Gable has won a new fan with this book – It was my first of hers and will not be my last. This book knocked my socks off and I totally wasn't expecting it!

This was not only my first Susan Gable book, but my first time trying out the Harlequin Super Romance line and I was extremely surprised by how much I loved it. Knowing that the line does include many books with children as part of the story, I've shied away as babies and kids as plot points usually aren't my thing.

What I discovered in this book was that I shouldn't have worried about it. I enjoyed the part the part that Hayden's family plays in this story very much as well as Ronni's son Nick. Instead of taking away from the story, as I usually feel about babies and children, they added so much depth and emotion that I feel totally in love.

I'm also not usually a fan of heroines that stay in bad situations and don't take control of making their life better, but Ronni was so well-written and the story so perfectly layered and plotted that I cringed every time she did. I worried and smiled when she did. I lived this story with the heroineand all becuase of some terriffic writing by Susan Gable. Seriously, if the writing hadn't been so good I might have hated this heroine. In a different author's hands this might have been a wall-banger!

Hayden's just one of those heroes you instantly fall for and so perfect for Ronni. As he stands by her side and fights for her you can't image anyone else being so right. He's just so right in general. Sigh.

There's a small scene at the very end of the book that in some ways was exactly what I wanted, and in other ways I kind of wanted more from. It didn't affect the book for me, but it was the only thing I could say with certainty that I thought twice about.

If you've never read a Harlequin Super Romance, this is definatley a great one to start with. You will not be disappointed as this is a highly detailed and unique story that drew deep emotions from me.

Are you a Super Romance fan? Do you like family-based stories or plots that include kids and families? What do you like or don't like about them? Any favorites? I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Reading!
Cheeky Reads

Still Worth Finding: A Book Review of The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgans

Book Review: The Next Best Thing
By Kristan Higgins
HQN
4 Heart Review

Lucy Lang isn't looking for fireworks.

She's looking for a nice, decent man. Someone who'll mow the lawn, flip chicken on the barbecue, teach their future children to play soccer, But most important: someone who won't inspire the slightest stirring in her heart...or anywhere else. A young widow, Lucy can't risk that kind of loss again. But sharing her life with a cat named Fat Mikey and the Black Widows at the family bakery isn't enough either. So it's goodbye to Ethan, her hot but entirely inappropriate “friend with privileges ” and hello to a man she can marry.

Too bad Ethan Mirabelli isn't going anywhere. As far as he's concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing can really be forever?

Cheeky Summary: CRIED! LAUGHED! ADORED! Seriously, there are too many good things about this book to sum up except to say that Kristin Higgins continues to win over my reader heart with each and every book I read. She's a master at funny, emotional books that stay with you long after you close the book. I'm not kidding – I apparently talked about this book so much that my husband came in when I was writing the review and asked, “Is that the book you talked about and cried over on our vacation?” Yes my dear husband, this is that book.

I've had this book on my TBR shelf for a VERY long time. And even though it's from early 2010, I knew I just had to write a review on it still so that anyone else who missed it the 1st time around could add it to their list of books to check out!

What initially caught my attention about this book was the cat on the cover. If you don't know, all of Mrs. Higgins books usually have a dog on the cover – this was the very first cat and it really stuck with me and helped me remember this book.

Sitting here trying to figure out what to say to help you understand what I thought about this book, and all I can think of to say is READ THIS BOOK. Seriously, this book is a wonderful story that has everything a good book should – likable leads, emotional twists and turns, real laughs and complications that will have you rushing through the pages.

There's nothing else to say that will do this book justice in my eyes. It's Kristan Higgins at her best - funny, sassy, emotional, deep, etc. etc. and so much more!

Read An Excerpt Here

When Loins Attack: Need Help From Linda Howard Fans

MacKenzie's Mission by Linda Howard
Audiobook - Brilliance Audio
DNF

For the very first time I picked up a Linda Howard Audiobook to listen to. It's not only my first audio version of hers I've listened to, but also the first book of hers for me period. The problem? I'm having MAJOR issues with it. This was unexpected because she's a big name author that I assumed would have to be half-way readable to a vast majority of readers in order to have made her books so popular. I'm not seeing that in this book at all. So now I have to ask: Is is just me?

Okay, so the book is MacKenzie's Mission and it will officially be my first ever DNF book or audiobook. A few months ago I talked about not finishing an audiobook but I had managed to work my way to the end. This time, I just can't take it anymore and I turned it off and ejected it this morning on my way to work. Which is saying something because I HATE morning radio and the nimwits who hosts shows and yet that was prefereable to me over this audiobook.

So what's the issue? There are many and I talked about a few of them with some awesome readers on twitter yesterday.

The first might be that I really don't like the hero and heroine and that might be clouding my opinon. In addition, there is a male narrarator and I'm not so hot on male narrators. Why? Because they always make the female voices sound ridiculous. They make them whiney and shakey and little girl sounding instead of like an adult woman.

So those are the issues to start with.

BUT then come the things I started to get riled up over.

The hero grew up on a horse farm and so the reader is treated to EVERY SINGLE reference of the hero to the heroine is full of horse metaphors. I stopped counting how many times he spoke of mounting her, taming her, breaking her spirit, etc. Give me a break already. We get it - you don't have to beat those phrases into the ground.

The heroine is a virgin. Okay. I have no problem with that and had no issue with how it was explained that she is 28 and still hasn't been with a man. Those things were explained well. What did I have an issue with? She has sex 5 TIMES in one night on her first night. NOT ONE SINGLE time is described as gentle and yet the next morning they immediately wake up and she's all "Oh, I'm only sore a little we can get it on" and off they go for more marathon sex. THAT LASTS AN ENTIRE WEEKEND. As a virgin with a supposedly huge, rough man.

Now, maybe this would have been more believable if this was an erotic romance or erotica but this was a plain old romance with a naieve woman and I just didn't buy it.

What else was wrong with that? The entire thing is told through the hero's POV and it's all about getting his pleasure, slating his lust, etc. Not really any mention of caring more about how she feels and if she is hurting than "relieving the tighness in his loins."

Yes, loins are everywhere in this book. Yet another romance book with a built-in drinking game. I mean it's the male POV and all he can think to himself about his man junk is loins?

Then IT happened. The part of the story in which I could take no more. The heroine is accused of something and instead of going with her character's obvious personality traits, she decides to do the most insane, stupid thing ever and it completely flies in the face of everything you know about this character. WTF! STOP. EJECT. I just couldn't take it anymore.

So Dear Readers, I'm asking for any Linda Howard fans out there to help me understand. Is this a one-off bad book? Did you read this book and love it and apparently I'm just not going to like her writing but there are plenty of others who love it? If you've read this book what did you think?

Lastly, what Linda Howard book would you recommend that I read as her best work? I've heard from Twitter to try Mr. Perfect - would that be the "perfect" one to read? (Insert groan over my silliness here)