Book Review: Divorced, Desperate and Deceived by Christie Craig

Book Review: Divorced, Desperate and Deceived
By: Christie Craig
Dorchester Publishing
3 Heart Review
Disclosure: Book provided by Publisher

Of the Divorced, Desperate and Delicious club, Kathy Callahan is the last surviving member. Oh, her two friends haven't died or anything. They just gave up their vows of chastity. They went for hot sex with hot cops and got happy second marriages – something Kathy can never consider, given her past. Yet there's always her plumber, Stan Bradley. He seems honest, hardworking, and skilled with a tool.

But Kathy's best laid plans have hit a clog. The guy snaking her drain isn't what he seems. He's handier with a pistol than a pipe wrench, and she's about to see more action than Jason Statham. The next forty-eight hours promise hot pursuit, hotter passion and a super perky pug, and at the end of this wild escapade, Kathy and her very own undercover lawman will be flush with happiness – assuming they both survive.

This was a fun book with a distinctive voice. Christine's writing is full of wit and humor and I love how she layers that with sexual tension to create books you will always instantly recognize as hers. With this third book in this series, you not only get Kathy and Stan's story you also get updates on the couples from the previous two books.

In this book the heroine is Kathy, an interesting character with a secret past that seems to overshadow any plans she has to move on with her life. She's controlled by her past and her ex-husband's cheating ways and I wish that she had come across as a little less of a victim. As well as she handles the craziness thrown at her and Stan, you would think she would have more self confidence and a better outlook on how she’s capable of handling life.

I really liked Stan and enjoyed the fact that he had pursued Kathy for years without getting any. In fact, I wish that this book had shown us more of Kathy and Stan’s flirting and interactions before they get into trouble. I have a feeling that would have been great fun.

One thing I loved about this book were the secondary characters. Joey, the hit man with a conscience, stole my attention and I almost wanted to hear more about his story than Kathy and Stan.

Christie really did well with the ending of this book and although I’m not usually a fan of epilogues, this one works and you’ll be left with a happy feeling at the end.

A laugh out loud book, it was fun and fast paced. I just didn’t connect with the heroine as much as I wanted to and wished for more Kathy and Stan time before the point that this book started. 

Getting Lucky Winners!

The randomly selected winners of a copy of Carolyn Brown’s newest book Getting Lucky are:

tweetybrd22 & Cecile!!!

Ladies, please email your mailing address to me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I’ll send your information on to the publisher.

Congrats and Happy Reading!

Book Review: Switch by Megan Hart

Book Review: Switch by Megan Hart
Harlequin Spice
3 Heart Review 
Disclosure: e-galley provided by publisher

Don't think.
Don't question.
Just do.

The anonymous note wasn't for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in the habit of reading other people's mail, but it was just a piece of paper with a few lines scrawled on it, clearly meant for the apartment upstairs. It looked so innocent, but decidedly-- deliciously--it was not.

Before replacing the note--and the ones that followed --in its rightful slot, I devoured its contents: suggestions, instructions, summonses, commands. Each was more daring, more intricate and more arousing than the last... and I followed them all to the letter.

Before the notes, if a man had told me what to do, I'd have told him where to go. But submission is an art, and there's something oddly freeing about doing someone's bidding...especially when it feels so very, very good.

But I find that the more I surrender, the more powerful I feel--so it's time to switch up roles.

We play by my rules now.

This book drew me in immediately because I loved the intrigue and mysterious nature of the heroine Paige. There was something about the way we were introduced to her that kept me reading forward to learn more about how she had gotten to where she was and what was driving her forward.  It didn’t hurt that she’s a lover of fine stationary, just like a certain blogger I know. Oh, and check out that gorgeous cover! Spice cover designers are the absolute best!

The characters as a whole were very relatable and I snickered at parts of the story that reminded me of what it was like living in a small town and desperately wanting to get out. The voice of the heroine rang true for someone from that background and I think readers will catch that as well.

One thing I thought was fairly obvious right away was who was sending the notes and that they indeed were meant for Paige to find. I won’t spoil it for you, but I think you’ll figure that out yourself pretty quickly.

I particularly like books with competing heroes, and this book has a touch of that. You really aren’t quite sure who Paige will end up with, and if you are like me, you aren’t too sure of who you want her to pick either.  For some readers this could be problematic, but I thought it was handled very well and added to the voice and flow of the story.

I did feel that there were a few too many side stories. Paige and her relationship with her parents explains much about her life and who she became, but I felt that many family scenes could have been edited out to make the book focus more heavily on the romance. Likewise, Paige’s relationship with her boss was a little more involved than I thought was needed. I liked the added dimension, but felt it tended to take away from what I really wanted to read about – the available men in her life!

Lastly, I would have liked to have had more sex. Yep. I said I wanted more sex. The book was hot, and I really enjoyed the drawn-out foreplay that the notes equated to, but I could have used more real, face-to-face sexual encounters in this story.

This was an enjoyable book that was written in a style that made me desperately want to read faster to discover what was going to happen. I loved that aspect of the book and thought it very well written. I will definitely be picking up more Megan Hart books in the future.

Interview & Giveaway with Carolyn Brown, Author of Getting Lucky

I'm excited to start this week off with a bang, and introduce author Carolyn Brown and her latest book Getting Lucky! Carolyn has authored over 40 books and writes some awesomely hot modern cowboys in her latest series. That coming from a me, the girl who doesn't really enjoy westerns! These modern cowboys will have you taking another look at heros in blue jeans and Stetsons.

Please welcome Carolyn to Cheeky Reads. Be sure to enter to win one of two copies of Getting Lucky, by answering Carolyn's question at the end of her interview.

Hello and thank you for having me on your site today to discuss Getting Lucky, the third and final book in the Lucky Series. Writing the whole series was so much fun that it wasn’t easy to see it end. The blog tour is like reliving all the fun and excitement of writing it.

Getting Lucky is the third book in your Lucky Series of cowboy romances. What is it about modern day cowboys that inspired you to write this series? Any particular cowboys you had in mind while writing? Cowboys make wonderful characters. There’s just something about boots, tight fittin’ jeans and a T-shirt stretched over a broad muscular chest that puts a woman’s hormones into overdrive. Throw in one that can hold his liquor and execute a good two-step to a country music song and what more could a woman ask for? I couldn’t name a particular cowboy or group of cowboys that I had in mind when I was writing this series. But cowboys in general are hardworking, hard loving, passionate and caring so it’s easy to see that any one or all of them could be a role model for Beau, Slade or Griffin.

I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of historical western romances but I really love your modern cowboys. For those readers who normally steer clear of westerns, would you tell them a little about your three modern cowboy heros and how utterly enticing they can be! Thank you! If the Lucky series makes you pick up western romances then I am a happy writer. Beau in Lucky in Love is lucky in everything but love until Milli Torres locks horns with him over a barbed wire fence. Who wouldn’t want to see those two find love when we all know they are meant for each other?

Slade Luckadeau, the hero in One Lucky Cowboy, would sure like to run Jane Day off his ranch. But she sets her heels and dares him to try to push her anywhere. Then the day comes when she has to trust him with her heart and her life. We have to go with them to see if they decide to kiss or kill each other on that journey.

Then Griffin, in Getting Lucky, doesn’t know why or how the new kindergarten teacher wound up with a daughter who is the spittin’ image of his child down to the white forelock but he intends to find out. Little does he realize what's in Pandora's box when he opens the lid.

But you asked what makes them enticing. It’s those same qualities I mentioned before. They love hard, work hard and fight for what they believe is right with passion. That should entice anyone to open the book and read it … after they stop hyperventilating over the covers!

Like most readers I'm all about connecting with the hero and heroine in a book. So, I always ask authors to describe their hero in three words. Three words: Strong, sexy and stubborn

What about your heroine? What three words would best describe her? Three words: Sassy, independent and smart

Now that we know more about your characters, what was it about them that had you wanting to write that HEA for them? Was there a particular scene that was the most fun for you to write? All the characters deserved a happy ending. They’d overcome obstacles and jumped through hoops to help me get their stories written. An editor once told me to put my characters in a tree and throw rocks at them. Sometimes the characters in the Lucky series must have felt like I was launching boulders rather than river stones. Sometimes I felt like they were being pretty persnickety in the way they wanted their stories told. We reached a happy medium and “drum roll please” together we told their stories. I loved the scene in Lucky in Love when Beau found out that Katy Scarlett was his daughter. And the one in One Lucky Cowboy when Jane and Slade’s former girlfriend have a catfight in the middle of a beer joint parking lot. Also the one in Getting Lucky when Julie sets Griffin’s sister on her ear for being rude. And then there was that scene where the three heroines finally made peace and started to become friends in Getting Lucky, and the one where … how much room do we have here?

I hear you have another series debuting later this year. What can you tell us about the series and the first book? The Honky Tonk series kicks off in June with I Love This Bar. It will be followed in August with Hell, Yeah; October, My Give a Damn’s Busted, and November, A Honky Tonk Christmas. Each book centers around a beer joint in Mingus, Texas called the Honky Tonk where every thirsty rancher and lusty woman in a fifty mile radius come to dance and have a cold beer. It’s the stories of four sassy lady bartenders who have no desire to ever leave the Honky Tonk and four strong cowboys who convince them otherwise.

I always find that Authors have the best book recommendations. Anyone you've read recently that you loved reading or a new author you've discovered? Reading is a passion that even supersedes cooking and I love to cook. And I’ll read almost anything. Didn’t ever get around to War and Peace but that’s probably because my high school English teacher (Hello Mrs. Williams) praised the guy who sat behind me for reading it and wasn’t so happy that I was constantly turning in book reports from the romance genre! I just read the new Sue Grafton mystery U is for Undertow. High Noon by Nora Roberts and the new James Lee Burke mystery are at the top of my TBR pile but we won’t talk about that pile. It’s like a teenage boy, growing all the time!

Where can readers find you next and is there anything else you'd like to share with us? I’ll be stopping by Love Passion Romance tomorrow and then The Good, the Bad and the Unread on Jan. 13. Check out my website at www.carolynlbrown.com for the rest of the blog schedule and for any new and wonderful news in my world.

I’m wondering which three words would readers use to describe their heroes if they were writing a book? Or how about three words to describe their heroines? Tell us your answer in the comments section and be entered to win one of two copies.

Contest open to US and Canadian residents only.

GETTING LUCKY BY CAROLYN BROWN—IN STORES JANUARY 2010
Book 3 in The Lucky Trilogy

Single mom Julie Donavan is looking for a place to start over. What she finds after buying a small house on five acres is nothing short of a nightmare.

Single dad "Lucky Griffin" Luckadeau has been crossing horns with his elderly neighbor for years. But when his daughter, Annie, decides she wants the new little girl who lives on the feuding property to be her friend, or better yet her sister, the sparks fly.

These two stubborn hotheads, who irritate each other beyond endurance, refuse to admit that it's fate that brought them together. And running from the inevitable is only going to bring a double dose of misery…

About the Author
Carolyn Brown, an award-winning author who has published 36 romance novels for the library market, credits her eclectic family for her humor and writing ideas. She was born in Texas but grew up in southern Oklahoma where she and her husband, Charles, a retired English teacher, now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. For more information, please visit http://www.carolynlbrown.com/. Be on the lookout for Carolyn’s new series, The Honky Tonk Series, in 2010!

My Blog Needs a Makeover!

I'm excited to be participating in Bloggiesta - an annual event where bloggers spend one weekend working on all the little blog projects that seem to get overlooked. This will be my first time participating, and I'm hoping life plays along and doesn't get in the way!

Hopefully, I'll get some cosmetic work done to the blog as well as write a few back-up posts for when life does get hectic. I'm also hoping to create a blog button so you can share this site on your webpages and support romance books!

Wish me luck and hopefully next week the blog will look a little different!

Happy Reading,

Sabrina

Book Releases You Shouldn’t Miss

There were a slew of great books that released the first week of January and I didn’t want to not mention them on the site. You’ll see reviews for many of these coming up soon, but I can tell you know that a few of these rocked my world. Although there were tons more releases, these are the ones I have read and can say you should check out!

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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Breakfast in Bed Winners!

Sourcebooks has been nice enough to give me not 1, but 2 copies of Breakfast in Bed to giveaway! I hope you enjoy reading the book and dreaming of your very own domestic god.

The winners randomly chosen are:

QLady48 & VirginiaC

Congrats ladies! Please send your snail mail address to me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com (no spaces) and I'll have Sourcebooks send out your book.

Happy Reading!

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!

I've read some amazing posts by book bloggers this morning and although the quick post I write here won't hold a candle to theirs, I wanted to take the time to reflect on 2009 and to thank my readers for stopping by everyday.

Personally, 2009 had some very big ups and downs but as it draws to a close I'm just thankful for my life and for the people I love, both here and those who've passed away. You never get over losing your parents, but now my memories focus on the good times and I'm able to smile more and not shy away from thinking about them.

In the case of Cheeky Reads, I started this blog in March of 2009 and am so thankful for the readers so stop by and comment. I love having your input and hope to provide even more cool content for you in 2010. You'll also see more contests and some awesome new features I'm hoping to launch throughout the year.

My Cheeky Reads resolutions for 2010 are:

1.) Create a few "back-up" posts so that when life gets hectic the blog doesn't suffer

2.) Update the look of the blog and create a blog button that other websites can share

3.) Create a book blogger award for other bloggers

4.) Create and host a book challenge

5.) Streamline contest entries with Google Docs

6.) Make Cheeky Reads even more exciting for readers!

Thank you to all my readers and I hope you have a wonderful start to the New Year! What are some of your resolutions for 2010? What was the best book you read in 2009?

10 Questions with Robin Kaye & Win Breakfast in Bed!

Welcome Author Robin Kaye to Cheeky Reads!

We’re pleased to have Robin here today to answer some questions about her latest romance Breakfast in Bed. She’ll be stopping in throughout the day to answer questions. Don’t forget to comment to win a copy of the book!

Your latest book had me laughing out loud. It revolves around  a hero who wants to go from a domestic dud to a domestic stud and enlists his sister's best friend to teach him how to cook and clean. Hilarity ensues...Would you tell our readers more about Breakfast in Bed? Hi, Sabrina. I’m so glad you liked Breakfast in Bed. Rich Ronaldi rented an apartment from his sister, Rosalie and unbeknownst to him, his other sister, Annabelle sublet the very same apartment to her best friend Becca. Before they could decide which of them keeps the apartment, Rich’s girlfriend dumps him because he’s not relationship material. Rich decides he needs to become a domestic god to win his girlfriend back, so he tells Becca he’d let her stay until her apartment is remodeled if she becomes his domestic god coach.

Like most readers I'm all about connecting with the hero and heroine in a book. So, I always ask authors to describe their hero in three words.  Domestic Dud turned Stud works for me. But if I had to come up with my own I’d say Rich is smart, sexy and trainable. There is no way we can make a man change, unless he wants to--and Rich wants to.

What about your heroine? What three words would best describe her? Smart, creative and independent all to the nth degree.

Now that we know more about your characters, what was it about them that had you wanting to write that HEA for them? any favorite scenes to write?  What woman wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to train a man as good-looking as Rich? Besides, she got him to do all the cooking and housework. To me, there is nothing sexier than a man doing housework, the humdinger is scrubbing the toilet and bathtub.
My favorite scenes to write were Rich’s disasters. There’s nothing like a fire in the dryer to heat up a romance.

I love your top ten reasons woman love domestic gods list on your website (readers check it out here)! All three of your books feature men who are or become domestic gods. I have to ask, do you have a personal domestic god who inspires you?  
Oh yeah. My husband is a total domestic god. He does all the laundry and cleaning, he’s a passable cook, and remodels our house in his spare time. I figure I’ve got it all--a domestic god with a tool belt. He’s also the best, most supportive husband and father I’ve ever known. Picking him up was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.

You grew up in Brooklyn and it's the featured setting of your books. Do you love making it a character all it's own? It's not your typical romance novel setting and that's what I find so appealing!  I do love Brooklyn and New York. I chose it because I’m comfortable there and I’m in a constant state of homesickness. I know and love the people. Setting my books in Brooklyn gives me a great excuse to visit, and allows me to write off the trip as research.  
Brooklyn is very much like NYC, it has a lot of the same sounds and smells but just at a lower volume. Each of the neighborhoods are so different, they all have their own flavors and cultural accents. I adore exploring the neighborhoods and soaking in the culture.  I lived in Kensington when I was a kid, but always loved the park. The Park Slope section of Brooklyn is my absolute favorite and I would live there in a heartbeat if I could afford to.  
I need a NY fix every few months so I call my friends and go home for a long weekend to absorb the energy and the craziness. I come home refreshed and renewed with my Brooklyn accent in full force. But then I’m told that happens every time I speak to a relative.

Read any good books lately that you would recommend to our readers? Authors always seem to have the inside track on great new authors!   
I’ve been reading My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin, I’ve read Stephanie Julian’s  Kiss of Moonlight, and someone just recommended Can’t Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards. I’m told she has a very similar writing style to mine so I’m looking forward to checking her out.

What's up next for you? Do you have another Brooklyn romance cooking?  As a matter of fact, I do. It’s called As Good as He Gets and I don’t have a release date yet, but I’m thinking either May or June. It’s a bit of a departure, it takes place in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Boise, Idaho and a little mining town in the mountains of Idaho called Three Whores Bend. As Good as He Gets is Ben and Gina’s story. We meet a whole new cast of characters as well as a few of the regulars,  and I love them all. I’m having a lot of fun writing it.

Where can readers find you next on your blog tour and is there anything else you'd like to share with us? You can go to my website www.RobinKayeWrites.com and my blog tour schedule is on my calendar. I’ll be giving out copies of Breakfast in Bed to lucky commenters.

If you could train the man in your life to do one thing, what would it be? As for me, I’d teach him to give great back rubs. What about you?

Breakfast in Bed by Robin Kaye—in stores January 2010

The third funny, sexy, contemporary romance from a fresh new voice in romance fiction…

Rich, the epitome of “anti-domestic,” can’t cook to save his life, and his idea of cleaning his apartment is to invite his mother over. But he’s ready to settle down, and he can’t stop thinking about the ex-girlfriend who got away. When he notices that his soon-to-be-married friends cooked and cleaned their way into their women’s hearts, he asks his friend Becca to help transform him into a nurturing man to win back his ex.

Rich is the only guy who’s taken the time to know Becca for herself. She decides she’ll give him the makeover he’s asking for, though she’ll be damned if she’s going to turn him into a domestic god for another woman. She wants Rich for herself, but how can she convince him that her kitchen and her bedroom are the only domestic locales he desires?

About the Author

Award-winning author Robin Kaye is a professional writer and winner of the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award for her first novel, Romeo, Romeo. Once it was published, Romeo, Romeo won the 2008 Best Contemporary itRom (Italian Romance) Award by Romance B(u)y the Book, the 2009 HOLT Medallion Contest First Place Winner for Best Romantic Comedy and the 2009 NJRW Golden Leaf Award Winner for Best Single Title. Her romantic comedies feature sexy, nurturing heroes and feisty, independent heroines. She lives with her husband and three children in Mt. Airy, Maryland. For more information, please visit http://www.robinkayewrites.com/

Enter to Win a Copy of Breakfast in Bed! Just leave a comment telling us what one thing would you like to train the man in your life to do! I’ll be randomly drawing a winner on January 1st, so be sure to stop by to see if you won!

Extra entries: Earn an extra entry by tweeting about this interview & contest or by posting about it on your own blog. Make sure to leave a link or your twitter name!

Sorry, this contest is open to US and Canada residents only.

Holiday Wishes & Awesome Novellas

I’ve been a little absent lately from the blog, but things are starting to quiet down and I’ll be back to reading and reviewing like a rock star!

We had a wonderful holiday weekend with family. Florida Christmas celebrations are always interesting, and this one was no different. On Christmas day, we were out on a boat enjoying low 70’s temperatures and watching the manatees play in the canal. Later, a group of dolphins stopped by and we stood out on the boat dock and watched them play.

I was also able to read two great novellas this Christmas and I highly recommend both. I might re-read them just to keep the holiday spirit going for a little while longer!

The first was This Wicked Gift, by new author Courtney Milan. The novella was part of The Heart of Christmas anthology. Courtney’s story is worth buying the whole book for even if you ignored the rest of the book, and I can’t wait to read her debut full length historical romance, Proof of Seduction which releases January 1st. 

The second was Winter Heat by Dawn Halliday and was part of the A Highlander Christmas anthology. I adored the heroine Maggie McDonald and what romance lover doesn’t enjoy a little taste of a Highlander?

All in all, a relaxing holiday with some great reads.

What about you? Did you have a good holiday? What was the most fun thing you did, or the best book you were able to sneak time in to read?

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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You Love Me! Marissa Sends Us the Honest & Scrap Award!

I was recently honored to receive the Honest & Scrap blog award from Marissa at Marissa's Booklair. Thank you so much Marissa!

I would like to pass this award on to Book Chick City because she rocks and you should be reading her blog! I'd also like to give it to the ladies at The Book Pushers.

The rules for this award are simple, you have to tell ten honest things about yourself and pass them on to other bloggers. So, here are the ten honest things I can think up about myself right now. :)

1.) I consider my pets little people and give them personalities - and yes, I've been known to carry on conversations with them. Oh, and they do have "voices' the hubby and I have created for them.

2.) I'm a total clown. I live to laugh and make it my goal to have my husband laughing out loud at least once a day. I'm a pretty physical clown, and have been know to break out in a crazy dance or reenact a scene using all kinds of crazy movements.

3.) There is not one single type of music I don't listen to. Of course I'm selective within a genre, but my music tastes run far and wide! I also have the amazing ability to memorize lyrics after hearing a song only once - okay maybe that's only amazing to me, but I think it makes me cool! LOL

4.) I'm a vegetarian/vegan. Well, for the past three weeks! Really, it's been off and on for many years but I'm hoping it sticks this time.

5.) I started this blog because I love romance books and reading. What you might not know is that before I started this blog, I started writing my first romance book. It's still a work in progress, but maybe one day!

6.) I'm addicted to Twitter - I used to make fun of people who said they Tweeted, but now I understand the cracktastic awesomeness that Twitter is. Seriously. Do it!

7.) I've been married for 8 years and with my Hubby for 10. We have two dogs named Yoda and Gizmo and they rule our house!

8.) Galaxy Quest is one of my all-time favorite movies. Pure Genius! Yes, I'm a bit of a Sci-Fi geek and proud of it.

9.) I'm that girl in the car next to you singing out loud and dancing in her car. I know - I just can't help it! I like to shake my booty.

10.) Sometimes I get behind on this blog with life and my full-time job, but I'm always thinking of ways to improve it and to bring you more content. I feel guilty when I don't post every single day.

So there's some fresh honesty for you - whether you wanted it or not!

New Release Tuesday!

I’m not hearing of a lot of books releasing this week, so I’m showcasing the latest books available from Samhain! Take a peek at the latest ebook releases they have to offer. Happy Reading!

Seducing the Sheriff by Marie-Nicole Ryan

Doll by Juniper Bell

Lessons in Temptation by Charlie Cochrane

Midnight Savior by D. McEntire

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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Huge Giveaway By Kimberly Killion!

Ho, ho, ho...'Tis the season for gift giving and Kimberly Killion must be feeling verra generous this year. She's giving away a sled-full of books...


Highland Dragon by Kimberly Killion
Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion
An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James
Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell
Untouched by Anna Campbell
Tempt the Devil by Anna Campbell
Before the Scandal by Suzanne Enoch
Death Angel by Linda Howard
Too Good to be True by Kristan Higgins
Wild Sight by Loucinda McGary
Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spears
Everything Forbidden by Jenna Petersen

You have to do two simple things to enter:
1) Go to Kimberly's website and fill out the form on her contest page
2) Follow Kimberly's blog, Wowf about Writing!

GOOD LUCK and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Contest Rules: One entry per person per contest period. Contest winner will be announced on Kimberly Killion's website and blog Dec. 26th, 2009. All entrants must be 18 years of age or older

Monday Morning Cuteness!

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Mrs. Miracle Movie Premiers Tonight on The Hallmark Channel

I'm so excited that tonight we can finally see the new Hallmark Channel movie, Mrs. Miracle based on the book by Debbie Macomber!

The movie airs tonight at 8p/7c on the Hallmark Channel.

Here's the synopsis from the Hallmark Channel if you aren't familiar with the story:

Losing a spouse is always hard, and for Seth Webster (James Van Der Beek), playing single dad to two rambunctious six-year-olds doesn’t make it any easier. With the holidays approaching, finding a housekeeper has proven to be near-impossible, until Mrs. Emily Merkle (Doris Roberts) shows up at the Websters’ door, ready to turn their lives around. No sooner has “Mrs. Miracle,” as Seth’s boys call her, straightened up the house, than Seth meets Reba Maxwell (Erin Karpluk), best friend to the Webster kids’ first-grade teacher. After just one date, Seth and Reba find they have a lot in common. Since the death of his music-loving wife, Seth has been unable to play a single chord on the piano, and, in the name of her career, Reba, once an avid actress, has avoided the theater. With a Christmas pageant to prepare for and a fresh romance on the horizon, Mrs. Miracle definitely has her work cut out for her and proves to be more than just a normal nanny.

You can also read the first three chapters of the book here.

Romance Book Review: Hot Spell by Michelle Rowen

Book Review: Hot Spell 
By: Michelle Rowen
Harlequin Blaze November 2009
4 Heart Review
Disclosure: Book provided by author

Everybody knows there's no love lost between paranormal investigator's Amanda LeGrange and sexy Jacob Caine. They can't even stand being in the same room together...

Well, unless it's an enchanted bedroom. And they're trapped there, at midnight. And the sexual tension suddenly becomes too powerful to resist...

Then that bedroom gets really hot, really fast! But come morning, they still can't keep their hands off each other. Are they cursed forever? If so, neither one's complaining.

So, this was a November Harlequin release and I’m a very bad blogger for not posting this early in Nov so you could all run out and pick this one up. I do think you might still be able to find it in some stores that leave their books out a little longer, but I know you can order this baby online at www.eharlequin.com or Amazon – and it’s worth it!

Harlequin Blaze is my favorite Harlequin line, so I was very interested in reading Michelle Rowen's first book for the line. I've noticed that many of the recent Blazes have started to have some aspects of the paranormal, but this was my first one that was completely a paranormal romance.  I really enjoyed that combo, and Michelle managed to put a very satisfying paranormal in the smaller Blaze packaging.

Part of what I loved about this book was how Michelle created a paranormal plot that was fun and upbeat, and paired that with the deep emotional issues that the heroine Amanda has. It was a great balance that allowed the reader to have fun with the otherworldly aspects while keeping the drama on the development of the relationship.

As I mentioned, I thought Michelle managed to create a very cool and neat paranormal agency, and the world in which it exists, within the constraints of a shorter length category book. Some authors can’t get me interested in their world-building in an entire full length single title, and Michelle had me interested in a sequel before I was in halfway in.

I loved the hero and heroine in this book and the sexcapades are hot, hot, hot! I’ll just say that more than one scene stuck out to me and that’s saying a lot in this shorter book length. Michelle packed a sexy wallop in one little category!

I can see this becoming an awesome series within the Blaze line and really hope to see Michelle write more of these. I was able to get Michelle to admit on twitter that she is currently working on a follow up that would be Patrick’s story – you’ll have to read the book to know how awesome that news is!

New Release Tuesday!

It’s release day for many authors and I’ve rounded up just a few of the fun looking new releases out there. Be sure to check out your local bookstore or online for more great new books to read. Today is a huge release day for Harlequin, so check out www.eharlequin.com to see all the newest releases there!

If like me you are craving some Harlequin Christmas stories, they have a special page just for those. Click here to check out all the Harlequin Christmas stories.

Desiring the Highlander by Michelle Sinclair

Better Naughty Than Nice by Jill Shalvis and Vicki Lewis Thompson and Rhonda Nelson

Dating Outside Your DNA by Karen Kelley

The Christmas She Rules by Jennifer Leeland

A Cold Creek Homecoming by Raeanne Thayne

Christmas Male by Cara Summers

Holiday Bound by Beth Kery

 

Christmas at Bravo Ridge by Christine Rimmer

 

Merry Christmas, Paige by McKenzie McKade

 

The Cavanaugh Code by Marie Ferrarella

 

My Christmas Wish by Ember Case

 

A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

 

An Improper Holiday by K.A. Mitchell

 

Dream Stalker by Jenna Kernan

The Dickens with Love by Josh Lanyon

Monday Morning Cuteness!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

New Release Tuesday!

Here are just some of this weeks new releases just in time for the start of Holiday shopping season. There are tons of great new books out today so I tried to mix the choices I posted up a little so there is something for everyone. Happy reading and have a wonderful holiday!

Divorced, Desperate and Deceived by Christie Craig

Tall Dark and Hungry by Lynsay Sands

Hard to Hold by Stephanie Tyler

Unbridled by Delilah Devlin

Torn by Julie Kenner

The Sweetheart’s Knitting Club by Lori Wilde

A Storm of Passion by Terri Brisbin

Taking Liberty by Jodi Redford