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Book Review: The Perfect Wife by Victoria Alexander
By: Victoria Alexander
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 4 Hearts
When the Earl of Wyldewood meets Sabrina Winfield, he thinks he’s found the ideal match. Graceful and genteel, the elegant blonde will look simply exquisite displayed on his arm. And a lady like Sabrina will undoubtedly occupy her time with proper matters, leaving him free to pursue his own pleasures…
But beneath Sabrina’s delicate beauty lies the most infuriatingly stubborn, wildly adventurous woman the earl has ever met. She’s nothing like the perfect wife he had imagined. And before long, all can think of is quieting her biting wit (with his kisses), putting an end to her outlandish schemes (with his own carefully planned seduction), and doing everything in his power to become the perfect husband.This book was actually only the second one Victoria Alexander wrote, but you won’t be able to tell by reading it. Aside from a few awkward scenes – the whole let’s go on a treasure hunt was a little random even with Sabrina’s reasoning – her story flow is top level.
I was surprised at how well she was able to juggle several side stories and multiple characters. Usually I feel like I don’t get to know the characters well enough when there is more than one love story happening at the same time, but I was able to get into each story and root for the characters. And I loved how they all related to one another and interacted. There isn’t anything I love more than a complicated cast. Although, I will say that part of me wishes I had more time with the secondary characters. I could easily see a trilogy here instead of one book.Sabrina isn’t your typical Victorian-era heroine. Instead of writing about a virginal maiden making her debut into society, Victoria tells the story of a grown woman who, according to society, is past her prime. Don’t let her age fool you though; Sabrina acts more like a teenager than a woman closing in on 40.
The mother/daughter relationship portrayed is also unusual for this genre, but greatly refreshing. I love the banter between Sabrina and Belinda, even if at times they act more like sisters than mother/daughter. Think Gilmore Girls in the early 1800’s. Nicholas is exactly the type of man to balance Sabrina’s wild side. He is arrogant, stubborn, and prideful. There is nothing more exciting in a book than two people who get on each other’s nerves so much they end up falling in love. I do think Nicholas’ fall could have had a little more depth to it. I wanted to really see him start to admire Sabrina, not just lust after her.
If you’re seeking adventure and romance, and don’t mind overlooking a few minor flaws, look no further. You’ll fall in love with these characters and enjoy every twist and turn this treasure-seeking tale has to offer.
Happy Reading!
Cheeky Girl L.A.
Book Review: 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom
By Linda Wisdom
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3 Hearts
Story Blurb:Jazz can't decide whether to scorch him with a fireball or jump into bed with him.
Jasmine Tremaine, a witch who can't stay out of trouble. Nikolai Gregorivich, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire cop on the trail of a serial killer.
The sizzling love affair between Jazz and Nick has been off-again, on-again-for about 300 years. Mostly off, lately. But now Nick needs Jazz's help, and while Jazz and Nick try to figure out their own hearts and resist their ever-increasing attraction, they must steer clear of a maniacal killer with super-supernatural powers. They are surrounded by a hilarious cast of oddball paranormal characters, including Irma, the chain-smoking ghost who haunts Jazz's sports car, Dweezil, her ghoul of a boss, and Fluff and Puff, a pair of bunny slippers with sharp teeth and short tempers (watch your ankles)!
This book was fun to read and quite light hearted. From the blurb I was expecting an action packed story but felt it was a bit slow at the beginning. When things did start to progress it was intriguing and had me wanting to find out what was going to happen next.
Jazz is a feisty witch with strong opinions and a lot of sarcasm and I grew to like her character. I think Nick came across as quite weak willed and I wasn’t that taken with his character to start with as I normally prefer the Alpha male type. They seemed quite mismatched as a couple and it wasn’t until about 2/3 of the way through that I wanted things to work out for them. I was left feeling that there was a lot more drama to come for the couple in the future! The secondary characters, Irma, Dweezil and Fluff and Puff really added to the book and made it more enjoyable. Without them I think the story would not have been as entertaining. (I want a pair of bunny slippers like those two!)
Unfortunately I found the ending a bit anticlimactic but it did seem like a good set up for the future books in the series.Overall I enjoyed this book and would happily read the others in the series.
Happy Reading! Cheeky Girl Vicky
Please Welcome The Newest Additions To Cheeky Reads!
I was so lucky to be receiving book review submissions from publishers and authors but as they kept coming I felt like my reviews were getting more and more behind as I struggled to keep up all by myself. That also meant that I didn't have time to make enhancements to the site, create community chats or write non-review posts for our readers. Now, I can say all of that will be coming soon!
I'm excited to say that I had a wonderful response to my help wanted post and I'd love to introduce you to the newest Cheeky Girls who'll be reviewing and posting here soon! I asked them to write just a few sentences telling you a little about themselves and what they love to read:
Kerrie - I am constantly reading so my partner calls himself a book widower! I mainly read supernatural fiction and classics, but I'm am really looking forward to branching out into different genres. My fav authors are Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine and Jane Austin. I hope you like my ramblings!
Lauren - I've had my nose in a book since before I can remember, which motivated me to obtain my Bachelor's degree in English. I remember my first romance novel - Christina Skye's Overboard - and I still have the battered copy on a bookshelf that I read every summer. I also love Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Regency Romance. Some of my favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Joanna Lindsey, and Kim Harrison...and unfortunately for anyone who has ever helped me move, I buy and keep almost every book I read. I hope you enjoy my insights into the little worlds we call books.
Meagan - I love to read and will read almost anything! My favorite genres are: romance, fantasy/sci-fi, young adult, paranormal, and I do read contemporary/literary fiction as well. I am the type of reader that reads just about anything you put in front of me. And I generally like it. Some of my favorite authors are: J.D. Robb, Anne Bishop and Laurell K. Hamilton. These are the ones I can think of right now, and only because I follow their series religiously!
Sharon - I have always loved to read, romance books in particular, any kind of romance, historical, modern, fantasy and everything in-between. Kathleen Woodiwiss is my all time favorite author and I really miss her. I think e-books are incredible because I like having a whole library with me at all times rather than just a single book.
Vicky - I love to read paranormal romance but I also really enjoy contemporary romances, UF and cowboys! I'm a big fan of a series as I enjoy getting to know all the characters as the series goes on. My favourite authors are Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lauren Dane and Dana Marie Bell to name just a few!
Welcome Ladies - I'm so glad to have you as part of the team!
You'll start seeing reviews and posts from these ladies very soon and I hope you'll give them a warm welcome and chat with us!
TGIF Giveaway Winners!
Let's get right to it....
The winners from the Cheeky Reads TGIF Giveaway are:
The Perfect Mistress AudioBook goes to Danielle!
The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir goes to PamS!
Touch of Darkness goes to Linda!
Amazon Ink goes to Barbara E!
I'll be emailing all of you soon to get your mailing details. No one selected Feelin The Vibe in the giveway so anyone who wants that just let me know!
Congrats and Happy Reading! Cheeky Girl Sabrina
The winners from the Cheeky Reads TGIF Giveaway are:
The Perfect Mistress AudioBook goes to Danielle!
The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir goes to PamS!
Touch of Darkness goes to Linda!
Amazon Ink goes to Barbara E!
I'll be emailing all of you soon to get your mailing details. No one selected Feelin The Vibe in the giveway so anyone who wants that just let me know!
Congrats and Happy Reading! Cheeky Girl Sabrina
Book Review: Making Waves by Tawna Fenske
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?
TGIF! Let's Party With Some Book & AudioBook Giveaways!
I haven't done a giveaway in way to long plus I need to clean out some of my guest room, so I thought I'd start putting some books up for lucky readers to win! Some of these are older titles, but the books are in new condition. Look for more giveaways soon.
What's up for grabs this time around? Take a look below and then leave me a comment with which book you'd love to win. I'll pick winners early next week and post.
What's up for grabs this time around? Take a look below and then leave me a comment with which book you'd love to win. I'll pick winners early next week and post.
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| Feeling The Vibe By Candice Dow |
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| The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir by Kathie Denosky |
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| Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti |
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| Touch of Darkness by CT Adams & Cathy Clamp |
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| AudioBook of The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander (Unopened) |
Romance Book Review: Unlocked by Courtney Milan
By: Courtney Milan
Historical Romance Novella - 28,000 words/approx 111 pages
Self-Published (Buy Links Available Here)
5 Heart Review
Story Blurb:
A perpetual wallflower destined for spinsterhood, Lady Elaine Warren is resigned to her position in society. So when Evan Carlton, the powerful, popular Earl of Westfeld, singles her out upon his return to England, she knows what it means. Her former tormentor is up to his old tricks, and she’s his intended victim. This time, though, the earl is going to discover that wallflowers can fight back.
Evan has come to regret his cruel, callow past. At first, he only wants to make up for past wrongs. But when Elaine throws his initial apology in his face, he finds himself wanting more. And this time, what torments him might be love…
It's taken me a bit of time since reading this novella to do this review but this story has stayed with me. There's so much depth and emotion packed into just over 100 pages that you forget it's shorter in length. You won't miss anything from this novella. It's all in there and it's all good.
Having enjoyed Mrs. Milan's full length Proof By Seduction, I knew already I was a fan of her writing, but I was very happy with how well she does in the shorter novella length as well.
As many have said, this is the ultimate emotional look at a woman's insecurities and the man who causes her so much pain that she hides herself away from the entire world, including her own mother. You feel every bit of Lady Elaine Warren's pain and make it your own. It might not be your laugh, but everyone has something they are sensitive about and there's usually a person who is behind making you feel sensitive about it in the first place. Elaine is a character that all women can relate to and Mrs. Milan has described Elaine's feelings so exactly that you'll see yourself in them.
This little novella is also jam-packed with Evan's story and emotional journey as well and it's an interesting take to see inside the soul of a bully. It's even more interesting to see him redeemed in Elaine's eyes, but I love how this takes time and multiple levels of trust must be met first.
It's that layering of emotional depth and timeline of forgiveness and trust that Mrs. Milan creates that makes this novella such a stand out. It really does stand up to all the hype and it's made Mrs. Milan an auto-buy for me from now on. I hope she continues to write in the novella length because she excels at it! You also cannot beat the $.99 price on this one - it's a steal for an amazing story!
Do you like to read novellas or shorter length stories? Do you love that length or do you wish for more? Is there an author you think does novellas exceptionally well? Did you read Unlocked and if so what did you think of it?
Reviewer Wanted: Love to Read & Want Free Books?
When you start a blog, let's be honest, it's all about you. Your opinion on something. The kind of books you love, what you want to talk about and of course in the voice you want to use.
So adding a reviewer is a hard choice for someone who's always done it alone. But I feel like adding a reviewer would bring so much to Cheeky Reads that I feel it's been missing and I want to offer readers more reviews. The only way to get more reviews (and I don't mean lately since you can tell from my DIY post I haven't been on my regular schedule) is to bring in some fresh voices.
So, for now I'm looking for someone who would be interested in reviewing here at Cheeky Reads on a regular basis. The only compensation I can offer are free review books and the ability to have your reviews as clips of your writing. I wish it was more than that, but right now that's all I can offer.
I'm looking for an ebook reviewer for now, but this could turn into print books in the future. UPDATE: This will be for print books too!
If you're interested, please email me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com and let me know what genres you enjoy reading the most and how often you think you could write reviews. We'll take it from there. :)
Happy Reading!
Sabrina
A Sad Day: Author LA Banks Loses Battle With Cancer
A fund has been established to help raise funds to help Leslie's family cover the cost of the very expensive medical bills. Please find out more information here.
I had the pleasure of meeting Leslie at the very first RT conference I went to. She was an incredibly nice and welcoming woman who seemed to go out of her way to get the "newbies" talking to everyone. I remember she had a beautiful smile and you almost never saw her when she wasn't smiling or laughing.
Leslie was the author of two series that I enjoyed - The Vampire Huntress & Crimson Moon Series. If you haven't tried either of them please give them a try. I can't think of a more fitting thing than to share Leslie's work with new readers today.
Leslie's latest book released in March and was the set to be the start of an all-new paranormal series involving angles. Here's a look at the cover and a link to buy as another way to help out Leslie's family.
When Projects Attack! How DIY Home Projects Are Ruining My Reading Time!
We did the basics right when we moved in - repainting the entire interior and exterior of the house. EVERY SINGLE ROOM IN THE HOUSE.
Likewise, I did small projects like adding a shelf in the laundry room, fixing plaster cracks, paiting baseboards white, etc. The hubby has been tackling painting all our ugly yellow-brown raw wood doors to a lovely bright white. Poor thing - that's an insane job. Both sides, 3-4 coats each. He's so tired of painting I might never again get his help with anything.
A few months ago we tackled remodeling our kitchen all by ourselves on the cheap. I think we did AWESOME! Those are the before and after pics I've included of just one part of the kitchen. Excuse the mess in the before pic! :)
So why am I mentioning all this on a book blog? Well, all these projects have cut into my reading time and it's starting to effect how happy I am. I can always tell when I start getting cranky it's because I haven't taken time for myself and read a good book. That also means I haven't had time to write reviews to post here. I HATE THAT!
Last weekend I gutted the only room we haven't laid a finger on - the Florida room (Sun room). We've never spent a second out there becuase it was HORRID. Bright Neon yellow walls and ceiling, indoor-outdoor carpet that had been obviously well-loved by the past owners pets. (Yes, I do mean THAT when I say well-loved). I ripped out carpet and padding, tore up wood carpet strips, patched concrete from the nails, painted primer over all that crazy yellow and then painted the ceiling white and the walls a lovely shade of blue-grey. The hubby came out and replaced the 80's brass gaslights on the sides of the sliding doors to these amazingly modern brushed nickel ones with frosted glass (A STEAL at only $26 for a pair!).
Then, I cleaned and cleaned the concerete floor and painted it this luscious dark chocloate brown oil-based paint color. I'm waiting for that to dry and then I can move all the furniture back in and decorate!
So why all the rush on getting all these projects done now after a year? We invited the Hubby's family to stay with us in August. We thought "how awesome...this will give us a good deadline for tackling all those "small" projects." So, here we are now, racing against time to get as much as possible done before the 2nd weekend in August.
And all I want to be doing is reading a book!
Do you feel "withdrawls" when you get busy and don't have time to read? How do you keep your mind off it, or if you can't, do you make a big deal out of the first book you get to read when you have free time again?
A Comment Is All It Takes - Help Blogger Limecello Raise $$$ For Charity
Awesome Blogger Limecello is holding her 2011 Social Good Drive, a humanitarian charity drive, to raise funds for Save The Children which is helping with the current drought and famine around the Horn of Africa. Today and all you have to do to help is to leave a comment. ANY COMMENT!
Just saying "Thank you" is enough to help raise money for those in need. You don't have to contribute anything more than just a minute of your time. Less, you can raise money in less than a minute.
AND you could win prizes. Authors are donating books to be given away to commentors who help raise $$$ simply by commenting.
Seriously people - JUST COMMENT! It's so easy. And yet, that $1 can feed a human being starving to death. Just for spending less than a minute leaving a comment on a blog.
I feel pretty strongly about how doing something so simple should be a no-brainer for all of us. So, join the romance community in helping make this the most successful campaign yet. Leave a comment - share the link with others asking them to comment. That's it.
Here's the link to the post by Limecello where you can read more and leave your comment to raise money.
THANK YOU!
Just saying "Thank you" is enough to help raise money for those in need. You don't have to contribute anything more than just a minute of your time. Less, you can raise money in less than a minute.
AND you could win prizes. Authors are donating books to be given away to commentors who help raise $$$ simply by commenting.
Seriously people - JUST COMMENT! It's so easy. And yet, that $1 can feed a human being starving to death. Just for spending less than a minute leaving a comment on a blog.
I feel pretty strongly about how doing something so simple should be a no-brainer for all of us. So, join the romance community in helping make this the most successful campaign yet. Leave a comment - share the link with others asking them to comment. That's it.
Here's the link to the post by Limecello where you can read more and leave your comment to raise money.
THANK YOU!
Borders Stores Will Close - Liquidations Coming Soon
If you want the full details, check out this link to the Wall Street Journal articles.
Personally, Borders is where I buy all my books. I happen to work across the street from a store, and write this blog in the Cafe there on my lunch break most days. I don't know where I can go now for a break from my desk and to play in Romancelandia online.
I noticed that today on Twitter the #hashtag ThankUBorders has popped up and readers and authors are sending their appreciation and best wishes to the stores and employees. If you are on Twitter - please add your thoughts to the mix by using #ThankUBorders in your tweet.
Did you shop at Borders? Or did you shop somewhere else? Where do you buy most of your books? Lastley, what do you think the close of Borders means for readers in the future?
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.
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!
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