I’ve Been Reading. Have You?

The past few years I’ve been keeping a bit better track of what I’m reading and when. Primarily through the Reading Challenge on GoodReads. In previous years I’ve been truly horrible at keeping up-to-date with my records, but this year, oh, this year I’ve been marking my books as I start reading them and checking them off when I’m finished. The year started off with a bang - the books of The Atlantis Grail series by Vera Nezarian: Qualify, Compete, Win, and Survive. 

Since then, I’ve run through a few re-reads, some beloved, some simply enjoyable. For the most part though I’ve been reading new titles, both from favourite authors and new (to me) ones. 

I’ve read a lot of Nora Roberts’ backlist titles. Can I just say - I loved The MacGregors. 

I stormed through the books of the Dragon Blood series by Lindsay Buroker. I really enjoyed them, and my first foray into the steampunk genre. 

I’ve previously loved R.E. Butler’s various dragon series but decided to give Were Zoo series. To be honest, I found them highly entertaining. 

After seeing that The Cowgirl’s Secret Love (book 2, The Colemans of Heart Falls series) was scheduled to release in April, I realized I’d actually fallen behind on the Heart Falls series books. So, me being me, I started at the beginning of the Vivian Arend’s Six Pack Ranch series and read all the way through. Not only do I thoroughly enjoy the ranch romances, I’m also tickled reading about locations I’ve personally visited. 

  

Michelle M. Pillow took me diving into the depths with her Lords of the Abyss books. I haven’t read a lot of stories about mermen before. I was pleasantly surprised by the books. 

Princess and I marathoned through the Harry Potter movies, then I decided to start re-reading the books. I’m not quite marathoning through the books but I’m making my way through them all once again as the mood strikes. Currently, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is one of the books I’m working on. 

And then it was back to one of my personal favourite authors: Christine Feehan. She began her Shadow Riders series in 2016 with the book of the same title, Shadow Rider. Since then three more books have followed and the fifth book in the series, Shadow Flight released today. (May 5, 2020) I read through the first four books a couple weeks ago for the first time, and today I’m reading the new one. #ReleaseDayReading 

So what have you been reading? Have you discovered any new authors? What’s the best thing you’ve read so far in 2020? What’s the best thing you’ve read since (sorta) quarantine began? 

... coming soon - a complete list of the titles I’ve read in January, February, March and April 2020. 

Consumption - Be Consumed Today

So I took a wee break yesterday to decompress and relax after a weekend of insanity and chaos as we prepped (Saturday) and then celebrated Christmas with Heli Dad’s family on Sunday. I really needed a day to simply do nothing. I feel much better for it but my unexpected day off threw off my plans for the week so I’ve had to tweak my schedule for everything a bit. But it still works so here we go…

Today I’ve got release news for something a bit different than what I normally feature here on the blog. It’s not romance but then I do occasionally read other stuff too. LOL. And considering it’s December it doesn’t really fit in with what you’d expect to see flashed about either – aka Christmas/Holiday stories.

It’s Horror.

The scare you sleepless, kind of horror. A collection of short stories designed to frighten and keep you jumping at shadows, and all the odd noises that sound in the dark. It’s just a little book and doesn’t take long to read at all, but it’s dark and it gets the heart pumping with fear.

After all, life isn’t all happy ever afters.

REVIEW: A Rancher's Heart by Vivian Arend

A Rancher’s Heart 

Heart Falls, book 1

by Vivian Arend

Released: November 14, 2017

About the Book:

Caleb Stone is wearing too many hats and it’s making him crankier than usual. He’s a cowboy, a father, and the head of his large family—and has been since tragedy claimed his parents over ten years ago. The ranch is struggling, but it’s the title of single dad that’s got him tangled up in knots. He needs a full-time, live-in nanny at the Silver Stone homestead in Heart Falls, Alberta, to help with his two little girls, but the woman about to arrive on his doorstep? Tantalizing, tempting, and trouble with capital T’s.

Tamara Coleman doesn’t regret the choices that led to losing her job, but she definitely needs a fresh start. When a friend recommends her for a nanny position in a new town, she swears this time it’ll be different. No more acting on impulse—except sexy, gruff Caleb is exactly the kind of man who pushes all her buttons. And what’s more, it’s so much fun to push his in return. Sparks fly between Tamara and her gorgeous boss, but she can’t risk her position, and he doesn’t dare risk his heart.

With two people fighting their true natures, something’s going to give. Luckily, there’s more than one way to capture a rancher’s heart.

The Review:

When it comes to Vivian Arend books I’ve come to expect a couple things: main characters who may not realize their own strength but have it spades, interesting characters with depth, personality and heart, and heat. A Rancher’s Heart delivers all that and more. As the first book in a new series we’re being introduced to a whole host of new things – a new “main” setting, a new central cast of characters, and new relative history. Put together that can be a good thing or a bad one. In my opinion, A Rancher’s Heart is all good.

In this opening book of the Heart Falls series those of us who’ve read the books of Arend’s Six Pack Ranch series are lucky in that not every little thing is unknown to us – you don’t have to read those books to understand the story told in A Rancher’s Heart but a little bit of back story never hurts. (Right?) Tamara Coleman, our heroine, is a woman with a heart of gold and a spine of steel; when she thinks something needs to be done or said she does it, damn the consequences. Fortunately for her that steel spine sees her through, even while that compassionate heart may cringe at the results of her actions. After all, if she can stand up to all the craziness of being part of the Coleman brood, she can handle just about anything. Even helping raise two little girls who’ve been hurt in the past.

Caleb Stone is a man who has had little choice in his life but to stand up and bear responsibility. He always acts in what he believes is best for his family’s ranch, his younger siblings, and his two seriously precious daughters. The course of his life, ever since his parents died years earlier, has left very little room for kicking back, for taking it easy, for going with the flow. Or for doing the things that would simply make him happy from day-to-day. Through the years he’s taken kicks – to his pride and his heart – but he musters on the best he can, though without much hope for anything better for himself.

So what happens when two strong, take-charge personalities collide?

From the first moment, there are sparks. Tamara and Caleb are determined to keep things professional though and do their best to ignore the building heat between them. They do a pretty good job of it for a while too by keeping their focus on Caleb’s young daughters.

But, really, how long can they hold out when every day the want grows stronger until it becomes a need? What happens when suddenly your enjoyment of a normal day comes to depend on the presence of another? And how will two people who can normally handle anything life throws at them, handle falling for each other?

I really enjoyed reading Caleb and Tamara’s story. It had moments that made me laugh out loud, sections that made me cry, and pages that held me entranced by the possibilities. Tamara fits in to the Stone family perfectly and is the breath of new life desperately needed, not just by Caleb, but all the Stone siblings. Caleb is the perfect stable foil for Tamara’s frequently spontaneous nature. Together they’re an ideal combination to make for a long, happy, interesting life full of love, laughter, and plenty of heat.

😍  💋  😍  💋  😍  💋  😍  💋  😍

Interested? 

Get your copy of A Rancher’s Heart now.  

iBooks 

Kobo 

Nook 

Kindle US 

Kindle UK 

An Historical Romance Debut Release

My love affair with romance began many years ago when I picked up a historical romance novel in my older sister’s room and started reading. While my interests have spread much wider through the romance genre since that long ago day, I still love going back in time and reading romance as it may have played out in other times. It is with that in mind I highlight a new release from a debut author today!

The Petticoat Letters

by Kelly Lyman

At the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, Nora Bishop’s home is burned to the ground – along with her dreams, plans and all her family members except one. At 20-years-old and still unmarried, she moves to Manhattan to live with her Loyalist uncle, hoping to find her brother who has joined the Patriot cause against her late family’s wishes.

But, battle breaks out and she finds herself at the mercy of one American ranger, Alex Foster, who is the only person in a position to bring her to safety. Her growing feelings toward Alex and his passion for freedom help her re-evaluate her stance on the case for independence and makes her question her loyalties further.

When she is asked to spy for the rebels, she agrees.

But can she partake in the act of treason and do what is asked of her when the sadistic Captain William Roth seems to watch her every move and threatens the life of her brother who has been captured?

And how can she grow closer to Alex when the war threatens to tear them apart?

Interested?

Get your copy today at:

Amazon  //  B&N 

iBooks 

Smashwords 

Kobo (coming soon)

And you can connect with the author online here:

Website 

Facebook  //  Twitter  //  Instagram 

COVER REVEAL: In the Absence of You by Sunniva Dee

IN THE ABSENCE OF YOU

by Sunniva Dee 
Publication date: June 28th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Aishe is running. 
Running from the burn of a love she knows will consume her.
Running from a soul mate she’s never even met.
If only she hadn’t been hired as a merch girl for the hottest indie band on earth.
If only she’d never laid eyes on its front man, Emil—intense, sexy, and so unlike the men of her culture.
If only she hadn’t fallen onto his lips, then into his bed.
If only her flame hadn’t exploded into a full-on forest fire.
If only Emil’s heart didn’t belong to someone else.
 
Emil is running. Running from a broken heart.
Running from who he was with her.
If only Zoe hadn’t left.
If only Aishe hadn’t been right there.
If only she hadn’t been so damn gorgeous—insistent—different.
If only he could control himself around her. If. Only.

Goodreads

AUTHOR BIO:

Between studies, teaching, and advising, Sunniva has spent her entire adult life in a college environment. Most of her novels are new adult romance geared toward smart, passionate readers with a love for eclectic language and engaging their brain as well as their heart while reading.

Born in the Land of the Midnight Sun, the author spent her early twenties making the world her playground. Southern Europe: Spain, Italy, Greece--Argentina: Buenos Aires, in particular. The United States finally kept her interest, and after half a decade in Los Angeles, she now lounges in the beautiful city of Savannah.

Sometimes, Sunniva writes with a paranormal twist (Shattering Halos, Stargazer, and Cat Love). At other times, it's contemporary (Pandora Wild Child, Leon's Way, Adrenaline Crush, Walking Heartbreak, and Dodging Trains, coming in late March 2016).

This author is the happiest when her characters let their emotions run off with them, shaping her stories in ways she never foresaw. She loves bad-boys and good-boys run amok, and like in real life, her goal is to keep the reader on her toes until the end of each story. 

Stay in contact at:
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Featured Book of the Day: BLOODRUNNER DRAGON

BLOODRUNNER DRAGON 

by T.S. Joyce

Book 1 – Harper’s Mountains Series

http://amzn.to/1ZCCs1b

Harper Keller is a shifter on borrowed time. After failing to find her treasure, her inner dragon is desperate to find anything to connect with. When a plea for help comes through from an old flame, she puts her life on hold to track him down. But when she finds Wyatt, it's obvious time has changed him. He isn't the sweet and steady boy she grew up with anymore, but is now a dominant, rip-roaring grizzly shifter with alpha bloodlines and a mountain of secrets. He's dug himself into a deep hole, and is surrounded by danger from all sides, and now Harper has a big decision to make. Save herself, or spend her final days saving the man who is laying claim to her heart. 

Wyatt James is on a mission to save the girl he left behind. He isn't the man everyone thought he would be, and has been hiding from the people he cares about, including Harper. If she sees him now, she won't recognize the monster he's become, but if Wyatt wants a shot at saving her, he has to make his move. Drawing an ailing Bloodrunner Dragon in close will attract the predators though, so he has to be ready for anything. And as the danger that shadows his life grows thicker, he will have to risk everything he's built to protect the dragon he loves.

I’m simply a sucker for a good, sexy shifter story. 

Get your own copy of BLOODRUNNER DRAGON today and see if these shifters are hot enough for you!

Thursday Throwback - Featured Book of the Day... ONLY BELOVED

ONLY BELOVED by Mary Balogh

Book 7 – Survivors Club Series

http://amzn.to/1rx1P9K

For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again. 
Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she’s left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.
For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?

What’s better for a Thursday Throwback than a romantic trip back in time… You know, a really great historical romance can simply bring new color to your world.  

ONLY BELOVED finishes off the Survivors Club series and is a wonderful addition to any historical romance readers shelf – get your copy of this brand new release today!

COVER REVEAL: New Blair Babylon Trilogy (Book 1) WORKING STIFF: CASIMIR

WORKING STIFF: CASIMIR

by Blair Babylon 

Inheritance Trilogy, #1
Publication date: May 17th 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

 

 

Synopsis:

Here’s the problem: when Rox was hired, she told her smoking-hot boss Cash that she was married, but she’s not. Now, three years later, she’s kind of accidentally living with him, and he’s being a perfect gentleman, dang it.

Everybody in the office said that Cash was a heartbreaker, that he’d bump her and dump her, so Rox decided not to become a statistic. She went out and bought herself some rings of the finest cubic zirconia so that she could work with Cash, who was several inches over six feet tall, emerald-eyed, ripped, gorgeous, his tailored suit clinging to his athletic body, sporting a British accent, and loaded.

It had seemed like such a good plan at the time.

But now, three years later, she and Cash have become friends. They travel together for work often, and they’re the best of buddies.When Rox gets thrown out of her apartment, Cash insists that she come live with him until they can find her a place because that’s what friends do.

Now, even though everyone insists that Cash never goes after married women, something about him has changed. There are little touches, little slips, and Rox is more and more tempted to tell hunky, gorgeous Cash that she never was married.

And then he’ll take her and break her, and then he’ll walk away, and then she’ll lose her job, and she still hasn’t found a place to live.

And yet, every time her looks at her with mischief in his dark green eyes, every time they’re teasing and it somehow turns into tickling, every time she swats at him and somehow ends up in his arms, she wants so much to risk everything.

What’s a working stiff to do when she falls in love with her friend, the boss?

WORKING STIFF: CASIMIR on Goodreads

AUTHOR BIO:

Blair Babylon often releases ebooks at a special release-day price of $0.99.

To never miss a sale, CLICK HERE.

Blair Babylon is the nom de plume of an award-winning, USA Today-bestselling author who used to publish literary fiction. Because professional reviews of her other fiction usually included the caveat that there was too much deviant sex and too much interesting plot, she decided to abandon all literary pretensions, let her freak flag fly, and write hot, sexy, erotic romance, plus wild, suspenseful thrillers, science fiction, and urban fantasy using the super-secret pen name Blair C. Babylon.

Author links:

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