Sunday, July 25, 2010

Made the Grade: Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Format: Paperback | Pages: 372 | Release Date: September 2001 | Publisher: Avon Books

"Just Imagine" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

My Book Summary : This is a historic romance book that was set in a time period right after the American Civil War (also known as the War Between the States) happened. A time where the south was still smarting at being told what they could do with their property/possessions. Also, it was time where women had no rights unless they were single/spinsters.

For Kit (Katharine Louise) she was an eighteen-year-old girl from South Carolina, who has lost all of her family and just found out that a Mr. Baron Cain just got ownership of her family's plantation (Risen Glory). She is more tomboy then debutante. Also, she plans on killing Mr. Cain if it the last thing she does. So, she takes a train to New York City, finds Cain's residence, and plans on tracking his moves to find the best opportunity. However, she doesn't expect to get caught on her first night of hiding on his property by Cain himself! She decides to say she was looking for a job, and with her appearance -- looking like a fourteen-year-old boy, she gets hired as Cain's new stable boy.

Kit only has a week before she needs to leave so she tries to do what she told (for the most part), even if her mouth (with all the cussing, etc) gets away from her. But soon both of them are in for a shock -- Cain finds out that he's the owner of Risen Glory, that his stable boy is actually an eighteen-year-old girl with plans to murder him, but they both find that along with the plantation he has become the guardian of Kit until she turns 23 years old and can gain her inheritance or she marries (which she has no intention in ever doing).

So now instead of killing him, since Kit decides she just can't do that, she plans to do everything within her power to get her beloved home back from this handsome and dangerous man. What links will both of them go to keep their pride at all costs? Read to find out ...

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars! I don't read many historical romances (or if I do most are set in England, not America), but for the setting I feel this book was very cute and true to that time period ... while sticking to how this author writes her stories best! I was kind of disappointed with how the characters played out the situations ... and the ending felt a little too rushed. But all in all since from what I've read this was the authors first books, I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of hers like I am! =0)

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Ain't She Sweet | What I Did for Love | Nobody's Baby But Mine | Honey Moon | Dream a Little Dream | Lady Be Good

Book Teaser(s) :
He told himself this was for her own good. She was willful and stubborn, a danger to herself. Whether he liked it or not, he was her guardian, which meant he had a responsibility to guide her.
But he didn't feel like a guardian. He felt like a man who was losing a struggle with himself.
"Go away!"
He twisted the knob and let himself in.
She stood by the window, the last of the sunlight casting her exquisite face into shadow. She was a wild, beautiful creature, and she tempted him beyond bearing. ~ within Chapter 11

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Susan, then please check out her website.



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Saturday, July 24, 2010

What was I thinking?: Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Format: Hardcover | Pages: 389 | Release Date: October 2003 | Publisher: Berkley

"Sunshine" by Robin McKinley

What was I thinking? : That I liked the review I read on the The Compulsive Reader about this book, and I hoped I would like it too.

My Book Summary : This book is a futuristic fantasy where money is now called "blinks", sorcerers/were-"Animals"/Vampires and more are real, and the government has a society called the Special Others Force (SOF) who keep everyone with a special ability or those who are partbloods (part demon, part human, part sorcerer, etc) registered and controlled --- while on the path to kill every known vampire they come across. But life is not as good as it all seems .... which is what Sunshine (aka Rae) is starting to figure out. She has grown up being "her mother's daughter" which means being as normal as she can be ... she was an average teenager growing up and now she works at the family restaurant as the head pastry chef, known best for her cinnamon buns -- which are supposedly bigger then the size of your head.

One night after work and instead of attending her family's Monday movie night (as celebration of surviving another week), she drives up to her family's old lake house to get away for a bit and enjoy the piece and quiet. What she didn't expect was to be ambushed by a gang of vampires, dragged to a mansion on the other side of the lake, and chained to the wall of the ballroom waiting for her death to come. However, she realizes shortly after that she isn't alone, Constantine (aka Con), a vampire too, is a prisoner as well and she is there so tempt him into killing her. As her luck would have it Con doesn't want to "let his enemy win" by killing her, so she makes it through the night, but when morning comes it is her who has to help him make it through the day....

My Book Review : 1.5 out of 5 stars. Okay ... I LOVED the plot, the main characters, and the world that the author created!! All very good and just for that I would recommend it for all to read too! However, the reason I have given this book such a low score was because the narrator (Sunshine) rambled like there was no tomorrow! I could have screamed sometimes with how it went from the present situation she would be in, then the next minute she would be talking about things that really had nothing to do with what was going on at the time, and some didn't even make since with the plot. In truth I'm surprised I even finished the book, especially since I liked the book (for the most part) when I was reading it, but as soon as I put it down I had to convince myself to pick it back up again .... since I did want to find out how the book would turn out and end. Also, even though I liked the ending, there was too many loose strings so it felt a little incomplete. *shrug* But that may be just me.

Book Teaser(s) :
"I have learned what will work, if anything will."
"And what if it doesn't work?"
"Then both of us end our existence tonight," he said in that impassive we're-chained-to-the-wall-and-the-bad-guys-are-coming voice I remembered to well.
Oh gee. Don't pull your punches like that. I can take the truth, really I can. I said something like, "Unnngh."
"I believe it will work."
"I'm delighted to hear it." ~ within Part Two

For more information on this book, and/or any other books by Robin, then please check out her website.



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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Made the Grade: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Format: Paperback | Pages: 292 | Release Date: July 2010 | Publisher: MTV Books

"Forget You" by Jennifer Echols

My Book Summary : Zoey's life is coming apart at the seams, and for a girl who tries to always portray herself as having it all together, that can change a person.

Basically her a couple of months ago her father informed her mother and her that his new girlfriend was going to have a baby. Then her mother fell into a depression and committed suicide, leaving Zoey to be the find her mother and make sure she got help. After dealing with that, her father threatening her not to tell anyone about what happened to her mother -- so no rumors would be spread, she goes to a party and hooks up with one of her guy friends (called Brandon). Even though she knows he usually is a player, she feels like their friendship before hooking up will make their relationship even better. A week goes by and her world is holding together for the most part. However, on Friday she decides to go to the Football game to support Brandon and her world takes another unexpected turn ....

While at the game she talks to her friends about an after party that Brandon said was just for the Football team, but they convince her that the Swim team should crash it. Then the next thing she knows is she is getting into a argument with Doug. Who just happens to be the bad boy at school, they haven't liked each other for a while now but he also just happens to be the only person who knows what happened to her mom and she hopes he'll keep it to himself. During that night however the argument is the last thing she remembers, as she finds out later that she happened to be in a car wreck loosing her memory.

Now while trying to piece her night back together, and trying to keep her secrets from everyone still, what she assumed she would have done seems to not have happened. Also, Brandon is no where to be seen but Doug just happens to be every where she is. Will she ever find out the truth and make sure no one finds out her biggest secret of all?

My Book Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars!! A cute novel. Highly recommended. I wish I had a Doug of my own!! Zoey and Doug's relationship is so sweet especially since she knows there is an attraction but still is never sure exactly why.

Book Teaser(s) :
"What are you driving after that?"
I explained the conundrum of having a loaded father who bought expensive cars for himself and his mistress but not his daughter and disallowed his daughter from buying a cheap car either.
"He's as crazy as my dad," Doug marveled. "If he's so concerned about your safety, why won't he just buy you a car?"
"He says he doesn't want me to be a spoiled brat."
A few seconds passed, cars whispering beside us in the other lane of the main beach road, before I realized what I'd given away. ~ within Chapter 8

For more information on this book, and/or any other books by Jennifer, then please check out her website.



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Monday, July 19, 2010

Made the Grade: Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Format: Hardcover | Pages: 465 | Release Date: February 1999 | Publisher: Avon Books

"Lady Be Good" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

My Book Summary : Kenny is going through some bad luck recently ... first his manager gets caught using his money in illegal drug dealings, because of what his manager did the PGA commissioner (Dallie Beaudine - who's also a friend) tells him that he will be suspended from the golf tour (including the Masters) for two weeks (hoping he'll straighten out his life), then he gets into a fist fight with a news anchor -- and even though the news anchor threw the first punch -- Kenny takes the blame, and now for the next two weeks during his suspension Kenny needs to cater to Lady Emma Wells-Finch (a friend of Dallie's wife Francesca from England) while she's visiting Texas. What could go wrong??

Well, just about anything and everything for Kenny ... especially when Emma tells him that during her time in Texas she needs (and wants) to do her best in ruining her reputation, just when he's trying his best to clean his own reputation up. Will Kenny be able to control this new little (wannabe) hell raiser before he loses everything?? Or will he be a victim of her charm and get more than he bargained for?

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars! I loved "Fancy Pants" -- I was so excited to read this story ("Lady Be Good") since it takes the main characters from "Fancy Pants" and made them secondary characters in this one ..... and when it's done right just makes it all the better! Lady Emma and Kenny have a good relationship and I love reading the chemistry between them. However, I think the end was a little rushed for me. But I did like how their final argument played out!! If you are a fan of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books (and have read "Fancy Pants") then I highly recommend reading this one! Especially with "Call Me Irresistible" coming out in early 2011, which is about Ted's love life (who's the child from the main characters of "Fancy Pants" and play a secondary role in this book too).

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Ain't She Sweet | What I Did for Love | Nobody's Baby But Mine | Honey Moon | Dream a Little Dream

Book Teaser(s) :
"Don't you ever do anything like that again!"
She had to launch a counterattack, but she was too depleted to muster the right words. He pushed her inside the car and was still steaming as he got in himself.
"We almost did it! Right there in the middle of the busiest street in Wynette, Texas!" The Caddy shot out of its parking space. "Another few seconds, your skirt would have been up around waist and my pants would have been unzipped, and don't you try to deny it. Damn it Emma! I told you yesterday that I wasn't going to let anything keep me from getting back on the tour, but apparently you weren't listening. Or maybe you forgot that this happens to be the commissioner's hometown and everybody knows him." ~ within Chapter 11

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Susan, then please check out her website.



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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Made the Grade: Shifters Series, Book 1

Format: Paperback | Pages: 618 | Release Date: February 2010 | Publisher: MIRA

"Stray" [Shifters Series, Book 1] by Rachel Vincent

My Book Summary : Have you ever seen a "black panther" before? Well, in this world there is no such thing as a "black panther", actually if you've seen one it is really a werecat (which is a type of shifter). Faythe is a werecat. Technically in her society, she's called a tabbycat, as she is a female werecat. Since there are so few tabbycat's in each werecat Pride across the US (about one, daughter, per Alpha), the tabbies usually choose who will be her husband and the next Alpha of her Pride. But five yrs ago Faythe ran away her boyfriend/fiancé (Marc) and her family so she wouldn't turn into a mother and house wife because she wanted more out of her life. Of course, they found her, and after they realized she wasn't going to change her mind, her dad (the Alpha) agreed to let her go to college. Faythe did so, moving on with her life as much as possible, hoping to never go back to her parents home, and dating other guys (all humans).

But now, five yrs later, her family has come to bring her back home whether she likes it or not because of some one is stealing up neighboring Pride's tabbies (one being her friend and the other her younger cousin). Once home she feels there's no need for her to be there and tries to talk her father into letting her leave, which gets her into having 24-hour guard service to make sure she doesn't plan on running for it. Also, with Marc being her father's second-in-command, he is around her all the time, making her not sure if she should still keep her distance or not from him. Especially when old feelings start to emerge again.

But things start getting worse fast, especially when they find one of the missing tabbies murdered .... her family helps the other Pride members search for the other tabby before it's too late. With everyone else dealing with the mess of the missing girls, Faythe manages to break away from everyone to think about everything that has happened in a short period of time for her, and falls right into a trap.

Will she manage to come out better then the other tabbies? Will the Pride members find Faythe and the other girl before it's too late, and deal justice to the ones responsible?

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars! Faythe is a great strong character: fierce, determined, a protector to those she loves, though a bitch at times, with a small sweet side that is sometimes hard to find around her loud mouth. Her relationship with Marc is on rocky ground but it's hard not to root for them. Even though she happens to get into a bit of a love triangle (or should I say a square) with a friend she never considered before, and with a human boyfriend back at college. It definitely make me curious as to what book 2, "Rogue", might hold. =0)

Book Teaser(s) :
I let my face slip into the water, as much to escape Marc's tenderhearted babble as to rinse my hair, and I only came up when I had to either surface for a breath or drown.
"...can ignore me for as long as you want. For the rest of the day, or for the rest of the month. For five more years if that's what you need. But when you finally realize I'm right, I'll still be here waiting."
He stopped talking, but he wasn't gone. ~ within Chapter 15

For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Rachel, then please check out her website.



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This site is a participant in various affiliate advertising programs through Amazon.com, Rakuten Marketing, Commission Junction, IndieBound, Smashwords, Book Depository, and more that are designed to provide a means for Jess to earn minimal advertising fees by showcasing the areas you can purchase the corresponding products that Jess discusses within her blog posts. Basically Jess earns from qualifying purchases.
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