The Wallflower Christmas

The Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

What was this book about?

All four unusual-for-the-time women are with the loves of their lives and are coming together for Christmas. They found each other because they all were loners when it came to British Society gatherings. Now they have everything they want.

Daisy and Lillian’s brother Rafe has came from America and is being pushed to marry Natalie – the daughter of an aristocrat. But before he meets Natalie he is introduced to her chaperone Hannah. And Hannah is everything he could want in a woman – spirited, beautiful, and perfect for him. But he is being pushed by his family to marry Natalie and he will lose a fortune of his inheritance if he doesn’t do it. Meanwhile Hannah just met with Rafe to protect Natalie from a man she felt wouldn’t be worth her time. Instead she finds the perfect man for herself. Can she let him go? How will that hurt Natalie if she doesn’t? Can she expect Rafe to give everything up for her?

This is the pefect Christmas novel set with characters you love and can’t wait to see again!

What did you think about the book?

The Wallflowers are back! After reading the four books that hooked the wallflowers up with the men who truly loved them this book gives you a look at where their lives are now (and has another romance thrown in).

I enjoyed the fun, flirty, nature of the book though it did fight between giving you more of the Wallflower characters and following the romantic story of Rafe and Hannah. But personally I felt like it was a nice balance. Enough of the characters I loved, and yet another story that was involved enough that it kept me interested.

If you want a book to get you in the Holiday spirit and you love Romances – I would definitely try this one out!

What genre would you consider this?
Historical Romance

Overall:

Immortal Warrior

Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix

What was this book about?

Ivo and his friends all were sent into battle by their king to find a treasure and instead they killed a witch's son. The witch - Cwen cursed all the men so that they were transformed into animals. Some were animals at night, while others were animals during the day. They couldn't be killed.

So Ivo was forced into the world and found his way by helping King William. William, pleased by Ivo's work granted him land - and a wife. Ivo had no plans for a wife but once he met her and realized she was his - he couldn't stay away.

But the curse is definitely a problem. In 1095 anyone who turned into an eagle during the day would be considered a demon. And Ivo was not a demon - just a cursed man. Can he convince Alaida that he loves her and wants to spend his life with her? Can she take the truth of his existence?


What did you think about the book?

I really liked this book. It had a touch of the paranormal and a touch of the classic historical romance. The characters were strong and likable - with enough realism for you to believe that they actually existed (and in fact the author got the names of the lord and his children from actually history).

I definitely will read the next book in the series.

The whole time I was reading the book - I just wasn't sure what was going to happen. I didn't know if they would find the evil witch Cwen. I loved the witch/healer Merewyn and both of Ivo's friends as well. I couldn't wait to see how they were going to break the curse.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Historical Romance

Overall:

Marie Phillips author of Gods Behaving Badly

For readers of Gods Behaving Badly:

Speak live with Marie Phillips, author of Gods Behaving Badly, on Blog Talk Radio on December 1st at 1PM ET. If you have a question for Marie, please email it to miriam.parker@hbgusa.com. Then call into (646) 378-0040 on December 5th at 1PM.

If you’d like to listen online or sign up for a reminder, visit: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HachetteBookGroup/LittleBrown/2008/12/01/Live-Interview-with-Marie-Phillips-author-of-GODS-BEHAVING-BADLY

The Almost Archer Sisters

The Almost Archer Sisters by Lisa Gabriele

What was this book about?

Two sisters who couldn’t be more different. There is the big town hot shot – Beth- who seems to have it all money, men, and a high society life. Then there is the small town sister who never left, never got her degree, is married to here sisters ex-boyfriend, and has two children that she loves so very much.

It all starts out as an innocent vacation. Beth is coming to visit Peachy and take her away to New York City. Instead Beth sleep’s with Peachy’s husband and she finds out. How can she deal with the fact that her sister and her husband betrayed her? How did her life end up in the place that it is in now? Why has she given up her dreams?

This is a look both at Peachy and how she got to where she is as well as a look at the true nature of Beth.

What did you think about the book?

While I didn’t dislike the book, I also didn’t love it. For a large part of it – it had me hooked. I wanted to read it more then I wanted to do the other things that I should have been doing around my house. But as time progressed – it felt like it was in a rush to finish it. It explained in just a few pages where everyone ended after this event occurred. And it just wasn’t what I was looking for.

I think part of it also was it was hard for me to understand going back to that situation. I came from a small town as well. For me though, I was the sister who left – and got out in the real world. I was glad to see that the character learned something from this whole debacle but again I just don’t know if I could have ever trusted either person again.

Beth is just an evil bitch and has always been evil. I really didn’t see any redeeming qualities in her. I know bad things happened to her, but they almost seem independent of that. She had a not-quite her father who loved her so much. She had a sister that would do anything for her – and yet she would do whatever she could to bring her down. Beth is as Beth was because Beth was a selfish person who only cared about herself.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

The Midnight Twins

The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard (Book 1 – Midnight Twins)

What was this book about?

Twin sisters Mallory and Meridith have spent their lives connected. They can talk to each other without talking, they have their own special language, and they can feel when the other is hurt. On their thirteenth birthday they are involved in a horrible fire that almost takes their lives and the lives of their cousins and brother. But they save them all.

Dealing with this drama as a teenager is difficult and they figure out that while they seem to be perfectly healthy – they haven’t walked away from this experience as the same people. They no longer are as close as they once were – they don’t dream the same dreams for instance.

But they also have a newer and scarier power – one of them dreams of things that are going to happen, while the other dreams of things that have happened. This combination allows them the ability to change the future. Make things turn out better. But doing that as 13 year old girls is terrifying. They would be risking their lives to make the world a better place. Can they deal with it all?

What did you think about the book?

I really liked this book! I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here. It has a nice twist of family including what I believe to be a true bond between some twins. Where they just know a little more, feel a little more, then they should. Jacquelyn Mitchard has taken it to the next level. She has added in a twist of family abilities that are eventually explained.

The girls are like any other teen except for they have each other, and now these powers. Dealing with having this sort of knowledge is definitely something they are not looking forward to – they are having enough trouble just being teenage girls.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal/Family Dynamics, Teen

Overall:

Like Glass

Like Glass by Matthew Cory

What was this book about?

Rob, a struggling musician finds the love of his life in Janet. She is everything he could ever have wanted – and he can tell this within just a few days. He can’t expect what happens next when he introduces her to his brother Bill. A night of mistakes leads to a lifetime of regret for all parties.

Rob decides to wash his hands of all of them – his brother, his ex, and instead focuses on some other part of his life. He neglects them all until a tragedy forces them back together. Rob is forced to take note of his life and how it got to where it is. How all of them made mistakes that they must now live with. Can Rob forgive his brother? Can he forgive himself? How does this all affect his family dynamic? What could have been is long gone – can they live with what is left?

What did you think about the book?

Once I started this book I didn’t want to put it down. I very much enjoyed looking at a relationship between a man and a woman from the man’s perspective. Many books (at least that I have read) that are more about the pain of dealing with a family and a love interest are written by women about women – showing mainly their point of view. This is a fun look at the other side of the story.

I must say that when it got to a certain point of the book I was a little lost. I didn’t know if it was flash forwards, flash backs, things just happening in his mind, dreams etc. Eventually it all became clear to me – but for me that was a little disconcerting.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Life isn’t perfect and neither are people and being able to address maybe where you went wrong or where someone else went wrong and forgive them is something we should all have.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

Still Summer

Still Summer by Jacquelyn Michard

What was this book about?

Four women have been friends since middle school. There are cousins (who are more like sisters)Janis and Tracy. Holly the girl who was everyone’s mother. And then Olivia who had a past that made her who she was – now a spoiled countess from Italy.

When Olivia’s rich husband dies the women decide to go on an adventure. A private cruise. Add in to the mix Tracy’s teenage daughter Camille and they all know it will be a lot of fun.

The trip doesn’t turn out as planned. Their fun vacation in the sun turns into a harrowing adventure that threatens all their lives. They learn that sometimes a vacation isn’t all it is cracked up to be.

What did you think about the book?

I just didn’t know what was going to happen with this book. The first book I read by Jacquelyn Michard was more of a teen book – dealing with two teenagers and a mixup where one has died and another is still alive but they don’t know which was which. So this was a new genre of sorts for her in my eyes. This wasn’t a teen book.

I felt like the whole beginning I was just waiting for something bad to happen. You know it is – just by definition of the book. I wanted to see less of the leading up and more it has finally happened.

Despite this, overall I have to give it a great rating. The book closes in a way that will touch everyone’s heart. And if I think something is so touching that it makes me cry – then it has to be good!

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

My Husband’s Sweethearts

My Husband’s Sweethearts by Bridget Asher

What was this book about?

Lucy has a high powered job and has focused on that since leaving her husband months before. They had what she believed to be a wonderful relationship – he loved her, she loved him and they were thinking about starting a family. Then she finds out that Artie has been having an affair. When she confronts him she finds out that it hasn’t just been one affair but many.

Artie wants her back of course but Lucy has done her best to distance herself from him and their relationship. Then Artie gets the bad news – he is dieing. And when it seems like it is only a matter of time Lucy returns to him. She can’t seem to forgive him for what he has done to her. So Artie in a last ditch effort starts to reveal some of his secrets – including his little black book – that includes the names and numbers of all his loves.

Lucy knows for both their sakes she needs to forgive him. But this journey into Artie’s past could give her so much more then just forgiveness. It could give her a life.

What did you think about the book?

It was definitely an interesting book. The concept was quite thoughtful. Trying to get past what someone has done to you because they are dieing is just difficult. And to use their past to help free you can be very interesting.

I think for me while I liked the book and the new family the main character Lucy, created, I wanted to see more of the sweethearts. It seemed as if Artie had a lot of secrets and reasons for why he did what he did. It didn’t excuse his actions but instead helped you find out more about who he was as a person. Each sweetheart you did meet taught you a new side of him and why he existed. He was a broken person who picked up broken people as he traveled through life.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

Noontime Book Chat - Off Season

We are back again with a noontime book chat - this time at all three sites!


What is the schedule?
Monday at J. Kaye's Book Blog
Tuesday at A Blog of Books
Wednesday at Literarily
Thursday at A Blog of Books
Friday is the wrap up and will be at Literarily, A Blog of Books, and J. Kaye's Book Blog.

I was hoping today to see what you all thought of Lilly's husband Cam telling someone else his deepest, darkest secret before telling her? Do you think it was fair of him to do so since she didn't tell him about her darkest secret as well? How did that effect their relationship over time?

I truly thing that for him to tell someone else that story (especially someone of the opposite sex) that it required a deep emotional connection - that regardless of whether they did anything sexual at all - I would consider that the beginning of a breakdown in my relationship.

Part of me sees that their relationship (Lilly and Cam) was based initially less on substance and more at just feeling an immediate connection. And because of that they both felt they had to retain some sort of facade for a while. They wanted the other person to see them as perfect - so they kept hidden anything they thought may change the other's view of them.

Do you think you could keep that sort of secret from your spouse or significant other? How would you feel if you found out they had told someone else? Especially someone who had a history of being jealous of you?

One last question - who did you feel was Lilly's soul mate? Jon or Cam? If they both were available who do you think she would have picked? Does the fact that one was a childhood love and the other an adult love change things?

Contest - Win a copy of Jeff Rivera's "Forever My Lady".

Comment here to win!

Noontime Book Chat - Off Season

We are back again with a noontime book chat!


What is the schedule?
Monday at J. Kaye's Book Blog
Tuesday at A Blog of Books
Wednesday at Literarily
Thursday at A Blog of Books
Friday is the wrap up and will be at Literarily, A Blog of Books, and J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Today I thought I would focus a little on love in this book. I read a lot of romance novels and wouldn't consider this one of those - but love is something we see a quite a bit of in almost any type of book - paranormal, mystery, thriller, historical etc.

The main character Lilly seems to be the type that is always hit by "Love at first sight". She sees someone and immediately wants them in her life. She kinda drops everything to be with that person.

Which brings me to a couple separate thoughts. One - have you ever been a victim of love at first sight? How did it work out for you?

Personally for me I think my personality requires me to get to know someone before I can love them. I might think someone is attractive at first sight. And I have been drawn in by someones personality to the point it may have felt like it was immediate love - but I think that it was somewhat one-sided and that that to me isn't love. It may be obsession or desire but not love. Does that mean that I don't think that it exists? No I believe there are some people who have seen someone and known they were for them from the beginning. But I believe it is rare and for that love to truly grow you have to "feed" it daily with little things.

Do you think that Lilly dropped everything like I did when she found Jon and Cam? She left her friends behind and concentrated on them. Left her family behind etc. Have you ever been so consumed by someone or something that you abandoned everything else? Did you realize you were doing it?

I would love to hear what you think and you can tell that for me some of this is not necessarily something you have to read the book to know about!

USA Today's Top Selling Books

USA Today's Top Selling Books

I stole this earlier today from Up Close & Personal with LadyTink because I thouht it was so much fun!

If you want to play along please: bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star* books on your TBR list! Comment back with your very own list!

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyers
38 Night - Elie Wiesel, translations by Marion Wiesel and Stella Rodway
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch, art by Sheila McGraw
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon Board Book - Margaret Wise Brown, art by Clement Hurd
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson

And my total is....40.. I think if I can count correctly

The Condition

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

What was this book about?

The family consists of a mother who really doesn’t know if she loves her husband any more – she seems to like to be without him more then with him, a husband who is consumed with his work at the university and his research – his family is an afterthought to some extent, a son who wants to make his family happy – but can’t deny who he really is, a daughter who thought she was normal until one day she found out that she will never be like regular women, the youngest son – who wants to prove to his family that he can be as good as the rest of them but is unwilling to put for the effort.

It starts when the children are young and Gwen is in her teens. When her family compares her to her younger cousin they realize that she has a disorder that has trapped her in the body of a child.

Flash forward to the children being older. Each one of them must deal with their now divorced parents in a way that doesn’t threaten who they are. They must discover things about themselves, about each other, and move on past preconceived notions. That is if they want to be the family that they dreamed of.

What did you think about the book?

Several times I have talked about how I believe that what ruins some books for me is the jacked description. Sometimes I barely read them because of this. I do what I shouldn’t do and that is judge a book by its cover. I can sometimes tell if it is a genre of a book that I would enjoy just based on how the cover looks.. That doesn’t mean I won’t try a book with an unattractive cover – it just means it is a different way of evaluating what might be my kind of thing.

For “The Condition” I was expecting a book that took me through the years of a family. Focusing both on the condition and how that affected the family as a whole. And instead it was a family drama in which the condition was almost an afterthought.

I think that whether Gwen had any sort of disease or not her mother and siblings would have treated her in similar ways. They would have missed the problems that the youngest son had. The marriage was disintegrating not because of the condition (though it put strain on things) but instead because of their other issues with each other and their past.

So for me the book wasn’t a bad book – it just didn’t meet my expectations in what it was about. But I do have to say I enjoyed that the dad in the book was a faculty member trying to get his graduate students and post docs to get papers out. It had a nice parallel with members of my family – and I definitely identified with that part of the story!

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall:

Noontime Book Chat

As you may remember this week we will be doing a noontime book chat with J. Kaye from J. Kaye's Book Blog and Shana from Literally.

Join Shana at Literally today!

What does that mean for you?
If you have read the book or are thinking of reading the book stop by our websites and comment on our posts about the book. One of us will be posting at noon every day! We want to hear what you think about it.

What is the schedule?
Monday at J. Kaye's Book Blog
Tuesday at A Blog of Books
Wednesday at Literarily
Thursday at A Blog of Books
Friday is the wrap up and will be at Literarily, A Blog of Books, and J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Into the Flame

Into the Flame by Christina Dodd (Darkness Chosen Book 4)

What was this book about?

We have read the stories of Firebrand’s three brothers. Her great-great… grandfather made a pact with the devil that gave him and his progeny strength, powers and damned them all to hell. When her father found his love and started to break the curse of the devil it was up to his four sons to finish things. But they didn’t have four sons (or so they thought).

Firebrand has had a tough life knowing there were Varinski’s out there to get her at every turn. When she finally finds a man that she loves, Doug Black, and then finds out that he too is a Varinski she flees. Taking with her their unborn child (that he knows nothing about).

Doug just wants to find his family – as he was an abandoned child. He doesn’t understand how she could walk away from him like this. To finish the story of the Wilder’s Firebrand will have to seek him out and help the story come to a close.

What did you think about the book?

This series was great! Half man/half human with a pact with the devil. Only they and their loves can defeat evil and save their souls from hell. What a great plot arch! One thing I would note to people reading this and thinking about picking up the series. You don’t want to read this book till last. It is the perfect ending to the series.

I really enjoyed the family who is not really a 100 percent good but they know that their love is the most important thing. I thought it was great how all the parts fell together in this book. Every one played a role and was integral to how the plot moved forward.

So go out and READ IT!

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall:

Noontime Book Chat - Off Season

I have to admit it took me a little while to get started reading this book. I read a little of it and put it down, only to pick it back up again and really enjoy it. I can't wait for you to read this and give me your own feedback on what you thought of the book and some of the things that I thought about when reading it!

For me this book had to major themes - Love and Death. Each one of them essentially made the main character who she was. It impacted her in ways she never realized, and while she tried to move on that shaped her as a person.

Love. There are many kinds of love - love between and mother/father and a child, a husband and a wife, first love, lasting love and in this story Lilly had them all. Do you think she loved to much? Have you ever felt the consuming love that she felt over and over again? For sometimes it seemed that she was more so concerned by her love that she let it become the focus of her life.

First there was her love for Jon. Then her love for swimming. Next her love for her father. And lastly her love for Cam. Do you think her desire for love took over her life?

Next - death. I can only imagine that seeing the death of someone very close to you as a child would frame your viewing of life forever. (I am not trying to give to much away here just in case you haven't read the book.) Lilly had her life interrupted several times by the death of people that she loved. They were all unexpected to her in some way. It seems as if much of the time she didn't let the death touch her or affect her by releasing her emotions in a big way. Instead she kept them bottled up and they manifested themselves in some other way. Has that ever happened to you?

I know that when my grandfather died (he was the greatest man ever) - surrounded by family and friends I tried to put it from my mind. Didn't let myself think about it or cry all that much. When a month later my cat died in an accident - I was hysterical about the whole thing. It was almost as if it was the tipping point for grief for me.

Enough of me and back to "Off Season". Which do you think affected Lilly more? Love or Death?


What is the schedule?
Monday at J. Kaye's Book Blog
Tuesday at A Blog of Books
Wednesday at Literarily
Thursday at A Blog of Books
Friday is the wrap up and will be at Literarily, A Blog of Books, and J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Contest! Win a Copy of Forever My Lady

Win a copy of Jeff Rivera's "Forever My Lady".



To enter put a comment below. For two submissions into the contest - blog about this contest and link to this post. I will be accepting registrations until Dec. 1, 2008.

Be sure to include some way for me to contact you if you have won, also please include your blog if you are posting something about this.

Note: Contests are open to US & Canadian residents. You must be 18 years or older.

Good Luck!

Noontime Book Chat

This week we will be doing a noontime book chat with J. Kaye from J. Kaye's Book Blog and Shana from Literally.



What does that mean for you?
If you have read the book or are thinking of reading the book stop by our websites and comment on our posts about the book. One of us will be posting at noon every day! We want to hear what you think about it.

What is the schedule?
Monday at J. Kaye's Book Blog
Tuesday at A Blog of Books
Wednesday at Literarily
Thursday at A Blog of Books
Friday is the wrap up and will be at Literarily, A Blog of Books, and J. Kaye's Book Blog.

The Rogue Hunter

The Rogue Hunter by Lynsay Sands

What was this book about?

We met Garrett Mortimer (immortal blood sucker who is one of the good guys) in a previous novel when he helped Lucien Argeneau get his lifemate. This time the vampire policeman is in the middle of the country at a lake house trying to solve another mystery.

This is where he meets lawyer Samantha Willan. She and her sisters have gone out to her family cottage in order to get some relaxation. When she meets the neighbor Decker, Mortimer, and his partner Becker she can’t help but want to spend more time with them. Especially Mortimer.

But Mortimer is trying to solve a case and can’t really believe that he met his lifemate. Can he convince her that what he isn’t scary and that they should spend their lives together?

What did you think about the book?

I really can’t say anything bad about this series. I love the Argeneau vampire novels. They are fun and flirty. Each one is different enough that you don’t feel like you are reading the same story over and over again with just a few differences. And this one didn’t disappoint.

There were a few things for my own curiosity I would have liked to know have included that wasn’t but that was more of a personal preference then anything else. I love the Argeneau’s and wanted to see them in this book. You see characters that they know – but don’t get to spend in depth time with the ones that you love. Secondly I really wish I knew what was coming next. What I mean by that is what she is going to do with the two sisters and (SPOILER ahead) when Samantha is going to change. It seems like of everyone she needs it – she has all those balance problems because of her ear infections – I could just see things getting bad. I am hoping Lynsay has plans for this and is going to give me everything I want soon!

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall:

The Beach House

The Beach House by Jane Green
What was this book about?

Nan is in her sixties and known around town as a bit of an eccentric. When money problems force her to either sell the house she has loved for years or find some other way to make money – she decides that her Nantucket home would be perfect for borders.

Enter several people who will change her life in a way that she never could have imagined. There is Daniel – who is married and has two little girls who have been his life. But he has been lying to himself and his wife for years. He is really just not that into her. Daff has been left by her husband because she found out about an affair that he has been having. She can’t tell her daughter who is at fault, but instead must life with an angry teenager who blames her mother for her father not being there. Nan’s son Michael has lived a life of no commitment and has found himself in a position he doesn’t want to be in – so he returns home to the comfort of his mother.

Each finds friends in each other. Little do they know life’s secrets has another twist for all of them!

What did you think about the book?

Family is more then people who share blood. A family is a group of people who care about each other and want to share their lives together. And that for me is what this book is about.

Each person in the novel is working through their own hard times and just trying to live life. But what they find is that by sharing their problems and themselves they instead become much better then they ever could have imagined during that tough time.

SPOILER: I have to admit that I always thought that Nan’s husband was going to return in some fashion. But I have to say – it wasn’t exactly how I expected it. So it was nice to have a twist thrown in.

What genre would you consider this?
Family Dynamics

Overall: