Bad Boys in Black Tie by Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Morgan Leigh

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Bad Boys In Black Tie (Watson Brothers, #3) by Lori Foster

Title: Bad Boys in Black Tie
Author: Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Morgan Leigh
In: Bad Boys in Black Tie (Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Morgan Leigh)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 3rd June – 4th October 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Her gaze travelled all over him and still she couldn’t take it in.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Some men you can’t take anywhere… except the bedroom. No matter how you dress them up, they’ll always be a little bit rough around the edges, a little too hot for polite society, a little too naked in their appreciation of a woman, and a little too delicious to share with anyone else anyway…

BAD BOYS IN BLACK TIE

Good With His Hands by Lori Foster
As next-door neighbors and best friends, Pete Watson and Cassidy McClannahan have a “no sex” relationship. “No sex” equals continuing friendship. “Ohmygodyes” sex equals big problems and probably some serious dish throwing. It may be a rigid rule, but it works. Until Pete decides he wants to push the line. If sensible Cassidy won’t take his hits, he’s ready to transform himself into the perfect “black tie” guy he thinks she wants. And once she’s in his arms, he’ll show her just what else that black tie can do…

Miss Extreme Congeniality by Erin McCarthy
CJ White knows there must be a catch when Wyatt Maddock – her despised FBI partner – offers to transfer out of Chicago and far, far away from her. There’s a catch all right, and it’s a big one: CJ has to spend one sexy night with the untamed playboy, wearing the outfit of his choice, the pig. Okay, so the guy’s hot. So his reputation in the bedroom is the stuff of legend. So CJ’s been in a dry spell for about, oh, three years. So maybe one night to be rid of him isn’t so unbearable. But once the sheets have cooled, CJ’s just starting to heat up, and moving away is the last thing on Wyatt’s mind…

Last Call by Morgan Leigh
Tess Braeden is new in Justice, North Carolina, but there’s no justice when she learns that her inherited home is about to be foreclosed on. The mayor doesn’t even have the decency to give her an appointment to plead her case. Thank goodness for Fletcher Graham. Meeting the hard-bodied, hard-working cutie is the only bright spot in her insane life. With his sensual skills and soulful eyes – not to mention that air of mystery – he could become Mr. Right very quickly. But will he become Mr. Wrong when Tess discovers what his real day job is?

Whether you want to straighten their ties – or loosen them up – these bad boys make formalwear look good… especially when it’s on the floor.

Thoughts

There is just something incredibly sexy about a man in a suit. So a collection of three novellas by some of my favourite authors that feature men in suits… yeah, I’ll get on board with that! Especially on those late nights when I’m alone on the couch… yeah, don’t judge me… 😊

There is no doubt – I’m definitely going to read this short story collection again. Not just because all three novellas were amazing independently, but because they were actually amazing together as well. It was just a fantastic collection. One that reminded me what it is that made me fall in love with contemporary romance so recently…

Upon finishing this collection, I felt happy, content and just a little bit hopeful for the future. Exactly what I look for in a collection of contemporary romance short stories. Definitely one I’ll be recommending to anyone who asks!

<- Last CallGood With His Hands ->

Image source: Goodreads

Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, #2) by Nalini Singh

Title: Archangel’s Kiss
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Paranormal romance, Strong women, Vampires
Dates read: 25th September – 4th October 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Taking the hint, she said good-bye to Jessamy and walked down the steps, her nape prickling in primitive awareness.

Synopsis

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed – an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn – but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her over, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control – especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from teh archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijin – and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has oragnized the msot perfect and most vicious of welcomes of Elena…

Thoughts

So there’s definitely a reason why Nalini Singh is one of my favourite authors. Every time I open one of her books I’m completely hooked. The only reason I have been taking massive breaks between her books is that I need to you know… do adult things. And this novel is honestly no exception. I loved finding out how Elena and Raphael renegotiated their relationship after the events in Angels’ Blood.

Whilst not my typical romance, I did love how Raphael and Elena are able to constantly negotiate with each other. And, as is typical with a partnership of two strong individuals (I speak from experience) there’s lots and lots of renegotiating and bumping up against each other. It’s not easy, but it works. Singh honestly writes some of the healthiest relationships I see in paranormal romance…

I actually finished reading this a few days ago, but I cannot stop thinking about it. There was so much action, intrigue and politics in this story. I’m not normally a fan of anything with too much political negotiations, particularly within my own life. But I absolutely loved all the machinations in this story. And I can’t wait to see where it takes us in Archangel’s Consort. My fingers keep twitching towards it and starting another new book… but I currently have over 30 books on my currently reading list!

I found Lijuan to be a seriously scary, but still sympathetic character. Michaela may just be a bitch. But Lijuan is a whole other ball game… one that drew me in from the very beginning and made me completely drawn in to the story from the very beginning. She wasn’t quite a villain… but she definitely wasn’t a good guy. The perfect antagonist amongst a slew of antagonists in this series.

Elena is most definitely one of my favourite strong women protagonists. She is tough and independent. But also willing to bend to the circumstances. Finding out more about her past in this story just pulled me in all that much more and bumped her even further up my imaginary list.

<- Angels’ BloodArchangel’s Consort ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Lay of the Land by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
The Lay of the Land (Incryptid, #0.21) by Seanan McGuire

Title: The Lay of the Land
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #0.21
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 4th October 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Seanan McGuire
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: “But you don’t think Mr. Price is a part of that.”

Synopsis

Thomas Price has seen the world, has studied and fought unbelievable creatures on every continent, and knows more about cryptids than almost anyone else alive. But he’s never seen anyplace like Buckley Township, Michigan, and he’s certainly never met anyone like Alice Healy, who is far too young for him, far too much a Healy for him, and far too wild to disregard. This is going to be an interesting assignment.

Unable to understand why her ever-tolerant father wants her to write off a newcomer as dangerous solely because of his origins, Alice Healy has set herself on a collision course with Thomas Price–a man who needs companionship, answers, and someone to guide him through the tangled ecosystems of the local wood, where the unwary go in, but don’t come out.

It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship, and a new chapter in the story of the Healy family. Assuming that Alice can get Thomas through the woods alive, and Mary can convince Alice not to get Thomas murdered by her father.

Thoughts

Alice is growing into absolutely everything I expected… and more. I almost don’t want to leave the world of the InCryptid short stories. She’s got so much gumption. And is incredibly accident prone. Two things which I absolutely adore in a strong female character. It doesn’t fail to brig a smile to my face, opening my Kobo and reading one of the stories which feature her and her amazingness.

I love that in this story, she’s showing Thomas around. The independent, matter of fact way in which she does so helps to draw you ever further into the InCryptid world and Alice’s great personality. She’s most definitely Fran’s daughter. And although I still miss Fran, I love that there is someone there to fill that void with their humorous take on life.

This story was a great way to see all of the things in the InCryptid world that go bump in the night. Even the more innocent of the creatures that go “bump” were included. I wish there was an illustrated encyclopaedia of all of these amazing creatures… I could almost die a happy woman then.

<- The Way HomeTarget Practice ->

Image source: Goodreads

Target Practice by Seanan McGuire

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Target Practice (InCryptid, #0.22) by Seanan McGuire

Title: Target Practice
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: InCryptid #0.22
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 5th October 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Free online short story
Publisher: Seanan McGuire
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: It was a rare moment of absolute calm – at least until the blonde blur broke through the blueberry bushes, running hell-bent for the border.

Synopsis

Buckley Township is starting to grow on Thomas Price, rather like a particularly aggressive strain of moss. He still has a lot to learn about his new environs, and about the people they bring him into contact with. People like Alice Healy, whose talent for getting herself into trouble is only exceeded by her inexplicable ability to get out of it again. Luck is not a dependable survival mechanism. And hers is running out.

When Alice stumbles over something that even the ecologically unusual Buckley woods shouldn’t be able to sustain, it’s anyone’s guess whether she’ll be able to handle it on her own–and if she can’t, whether she’ll be able to find the help she needs to stop an invasive species from damaging the town and people she cares about. Thomas, meanwhile, just wants to avoid being shot by her father.

Tensions are high and stakes are higher as Alice and Thomas both begin taking aim on what they want, and where they want to be when they get it.

Thoughts

The first dot point that I wrote in my notes on this short story sums it up perfectly:

  • Naw. Alice finally broke Jonathan!

That’s pretty much it. There was something that became steadily more irritating about Jonathan as these short stories unfolded. Don’t get me wrong, it’s understandable. But it was still dang annoying. So when Alice finally manages to “break” him… it left me feeling happy. Nothing like a rebellious teen having a point to make me love a story.

As with the other short stories so far in this collection, now all I want is to get the next books in this series and stick my nose into them! But I’m trying so hard not to buy anymore until I finish some from my teetering TBR… I may actually get buried under an avalanche soon.

But I digress… this was a fun story and showed how well Alice’s grandmother knows her, and how the scars of the past and worries for the future can have the exact opposite effect to what you desire. Luckily, things will steadily get more interesting (I’m sure) as the rest of the series about Alice’s children unfolds…

<- The Lay of the LandTailed ->

Image source: Goodreads

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Looking for Alaska: Amazon.ca: Green, John: Books

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Contemporary, Death, Young adult
Dates read: 24th September – 4th October 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: speak
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: She only goes home over Christmas ad the summer, when Jake is there.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

before. Miles “Pudge” Halter’s whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the “Great Perhaps” (Francois Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

after. Nothing is ever the same.

Thoughts

I had to choose a banned book for a reading challenge. And I absolutely love the fact that this is the banned book that I chose. It was freaking awesome. And didn’t make me cry like The Fault in Our Stars which was a nice side benefit. Don’t get me wrong, I came close. But it didn’t quite get me…

It was obvious from the very beginning of this book that there was a pretty serious “before” and “after”. I did guess what the event was in this circumstance. But I didn’t guess the how of the event. I won’t give any spoilers here, you should read this and see if you too can guess what it is. I’d be interested now to see the Netflix (?)show that is based on this. They normally do good adaptations and I wonder how they would take all of the different issues covered in this and use that on the screen…

One of my favourite things about this book was the total open-endedness of the ending. Pudge had questions and tried to find answers. But in the end, he didn’t get any certainty. Which is kind of the way life is anyway. So it made for a nice, slightly more realistic ending. That, combined with his obsession with last words and the vagueness of whether or not the reports are correct… I really liked how this story dealt with endings and final moments.

Even though there were some fairly sad moments throughout this story. I absolutely adored the whole idea of the Great Perhaps. Apparently (reading the final words of John Green) it was actually something to do with famous last words. But, I just loved that sense of hope. That idea that there is always a great perhaps out there for us, we just have to be willing to take the risk…

Ultimately, this story has a whole heap of themes throughout it. But the one that I enjoyed the most was the creation of friendships, loves and memories. It might have sad moments throughout. But it  was also filled with those friendships, that even if they don’t last a lifetime, they’re remembered for a lifetime.

<- The Fault in Our StarsPaper Towns ->

Image source: Amazon.ca

Last Call by Morgan Leigh

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Bad Boys In Black Tie (Watson Brothers, #3) by Lori Foster

Title: Last Call
Author: Morgan Leigh
In: Bad Boys in Black Tie (Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy & Morgan Leigh)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 4th October 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Brava
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Fletcher chose that moment to interject, “I was married once.”

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Last Call by Morgan Leigh
Tess Braeden is new in Justice, North Carolina, but there’s no justice when she learns that her inherited home is about to be foreclosed on. The mayor doesn’t even have the decency to give her an appointment to plead her case. Thank goodness for Fletcher Graham. Meeting the hard-bodied, hard-working cutie is the only bright spot in her insane life. With his sensual skills and soulful eyes – not to mention that air of mystery – he could become Mr. Right very quickly. But will he become Mr. Wrong when Tess discovers what his real day job is?

Thoughts

It was fairly easy to guess just from the name of this story that it had something to do with a bar. But I did like the fact that Last Call was not only the name of this novella, but also the bar in which the Meet Cute occurs. It was quite sweet and set up a great tone for the rest of the novella.

Assumptions are so damn easy to make, and I love that this novella highlights just how damaging making assumptions about people and their desires can be. After all, instead of a person or some random circumstance being the greatest obstacle in this romance… it’s the assumptions that the two make about each other and what people desire. Such a silly thing, but luckily, it gets solved pretty quickly…

Admittedly, I’m not normally a huge fan of the whole love at first sight schtick. Even though my own “love story” kind of has that… yet, Leigh manages to make this into a completely plausible and really sweet story. I actually didn’t find it to be tedious and a little naïve, like I normally do.

This was a fantastic novella with which to finish the Bad Boys in Black Tie collection. It was more graphic than the other stories in the sex scenes (which I loved), but it was just such a great note to finish on. Definitely a little bit cuter, and the sort of novella that leaves a secret smile on a girl’s face.

<- Miss Extreme CongenialityBad Boys in Black Tie ->

Image source: Goodreads

Give a Little

Challenges

Duration: 1st November – 30th November 2020
Number of books: 3
Hosted by: Bookworm Bitches

November 2020: Give a Little
Duration: 11/1/2020-11/30/2020

There are 3 tasks, you only need to read three books to finish this challenge. Or pick one task and read 3 books for that one task.

November – Charitable
1. Read a book where someone does a good deed for another – An Elephant in My Kitchen by Francoise Malby-Anthony
2. Read a book about a morally grey character – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
3. Read a book involving a charity or non profit (i.e. character works for a non profit, character donates, character attends a charity event, etc.) – More Than Words: Volume 6 by Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child

Rules
~Books must be read during the selected time period.
~Post the date you finished the book.
~All books read for challenges can be used for more than one challenge.
~Books can be either Fiction or Non Fiction. Your choice.
~At the end of the challenge, it will be closed for commenting and moved to the archives folder
~Use the add book/author tool to tag your book within your challenge.

Genevieve

Challenges

Duration: 1st November – 30th November 2020
Number of books: 21
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

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Ollie-and-Gen

Duration:
November 1st – November 30th

How it Works:
Ten books each month is a lot, so there will be 5 different levels. Pick which level you want to do and that’s how many items you will need to check off.

Levels:
Transitional – 2 books
Fledgling – 4 books
Vampire – 6 books
Master – 8 books
Vampire King or Queen – 10 books

1. November 1st- Every year on November 1, millions of people celebrate authors and the books that they write on National Author’s Day. Read a book by your favorite author. – The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

2. November 2nd-Cookie Monster is a blue, furry puppet on Sesame Street. His favorite treat is Cookies, especially chocolate chip. His day celebrates his birthday when he was created by Muppet creator Jim Henson. Read a book with a blue cover and/or a furry monster on the cover. – Temptation in a Kilt by Victoria Roberts

3. November 8-Abraham “Bram” Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author, best known today for his 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. Read Dracula or read another vampire book.

4.November 10 is World Science Day for Peace and Development. It was celebrated for the first time in 2002. Read a science fiction book or a book with a scientist. You could also eat a vanilla cupcake… – Westward Weird edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes

5. November 11-Veteran’s Day honors those who have served in the military. It is observed on November 11th. Read a book with a MC/love interest who is a soldier, spy, diplomat.

6. November 13 is a Friday. Friggatriskaidekaphobia is a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the 13th. Read a horror or thriller book. Make sure to read it at night, hopefully during a thunder storm…or listening to storm or horror music.

7. November 18 is National Princess Day. Pamper yourself today. Take a nice bubble bath, curl up in soft blankets on the couch, sip a delicious glass of apple cider. Read a book where the MC is a princess/prince.

8. November 20 is Beautiful Day. Celebrate the day by reading a book with a beautiful cover or relationship. – Begin, End, Begin edited by Danielle Binks

9. November 23 is National Adoption Day. The first one was held in 2000. Read a book with a character who has been adopted or with a character that adopts a child. – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

10. November 24 is celebrate your unique talent day. Read a book where the MC has a unique talent that you would like to have. – Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (Poirot’s skills of deduction)

Bonus-It is National Candle month & National Fragrance month-Read any book you want, preferable with a nice, scented candle…If you find any sentences going on about how a man smells like cinnamon etc, you can post them here for fun! – More Than Words: Volume 6 by Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child

This year I am grateful for…
Books & Hobbies-Read a book with a dragon in it.
Family-Read a book with a close family relationship.
Food-Read a book with a letter in the title from the words Thanksgiving Feast.
Friendship-Read a book with a friend or with a side character you’d like to be your friend.
Health-Read a book with a vampire or other immortal character.
Job, Career, Vocation-Read a book with an interesting task, work environment and/or a great boss. – An Elephant in My Kitchen by Francoise Malby-Anthony
Money-Read a book with a rich character or buy a book and read it. – The Mammoth Book of Westerns edited by Jon E. Lewis
Pets-Read a cat/dog mystery or a book where an animal is important to the story. – Marley and Me by John Grogan
Significant Other-Read a book with a book boyfriend/girlfriend you have or want…
Success-Read a book where the good guys/gals triumph or with a great reward at the end.

Wizard Wars

Challenges

Duration: 1st November – 30th November 2020
Number of books: 6
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

description
Wizard Wars

Duration
November 1st – 30th

Rules
Complete at least two tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count

description

– Read a book with a magic user
– Read a book with a battle or fight – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
– Read a book tagged fantasy – Death’s Excellent Vacation edited by Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner
– Read a book where a character dies – Marley and Me by John Grogan
– Read a book where the bad guy wins – The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison (Trent)
– Read a book with a weapon on the cover – Temptation in a Kilt by Victoria Roberts

Dracula’s Beauties – November 2020

Challenges

Duration: 1st November – 30th November 2020
Number of books: 6
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Collect a Dracula Beauty each month by completing at least 2 tasks out of a set of 6.
A new set of tasks with a new doll will be posted each month.

The dolls you collect will be in your Vampire Heart thread. Don’t have a thread? You can still do the challenge if you want 🙂

Rules
One book per task.
No minimum page count.
Complete at least two tasks to get the doll.

1. Read a book with a moon on the cover.
2. Read a book where the characters share a meal. – The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
3. Read a book where vampires and werewolves are enemies.
4. Read a book with a black or red cover. – Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
5. Read a book where the author’s initials can be found in NOVEMBER. – Temptation in a Kilt by Victoria Roberts
6. Read a book that you are thankful to have received. – Begin, End, Begin edited by Danielle Binks