Wow, I cannot believe it has been 2 weeks since I posted anything.  Bad me!  I have been reading but just haven’t felt like writing.  Have you ever had those days weeks?

Today’s Teaser book is one that I am reading for my bookclub.  It is Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgens

From the back of the book: 

So when journalist Chastity O’Neill returns to her hometown, she decides it’s time to start working on some of those feminine wiles.  Two tiny problems: #1 – she’s five feet eleven inches of rock-solid girl power, and #2 – she’s cursed with four alpha male older brothers.

While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a hunky doctor and things start to look up.  Now there’s only one problem: Trevor Meade, her first love and the one man she’s never quite gotten over – although he seems to have gotten over her just fine.

Yet the more time she spends with Dr. Perfect, the better Trevor looks. But even with the in-your-face competition, the irresistible Trevor just can’t seem to see Chastity as anything more than just one of the guys….

Today’s teaser comes from page 282:

“Could you tell?  That he was, you know….gay?”

I haven’t gotten to this page yet but now I’m curious as to who they are referring to in the cast of characters.  I don’t think it is a major character though.

Happy Reading and I have a book review and interview with the author coming up very soon!

I found this as a free e-book on Amazon and it sounded like a good book so I downloaded it…the price was right after all!  Plus if I didn’t like it I could delete it and not worry about losing money.  The Author is D.D. Scott

It’s Chick Lit, Gone-Country. Think Sex and the City meets Urban Cowboy.  Manhattan apparel designer Roxy Rae Vaughn, who’s also a still-in-the-closet, country line dancing queen, wants to be a fashion success story. Tired of being nothing more than a Fifth Avenue up-and-comer, thanks to her elitist parents, Roxy moves to Nashville, Tennessee and opens a boutique in a local tractor supply store, the only retail space she can afford. Short on cash and way, way down on luck, she rear-ends a pick-up truck belonging to a tomato-growin’, bootscootin’ cowboy who is anything but the perfect fit for her career plans, although he is her ideal dance partner. Can Roxy accept that her best fit is on the dance floor moving to her own style and her cowboy’s lead? 

Tomato farmer by day and bootscootin’ instructor by night Zayne McDonald doesn’t give a damn about winning Nashville’s heirloom tomato contest, even though his late father did. Zayne wants to honor his father, but what he really wants is to line dance his way to a winner’s spotlight. When he and Roxy are discovered by a huge dance show producer, Zayne learns it’s partnering with Roxy that’s his winning hybrid mix. That is, if he can keep her and the tomato contest away from Beefsteak Jack Baudlin, the toughest tomato man in CMT country.

My Thoughts:

I give this book 3 1/2 stars.  I don’t know if the book didn’t grab me or if it was my mood at the time, but it did take me several days to read this story.  Perhaps it didn’t sound quite as believable as it should have sounded?  But then it is fiction and who said that all books are believable?!

For free it wasn’t bad and the intro for the 2nd book sounds really good…but it revolves around cooking and who doesn’t like food?!

Joyce Magnin Moccero is the author of Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise which is the second in a series about Bright’s Pond which is somewhere in the Pennsylvania area since Charlotte moves to Paradise from a suburb of Pittsburg.  But you don’t have to read the first to appreciate the second novel.

Charlotte’s husband has recently died and she received (by  mistake) an ad for a trailer for sale in Paradise.  She puts it aside but once the activity surrounding the funeral has passed, she decides to purchase the trailer sight unseen.  Well as well all know, that isn’t necessarily a wise move, but this was about 40 years ago and things were a little different.  She arrives in Paradise and discovers the trailer is not what was pictured and is infested by raccoons and smells horrible.  Charlotte is discouraged but with the help of a few neighbors it becomes a habitable.

The trailer park has a wide variety of occupants including a wife-beating manager, the one armed maintenance man and a heavily tattooed woman with a large sculpture of a hand in her yard…large enough to climb up and sit in the palm.  Charlotte reaches out to befriend all of these people plus the remaining residents of the area and starts an all women’s softball team which she manages.

This story is about people banding together to right wrongs and to support each other in good times and in bad.  It is also about Charlotte finding her independence, becoming her own woman and not staying in the shadows.

I really enjoyed this book.  I will say that I wasn’t sure with the first chapter or two but am glad that I continued reading because I was inspired by Charlotte for leaving what she was comfortable with and starting over in a small town.  She even resists giving in to her overbearing mother who would love nothing more than for Charlotte to move to Florida with her.  It would have been very easy to give in, but that isn’t where God wanted Charlotte to be at that time in life.  He wanted her in Paradise to bring together this community.

Charlotte isn’t the only one that blossoms with the new friendships that are created.  Others become stronger with the various situations that they are faced with at the time.

I give this book 4 stars.

Sandra D. Bricker worked on her writing skills while working as a personal assistant and publicist to daytime television stars.  What I like about her is that she is an animal rights activist and is very involved in fundraising for Lost Angels Animal Rescue. 

Sandra says she is a Christian Woman and that clearly comes through in this novel without it being over the top.

Always the Baker Never the Bride is the story of Emma Rae (a good Southern name) who is a baker in Atlanta who has won the prestigious Passionate Palate Award for her crème brulee wedding cake (and it does sound yummy when she describes making it for a client).  The twist is that she is diabetic and cannot sample her creations without making sure she has eaten and then she can only sample a bite or two.   Emma is working at a bakery when she is lured away to work for the new Tanglewood Inn that is to become The Place to have a party or wedding.  She had met Jackson, the CEO, when he stopped in her shop but didn’t realize who he was when she accepted an interview at the inn and she certainly doesn’t expect to fall in love with him either after their first encounter in the shop.

There are also some other fun and quirky characters including Emma’s parents, Jackson’s sisters and most of all, Emma’s assistant Fiona.  All of these characters round out this story to make it fun and witty but still give the reader a message.

I really enjoyed this novel especially since it revolved around food and even more importantly, sweets!  Emma’s no nonsense attitude makes Jackson think twice in several situations and to make him realize that he can’t tip toe around his feelings.  I also like how Fiona appears to be the total opposite of Emma, at least in dress, but deep down they are really very similar.  There is a Christian theme running through the novel to put your trust and faith in God and what is meant to be will be.  This is laid out in several scenes in the book and fit in nicely considering the events that had just occurred.

Pick up this book when it comes out in September from Abingdon Press, you won’t be sorry!

Jennifer (aka Jenny) Crusie has been writing books since the early 90′s and has co-authored several books over the last 6 years.  This newest book, Maybe This Time! is her version of The Turn of the Screw a short novel written in 1898 by Henry James.

I was lucky enough to be ask Jennifer a few questions about the book and her writing:

SBR: Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

 They just show up.  Ideas are never a problem.  Writing them is the problem.

 SBR: When and why did you begin writing?

 I was researching my dissertation on the differences in the way men and women tell stories, and I read 100 romance novels to study women’s narrative.  I fell in love with the genre, dropped my dissertation, and began to write romance.

 SBR: Are there any new authors that you predict will be successful?

 Lucy March has a paranormal romance coming out next year called A Little Night Magic.  Otherwise, I’m really out of the loop on new authors, although I’m sure there are many.  I must start reading up on that.

 SBR: Who are some of your favorite authors and what book are you reading now?

 Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Lani Diane Rich (soon to be Lucy March), Anne Stuart, Patricia Gaffney, Barbara Samuel, Terry Pratchett, Georgette Heyer, Michael Gilbert, Margery Allingham, Rex Stout, Dorothy Parker, P.G.Wodehouse . . . lots and lots of faves.

The book I’m reading now is mine because it’s three months past its due date so I am peddle to the metal 24/7.   

 SBR: Maybe This Time touches on the paranormal, did you go this direction because of the fascination with this genre?

 Maybe This Time is my version of The Turn of the Screw, so the paranormal came packaged with that, but yes, I love paranormal stories.   Ghost stories not as much as magic, but if you’re paying homage to one of the greatest ghost stories of all time, you better have ghosts. 

 SBR: Is there a message in your novel that you want the readers to grasp?

 I feel strong that if you want to send a message, you should use e-mail.  Fiction has themes, but I don’t think it should have morals.  This book is about second chances, about letting go of what’s past and moving on, but it doesn’t say you should move on, it just says that these characters are faced with the choice of moving on, and how they make that choice determines their fates.  Your mileage may differ.

My Review:
I will say that I really enjoyed this book.  It grabbed me from the first chapter all the way to the end….and even with a twist at the end that I know I wasn’t expecting!  It starts with Andie visiting her ex-husband North at his law office to try and put him out of her life once and for all by returning the alimony checks that she has not cashed over the last 10 years.  Once there she notices that she still feels drawn to her ex and him to her…there is something to be said for chemistry!  North decides that he has nothing to lose and asks her for a favor, to watch over his wards until he could get them moved to his home.  Surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly) Andie agrees to do it for a month.

When Andie arrives it isn’t quite what she expected and she is appalled at the condition of the home and the state of the children and this makes her more determined than ever to make things right at whatever cost for the children.

This book has many funny sections that had me laughing out loud because I could picture the events as they were described.  And then of course you have the ghosts, who are never predictable, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers who thinks she runs the property because she has been there since she was a teenager.  Of course there is the jealous boyfriend, her kooky mother and a crazy news reporter that wants to expose more than just the story of the ghosts in the home.

Definitely pick up this book when it comes out 8/31, you won’t regret it!

Giveaway:

Leave a comment on my blog to win a chance for your own copy of Maybe This Time! 

I will give away 2 copies, one from the publisher and the ARC that they sent me to review.

Contest ends August 28th and is open to US and Canadian residents

The Wedding Girl is one of the newest books by Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophia Kinsella).  While I wasn’t keen on all of Sophia’s books, this one was a very fast read and very enjoyable.

It starts off 10 years ago with Milly meeting some men while she attended secretarial school.  They were involved with each other but Allan was here on a visa and wanted to stay.  So he asked Milly to marry him, on paper, so that he could stay in the country with Rupert, his love.  Being 18, she didn’t realize what she was doing and married him so he could stay in the country.

Fast forward 10 years later and Milly is engaged to Simon, the son of a millionaire, and her mother is planning the most lavious wedding one could imagine.  Olivia (the mother) is so wrapped up in the wedding that she doesn’t see her own marriage falling apart.

There is also Isobel, Milly’s sister who is pregnant, and the father is quite a surprise.  James, Milly’s father, who is in danger of losing his job and his wife.

All is going well with the wedding plans and then the minister asks Milly and Simon if they have ever been married before and while they both say no, it starts bringing up memories for Milly of those days with Allan and Rupert at Oxford.

What ensues is a comedy of errors while Milly tries to figure out if she is still married to Allan or not without tipping off Simon.  However, throw Alexander in the midst and things really get confusing.  He happened to be at the registrar when Milly was married the first time and he has been hired to photograph the wedding.  Will he spill the beans?

This is a good story and a quick read.  I think I finished it within a few hours.

Author – Lori Wilde

Third time’s the charm

Rachel Henderson is fed up with romance especially after being dumped at the altar, not once but twice! She blames it on her hometown of Valentine Texas and is determined to punish the town for putting the idea of romance in her head from when she was a young girl. On top of being left at the altar, she finds out that her parents are divorcing on her wedding day. Definitely not one of her better days.

Rachel is angry and drives the 400 miles from Houston to Valentine to seek her revenge on Valentine Texas. She decides that the way to do this is paint over the billboard entering town with black paint. Unfortunately the town’s mayor catches her in the act and has her arrested by non other than the hunky Sherriff Brody Carlton. It urns out that Brody was Rachel’s first love until he moved away at the age of 12.

Rachel is stuck in Valentine until she finishes her community service. This gives her time to start Romanceaholics Anonymous (a 12 step program for those addicted to romance), plot revenge against the fiancé that dumped her at the altar and get to know Brody as a friend. After all, she is done with romance and only wants either friendship or hot sex. But what does Brody want? Does he just want her as a friend or will he want more? And who knew that Romanceaholics Anonymous would become so popular? Rachel has to set up chapters in nearby towns to handle the interest that her YouTube video garnered.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is the first one by Lori Wilde that I have read but it won’t be the last. ‘Addicted to Love’ is a romance book but there are several underlying stories that keep it from being pure fluff. There is the story of her parents, Michael and Selina, who still truly love each other but Selina can’t get past an indiscretion from 30 years ago. There is also Mayor Wentworth and Giada Vito. She is originally from Italy but has been a citizen for 15 years and has decided that Mayor Wentworth needs a reality check in regards to the town and his position as mayor, which is why she decides to run against him. But what is this spark that they feel when they are around each other? And of course there is the story of Rachel and Brody, her addiction to romance and can she learn to the separate the two or does she really need to?

Lori Wilde began writing at the age of 8 and hasn’t stopped yet. She has written many books including ‘Charmed and Dangerous’, ‘My Secret Life’ and ‘Lethal Exposure’. She also writes under the pen name Laura Anthony.

Reviewed for RebeccasReads.com 3/09

Lies will come back to bite you
3 out of 5 stars

“Live a Little” is the third book by Lisa Green. Her previous books include “Is That a Moose in Your Pocket?” and “Paging Aphrodite”.

Raquel Rose is a wife and mother of two teenagers when a routine visit to the doctor turns into a terminal cancer diagnosis. Raquel goes through a range of emotions when she is given the news and her family is shocked as well. They don’t want to believe it and life is not quite the same.

Then a month later the doctor tells her it has all been a mistake and she is not the Raquel Rose that has breast cancer. After riding the emotional roller coaster she is back on it again but this time knowing that she is fine and how does she tell everyone that it was all a mistake? She tries to give her family the good news over a nice dinner, but they don’t believe her. She is flabbergasted and doesn’t know what to do to convince them that she really is ok.

So she doesn’t. After all, she is getting the royal treatment from the family that took her for granted…or so she thought. Raquel goes along with the deception and while living a lie manages to find her true self in the process and that she isn’t just a housewife and mother, that she is inspirational and a true artist.

I had the full range of emotions regarding this book, I went from hating it in the first 30 pages (so much I wasn’t sure I was going to finish the book) to thinking that the character deserved what she got to admiration for admitting the truth in the end.

While I know that this is a work of fiction, I am a breast cancer survivor and know what women go through when diagnosed which is probably why I hated parts of the book, primarily Raquel’s deception. While it is a fictional character, Raquel had people feeling sorry for her when there was nothing wrong. She took advantage of the situation just for a little fame. Then when Raquel’s friends and family found out that she really didn’t have cancer, I felt like she deserved what came her way. In the end, she made amends and I felt like the story tied up nicely and it all happened for a reason and perhaps she realized that you don’t have to tell lies to get attention, after all it will come back and haunt you.

Reviewed for RebeccasReads (11/08)