Some Sunday Slapstick

I don't usually get to sleep in on Sundays, but I sure like looking at him sleeping in on a Sunday! *g*

Supermarket Checkout
A woman went to a discount store to purchase several items. When she finally got to the checker, she learned one of her items had no price. She thought she'd die of embarrassment when the checker got on the intercom and boomed out for all the store to hear, "Price check on lane thirteen. Tampax. Supersize."But if that wasn't bad enough, the person looking for the price misunderstood the word "Tampax" for "Thumbtacks." In a businesslike tone, a voice boomed back over the intercom, "Do you want the kind you push in with your thumb or the kind you pound in with a hammer?"

Let's Swap Positions
"Darling" says a husband coyly to his wife: "let's swap positions tonight". " What a good idea" she replies, "you stand in front of the ironing board, and I'll sit in front of the TV and fart".

"It Happened One Autumn" by Lisa Kleypas (Book #2- Wallflower Series)

Finished the second book in the Lisa Kleypas 'Wallflower' series titled "It Happened One Autumn" and I absolutely loved it! The romance story is about an arrogant, snobbish English Earl "Marcus", Lord Westcliff who happens to be a major hunk and the wallflower Lillian Bowman, an undisciplined blunt American hellion. Lillian can't keep all the English rules and manners straight and her outspokenness finds her in hot water over and over again. Lillian and Marcus are opposites, but that doesn't stop them from being drawn together. Marcus wants Lillian but he doesn't want to want her, so he tries to deny his feelings. Lillian thinks Marcus is an overbearing arrogant snob and she delights in doing things that irk him. Marcus is determined to marry a proper English lady, but he can't seem to leave Lillian alone and he refuses to let anyone else have her. Lillian knows she needs to find a husband, but it's Marcus who sets her on fire. This book has humor (Lillian getting foxed is hysterical), charm, steamy sex and is a great romance story. The end really leaves you hanging for the next book in the series and the story of the third 'Wallflower', Evie. I can't wait to read her story!

I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

My trip to the pharmacy...

I can never just run to the pharmacy and get only what I intend. I have to make a pit stop in the book/magazine section. I am so much worse than any little kid in a store who has a fit if they don't get something. I HAVE to buy a book- something, anything! I just can't walk by and leave them all there waiting for someone to buy them and read them. So regardless of the fact that I just ordered several new books from Barnes & Noble yesterday, and regardless of the fact that my stack of TBR books is taller than I am, I bought the following books at the pharmacy today:

I just have a thing for Vikings *g*

OK, I have a *thing* for vampires too!

Oh let's face it, I have a *thing* for any and all hot males! *g*

Now I still have to finish "Sugar Daddy" by Lisa Kleypas before I can start any of these. I've never read any of these authors before, so they will all be "new to me authors" which is great, but that was my plan for this year; to read more 'new to me' authors than I have in the past and so far I am doing good doing this. Anyone read any of these?

Vodka Hunk

I've never cared much for vodka...that is until I saw this ad for it. For some reason my mouth has gone dry and I swear I NEED a drink of vodka like never before. And I know just where I want to grab the bottle from. *g*

Happy Saturday!

Yahoo! The weekend is here and I've got lots of good books to lose myself in. I finished "It Happened One Autumn" by Lisa Kleypas last night and will be working on that review today. I then started "Sugar Daddy" by Lisa Kleypas - as so many people said it was really good and Kleypas hasn't disappointed me yet with her books. I've got a lot to do this weekend so I don't think I will get as much reading time in as I normally like to have on a weekend, but I'm going to try!

Question for J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood fans. What the heck can I read until the next book comes out to get my paranormal vampire romance fix? I am suffering from withdrawal terribly! Help! What's good? What comes close to the Brotherhood? I need some good vampire paranormal books to read- a new to me series to follow. I need my sexy vampire fix! *g* Help an addict out- please?

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Funnies

The best way to start the weekend is with a good laugh...

A Little Old Lady Walks Into A Sex Store...
A little old lady, well into her eighties, slowly enters the front door of a sex shop. Obviously very unstable on her feet, she wobbles the few feet across the store to the counter.
Finally arriving at the counter and grabbing it for support, stuttering she askes the sales clerk: 'Dddooo youuuu hhhave ddddiillldosss?'
The clerk, politely trying not to burst out laughing replies 'Yes we do have dildos. Actually we carry many different models.'
The old lady then asks: 'Ddddoooo yyyouuuu cccarrry aaa pppinnkk oonnee, ttteeennn iincches lllong aaanndd aabbbooouutt ttwwoo iincchess tthiicck aaand rruuns bbby bbbaatteerrieeess?'
The clerk responds: 'Yes we do.'
She asks: 'Ddddooo yyyoouuu kknnooww hhhooww tttooo ttuuurrnn tthhe sssunnoffaaabbiittch offff?'

TGIF with lots of books to read!

Yah! It's Friday- finally! And I've decided to start each day with a hunky male photo on my blog. You can never have too many hunky males around to look at. *g* This has been a long week it seems to me and I am looking forward to the weekend. I plan to finish my current read ("It Happened One Autumn" by Lisa Kleypas- good so far) and start another book. I am undecided as to what to pull from my TBR stack. I've got 'Sugar Daddy' by Lisa Kleypas at the top of the pile, but there's also 'Jacob' by Jacquelyn Frank, 'Embracing Midnight' by Devyn Quinn and 'Dangerous Lover' by LIsa Marie Rice all at the top of my TBR stack. Decisions, decisions! :o)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Have you been analyzed lately?

I was over visiting Lea's blog "Closetwriter" and read about a blog analyzer called Typeanalyzer, she tried (see her blog for more on that outcome *g*). This analyzer says it can tell what type of person the blog owner is by checking out your blog. So being up for nearly anything type of person I like to think I am (*yeah right!*), I tried it. Here are the results:

ESFP - The Performers

"The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves. The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions."

Let me begin by saying, while I might be entertaining to my friends -I am easily punked, I am not what I would call a "performer". And I do plan ahead, I plan and plan and then make more plans. I don't always keep them, but I make them anyway. I do avoid conflict, but I have no problem voicing my opinion on anything I feel strongly about. But how I see myself and how others do is probably very different. Oh and I do like sweet smells...is that Dove Chocolates calling me? Gotta go!

Book Blog Appreciation Day 2009

I have no idea if there is an official "Book Blog Appreciation Day" (I didn't see one on GOOGLE), and if there isn't, there should be! So since I have nothing else to do (don't even mention the pile of dirty laundry, stack of dishes in the sink, smudged windows or dust bunnies under my bed) I thought I'd start a "Book Blog Appreciation Day" and get things rolling with some awards.

Here's what you do:

There are five 2009 Awards to give out, give out just one or all of them to whomever you like.

If you receive an award you need to 1) post it on your blog, 2) announce who you received it from in a post or stick it in your sidebar, 3) link it back to this blog so others can get the awards to pass on and finally 4) when you receive an award you must in turn give it to someone else.

Let's let everyone know how much we enjoy and appreciate their blogs! Have fun!

Thursday Man Candy

Here's a little Thursday Man Candy to start our day.

I am still reading "It Happened One Autumn" by Lisa Kleypas and I am enjoying it. So far, Kleypas has never let me down with her romance stories. What's everyone else reading this Thursday?

OK, OK I hear you!

Goodness I've made a terrible error (well more than one, but who's counting?). The first error was not including the delicious Alex O'Loughlin in my shipwrecked poll (so sorry...please don't hang me a dawn). The second was calling Hugh Jackman - Jack Hughman (ACK! What was I thinking? Nothing apparently...or maybe I was still thinking Johnny Depp's 'Jack' character from his pirates movies). Anywho, I have rectified the problems (and allowed more than one pick so pick as many males as you like), so please check out the new and improved shipwrecked poll. And I've added another poll below that one for our favorite paranormal males in romances. Thanks for all the responses asking for Alex, you asked and I am happy to add him (he's just too sexy not to!).

"Spellbound" by Nora Roberts

Ack! Have I mentioned I really don't care for the "I'll love you throughout time...till me meet again" romance stories? Well I really, really don't like them and unfortunately for me, "Spellbound" by Nora Roberts was such a story. The story begins looking back a thousand years ago to a warrior named Caelan of Farrell, who was in love with a witch called "Bryna the Wise" and of course an evil wizard (Alasdair) who wants Bryna for sex, Bryna's power and a magic globe. The evil wizard puts doubt in Caelan who then questions his lady love Bryna and just as their relationship falters, Alasdair kills Caelan and breaks Bryna's heart in two. Bryna makes a vow to find her lover again within a thousand years, but if she doesn't then Alasdair will come to claim her. Speed up a thousand years to current time and poor guy Calin thinks he's having a nervous breakdown because he's having visions and knows languages he shouldn't. He takes a vacation (he's drawn to Ireland) and finds himself wrapped in a strange woman's arms. He doesn't want to believe what the woman is telling him and she's actually freaking him out because she knows everything about him. Stalkerish creepy. In less than 24 hours, they fall in love (well she's loved him for a thousand years) and together their love defeats the evil wizard Alasdair. This is so totally not my cup of tea, it was a struggle to read the mere 81 page romance it was. I give it 1 star out of 5.

Happy Hump Day!

Another Hump Day and another blinding white snow storm is swirling outside my window. I've got two books to start this Hump Day. The first is a very short novel by Nora Roberts called "Spellbound"- only 81 pages. I don't think I've ever read a shorter romance story, but it's Nora Roberts and I'm willing to read anything she writes. After that I am continuing my Lisa Kleypas "Wallflower" series by starting "It Happened One Autumn", the second book in the Wallflower series. This is the book I most looked forward to in the series, as I love the characters already after having met them in the first book. At some point today, I will be shoveling more snow, but I won't mind because I'll know I've got a novel waiting for me when I'm done! Happy Hump Day everyone!

For Sale!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...then I won't say a word- not one word! *g*

Poll results: the male chest

The poll results are in on the male chest and how we like 'em!

Hairy...0%

Bare...23%

A little hairy is nice...76%

I'll take anything I can get...0%

The "little hairy is nice" chests win!

***Make sure you check out this weeks new poll!***

New books to read and review!

Oh goody! I love when I finish a book and a delivery truck stops at my house to deliver a few more! That just makes my day. Hours ago I finished "Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas (just posted my review on that one) and just now Fed-X stopped by to deliver two books from Sourcebooks, Inc. for me to read and review. The first is an advanced copy of "Wild Highland Magic" by Kendra Leigh Castle and is a paranormal romance. The second is "Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One" by Sharon Lathan that continues the romance of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice characters Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet Darcy. I can't wait to read both these books and plan to start today!

"Secrets of a Summer Night" by Lisa Kleypas (Book #1- Wallflower Series)

I really hit the jackpot when I began reading Lisa Kleypas as a "new to me" author this year. She continues to grab me and draw me in to her stories regardless of topic, setting, characters or whether it's a contemporary or historical romance. Lisa Kleypas is one of the most talented authors I have read and she has fast become a favorite of mine. Today I finished reading "Secrets of a Summer Night" by Kleypas and she hooked me into wanting to read the entire "Wallflower" series. This series is about a small group of girls (wallflowers at every gathering) who band together to help each other find husbands. These girls are not homily, some have no dowry, some are "those uncouth loud Americans" whom the English snub in the story regardless of their millions and another has a stutter and is working hard to overcome her bashfulness. The first book "Secrets of a Summer Night" is about Annabella Peyton, who is fast approaching spinsterhood at 25. Annabella has not been passed over because of her looks, she's actually quite beautiful, but because she has no dowry and her family is in debt. She seeks a nobleman with means and she's not picky about looks, though she thinks teeth would be nice as a toothless nobleman doesn't top her list. A butcher's son, turned millionaire entrepreneur (Simon Hunt) wants to make Annabelle his mistress, but she is looking for a respectable husband to save her and her family from ruin. She doesn't want to fall from grace and be a man's sexual play thing- though she does consider it when things get really bad. Simon watches Annabelle try to win a nobleman, while he slowly falls in love with her. By the time Annabelle is about to get the proposal she's been after from a nobleman, she can't think of anything but Simon's passionate kisses. This romance story has humor, romance and a delightful peek at the bond wallflowers form to get what they want. I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. Can't wait to dig into the next one in the series ("It Happened One Autumn").

Some Sunday Slapstick

A Husband's Explanation:

A wife came home early and found her husband in their bedroom making love to a very attractive young woman.

And she was more than somewhat upset. 'You are a disrespectful pig!' she cried. 'How dare you do this to me -- a faithful wife, the mother of your children! I'm leaving you. I want a divorce right away!'

And the husband replied, 'Hang on just a minute love so at least I can tell you what happened.'

'Fine, go ahead,' she sobbed,' but they'll be the last words you'll say to me!'

And so the husband began -- 'Well, I was getting into the car to drive home, and this young lady here asked me for a lift. She looked so down and out and defenseless that I took pity on her and let her into the car.I noticed that she was very thin, not well dressed and very dirty. She told me that she hadn't eaten for three days.So, in my compassion, I brought her home and warmed up the enchiladas I made for you last night, the ones you wouldn't eat because you're afraid you'll put on weight. The poor thing devoured them in moments.'

'Since she needed a good clean-up, I suggested a shower, and while she was doing that, I noticed her clothes were dirty and full of holes, so I threw them away. Then, as she needed clothes, I gave her the designer jeans that you have had for a few years, but don't wear because you say they are too tight. I also gave her the underwear that was your anniversary present, which you don't wear because I don't have good taste.

I found the sexy blouse my sister gave you for Christmas that you don't wear just to annoy her, and I also donated those boots you bought at the expensive boutique and don't wear because someone at work has a pair the same.'

The husband took a quick breath and continued - 'She was so grateful for my understanding and help that as I walked her to the door, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said, 'Please ... Do you have anything else that your wife doesn't use?'

I need help!

One of my plans for this year is to read more "new to me" authors, and I've gotten a good start with J.R. Ward, Lisa Kleypas and some others. One author I have never read, but hear so many good things about is Brenda Joyce. I would like to start reading some of her books but don't know where to begin, so I am asking other romance bloggers for their opinions. Where should I start with Brenda Joyce? I love historical romance, contemporary romance and paranormal romance- but I don't care for stuff with time travel or people on other planets. Just not my cup of tea, but anything else is a go! So what Brenda Joyce book should I start with? Any series I should check out? I'd love to hear your ideas and if you have a review, please share a link with me, I'd love to read it. Thanks!

Oh and one more thing, I haven't read a good Viking romance story in ages...any suggestions?

"Lover Enshrined" by J. R. Ward (Book #6- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series)

I finished "Lover Enshrined" by J.R. Ward last night and I liked it, but it was not what I would call a "romance" novel as I really didn't see any romance in it. What I saw, was an excellent depiction of an addicts life. The story is about Phury, Zsadist's twin and his addiction to drugs. Phury has slowly been spiralling downward since book one in this series and in "Lover Enshrined" he hits rock bottom and very nearly kills himself on heroin. Ward didn't hold back or go easy on Phury or any of the brothers watching him go down in flames. Phury lost his self respect, the faith and trust of everyone around him and like I said, nearly his life. There was nothing joyful or happy about reading this book and there shouldn't be. Drug addictions aren't fun for anyone, the addict or those who care for the addict, and this is what I have to applaud Ward for- she got that right. Phury's addiction hurt EVERYONE. He hurt the entire Brotherhood, he hurt the females of his brothers, he hurt the training young warriors, he hurt the Chosen, he hurt all of his responsibilities and he hurt himself. Ward could have sugar coated it and made Phury the superhero that never hit rock bottom because he was too tough to fall, but she didn't. She let him fall and took him down hard. It was painful to read, because I liked Phury and just like in real life with an addict, I was saying "What the hell are you doing?!" and "Get your head out of your ass and knock it off!". I felt like one of those Brothers, watching Phury fall and as helpless as they were to stop it. Like watching an accident and not being able to tear your eyes away. Sad, but true. So while I was originally all prepared and looking forward to another sweeping romance, I got an uncomfortable but true reality slap about addictions and the devastation they leave behind. Ward did well on this account. But as for the whole Phury and Chosen Cormia...I didn't see any romance there at all. They left me cold, and I'm surprised because I liked Cormia. I just didn't see her and Phury as mates for each other. They didn't fit in my opinion, but over all the rest of the book was so good I really didn't mind. The story of John (mute male) and his buds Qhuinn and Blay was what grabbed me. I love these three males and can't wait to read more about their stories. I like the turn this book took with Lash, the Omega, Rev. and loved Lassiter (page 488 had me cracking up!) and whom he brought back to the Brothers. When I was reading the first books in the series I had a sort of mental image of an ocean tide going out and the vampires losing ground to the near endless supply of more lessers that were created daily, while the vampires could barely reproduce every ten years! The odds were so against the vampires it seems a given they would lose eventually. Then Butch got his 'suck 'em to death' ability and that changed the tide a bit in the last book. Then with this book the image I had changed to the tide rolling in. Now we've got Chosen who don't have to wait for one Primale to mate with, they can go to anyone they want. We've still got Butch taking down lessers for good and slowly killing the Omega, and now Rev is getting more in the game. We've got more males making it through transition and going into training. Then we add in a fallen angel Lassiter and the biggest hint in the entire book was one word used twice: plague. We know the vampires can't breed fast enough to compete with the lessers and the Omega, so there has to be another way. Vampires can't be created like lessers. So how can you even out the numbers? Plague. There had to be a reason for both Lassiter and plagues to be introduced in this book and I believe this is going to be the direction Ward will take in evening out the numbers between vampires and lessers. Also, since Lash is part Omega/lesser but can have sex and eat, that probably means he can reproduce a whole new breed of lessers- born, not created. If that happens and these born, not created lessers can reproduce the vampires are doomed unless a plague takes out lessers. This book opened things up wide to the possibilities of what the vampires will be facing. I still hated Casper the stupid ghost Doc Jane floating around- that will forever irritate me. And at first the whole "wizard" thing (English speaking, waltzing inner voice apparition of Phury's) bugged me, but since most addicts have a "voice" in their heads, I could deal with it and get it. This book was a huge turning point in the series, and left me eager to see what Ward is going to serve up next. It wasn't the romance I was hoping for, but it did give a lot of information and open things up. For the series to continue, things had to evolve and take some twists and this book did that in my opinion. It also left me with some questions and I hope someone reading this can explain to me, because I really don't get it. I don't get the whole "sympath" thing. I've read the description several times, but when I read about Rev. and Xhex in the books I just don't understand. And what the hell is the 'barb' on Rev's penis??? Can someone clarify what that's all about? lol I really don't understand what they are...a type of vampire that manipulates emotions- it says, but I haven't seen that really played out. I've seen Rev reading thoughts but manipulating them...? Where's that happened? What I've seen is nearly everything but that. Please someone tell me what they are and why he has to be drugged to numbness and why Xhex gives pain to herself. These things are suppose to stop them from manipulating others? I'm not getting this at all.

While the romance didn't happen for me at all in this book, everything else was engaging and interesting to me, so I give this one 3.5 stars out of 5.

My Weekend Plans...

My weekend plans are to finish reading "Lover Enshrined" by J.R. Ward and start in on one of the Lisa Kleypas books I have waiting to be read. I also have disc's 1 & 2 from season 2 of the BBC's 'Robin Hood'- so I can drool over Richard Armitage for several hours this weekend. Have a great weekend!
Here is J.R. Ward on "Lover Enshrined"...


Richard Armitage in "Robin Hood" season 2 (BBC)...
:::handing out tissues to sop up your drool:::

He Came Again...

The UPS man came to my house again and left me with four new books that I can't wait to dive into. The first one is "Jacob" (Nightwalkers #1 book in the series) by Jacquelyn Frank. The next three are by Lisa Kleypas; "Sugar Daddy" (hardcover for $4.00!), "Secrets of a Summer Night", and "It Happened One Autumn". But first I have to finish reading the last book in the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood series that is released so far "Lover Enshrined"- I dig into this one tonight! Anyone else read these books? What did you think?

"Lover Unbound" by J. R. Ward (Book #5- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series)

What the fricken hell? J.R. Ward has done a number on me. She lifted me up by making me fall in love with her characters even more, she brought me down with the characters lows and sorrows, made me laugh at just the right moments, and made me cry like any good author can, made me sigh and get all mushy on the inside, and then she raked me over the fricken coals, chewed me up and spit me out with the last few chapters of "Lover Unbound"!! **STOP reading this if you haven't read the book because I am going to spill a HUGE ending in this review*** But let me back up and say that I absolutely love Vishous and Jane. I don't get the whole leather, strap me down and hurt me sex thing and I probably never will. And I figure because of V's past that is why he needed it, but...well I thought once he and Jane had been together that he wouldn't need that anymore or even like it. I was wrong on that account. But hey, whatever floats your boat right? Jane certainly was willing enough, so whatever. OK, so "Lover Unbound" is the story of Vishous (V), who we find out (and I suspected) was the nasty be-otch Scribe Virgin's son (the whole glowing thing was sort of a dead giveaway). Yah, I know we're all supposed to feel sorry for her at the end, but I didn't. She needed taking down and I was glad she was in pain and brought so low after abandoning V to that torture. What self respecting Mother would allow and watch that instead of giving her life to stop it? *spew* She gets no sympathy from me, no free get out of jail pass- nothing. She deserves nothing. OK, so it starts off that V gets shot and is dying when he is taken to a human hospital and wonder surgeon Dr. Jane Whitcomb saves his life, then his brothers come in to take him home and wipe every one's minds that the vampires were there, only V wants to take the doctor with him. His brothers comply and Doctor Jane is kidnapped and taken hostage by the vampires. V and Jane quickly fall for each other, and V finds himself spilling his guts to her about his past and how he likes sex- with pain and him being the Dom-always. He just can't believe how well she takes it and doesn't pity him and can still see him as a whole male. He and Butch clear the air about their feelings for each other and I just adored these scenes. V tells Butch that he was in love with him and Butch is such a trooper he responds perfectly and they air it all. We also see V confessing to raping a man. This was Vishous' beginning into adult male vampire life (much like Z's story, full of rape and sexual abuse). He goes through transition, becomes an adult male, has to fight another vampire then when he wins he has to rape the loser (those are the rules) and when he's finished raping the guy, V then has one testicle ripped off him by his brutal twisted father- Mommy the Virgin Scribe does nothing to stop this or to help her son V. So V has sex issues, and because his father mutilated V's body, V has issues being naked (though he rather quickly gets over them with Jane- smart girl that Jane). Jane like V also had a brutal father, only Jane's father was emotionally brutal to her, not physically brutal. She willingly opens up and lets V in showing him he can trust her and that she is willing to listen and not judge him. Jane is great, I loved her. She's a no nonsense, take it full on, tough female doctor and V can't rattle her no matter what deep dark secret he shares with her. She accepts and loves him with all his dirty laundry. They are a perfect pair. While these two are falling in love, we see one of my favorites; mute pre-transition John finally go through transition and become an adult male. Congrats John! Woohoo! Now poor John's got sex issues too (these vampire men could make Dr. Phil the richest man on the planet!). John was raped a few years back and now that he's physically able to have sex, things aren't working except when its just him and his hand. He's got no problems there and is quite pleased with himself at that accomplishment- but what male isn't that first time eh? lol Anywho...I love Layla the Chosen and really feel bad for her. The vampire men are all sucking her blood, but no one will mate with her and she's really getting a complex now. I was so hoping that John would be the one, but nope. He lost it- literally and Layla left in tears thinking she's the one responsible. I hope J.R. Ward has a happy ending for Layla in a future book. Phury is also a big character in this book, as we watch him unravel more. Some interesting things start in this book and I can't wait to see where they lead in the next book "Love Enshrined" that I am beginning tonight. I have a pretty good idea about Phury and think I know where that story is going, but I could be wrong. Oh the hardships of relationships... With V being a vampire and sunlight making vampires toast and Jane being a busy doctor these two have difficult schedules to be together, but they are determined to make it work. They try to figure out a way to be together so that she can continue to be a doctor and still have V in her life. V can't stay away from her and wants her with him all the time. Jane quickly decides she can't live without V and wants to leave her life and make a new one with V and the vampires and set up her own vampire clinic to care for their battle wounds. Great! She walks out of the house and BANG! Now I probably shouldn't give this away, but I have to because I HAVE to say that J.R. Ward was W-R-O-N-G, WRONG. She was just SOOO wrong here. UGH! I want to scream at what was done to this great story and what SHOULD have happened. Ok, so Jane dies. I could deal with that. But then J.R. Ward has Jane come back as...Casper the fricken transparent damn ghost! What the hell was Ward thinking? V is a big boy, he COULD have lived some tragic sorrow vengeance filled life and in a few years J.R. Ward could have come out with another book about Vishous learning to love again. What a triumph that would be for a male like V to have two great loves in his life! Instead he's having sex with Casper the very friendly and see-through ghost. Can I bang my head on the keyboard now? I kept hoping it would be some Wizard of Oz dream or that Fritz needed to fit V for a white jacket and a padded cell, but nope. That's it. V is living with and having sex with a ghost and the Brothers all now live happily with a ghost in the house. It's like fricken Hogwarts! A ghost the Brothers walk through and sit on because she fades and then V gets all ticked off growling and fangs out. You don't mess with a vamire's ghost! While I loved and adored 90% of this book, the ending was just...stupid and all wrong. So totally wrong. It would have been better in my opinion, if V lost his first love, but found love again one day years from now rather than screwing Casper into eternity. I can't help but think of those ghosts rattling chains and V getting all turned on by the chains and his friendly ghost. ACK! It's so wrong...J.R. Ward you were wrong on this one. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars- based on the first 90% of the book.

Don't Ya Just Love Hump Day?

It's Hump Day and I can't think of a better way to spend a hump day than with Vishous ("Lover Unbound" by JR Ward), can you?

So you all will have to pardon me while Vishous and I get better acquainted today. *g*

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

"Broken Wing" by Judith James

I just finished "Broken Wing" by Judith James and enjoyed the story of Lady Sarah Munroe a widow and Gabriel St. Croix a shell of a young man living in torment from the abuse and complete lack of human kindness his torturous childhood entailed. Sarah's younger brother James was lost to her for many years then discovered living in a brothel. Sarah and her older brother Ross go to retrieve their lost sibling and find Gabriel has become the young boys protector. Gabriel had been taken into the brothel as a child and used by men and women alike until he became a much sought after prostitute. When Sarah's young sibling James came to the brothel Gabriel felt protective of the young boy and put himself in harms way to keep the boy safe. Because of this, Gabriel and James formed a bond- James sees Gabriel as his big brother and will not leave the brothel without him. So Sarah and Ross invite Gabriel to come home with them for a year to help James adjust and promise to pay Gabriel nicely after the year is up. Gabe goes- its the escape from the brothel he's dared to dream of. Poor Gabe is a mess. He has no idea how to feel much of anything because as a whore, he's learned the only way to survive such a business is to turn off all your feelings and emotions and live on a sort of auto pilot doing what you're told, not asking questions and making it through one day at a time. To feel something, Gabe cuts himself. It's his release and the only thing he permits himself to feel. This guy has so many issues and is innocent in so many ways- which the author Judith James portrays to perfection. He knows nothing of kindness or gentleness. He lives with no hope and is scared to death to allow himself to dream. He's harassed by nightmares, hates himself so much he's drowning in self loathing and sees himself as completely unworthy and below being human. He sees himself as a thing, because that is what he's always been to people. A thing to be used for pleasure then discarded. But Sarah sees more in Gabe and her love and patience and kindness slowly begin to breakdown Gabe's defenses. She gives him the first hope he's ever felt. She is a life jacket to a drowning man at sea. The story of their friendship, trust and love unfolds slowly as Gabe begins to heal and sort through his wounds. As Gabe begins to trust Sarah he exposes each of his wounds to her and as she is shocked by them, she is patient and helps him to heal each and every one of them, until only the scars are left and Gabe is able to love, trust and hope for the first time in his life. But things don't stay smooth for long, the young lovers are separated by a fateful trip at sea. Gabe finds himself once again at the mercy of unkind and vile hands. He falls into despair and believes he has betrayed Sarah's love with the things he is forced to do. He feels so unworthy of her and such self loathing once again that even when he is free he does not return to Sarah at once. But these two are fated to be together and once more Sarah must help Gabe heal his wounds and believe in himself and their love.

Wonderful characters and I enjoyed this historical romance because it is so different from others. First its told nearly completely from the males view and the male being the character whose been sexually abused and in need of rescue is not typical in historical romance. That was a refreshing change for me. Personally speaking, I don't typically like the "fate separates the lovers and years later they find each other against the odds" type of novels- just doesn't appeal to me at all. But the characters and torment of Gabe was bittersweet and the story begged to be told and Judith James did a fine job. And the fact that when I began reading this and the image of Gabe began to form in my mind, all I could see was Johnny Depp as Gabe! *g* So I had that lovely image in my mind while reading this romance. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

What to do, what to do...

Temptation is sweet and brutal. I am currently reading "Broken Wing" by Judith James (I'm on chapter 13) and I'm enjoying it very much, but the UPS man came today and he left me quite tempted (as he so often does). Now I've got"Lover Unbound" and "Lover Enshrined" by J. R. Ward and "Embracing Midnight" by Devyn Quinn staring at me and I swear I heard Vishous calling me! I just KNOW he wants to tell me all his deep dark secrets and of course I want to know them all! *g*

I SO want to dig into JR Wards books, but I don't want to stop "Broken Wing" as I am really loving the characters and story so far.

Oh what to do...what to do...?

7 Kinds of Sex

Results of a recent research shows that there are 7 kinds of sex.

The 1st kind of sex is called: Smurf Sex..

* This kind of sex happens when you first meet Someone and you both have sex until you are Blue in the face.

The 2nd kind of sex is called: Kitchen Sex.

* This is when you have been with your partner For a short time and you are so needy you will Have sex anywhere, even in the kitchen.

The 3rd kind of sex is called: Bedroom Sex.

* This is when you have been with your partner For a long time. Your sex has become routine and You usually have sex only in your bedroom.

The 4th kind of sex is called: Hallway Sex

* This is when you have been with your partner For too long. When you pass each other in the Hallway you both say 'screw you.'

The 5th kind of sex is called: Religious Sex.

* Which means you get Nun in the morning, Nun In the afternoon and Nun at night.(Very Popular)

The 6th kind is called Courtroom Sex.

* This is when you cannot stand your wife any More. She takes you to court and screws you In front of everyone.

And; Last, but not least, The 7th kind of sex is called: Social Security Sex.

* You get a little each month. But not enough to enjoy your self.

"Wicked Burn" by Beth Kery

Well damn that was scorching hot! I just got done reading "Wicked Burn" by Beth Kery and there is no better title for that book than the one given to it! Hot, hot, hot! Not one of my typical reads, but after hearing good reviews about the book I decided to give it a shot (funny thing was, I've looked at it a few times and never purchased it until I read the reviews). The story is about Niall Chandler a woman with sorrow in her past and Vic Savian, a man recovering from a bad relationship. These two have their own issues to deal with, but the fire between the two of them could not be stopped or put out. The sex was graphic and nearly constant throughout the book. This is erotic with a capital "E". There were two things that I didn't care for in the book and had to adjust to while reading it: the crude language used by Vic and the way he demanded Niall be subservient to all his sex demands- and he had an unlimited amount of sex demands. But Niall didn't seem to mind- she actually got off on it all. To tell the truth, the first ten chapters I was beginning to think this book was just some horny guys fantasy having a woman do anything and everything he demands without a single protest, then the characters started to develop more and the real story came out and was gripping and engaging. And while I usually don't hold back on what happens in a story, I think if I told what Niall's issues were, it might distract from the story, so I won't. Course for me, it's like not shaking a Christmas present days before Christmas! *g* I give this book 4 stars out of 5 for those of you who like erotic romance. This one will not disappoint. And if Vic hadn't been so crude and dominate 100% of time (a little here and there is OK), the book would have gotten 5 stars from me.

North & South DVD Review

Oh dear, I'm afraid I am not going to be a Crusader after all and I fear after this review the Crusaders might just send a hit man after me for not being a convert! Sorry Crusaders, but I just didn't really care for "North & South". :::ducks under desk trembling:::

Here's my take on it, I adored Richard Armitage (as I do everything the man even breathes in) as John Thornton. He was perfection. Got no problems there. His emotions played out on his face, in his eyes and in his body language. You knew what he was thinking and feeling just by looking at him, he didn't even have to open that seductive mouth of his. Hell, I could have muted the whole movie and just watched him move around. *g* The problem for me was Margaret, portrayed by Daniela Denby-Ashe. HATED HER. She gave me the impression of a dead fish on a river bank. It didn't matter if she was supposed to be happy, sad, angry or indifferent, the look on her face was always the same. I tried, I really tried to see something in this actress but nothing showed up. She was very poorly matched to Richard Armitage in my opinion. Aside from John Thornton the only other characters I liked were Nicolas the Union man, and Mrs. Thornton. Yeah, yeah I know, everyone said she was a nasty mean bitch but I got her. She was hard because events in her life made her hard and she was protective of her son (John) because she watched him struggle and work his butt off to save her and the entire family after her husband killed himself. Life made her hard, but deep down any woman who can love a son as fiercely like she did has a big heart. I liked her character and was glad she didn't go easy on Margaret - since I didn't like her anyway! LOL Nicolas I liked from the moment I saw him and he grew on me even more. The relationship I enjoyed the most in the film was the relationship between Nicolas and John Thornton and how it unfolded and grew till the men finally had a respect for each other. Loved that they could find common ground and both work for the same outcome and the best results for both men. That was portrayed to perfection. Unfortunately for me, this was supposed to be a romance between John and Margaret and while I think John did his part, I never saw it with the actress playing Margaret. When exactly did they fall in love? When did she show an interest in him any more than her interest in Nicolas or Henry and anyone else? I didn't see it. While John gave her those longing looks and bared his heart, she did nothing but look at him with disgust and anger so full of her own self righteousness that it gagged me. I think I would like to read the book by Elisabeth Gaskell that this film was based on because the story and plot were good, but I couldn't buy into Daniela Denby-Ashe as Margaret at all. So to the Crusaders, I am sorry, I really tried to see what you all saw in this film and aside from Armitage, Nicolas and Mrs. Thornton and the final scene (the kiss), I just didn't see it. I rated this film 2 stars on Netflix.

The kiss scene, which I give 5 stars to:

"Lover Revealed" by J. R. Ward (Book #4- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series)

Finished "Lover Revealed" by J.R. Ward last night. Another good book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but not (in my opinion) as good as the first three books. I have mixed and very opposing views on this book. It's the story of the human ex cop Butch, who we meet in book one. Butch doesn't seem to have a place in life, he doesn't fit in with humans and he doesn't totally fit in with vampires, but he wants to be with the vampires and be a vampire. In J.R. Ward's version of vampires, no one gets bit and turns into a vampire. You have to be born a vampire and/or have some vampire ancestry. I have liked Butch and been a bit disgusted with Butch on and off throughout the series. At first, I liked the tough cop who didn't back down to the vampires even though he knew they could kill him without breaking a sweat. Then he became a vampire mooch. He was like those thirtysomething guys who still lives in their parents basements. Butch didn't work (lost his job as a cop), moved in with the vampires and allowed the vampires to give him cash, buy him fancy expensive clothes, give him a car to drive and all the booze he wants. He was a mooch, a leech in a house of vampires! But the vampires liked him- most especially Vishous. Now this relationship...has a few twists. I am still trying to get my mind around it. Butch and Vishous hit off their friendship nearly from the beginning- well after Vishous gets over his first desire to kill Butch. After that, they find they have a lot in common and when Butch moves in, they become roommates and best buds. But like I mentioned in the last book review, things got weird like when V gave Butch his blood to drink that gave the guy a massive orgasm while holding him on a bed. (The blood links V to Butch so he can find him- this comes in handy when Butch is attacked.) Then in this book, V has a dream or a vision about being naked and having Butch wrapped around his body. And V is a bit territorial and possessive about Butch. He says in this book that Butch is...his. And he (V) admits his feelings and thoughts of Butch are disturbing since they are both very heterosexual males. But V- like Zsadist before him, seems to have some serious issues with sex. V is into bondage and violent sex it seems. Butch gets an eye full of V when he walks in unexpectedly on V and an unknown female vampire whose strapped down with leather. Butch doesn't get it, but he's "cool" with it and V appreciates that. Butch has had his eye on Wrath's ex Marissa, since he first saw her. I don't like Marissa and haven't liked her since book one. To me Marissa is a whiny, needy annoyance who acts more like a preteen than an adult female. I just can't stand her and that is why I really didn't care for this book as much as the others in the series. I wish Butch had fallen for anyone else- even Vishous! Marissa who comes from an old powerful aristocratic vampire family seems oblivious to what it means to be in the Brotherhood even though she was married to Wrath the King of the vampires and leader of the Brotherhood for centuries. She whines and pitches a fit when Butch wants to fight and be with the Brothers. This to me made NO sense considering her background. She of all of the women should have understood the situation and accepted it because its all shes ever known. But instead the women who come from human backgrounds all accepted their men fighting without a single whine. But obnoxious Marissa whose never known anything else flips out, whines, cries and has hissy fits when Butch wants to do what he's called to do. I wish he'd have kicked her sorry ass to the curb and told her to put a sock in it. Moving on...(I get irritated just thinking about her!). Butch is beaten nearly to death and left with something evil inside him when Vishous finds and rescues him and saves Butch's life by using his glowing healing hand. At this point we don't know much about Vishous' wondrous glowing hand, but no one can touch it and he has to wear a glove all the time. When Vishous touches Butch with his hand, it doesn't hurt Butch, but heals him and pushes the evil away. Butch undergoes lots of pain and changes in this book because of that attack. V spends all his time trying to figure out what was done to his best friend and how he can help him. The Brotherhood fears the evil in Butch might be something the lessers use to take out the Brotherhood and Butch wants the brothers to kill him first because he can't stand the thought, that the evil in him would be used to hurt his vampire friends. V knows that if he can't find any answers, he just might have to kill his best friend and this drives V to the edge. And even though V doesn't like Marissa he goes and gets her to be with Butch knowing that Butch loves Marissa. When V comes to see Butch at the clinic where he's healing from his attack, he finds Butch and Marissa in a sexual situation and instead of leaving he watches his friend in awe while he gets all hot and bothered by it. He eventually leaves and goes back to work trying to find a cure for the evil in Butch but he can't figure out what he wants after seeing Butch making love to Marissa. While this is going on we see more of John the mute pre-transition vampire and his story as he gets closer and closer to becoming an adult male vampire. I am really liking John and can't wait for his story to come out. Meanwhile, Vishous can't sleep and isn't functioning well at all. He is completely unraveling and his visions have stopped. Wrath forces V to take time off until he gets himself together. Butch discovers that he has some sort of built in radar since the evil was placed in him. He can detect lessers and he begins to hunt them down. But instead of killing them with a knife to the chest, as is normal, Butch inhales them and they POOF! into ash. When the brothers witness this, they can't figure it out and each time Butch does this he gets sick because he's taken the evil into his body and the only one to cure him is Vishous with his glowing healing hand. So the two rely on each other to get the job done. They are the Dark & the Light coming together. Yet another connection for these two males. V finally discovers that Butch had a vampire in his family and it turns out that Butch is some distant cousin of Wrath's. V also discovers a way to turn Butch into a vampire based on his vampire ancestry. It's very dangerous, but its something Butch wants. Again whiny Marissa flips out and doesn't want them to change Butch even though Butch is miserable being a human. He's so whipped by her, he promises he won't change unless she agrees. He tells her his story about not fitting in and the rotten life he's had and how miserable he's been and she finally agrees to let them change him. They do and Butch comes out a vampire. Yah! He's thrilled and all his dreams are finally coming true. V is a bit jealous because Butch takes Marissa as his mate and V still thinks of Butch as "his". During the Brotherhood ceremony to make Butch a true Black Dagger Warrior, each brother vampire has to drink from Butch's neck then strike him across the chest as tradition dictates. One by one all the warriors do this while Butch clutches to handles in the cave wall. Vishous is the last vampire to step up and when he does it's clearly different than it was for the others. First V waits for Butch to offer him his neck (like males do to the females who feed off them), then as V is feeding from Butch, Butch lets go of the handles and grabs V's hips to bring their bodies together and they end up shuddering all over each other at the body to body contact while V is still feeding off Butch. Hmm...and this all happens with all the other brothers watching but not saying anything. When its over, V is feeling awkard and won't make eye contact with Butch till Butch calls him "beloved friend" and V flushes and things are good between them after that. I don't really know what to make of this relationship between Butch and Vishous. At first I thought Vishous was a bi-sexual vampire, but then I thought it might be some weird connection because of V's visions of Butch and the future. Then almost near the end of the book I was think it had to be the Dark (Butch) & Light (V) connection. But when they got to that ceremony and V was clutching Butch's back while feeding and Butch let go off the handles to grab V's hips and put their bodies together I was back to thinking these two have some sort of bi-sexual relationship going. I really don't know at this point as I haven't gotten to Vishous' story yet. Should be interesting! Aside from Marissa, the book is good and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

My Weekend Plans

As is my usual winter weekend habit (I live such an exciting life-not!), I've got some books I plan to read and my next 2 Netflix movies have arrived. After reading KristieJ's blog, I discovered an entire following of 'Crusaders'...that is North & South fans. I hadn't heard of this North & South before. To me, North & South, has always meant the Patrick Swayze Civil War mini-series that I've seen numerous times. But this North & South movie comes from the BBC series and is based on a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. So this weekend my Netflix movie is the 2 DVD set of the BBC's North & South. I have to see what I've been missing apparently! As for my weekend reading plans, I've got to finish the next book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series ("Lover Revealed"), this is Butch the human cop's story and I am only in chapter five now. After I finish that, I hope to get to "Wicked Burn" or "Broken Wing"- both new to me authors but seem to be getting great reviews on several blogs. But if North & South is really good, I might just end up watching that over and over before I have to return it! The other thing I have to do, is order my next four books from Barnes & Noble off my wish list- now to figure out just which four to pick! :o) Happy Weekend everyone!

"Lover Awakened" by J.R. Ward (Book #3- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series)

Yet another phenomenal book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I just finished reading "Lover Awakened" and its by far my favorite of the series. This was the book I was really waiting for, as the story of Zsadist is one I wanted to know from the first moment he was mentioned in the first book of the series. This review is going to be full of spoilers so if you don't want to know, stop reading now because I have a lot to say about this book. We first met Zsadist in book one and all we knew about him was that he shaved his head, has pierced nipples, likes pain, has a huge horrid scar running across his entire face, he's extremely thin because he refuses to drink from vampire women who have strong blood (a side effect from his abuse) and instead used humans who have weak blood. He had been horribly abused and because of that lived in anger and hate putting himself outside of everyone- even the Brotherhood. He wouldn't let anyone close and no one ever touched him, nor did he touch anyone that he wasn't in the process of killing. He couldn't stand being touched by anyone and the Brother's feared him because he was so unstable and wished to die so had no fear of anything. He often thought and said that there was nothing anyone could do to him that hadn't already been done. Zsadist is Phury's twin brother. He was kidnapped as an infant and raised as a kitchen slave until he went through his 'transition' (when vampires hit puberty). The day he became an adult male vampire, Zsadist was made into a blood slave for a cruel mistress. She not only fed off him, but raped him (and often had others come to watch the rape) and allowed males to rape him. Zsadist endured this for centuries. To say the guy has sex issues doesn't begin to cover it. He can't even say 'penis' (he refers to it as "the it"). Nor can Z look at or touch his own body. Poor guy hates having to handle himself to take a leak- that's how bad he's screwed up from the sexual abuse. He's never completed a sex act because he hates it and avoids it. Has no idea what an orgasm is (he's never had one) and wishes he could remove his penis because it disgusts him so much. He always feels dirty and scrubs himself raw trying to get clean. He has huge issues with sex and people. As his twin Phury put it, Zsadist was not 'broken-that he could be fixed, he was ruined'. There didn't seem to be anything left of Zsadist but a mean, violent shell of a guy who wanted to die. After being rescued by Phury, the twin he didn't know he had, he ends up a warrior in the Brotherhood but doesn't feel the bond of the Brotherhood as the others do. He just likes killing so he sticks around. In the previous book, we met vampire Bella who sees Zsadist and has an instant attraction. Zsadist feels something, but avoids it until Bella is kidnapped by a lesser. Zsadist is determined to find her and kill the lesser. In this book, weeks have gone by and Zsadist is obsessed with finding out what happened to Bella, most think she is dead. Her own family had a funeral for her and were in mourning. Zsadist keeps going to her home, touching her things and obsessing about her. He is lethal in his killing and hunting down lessers, not caring if he's hurt or killed in the process. He finds Bella and rescues her from the torture she has endured and he can understand. She recovers quickly and wants something from Zsadist that he can't give. Sex. He's never been kissed, never been touched with kindness and has never touched a woman. He doesn't know the first thing about making love and he tells her he doesn't know what he's doing. It's so sad. All he's known is abuse and pain. What transpires between Bella and Zsadist is compelling and bitter sweet as Bella tries to heal Zsadist and teach him touch can be good and right between two people. He's so twisted from the abuse he thinks he needs pain and she's horrified by what he wants her to do to him. The details of what transpires in the bathroom...you need to read it for yourself. Like I said...bittersweet and compelling. I felt so bad for Zsadist, but also thrilled at each one of his victories, no matter how small the step. I loved Bella and Zsadist, their story and triumph made this book phenomenal. Now the other characters in the book had a lot going on also, not to mention some very interesting events. We really see Phury as a drug addict in this book. We see what a female vampire (Bella) goes through when she hits her "needing" (fertile period for female vampires when they let off a scent that gives all males hard-ons). I was hysterical laughing at all the male vampires getting a whiff of her and flipping out- at the breakfast table no less! This lasts a day or two with EVERYONE turned on and seeking release anywhere and anyway they can get it! Let me just say, the single men (V, Butch & Phury) had it the worst and endured it together in one room! Oh my! There was a lot of sex going on in this book in numerous forms. One interesting scene that I didn't see coming (pardon the pun), was when Vishous gives an unknowing human Butch a glass of vampire blood (his own) and Butch drinks it thinking its a glass of red wine. When Butch figures it out and tries to vomit it back out, V tackles him on the bed and holds him refusing to let Butch vomit out his vampire blood. Butch goes nuts, feels all weird, gets turned on and has an explosive orgasm with V holding him till it's over. Now at this point I am thinking...umm...what the hell was that?! V assures Butch he's not a vampire but that he will "thank V's ass later"- whatever that means. The next book is Butch's story, so I guess I will find out soon as I am going to begin that book today. In this book, we get to know John better. He's the mute pre-transition male we first met in book 2. I really like John and can't wait to see him become a warrior. There are some tragic deaths in this book, that will have lasting effects on the Brotherhood. I won't say who died, but I was surprised and sad to see them go. There are new faces too that I eagerly await reading their stories in the future. I can't say enough about this paranormal romance series. It really is great and I highly recommend it to ANY vampire fans out there. You can't help but get sucked into this Brotherhood. 5 out of 5 stars - easy.

"Lover Eternal" by J.R. Ward (Book #2- Black Dagger Brotherhood Series)

"Wow" just doesn't seem to cut it for me this morning as I think of my review for J. R. Ward's "Lover Eternal", so I have to revert back to my family's equivalent of 'wow' which is HOLY CRAPANOLI! I am loving this vampire series. I loved the characters in this book tremendously even with their faults and issues- and boy do they have those! Though I do have to say the creator of the vampires, the "Scribe Virgin" is a major bitch. I disliked her in the first book and hate her in the second. This is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and this one tells the story of Rhage and Mary. Rhage is the vampire brother who has issues with controlling himself and has been cursed with a dragon beast inside him. Whenever he gets too angry, or hurt or overwhelmed by sex (which only happens with Mary) the dragon beast comes out and takes over. Rhage usually blacks out during these episodes and wakes up in pain, covered in black blood and with an extended belly from eating his victims. He hates the beast in him and in order to control the beast he needs to release some pent up...frustrations I guess you could say. He does this two ways, a) beating the crap out of someone and b) having sex with hordes (and I mean HORDES) of nameless women. Then Mary comes along and rocks his world. Mary has battled cancer and for a time was in remission. She works a suicide hot line, works for an attorney and spent time with autistic children. Mary's a giver and care taker. She's also a human, so that makes her off limits to Rhage in anyway beyond a one night stand- something he doesn't want with her. He's ready to leave the Brotherhood to have Mary and he's willing to take the punishment for his defiance. He is punished (whipped), then gets to remain with Mary. The problem is, whenever he gets close to having sex with Mary the beast comes out and Rhage flees in terror that the beast might hurt Mary. Mary doesn't know what the hell is going on, but she's turned on and wants Rhage and he wants her desperately. Before he can have sex with her, he must release some of that pent up frustration... then he can control the beast and have sex with her. This was bizarre, but after it unfolded I was OK with it...sort of. He, like Wrath in book one, "marks" Mary as his mate so other vampires will leave her alone. After finally having sex with Mary, he swears off sex with anyone else ever again- then the beast shows up and Rhage panics and runs out on Mary. Mary is determined to tame the beast and Rhage agrees to have himself chained -with large car towing chains, to the bed (compliments of Butch and V's handy work), so that Mary can have wild sex with Rhage and his inner beast- and boy does she! Rhage and the Beast are very pleased with themselves after that round of sex, as finally both of them were satisfied at once- that was interesting to say the least. As Mary so aptly puts it a few chapters later, she got a "2 for 1 deal". lol While all this is happening the vampires enemies are still hunting them down, Mary's cancer comes back and Bella (Mary's vampire neighbor and friend) is taken by a Lesser. Of all the vampires Zsadist takes this very badly- he's already got a thing for Bella and she for him. Can't wait for that story. "Lover Eternal" is a great book with lots of action, passion and a deeper look into the Brotherhoods story than we were first introduced to in the first book. Loved every moment of reading this one! Easy 5 stars out of 5 for "Lover Eternal" by J.R. Ward. Can't wait to read more of this series- it's addicting.

"Seduction of an Unknown Lady" by Samantha James

Almost 95% of the time, I really enjoy Samantha James' historical romances. They are nice quick reads for me and guarantee a happy ending with everything wrapped up nicely in a neat little bow - more often then not I really like that because it never happens like that in real life. But this book...I hate saying this...this book was not good on a few levels. First, I just did NOT like the main characters- or actually ANY character in the entire book. The heroine is Fionna Hawkes, a book shop owner and secret writer (she uses a pen name that most people assume is a man). Fionna writes books about demons, vampires, death, mutilation and murders. She goes out at midnight to think of ideas for her stories and this is when she meets Lord Aidan Hawkes, who is intrigued by her from the get go. Fionna is untrusting, negative, and on a few occasions down right stupid in her behavior - especially for a woman of 26 years old. For example, on page 76 she's wildly flaying her cloak around doing an impression of a vampire while Lord Aidan McBride is trying to court her and get her to reveal her secrets. It was embarrassing to read the entire scene. And keep in mind this is NOT a paranormal romance, yet the heroine is acting the vampire buffoon. Ridiculous. Fionna writes to pay for the expense of an insane mother under going expensive treatments. This is the big secret that Aidan doesn't figure out until the end- when he hires a spy to follow Fionna around. Prior to that, Fionna lies and leads Aidan in circles having sex everywhere but in a bed. When Aidan is tired of running around in circles Fionna tries to dump him and says the thing she knows is most hurtful to him just when he is proposing marriage to her. I really, REALLY disliked Fionna and Aidan was less interesting than her bookshop. I am truly sorry to say, this book gets 1 star out of 5. Do not waste your time or money. The back of a cereal box would prove more entertaining.

Oh Yummy, He Came!

Oh get your mind out of the romance book - I know what you were thinking when you saw that title! But that's not what I meant. The UPS man came to my house tonight and delivered my next four books from Barnes and Noble! Woohoo! I got "Dangerous Lover" by a new to me author Lisa Marie Rice- this in keeping with my plan to try more new to me authors this year. And to top it off the book was originally $13.95 and I got it for $4.98! I just love a book bargain! And I got the next three books in the vampire series I started last week by J.R. Ward. They are "Lover Revealed", "Lover Eternal" and "Lover Awaken" all by J.R. Ward! Now I have to decide if I am going to set aside my current read "The Seduction of an Unknown Lady" by Samantha James or jump back into the vampire Black Dagger Brotherhood series - which I am tempted to do. But with three books here from the BDB series and more on order for that series it might take me a while to get back to my current read and I don't want to have to start it over- its been slow going as it is. I think I am out of my historical romance mood for the moment ("Suddenly You" by Lisa Kleypas really satisfied me on that account) and I'm ready for more vampires and paranormal romance. Plus, I've got some Netflix movies that I never got around to this weekend - couldn't put my books down or get off the computer long enough to watch them. When you've got a good book (or books) the days just aren't long enough!

Book lovers on GOOGLE

I just love GOOGLE. I am convinced nearly everything in the universe can be found on GOOGLE. A simple search of "book lovers" produced some very interesting finds.


The book lovers seesaw...











A book lovers chair...










Another book lovers chair...










A book lovers car...










A book lovers reading bench...

There were also book lover t-shirts, caps, book repair kits and assorted shelving units. All more typical and expected finds - at least in my experience. I have to wonder about the person who designed the book lovers seesaw...what was the point? :o)

The Re-Read Challenge for 2009

While visiting other blogs, I've seen many bloggers participating in Nath's Re-read Challenge and I think it's a great challenge. Unfortunately I can't take it on myself, as I am already doing two other challenges (see side bar) and I know if I sign up for everything that sounds good (and Nath's challenge DOES sound good) I will never get through my stacks of new books just waiting for me! I plan on devoting myself to books I haven't yet read and branching out to find more "new to me authors" in 2009 and hopefully expanding more into the YA area. But!!! If I was doing this challenge (my mind was seriously considering it- as it is very tempting), I would love to start off by re-read the following books (oldies but goodies in my opinion):


"Paradise" and "Perfect" by Judith McNaught

"Open Season" by Linda Howard

"The Hellion" and "Morning Glory" by LaVyrle Spencer

"Prisoner of my Desire" by Johanna Lindsey

"The Wolf & the Dove" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

"Long After Midnight" and "The Ugly Duckling" by Iris Johansen

"Mountain Rose" by Norah Hess

"And One Rode West" and "Slow Burn" and "The Viking's Woman" by Heather Graham (Pozzessere)

Best & Favorites that come to mind...

I've been thinking about all the books I've ever read, which ones I adored and the time in my life I was reading them- that plays a part in what type of book I like at any given moment. For example, when I was pregnant I loved books where the heroine got pregnant or gave birth. I related more, I guess. Anyway, I started wondering if I could ever name the creme da la creme of my reading experiences over the years. I probably can't do it adequately because there are just too many great books out there, so I will have to settle for the "first comes to mind" approach and then kick myself later when I recall books I should have mentioned. So here it is, off the top of my head, what first pops into my mind of my reading/romance favorites and bests...

Contemporary romance: "Perfect" or "Paradise" by Judith McNaught (both are phenomenal)

Historical romance: "Prisoner of my Desire" by Johanna Lindsey (still love rereading this one)

Favorite Frontier romance: "Mountain Rose" by Norah Hess

Paranormal romance: "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyers

Paranormal romance series: "Sign of the Seven" by Nora Roberts

Romance series: "Chesapeake Bay" by Nora Roberts (these guys were just so sexy!)

Trilogy/saga/series: "Darkness Chosen series" by Christina Dodd

Favorite YA books (3): Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer and Flowers in the Attic series by VC Andrews

Romantic Suspense: "All the Queen's Men" by Linda Howard

Humorous Romance: "Open Season" by Linda Howard (one of my ALL time favorite EVER books)

Favorite authors (3): Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Christina Dodd

Favorite erotic/steamy romance author: Beatrice Small

Favorite "classic" romance: "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell

Favorite book cover: The original "Ashes in the Wind" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss- not sure why, but I always liked it

Best Place to Read: My love seat

Best Place to Buy Books: In the winter I love to shop at Barnes & Noble Online but in the warmer seasons I ADORE digging through flea market bins and garage sales for used books - love buying a great book for a great price!

Best food to eat while reading: Dove milk chocolate Promises (love the little messages)

Favorite bookmark: I have an eHarlequin rose bookmark I've used for years.

Favorite Romance Movies (3): Pride & Prejudice (K.Knightly version), "You've Got Mail", and "The Painted Veil".

Even with the 'what comes first to mind' approach, this was difficult for me. Please feel free to snag this and share what first comes to your mind.

99 Meme things

I snagged this from Phyl's Quilts & Books.

This was fun. Feel free to copy. Coments in purple are from me.

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. (does from the beach count? *g*)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. (while I was pregnant!)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. (this is on my 'to do before I die' list)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke. (yeah that was my "solo" to #10!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp. (don't think I could handle that)
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. (if lobsters & crabs count- YES!)
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.