romance

Review: Before We Kiss by Susan Mallery

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20140419-225500.jpg The latest Fool’s Gold romance has girl next door Dellina trying not to fall in love with strong, silent, private Sam. Their romance starts off slow, heats up, cools down, and ends with a public announcement no one expects. I loved it!

I also liked this book for the camaraderie of Taryn and the football guys she works with, and the consistent support the women provide to each other. There’s something to be said for knowing there’s always someone to rely on, just a block or two away.

Before We Kiss has a lot of, um, instructions for intimacy. Graphic ones. Ones that will make you uncomfortable, and not always in a bad way. 😉 Sometimes Sam’s mother tells someone something no one wants to hear, and other times her candid sex conversations are quite educational. Be prepared!

If you’re an animal lover, this is the Susan Mallery book for you. A major subplot involves Larissa and her compulsion to help animals. By the end of the book, at least two main characters become grateful pet owners. Meow. Woof. 🙂

This was yummy icing on the cake of a week’s worth of reading Susan Mallery. In a few months I’ll be reviewing more, as I have a permanent place in my heart for Fool’s Gold, its caring women, and its smokin’ hot…. I mean LOVING… men.

–Calliope

Buy BEFORE WE KISS

Review: Unmasking Juliet by Teri Wilson

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20140522-211508-76508850.jpg This Juliet faces off with Leo, not Romeo… but their respective families have been in a feud for decades, just like the Montagues and Capulets. Both families make chocolate, and Juliet and Leo find themselves competing against each other at several chocolate competitions. In between trying to best each other, they do a little talking, a little getting to know each other, and a little kissing. Wait until you see what their families think!

I loved these characters! Juliet is strong, sassy, and sweet. Leo is romantic, gentle, and persistent. They each have outspoken relatives that remind me of a big Italian Sunday dinner…. you know, the mom who can stop a train with her glare, the cousin who “by mistake” spills secrets over dessert, the uncle who isn’t quiiiiiite right. These people are heartwarming, charming, and funny.

Know what else is great about Unmasking Juliet? The chocolate. Truffles. Hot chocolate. Caramel chocolate with sea salt. Chocolate covered strawberries. Chocolate bars. More truffles.

This book starts with a masked ball and ends with a happily-ever-after. The middle is magical… and delicious.

–Calliope

buy UNMASKING JULIET

Review: The Marriage Pact by Linda Lael Miller

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20140518-214023-78023213.jpg Parts of this book were fun, and other parts were a little hokey, and still others were a little bit confusing. I’ll tell ya what’s what, and you can decide if it’s a book for you. (I totally believe everyone’s tastes are good for them, and some people’s mediocre is other people’s terrific. So read on.)

Hadleigh and Tripp grew up together, and despite her wedding that didn’t end in I-DO, and his wedding that ended in divorce, Hadleigh has always been a little bit in love with Tripp. Tripp’s persistence and Hadleigh’s reluctance create fun romantic tension that I loved! Tripp is a chivalrous, handsome cowboy and courts Miss Hadleigh with notions of settling down. The one little problem with the romance was that it jumped abruptly from Hadleigh not wanting to give in to her own feelings of love for Tripp, to all of a sudden being all-in, head over heels.

This book is the first in a series, each centering on one woman in a circle of three friends. They make a pact to support each other in their searches for husbands. This is the part I thought was a little hokey. Do people in their late 20s/early 30s do this? Make pacts with charm bracelets and promises? I’ve never heard of such a thing. It seemed very teenager-ish to me. And a little contrived. I think best friends would naturally be there for each other without a formal agreement!

I love Miller’s characters: well-thought-out, likable, distinct, and memorable. Tripp being a gentle, loving, caring, rich, gorgeous, perfect cowboy hero? I dig it. But I’m not a fan of the heroine changing her tune in a New York minute, nor her friends contriving a marriage pact.

–Calliope

buy THE MARRIAGE PACT

Review: Room for Love by Sophie Pembroke

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20140515-225338.jpg Well, I have never met a sweeter hero! Nate is the gardener, sure, but he’s also at innkeeper Carrie’s beck and call when her inheritance – The Avalon – endures some hilarious emergencies. He is just determined to do right by Carrie and her grandmother’s legacy, even if Carrie doesn’t appreciate him.

This guy figures out how to get exotic purple roses the day before a wedding! He takes care of the drunk and hungover stag party friends, the elderly friends of the inn, the gardens, and most importantly, Carrie. He doesn’t want anything in return, either. Well, he WANTS, he just doesn’t EXPECT. 🙂

Carrie is a workaholic, out trying to prove she can do anything, do it herself, and do it well. She can, of course…. but the handsome gardener decides to help. And that, my friends, is the start of something beautiful… Funny, crazy, nostalgic, and beautiful.

-Calliope
buy ROOM FOR LOVE

Review: Sweet Filthy Boy, by Christina Lauren

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01sweet

“I want to love all of my life as much as I love this night.”

Can I be honest?? I never expected this book to be as amazing as it was. I expected romance and silliness, and a good story. But I never expected the angst and emotions and the sweetness. Be still my heart. I feel in love with this sweet filthy boy. Completely, head over heels in love.

I will also admit, that I never even read the blurb for this, until I just start this post. I went in, with no preconceived ideas or views. All I knew was this was by the same girls who wrote Beautiful Bastard series. I was shocked by this story. If the others are going to be this way, sign me up right now. Where are those pre-orders??

Mia just graduated from college and is going to business school, in the fall. But before she goes, she plans on having the best three weeks of her life. Then her new reality will set in and the life she never wanted, will be hers.

Ansel is truly the perfect sweet filthy French boy. He will melt your heart as well as your panties. Serious swooning happened, while reading this. Honest to goodness swooning. The man was so sweet I could picture his dimple in my mind. I wanted to reach in and just love all over him. He was just too…too sweet and sexy. When he speaks to her in French…be still my heart.

“He’s the one making me lose my breath, making me feel like there’s not enough room in my body for him and air at the same time, but nothing has ever felt so good.”

After an insane one night stand, she makes the life altering decision to follow him to France. She wants a summer of fun and playing before she has to live a life she never chose.

But as the weeks go by, all the playing lines are distorted and she questions what to do. It doesn’t help that Ansel is the perfect boy for her. It doesn’t help that he brings her out of her comfort zone. It definitely doesn’t help that actually solves some major issues for her, quite easily I might say.

On a side note, Mia has some issues that many people face and I was so happy to see it addressed in here. I have never heard of a story line mentioning this, and I mostly read love stories. But not all love stories are perfect. Not all thing match up. I could sense her frustration and I felt right along with her. I appreciate that aspect of the story.

Ansel was not only the most gorgeous Frenchman, had the most dirtiest mouth. One of the best parts of this story were his scribbled phrases, he would leave her each day. Cracked me up!! That dirty boy made me blush!!

I really enjoyed this story and I seriously can’t wait to read the next one. If it’s anything like this, I may have to buy these for my shelf.

~Melpomene

Buy Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons)

Review: The Deep End of the Sea, by Heather Lyons

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01deep Because you have to sink, to the deep end of the sea, in order to rise.

WOW! This book has left me speechless. I am completely shocked with what this book held between it’s covers.

This story is about Medusa. Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking Clash of the Titans or Percy Jackson. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. But I’ll admit, part of me thought that way though. But this is about love and reinventing yourself. This book is about taking control of your life and not letting all the bad things hold you back.

Medusa lives alone on an island, away from everyone. She is cursed, for something she had no control over, and is to remain there for all of her life. She has scales all over her skin, snakes on her head and her eyes are the deadliest part of her. With just on look, and you’ll become a statue forevermore.

“I am a monster. The worst kind of monster. The kind that people have told stories about for thousands of year.”

But what you don’t know is that she hates being a monster. She never wanted this. She has compassion and cries for those who see her eyes. Medusa cares for those who catch her off guard. When she turns someone, her heart breaks for them. But she cares for them, the best she can.

If it wasn’t for her friend, Hermes, Son of Zeus, I don’t think she would’ve remained sane after being secluded all these years. Even though she keeps her eyes covered, he risks death every time he visits her. Hermes was the sweetest and most caring person. He would do anything to help her rid herself of this curse.

After a stroke of luck, and with help from a few gods, her curse is reversed, and she is thrust back into the land of the living. She must become stronger and learn to rely on others to help her. She is no longer alone. And soon she realizes that Hermes is no longer just a friend. Watching them fall for each other was so sweet. Medusa has no idea how to feel about her best friend. She is overwhelmed with crazy feelings and is shocked to find out that he feels the same way.

“I’m afraid I fell in love with you shortly after we met. I told you last night you fascinated me from the very beginning. The more I got to know you, the more I found myself falling…”

And just when things seemed all calm, the past turns up and is ready to destroy everything she has worked so hard for. Again, she must learn to rely on herself and her new friends to help her through is horrible time. Dusa must be strong and remember that the past does not shape her future. She can be strong and take control of her life.

“…Violence is not picky when it comes to victims…We are part of a group no sane person wants to join, and yet we are members anyway…There is no way to exit the group once we’ve joined; all we can do is try not to let it define us.”

I will admit, the last 20% of the book had me reeling. My emotions were all over the place. The love story devastated me. And then there was a twist I never saw coming, but it made the story even more beautifully tragic. I struggled with finding the right words to use to describe this book. Nothing seemed right. This was another post that I should have just written, “Read it.” This was definitely not your usual Greek Mythology story. It was so much better than that.

~Melpomene

Buy The Deep End of the Sea

Review: Special Interests by Emma Barry

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20140506-000210.jpg Special Interests is smart and sassy. Millie the idealist meets Parker the jaded, and they form an uneven friendship on Capitol Hill.

Parker is practical, working 24/7 to pass a budget. Millie is principled, standing up for the underdog. They grow to depend on each other, and something more than a friendship develops.

I love the quick-witted conversations, the last-minute phone calls, the impetuous touches. Millie doesn’t take any crap from Parker, and he respects her for that. I also appreciate that even though they don’t agree 100% on the best budget package, they manage to plow through their differences and maintain a personal relationship.

My very favorite scene is when Parker takes Millie home for Sunday dinner. What a fiasco. An eye-opening, fireworks-filled, falling-in-love turning point. It reminded me of real life, when those you love defend a position you disagree with, but their commitment to their values is so attractive it makes you love them even more.

–Calliope

Last time I checked, this was only $3.03 for Kindle!
buy Special Interests

Review: Nash(Marked Men #4), by Jay Crownover

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01nas “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in the world.”-Lucille Ball

It’s hard to believe I waited so long to jump into this Marked Men series. But as I read the first three, I knew Nash’s story was going to be heartbreaking and emotional. And I also knew that he would need someone very special to hold on to him. I’m glad to see I was right.

Right from the start, this book got me. When I read the Dedication and Introduction, I knew I was going to love this book. And then I got to the Prologue and I was immediately thrust back into high school and then I knew how hard this book was going to be on me.

Nash was the best friend you could ever ask for. He was always giving of himself. He would do anything for those who loved him. In truth, he would do just about anything for love. After growing up, in a house that showed him no love, only cruel and hurtful words, he tried to find love in every place imaginable. He thought he was unworthy of it.

Saint Ford is a successful ER nurse who was not expecting to run into the man who, as a young teenager, destroyed her self esteem and self worth, without even knowing it. She wants nothing to do with him. He may not remember the hurt, but she does. But being a caring nurse, she can’t help wanting to be there for him, when his uncle Phil is brought into her ER.

My heart went out to Saint. The low self esteem and the teasing, as a teenager, I could totally relate with. And then when your crush is the one who causes the most damage to you, well, let’s just say, most of us have been there. So to have those feeling shape you, all the way to adulthood, it’s going to take a very strong person to make you realize how great you really are.

“All I can see is you. Why can’t you understand that? No one shines as bright as you in the sky I’m looking at. To me there is no sun, no moon, and no stars in the sky, just endless miles of storm clouds and pretty pretty grey.”

As Nash’s world, as he thought he knew it, starts changing and pushing at him from all sides, he wishes he could cling to Saint. But she still has feelings of inadequacy, and it will take a lot of patience and a very awkward moment to bring her right where he wants, and needs, her to be.

Learning to love yourself, and realizing that you are worthy of having someone love you in return, are very hard lessons. Everyone is worthy of love, no matter what their past may show.

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”-Buddha

~Melpomene

Buy Nash: A Marked Men Novel

Review: Always on My Mind by Bella Andre

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20140424-153424.jpg Always on My Mind is such a fun read! Totally unrealistic, a bit far-fetched, and full of too-convenient resolutions… but so, so fun.

Lori is a dancer who was betrayed by her dancer boyfriend. Grayson is a widower avoiding his grief. The meet-cute is on Grayson’s farm with Lori in her sequined dance costume.

Their relationship starts off as lusty hate, moves through predictable mishaps, misunderstandings and forgiveness, and ends up a happily ever after. Reeeeealllllly straightforward, but the sparks between Lori and Grayson are so hot that you’re really not so concerned with the depth of the plot. Chemistry and sexual tension abound. Lori and Grayson love it and I did too. 😉

Although the story is devoid of subplots, Andre gives Lori’s Sullivan siblings plenty of appearance time. It’s always fun to remember which Sullivan just got married or had a baby or bought a home. Most of the story is really about Lori and Grayson, but the love of family is ever-present, and the Sullivans all come together at the end.

–Calliope

Buy ALWAYS ON MY MIND