REVIEW: "Highland Obsession"

Title: Highland Obsession

Author: Dawn Halliday (also known as Jennifer Haymore)

Release Date: August 4, 2009

Summary (B&N):

In the Scottish Highlands, two warriors are about to clash over a woman of passion...

They were the unlikeliest of friends debauching their way through London: The Earl of Camdonn, a nobleman of vast wealth and power, and Scottish laird Alan MacDonald, a respected Jacobite with ambitions of his own.

But their friendship is destroyed when Alan marries the beautiful Sorcha Stewart—only to witness Cam kidnap her from their bedroom. Then Alan learns the truth: his bride was not an innocent. She took a lover before him—his friend—who taught her the ways of pleasure.

Now, Alan will do anything to get his wife back. Cam fights to redeem his honor, even as he refuses to give up his desire. Torn between love and duty, Sorcha must watch as the two men she desires go to war over her. And when the battle lines are drawn, all three lovers are lured into a triangle of forbidden passions...

My Thoughts:

There are not enough words in the English language to describe this book. I'll keep it simple: I LOVED it! Easily one of my favorite books I've read this year! Highland Obsession had everything-- passion, lust, love, and even a bit of action.

And boy, was the sex hot, hot hot! Warning: if you are not into explicit love scenes and threesomes, then tread carefully while reading this book, because it's full of it! I personally didn't mind it, and in fact I found myself enjoying it, even though I'm not usually one for a romance novel with multiple partners in the bed at one time. But in HO, it was handled wonderfully, and instead of reading like a cheap porn (which some authors, unfortunately, end up doing), it still had all the great components of a true romance.

And it's all thanks to Dawn Halliday's amazing writing skills-- the characters were very well developed, and they connected, not only during the sex (no pun intended, of course!), but also during every day conversations. They worked through their problems, of which there were a few along the way, they didn't just let it go and then suddenly "make up" a few days later with sex.

Even though I knew from the very beginning that Cam wasn't meant for Sorcha, despite the fact that they'd had a great friendship...and later became lovers, I realized that what they had was important for the development of the rest of the book. They cared for each other, of course, and the passion was there, but they were meant for someone else. Because they already had that deep connection, it didn't bother me when Alex (Cam's best friend) decide to share Sorcha one night. I knew that even though all three of them weren't going to be together, it still meant something-- to all of them, in a way. Alex and Cam had been friends for so long, they were practically like brothers. And even though Sorcha was Alex's, Cam was a part of her past, and to a point, her future, even if it would only be as friends. That's what made this whole story so good-- because Dawn knows how to show the different kinds of loves, and how trust is really needed in a relationship.

As for the rest of the story...well, it was pretty good as well! I would hate to give too much away, so I won't go into specifics, but let me assure you-- if you love a good historical romance, and you don't mind the erotic undertones, Highland Obsession should be at the top of your list for this year! Halliday has captured my attention as an author, and now whenever I see her name on a book, it's instantly going into my cart! They say that you can only get better with practice....well, HO was already pretty close to being a perfect read, so I can just imagine how good her future books will be! One thing's for sure...I can't wait until Cam's story, but I just wish I didn't have to wait so long (2010!).

5/5 STARS! Utterly delightful, sexy, and romantic, Highland Obsession is only the beginning of what I'm sure will be a great little series. And be sure to look out for more of Halliday's books, published by Ellora's Cave, along with the wicked historicals written under her real name, Jennifer Haymore (A Hint of Wicked is out now!).

Until Next Time,

Oh DEER God, and my B&N Haul

Oh deer, indeed.

So, I went shopping yesterday, in the city (a good 60 miles from where I live). I was gone most of the day, and usually I start heading back home around 7 or 8, which means I'm home by nine. But last night, I had a million places to go, and visiting to do, and I didn't start up the canyon back home until after 9.

Everything was fine...up until I was about 10 MILES, 10 FREAKING MILES, from home. Then, suddenly, a group of deer come out of no where! Bam, right in the middle of the road, I can't slow down to a stop in time, and I can't safely swerve (even if I wanted to, which I didn't, not at night especially). I missed the first two easily... but the third one, the last member of their little Congo line, well, she didn't stop in the middle of the road and let me pass like a smart little deer. No, instead she kept walking, and, I hit her. Or she hit me, depends on the way you look at it. 50 MPH, and she hits the left side of my car.

To make a long story short, my car instantly shut down. Wouldn't start, wouldn't turn over, no brakes, nothing. I managed to go a bit more to coast to a stop and get a bit off the road before it gave up completely. I go to open my door, shaken, but glad that no one was hurt (I had my grandfather and grandmother in the car with me, I was taking them back home as well since they can't drive well at night), when I soon find out I can't open my door very far! It's been dented in pretty bad, right in on the frame, and I had to force it open to even get out. That's when I see the complete damage...

I already knew that it took out my left head light, but I wasn't prepared for the rest. My whole left side of the car, around the head light, is gone. Smashed back on the road in pieces about a block behind where my car finally stopped. You can see right in to the battery and everything, and since it wouldn't start, I'm sure that's why. The hood is dented, the tire is sitting by itself with no plastic fender or protection over it like normal, and my car door, as I already said, is pretty mangled. Surprisingly, my mirror wasn't broke off, even though the deer, when I hit, was pretty much smashed against my side of the car and window. (BTW, I literally beat the SHIT out of the deer. Crap and a bit of blood *ewww* all over the side of my door).

I had to grab our stuff, push it off to the side of the road more, put the four ways on and lock it up, and a man and his family, who were nice enough to stop and help, gave us a ride into town. (Thank you, again, though I'm sure you aren't reading this). Now I've got to get a tow truck out there to take it to the shop, find a rental service down here (Which, FYI, there isn't one. We're too hick, apparently), all before tomorrow.

I don't want to see the bill when this goes to the repair shop, even with the insurance....

Well, that's my sad/pathetic/scary story for the year! First accident in my life, and it was a stupid deer 10 miles outside of town. I feel bad for the deer, of course, but there was nothing I could do and she refused to move in time.

Moving on to the 'My B&N Haul' part of this post!

So while shopping yesterday, I broke down (no pun intended from the last part of the post!) and went to the beautiful brick building. I thought I could handle myself, control my spending and urges, and walk out with the three books I had planned to go in for. That was a mistake, believing I could actually control myself in a book store...

An hour later (really quick for me, usually I'm in there longer), and I came out with a big back of books... and 70 dollars poorer!

Here's what I originally went in for:

~ Lover Avenged by J.R Ward

~Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr

~The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

And here are the others that *somehow* managed to catch a ride in my basket before I checked out....

~Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

~ Shadow Heart by Laura Kinsale **But it was in the Bargain Priced section.. how could I walk away from it? 4 dollars for a book? Come on, tell me you wouldn't be buy it, too!**

And then I also bought a copy of this month's RomanticTimes Book Review magazine. :D

I tried, I really did. I went almost two months without going to B&N before this trip, which was very difficult, but it was a huge accomplishment for me as well. And when I was there yesterday, I bypassed dozens, maybe hundreds, of books that I've been wanting to read AND DID NOT BUY THEM! True, I didn't really have the money, but if I really wanted to, I could have found a way to buy them *CHARGE IT!, as the shopaholics say*. Probably a good thing that I have a debit card, not a credit so I can't just charge away when I go to a bookstore! LOL.

Okay, I'm beat. I've still got to call the insurance, find a tow company and rental car..... *SIGH* And here I was hoping to have a normal, stress free weekend. Looks like that went down the drain!

Hope everyone else is doing great, having fun, reading lots of good books. And I hope none of you have killed any furry animals lately! ;) Guilty, myself.

Until Next Time, Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own

REVIEW: "Blood Bayou"

Title: Blood Bayou

Author: Karen Young

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Release Date: May 2009

Summary (B&N):

To Save a Victim, Camille St. James May Have to Become One Herself. Seven years ago, tragedy ended the troubled marriage of Camille and Jack Vermillion. Now, as head of the Truth Project, her life safe and orderly, she focuses her lawyerly skills on freeing wrongly incarcerated individuals on death row. Jack paid a bitter price for his mistakes. No longer a high-powered corporate attorney, he's now pastor of a small church in Blood Bayou. Unsure of her own beliefs, Camille is highly skeptical of the conversion of this man she hasn't seen in seven years. Then tragedy strikes again. Jack's sister is murdered, apparently by a prisoner Camille has set free. To prove his innocence, Camille must return to Blood Bayou. But that means facing the hostility of the town — and Jack. And as She Works to Find the Real Killer, Someone Is Determined to Stop Her...by Any Means.

My Thoughts: I have to be honest: when I first started the book, the story line was a bit dry, and it moved slow, too slow for my tastes. It wasn't enough to make me want to put the book down, unfinished, and it didn't make me hate the book in the end, but I think it's only fair that I say this, in case others happen to find themselves thinking the same thing, wondering if they should read the book. And here's my answer: yes. I don't regret reading this book, it was good. Maybe not at the top of my favorites list, but definitely not on my least favorite either. Moving on. After the story line picked up, I started to enjoy it. The characters were interesting, and Young did a wonderful job at making them seem real. They had flaws, they had pasts, but they knew what mistakes they may have made, and weren't wimpy or annoying. Good characters are a must for a good book, they're what holds the rest of the book together! The one thing that confused me a bit was how Young started the book out telling us about a murder mystery in this relatively small town, and it's Camille's job to help figure it out. But suddenly, less than a fourth of the way through the book, the mystery element kind of...disappeared, and suddenly it's all about Camille and Jack's rekindling of their previous relationship. Now, I like a good suspense/mystery that the author combines with a romance story, but the melting of the two elements in this particular book weren't the smoothest. Sorry, Karen, it's nothing really against your writing, maybe it's more of my own particular opinion on what I like to read in a book? It's hard to explain... However, as the story continued, I found myself enjoying it more and more. Jack and Camille's connection started to grow (again), and there were more than a few parts where I found myself chuckling (always a good thing). Most importantly, the mystery came back, with a powerful kick, adding drama and suspense back into the story. After they started putting more of the 'clues' together, I instantly knew who the killer was, but even figuring it out before the big climax didn't take away from the enjoyment of the book. If there is one thing I would have liked a bit more of in the book, it's the back story of Camille and Jack. The author touched on it, briefly, a few times, but it always left me wanting a bit more. Jack was an alcoholic when they were married, but it finally became too much for Camille and she divorced him. After he sobered up, he became a man of God. (PAUSE) Wait, how did that happen? Don't get me wrong, I know it's possible, and I think it's great, but I would like to have read a bit about it! Talk about a strong, but previously tortured hero... So why not give us a little nibble of what he went through? And I know this was suppose to be more of a lite Christian novel, which means no 'R' rated sex scenes, but I wish they'd had a bit more passion along the way, even if it was only kisses. Even sweet, innocent ones are better than nothing! 4/5 stars. All in all, this was a very good book. Just the right amount of mystery and a light touch of romance (I loved how the story shows you that love can be won, even after it's lost). Not too fluffy, but not too much hard core suspense either. Great for a quick read by the pool side! ;)

Enjoy!

Until Next Time, Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own

What Did I Receive/Upcoming Giveaway

I know, I know, I'm a bit behind. But better late than never, right? Here's the two books I received. One came last Friday, the other one came Monday, but I thought I'd just lump the two together. Oh, and if you clicked on this post because of the other title 'Upcoming Giveaway', well, I'll explain more about that after the books. :D Book One

Title: Highland Obsession Author: Dawn Halliday Release Date: August 4th, 2009 Publisher: Penguin Group Summary (B&N):

In the Scottish Highlands, two warriors are about to clash over a woman of passion... They were the unlikeliest of friends debauching their way through London: The Earl of Camdonn, a nobleman of vast wealth and power, and Scottish laird Alan MacDonald, a respected Jacobite with ambitions of his own. But their friendship is destroyed when Alan marries the beautiful Sorcha Stewart—only to witness Cam kidnap her from their bedroom. Then Alan learns the truth: his bride was not an innocent. She took a lover before him—his friend—who taught her the ways of pleasure. Now, Alan will do anything to get his wife back. Cam fights to redeem his honor, even as he refuses to give up his desire. Torn between love and duty, Sorcha must watch as the two men she desires go to war over her. And when the battle lines are drawn, all three lovers are lured into a triangle of forbidden passions... Highland Obsession was sent to me by the wonderful author herself, Dawn (alias, Jennifer Haymore). I'm very grateful that she did, because I loved it! I won't have the review up for a bit, and I'll explain why towards the end of the post. ;)

Book Two

Title: Blood Bayou Author: Karen Young Release Date: May 2009 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Summary (B&N):

To Save a Victim, Camille St. James May Have to Become One Herself.

Seven years ago, tragedy ended the troubled marriage of Camille and Jack Vermillion. Now, as head of the Truth Project, her life safe and orderly, she focuses her lawyerly skills on freeing wrongly incarcerated individuals on death row.

Jack paid a bitter price for his mistakes. No longer a high-powered corporate attorney, he's now pastor of a small church in Blood Bayou. Unsure of her own beliefs, Camille is highly skeptical of the conversion of this man she hasn't seen in seven years.

Then tragedy strikes again. Jack's sister is murdered, apparently by a prisoner Camille has set free. To prove his innocence, Camille must return to Blood Bayou. But that means facing the hostility of the town — and Jack.

And as She Works to Find the Real Killer, Someone Is Determined to Stop Her...by Any Means.

Blood Bayou was the book I received from LibraryThing's ER program for the month of April. I'm still reading this one, but so far it's not too bad. I hope to have my review up by the end of this week, but I can't make any promises....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, and finally, for the exciting news....(drum roll, please!)

During the weekend of June 4-6 (Yes, of this year!) I will have a special guest stopping by (when she has time, of course), along with an in depth interview with said person, and a giveaway as well!

And in case you haven't figured out who this mysterious person is, it's none other than Mrs. Halliday herself! Dawn Halliday is the pen names she has recently started writing under, but perhaps you recognize her as Jennifer Haymore.

Either way, I've got an interview set up with her, which I will post that first day, June 4, and on the same day, I will post my review for her upcoming release, Highland Obsession. And Jennifer has been kind enough to offer up a prize or two for you to win that weekend. I'll have more details on the actual Interview/contest post in June, but the prize will be an ARC of the book in question, Highland Obsession, which she is willing to ship anywhere (not just in the United States, ladies).

Interested? I hope so! I'm very excited, and I hope that I can pull this off. It's a lot to do all at once, trying my hand at holding a contest AND interviewing the author, but I'm going to try my best.

For more details, keep checking back. And if you want to have your named entered into the contest, make sure to mark your calendars for June 4th, when the contest opens. You will have most of the weekend, until Saturday night at midnight to enter.

Since I'm going to be heading out of town that Sunday night until Thursday, I may not have the winners picked and posted until Thursday, but if I can find a reliable Internet source while I'm gone, I will post sooner. Please, bare with me! If you are picked as a winner, you will have a week in which to contact me with your information (so I can send it on to Jennifer), and if I don't hear from you by the end of the seventh day, I'll put the names back in and draw again.

It's going to be your usual chances for gaining entries:

~One entry for leaving a comment on the post.

~One entry for joining the 'Follow My Blog' list

~Two entries for those of you who are already following me

~Two entries for posting about the contest on your blog,website, etc.

Pretty simple, nothing too challenging, I'm sure, and in return, you may just have this sexy (and very, very erotic!) highland romance on your doorstep!

I hope that everyone stops by, even if it's only to learn more about this relatively new author. Believe me, I know quite a few of you who, if you don't already have her books on your list, will be very anxious to read her novels. She's an amazing romance author, and I can't wait to read more of her work, both under Jennifer and Dawn Halliday.

Until then, I hope everyone has a good week!

Until Next Time, Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own

What I Read In April

I can't, no I refuse, to believe that it is already May! Where is the year going? I swear, just last week it was the first part of April, and I was writing up March's list and planning posts for the month of April.

HA! We saw how that turned out, didn't we? 5 posts, I think, in 30 days, and only ONE of which was a review? I'm really slipping, forgive me. I promise to do better next time. I only have about three more weeks of finals/school left, and then break for summer, which should give me a bit more time. Though, I do have a few family things planned this summer (camping trips, reunions, parties, etc) that may keep me from posting a few days every now and then, but otherwise, I'm going to work hard on getting things back up and running on a regular basis! Maybe a contest or two in June, an author interview planned for June too... I think it will be a great summer!

My total for April was only 19 books. A few short of my original goal, but not too bad.

1. Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast (4.5 stars)

2. Enslave me Sweetly by Gena Showalter (5 stars)

3. Max by James Patterson (4.5 stars, Review)

4. Vamps by Nancy A. Collins (4.5 stars)

5. Seduce me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas (5 stars)

6. Night Life by Nancy A. Collins (4.5 stars)

7. Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh *e-book* (5 stars)

8. Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole (4.5 stars)

9. Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare (5 stars)

10. Warrior: The Time Hunters by Angela Knight (5 stars)

11. Secret Circle 2: Captive Part II & Power by L.J. Smith (5 stars)

12. Eternal Pleasure by Nina Bangs (5 stars)

13. Night World Volume 2 by L.J Smith (5 stars)

14. The Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen (4.5 stars)

15. The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield (3 stars)

16. A Little Magic by Nora Roberts (4 stars)

17. Nightwalker by Jocelyn Drake (3 stars)

18. The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne (3 stars, Review)

19. Elephant Run by Roland Smith (3 stars)

As far as my two challenges go (my LT 999 Challenge and my LT Paranormal 999 Challenge), during the month of April I finished:

~4 books for the 999

~5 books for the Paranormal 999

Not too bad, I'm about half way on the first (Which surprised me!)and a bit less than that on my paranormal one (Which is odd for me, the paranormal lover. I wonder if I'm coming down with something...) If I want to finished them on time, I'm going to have to up it a bit this month though. I'm going to aim for 8 from each challenge, but that's sometimes hard when new releases keep coming out that I've been itching/dying to read!

I wasn't disappointed so much with the number of books completed, as it was the fact that I only completed two reviews through the whole month, and the one review, The Last Bridge, I didn't even write and post until May! Horrible month for me, but that's okay. I'll do better next time! ;)

If there is so many books, and so little time, then where does the time to write reviews fit in there, huh? ;)

Until Next Time, Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own

REVIEW: "The Last Bridge"

Title: The Last Bridge

Author: Teri Coyne

Release Date: July 28th, 2009

Summary (B&N):

For fans of Jodi Picoult and Sue Miller, a dark, edgy, page-turning debut about the lengths one woman will travel to escape her past. After a ten-year absence, Alex “Cat” Rucker returns to her Ohio hometown because of a letter left on her mother’s kitchen table—a suicide note, carefully preserved in a bag, that reads: “He isn’t who you think he is. Love, Mom”

Thus opens this stunning debut novel from author Teri Coyne, who, with wry humor and sharp wit, follows Alex’s journey through the traumatic experiences of her youth and the haze of her adult life.While Alex tries to repress the memories of her brutal childhood—an abusive father, her estranged (and possibly illegitimate) brother, and the first love who would do anything to save her—she must face just how shattered she still is. At each step Alex confronts her biggest fears, realizes the impact of her choices, and inches closer to redemption. Can she embrace her vulnerabilities, talents, and desire for love, or will the revelations of her mother’s cryptic note prove too overwhelming for her to bear? The Last Bridge is a perfect blend of suspense, despair, and romance—and at its heart lies the question: are we a product of our experiences or our choices?

My Thoughts: The story itself was fairly dark, and not my usual type of book. However, it was still written nicely, and though I can't say that I hated it, at the same time, I can't honestly say that I was blown away by it. If anything, my opinion on the over all book is almost neutral. It was okay, not horrible, but not amazing. Nothing wrong with it, but it just depends on the individual person as to whether or not they will enjoy it. I know many other reviewers that really loved this book, and that's fine-- I have nothing against them, because even though I didn't give it a 5 star rating, I can't pin point what it is that made me think "okay" and "not bad"after finishing it. Maybe it just wasn't my type of book? After all, I usually prefer fantasy and romance, and this book had neither. True, Coyne tried to pull Cat's small love story in to it, but it didn't really work, in my opinion, and I think she knew that, which is why there was only a minimal amount. Maybe it's because Cat had so many things to over come and realize about herself, that there was no way for her to fall passionately in love right off the bat, without having to work towards that first? I hope that makes sense, it's hard to explain what I mean without spoiling too many things for future readers and/or taking up pages of explanation... Again, I can't really say why this was only a mediocre book for me, so I don't want to try bashing something that I have no real problem with. Instead, here are the things that I did think turned out fine: ~The characters. Though I had my own troubles dealing with Cat's personality/attitude sometimes, they were believable, and I applaud Teri for making them seem so real. They were flawed, sure, and they had troublesome pasts, but that's how real people are. ~The writing. True, there were a few places where I thought the writing was a bit rough (not as in grammatical errors that you expect to find in an ARC, but the actual flow of the story), but I can't judge, I know that my own writing isn't always perfect either! Over all, it was an easy read, and I finished it in only a few days (in between the twenty other things I have to do on any given day). That by itself should show that it did have the ability to keep my attention, and I wanted to finish the book. ~The conversations. Cat had a bit of a sarcastic bite, and I enjoyed reading some of the humor, both between the characters and in the rest of the writing. 3/5 STARS! As a new author, Teri Coyne managed to snag my attention with the book, and as a first novel, she did a wonderful job. :) The story was very brutal, but honest, since things like that happen more than I'm sure we want to believe. And I'm sure that when Coyne has another book published, I'll check it out as well, to see what she plans to give the readers next time.

Enjoy!

Until Next Time,