Review of LADY SOPHIE'S CHISTMAS WISH

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH can be purchased here.

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH
Grace Burrowes

Lady Sophie Windham, who considers herself on the shelf, has schemed to get several days to herself in her family's London mansion, before she must travel to Kent for a family Christmas.  Unfortunately, one of the maids deserts her baby in Sophie's care, and Sophie, who knows nothing of babies, is forced to accept the aid of a kind gentleman, Wilhelm "Vim" Lucifer Charpentier.  Vim, who is to one day inherit his uncle's estate, has been traveling abroad for years and has returned to help set the estate to rights.   Unfortunately, some bad memories have made Vim reluctant to return to the estate,  and a baby in need and a snowstorm are good excuses to delay traveling to the estate in Kent.

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH is a heart-warming, regency romance with endearing characters.  Let me just state, upfront, that I love the characters of Vim and Sophie.  They are made for each other, and the fact, that they are thrown together and, slowly, fall for each other, made it all the more delicious.  Sophie is the sensible one with the heart of gold, who takes in strays.  Vim is a great understated hero--not the usual over the top alpha-- but he still can hold his own, if need be.  Vim can't stand to hear a baby cry, which makes me love him all the more.

All in all, LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH is the perfect feel-good, sigh-inducing romance read for the holidays--or anytime for that matter.

NOTE:  I was given this book in return for an impartial review.

Review of EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR

EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR can be purchased here.

EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR
Anita Clenney

Shay Logan has returned to Virginia after nine years, in which she has cut herself off from her best friend, Cody McBain.   Cody, who is a member of an ancient clan of Scottish warriors,  has been fighting demons but is, now, a PI. Unfortunately, the demon, who tried to kill Shay as an infant, is determined to finish the job,  and Cody, who has loved Shay since they were children, is determined to save her.

EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR is an entertaining, action-packed, paranormal romance, which has a captivating plot and is filled with yummy Scotsmen.  Cody is a great hero, who is very protective of Shay, but is forced to keep them apart.  Shay is a strong heroine, who comes into her own by the end of the book after a couple of TSTL (too stupid to live) moments. 
 
Ms. Clenney creates a very intriguing world filled with characters to root for.  The next book in this series can't be released soon enough.

NOTE:  I received this book, in return for an impartial review. 

Review of THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART can be purchased here.

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART
Amanda Forester

Lady Isabelle Tynesdale runs away from the people sent to take her back to her estranged husband.  Isabelle has been under the protection of her uncle, who has recently passed away.  Because she has inherited her uncle's estate, Isabelle fears for her safety from her husband. Isabelle gets seperated from her party, and ,unknowingly, crosses the border into Scotland.  Once there, Isabelle is saved from three brigands by Laird David Campbell, who doesn't believe the yarn Isabelle tells him, but can't desert her, even when he tries.

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART is one of the best reads of the year.  It is vastly entertaining, and I found myself chuckling through much of the book.  David is a great hero, who has much responsibility, in a time of strife in Scotland.  David has some tough decisions to make, as far as, marriage is concerned, for the good of his clan.  David is a true hero with a good heart and a great sense of humor.  Isabelle is in a great predicament and sets about scheming to get herself out of it.  Many times her schemes go awry, and Isabelle reminded me of Lucy from the I Love Lucy series.  Many of the fixes, Isabelle got herself into, were hilarious.  David and Isabelle make a great couple and David's clan and siblings are great secondary characters.

Do yourself a favor and get THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART.  It's a great romance with lots of humor and endearing characters thrown in.

NOTE:  I was given this book, in return for an unbiased review.

Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop

Book Lover and Procrastinator is stop 167 on the hop.
I'm giving away a $10 amazon e-giftcard to a lucky follower. 
Just leave a comment.  Please leave an e-mail at which you can be reached.  US only.
Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All-Consuming Books for hosting the hop.  Below are the links to the others in the hop, so hop away.  Hop starts Nov. 17th and ends Nov. 27th. at midnight cst.  I'm posting this early, but please don't enter until the 17th.  Hopefully, I will pick and contact the winner within 48 hrs.  The winner will have 48 hrs. in which to get back with me.  Thanks for participating!

Update:  I made a mistake in that there can only be one entry in this hop.  If you already entered to receive two points, please forgive me.  I can only give you one.  Thanks for understanding.

Review of TALL, DARK AND COWBOY

TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY can be purchased here.

TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY
Joanne Kennedy

Lacey Bradford leaves her hometown in a hurry, after one of her ex-husband's slimy cohorts makes threats, because her ex has disappeared and might have turned states evidence.   Lacey is headed toward the one person, who she thinks might help her, Chase Caldwell. Lacey hasn't seen Chase since high school, when he was always around and had helped her out of a tough situation before.  When Lacey arrives in the small Wyoming town where Chase lives, almost broke and with a car on its last legs, she is surprised at the reception, that she receives from a hunky, but hardened Chase.

TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY is an enjoyable, feel-good read with a yummy hero and a good-hearted, if at times ditzy, heroine.  Chase is a great hero, who has experienced some setbacks which have hardened him a little, but underneath he is a great guy.  Chase has shut himself off from people, in order to protect himself, but after Lacey storms back into his life, he doesn't stand a chance.  Lacey has always allowed someone else to take care of her, but realizes that she needs to be more self-reliant.  While her attempts to stand on her own two feet don't always end well, she does grow and mature throughout the book.

All in all,  TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY is a nice, heart-warming read, which I recommend.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an impartial review.

Review of The Virtuoso

THE VIRTUOSO can be purchased here.

THE VIRTUOSO
Grace Burrowes

Lord Valentine Windham, the youngest son of a Duke, wins an estate in a card game and decides to set the place to rights, after seeing its neglected state.   After all, Valentine needs something to occupy his time, since he can no longer practice his obsession of playing the piano.  Because of an ailment to his hand which makes playing the piano almost impossible, Valentine has been advised to stop playing until his hand heals.  Once on the estate, Valentine meets the young widow, who lives in the cottage nearby, and there is an attaction between them.  Unfortunately, the widow has secrets and is reluctant to let anyone close to her.

THE VIRTUOSO is an entertaining, historical romance with a great hero, but the heroine isn't my cup of tea.  Valentine, whose whole self-image is wrapped up in his music, is left rudderless when he can no longer play.  Luckily, Valentine has great friends and family, who offer a great support system.  Even so, the time spent without his music becomes a time of self-discovery, and a time to realize, that he is more than just his music.  Valentine is a great hero, who is strong, artistic and sensitive, as well as being very handsome.  Ellen is a beautiful woman, who has known great sorrow in her life.  While I can understand some of Ellen's actions, at a time, when women had no power and were considered property, I wish that she had shown more backbone and revealed her secrets sooner.  With that said, Ellen does seem to be Valentine's perfect match, and they make a a great couple.

NOTE:  I was given this book in return for an impartial review.

Review of THE STORM THAT IS STERLING

THE STORM THAT IS STERLING can be purchased here.

THE STORM THAT IS STERLING
Lisa Renee Jones

Sterling Jeter was forced to join the army and stand up the pretty girl from his hometown, with whom he had a date, Rebecca Burns.  Fourteen years later, these two meet again, but the circumstances have changed drastically.  Sterling is no longer human, after being injected with alien DNA in an effort to create  supersoldiers.  Unfortunately, the supersoldiers have split into two factions:  one bent on world domination and the other opposed to them.  The evil faction is selling a highly addictive drug called ICE.  Sterling and his friends are trying to stop the production of ICE, and Rebecca, an astrobiologist, may be their only hope to find an antidote or immunization for ICE.

THE STORM THAT IS STERLING is an entertaining paranormal romance with a unique premise and great characters.  Although I haven't read the first book in this series, I had no trouble following the storyline.  This book has plenty of action, intrigue, and is filled with yummy supersoldiers.  Sterling, who was raised by an abusive, alcoholic grandmother, makes a great tortured hero.  Sterling is protective, strong, intelligent and is trying to save the world.  What more could you ask from a hero?  Rebecca is his perfect match and equally brave and strong.  I, only, wish that she had been more upfront with Sterling.  While I understand the reasons for her actions, I wish Rebecca would have revealed her secret sooner.   Other than this small quibble, I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series.

NOTE:  I was sent this book in return for an impartial review.

Winner of Spooktacular Giveaway

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!  The Spooktacular hop was a great success.  Thanks to everyone for participating.  The winner of the gift card is:





Spaz!!!!

Spaz has been e-mailed and responded. 

SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY HOP

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so let's celebrate!  
Book Lover and Procrastinator is stop 156 on the hop.
I'm giving away a $10 amazon e-giftcard to a lucky follower. 
+2 for old followers
+1 for new followers
Just leave a comment with your points.  Please leave an e-mail at which you can be reached.  US only.

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and TheDiaryofaBookworm  for hosting the hop.  Below are the links to the others in the hop, so hop away.  Hop starts Oct. 24th and ends Nov. 1st. at midnight cst.  I'm posting this early, but please don't enter until the 24th.  Hopefully, I will pick and contact the winner within 48 hrs.  The winner will have 48 hrs. in which to get back with me.  Thanks for participating!

Book That I Can't Wait to Read

I love Kenyon's Dark-hunter, Dream-hunter, and Were-hunter series.  I read the excerpt for The Guardian and it blew me away.  I really can't wait for it to come out!  If you want to find out more about this book, go here.
November 1st seems like so far away!

Check out this Winnie the Pooh giveaway

I love Winnie the Pooh and all the characters, especially tigger.  The Etherton Photography blog is having a giveaway for the new dvd and some swag.  Go here to enter.

Check Out this Giveaway!

The Book Diva: Giveaway: One Grave At A Time by Jeaniene Frost: I am giving a way a signed copy of One Grave At A Time by Jeaniene Frost. This is her latest release in the Night Huntress series (Cat and ...

Check out this blogs Spooktacular Giveaways

A Book-lovers' Review: Trick or Treat Day 1 Spooktacular Giveaways: Here at A Book-Lovers Review Trick or Treating will begin today, October 13th and end on Halloween night October 31st. I will ha...

Review of MR. DARCY'S BITE

                                                          Mr. Darcy's Bite can be purchased here.


Mr. Darcy's Bite
Mary Lydon Simonson

Mr. Darcy has seemingly been courting Elizabeth Bennett for months, but hasn't popped the question.  Elizabeth wonders what Mr. Darcy's purpose could be, after all Jane and Bingley have been married for over six months.  Darcy invites Elizabeth to Pemberley along with his sister and cousin, Anne, and promises to reveal a secret, which will affect Elizabeth's decision about him as a husband.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was intrigued.  Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book and werewolf/shapeshifter romances are my favorite genre.  A combination of the two seemed like a dream come true, and Mr. Darcy's Bite doesn't disappoint.  The only small quibble, that I had with the book was that the author's voice seemed a little to modern at times.  However, this didn't detract much from the enjoyment of the book as a whole.  Darcy and Elizabeth are the same great couple, that I expected, and I was happy to see Anne get a bigger role in this book.

All in all,  Mr. Darcy's Bite is a great read, which I highly recommend.

NOTE:  I was sent this book in return for an impartial review.

Coming Soon to Book Lover and Procrastinator!

Review of DEMON MARKED

DEMON MARKED
Meljean Brook

Ash couldn't remember, who she was and had been hospitalized in a mental institution for three years.  The fact that Ash isn't human, is an added mystery for her.  Searching for answers to her past, Ash runs into Nicholas St. Croix.  Nicholas knows that Ash must be a demon, because she looks like his girlfriend, who was killed by a demon posing as his mother.   Nicholas decides to use Ash to get to the demon posing as his mother.  Meanwhile, Lucifer and the demon posing as Nicholas' mother, also, have nefarious plans for Ash.

Demon Marked is an intense, enjoyable paranormal romance with multi-faceted characters and plenty of action.  Ash is learning and experiencing life, and, although she is part demon, her goodness shines through.  Nicholas has cut himself off from his emotions, in an effort to combat the demon, who is posing as his mother.  This has made him almost as bad as the demon, whom he seeks revenge upon.  Slowly, almost against his will, Nicholas begins to care for Ash,  and this love saves him in the end.  Demon Marked is a great love story, and I can't wait for the next story in the series, Michael's story.

NOTE:  I purchased this book and gave an impartial review.

 

Review of Redneck Zombies

I'm participating in the Zombie event.  For a full listing of all the fun go here.


I had intended to do a review of Evil Dead, but that was more demon than  zombie, so I watched Redneck Zombies.  In Redneck Zombies,  a drum of radioactive chemicals is being transported by a marijuana-smoking soldier, who immediately loses it in the backwoods.  A redneck gives the drum to some idiot moonshiners, who spill the chemicals into their mash.  They make their moonshine, anyway, and sell it.  The moonshine makes people turn into zombies and the fun ensues.

Redneck Zombies is definitely a B movie, and it could have had better acting and special effects.  However, there were moments of hilarity and cheesiness.  Unfortunately, these weren't a regular feature of this flick, so I find myself having a tough time recommending it. 

Review of Moonbeams

Moonbeams can be purchased at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords.

Moonbeams
Lakisha Spletzer

Shayleah D'athmoon, an elf Peacekeeper for the First Ones, travels around with a group of compatriots fighting for just causes.  During the middle of one such fight, three outlander humans appear, and Shayleah saves them.  The three are totally  fish out of water, unused to the violence and creatures in the Veil, so Shayleah takes them with her until she can return them to their world.  Unfortunately, an evil lurks in the background and has plans for Shayleah, her friends, and the humans.

Moonbeams is an enjoyable fantasy read with compelling characters and an imaginative world.  With that said, it took me awhile to get into the book.  The pace in the beginning is a little slow, perhaps, because of the introduction of numerous characters.  However, once I got into the book, it got my attention and held it until the very end, which is something of a cliffhanger.  All the characters had me rooting for them, except for one, Megan, one of the human outlanders.  Megan is spoiled, petty, and needs to be gagged.  It will be interesting to see how Ms. Spletzer redeems Megan in later books of the series.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and recommend Moonbeams to fantasy readers.

NOTE: I was sent this book in return for an impartial review.  

Review of FITZWILLIAM DARCY: ROCK STAR

FITZWILLIAM DARCY: ROCKSTAR
Heather Lynn Rigaud

Fitzwilliam Darcy, famous rock guitarist of the band Slurry, has a dilemma. It seems Slurry has a bad reputation, and no top level opening act will work with them. Darcy decides to hire an up-and-coming all female band, called Long Bourne Suffering, but gets off on the wrong foot with Elizabeth Bennett, a member of Long Bourne Suffering, when she overhears him make some disparaging remarks about her band members and herself. Thus, starts a tempestuous relationship between these two.

FITZWILLAM DARCY: ROCKSTAR is a modern retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, which falls short when compared with the original, but is enjoyable, when taken on its own merit. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is my favorite book, and I enjoy reading its retellings, sequels, and mash-ups. With that said, I don't expect any work to equal the original, but I hope to revisit beloved characters and experience an enjoyable read. This book is enjoyable, but some of the characters didn't resemble the original characters much. While Charlotte had some of the characteristics, that I expected, she barely resembles the original. However, I greatly enjoyed the different course Charlotte Lucas' life takes in this version. Wickham is more villainous than ever before, and Mr. Collins is even more creepy. Lizzy is more irrational and temperamental than I expected, and there were times that i wanted to knock some sense into her. Darcy is the character, that most resembles his P&P counterpart, which is a good thing. Darcy makes a sigh-worthy rock god. It is lovely, that there isn't just one romance in this book, but three.

All in all, FITZWILLIAM DARCY: ROCKSTAR is entertaining when taken on its own merits, but it pales in comparison to the original. Also, be warned that this is a story about the modern rock world so expect plenty of sex and a gritter reality.

NOTE: This book was sent to me in return for an impartial review.

Review of SHIFTERS OF 2040

SHIFTERS OF 2040
Ami Blackwelder

Melissa Marn, a scientist for the SCM (Shifters Counterinsurgency Military), is overworked and having second thoughts about some of her research. After a one night stand with a man, who turns out to be a shifter, Melissa discovers that she is pregnant. Melissa, now, has some very tough decisions to face. Because she works for the organization that is trying to exterminate the shifters, an alien race, Melissa is in greater danger than an ordinary person of being discovered. Meanwhile, the shifters and their hybrid children struggle to survive in a harsh, dangerous world.

SHIFTERS OF 2040 is an enjoyable paranormal story with action-packed scenes, great world-building, and a lot of romance. The characters are multi-dimensional and the plot is unique. While I enjoyed the book, greatly, the character of Melissa annoyed me at times, but I can understand her struggles. Since Melissa sought her father's approval and was almost brain washed into a military mind-set, her actions are understandable. I grew to care for the shifters and the hybrids and to root for them to overcome and survive. However, I'm hesitant to read the next book in the series, for fear that many of them won't survive.

NOTE: I was given this book in return for an impartial review.