Book Review: A Seal's Temptation

Author: Tawny Weber
Title: A Seal's Temptation
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Publish Date: Aug 18, 2015
Buy: Amazon

Boo Blurb:

Lark Sommers's dry spell is officially a sex-starved desert. Since taking over her mom's quirky coffee shop in Nowhere, Idaho—putting her own career on permanent hold—Lark's been, well, miserable. But her friends have a plan…one that starts with a superhot guy with a rockin' hard bod.

US Navy SEAL Shane O'Brian has no clue he's being set up. All he knows is that Lark does incredible things to his libido. Still, Shane can't quite bring himself to tell her what he does for a living. After all, their risqué business is temporary—no strings, no falling in love. Especially when there's no way this SEAL would ever be tempted into anything more than a sexy little fling…

Review: Tawny Weber's Uniformly Hot series of sexy SEALs never fails to disappoint. A SEAL's Temptation is the latest installment in the series. This time the story is Shane's and Lark. I have to say, Lark wasn't my favorite heroine because she didn't like coffee. (I truly don't trust anyone that doesn't like coffee), It took a little longer for her to grow on me, but she did grow on me.

What I liked the most about her was her loyalty to her family, even though it kept her from doing the things that she loved. She is an artist, running a coffee shop. When the book opens with discussions of aphrodisiac filled bake goods, I thought the story might be taking a different turn. In some ways I was a little disappointed that it did.

But then enter Lark's friend Sara and her brother, Shane, the sexy SEAL who is estranged from his family because of his career choice. When they get together, sparks fly and then they fly some more.

Family really places a huge part in this story. Sara's manipulation of Shane really served two purposes, two get him together with Lark and to repair his relationship with his mother, who has her own reasons for forcing him out of her life. (I won't go into it because that would be a spoiler)

Like the other SEAL books, there are connections with characters from past books, but the connections in this book weren't quite as prominent as in some of the other books.

Another winner by Tawny Weber!

Rating: 4 flowers

Historical Fiction Virtual Tours Book Blast: Enchantress of Paris

Enchantress of Paris: A Novel of the Sun King's Court by Marci Jefferson

Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press Hardcover & eBook; 336 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction
READ AN EXCERPT.

   

  Fraught with conspiracy and passion, the Sun King's opulent court is brought to vivid life in this captivating tale about a woman whose love was more powerful than magic. The alignment of the stars at Marie Mancini's birth warned that although she would be gifted at divination, she was destined to disgrace her family. Ignoring the dark warnings of his sister and astrologers, Cardinal Mazarin brings his niece to the French court, where the forbidden occult arts thrive in secret. In France, Marie learns her uncle has become the power behind the throne by using her sister Olympia to hold the Sun King, Louis XIV, in thrall. Desperate to avoid her mother's dying wish that she spend her life in a convent, Marie burns her grimoire, trading Italian superstitions for polite sophistication. But as her star rises, King Louis becomes enchanted by Marie's charm. Sensing a chance to grasp even greater glory, Cardinal Mazarin pits the sisters against each other, showering Marie with diamonds and silks in exchange for bending King Louis to his will. Disgusted by Mazarin's ruthlessness, Marie rebels. She sacrifices everything, but exposing Mazarin's deepest secret threatens to tear France apart. When even King Louis's love fails to protect Marie, she must summon her forbidden powers of divination to shield her family, protect France, and help the Sun King fulfill his destiny.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOKS-A-MILLION | INDIEBOUND | MACMILLAN

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Told with vivid historical detail and packed with court intrigue, this is sure to please fans of royal fiction.” — Library Journal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Years after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, immersing herself in a Quality Assurance nursing career, and then having children, Marci realized she’d neglected her passion for history and writing. She began traveling, writing along the way, delving into various bits of history that caught her fancy. The plot for GIRL ON THE GOLDEN COIN evolved slowly after a trip to London, where she first learned about the Stuart royals. Marci is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, making hair-bows for their daughter, trying not to step on their son’s Legos, and teaching a tiny Pacific Parrotlet to talk. For more information visit Marci Jefferson’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

BOOK BLAST SCHEDULE

Tuesday, August 4
Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, August 5
Unshelfish Beth's Book Nook Blog
Curling up by the Fire
Thursday, August 6
Book Lovers Paradise
History From a Woman's Perspective
Friday, August 7
100 Pages a Day
Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Saturday, August 8
Historical Readings & Reviews
Sunday, August 9
Book Nerd
Monday, August 10 Genre Queen
Tuesday, August 11
A Chick Who Reads
To Read, Or Not to Read
Wednesday, August 12
A Literary Vacation
So Many Books, So Little Time
Thursday, August 13
Broken Teepee
CelticLady's Reviews
Friday, August 14
A Book Geek
The Lit Bitch
Saturday, August 15
The Maiden's Court
Sunday, August 16
Ageless Pages Reviews
Monday, August 17
Luxury Reading
Boom Baby Reviews
Tuesday, August 18
A Bookish Affair

GIVEAWAY

To enter to win a signed copy of Enchantress of Paris: A Novel of the Sun King's Court, please enter via the GLEAM form below. Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on August 18th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Enchantress of Paris

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Thrill Me

Author: Susan Mallery
Title: Thrill Me
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: July 28, 2015
Buy: Amazon

Review Copy Provided By: TLC Book Tours
Book Blurb: 

Meet the Mitchell brothers of Fool’s Gold, California—five gorgeous men who’ve left a trail of broken hearts in their wake… Maya Farlow learned the hard way to depend only on herself, so when she fell too deeply for the bad-boy charms of Del Mitchell, she did the only thing she could—she ran. Stunned, Del left Fool’s Gold to make his name and fortune in extreme sports. Now ten years later, Maya’s been hired to promote her hometown’s new slogan, The Destination for Romance. The celebrity spokesman is none other than Del, the man she dumped but never forgot. Awkward!

Although Del’s not the type to hold a grudge, he’s determined to avoid falling a second time for the woman who broke his heart. He’s a daredevil, not an idiot. Trouble is, in all his adventures, he never found a rush as exhilarating as Maya’s kiss. Maybe risking his heart will prove to be the biggest thrill of all…

Review: Susan Mallery is one of my go to authors when it comes to summer romance. Thrill Me is another winner. I was totally amazed to know that this the 18th book in the Fool's Gold series.

This is a second chance at love story which is an area of romance of that I'e been reading a lot of. Sometimes its done well and sometimes it makes you roll your eyes. For awhile I thought I might be heading towards the eye rolling area, but  I really found myself liking Maya and Del. They had an interesting history. (And I always find it amusing that people hold torches for their high school sweethearts in these books). Plus there are a few brothers that are going to need stories. I'm all for Aidan settling down.

The one thing that really bugged me was the situation with Elaine, who just happens to be Del's mom as well as Maya's close friend. From the time the problem arises you know it is going to cause problems with Maya and Del. I really hate when the end of the book conflict is really obvious, and this was in your face obvious.

Thankfully the chemistry between Maya and Del was electric. The two of them really fit well together and I love the mixture of heat and humor that came whenever they were together.

Overall, the story worked out well, and I enjoyed reading about the family tensions as the couple found their way back together.

Rating: 4 flowers

End Of Summer Blog Tour Guest Post: Christie Ridgway

Summer Crushes

by USA TODAY bestselling author Christie Ridgway

Have you ever had a summer crush?

My very first was my swimming instructor when I was seven years old. Every year I would take a few weeks of lessons from the Red Cross that were taught by high school students. Before I’d always had girl instructors, but this time, it was a boy. I even remember his name—Matt. I nearly drowned trying to impress him with my ability to hold my breath and I worked so hard for his smile and approval!

My next summer crush occurred when I was twelve and I had a private tennis instructor. (My dad had great hopes, and I had my eye on this cute guy.) Again, he was perfect crush material. Not only did he have glossy black hair, he had a car, and he picked me up in it to drive me to the courts for my lessons. I hoped people thought we were on a date…yes, I had a great imagination even then.

My last summer crush broke my heart. I fell in love between eighth grade and high school, this time with a boy my own age. I’d known him for years, but suddenly he seemed…different. He crushed right back and we had a summer of holding hands at the park with the occasional movie with a big group of friends thrown in. Then…wait for it…he and his parents moved hundreds of miles away at the end of August. We were crushed (pun intended).

In my latest Cabin Fever novel, hero Brett Walker has spent the sunny season surreptitiously watching the woman who lives at one of the estates that employs his landscape company…and he’s reluctantly attracted.

Brett didn’t think the young woman did anything but dream up ways to torture him. When he arrived to work on the grounds, she’d come outside wearing radiant smiles and little sundresses.

She was evil like that.

Angelica Rodriguez feels the pull as well, but is intimidated by the man.

There he was, thirtyish, muscled and a bit threatening-looking, even though in the darkness she could only see his bulk and not those very fascinating scars on his face. One slashed through his brow to his hairline. Another crossed the bridge of his nose.

Angelica had never found the courage to ask him about them.

She considers him her summer crush and has hopes her feelings will fade as autumn arrives, but there’s more in store for these two lonely hearts! Read Can’t Fight This Feeling to find out if a crush can become so much more.

Do you have a summer crush story? Share with us in the comment section below!

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Book Review: Victorian Scoundrel

Author: Stephanie Burkhart
Title: Victorian Scoundrel
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Publish Date: June 30, 2011
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb:

It's 2011 and compressed natural gas has taken over from the coal producing steam machines of the Victorian Age. Alice Windsor, Princess of York, follows her mischief-making cousin, Edmund of Wales, back to 1851 where Prince Albert is hosting Britain's Great Exhibition.

Alice soon finds herself over her head in trouble. Edmund is determined to help Prince Albert build a dirigible and the prime minister appears intent in preventing her from stopping Edmund. Alice knows it's too early for the massive flying machine to take to the air. Complicating matters is the passionate Grayson Kentfield, Earl of Swinton. Alice can't stop her pulse from pounding when she's near him.

Can Alice give her heart to a man from the past while working to stop Edmund from changing history?

EXCERPT

Tired and thirsty, she finally made it to the courtyard. Edmund was nowhere to be found. She should have expected it, really. No doubt he was in the palace filling their great-grandfather's head with forward-thinking ideas. She crossed her arms, staring at the steps. Several carriages waited nearby. No one in their right mind would let her into the palace looking like she did -- like she had just stepped out of the gutter.

"Excuse me, who are you?"

Alice spun around to find herself face-to-face with two gentlemen who stood near one of the waiting carriages. One gentleman was older, Alice guessed in his fifties, one younger. The older gentleman stared at her like she truly was a guttersnipe, but the younger one -- he was tall, with chiseled cheeks and sensitive hazel eyes. His broad chest filled his suit well and he measured her with a cool, appraising look that hinted at... appreciation. An uncomfortable feeling washed over her. Never had a man's stare made her feel so... warm.

"Well?" asked the older gentleman.

Alice straightened her posture with her usual royal dignity and took off her glasses as she always did when she introduced herself. "I am Her Royal Highness, Princess Alice of York."

The men looked at each other, at her, then back at themselves. She wasn't sure if they were befuddled, confused, or wanted to laugh. Finally, the older gentleman spoke. "Princess Alice is seven years old."

Alice bit the inside of her lip, realizing she had totally forgotten where she was due to the younger gentleman's attention. She slid her glasses back on. "Simply call me Alice -- Alice Windsor."

"And you may call me Prime Minister."

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

Review: I read the second book in this series a few years back. It was full of wibbly wobbly timey whimey goodness, so when I got the chance to review the first book in the series, I was thrilled.

This book is a quick steampunk read and a great start to the series. I love Alice and Edmond Windsor. It was great to finally see how the story started.

The story combines all the wonderful things that make steampunk such a great genre, while adding a touch of romance between Edmund and Keira, the prime minister's daughter and Alice and Grayson. 

The mixture of present day and Victorian times makes the book all the more interesting. Something about this series reminds me of the Doctor Who epis set in Victorian England. I expect to see Strax, Vastra and Jenny at any given time. Maybe its just the time frame, or maybe its the time travel element of the story or maybe I still love working Doctor Who into everything I can.

But back to the story, Edmund is making mischief in Victorian times and Alice is trying to make sure he doesn't succeed in messing up the timeline. Burkhart really pays attention to detail in this book in regards to The Great Exhibition and The Crystal Palace.

If you are looking for a great way to get into the steampunk genre, this is a good series to start with and I can assure you the second book is just as good.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Chef Maurice And The Wrath of Grapes

Author: J.A. Lang
Title: Chef Maurice and the Wrath of Grapes
Publisher: Purple Panda Press
Publish Date: July 10, 2015
Buy Amazon

Book Blurb: 

In the rarefied world of wine collecting, murder isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs…

An invitation to dinner at the home of renowned wine collector Sir William Burton-Trent soon finds Chef Maurice in the middle of an all-too-real murder mystery party, when Sir William is found dead in his own wine cellar.

The guests are acting all innocent, but which one is only playing the part? The pushy Californian film director? The seductive French winemaker?

Or could it be, against all narrative decency, the butler who did it?

With the help of food critic friend Arthur Wordington-Smythe, a large kipper sandwich, and the newly formed Cochon Rouge Wine Appreciation Society, Chef Maurice must get to the bottom of matters before events turn decidedly sour…

Review: Chef Maurice is back and better than ever.  When a wine collector is found dead in his own wine cellar, things start to get crazy.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book.

1. Waffles the cat and the kipper sandwich that helped uncover a clue as how William's killer got in.

2. The reappearance of Hamilton the pig. I love this pig!!!

3. Chef's use of the word "Allonsy!"  Yes, he's French, but I'm a huge Doctor Who fan and seeing that word in print made me squee with joy!

.

3. Patrick and his relationship with PC Lucy. Ahhh they are they so sweet.  I loved the extent Patrick will go to make her jealous, but that's all I'll say there.

4. Chef Maurice's quirky way of finding the killer. All cozy mystery sleuths get into trouble on their quest to solve a mystery, but Chef does it in a really fun way.

5. The attention to detail that JA Lang gives to wine. I actually felt like I learned a lot about wine collecting while reading this book. Its hard to imagine buying a bottle of wine and not drinking it.

If you are looking for a great new series, you can't pass this one up. You really don't have a clue who the killer was until it is revealed, because there are so many people that just might have a reason to commit the crime.

Loved this book, and can't wait for the next one!

Rating: 5 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Baker's Blues

Author: Judith Ryan Hendricks
Title: Baker's Blues
Publisher: Chien Blue Press
Publish Date: Aug 1, 2015
Buy:Amazon
Book Blurb: In Wyn Morrison’s world a 5 A.M. phone call is rarely good news. It usually means equipment trouble at her bakery or a first shift employee calling in sick—something annoying but mundane, fixable. But the news she receives on a warm July morning is anything but mundane. Or fixable.

Mac, her ex-husband, is dead.

He’s not just in a different house with another woman, but actually, physically gone. Ineligible for widowhood, Wyn is nonetheless shaken to her core as she discovers that the fact of divorce offers no immunity from grief.

As Mac's executor, Wyn is now faced with not only sorting his possessions and selling the house, but also with helping his daughter Skye deal with financial and legal aspects of the estate--a task made more difficult by Skye’s grief, anger and resentment.

Ironically, just when Wyn needs support most, everyone she’s closest to is otherwise occupied. Her mother and stepfather have moved to Northern California, her best friend CM has finally married the love of her life and is commuting to New York, and her protégé Tyler is busy managing the bakery and dealing with her first serious love affair. They’re all sympathetic, but bewildered by her spiral into sadness. After all, it’s been three years since the divorce.

On her own, she stumbles at first. For the last several years Wyn has been more businesswoman than baker, leaving the actual bread making to others. Now, as she takes up her place in the bread rotation once more, she will sift through her memories, coming to terms with Mac and his demons, with Skye’s anger, and with Alex, who was once more than a friend. Soon she will re-learn the lessons that she first discovered at the Queen Street Bakery in Seattle…that bread is a process--slow, arduous, messy, mysterious--and best consumed with the eyes closed and the heart open.

Review: First I have to say, I love the cover of this book. Its absolutely gorgeous. This is the third book in the Bread Alone series, and one that as I read it, I knew I had to find the other books in this series, because it was so wonderful, and I wanted to find out where Wyn came from and how she got to where she is now.

You really get pulled into to Wyn's life and the life of her friends and family. (And this is one of the reasons why I have to read Bread Alone and Baker's Apprentice)  This is a stand alone novel, but the characters are so likable, that you'll want to go back and really get to know them.

This was a fabulous book that is totally unforgettable

Rating: 5 flowers