Monday, March 31, 2014

Jennifer Haymore One Night with an Earl Release Week Blitz




I am so excited to have Jennifer Haymore here at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Release Blitz.

Thanks Jennifer and Hachette Book Group for allowing me to join your One Night with an Earl Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Jennifer!

 



About Jennifer Haymore:

As a child, Jennifer Haymore traveled the South Pacific with her family on their homebuilt sailboat. The months spent on the sometimes quiet, sometimes raging seas sparked her love of adventure and grand romance. Since then, she's earned degrees in computer science and education and held various jobs ranging from bookselling to teaching inner-city children to acting, but she's never stopped writing.

You can find Jennifer in Southern California trying to talk her husband into yet another trip to England, helping her three children with homework while brainstorming a new five-minute dinner menu, or crouched in a corner of the local bookstore writing her next novel.

Social Media Links:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads





 One Night with an Earl

ONE NIGHT WITH AN EARL by Jennifer Haymore (April 1, 2014; Forever Yours E-Novella; $1.99)


Beatrice Reece, Lady Fenwick, has retired from polite society. Everyone knows her late husband treated her abominably, and she simply cannot bear the whispers of the ton. But it's the night of London's premier masquerade ball-and Beatrice's one chance to revel in anonymity. She hopes no one will recognize her beneath her mask, not even the sinfully sexy stranger across the room who holds her captive in his gaze.

Andrew Sinclair would know beautiful Beatrice anywhere from the gentle sway of her hips, the richness of her hair, and the lushness of her body. When he asks her to dance, the attraction is instant and all-consuming. The only woman he's ever truly wanted is finally in his arms. But when the clock strikes twelve, will this one reckless night fade into the morning light?

Buy Links:
 

Amazon
B&N
iTunes




Excerpt

“What do you find fascinating, my lady?” he asked quietly. He knelt down and slipped her muddy slipper off her foot before setting it aside.

“You,” she answered honestly.

He smiled at that. It was an arrogant, supremely masculine smile. “Good. But what else?”

She looked away from him. But some part of her didn’t want to lie to him or evade his questions. “I have always been fascinated by food,” she admitted quietly.

“Food? Do you mean its preparation or its consumption?” He chafed the cold, damp skin of her foot between his hands to warm it.

“Its preparation,” she clarified. “As in, how to combine ingredients in a way that makes them most pleasing to a person’s palate.”

He looked intrigued. He bent down to kiss the top of her foot, his lips warm and soft. No one had ever kissed her there before, and it was…erotic. It made her pulse flutter and her cheeks burn with a flush.

He sat on the sofa beside her and stretched his long legs out, crossing them at the ankles. “So…you are a cook?”

“Not in a professional capacity,” she said. “But I enjoy going into the kitchen and collaborating with our cook.”

“What kinds of foods do you most like to prepare?”

“I enjoy all types of dishes. But my favorite? Baked sweets,” she admitted. “Biscuits, fruit pies, tarts, pastries, cakes…”

She looked away, eyes downcast, afraid of his reaction. No one of her class, except Jessica and her family, had ever accepted her fascination with cooking. The world in general believed that cooking was far below Beatrice’s station. She was lucky Cook allowed her into the kitchen at all.

“Look at me,” he commanded softly. Pressing one finger against her cheek, he turned her head to face him. “I’d like to taste one of your creations,” he said. The backs of his fingers stroked her cheeks. “A lemon pudding, perhaps.”

He trailed the finger from her cheek, down the front of her neck, and over her breast, gently swiping over her nipple. Even through the fabric of her clothes, the sensation was so strong she gasped aloud.

“Perhaps,” he said quietly, “I could lay you naked on our bed and eat the pudding off your skin.”

She shuddered.

“I’d lick off every bit of the sweetness, but that wouldn’t work, would it? Because once the pudding was gone, your skin would be even sweeter.”

Her eyes fluttered shut. He’d just given her the most erotic image of her life. Herself, lying naked across a bed while he licked lemon pudding from her skin.

His lips curved. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You’d like me to lick a sweet confection from your body.”

She gave a ghost of a nod, and his fingers swiped over her nipple again. She wrapped her fingers around the wrist of the hand that was touching her. “Wait. I…I want…”

“What do you want? Do you want me to take you back to the masquerade? Or…” He let the question hang, but she knew what he had been going to say.

Or do you want to stay?

And here it was. This was the moment of truth. Her universe balanced on a single point, and she had the power to choose. For once in her life, she was the master of her own destiny. This man wanted her—she could see it in the deep glint of his eyes, in the tightness of his jaw, in his posture, bristling with maleness. But he wouldn’t force himself on her. He was a gentleman, and if she wanted him to, he’d take her back to Jessica immediately.

He waited, gazing at her. Was that hope in his eyes?

“I want to stay with you,” she whispered.


Giveaway

Fifteen print copies of the book (US/Canada only).


Weekly Book Reads (Mar 31)



 Weekly Book Reads


Weekly Book Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books read last week and books you plan on finishing this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  Dust - Patricia Cornwell
2.  Hunted - Karen Robards
3.  Arisa Vol. 7 - Natsume Ando
4.  Arisa Vol. 8 - Natsume Ando
5.  Arisa Vol. 9 - Natsume Ando
6.  Arisa Vol. 10 - Natsume Ando
7.  Arisa Vol. 11 - Natsume Ando
8.  Arisa Vol. 12 - Natsume Ando 

Weekly Book Reading:

1.  Eggs in a Casket - Laura Childs
2.  Night Broken - Patricia Briggs
3.  Jack Frost Vol. 9 - JinHo Ko
4.  Judge Vol. 3 - Yoshiki Tonogai

Saturday, March 29, 2014

MT Review: Dust (A Scarpetta Novel) Hardcover



I've finished "Dust" the 21st book in her Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell.

From the world’s number-one bestselling crime writer comes the extraordinary new Kay Scarpetta novel.

Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta has just returned from working one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history when she’s awakened at an early hour by Detective Pete Marino.

A body, oddly draped in an unusual cloth, has just been discovered inside the sheltered gates of MIT and it’s suspected the identity is that of missing computer engineer Gail Shipton, last seen the night before at a trendy Cambridge bar. It appears she’s been murdered, mere weeks before the trial of her $100 million lawsuit against her former financial managers, and Scarpetta doubts it’s a coincidence. She also fears the case may have a connection with her computer genius niece, Lucy.

At a glance there is no sign of what killed Gail Shipton, but she’s covered with a fine dust that under ultraviolet light fluoresces brilliantly in three vivid colors, what Scarpetta calls a mineral fingerprint. Clearly the body has been posed with chilling premeditation that is symbolic and meant to shock, and Scarpetta has reason to worry that the person responsible is the Capital Murderer, whose most recent sexual homicides have terrorized Washington, D.C. Stunningly, Scarpetta will discover that her FBI profiler husband, Benton Wesley, is convinced that certain people in the government, including his boss, don’t want the killer caught.

In Dust, Scarpetta and her colleagues are up against a force far more sinister than a sexual predator who fits the criminal classification of a “spectacle killer.” The murder of Gail Shipton soon leads deep into the dark world of designer drugs, drone technology, organized crime, and shocking corruption at the highest levels.

About the Author

PATRICIA CORNWELL’s most recent bestsellers include The Bone Bed, Red Mist, Port Mortuary, and Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper — Case Closed. Her earlier works include Postmortem—the only novel to win five major crime awards in a single year — and Cruel and Unusual, which won Britain’s prestigious Gold Dagger Award for the best crime novel of 1993. Dr. Kay Scarpetta herself won the 1999 Sherlock Award for the best detective created by an American author.

Product Details
Series: A Scarpetta Novel (Book 21)
Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (November 12, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399157573
ISBN-13: 978-0399157578

My Review:


Kay Scarpetta has just returned home when she is awakened by Detective Pete Marino.  A body has been discovered which is oddly draped in an unusual cloth and is believed to be missing computer engineer Gail Shipton who was last seen at a popular bar last night.

Kay believes the case is related to the Capital Murderer which her FBI profiler husband Wesley Benton is working on because the body is wrapped in ivory linen, covered with dust and posed in a
certain way that states that it isn't their first murder.

As Kay investigates she comes against a force that wants to make sure she doesn't find out who the murderer is.

3.5/5

Bunny Express Saturday 2014 (Mar 29)




Bunny Express Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review:







Private L.A. Hardcover

Private Jack Morgan investigates the disappearance of the biggest superstar couple in Hollywood.


Thom and Jennifer Harlow are the perfect couple, with three perfect children. They maybe two of the biggest mega movie stars in the world, but they're also great parents, philanthropists and just all-around good people.

When they disappear without a word from their ranch, facts are hard to find. They live behind such a high wall of security and image control that even world-renowned Private Investigator Jack Morgan can't get to the truth. But as Jack keeps probing, secrets sprout thick and fast -- and the world's golden couple may emerge as hiding behind a world of desperation and deception that the wildest reality show couldn't begin to unveil. Murder is only the opening scene.



 



  
Where Evil Waits (Mann Family) Mass Market Paperback SHE'LL RISK EVERYTHING

Special prosecutor Kara Chandler is very good at her job, so good that a homicidal mastermind vows to kill her and everyone she cares about. Desperate to save herself and her son, Kara seeks out cartel hit man Luke Varón. The last time she dealt with Luke, she saw him beat the system and escape prison. But now, the most dangerous man she's ever met is the only one who can keep her alive.

HE'LL STOP AT NOTHING

Luke Varón isn't who he appears to be. After spending years in the criminal underworld, he seeks redemption and revenge. Yet when he sees the fear in Kara's eyes, he can't walk away. People around her are being murdered, and only he can help uncover the killer's motive. Now as danger closes in, Kara and Luke must trust each other with their darkest secrets - before the evil in their lives destroys them both.








Blood Royal: A True Tale of Crime and Detection in Medieval Paris Hardcover

A riveting true story of murder and detection in 15th-century Paris, by one of the most brilliant medievalists of his generation.

On a chilly November night in 1407, Louis of Orleans was murdered by a band of masked men. The crime stunned and paralyzed France since Louis had often ruled in place of his brother King Charles, who had gone mad. As panic seized Paris, an investigation began. In charge was the Provost of Paris, Guillaume de Tignonville, the city's chief law enforcement officer -- and one of history's first detectives. As de Tignonville began to investigate, he realized that his hunt for the truth was much more dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

A rich portrait of a distant world, BLOOD ROYAL is a gripping story of conspiracy, crime and an increasingly desperate hunt for the truth. And in Guillaume de Tignonville, we have an unforgettable detective for the ages, a classic gumshoe for a cobblestoned era.


 





COULD YOU FIND A MUSEUM FOR A MONSTER?

OR A JAZZ BAR FOR A JABBERWOCK?


Zoe Norris writes travel guides for the undead. And she's good at it too -- her new-found ability to talk to cities seems to help. After the success of The Sbambling Guide to New York City, Zoe and her team are sent to New Orleans to write the sequel.

Work isn't all that brings Zoe to the Big Easy. The only person who can save her boyfriend from zombism is rumored to live in the city's swamps, but Zoe's out of her element in the wilderness. With her supernatural colleagues waiting to see her fail, and rumors of a new threat hunting city talkers, can Zoe stay alive long enough to finish her next book?



 




SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT

After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he's back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she's not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future.

Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben - even though he has absolutely no idea what she's done.

Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor?








If you loved Beautiful Disaster then you're ready to discover 

THE SECRET OF ELLA AND MICHA


A rule-breaker with a fiery attitude, Ella always wore her heart on her sleeve. Then she left everything behind to go to college, where she transformed into someone who follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. Now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. But once there, Ella fears that everything she's worked so hard to bury might resurface - especially with Micha living right next door.

Smart, sexy, and confident, Micha can get under Ella's skin like no one else. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. If he tries to tempt the old Ella to return, he will be impossible to resist. But what Ella doesn't realize is that when she left, she took a piece of Micha's heart with her. Now he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.




 



From the New York Times bestselling author of The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden comes an emotional new story about two troubled souls sharing one all-encompassing love

THE REDEMPTION OF CALLIE and KAYDEN


The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is finally out. Worse, he's facing charges for battery. The only way to clear his name is for Callie to speak up - something he'll never ask her to do. Instead, he'll do whatever he must to protect her even if it means letting go of the only girl he's ever loved.

Callie knows Kayden is going back to his dark place and desperately wants to save him. But that means facing her greatest fear and admitting her own painful secrets aloud. The thought of breaking her silence terrifies her-but not as much as the thought of losing Kayden forever.

Deep in her heart, Callie knows the time has come for her and Kayden to forget the pain of the past. With the help of her friends Seth and Luke she makes a plan to show Kayden the life they could have. But can she convince him they can make a fresh start together - or is she already too late?

Manga:







Jack Frost, Vol. 9 Paperback

Cornered among the slabs of the Ancient Rock, Helmina comes face-to-face with Dust, head of the West District. With Jack Frost kept busy elsewhere, fighting the West's vicious pack of warriors, Helmina is forced to test the strength of her powers against the mighty lycanthrope. Alliances will shift and new powers will rise in the battle for dominance and the mirror image!

 

 

BTOOOM!, Vol. 5 Paperback

Unwilling to play by the rules of the twisted minds behind the live-action version of "BTOOOM!", Ryouta Sakamoto, with his comrades Himiko and Kiyoshi Taira, vows to find a way off the deserted island that doesn't involve murder. Still, with giant carnivorous lizards and stab-happy ex-soldiers inhabiting this island hell, Ryouta finds that getting a little blood on his hands is inevitable if he's to escape with both his life and wits about him.  But when he and Himiko are accosted by an otherworldly white specter as they take shelter in an abandoned building, is Ryouta instead losing his grip on reality and the game? 







Judge, Vol. 3 Paperback

In the abandoned courthouse, to trust is folly. Is that the only rule, the only strategy to staying alive in the twisted game underway within? When the time for the Second Judgment arrives, a ruthless decision is made to shocking effect. The sinners must accept reality for idealistic notions have no place among these halls of cruel and swift justice.

Thanks Hachette Book Group Canada!

Friday, March 28, 2014

Follow My Blog Friday #186



If you are new to the FF fun, Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, myself of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

Now to make this FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. If you are interested in becoming a Feature click on the drop down link above FEATURES and Features and Follow Friday and get on the waiting list!  It is also required, that if you participate you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee and Alison Can Read) and the two Feature blogs.

This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View and Alison from Alison Can Read on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1.  (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}

2.  (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers

3.  Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

4.  Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

5.  If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed

6.  Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

7.  If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love and the followers.

8.  If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Our Feature this week:

NJ Kinny’s World of Books

When did you start blogging?

I started this blog at the end of May in 2013. I still remember the frustration I had been feeling lately regarding my job and the only two things keeping me sane had been my love for books and my husband. So one day when he suggested about starting a book blog where I could talk about the books I was reading and interact with like minded book lovers, I just jumped at the idea and instantly revived an old blog which I had made while in college but never used. I started with a review of one of my favorite books, A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and have never looked back since.

What is your favorite part of book blogging?

I love the reviewing part of my job. I just love to share my thoughts about a book that I have read and interact with other people who also love reading.

What type of books do you mainly blog about?

I blog about any book that I am able to finish reading. I am not choosy about the genre but still clear away from poetry and autobiographies. I have come across and read some very interesting books so far and hope to continue exploring.

What is your favorite book(s)?

Wow. That’s a difficult question. I love all books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and so it is safe to say that I really like mysteries. I also love books with a good romance and if it has a suspense element in it then it is a plus. Family stories, good fantasy plots, magic settings also appeal to me. There are so many books I like that it is difficult to name a few.

What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

I have met some great people because of blogging and also got introduced to books and genres that I would not have known had I not been blogging. I have finally found a great way to blow steam, enjoy myself, satisfy my bookish and artistic cravings plus meet some very talented people. When people comment, follow me and appreciate my efforts I feel so proud and so thankful that I took my husband’s advise. Life is great because of blogging!
 
Our Feature - Mo Books

1. When did you start blogging?


I've been happily blogging since March 2013. It's been a year and I'm still absolutely loving it.

2. What is your favorite part of book blogging?


Hmm, it's hard to pick. I will say the great bookish friends and the free books =D

3. What type of books do you mainly blog about?


The main books I review are YA but I enjoy a wide variety of different genres. Science fiction and dystopian are two that I've really been into lately.

4. What are your favorite books?

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

5. What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

The best thing that has happened to me besides meeting a lot of new and awesome people, has been that I've been in contact with a few of my favourite authors. I love being in chat with them and ask questions. I've even managed to get two signed books. (yay)

Question of the Week: Snap it Time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything and anything. 
Just give us a pic.

I wanted to share some photos from my Oahu trip a couple years ago.

















Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Wednesday Wish List




Please list the books/manga/manhwa/yaoi manga from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.







Illusion: Chronicles of Nick Hardcover

Be careful what you wish for . . . You just might get it.  Nick Gautier is tired of his destiny. He doesn’t want to be the son of a demon who’s fated to end the world. Nor does he want to see another demon or other preternatural creature who wants to kill or enslave him. He just wants to be normal and have normal problems like everyone else.

But normality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When he gets sucked into an alternate reality where his mother has married his mentor and his Atlantean god best friend has become a human geek, he begins to understand that no life is free of pain, and that every person has a specific place in the universe . . . Even the son of a hated demon. Most of all, he sees that his powers aren’t the curse he thought they were, and that the world needs a champion, especially one its enemies can’t imagine rising up to defend the ones he should destroy.

Old enemies and new friends square off for a major battle that will either restore Nick to his real world, or end him forever in #1 bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s fifth novel in The Chronicles of Nick series, Illusion.
 






The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Hardcover 

J.R. Ward's # 1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood continues as a royal bloodline is compromised by a grave threat to the throne.

Long live the King


After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle -- with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything -- and everyone -- at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response -- or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out or tortured legacy take over?









The Awakening (Alliance Vampires) Mass Market Paperback

Despite a floundering marriage, Megan O'Casey and her husband Finn still make good music together. Which is why they head to Salem, Massachusetts, Megan's hometown - booked to perform a weeklong series of concerts culminating on Halloween. But as soon as they arrive, Finn seems different - sensual beyond belief one moment; cold and ruthless the next. The locals - even Megan's relatives - regard him strangely, with a distrust bordering on hatred. Something powerful is arising, a malevolence that may have already claimed Finn for its own. As the full moon approaches, Megan senses that she, too, is in mortal danger. But there are forces watching from beyond the pale of life and death. Whose side they're on is the least of Megan's worries. What they could reveal about her is what she's running from.







Circle of Desire: A Damask Circle Book: 3 Mass Market Paperback

A TEMPTING FATE

Two children have been found dead, their souls torn from their bodies. Two more are missing, and Ethan Morgan’s niece is one of them. A dedicated cop, Ethan has every intention not only of bringing her back alive but of catching the monster behind these kidnappings. And he will use anyone and everyone to achieve those aims — even a crazy woman who claims to be a witch. But time is ticking. The victims rarely stay alive for more than seven days. Four of those days have already passed.

In ten years of working for the Damask Circle, shapeshifter Katherine Tanner has never come across anything that goes after kids the way this monster does. The last thing Kat needs is interference from a cop who has no idea what he’s up against. But the greatest threat to Kat may come not from the forces of darkness, but from the man she is beginning to love. Because Ethan is a werewolf and the full moon is rising.








Wild Wolf (Shifters Unbound) Mass Market Paperback

In the latest Shifters Unbound novel, a man has resigned himself to a life half lived. But a beautiful, courageous woman has him longing for something more.

Graham McNeil knows that his pack is unruly, but he’s not sure he can take the next step toward Shiftertown stability — choosing a new mate. After losing his mate and son long ago, Graham has worked hard to keep his heart in check. And even if he was inclined to bind himself again, his girlfriend, Misty, is human — a fact that won’t sit well with Graham’s old-fashioned wolves.

But Graham is up against a new enemy, one who could spell danger and death to all of Shiftertown. Graham must now defend his leadership and save Misty, the woman he has grown to love — before Shiftertown is pulled into an all-out war.

Manga:






Voice Over!: Seiyu Academy, Vol. 4 Paperback

Hime Kino’s dream is to one day do voice acting like her hero Sakura Aoyama from the Lovely ? Blazer anime, and getting accepted to the prestigious Holly Academy’s voice actor department is the first step in the right direction! But Hime’s gruff voice has earned her the scorn of teachers and students alike. Hime will not let that stand unchallenged. She’ll show everyone that she is too a voice acting princess, whether they like it or not!

After days of grueling training at Yamada’s special voice acting retreat, Hime can finally bring forth her prince voice! Now she’s ready to start her next job as a recurring character in an exciting new anime. But her first day on the set doesn’t go as she’d hoped. Why do her costars and the producers seem to hate her when they just met her?

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for teen audiences.







Happy Marriage?, Vol. 5 Paperback

In order to help her father, Chiwa Takanashi agrees to an arranged marriage with the company president, Hokuto Mamiya— a man she doesn’t know — at the request of Hokuto’s grandfather. Chiwa believes the arrangement isn’t binding, but her new partner seems to think otherwise. Can two strangers living together find their way to a happy marriage?!

Chiwa Takanashi has married a total stranger — company president Hokuto Mamiya — to get her father out of debt.

Rather than having her husband continue to support her feckless father, Chiwa accepts a job at Shinjo Sakuraba’s startup without telling Hokuto. Will Chiwa and Hokuto’s newfound wedded bliss last now that she’s working alongside her crush from college?

Reads R to L (Japanese Style) for mature audiences.








Sweet Rein, Vol. 2 Paperback

Sad at the thought of spending Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara goes out for a walk. While she’s crossing the street, a boy bumps into her, and a rein suddenly appears that binds them together. The overjoyed boy tells her she’s his master and that she’s a Santa Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a reindeer?!

Kurumi and Kaito have remained together for a year, but a Dark Santa appears, intent on breaking the two apart. Kurumi and Kaito’s rein is severed, and the Dark Santa takes control of Kaito. Can Kurumi manage to get Kaito back, even when she’s still unsure if he’s truly happy as her servant?

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

New Releases 2014 (Mar 25)



 




New Releases









Styxx (Dark-Hunters Novel) - Mass Market Paperback

A sensational new chapter in the Dark-Hunter saga begins from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon.


As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother — but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

There are two sides to every story.

And you don’t know Styxx

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her. But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line.  Meanwhile, Styxx is faced with a desperate decision: To save the world, he can either join forces with the brother who betrayed him or battle the only woman who has held his heart. Which will he choose? The real fight for survival is about to begin.








Waking the Dead (Cafferty and Quinn Novels)

They say a painting can have a life of its own.


In the case of Ghosts in the Mind by Henry Sebastian Hubert, that's more than just an expression. This painting is reputed to come to life — and to bring death. The artist was a friend of Lord Byron and Mary Shelley, joining them in Switzerland during 1816, "the year without a summer." That was when they all explored themes of horror and depravity in their art.

Now, almost two hundred years later, the painting appears in New Orleans. Wherever it goes, death seems to follow.

Danielle Cafferty and Michael Quinn, occasional partners in solving crime, are quickly drawn into the case. They begin to make connections between that summer in Switzerland and this spring in Louisiana. Danni, the owner of an eccentric antiques shop, and Quinn, a private detective, have discovered that they have separate but complementary talents when it comes to investigating unusual situations.

Trying to blend their personal relationship with the professional lives they've stumbled into, they learn how much they need each other. Especially as they confront this work of art — and evil. The people in the portrait might be dead, but something seems to wake them and free them to commit bloody crimes. Cafferty and Quinn must discover what that is. And they have to destroy it — before it destroys them.

 

 



You're Not Safe (Texas Rangers) - Mass Market Paperback

He Will Never Forget


The broken body hanging from a tree in Texas Hill Country the frozen figure huddled in a meat locker only at second glance does the truth become apparent. What seems like suicide is far more sinister, and the terror is only beginning.

Never Forgive

One devastating moment changed Greer Templeton's life and ended two others. Now, with a body found on her property and Texas Ranger Tec Bragg on her doorstep, Greer's nightmare has returned.

With each new victim, her link to Tec's case grows, and soon it will be too late to run.

And Never Let Them Live

Greer hoped the past was behind her, but an obsessed killer has never forgotten the bond that unites them. One by one, he will track down his victims, finish what was started -- and make Greer's dying wish come true.




 



Shadow Spell: Book 2 of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy - Paperback

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love.

Book Two of The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy


Shadow Spell


With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken.

A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape — by a long-awaited kiss.

Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess things Connor has always taken for granted — until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle.

Plenty of women have found their way to Connor’s bed, but none to his heart until now. Frustratingly, Meara is okay with just the heat, afraid to lose herself — and their friendship — to something more. But soon, Connor will see the full force and fury of what runs in his blood. And he will need his family and friends around him when his past rolls in like the fog, threatening an end to all he loves.

Don’t miss Book One in the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

Dark Witch


And the final book in the trilogy


Blood Magick 


Manga:


 




Bloody Cross Vol. 2 (Paperback)

Tsukimiya and Hinata thought they had secured at last the divine power of God that will allow them to break their deadly curse, but they and Tsuzuki are not the only ones after the power. Even as Tsuzuki collects the power that will fuel his ascent to omnipotence, there is one who would see him brought crashing back to Earth. As both sides race toward the prize, Tsuzuki calls on the half-bloods Tsukimiya and Hinata to join the hunt and prevent the power from falling into dark hands.








Are You Alice Vol. 4 (Paperback)

When the Wimpy Book of Caterpillar Alley's One Hundred Stories loses its plot (literally), Alice finds himself all alone, faced with questions he can't answer. Is the sister in his dreams the real Alice? And did he really commit such an atrocity against her? As Alice tries to puzzle out his own story from the few memories he has, the Hatter and the Caterpillar try to figure out how the tale went to horribly wrong.

Monday, March 24, 2014

New Release 2014 (Mar 24)



 



New Release









NYPD Red 2 (Hardcover)


When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City's most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren't prepared for what they see when they're called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what's really behind the murderer's rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently -- and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson's newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you've never seen before.

Weekly Book Reads (Mar 24)



 Weekly Book Reads


Weekly Book Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books read last week and books you plan on finishing this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  Murder in the Afternoon - Frances Brody
2.  Arisa Vol. 1 - Natsume Ando
3.  Arisa Vol. 2 - Natsume Ando
4.  Arisa Vol. 3 - Natsume Ando
5.  Arisa Vol. 4 - Natsume Ando
6.  Arisa Vol. 5 - Natsume Ando
7.  Arisa Vol. 6 - Natsume Ando

Weekly Book Reading:

1.  Dust - Patricia Cornwell
2.  Night Broken - Patricia Briggs
3.  Hunted - Karen Robards
4.  Arisa Vol. 7 - Natsume Ando
5.  Arisa Vol. 8 - Natsume Ando
6.  Arisa Vol. 9 - Natsume Ando
7.  Arisa Vol. 10 - Natsume Ando
8.  Arisa Vol. 11 - Natsume Ando
9.  Arisa Vol. 12 - Natsume Ando 

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Cozy Review: Murder in the Afternoon (Kate Shackleton)



I've finished "Murder in the Afternoon" by Kate Shackleton.

An intricate plot in the post-WWI English countryside and Frances Brody's "refreshingly complex heroine" (Kirkus) combine in Murder in the Afternoon, an absorbing mystery perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Agatha Christie.

Dead one minute


Young Harriet and her brother Austin have always been scared of the quarry where their stone mason father works. So when they find him dead on the cold ground, they rush off quickly to look for some help.

Alive the next?

When help arrives, however, the quarry is deserted and there is no sign of the body. Were the children mistaken? Is their father not dead? Did he simply get up and run away?

A sinister disappearing act


It seems like another unusual case requiring the expertise of Kate Shackleton -- and Mary Jane, the children's mother, is adamant that only she can help. But Mary Jane is hiding something -- a secret from Kate's past that raises the stakes and puts both Kate and her family at risk.

Product Details
Series: Kate Shackleton (Book 3)
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (February 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250037026
ISBN-13: 978-1250037022

My Review:


Kate's older sister introduces herself to Kate and needs her help in solving her husband's missing body.  She also meets her birth mother, niece and nephew.

I really like the strong relationship that Kate has with her adoptive mother and how it helps her during the case.

3/5

Thanks St. Martin's Press for sending this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Library Haul 2014 (Mar 23 - 29)



Library Haul


Here's the list of books/manga/manhwa/yaoi manga I picked up this week at the library:

Hardcover:


1.  Eggs in a Casket - Laura Childs

Saturday, March 22, 2014

A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain



I've finished "A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain" by Adrianne Harun.

In this mysterious and chilling novel, girls, mostly Native, are vanishing from the sides of a notorious highway in the isolated Pacific Northwest. Leo Kreutzer and his friends are barely touched by these disappearances — until a series of enigmatic strangers arrive in their remote mountain town, beguiling and bewitching them.

It seems as if the devil himself has appeared among them.

Product Details
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books (February 25, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670786101
ISBN-13: 978-0670786107


My Review:

This was a very chilling and strange read!  It was interesting how the bad guy manipulated and managed to get the toughest girl in the group under his control.

3/5

Thanks Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Bunny Express Saturday 2014 (Mar 22)




Bunny Express Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review:








Night Broken (Mercy Thompson) - Hardcover

#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series has been hailed as “one of the best” (Fiction Vixen). Now, Mercy must deal with an unwanted guest — one that brings a threat unlike anything she’s ever known.


An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from a stalker. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need — and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon, her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the farthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s stalker is more than a bad man — in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.







Notorious (Max Revere Novels) - Hardcover

New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan introduces an irrepressible heroine in her pulse-pounding new thriller Notorious, which Lisa Gardner says is, "Guaranteed to keep you up late at night."


Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned investigative reporter with her own TV show and a tough-as-nails reputation, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.

When Max was a high school senior, one of her best friends was strangled and another, Kevin O’Neal, accused of the crime. To the disgrace of her wealthy family, Max stood by her friend, until she found out he lied about his alibi. Though his guilt was never proven, their relationship crumbled from the strain of too many secrets.

Now Max is home for Kevin’s funeral — after years of drug abuse, he committed suicide. She’s finally prepared to come to terms with the loss of his friendship, but she’s not prepared for Kevin’s sister to stubbornly insist that he didn’t kill himself. Or for an elderly couple to accost her at the airport, begging her to look into another murder at Max’s old high school. Max is more interested in the cold case at her alma mater than in digging around Kevin’s troubled life, but she agrees to do both. As Max uncovers dark secrets, she finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies that hit far too close to home. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that someone will do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.




 


Dash of Peril (Love Undercover) - Mass Market Paperback

A no-nonsense female cop reluctantly teams up with the one man who makes her lose control in a deliciously sensual new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster.


To bring down a sleazy abduction ring, Lieutenant Margaret "Margo" Peterson has set herself up as bait. But recruiting Dashiel Riske as her unofficial partner is a whole other kind of danger. Dash is six feet four inches of laid-back masculine charm, a man who loves life — and women — to the limit. Until Margo is threatened, and he reveals a dark side that may just match her own.

Beneath Margo's tough facade is a slow-burning sexiness that drives Dash crazy. The only way to finish this case is to work together side by side skin to skin. And as their mission takes a lethal turn, he'll have to prove he's all the man she needs — in all the ways that matter.







Jaguar Hunt (Heart of the Jaguar) - Mass Market Paperback

Two deadly predators


As a feline Enforcer, Tammy Anderson has one objective: locate the missing jaguar and return it to the States. She doesn't have time for distractions, and she definitely doesn't have time for sexy shifters with more muscles than sense.

One hot mission

Everyone and their brother has warned JAG agent David Patterson that Tammy is Ms. Hands-Off which only makes him more determined to get very hands-on. But things heat up in the steamy jungles of Belize and their simple mission gets a whole lot more complicated. Now it's going to take everything David's got to protect the gorgeous she-cat who somehow managed to claw her way past his defenses and into his heart.









Hunter by Night (Chronicles of Yavn)

She wants out


Party girl Alexia Blackburn is only hanging around the vampire compound until her best friend — the queen — has her baby. After that, nothing is going to stop Alexia from getting back to daylight, safety, and feeling like a normal human being. But leaving the vampire world has one big catch.

He needs her to stay

Head of vampire security Lee Goram has hated and distrusted humans for centuries. Feeding on vampire blood has kept him strong but now it's killing him — and he's horrified to discover that Alexia may hold the key to his cure. He'd rather die defending his king than admit his weakness, but time is running out for the great vampire warrior.

Thanks Meryl Moss Media Relations, Penguin Canada, Sourcebooks and St. Martin's Press!

Friday, March 21, 2014

Follow My Blog Friday #185



If you are new to the FF fun, Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, myself of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

Now to make this FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. If you are interested in becoming a Feature click on the drop down link above FEATURES and Features and Follow Friday and get on the waiting list!  It is also required, that if you participate you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee and Alison Can Read) and the two Feature blogs.

This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View and Alison from Alison Can Read on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1.  (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}

2.  (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers

3.  Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

4.  Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

5.  If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed

6.  Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

7.  If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love and the followers.

8.  If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Our Feature this week:

My Midnight Fantasies

When did you start blogging?

I started blogging April, 2012 and it opened my eyes to a world I didn’t know existed. I wish I would have started earlier.

What is your favorite part of book blogging?

I love talking about books, meeting fellow book lovers, and finding new books through bloggers. I love how we all share the same love of books and the book community is so friendly, communicating and recommending books.

What type of books do you mainly blog about?

I started blogging about YA, but now that I’ve done this for awhile I decided to branch out about six months ago and I’m also liking NA, Contemporary Romance. But I think my main focus now is anything with a good romance in it.

What is your favorite book(s)?

So many

The Mortal Instruments Series By Cassandra Clare
The Existence Series (YA), The Sea Breeze Series (NA) By Abbi Glines
The Lux Series By Jenny L. Armentrout (Anything by her.)
The Seaside Series By Rachel Van Dyken (Anything by her.)
The Runes Series By Ednah Walters (I’ve read her NA series as well & they’re awesome.)

And so many more.

What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

Many things though recently I got to speak to one of my favorite authors and I was so excited. She was really awesome! She always takes the time to talk to her fans. I just love talking about books and putting the word out there about great new books.

Our Feature - Fathomless Reveries

1. When did you start blogging?

I started blogging on May 26, 2013. I remember I was so excited about putting up a book blog that I posted a book review right away on the same day. It was supposed to be This Is What Happy Looks Like, but my brain was crazily all over the place again (as usual) so the review ended up talking about The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight instead. (HAHA)

2. What is your favorite part of book blogging?

It's gotta be being able to publish new posts on my thoughts about the books I read. I've always had a hard time speaking up about all sorts of things, and having a book blog became an outlet for me to rant or go crazy about a book that I just read, and I just love it, especially when you hear someone going to try out a book because of your review. Awesome!

3. What type of books do you mainly blog about?

I mainly blog about YA/NA, contemporary romance and music-related stuff. I'm a sucker for those, but other genres like paranormal or dystopian might also appear at times. I'm not a big hater of them, it's just that I don't find a lot of books with that genre that I can come to love easily. (huhu)

4. What are your favorite books?

Oh, this one's hard. I sorta have a lot of favorite books, but I love books that involve family, and life in general, with a lot of lessons and stuffs. Or the books that are really very cute even though the plot lines are very simple.

5. What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?
Not much has happened to me because of book blogging, but being able to talk to authors even if it was just a few exchanges of words here and there really felt awesome. I didn't even know that there was this chance to be able to talk to authors before I started book blogging. Oh, and when people just leave comments on posts. Those always make my day. Everything's really awesome and amazing. (yay)

Question of the Week: How have your reading habits changed in the past few years? Did you get interested in a new genre? Do you read more? Less? Why do you think your habits changed, if they did.

I've been reading more Y/A books while a few years ago I barely did.  I've also been reading more manga, manhwa and yaoi.










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