Bitchin' Blog Posts
: Presents
February 22, 2011 | Tuesday | 78 Comments
Bitchery reader Lynn sent me an email that tickled me so much, I nearly fell off my chair laughing. I was recently wandering around the internet searching for a new category author to add to my ebook library because my personal mission is to help insure the solvency of Books on Board. I came across Annie West through an old recommendation to you from Courtney Milan and, as I was reading through the titles in her back list, I pulled up Protected by the Prince and read the back of the book description. The third thing I thought after reading…
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January 05, 2011 | Wednesday | 34 Comments
This is another I Read This To Push It On The Unsuspecting Bitchery. It’s older, and not totally a romance, but it is a favorite of mine. It takes place in Feudal Japan, and is a version of the story of the 47 Samurai. I remember someone in the comments of… something… asking if both characters in Impulsive were Asian, and that’s it’s rare to get both main characters to be a minority. So here we are (although I planned to do this one long before that conversation even happened). Cat is the daughter of a daimyo and…
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October 04, 2010 | Monday | 40 Comments
Hi Harlequin! You know I think you are all spiffy, right? How’s things? I wanted to give you guys a heads up that there is a blonde girl who is confusing me utterly. First, she was on Julie Cohen’s His for the Taking, which I read and really liked - and which caused me to start a Cohen-a-licious attraction to anything Julie Cohen writes. I ranted about the US Harlequin Presents cover in my review, but I’ll post it here: Oh, my GOSH. The poor girl’s man hands and her THUMB. She’s like Sissy Hankshaw up in there. My gosh.…
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August 17, 2010 | Tuesday | 53 Comments
Sarah (not me, though my whole reading history is one big HaBO in my brain what with my inability to remember titles) asks for your help with a Harlequin Presents: I’m trying to find a Harlequin Presents, which was used when I bought it at least fifteen years ago—-since this is like trying to find a specific needle in a needle factory, I need help! The heroine ia a young girl with long, bright red hair (this is important). Impoverished of course (the girl, not the hair). She somehow bumps into a rich man who thinks she’s a wild, irresponsible…
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August 12, 2010 | Thursday | 41 Comments
Katy writes: I read it in about 1988. It was most likely a Harlequin or Harlequin Presents because that is what my local library stocked. Scant details. A young woman is pregnant, the older brother of the “boyfriend” takes responsibility and marries the young lady. Older brother is a wealthy executive/entrepreneur, something like that. She knows that he doesn’t love her, but knows that she is better off being married than not, when she is expecting a baby. The scene which stuck with me is that she has a craving for fudge one night. He goes off and returns with…
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February 27, 2010 | Saturday | 11 Comments
Anna writes: The book is a romance novel, I think from the 90s, and it’s about a Greek woman who’s father has recently died. She marries a wealthy Greek man that she does not know very well(I think that the fathers arranged this to end some kind of family feud?).I think that the man’s name is Nic or Nico. They go on a cruise for the honeymoon and fall hesitantly in love. But it turns out that the man’s cousin(Katrina) is jealous of the match and tries to break it up by making it look like the woman has cheated…
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February 13, 2010 | Saturday | 14 Comments
If it’s cold and snowy where you are, and you want books now now now, eHarlequin is having an additional-14%-off sale this weekend only for Valentine’s Day: Save an additional 14% off and get a free featured book at eHarlequin this weekend! Print and eBook. Much of the time the specials are print-only but I love when they offer both. The featured book is Sheikh Boss, Hot Desert Nights by Susan Stephens - there’s nothing better than someone’s sensual awakening, right? Question: is there Ambien for someone’s sensual awakening? What happens if there’s an anti-sheikh contingent determined to stop the…
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December 20, 2009 | Sunday | 28 Comments
First, from Liz: two words that should never have been combined into one title: The Romance of Proctology. Everyone on the earth has linked to this, but hey, what’s one more? Suppose you have many hours to spend, and you want to witness the exceptional flexibility of an author shooting herself in the foot while also stuffing her foot in her mouth? I think after this epic wtfery of a review for Electra Galaxy’s Mr. Interstellar Feller and completely unhinged responses from the author. I think any future epic flounces might have to be measured against this one. If you…
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November 28, 2009 | Saturday | 36 Comments
Kia writes: I read a contemporary romance at the end of my very long first pregnancy over 6 years ago, though I’m not sure when the book was actually published. The protagonist was a photographer, who had a troubled first marriage with an abusive husband. Financially she is struggling because she walked away from the relationship without a penny, with only her quiet beauty and dignity intact. Luckily she’s housesitting for a friend with a fabulous place by the sea. Her neighbor is a handsome, wealthy playboy. He’s emotionally unavailable because of some manipulative ex, who has tried to snare…
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October 31, 2009 | Saturday | 14 Comments
It’s not enough to torture me with your sexy maple syrup and your really beautiful mountains and your balls-ass cold frozen north and your sexy functional national health care plan, is it? Oh, no Harlequin up ‘ere in Canada, you have to taunt me with your Halloween party, too! For those of you not on Twitter yesterday, Harelquin Digital Team announced that Jayne & Sulemaan from the Digital team won their Halloween costume contest as The Playboy Sheikh and the Virgin Stable-Girl. No, really. Here’s a picture. HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!?? I believe, though it can’t be seen in the…
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September 17, 2009 | Thursday | 31 Comments
Once, long ago, I had a guy friend ask me out to dinner. Now, we were pretty much “just friends”, but I thought he was sweet and cute and I enjoyed his company, so I happily agreed to what sounded rather date-like (especially since he told me to dress “nice”). Off we went, with him telling me that where we were going was a “surprise”. Then we pulled up in front of a church. I asked him why we were stopping and he said he needed to run in really quick and asked if I would mind coming along. Once…
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September 11, 2009 | Friday | 10 Comments
Heather Osborn, editor at Tor, and also individual of all around general awesome, likes to tweet her reactions to the upcoming Harlequin titles. She sent me the full list so those of you who aren’t on Twitter can enjoy, too. RIPPED! - He who smelt it, dealt it. THE SHARPSHOOTER’S SECRET SON - Proof he wasn’t shooting blanks, I guess. THE SHEIKH’S FORBIDDEN VIRGIN - Spoiler Alert! She’s 8. KEPT FOR HER BABY - But rejected for her sass. PROUD REVENGE, PASSIONATE WEDLOCK - PURPLEY PROSE. HIS HOUSEKEEPER BRIDE - Methinks a male fantasy slipped in when no-one was…
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September 10, 2009 | Thursday | 139 Comments
I read this book because not one but two different people emailed me and said, to wit, “OMG you have to read this it is HILARIOUS. Like Pregnesia Hilarious.” One reader said, “I just had to draw your attention to a stunning read. It’s so bad, it transcends the line between bad and good and becomes rather excellent…. I can highly recommend Kendrick’s latest. Honestly, she’s usually one of the authors that I like - I kind of enjoy the hyper-realism of her stories, and I know what I’m getting. But, for me, this tipped over from presents into parody.…
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September 03, 2009 | Thursday | 83 Comments
Last night on the Twitter feed I had a ripping good conversation with so many people about their favorite Harlequin lines and which authors are absolute never-fail for them. So many people mentioned the Harlequin Presents line, while I’m partial to the Silhouette Desire line. Authors that make the autobuy list of many on Twitter last night included Sarah Mayberry, Cheryl St.John and Karen Templeton (from Sybil), Sharon Kendrick, Anne McAllister, India Grey, Day LeClaire, Leslie LaFoy, Julia James, Lynne Graham (from Lynne Connolly), Allison Leigh, Christine Rimmer Maya Banks), Nancy Warren, Emilie Rose, Kathie Denosky, Yvonne Lindsay, Anne McAllister,…
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July 11, 2009 | Saturday | 4 Comments
Over on Achewood, Williams-Sonoma’s catalog is being rewritten—romance style. I wheezed at this one: What’s the sound of a million Italian caper bowls gettin’ sold? The sound of this piece of paper, existing. I live near a Williams-Sonoma, and the window adverts drive me batty: “Now that I’ve found love, what more do I need?” “Oh, you absolutely need a $45 lemon zester, right, Hubby?” *crickets* [Thanks to Brandy for the link.] And heads up Harlequin lovers with eReader devices (like Palm, Blackberry, or iPhone). I have news from HQN-HQ about a sale at eReader.com: Harlequin ebook bundles for the…
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