Staff Sergeant First Class Carla Anderson is the first woman to receive orders of selection for “The Unit,” more commonly known as Delta Force. Being the only woman in a previously all-male bastion is only one of the challenges ahead. She is determined to excel and her biggest competition is Sergeant First Class Kyle Reeves. Mutual respect becomes mutual attraction as they make their way through the assessment phase. There’s no time for romance during assessment, … Continue reading Target Engaged by M.L. Buchman→
Sarah, Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, and Redheadedgirl gather to talk about the book that made them romance readers, and the romance that changed their lives in some way. We of course start off with TMI discussions about pet farts, and ask really important questions like what would happen if Stephanie Plum was sent back in time, and what books are required for the zombie apocalypse? We also have some special guest callers telling us about the … Continue reading 200. The Books That Made Us Romance Readers→
Viking Warrior Rising by Asa Marie Bradley is 99c at select vendors! It’s currently nominated for a RITA® in both the Best First Book and Paranormal Romance categories. It also spawned this hilarious DNF review from Reader K Smith:
Let’s see just how bad the epilogue is. Ooh, there’s a Valkyrie initiation ceremony?! Ladies, tell me more! Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm, thigh high boots, yup, let’s rub our hair together, okay! And…set it…on…fire…you know what, forget it, this is not going in the direction I had hoped.
When I read the blurb I thought I was going to get a Viking Age novel, not a revived-to-the-present Viking and super-human suspense novel. I’m not disappointed on that score; I’m disappointed that it started so well and then didn’t seem able to follow through on the promising beginning. The insertions of Swedish felt more out of place than atmospheric, and I thought it really strange that they would call Leif their king, and not their chief or leader. I think that Bradley’s narrative voice will likely smooth out in future books; she’s clearly a clever and capable writer. But I found the characters all pretty bland, the romance totally unconvincing and bordering on Stockholm Syndrome, and Irja, the most compelling of the Good Guys, pretty much thrown away both as a person and as a character.
Funny story. Due to lots of unforeseen travel in the last month – Shepherding the Dread Pirate Robert’s cataract surgery (You scheduled it for when? What you mean I don’t need to be there? It’s so cute that you think that, Dad) and moving my goddaughter to Ohio (What do you mean what time am I getting there? We’re doing what this weekend? Didn’t we just get her potty trained last year?), I was not … Continue reading Midnight’s Kiss by Thea Harrison→
When Jo Beverley passed away last month and we were discussing recommendations, several people mentioned Emily and the Dark Angel. I realized I had a copy but had never read it. It was just the sort of charming, quietly hilarious comfort read I needed. It has the best meet-cute I’ve read in a long time, too. Emily Grantwich is walking through her hometown, Melton Mowbray, when a man bumps into her. Another woman in an upstairs window, … Continue reading Emily and the Dark Angel by Jo Beverley→
The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science is a nerd’s dream. I find it hopelessly intimidating yet utterly fascinating, like watching a King Cobra go about its business (it’s hard to tell, but that’s a compliment). In order to understand the cookbook, it’s vital to read the introduction. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is a geek in the best and truest sense: he is full of enthusiasm. The man has no chill. He’s also a huge … Continue reading The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt→
Welcome to Wednesday Links! Hope you’re all having a lovely week and, if not, maybe these links will help! … Professor Eleanor Ty at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario studied the importance of Outlander and the romance genre: What fascinates Ty about the series is the juxtaposition between the 18th-century era and a “modern” female heroine. “The costumes and scenery evoke a period where men were masculine and strong and women were delicate,” says Ty. “However, as … Continue reading Links: Football, Jilly Cooper, & Outlander→
RECOMMENDED: It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain is 99c! This is the first book in the historical romance Matchmaker Trilogy. Elyse reviewed this book (Grade: B) and liked the heroine a lot:
If you’re a Regency fan who likes unconventional heroines, pick this book up for sure. If you like the Tragically Wounded Hero, like I do, pick it up. If you need your hero to really have his shit together, you may want to avoid it. Henry gave me heartburn sometimes, but the great conflict, and a kick ass heroine, kept me reading.
FINALLY! That is my reaction to this book. I have been sitting through three books to get to this story and it was totally worth it! The book follows Chelsea as she draws up the list for her perfect man and the characteristics that he will possess. None of them are physical traits – it’s more about lifestyle and personal beliefs that concern Chelsea. She doesn’t want someone with a crazy-ex, works nights or weekends, … Continue reading Love After All by Jaci Burton→
Stealing His Thunder isn’t the first book I’ve read by the writing team of Sparrow Beckett, it’s currently my favorite. I loved the Finding Master Right in their Masters Unleashed series, the following two books didn’t live up to the enjoyment I had in the first book. However, a new series means new characters and I’m loving the car-stealing, adrenaline pumping world they’ve created in their new erotic romance series, Masters of Adrenaline (are you … Continue reading Stealing His Thunder by Sparrow Beckett→
The Warlord’s Wife by Sandra Lake is a deliciously Old-Skooly historical romance set in 12th century Sweden. The hero was occasionally an alphahole, but like a lot of Old Skool heroes, it made his redemption all the more satisfying. The book opens with widow Lida being beaten and dragged in front of her father-in-law. Lida is very pregnant, which is a problem because she was only married a short time. Her mother-in-law accuses her of … Continue reading The Warlord’s Wife by Sandra Lake→
