New Additions To The TBR Pile In July

Two new books acquired in July, but they are both audiobooks so do they really count since they take up no space? :o)

Title: Angel's Tip by Alafair Burke
Description: Thrilled to spend the final hours of her spring break in the VIP room of an elite Manhattan club, fresh-faced Indiana college student Chelsea Hart remains behind when her girlfriends call it a night. The next morning, joggers find her body in East River Park, her blond hair brutally hacked off.

NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher believes the group of privileged men last seen plying Chelsea with free-flowing alcohol most likely includes a murderer. But after building a tight case against a young hedge-fund manager, Ellie has her doubts, because Chelsea's slaying is eerily similar to three other murders from nearly a decade ago. Continuing the investigation long after the department brass is satisfied with their case, hard-headed Ellie plunges into a late-night party world of conspicuous wealth and hedonistic consumption to catch the real killer—unaware that a psychopath is watching her every move...and eager to kill again.

Title: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost
Description: She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

REVIEW: Everything In Its Time by Dee Davis

Title: Everything In Its Time (Jove Time Passages #2)
Author: Dee Davis
Publisher: Jove
Publication Date: July, 2000
Genre: Time Travel Romance

Description: While on vacation, Katherine St. Claire shared a night of passion with a stranger she's never been able to forget. Now, she'll meet her mysterious lover once again -- in 15th century Scotland.

AN EARRING, A MURDER, A LEGEND...

Katherine St. Claire has never forgotten the passionate night she shared with a stranger while staying at a castle hotel called Duncreag. He even haunts her dreams. Tired of loving "Fantasy Man," as her brother Jeff refers to him, she decides to go back to Duncreag in search, literally, of the man of her dreams.

Iain Mackintosh wears the cairngorm earring of the only woman he will ever love. Eight long years ago she came to him in the night like a vision. News of his father's death brings Iain home to Duncreag where he finds himself questioning the circumstances surrounding his father's demise and wishing for the woman his cousin Ranald is convinced is a fairy.

Iain and Katherine arrive at Duncreag each longing to find the other. There is however a seemingly insurmountable problem. A five hundred and thirty-year barrier separates them. What follows is the story of a love so powerful it crosses the boundaries of time. Complicated by murder and abduction in the fifteenth century their love will be tested even after they finally reunite. Only Jeff's twentieth century discovery of events from the past can save them.

My Thoughts: Publishers like Jove made it possible for readers like me to gorge themselves on various romance sub-genres like time travel. After reading my first time travel romance, I was completely smitten with the idea of true love crossing the barriers of time and space. I was so smitten, in fact, it bordered on obsession as I trolled every bookstore in my path looking for every time travel romance I could find. When Jove began publishing their Time Passages line, I was determined to acquire a copy of every single title they published. Though I was not able to achieve that goal, I did manage to find quite a few, but many of them, this one included, got buried in my “to be read” mountain over the years. When I switched to reading on an e-reader, I was excited to discover this copy available for my Nook so it prompted me to finally read it. My biggest regret is that I waited so long to read such a wonderful story.

Katherine and Iain were absolutely wonderful characters. The passion and love they feel for one another is written with such clarity and emotion, I felt for them and the despair they felt at not being together. A 500+ year gap does not diminish their certainty that they would find their way back to one another eventually. It made me realize that it’s that kind of devotion and commitment that is missing in so many relationships here in the real world. Over the years, Katherine has never forgotten about her night of passion with Iain and refuses to let go of her belief that it was real and not a vivid fantasy or dream. It’s this kind of determination and persistence that makes Katherine such a strong and amazing character.

The same is true for Iain. He has never forgotten Katherine and has even spent the years since searching for her, hoping to find her, knowing absolutely nothing about her, not even her name. She has haunted his dreams and he doesn’t feel whole without her. He is convinced they are meant to be together and would move Heaven and Earth to make it happen. I really enjoyed getting points of view from both Iain and Katherine. As the story unfolds, getting glimpses into both past and present gave me a wonderful sense of each character’s reality and helped me to see how the past and present are connected. Even after Katherine’s return to 15th century Scotland, the reader is still connected to present day Scotland and the role Katherine’s brother is placed into.

I can’t recall reading a time travel story where the past and present are so tightly connected and interact with one another. I really enjoyed it, especially when Katherine’s brother, Jeff, discovers what has happened to his sister and becomes involved in setting the past right. I don’t know why I am so drawn to time travel romance, especially if it involves kilt wearing Scottish highlanders, but I just can’t get enough of them. I don’t think I want to experience the 15th century personally myself, but if I were going to cross the barriers of time and space, Scotland would be at the top of my travel destination. Dee Davis has done a wonderful job of bringing 15th century Scotland to life, so well in fact, that it is very easy to see in my mind’s eye the beauty of the place as well as the hardships people endured back then. But it doesn’t stop there. In addition to the excitement of being in the presence of kilt wearing Scottish men and a romance that made my heart swell from its sheer intensity, Dee Davis takes it even further and throws in mystery, intrigue and murder. This story definitely has something for everyone. In case you didn’t already know, Dee Davis is no stranger to writing mystery, intrigue and murder and she does it quite well.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I highly recommend this book for everyone because it will speak to all readers. Fans of most any genre will find something enjoyable in this story. You will root for Katherine and Iain to find their way back to each other and cheer them on despite the adversity they face. You will enjoy the secondary characters like Katherine’s brother and Iain’s cousin because they add to the story and make you care about them and what happens to them as much as you care about Katherine and Iain. You will want to raise a Claymore and fight the despicable villains side by side with these characters. My only problem with this book is that the story ended and I still want more.

REVIEW: Bad Heir Day by Wendy Holden

Title: Bad Heir Day
Author: Wendy Holden
Publisher: Plume
Publication Date: January, 2000
Genre: Chick-Lit

Description: After being dumped by her rich, handsome boyfriend, Anna vows to give up men forever. She takes a job as a nanny in the ritzy Kensington home of the Knights. Armed with a Hoover in one hand and Harry Potter in the other, Anna finds herself living with the family from hell: Cassandra, a social-climbing romance novelist with writer's block; Jett, Cassandra's cheating rock-star spouse; and Zak, their spawn-of-Satan son. So when Anna meets Jamie, the dashing heir to a castle in Scotland, she figures he's too good to be true. And she just may be right . . . Featuring an irrepressible heroine and a story that bounces along at the speed of laughter, Bad Heir Day is the hilarious follow-up to Wendy Holden's irresistible debut novel. It is a witty and delightful romp certain to captivate readers on both sides of the Atlantic.

My Thoughts: I immediately got a clear sense of how miserable Anna’s life is when I began this book. The author doesn’t waste precious time or pages dragging the reader through a maze of miscommunication and inner dialogue to bring us to the conclusion that Anna’s life is crap. I rather enjoyed that this information is thrown into the mix right from the start. It’s important that I learned this sooner rather than later because only then would I understand how Anna could end up working for Cassandra Knight, a vile, cruel, rude beyond belief, arrogant witch of a woman who is so full of herself it will make you sick. Anna takes a job with this horrible person, thinking the position will be as an assistant to a best-selling author. Instead, she somehow gets roped into being the nanny to Cassandra’s son, Zak, who is just as vile as she is. Unfortunately, desperate times call for desperate measures on Anna’s part.

Even as horrible as Anna’s time under the Knight household is, this book made me laugh deeply and loudly at some of the antics going on. Cassandra takes center stage with her drunken outbursts and anger management issues. Her son, Zak, is a spoiled brat who behaves like a troll, while managing to deflect it back onto his mother. Then there’s Cassandra’s husband, Jett, an aging rock-star, who can’t seem to keep his trousers on. Throw into the mix several supporting characters who I found to be quite interesting makes for an enjoyable story.

My Final Verdict: I liked this book. The story does a good job of making the reader forget her troubles for a while by bringing to light a whole new dysfunctional group of people. It made me laugh a lot and I am still amazed that there wasn’t any bloodshed in the Knight home. I cheered Anna on when she finally gets the opportunity to leave but continued to empathize with her situation when it appears she jumped from the frying pan straight into the fire. This story has many twists which make the plot so interesting.

Fans of chick-lit will enjoy the snarky British humor laced throughout the story, but be prepared for the profanity that comes along with it. It didn’t offend me or pull my attention out of the story at all, most likely because I, myself, was directing quite a few profane statements in Cassandra’s direction. This was my first book by Wendy Holden and I am looking forward to reading more from her.

REVIEW: Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

Title: Notorious Nineteen (Stephanie Plum #19)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: November, 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Mystery

Description: New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don't just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don't do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track him down. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory.

My Thoughts: First of all, ask and you shall receive! Janet Evanovich must have heard my desperate plea for more Ranger after I read Explosive Eighteen because I am happy, no, not happy. I am deliriously ecstatic to report that where Eighteen left me with an extreme Ranger withdrawal, Notorious Nineteen more than made up for it and provided me with the Ranger fix I have been desperately needing!

One of my favorite things about this series is how Stephanie has several sticks in the fire. With every book, Stephanie has several FTA's she is actively looking for and occasionally she will have the opportunity to get involved in something exciting. Notorious Nineteen gave me more than I dared to hope for. In addition to looking for Cubbin, Stephanie finds herself saddled with a wooden Tiki carving that she confiscates from another FTA. There are several amusing scenes where the FTA continues to try to steal Tiki back and I loved how Stephanie resolved this FTA’s situation. The best part of this book for me was that Stephanie gets to work for Ranger as a bodyguard, of all things! I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I think Ranger is one of the best written heroes in contemporary women’s fiction. I don’t think we have yet learned any of Ranger’s faults or shortcomings. And if there are any that have already been revealed to the loyal members of Team Ranger, we have blocked them from our minds because of all of his extraordinary traits dominate everything else. The man is either a saint or a god. He would have to be to put up with Stephanie’s crazy antics, especially when he has got to be out at least ten vehicles (though it’s probably more), due in large part to Stephanie. Unfortunately, for Joe, he loses a car in this book too, so these things seem to have a way of spreading out and sharing the love, so to speak. There’s definitely a lot more story there between Ranger and Stephanie and I’m anxiously waiting to see what happens next.

Another great part of this book is Lula really steps up her game in this story. On more than one occasion, Lula thinks outside the box and with some fast thinking actually brings about some interesting and hilarious results. I really like seeing this side of Lula. She’s great as a sidekick, but I think she would be brilliant as Stephanie’s equal partner.

My Final Verdict: If you enjoy light mystery, campy comedy, drool-worthy heroes and a wacky heroine who is a hot mess but manages to succeed and comes out ahead in spite of the odds, then I recommend this series. I believe they are best read in order. Notorious Nineteen may not be the best story of the series, but this book gave me hope that the series does not appear to be on the way out. That’s a very good thing.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In June

Still unable to resist the urge to acquire and I have come to the conclusion having both a Nook and a Kindle are not helping reduce the paper mountain either...

Vision Impossible by Victoria Laurie
Description: Abby Cooper's next mission may truly be impossible...

Abby Cooper, the FBI's newest Civilian Profiler, is adding Spy to her resume. The military's digital photography software that captures one's aura- just like Abby can-sits in a drone aircraft that's been stolen. It's a major breach in security as every country's leader can be identified by their aura...

Abby springs into action to stop the criminals before they set their diabolical plan into motion, while making herself a prime target.

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich
Description: New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don't just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don't do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track him down. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape . . . or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone . . . or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory.

The Soulmate Experience by Mali Apple
Description: "Create the Love of Your Life--Keep the Life in Your Love"

Single, in a relationship, and married: people of all walks of life and all ages are finding this new book on enlightened relationships inspiring, accessible, and truly transformational. This revolutionary guide will help you create and sustain a relationship that is intimately connected on all levels--emotional, intellectual, sexual, and spiritual--and a continual source of love, inspiration, and joy.

In Part 1, chapters like Loving Your Body, Reducing Your Baggage, and Raising Your Soulmate Potential will help you release anything that might be preventing you from experiencing a deeply connected relationship. As you read, you will quickly begin to feel more loving and compassionate toward yourself, more connected to those around you, and more confident about and creating your own soulmate experience.

In Part 2, chapters such as Creating a Context, Turning Expectations into Invitations, Transforming the Energy of Jealousy, Exploring the Edges, and Connecting on a Soul Level will give you everything you need to approach even the most challenging aspects of relationships in ways that will actually deepen your experience of love and intimacy. You will discover the secrets to keeping the love, passion, and connection in your relationship fully alive--every single day. And you will learn how to lovingly guide each other to release limiting beliefs, heal the past, rise above perceived limitations, and unlock the potential in every area of your lives.

Whether you're on a quest for your soulmate, looking for deeper connection in the relationship you have right now, or just want to experience much more love in your life, the groundbreaking ideas in this book--and the many stories of real people putting them into practice--will fill you with love, inspiration, and possibility.

The Soulmate Experience isn't just a book. It 's a great way of living life.