FINISHED -

1. "FULL MOON" by Rebecca York (New Author For Me) "KILLING MOON" (Marshall Werewolves Omnibus #1) (A+++++) A P.I. with a preternatural talent for tracking finds his prey: a beautiful genetic researcher who may be his only hope for a future. "EDGE OF THE MOON" (Marshall Werewolves Omnibus #2) (A+++++) A police detective and a woman who files a missing persons report become the pawns of an unholy serial killer in a game of deadly attraction.
2. "CALCULATED IN DEATH" by J.D. Robb (In Death #36) (A+++++) (unabridged Audible - listened on iTunes) On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better. A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn't seem the type to be on anyone's hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta's murder was the work of a killer who's trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence. But when someone steals the files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer's violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait.
3. "CATCH OF A LIFETIME" by LuAnn McLane (Cricket Creek #3) (A++++) Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, shopping and cuisine. However, tough times are crushing tourism - until a hard-hitting baseball team headed by three hometown heroes begins to revitalize the community one inning at a time. When Jessica Robinson moved to the small town of Cricket Creek as a pregnant unwed teenager, no one expected her to become a world-class chef. After spending years in top Chicago kitchens, she's back - and making her aunt's diner the go-to place for gourmet down-home fare. If only she could get her love life off the back burner. Former major leaguer Ty McKenna is no stranger to Jessica's cooking. At the Chicago hot spot where she worked, he was a regular - with a different girl on his arm every night. Now he's the manager for the Cricket Creek Cougars. And he's made Wine and Diner his home away from home - drawn not only by the delicious food, but by the mouthwatering chef herself. But convincing Jessica that he's a one-woman man may be harder than getting his team ready for opening day.
4. "A SEASIDE CHRISTMAS" by Sherryl Woods (Chesapeake Shores #10) (A++++++) As the only child of a single mom, Jenny Collins wanted nothing more than to be part of a large, rambunctious family like the O'Briens. Ironically, though, when her mother married into that family, Jenny found herself feeling more like an outsider than ever. Now, after years in Nashville as an established songwriter, Jenny's drawn back to Chesapeake Shores to collaborate on a Christmas production and to make peace with the past. As if that's not challenging enough, Caleb Green, the singer who broke her heart, has followed her to town, determined to win her back. With the help of a little O'Brien holiday magic, will Jenny and Caleb find a way to make sweet music forever?
5. "FIREFLY LANE" by Kristin Higgins (A++++++) (unabridged Audible - listened on iTunes) In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all - beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer's end they've become TullyandKate - Inseparable. From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul., But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success...and loneliness. Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn't know is how being a wife and mother will change her...how she'll lose sight of who she once was and what she once wanted. And how much she'll envy her famous best friend.
6. "THE LOVE OF A STRANGER" by Anna Jeffrey (A+++++) (New Author For Me) A belligerent blonde swinging a tire iron is the last thing Doug Hawkins expects during a romantic rendezvous with another woman. Deep down, Doug is glad his ill-advised dalliance is over before it started. And he is so intrigued by hot-blooded Alex McGregor, he begins a one-sided flirtation with a single goal in mind: to get under her skin. Alex doesn't take kindly to strangers, especially those who trespass on her property. Brokenhearted by the loss of her family, she wants to be left alone in her beloved cabin on Wolf Mountain. But when Doug proves to be her only ally in a fight with a local logger, Alex doesn't know what she fears more - the loss of her land or the loss of her heart.
7. "FOOL'S GOLD COOKBOOK: A LOVE STORY TOLD THROUGH 150 RECIPES" by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #12.1) (A++++) (read on my Kindle) Fool's Gold is known as the Land of Happy Endings, but it's also the land of hearty appetites. Through the series, the residents of Fool's Gold have found joy, comfort and good times through food. Now two local Fool's Gold chefs will also find love through food! Join them as they flirt, fight and fall in love, one season at a time.
8. "I, MICHAEL BENNETT" by James Patterson and Michael Ledgwidge (Michael Bennett #5) (A+++++) (unabridged Audible - listened on iTunes) Detective Michael Bennett arrests an infamous Mexican crime lord in a deadly chase that leaves Bennett's lifelong friend Hughie McDonough dead. From jail, the prisoner vows to rain epic violence down upon New York City - and to get revenge Michael Bennett. To escape the chaos, Bennett takes his ten kids and their beautiful nanny, Mary Catherine, on a much-needed vacation to his famiy's cabin near Newburg, New York. But instead of the calm and happy town he remember from growing up, they step into a nightmare worse than they could have ever imagined. Newburg is an inferno of warring gangs and there's little the police - or Bennett - can do to keep the children safe. As violence overwhelms the state, Bennett is torn between protecting his hometown and saving New York City. A partner in his investigations, federal prosecutor Tara McLellan, brings him new weapons for the battle - and an attraction that endangers his relationship with Mary Catherine.
9. "SOMEBODY TO LOVE" by Lori Wilde (Cupid, Texas #4) (A++++) (a book I got from the author in exchange for a review) Sexy cowboy-scholar Jericho Chance always knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. And after sauntering back home to Cupid, he's shocked to discover that he wants Zoey McCleary. After years from home, he takes one new look at his bubbly best friends, with her lightning smarts and luscious body and it hits him like a bolt: she's his somebody to love and he's not leaving town again without her. Settling down always seemed like a time waster to Zoey, a man magnet with a trail of broken hearts behind her. She's not meant to marry - but how can she resist someone as persuasive as Hericho? There's no way they can ignore the explosive chemistry seething between them...even if it means risking their friendship.
10. "WHEN SUMMER COMES" by Brenda Novak (Whiskey Creek #3) (A++++++) One day, Callie Vanetta receives devastating news...she needs a liver transplant but her doctors warn that, in her case, the chances of finding a compatible donor aren't good. Determined to spend whatever time she has left on her own terms, she keeps the diagnosis to helself and moves out to her late grandparents' farm. She's always wanted to live there. But the farm hasn't been worked in years and she begins to fear she can't manage it, that she'll have to return to town. One night, a stranger comes knocking at her door...he's an attractive and mysterious drifter by the name of Levi McCloud and he offers to trade work for a few nights' shelter. Callie figures she doesn't have anything to lose, He needs a place to stay until he can fix his motorcycle; she needs an extra pair of hands. The arrangement seems ideal until what was supposed to be temporary starts to look more and more permanent. Then she realizes she does have something to lose - her heart. And, although he doesn't yet know it, Levi stands to lose even more.
11. "A STEP OF FAITH" by Richard Paul Evans (The Walk #4) (A++++++) Alan Christoffersen lost his heart when his wife was killed in an accident almost one year ago. He lost his trust when his business partner stole his advertising business. He lost his home when the bank took his house. So Alan decided to leave his painful memories behind and walk from Seattle to the farthest point on the map, Key West, but in St. Louis, he is forced to stop. Because his severe vertigo is diagnosed as the side effect of a brain tumor, Alan must go to Los Angeles for treatment. He is surrounded by those who care most for him: his father, who is happy to have Alan back in his childhood home; Falene, who has been by his side through his most difficult times; and Nicole, who helped him redover from a mugging in Spokane. One by one, Alan alienates them all and he resumes his journey in angry loneliness. The people he meets as he walks the dusty southern back roads have lessons to teach Alan about accepting love. He just has to have faith that life can be worth living again - and that the woman he rejected will be willing to forgive him.
12. "THE HEALER" by Sharon Sala (A+++++) It is a gift that may cost him everything. All his life, Jonah Gray Wolf has had an uncanny connection to animals and the power to heal the sick and wounded. Driven from the only home he's ever known by those who wish to harness his gift for profit, he becomes a drifter, working in out-of-the-way towns, never staying long. It's a lonely life, but Jonah knows he's still being hunted - he can't afford to get close to anyone who might learn his secret. In West Virginia he finds Luce, a tough but beautiful loner who knows all about keeping people at a distance - a kindred soul with whom he might dare to make a life. But the hunters have caught Jonah's scent again. Danger is coming to their mountain refuge - a confrontation that will be decided only by a force of nature.
13. "WILD JINX" by Sandra Hill (Jinx #3) (Red Hot Cajun #7) (A+++++) Hot...bothered...and ready to take it all off! When reporter Celine Arseneux entered The Playpen, a Baton Rouge club for men and women, she never expected John LeDeux to swagger up to her. Sure, the bayou's notorious bad boy is pure sex on the hoof, but even with her expose on the line, Celine refuses to be a conquest left cryin' in her crayfish - at least not again. Not for a man who doesn't remember her! Detective LeDeux has always been too hot to handle, but now he's on fire as the cop who posed as a gigolo to bust the Dixie Mafia. Joining Tante Lulu's treasure hunt seems a fine way to avoid the media ruckus - until Celine pursues her story deep into the bayou, stoking John's hazy memories of a sizzling night five years ago. Lovers and pirates and gangsters - oh my!
14. "SULTRY WITH A TWIST" by Macy Beckett (New Author For Me) (Sultry Springs, Texas #1) (A++++++) Welcome to Sultry Springs, Texas: where first loves find second chances...Nine yeas after June Augustine hightailed it out of Sultry Springs with her heart in pieces, one thing stands between her and her dream of opening an upscale martini bar: a bogus warrant from her tiny Texas hometown. Now she's stuck in the sticks for a month of community service under the supervision of the devilishly sexy Luke Gallagher, her first love and ex-best friend. If Texas wasn't already hot enough, working side-by-side with June would make any man melt. Luke wants nothing more than to strip her down and throw her in the lake - the same lake where they were found buck naked and guilty as sin all those years ago. In their heads, they're older and wiser. But their hearts tell a different story.
15. "DEAL WITH THIS" by Lucy Monroe (Goddard Project #2) (Mercenary #7) (A+++++) Alan Hyatt could do his job in his sleep and when the Goddard Project sends him to investigate a case of high-tech espionage in the Vancourver film industry, he finds a perfect reason to work in bed. But sizzling actress Jillian Carlyle also happens to be his landlady, and she's got a hard-and-fast (so to speak) rule that keeps her from dating her renters. While Alan's cover as a reporter gets him close to all the suspects on the set of Jillian's sci-fi show, playing a background actor aqt her suggestion to get is story? Well, that's something else - but he's not about to turn down a red-hot redhead, even if she keeps throwing him curves. Jillian just can't understand it. Sure, Alan is six-feet-something of chiseled ruggedness with gray eyes and an irresistible growl in his voice. But hello? She doesn't do relationships - even of the casual kind - with men who impact more than her senses. No one is getting a chance at her heart. Especially not one of her renters. Still, there's nothing wrong with enjoying Alan from afar - but not too far, or she wouldn't be able to fully appreciate his rock-hard abs when he's working out in the home gym. If only he didn't make her feel safe and oh so right when they touched.
16. "CHRISTMAS IN LUCKY HARBOR" by Jill Shalvis "SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE" (Lucky Harbor #1) (A++++) After losing her boyfriend and her job, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim her inheritance - a ramshackle inn nestled in the little town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. She see the potential for a new home and a new career - if she can give the inn the makeover it needs. Enter Jax, a tall, handsome contracror who knows exactly what Maddie needs. "THE SWEETEST THING" (Lucky Harbor #2) (A+++++) Helping her sister set up the family inn is just the thing to make Tara forget her ex-husband and focus on her new liffe. Until she meets a sexy, green-eyed sailor determined to keep her hot, bothered and in his bed. When her ex reappears, Tara must confront her past and decide what she really wants. "KISSING SANTA CLAUS" (Lucky Harbor Novella #1) (A++++) NASCAR driver Logan Perrish returns to Lucky Harbor with love in his heart and a ring in his pocket. But will he spend the holiday alone? "UNDER THE MISTLETOE" (Lucky Harbor Novella #2) (A+++++) For Mia, Christmas is anything other than merry and bright due to her break-up with her boyfriend, Nick. Until Nick follows her to town bearing gifts - and asking for forgiveness.
17. "LOVE ON MIMOSA LANE" by Anna DeStefano (Seasons of the Heart #3) (book that I received free from the author in exchange for a review) (A+++++) A rugged bartender with a dark past, a vindictive ex-wife and a bad reputation - a kind, beautiful community activist searching for peace. Law Beaumont has been fascinated with the assistant principal at his daughter's elementary school for years. Kristen Hemmings, in spite of herself, felt the same pull. But these two couldn't seem more wrong for each other. Common sense keeps them apart, but their hearts pull them together. Mentoring a foster child in crisis and helping Law's troubled daughter through the aftermath of her parents' ugly divorce force these soul mates to overcome their differences. Can true love make everything right? Or will happily ever after be the one challenge they can't face?
18. "THE HEIST" by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg (Fox and O'Hare #1) (unabridged Audible - listened on iTunes) (A+++) FBI Special Agent Kate O'Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world's most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she's cared about is Nicolas Fox - an international crook she wants in more ways than one. Audacious, handsome and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail - particularly Kate O'Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there's no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman...even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: He convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O'Hare. Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who's hiding on a provate island in Indonesia is going to test O'Hare's patience and Fox's skill Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen and Kate's dad. High-speed chases, pirates and Toblerone bars are all in a day's work...if O'Hare and Fox don't kill each other first.
19. "CATCH ME A COWBOY" by Katie Lane (Deep in the Heart of Texas #3) (A+++++) Back in the saddle. Shirlene Dalton has it all: a dream marriage to a man who spoils her rotten and the most outrageous mansion Bramble, Texas, has ever seen. But when her husband unexpectedly dies, Shirlene finds herself right back where she started - in a rundown trailer on the wrong side of the tracks. Never the type to let a little bad luck and a whole heap of heartache get her down, Shirlene is ready to prove to the local gossips she can make it on her own...until she ends up living next to the most tempting cowboy in town. Billy Wilkes has a score to settle and a plan to wipe Bramble right off the map. But when his sexy, redheaded neighbor figures out what he's up to, his good ol' boy charm won't be enough to save him. With the town on his tail, Billy will have to come clean quick - or kiss Shirlene goodbye.
20. "TEMPTATION" by Sherryl Woods (unabridged Audio CD) (A++++) Callie Smith's quest for success far from her Iowa roots has caused a rift with her hardworking family. And with neither her Wall Street career nor her marriage going as planned, she starts to question the choices she's made. But when charismatic network president Jason Kane pursues her to save a failing soap opera, her life is soon full of more twists than a TV story line. Suddenly she gets to know a whole new side to her mother and also has the opportunity to save a friend's life. Most unexpected of all, she leaves heartache behind and tunes into the love of a lifetime.
21. "HIDDEN AWAY" by Maya Banks (Kelly Group International (KGI) #3) (A++++++) A man who shoots first and asks questions later and the ultimate moving target. Most people would take an all-expenses-paid trip to the beach in a heartbeat. Garrett Kelly only accepts to keep tabs on Sarah Daniels, who's hiding after witnessing a murder by Marcus Lattimer, her half brother - and a personal enemy of KGI. This gig may be beneath a disciplined soldier like Garrett, but if he gets a shot at Lattimer, it will all be worth it. But Garrett hadn't counted on falling for Sarah. He'd considered seduction as a tactical maneuver, but when he glimpses Sarah's dark past, he feels an urgent desire to keep her safe - even after she disappears on him. Garrett doesn't know exactly who, or what, Sarah's running from, but whatever it is, she's running for her life.
22. "BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN" by Roxanne St. Claire (Barefoot Bay #2) (A++++++) They say you can never go home again...but what if someone is waiting for you? When "Life Coach to the Stars" Jocelyn Bloom is embroiled in scandal, the only place she can hide is the one place she wishes she could forget. She left Barefoot Bay - and the boy next door who knew all her secrets - years ago. Now nothing about the tiny island off the coast of Florida is quite how she remembers it, especially Will Palmer. He's even more gorgeous and tempting...and still capable of turning her world inside out. To Will Palmer, Guy Bloom is more than the elderly, senile neighbor he looks after - he's the last connection to Jocelyn, the woman Will loved and lost. But the reunion with Jocelyn doesn't go smoothly. Shocked by the change in her father's personality, Jocelyn stuggles to reconcile her dark childhood with the sweet, confused man who has grown close to Will. Jocelyn has guided countless clients to happiness - but can she escape the rainy days of her past for a new sunny future with Will?
23. "GETTING ROWDY" by Lori Foster (Love Undercover #3) (A++++++) Charismatic bar owner Rowdy Yates isn't the kind of man women say no to. So when he approaches waitress Avery Mullins, he fully expects to get her number. However, the elusive beauty has her reasons for keeping her distance - including a past that might come back to haunt them both. Avery spends her nights working for tips...and trying to forget the secret Rowdy is determined to unearth. But when history threatens to repeat itself, Avery grows to rely on Rowdy's protective presence. As the sparks between them ignite, she will be forced to choose between the security she's finally found...and the passion she's always wanted.
24. "SLOW HEAT" by Jill Shalvis (Pacific Heat #2) (A++++++) After a woman claims she's pregnant with Wade O'Riley's love child, Major League Baseball's most celebrated catcher and ladies' man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team's publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha McNead. When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding Sam steps up to the plate as his "girlfriend." But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stalled elevator with too much Scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension. Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade's used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his "pretend" girlfriend, he needs a home run - even if it involves stealing a few base.
25. "DOUBLE PLAY" by Jill Shalvis (Pacific Heat #1) (A+++++) Getting to first base is a cinch...but getting home will take a grand slam. Pace Martin is the ace pitcher for the Pacific Heat. He's got the arm, the experience and the wins. He's also got the pain, the pressure and the possible end of his career looming over him. The last thing he needs now is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses. Holly Hutchins knows a good story when she sees one and the tall, dark and slightly attitude-challenged Pace Martin fits the bill. But when she realizes there's more at stake than just a win, she starts to see the handsome, broad-shouldered jock in a different light. Pace and Holly begin a seductive game, gut in the face of unexpected betrayal and challenges, they'll have to find the courage to swing for the fences.
26. "GOODNESS GRACIOUS GREEN" by Judy Christie (Green #2) (A+++++) Will Lois Barker put down roots in Green...or will small-town life be too tough for her? The charming and uncertain journalist is delighted with her decision to keep The Green News-Item and excited about the possibility of romance with her good-looking catfish farmer/coach neighbor - and the growth of her fresh faith and friendships. Her second year in Green has scarcely been rung in, though, before Louis is wrung out. The former owners of the paper want it back. The mayor's dog bites her on the face. A series of fires threatens Lois. And while her friends blossom, Lois feels wilted. Although Lois finds fresh hopes turning stale in her second year in Gree, in the midst of challenges, Lois's journey still explodes with possibilities!
27. "GIVING CHASE" by Lauren Dane (Chase Brothers #1) (A++++) Some small towns grow really good looking men! This is the case with the four Chase brothers. The home grown hotties are on the wish list of every single woman in town and Maggie Wright is no exception. Maggie has finally had it with the men she's been dating but a spilled plate of chili cheese fries drops Shane Chase right into her lap. The sheriff is hot stuff but was burned by a former fiancee and is quite happy to play the field. After Shane's skittishness sends him out the door, Maggie realizes that Kyle Chase has had his eye on her from the start. Now that Shane has messed up, Kyle has no intention of letting anything stop him from wooing her right into his bed. Despite Maggie's happiness and growing love with Kyle, a dark shadow threatens everything - she's got a stalker and he's not happy at all. In the end, Maggie will need her wits, strength and the love of her man to get her out alive. Together they find special love - can it survive the threat stalking her?
28. "A SOLDIER'S HEART" by Alexis Morgan (Snowberry Creek #.05) (Read on my Kindle) (New Author For Me) (A++++) A novella of loyalty and survival - in which three soldiers must survive active duty before they can find their true loves in the town of Snowberry Creek, Washington. Best friends Nick, Spence and Leif are counting down the last days of their third deployment as members of the U.S. Army and their first in Afghanistan. But when one of them receives heartbreaking news from, their camaraderie will be tested under fire and under the strain of nearly unbearable emotional pain. Then, while on patrol in a dangerous sector, the strangest thing happens - a stray dog appears from nowhere, alerting them to a coming ambush and saves their lives. And as the three soldiers struggle to rescue the pooch from the firefight, each of the friends finds a little lost piece of himself - and a part of themselves they need to carry home.
29. "OPEN COUNTRY" by Kaki Warner (Blood Rose Trilogy #2) (A+++++) Molly McFarlane is as desperate as a woman can get - even one alone on the frontier. Forced to flee with her late sister's children, she must provide for her wards while outrunning the relentless trackers their vicious stepfather has set on her trail. To secure their future, she marries a badly injured man, assuming that when he dies his insurance settlement will provide all they need But there's one small problem. The man doesn't die. Hank Wilkins doesn't remember the train wreck that he barely survived - and he certainly doesn't remember marrying Molly. But he takes her home to his ranch, where Molly is quickly caught up in the boisterous Wilkins family. Molly knows little about caring for children and even less about caring for a man - especially silent, brooding types like Hank. But even as Molly and Hank discover each other, the specter of the truth of Molly's past threatens to tear them apart - and doom both her and the children she must protect.
30. "MOONLIGHT KISS" by LuAnn McLane (Cricket Creek #5) (A+++++) Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its baseball, shopping and cuisine. After finally rebounding from the recession, the residents are ready to repair their lives - and their hearts. After two very public broken engagements with two very famous men, Addison Monroe wants to avoid the spotlight. She decides to put her wedding-planning experience to good use by opening a bridal boutique. Setting up shop in small-town Kentucky is the perfect way to escape prying eyes and to live a quiet single life. Investment consultant Reid Greenfield is fed up with weddings - but not his own. He is certain his sister's plan to turn their family farm into a wedding reception venue will lead to bankruptcy. Reid hopes that city girl Addison will be an ally in getting his sister to change her mind before she loses her savings. Instead, Addison adores the idea and jumps on board. It's a risky business - especially once romance gets involved. But some times a little risk brings a huge reward.

CURRENTLY READING -

1. "The Immortality Clause" by Abigail Hawk (The Immortelle #1) (New Author For Me) (ebook that I received to do a review for the publisher)
2. "Softly at Sunrise" by Maya Banks (Kelly Group International #5.5) (Reading on my Kindle)
3. "Doc" by Mary Doria Russell (New Author For Me) 
4. "Just a Taste" by Deirdre Martin (New York Blades #6)

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "Just the Way You Are" by Christina Dodd (Lost Texas Hearts #1) (unabridged audio CD)

I am muddling along in Montcalm and Wolfe by Francis Parkman. making slow progress. mostly because of other activities at this time.

Also reading Out by Natsuo Kirino. I have been reading this book for a long time also.

Finished A Perfect Vehicle, sorry I forgot the name of the woman who wrote it. Interesting read about the author's love of motorcycles. The narrative was interesting but very chaotic. Jumped around a lot. Probably the book was mostly magazine pieces cobbled together into a book. I enjoyed it. I rode a motorcycle myself for about 11 years so I know that world a little.

Finished:  The Old Fox Deceiv'd by Martha Grimes --- I still seem to be reading a lot of the older series.  I really enjoy the Richard Jury series by Grimes.  The English mysteries fascinate me, with the quaint village names, the speech patterns, and quirky characters. Richard Jury and Melrose Plant investigate several murders in Rackmoor, a small village on the shore of the North Sea.

Sunshine and Shadow by Earlene Fowler --- Continuation of the Benni Harper series.  This one deals a lot with Benni's marriage to her first husband, along with a woman from her past she greatly admired and ties together with her marriage to chief of police, Gabe Ortiz when someone begins stalking Benni for no apparent reason.  How does it all tie together? It does in a very unusual way, the ending was a surprise.

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah --- A beautiful love story that will touch the heart of every woman who has ever experienced the loss of love. Annie is married to a man who claims he doesn't love her anymore and wants a divorce to marry a younger woman. Annie goes back to her childhood home to think and discovers true love again, only to have it taken away. What comes is wonderful story of true love and it's hopes and dreams.

The Why Cafe by John P. Strelecky --- A thought-provoking #1 Bestseller asking three questions....Why are you here?, Do you fear death?, and Are you fulfilled? While it did have some valid points, I felt like it missed one of the biggest questions...the one pertaining to a person's spiritual life. Nothing was mentioned about that, which leaves the reader to believe that "It's all about me!" I read the book, but in the end, felt like nothing really new had been revealed.  Just another person's ideas about 'the meaning of life'.

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews --- I thought Stephanie Plum had wacky relatives and odd-ball things that happened to her, but I believe Meg Langslow has her beat. As the maid of honor in three back-to-back-to back weddings and responsible for hundreds of details for each one [I don't think any maid of honor would put up with this!], Meg also tries to help her father [a retired doctor turned amateur sleuth] solve some murders. The dialog is catchy and funny, but the story-line becomes a little unbelievable at times. As a first novel by Andrews, it won some awards, don't know if I'll look for any more of the series.

The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith --- 5th in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.  Mma Precious Ramotswe is hired to check out 5 suitors for a wealthy lady client, find a way to keep Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni from having to parachute out of a plane for charity and the story ends up in a very delightful way.  Always a fun read.

Hiding in the Shadows by Kay Hooper --- A really good paranormal thriller with Noah Bishop in a supporting role. Faith Parker awakens from a coma with no memory of her previous life. Only recent dreams and voices she hears lead her to believe she is in contact with a missing woman, the fiance' of a man she has met when she's dimissed from the hospital. A real page-turner.

Cat in a Crimson Haze by Carole Nelson Douglas --- 4th in the Midnight Louie series. Temple Barr, PR woman, is hired to make the Crystal Phoenix Casino in Las Vegas 'family friendly' and at the same time help put on the Gridiron show. Midnight Louie, along with Matt Devine and Midnight Louise, all become involved when Temple becomes the object of several suspicious accidents. A fun read.

In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner by Elizabeth George --- DI Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers are at odds on how to find the murderer of two young people. A very convoluted story with lots of twists and turns, George has written one of her best novels in this series. Barbara Havers has been demoted because of an incident in the previous book in this series [it helps to have read Deception on His Mind] and because of that demotion Lynley has trouble using her to help in the ongoing investigation. He has to do some soul-searching as the story progresses. Well worth reading the 700+ pages.

Currently reading: Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts

Up next: ???

Currently Reading

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Finished

1. The Chase by Clive Cussler  (Issac Bell #1)   4 Stars
2. Split Second by Alex Kava ( Maggie O'dell # 2)  4 Stars

Weird Things Customers Say In Bookstores by Jen Campbell - Collection of anecdotes of the stupid things customers have said in bookstores. Pretty simple really but funny.

We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - I haven't finished this one yet but I wanted to put down this quote because it seems to sum it all up so far "In a country that doesn't discriinate between fame and infamy....we all want to feel special".
Finished now, what a book. Extremely compelling, I hated putting it down, which is really a surprise since the whole book is just a series of letters written by the mother to the father about their son Kevin. Kevin is born different, at least to his mother. His father can't see it. The boy is cold and calculating from birth. It's hinted from the beginning that Kevin comes to do something really bad and it's slowly revealed what he has done but you know from the start Kevin is bad, it's not just his mother. I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say Kevin does a school shooting, especially since it was made into a pretty popular movie. The writer tries to explain now a kid comes to do this, but I think he has it wrong. He makes Kevin defective from birth, an automaton born to cause pain and destruction, and I don't think that is the case. People need to think you should have been able to see the kid was messed up before he does something horrible so they can be secure in their faith in their own kids but it just doesn't work that way. Great book though, even if I don't agree with his point.

Troilis and Cressida by Geoffrey Chaucer - audio - One of the first English novels ever, classic story of boy and girl only girl keeps her ass covered at the expense of the boy.

Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason - Icelandic set murder mystery. Good story, complex but not overwhelming. Went quickly.

1222 by Anne Holt - Set in a remote Norwegian mountain town where nearly 200 people are snowed in at a hotel after a train wreck, including a mystery contingent of 4 people who are trying to stay hidden from the rest. Then people start ending up dead. Lots of tension since they are snowed in, and one of them is murderer. The only authority figire they have is Hanne, who retired from the police force after she was paralyzed by a bullet. She has become a recluse with just her lesbian lover and their daughter making up her whole world, having to actually talk to people and work with them to find out who the killer is before anyone else ends up dead is not making her a happy camper. And who are those 4 people hiding in the basement?

The Liars Club by Mary Karr - She has written several memoirs and this is her first. It only covers her childhood, which was pretty wacky. Her parents had a lot of issues, her mother was committed at least once and drank, her father drank and was a scrapper. The title comes from the group of friends her father had who met at  bar and shot pool or played cards and told stories. Dad told most of the stories, and she recounts several of them here.

The Likeness by Tana French - Book 2 in the Maddox and Ryan series, written from Maddox's perspective. Ryan wasn't evenb in this one which disappointed me because I wanted to hear more about his childhood mystery. Anyway, Cassie Maddox, who has been working domestic violence since the case implosion last book gets pulled back into undercover work by an extraordinary murder case and there's a lot of life philosophising but it's an extremely compelling book. I sat up most of the night finishing it.

Faithful Place by Tana French - Another great one. Every one of her books have been a little different in style and while the princpal in each subsequent volume is one of the group from the first book the stories are completely independent. I do hope she goes back to the first MC for the next book because I want to find out what the childhood thing was. In this book one of the bosses was supposed to elope with his girl many years ago when they were teenagers but she didn't show up for their rendevous. He figured she dumped him and went on to London without him. Years later it looks like that may have not been the case. Did she ever even get off of their street? Has she been waiting there for him all these years? Who could have stopped her?

A Test Of Wills by Charles Todd - Set in the late 1700s England. Formerly a brilliant detective Ian Rutledge came back from the war badly shell shocked and with the voice of a dead soldier in his head, constantly goading him. After some time in a rehab facility Ian is trying out life back in the real world. He is given a rather difficult murder as his first case back by a sergeant who may not be rooting for him. Does he still have what it takes to solve a crime or is he too far lost in the war?

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini - audio - Tale of two women in Afghanistan before and during the recent war. Their tales end up entwined although it's not an overly complex story. Makes you glad you're not a woman in the middle east. I didn't love it as much as I did the Kite Runner but it was a good story. Love and loss, oppression, and over all some really stinking awful unfairness.

An Unseemly Man by Larry Flint - audio - Memoir by the controversial publisher of Hustler magazine and many others. Larry was shot and left paraplegic years ago by a white supremicist who objected to porn. That and his numerous court battles over obscenity have made him a public figure, more than most porn publishers. He also made a mostly joking bid for president in the past. He's a more interesting man than this memoir allows, it ends with his wife's death from either an accidental or intentional overdose. She had AIDs (contracted from blood received during an operation) so it's possible she meant it but she didn't indicate anything before hand.

Murder She Barked by Krista Davis - New cozy series by the author of the domestic diva series. I like her, she has a good balance of lightness and intrigue that can be skewed in a cozy. The people in the book (aside from the bad guys) are a bit overly nice but there are a few crankys thrown in so it doesn't get too precious. It's set at her grandmother's inn which has been converted to a petcentric vacation destination, in a small town that is all pet-geared. It sounds like a really fun place to take a vacation, if they can stop all the murdering, lol.

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche Of Deah by M C Beaton - #1 of a series, MC is a cranky older woman who just retired to a small village in the English countryside and immediately gets mixed up in a murder. Despite being rude and unfriendly the villagers rally for her and accept her as one of them, not sure why. Not a bad book, even though the MC is unlikable she didn't annoy me. I think I will continue the series.

An East End Murder by Charles Finch - #4.5 of the series, shortie. Kindle only. Good story, I like this series set in Victorian England. Not much to this one but he left out the fluff, it's still a full story.

Finished

• TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
• Last Car over the Sagamore Bridge by Peter Orner
• This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
• The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason
• Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

Currently Reading

• The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak
• The Long Home by William Gay

Listening To

Wise Men by Stuart Nadler

Finished The Engagements. Very enjoyable story by J Courtney Sullivan.

Started Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Currently Reading:

The Lotus Eaters - Tatjana Soli
 

Finished:

Backseat Saints - Joshilyn Jackson   - 3.5 stars

Tumbleweeds - Leila Meacham - 4.0 stars

Roses - Leila Meacham - 4.2 stars

The Midwife of Venice - Roberta Rich - 3.0 stars

How To Be An American Housewife - Margaret Dilloway - 4.00 stars

Promise Not to Tell - Jennifer McMahon - 4.00 Stars

The Good House - Ann Leary - 3.5 Stars

Island of Lost Girls - Jennifer McMahon - 3.00 Stars

The Good House - Ann Leary - 3.5 Stars

Finished

What The River Washed Away  by Muriel Mhariee MacLeod  - a wonderful book about a young black girl who is sexually abused by 2 white men in rural Louisanna in the early 20th century and how it affected her life.

The Good House by Ann Leary - I enjoyed it even though I got mad at her all the time.

Defending Jacob by William Landay - good book, the ending really made it

The 9th Girl by Tami Hoag -quick enjoyable read

CURRENTLY READING

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings -   so very good!!

Currently reading:

Night Kill by Ann Littlewood

Eyes of Prey by John Sanford

Hoping to get some of my series read this year!!

Currently reading 2061: Odyssey Three by Arthur C Clark

Currently reading:

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts

Since You're Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash by Dixie Cash

disclaimer: In the past I have been overly ambitious with my reading list here so my New Years resolution is : To take it easy, stop rushing and let time do what it does, so here goes:

Kindle: Rockaway~ Tara Ison: About a woman who get's the opportunity that all artists long for: 3 months at the seaside to do nothing but paint plus the promise of a gallery show. I am only a 11% in so will see how it turns out, good so far though! 

Print: Me before You~Jojo Moyes: A story about a handsome successful go-getter man in his 30's who becomes a quadriplegic as a result of motorcycle hit and run. Also about a somewhat aimless girl finding herself as paid companion to above mentioned man who has turned quite bitter about his situation, interesting relationships and deeply thought issues, about 50% there. 

Happy reading!!

sort of an odd name for a woman I know, but Lionel Shriver is a woman.

If you like M K Rawlings try to find a copy of Cross Creek. a memoir of time she spent on a place in central Florida. interesting characters and situations she came into contact with. non fiction.