FINISHED -

1. "TAKE ME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" by Brenda Novak (Whiskey Creek #5) (ARC) (A+++++) Christmas is a time for remembering. Too bad not all memories are pleasant! Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's "mean girl". Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned. But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. So when he goes missing, she secretly hopes he'll never come back - until he learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm. Not only has he left Sophia penniless, he's left her to face all the townspeople he cheated. Sophia is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted, now a successful suspense writer. He can't bring himself to turn his back on her, not at Christmas, but he refuses to get emotionally involved. He learned his lesson the first the last time. Or will the seaon of love and forgiveness give them both another chance at happiness?
2. "LADY BE GOOD" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Wynette, Texas #2) (A+++++) Lady Emma Wells-Finch, the oh-so-proper headmistress of England's St. Gertrude's School for Girls, knows only one thing will save her from losing everything she holds dear: complete and utter disgrace! Skirts flying, umbrella pointing and beautiful mouth issuing orders, she arrives in Texas on a mission: She has two weeks to lose her reputation. World-famous playboy-athlete Kenny Traveler has been suspended from the sport he loves. Now only one thing can restore his career: complete and utter respectability! Unfortunately, he's been blackmailed into chauffeuring bossy, single-minded Lady Emma, who's hell-bent on visiting honky-tonks and tattoo parlors... and worse. Lots worse. When a gorgeous man who can't afford another scandal meets a hardheaded woman who's determined to cause one, anything can happen. But love? Oh dear, that impossible, outrageous...inevitable!
3. "BARE IT ALL" by Lori Foster (Love Undercover #2) (A+++++) A cop's craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal. As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it...until the sexy cop next door comes knocking. Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmast Alice's secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire - and into the line of fire.
4. "CRYSTAL GARDENS" by Amanda Quick (unabridged audio CD) (A++++) The lives of the Victorian gentry are filled with secrets, but what's buried beneath Crystal Gardens has a power that cannot be concealed. Novelist and professional companion Evangeline Ames has rented a cottage in the outskirts of Little Dixby, far from the London streets where she was recently attacked. Fascinated by the paranormal energy of nearby Crystal Gardens, she finds some pleasurable diversion in sneaking past the wall to explore the grounds. And when her life is threatened again, she instinctively goes to the gardens for safety. Lucas Sebastian has never been one to ignore a lady in danger, even if she is trespassing on his property. Quickly disposing of her would-be assassin, he insists they keep the matter private. There is plenty of whispering about him already, with rumors of treasure buried under his garden and occult botanical experients performed by his uncle - who died of mysterious causes. Immediately sensing each other's psychic talents, as well as their mutual desire, Lucas and Evangeline find themselves with an even more pressing concern. Whoever tried to have her killed will try again. But who would want her dead? With Evangeline's skill for detection and Lucas's sense of the criminal mind, they soon discover that they share a common enemy. And as the dangerous energy emanating from Crystal Gardens grows stronger, they realize that to survive they must unearth what has been buried for too long.
5. "LEGACY OF LIES" by JoAnn Ross (A++++++) From a childhood nurtured by unconditional family love to her stunning triumph as one of Hollywood's leading fashion designers, Alexandra Lyons has always been spirited and independent. But everything she believes about herself is thrown into question when she meets Eleanor Lord. The powerful matriarch is convinced that Alexandra is Anna Lord, her long-lost grandaughter and heir to a family dynasty. Has Alexandra's life been a lie? Is she really Anna Lord - or the victim of an even darker hoax? The truth lies buried in the past, in a dark explosion of jealousy, betrayal and murder, and remains as deadly now as it was thirty years ago.
6. "ANY MAN OF MINE" by Rachel Gibson (Chinooks Hockey Team #6) (A++++) What happens in Vegas...doesn't always stay there. Autumn Haven's Las Vegas "to-do" list said to catch a show and play the slots - not wake up married to a sexy jerk like Sam LeClaire. The first moment she saw him eyeing her like a luscious piece of the dessert buffet, her usually responsible self told her to run. And she did - right into the wildest fantasy weekend of her life. But Monday morning jolted her back to reality and before she could say "pass the coffee," Sam was gone. Now a successful wedding planner, Autumn hasn't clapped eyes on the heartbreaking hockey superstar for over two years...until she organizes his teammate's "Special Day," where Sam makes a BIG play to pick up where he left off! But she has owed any man of hers plays for keeps. Is Sam the man for her or does she banish him to the sin bin forever?
7. "SIGNS OF LIFE: A MEMOIR" by Natalie Taylor (New author for me) (A+++) Twenty-four-year-old Natalie Taylor was leading a charmed life: she had a fulfilling job as a high school English teacher, a wonderful husband, Josh, a new house and a baby on the way. Then, while visiting her sister, she gets the news that Josh has died in a freak accident. Four months before the birth of her son, Natalie is leveled by the loss. What follows is an unexpected transformation as Natalie calls upon resources she didn't even know she had in order to reimagine and rebuild a life for her and her son. Natalie finds herself drawing insight and inspiration - from her beloved authors like J.D. Salinger and Alice Walker to radio personalities like Ira Glass and Dr. Joy Browne - and in so doing, she assembles her own unique team to pull her out of the clutches of grief. With the strength and support of her quirky family and friends and her imaginary fairy godmother who guides her grieving, Natalie embarks on an unforgettable journey to find life again after loss.
8. "HOW TO KNIT A HEART BACK HOME" by Rachael Herron (Cypress Hollow Yarn #2) (A++++++) Lucy Harrison sells books by day and volunteers with the Cypress Hollow fire department by night. Her life is just the way she likes it - full, even-keeled and smooth - until bad-boy ex-cop Owen Bancroft comes back to town. Lucy has always been fearless, never scared about diving in to help others. When it comes to risking her heart, however, she realizes she's absolutely terrified. In a small town like Cypress Hollow, everyone knows your business - and there is nowhere to hide. Then Lucy and Owen are thrown together by the discovery of the lost work of local legend, knitting guru Eliza Carpenter. Now Owen, adrift and struggling to redefine himself as a civilian without a badge, will have to learn how to open himself up to life's new possibilities...while Lucy decides just how much of herself she's willing to gamble on love.
9. "TEMPTING THE BEAST" by Lora Leigh (Feline Breeds #1) (A+++++) Callan Lyons is a genetic experiment. One of six fighting for freedom and the survival of their Pride. Merinus Tyler is the reporter who will tempt him, draw him, until the fury of the "mating frenzy" locks them into a battle of sexual heat there is no escape from. Deception, blood and the evil Genetics Council are hot on their trail. Callan will use his strength to try and save them both...and all in his power to keep his woman in the process.
10. "SUMMER SKIES" (The Randalls: Brett and Jake #3 and #4) (A++++) They are a family of deep commitments, strong loyalties and everlasting ties, but there are two Randall brothers who have yet to find brides and a long hot summer is approaching. Left to their own devices, the bachelors would happily hold up at their Wyoming ranch. But now they have two contentedly married siblings to deal with, not to mention two very determined sisters-in-law - all of whom are out to put an end to the legendary Randall solitude.
11. "WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS..." Behind closed doors, the real games begin. Winning it big. That's the name of the game at Las Vegas's Liege Hotel and Casino, where the hottest fantasies hinge on a roll of the dice...and the tantalizing knowlege that anything could happen before sunrise. "HOT FOR YOU" by Jodi Lynn Copeland (A+++) (New author for me) Cocktail waitress Carinna wants a man to tie her up, not tie her down. Little does she know that her most willing partner yet has something else planned for this fiery Latina bombshell. "STRIPPED" by Lauren Dane (A++++) Dahlia is a burlesque dancer ith a brain for business and a bod for sin. Her latest admirer may be a sweet-talking Casanova, but despite what he thinks she's not giving anything away for free. "RED HANDED" by Kit Tunstall (A+++) (New author for me) Meanwhile, Amy has the perfect plan to rob the Liege Casino blind...until the intimidating owner catches her red-handed. Now she knows she's going to pay...with both pleasure and pain. "THE DEAL" by Anya Bast (A++++) Professional shill Cassidy is ready to experience a breathless rendezvous with her "friend with benefits." But when he proposes five delicious nights of sexy blackjack, the stakes have never been so high.
12. "THE AMEN TRAIL" by Sharon Sala (Letty and Eulis #2) (A++++) Can a prostitute and a town drunk escape their past to find happiness and redemption? Ex-prostitute, Leticia Murphy is hell-bent on redemption, even if it kills her. Eulis is not averse to turning over a new leaf, as well. If they pretend to be a preacher and a "sister", will it be enough for salvation?
13. "TICK TOCK" by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge (Michael Bennett #4) (unabridged audio CD) (A+++++) NYC's #1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem - the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified! Tick - A Killer's Countdown Begins: A rash of horrifying crimes rips through the city, throwing it into complete chaos and terrorizing everyone living there. Immediately it becomes clear that they are the work not of an amateur but of a calculating, efficient and deadly mastermind. Tick - Michael Bennett is on the Chase: The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside retreat with his ten adopted children, their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine, and his grandfather. Not only does it tear apart their vacation, it leaves the entire family open to attack. Tock - Your Time is up: Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI agent Emily Parker. As his affection for Emily grows into something stronger, his relationship with Marty Catherine takes an unexpected turn. All too soon, another appalling crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan.
14. "FANGS FOR THE MEMORIES" by Kathy Love (Young Brothers #1) (A++++) Oh, brother! There are Christmas mornings and then there are Christmas mornings like this one: watching my brother, Rhys, swagger through our New York City apartment...smiling. We are talking about Rhys, the detached, surly and annoying; the man who turned brooding into an art form. But he's not brooding now. No, he practically threatening to pistol whip me for shaking hands with the beautiful, sweet, half-dressed creature named Jane who just tried to sneak out of his bedroom. Weird. And who knew Brother Grim even had a sex drive? But it isn't just the smiling and the sudden libido that has me freaked out. Something terrible happened last night, something that made my brother break his own rule and save the life of a mortal. Whatever it was, now he doesn't remember anything from the past two hundred years. He wants Jane so bad that he's forcing himself to forget he's a vampire, taking himself back to a time before he crossed over and our family was destroyed. He's sauntering around the place like a Regency viscount with an English accent, saying things like "I behaved like a randy, soused caper-wit." Did we ever really talk like that? So, Rhys doesn't know he's a vampire and neither does Jane. This is what we call a problem. All I know is, this mortal woman has managed to touch my brother's frozen heart, and I, Sebastian Young, will do whatever it takes to help him keep her.
15. "SECRETS OF THE LOST SUMMER" by Carla Neggers (Swift River Valley #1) (A++++) Beneath the surface lie the greatest treasures. A wave of hope carried Olivia Frost back to her small New England hometown nestled in the beautiful Swift River Valley. She's transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway. Picturesque and perfect, if only the absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door. Dylan McCaffrey's ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can't resist...any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story...past and present.
16. "CONVENIENT GROOM" (Nantucket Love Story #2) (A+++++) She wrote the book - literally - on finding the right mate. But does she really understand what love's about? Five hours before her Nantucket beach wedding - and on the eve of her big book launch - celebrity marriage counselor Kate Lawrence has everything in place. Everything, that is, but the groom. She might not have a career, either, when her nationwide audience finds out their marriage guru has been left at the altar. Enter Lucas Wright, who offers to stand in for the missing husband-to-be and marry her. Kate's desperate enough to agree - though she's sure this Mr. Wright is completely wrong for her. But can they pull it off? Could it be that "Dr. Kate" doesn't know the first thing about love? 
17. "WHEN MORNING COMES" by Francis Ray (Family Affair #2) (A+++++) Dr. Cade Mathis learned early that he was not the son of the man who raised him. His adoptive father, a cruel, bitter man, had always been quick to tell him that he was a bastard and an embarrassment to the rich society family whose daughter got pregnant with him. So when Cade received a full scholarship to college, he was only too happy to leave the only home he had ever known behind, and he never looked back. He's now a successful doctor and one of the best neurosurgeons in the state and the only thing he still wants are answers about where he came from. What he doesn't expect is Sabrina Thomas, the new ptient advocate at his hospital, or how the woman will lead him to the family he has been searching for and a love he never expected to find.
18. "SIMPLY FORBIDDEN" by Kate Pearce (House of Pleasure #6) (A++++) Your most scorching desires come blissfully true at Madame Helene's Pleasure House - an elite brothel in Regency England where passion has no limits. Nothing's more satisfying than fulfilling forbidden passions. With an unconventional upbringing and a reputation as a shameless flirt, Lisette Delornay-Ross is not your typical young lady of the ton. Unlike her peers, she is not afrai to follow her desires. And what she desires is Major Lord Gabriel Swanfield. Returned to England after his harrowing ordeal as a war prisoner, Gabriel has shunned society. When Lisette brazenly confronts him, he feels an overwhelming stirring of lust. He's sure she would never entertain the illicit desires he indulges in at Madame Helene's. But whenn he kisses her, he discovers her thirst for pleasure - and adventure - matches his.
19. "THE PROMISE" by Dee Davis (Time Travel Trilogy #3) (A++++)  (Kindle) The mine called to Cara from deep in the San Juan Mountains, near the town of Silverthread. Surrounded by a murderous tapestry of lies, it had once been rich in ore, overflowing with wealth that could make a family's fortune - or destroy it. But also in its labyrinthine tunnels lay the path to redemption and love, a magic that could draw a woman one hundred years into the past, into the arms of one who could make her life whole. But crossing time was just the beginning. To right wrongs alreacy done, to paint a new future, one brighter and full of love, Cara would have to unravel the mine's mysteries. She would have to depend upon the rugged man who emerged from its opening and trust his voww to keep her safe and cherish her forever. Then, and only then, would she truly understand the danger - and the power - of the promise.
20. "PERFECT PITCH" by Luann McLane (Cricket Creek #3) (A+++++) Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, shopping and cuisine. But tough times are crushing tourism - until a hard-swinging baseball and three hometown heroes begin to revitaize the community one inning at a time. Determined to prove her independence, Mia Monroe is no longer Daddy's little rich girl. Buying an old car with the last of her money, she sets out for who knows where...until her clunker clunks out in Cricket Creek. With no plan and no credit cards, Mia has to find more resilience than she's ever needed before. And a little help from an attractive new acquaintance wouldn't hurt. As first baseman for the Cricket Creek Cougars, Cameron Patrick has two jobs: winning jobs and keeping his nose clean. If he can do both, he might just make it back to the minor leagues. He knows Mia is trouble from the moment she catches his eye - but he can't stop looking. And maybe her kind of trouble is exactly what he needs.
21. "LAST CHANCE SUMMER" by Hope Ramsay (Last Chance #?) (A+++) (Kindle) It wouldn't be summer without the Watermelon Festival and single mom Amanda Wright is looking forward to a carefree day eating funnel cakes and sipping sweet tea. But with her inquisitive son and elderly grandmother in tow, she's not in the mood for carnival rides or the killing booth, until she hears a charming, funny voice over the loudspeaker. Grant Trumbull is the new DJ at the local radio station and his deep, booming cadence has all the ladies of the church auxillary atwitter. Even without seeing his face, Amanda can't help but wonder if he's the one for her. When she finally comes face to face with the man behind the mic, summer is about to get a whole lot hotter in little Last Chance, South Carolina.
22. "THE 52ST THURSDAY" by Mercy Celeste (A++++) (Kindle) Shelby Bainbridge, former championship winning quarterback and son of an Alabama Senator with presidental aspirations, lost everything one Thursday night fifty-two weeks ago. Lost, along, battered and broken Shelby finds comfort in the local bar called Deacon's Place. Week after week, he finds himself drawn to Deacon's for the beer, for the atmosphere, for the solace and for Deacon himself. Deacon can no longer deny the desire he feels for the man he calls Thursday. When Deacon wants something Deacon is a hard man to resist. The problem is, Deacon never planned to lose his heart. Especially to a man who could be destroyed by an unexpected night of forbidden passion.
23. "BEACHCOMBERS" by Nancy Thayer (A++++) Abbie Fox hasn't seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years, during which she's jetted around the world and experienced life, if not love. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home to Nantucket. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, emotionally devastated after the loss of her high-powered stockbroker's job and a shockingly unexpected break-up with her fiance. Also, Lily is deeply worried that Marina, the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse, has set her sights on the sisters' widowed father, Jim. The Fox girls closed ranks years ago after the haunting and untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock. Over the course of the summer, the sisters' lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents encircling Nantucket. When Abbie encounters an incredibly appealing married man, she breaks her own rules in the name of love, fearing all the while that she'll regret it. Meanwhile, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. Even Marina, who has come to Nantucket to forget heartbreak and betrayal, faces an astonishing turn of events that will find her torn between fate and freedom. At summer's end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices - and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves.​
24. "SISTER OF THE BRIDE" by Susan Mallery (Fool's Gold #2.5) (A+++++) (Kindle) When Katie McCormick finds out that her sister is marrying her ex, she finally agrees to a setup for the big day. To her surprise, Jackson is a catch. But when wedding catastrophe ensure, will their sparks fizzle or ignite into flames?
25. "TROPICAL HEAT" by Cherry Adair (T-FLAC #11.5) (A+++++) (Kindle) Special ops tactical instructor Sam Pelton trains T-FLAC operators for high-risk counterterrorism environments. He's had his eye on reserved Dr. Elizabeth Goodall for some time. But the good doctor isn't exactly falling at his feet, so he has to move slowly to romance her. Then things get really hot -tropical hot - when he discovers Beth has been kidnapped by a madman while attending a seminar in Cape Town. Sam has to get her the hell out of the jungles of Africa before they realize they've kidnapped the wrong doctor. To escape from a brutal warlord, they must confront a powerful attraction that could prove more treacherous than the wilds of the jungle.
26. "AIDEN AND ETHAN" by Cameron Dane (Seeking Redemption #1) (A++++) (Kindle) Redemption, Maine. Never had the name been more apt or mocked a person more. Aidan Morgan made many mistakes in his young life, but moving to Redemption gave him a chance to wash away his poor choices and repair his relationship with his siblings. Ethan Ashworth had the blond good looks of a hometown football star, but the picture didn't match the heart and mind of the young man living inside. The new kid in town with a history of getting into trouble and an unlikely geek don't often make a match, but a unique friendship forms. With one searing kiss on graduation day, promises of a future are made. One day later Aidan is gone and Ethan's heart is left broken. Redemption, Main. Never had the name of a town been more apt or mocked a person more...twice. Thirteen years ago Aidan disappeared in the dead of night, but he is home now. Aidan has come home to take the job of chief of the fire department and to reconnect with his brother and sister. He wants Ethan back too. Unable to forget their kiss, Aidan wants to explain why he went away and he wants a second chance to win Ethan's heart. Too bad for Aidan, Ethan isn't so quick to forgive and forget. He dealt with a life-changing crisis after Aidan went away. His hurt and anger at how Aidan left him alone has resurfaced, bringing the controlled man back to life. Ethan will listen to Aidan's reasons for leaving when he's damn good and ready...and not a minute before. Redemption, Main. A place for second chances. Will the town - and Ethan Ashworth - give Aidan Morgan another shot to get it right?
27. "ONE TRUE LOVE" by Lori Wilde (Cupid, Texas #.05) (A+++++) (Kindle) In Cupid, Texas, they say everyone has one true love. And if you write a letter to Cupid, you will get an answer in return. Too bad for pretty young housemaid Millie Greenwood that her one true love if John Fant, the handsomest, wealthiest man in town. But in 1924, a maid - no matter how lovely - isn't about to marry into the town's foremost family and John is on the verge of becoming betrothed to another. Everything seems hopeless until Millie writes a desperate letter to Cupid and the most romantic legend of all is born.
28. "JAMIE" by Lori Foster (Visitation, North Carolina #5) (A++++) Carrying a naked woman up a mountain in a driving storm - now there's a way for a man to start the day. But for Jamie, the unconscious redhead in his arms is an intruder, one who could bring him harm. He has his reasons for hiding out in this mountain cabin; for keeping his emotions hidden; for never, ever getting too close to anyone. And he's not about to stop now. Before she passed out in his bed, she said her name was Faith - an appropriate name since he has to take her at her word. Who is she? Why is she here? Who sent her? And what is she doing to him? Jamie's used to feelings of wariness, isolation, of being on guard. What he's not used to is this dangerous uncontrollable new emotion raging through him. Jamie wants Faith, as a man wants a woman...and it may already be too late to turn back
29. "JUSTIFIED DECEPTION" by Patricia Watters (New author for me) (Dancing Moon Ranch #.05) A+++++) (Kindle) Ruth Crawford's on a quest to find her daughter, who was kidnapped four years before. Ruth's private investigator is all but certain that ranch owner, Matt Kincaid's, adopted daughter, Annie is Ruth's own little Beth. But Matt's the maverick in a powerful family of lawyers and politicians, so even though she manages to land the job as nanny to Matt's willful, six-year-old daughter, Ruth must tread carefully. She can't predict what Matt or his family might to if the adoption is challenged. However, Ruths carefully laid plans go awry when she finds herself falling in love with the man who may have stolen her child.
30. "GUARDIAN" by Catherine Mann (Dark Ops #6) (A+++++) They'd do anything for country and everything for each other. After a dark ops malfunction, Major David Berg finds himself dead center in a military trial. It's a race against time to toot out the truth and Major Sophie Campbell isn't making that any easier. The Hot J.A.G. wants to bring down David's unit and fast. His testimony is crucial to winning a case that will make her career. All Sophie has to do it ignore this witness's unflappable charm, his unnerving good looks and a strong, solid presence that commands her attention. It's not easy for David, either. His attraction to this take-charge beauty is turning him inside out. But these adversaries have more in common than secret, mutual desire. There's a traitor somewhere in the dark ops and now, to find him, David and Sophie must work together - relentlessly, tirelessly and so intimately it could be damn near fatal.
31. "THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE COLLECTION" by Lori Wilde (Twilight, Texas) There's a legend in Twilight, Texas. It says that if on Christmas you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny. "CARRIE" (A++++) Reconnects with her high school sweetheart...the only man she's ever loved. "RAYLENE" (A+++++) Discovers that the daughter she gave away at birth is living right in Twilight. "CHRISTINE" (A++++) Has given up on love...until the man of her dreams walks through her shop door. "GRACE" (A++++) It's Christmas Eve and Flynn and Jesse Calloway are thrilled to be expecting a new baby. Then Flynn's car hits a patch of ice and Jesse must move earth...and...heaven to save her and their unborn child.
32. "MIDNIGHT AWAKENING" by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #3) (A+++++) He has resisted temptation for centuries, a stone-cold warrior whose frozen heart refuses to thaw - until her. With a dagger in her hand and vengeance on her mind, Darkhaven beauty Elise Chase prowls Boston's streets in search of retribution against the Rogue vampires who took from her everything she cherished. Using an extraordinary psychic gift, she tracks her prey, well aware that the power she possesses is destroying her. She must learn to harness this gift and for that she can turn to only one man - the deadliest of the Breed warroris, Tegan. No stranger to loss, Tegan knows Elise's pain. He knows fury, but when he slays his enemies it is with ice in his veins. He is perfect in his self-control, until Elise seeks his aid in her personal war. An unholy alliance is forged - a bond that will link them by blood and vow - and plunge them into a tempest of danger, desire and the darkest passions of the heart.
33. "HOT IN HERE" by Lori Foster "UNCOVERED" (A++++++) Firefighter Harris Black is startled to stumble across nude photos of a woman...and handwritten notes about him. Who is this mystery woman? Harris hires a P.I. to trace her, never suspecting he's already found her.

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. "Point Hope" by Kristen James (Kindle)
3. "Before the Storm" by Diane Chamberlain (Before the Storm #1)
4. "Hot in Here" by Lori Foster (  "Tailspin" "An Honorable Man")

​CURRENTLY LISTENING TO -

1. "Innocent as Sin" by Elizabeth Lowell (St. Kilda Consulting #3) (unabridged audio CD)

Finished this month: Table for Two by Nora Roberts --- 2 stories in one book,  typical of Nora Roberts' earlier books.  Light on plot, a little heavy on the romance, but an easy read.  Summer Desserts  --- Summer Lyndon is a famous chef, specializing in desserts, and very much her own woman...until she meets Blake Cochran, hotel owner, who wants her to revitalize one of his hotel kitchens and other things!  Lessons Learned --- Carlo Franconi, world-famous chef is on a book tour in America, promoting his latest cook book. Juliet Trent is the publicist assigned to travel with him. Carlo wants more from Juliet than keeping his schedule straight. 

Murder at the Opera by Margaret Truman --- Truman was really one of the best mystery writers with her insider's knowledge of Washington, DC and her ability to develop a believable plot that keeps the reader's interest.  A young up-and-coming opera star is murdered at the Washington National Opera and Mac and Annabel Smith become involved in finding who murdered her with a side plot of international intrigue,  a plot to asassinate top US government officals.

Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag --- This is one of those 2:00 in the morning books.  I couldn't put it down.  1st in the Oak Knoll series,  a serial killer is targeting women and killing them in a very gruesome manner. The local sheriff calls in FBI agent Vince Leone to help find the killer. School teacher Anne Navarre plays a big role in the story.  Can't wait to read the next in the series.

Deception on His Mind by Elizabeth George --- Definitely one of George's better novels.  This one is all about Detective Sargeant Barbara Havers and how she becomes involved in finding the murderer of a Pakistani man. This was written in 1997, but could have been written today... the conflict between immigrants and nationals in England [and anywhere in the world], the prejudices, misconceptions and hatred that can hinder finding the truth.  A very convoluted plot with lots of twists and turns, it keeps the reader guessing until the very last pages. Highly recommended!!

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry -- It took me awhile to finish this book...a very complicated plot [actually several sub-plots] and a controversial topic regarding Christianity, Judism and Islam.  I found it hard to swallow parts of it, not knowing where Berry was heading with the story line. [His explanation in the writer's notes at the end of the book helped to explain part of it]. Anyway...Cotton Malone [from The Templar Legacy] teams up with his ex-wife after their son has been kidnapped to find the missing Library of Alexandria.  Lots of Israeli/Arab/American intrigue with double-crossing and never knowing who's friend or enemy. It gets much better as the story progresses.

The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe---A poignant look at the friendship between 5 very diverse women who share a love of reading, form a book club and become involved in each others lives. Eve, Annie, Doris, Gabriella & Midge learn to love, trust and share their lives with one another, and as they do, they learn to trust their own feelings. A wonderful feel-good book that will make the reader take a closer look at her own life.

Currently reading: 

Up next: Probably won't start anything else this month.

Books read this year:  Jan.-13,  Feb.-11,  Mar.-9,  April-5,  May-7,  June-6,  July-10,  Aug.-10,  Sept.-6

finished a couple of days ago Woman with Birthmark by Hakan Nesser. the author is Swedish. the book is a murder mystery police procedural type  thing. Typical page turner.

just started Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff. The book I have is 5 books collected into one that is called The Helene Hanff Omnibus. I just stumbled onto this book by chance. I wish I had known about it before. Bought this on abebooks.com website from a bookshop in England.

Finished

• When Captain Flint was Still a Good Man by Nick Dybek
• To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal
• Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
• Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann
• The Thief of Auschwitz by Jon Clinch

Currently Reading

• And the Mountains Echoes by Khaled Hosseini

Listening To

• Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz

Finished:

Left Neglected - Lisa Genova

I've got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella

The Winter Rose - Jennifer Donnelly

The Wild Rose - Jennifer Donnelly

Every Secret Thing - Emma Cole

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty - Joshilyn Jackson

The Midwife of Hope River - Patricia Harman

This was a great month for me.    I read some really great books.    I tend to read more as the weather outside gets colder.      My TBR pile is ready with lots of winter selections.   

I'm almost finished with "Gardens of the Moon" followed by "Heart-Shaped Box" - then I just started "The Dragonbone Chair."

Judye / maysied

Lisa,    What did you think of Left Neglected?   I really liked that book.  It moved me emotionally.

I am reading three books:  The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton about a young woman who adopts a coyote pup.  Just started it.

                                       The County Fair by Katherine Valentine.  The last in a series about Dorsetville and the people who live there.  Delightful series, lighhearted and sweet.

                                       Walk by Faith by Rosanne Bittner.  A wagon train historical, Christian romance.  I needed some feel good books this past week and all three of the above are that genre.

Finished

The True Story Of Bonnie Parker by Beatrice Colin - audio - Told as her diary about the time from when she met Clyde until it ended in a hail of bullets. There has to be a lot of speculation, which I normally don't like, but it sounded pretty likely. There is a part in the middle where she laments the seisure of their belongings, including her diary, so the first half at least should be pretty accurate. She is presented as mostly innocent, pulled into a bad situation by the man she loves. Not sure I buy that completely, but we will never know for sure.

The Quarry by Johan Theorin - A bit thin on mystery but a good story. Thorough characterization, good back stories. The murder mystery takes a backseat to the characters in it, but it's not a bad thing.

Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders by Giles Brandreth - audio - Series set in the Victorian era with Oscar Wilde as the main sleuth but helped by his friends, who include Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who claims he doesn't know anything about solving mysteries - "I am not Sherlock". Very complex mystery, lots of murders, lots of suspects. Knowing what a goofball Brandreth is I was a little surprised at the complexity. Giles is a former MP who appears on a lot of comedy panel shows and hosts regular segments on one of the morning shows, human interest kind of stuff. He's very smart but like I said, kinda goofy. Nothing goofy about this book, except for maybe the concept.

Police by Jo Nesbo - #10 in the Harry Hole series. These just get better as they go along. After so many books I usually know where Harry is going, I know Jo's tricks, but he did get me a couple times. A new reader would be totally sucked in. Good book, good writer. Not sure if there will be any more Hole books, I know his next couple scheduled releases are different MCs, if not this is a satisfactory ending place.

The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain - collection of his published essays, mostly newspaper and magazine articles. New material, not a book rehashing, which is refreshing. Short original fiction story and commentary on the essays at the end. Bourdain is a surly curmudgeon but he knows what he's talking about. If you have any interest in the world behind the kitchen door he is a must. He has a way of describing things that captured them. And he's cranky, bonus!

Lord Arthur Saville's Crime by Oscar Wilde - audio - Short story about a young society buck and his destiny to be a murderer. More action than Wilde usually gives, a birt of fun.

Nilsson: The Life Of A Singer-Songwriter by Alyn Shipton - audio - Biography of Harry Nilsson. I didn't know he was so tied into the Beatles but other than that no big surprises. Crappy parents, hard life, became a crappy husband and father, cleaned up, remarried, "did it right the second time". Pretty textbook.

The Bonobo and The Atheist by Frans De Waal - audio - excellent book about morality and religion. De Wall shows how many species of animals show morality and empathy and how primitive man also did, long before religion. His conclusion is that morality created religion, not the other way around. He also discusses what would happen if we got rid of religion and didn't replace it with anything. He believes man as a whole needs an authority figure to remain 'good'. He makes an interesting argument.

I Stooged To Conquer by Moe Howard - Autobiography of the leader of the Three Stooges. Great stories from the beginnings of American theater and show biz in general. I didn't know most of the other people he talked about but it didn't matter, the stories were fine as is. Most of it was about him and his family though, it was a family act all the way until near the end. Lots of pictures, at least half of which are movie stills, so it's not a huge amount of writing. It kind of leaves you wishing for more detail but he wrote it in the last few years of his life so what he has remembered is pretty good. A little biased, he doesn't write that he ever did anything wrong and no one is that saintly so I'm sure there is a lot left out, but that's ok too. He seems like a really nice man and a decent guy. There is also some brief but very enlightening commentary about the first time they went to the south to perform and encountered racism for the first time. Once again I wished there was a god so I had someone to thank for not being born in the south. It's a different world to us northerners.

The Truth Is by Melissa Etheridge - Memoir, published 12 years ago. It's a little weird knowing that the person she is enjoying new love with at the end of the book is going to be the subject of a lot of tabloid stories in a few years, both accusing the other of being crackers. Very telling book though, Melissa doesn't seem to keep much to herself and doesn't cast blame in any of the breakups she relates. It is interesting to see where the songs come from. She is a master at telling a story with just a few phrases and this is a good place to see where those phrases came from.

Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch - audio - Very good book, narrarated by the author. It sounds like she was quit a shit most of her life and has no problem admitting it. From her self-depricating style I'm gonna assume she wasn't as bad as she makes herself out to be or she really wouldn't have had any friends. Her Glee alter ego sounds like it was her real ego for most of her life, until she finally figured out that when people told her she was being an overbearing know it all they weren;'t just jealous. She seems to have figured out her issues, found a stable relationship (with kids) (as of writing) and has it going pretty good right now. I was never bored or rooting against her, very good job.

James Herriot's Cat Stories - audio - Nothing new, collected stories featuring cats taken from his many books. It's nice t hear his stories though even if you have hard them before, and really it's been so long since I read them it was like they were new.

The Asylum by Johan Theorin - thriller, not really a mystery. Creepy guy gets job at a creepy preschool that's connected to a creepy asylum for the criminally insane, has a creepy past and a couple creepy coworkers. There's a creepy program where the children of the patients go to the preschool and visit their parents through a creepy tunnel between the buildings. Then comes the creepy plan....

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin - audio - Fun story but it's pretty hard to believe anyone would actually do that. She was a slave for those people and made it seem like that was trhe norm for a nanny. I'm not seeing being able to send the nanny to the store, plan a dinner party for you, pick up your packages, anything not even involving the kid. Very similar to The Devil Wears Prada.

YEA, BARB!

Lol Pamela. I like to reserve a spot so I can bookmark it and not have to search. I used to put in the ones I'm working on but I've gotten lazy.
There, I added a finished one for you.

I am reading The Last Sin Eater by Franice Rivers, but I am not enjoying it yet.

Gosh, Margaret, I read that and never did get into it.  In fact, I think Francine must have been in a depression when she wrote it, and not an interesting depression either.

I am listening to Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka.  Great reader and the story is getting better and better....

Jefferson Davis by Allan Tate. a short overview of Davis' life. fairly negative assessment of Davis' time as president of the Confederacy.

Also reading Riding with Rilke by Ted Bishop.

On My Kindle:

Prayers for Rain~Dennis LeHane: I am about a quater way into this as I write this, Patrick Kenzie, who was the P.I. in "Gone Baby Gone" along with Angie M. is on a different case now, a woman hires Kenzie to get a stalker off of her trail, she seems pure and naive but as it turns out, not so much, yet Kenzie si still compelled to find out what really happened to her, aside from her apparent suicide. no spoilers here, not far enough! But it's good! 

Hardcopy: 

The Fall of the House of Usher~ Edgar Allen Poe: in honor of the spooky season, I am reading this ostensibly for my book group but I love the mouldering gothic scent that Poe manages to stir up in my brain, this story of a cursed family reminds me of Hawthorne's Pynchon family in "The House of Seven Gables". I might just read "Sleepy Hollow" while I am at it! 

Well, I got half way in to The Last Sin Eater, then I read the last chapter and I am done.  Not her best.

I was listening to The Winter of the World, but I have paused that, I got the hard copy from the library, I will see if that it better for me.  Now I am listening to The Madman's Daughter, for a change of pace.  Not sure what I will start in print tonight. ***Okay - I am using the 1001 Books to read before you die list to pull some "must reads" from my TBR.

I'm still reading Riding With Rilke by Ted Bishop. It's a combination motorcycle travel book and adventures in academic investigation. The more of it I read the more I am enjoying it. When I saw the book initially I had the author confused with Ted Simon who wrote Jupiter's Travels which is an account of a four year circumnavigation of the world on a motorcycle. I read that book many, many years ago

I just recently acquired Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist. This is a book I have wanted to read for a long time. I'm not ready to start it yet, but I think I can start it pretty soon.