Review: The Chase by Erin McCarthy

The Chase
Erin McCarthy
Series: Fast Track #4
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: April 5, 2011
Mass Market Paperback {p. 280}
Source: Personal Library
Genre: Contemporary
Kendall Holbrook, Evan Monroe
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

Kendall Holbrook is determined to make it to the top, even with the challenge of being a woman on the male-dominated racing circuit. She doesn't have time for romance-especially not with racing rival Evan Monroe, the man who nearly crushed her dream years ago. Tricked into meeting him, Kendall is experiencing all those old feelings again-and she can't deny that they still have enough chemistry to set fire to the track.

The Chase was just an okay read for me; I guess I expected more from this series. Both characters, Kendall and Evan, seemed like they had great promise. But upon getting to know Kendall better, I really didn't care for the way she treated Evan. Years ago as well as present-day, she shut him out of her life went all it would have taken was a bit of communication between the two. I could see her acting that way at the age of 18, but as an adult I would have expected her to have matured a little bit more.

With that being said, I'm not saying Evan was an angel but he clearly came across to me as the reader as loving Kendall more then she loved him. I truly tried to become invested and interested in these characters but I just couldn't. I was more interested in what was going on with Tuesday, Kendall's BF F, then either Kendall or Evan. Both characters came across a little immature. One would run away from their problems, and the other seemed to be a bit of a hothead.

I will be continuing this series because I liked the previous installments, and I want to know what's going to become of Tuesday.

In My Mailbox {114}

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I'll post what books I've received either by mailbox/library/store.

I'll try to post an entry of IMM every Sunday that I receive books by mail/library/store of that week.

Books via Publisher

'Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries



Guest Post, #Giveaway & Review: Run the Risk by Lori Foster

Please join me in welcoming Lori Foster, author of Run the Risk, as she provides us with a guest post and giveaway today! Also, follow along on the tour at http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-run-the-risk-by-lori-foster/

What book do you recommend everyone should read? Okay, now tell us why you picked that book!

If you’re a historical buff, Amanda Quick’s “SCANDAL” remains a favorite. I loved that story so much. Often in historical stories the heroines *can’t* be super strong because society was so restrictive. But in that book, the heroine finds her own unique ways to stand up to the hero while also winning him over, and she seems very sweet doing it!

If you’re into paranormal, I’d say “A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER,” from Kresley Cole. She does this totally unique thing with paranormal, making the story both tragic and hilarious, and the characters are all so original that you know them right off.

For contemporary, I fell head over heels in love with Jill Shalvis’s “AT LAST.” Amy is such a special character, and Matt... oh Matt. :::Sigh::: That book had *everything* that I love in romance. Fabulous dialogue; a hunky, Alpha, in control but oh-so-kind hero; a strong and independent heroine; a backstory that tugs at your heart but doesn’t leave you sobbing in despair; and a romance that leaves you smiling. Good stuff!

 



Run the Risk
Lori Foster
Series: Love Undercover #1
Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: September 25, 2012
Mass Market Paperback {p.379}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Suspense
Pepper Yates, Logan Riske
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer's crosshairs?

Logan is determined to locate the man he believes holds the answers to the murder of his best friend. Who he finds is the man's little sister, Pepper.

Pepper is this shy, reserved young lady who appears to be afraid of her own shadow. This Pepper I liked and enjoyed. Although I found her somewhat strange at the time, I still liked her. Then she does this complete 180 and becomes a whole new person. I think the turnabout was a bit too drastic. Maybe if she could have been a little more somewhere in between the nun and the working girl, I may have bought it.

Logan was great but not what I hoped. He wasn't as alpha as I was expecting from Foster. Rowdy and Reese I feel stole the show from Logan. Even his brother Dash took the spotlight. Now Reese's neighbor Alice is going to be another strange one like Pepper. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about her, as well as Reese and Rowdy.

Run the Risk seems to be a good start to a new series, but it has me wondering is it going to be a continuation of the human trafficking storyline from the Men Who Walk the Edge series. This novel touched on it but it didn't get into it which makes me believe the next installments will.

Live Chat!! Monday October 22, 2012 @ 7pm ET

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday {98}: My Kind of Christmas @RCarrWriter

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. It is showcases upcoming releases of books that I'm looking forward to. It is somewhat similar to one of my previous posts, Anxiously Awaiting. {Button courtesy of Bewitched Bookworms}

My Kind of Christmas
Robyn Carr
October 23, 2012

The Riordan brothers may have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, but Patrick has always been the gentle, sweet-natured one. These days, his easygoing manner is being tested by his high-octane career as a navy pilot. But for the Riordan brothers, when the going gets tough...the tough find the love of a good woman.

Except the woman who has caught Patrick’s attention is Jack Sheridan’s very attractive niece.

Angie LeCroix comes to Virgin River to spend Christmas relaxing, away from her well-intentioned but hovering mother. Yet instead of freedom, she gets Jack Sheridan. If her uncle had his way, she’d never go out again. And certainly not with rugged, handsome Patrick Riordan. But Angie has her own idea of the kind of Christmas she wants—and the kind of man!

Patrick and Angie thought they wanted to be left alone this Christmas—until they meet each other. Then they want to be left alone together. But the Sheridan and Riordan families have different plans for Patrick and Angie—and for Christmas, Virgin River-style!

Review: Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts

Better Than Chocolate
Sheila Roberts
Publisher: Harlequin
Publish Date: September 25, 2012
Mass Market Paperback {p. 372}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Contemporary
Samantha Sterling, Blake Preston
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company has been in the Sterling family for generations, ever since Great-Grandma Rose literally dreamed up her first fabulous recipe. But now it looks as if they're about to lose Sweet Dreams to the bank—and that would be a disaster, not only for the family but for the town of Icicle Falls, Washington. Can Samantha, the oldest daughter and new head of the company, come up with a way to save it?After Samantha does some brainstorming with her mother and sisters, inspiration strikes. They'll have a chocolate festival! Time's running out, but the Sterling women are determined and the town's behind them, so everything's bound to go smoothly….

Or not. Events seem to be conspiring against Samantha, and her mother's attempts to help aren't helping. To make matters worse, the fate of her company is in the hands of her archenemy, Blake Preston, the bank manager with the football-hero good looks. It's enough to drive her to chocolate. But Blake's also enough to convince her that (believe it or not) there's something even better than chocolate.

This book was okay; it kept me entertained, involved, and invested in the characters. Some characters more than others. With that being said, I was more invested in Todd, Luke, and Cecily. Blake and Samantha were okay, but I didn't get a real connection between them. There only seemed to be hostility on her part toward Blake. As far of the background characters, I could take them or leave them.

One of those characters I could take or leave was Samantha's mother, Muriel and her sister Bailey. I pretty much skimmed over Mariel's scenes except the ones involving her dates with the mayor. Other than that I liked the overall story and the idea of the town. I truly did want to know what the outcome was going to be with the chocolate factory. Going in, I was sure they would save the factory, I just didn't know exactly how they were going to do it.

The Cecily, Todd, and Luke triangle was my major draw. I want to see the outcome of this situation. I was more into that than Blake and Samantha, because there wasn't much going on with those two other than her constantly being a total jerk to him. There didn't seem to be much chemistry between them. No flirting or any kind of spark.
 
The romance that did take place between them felt like a afterthought at the end. Like it was rushed. The last two chapters they may have went on a date or two and then they were getting married. Samantha found out Blake tried to help her, she all of a sudden started singing a new tune about how she felt about him. That made it seem superficial and conditional to me on the part of Samantha.
I will however return to Icle Falls if and when Cecily gets a story just to see how things turn out for her.

In My Mailbox {113}

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I'll post what books I've received either by mailbox/library/store.

I'll try to post an entry of IMM every Sunday that I receive books by mail/library/store of that week.

Books via Paperback Swap

Danger Zone by Sierra Cartwright

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

 

Books via Public Library Sale

Long Lost by Harlan Coben

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

 

Books via Publisher

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

Winter White by Jen Calonita

In My Mailbox {112}

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I'll post what books I've received either by mailbox/library/store.

I'll try to post an entry of IMM every Sunday that I receive books by mail/library/store of that week.

Books via Blog Giveaway Win

The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James

A Midnight Dance by Lila DiPasqua

And the Winner is..

Olivia Cunning Prize Pack

 

Na mmalavec

Review: Sultry With a Twist by Macy Beckett



Sultry With a Twist
Macy Beckett
Series: Sultry Springs #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publish Date: October 1, 2012
Mass Market Paperback {p.313}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Contemporary
June Augustine, Luke Gallagher
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

When Mae-June July Augustine hightailed it out of Sultry Springs, Texas, with her heart in pieces, she swore she'd never return. But nine years later, one thing stands between June and her dream of opening an upscale martini bar: a month of community service under the supervision of the devilishly sexy Luke Gallagher, her first love and ex-best friend. As lust turns to love, June must decide where she belongs: in the glorious anonymity of Austin or back in Sultry Springs with the man who intoxicates her like no other.

June and Luke were a great match. They did however have their ups and downs. Some points throughout the story I would get aggravated with Luke and his behavior, but not so much so that I gave up on him.

Luke and June both had some childhood issues that carried over into adulthood that they had to work out. Mostly those problems were Luke’s issues with not feeling worthy and June’s issues with her parents drinking. When they weren’t dwelling on these issues, they were a really enjoyable couple.

Luke’s best friend Trey provided a great amount of entertainment. I’m really looking forward to more of him in future installments of this series.

Review: Justice at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels



Justice at Cardwell Ranch
B.J. Daniels
Series: Montana Mystique #4
Publisher: Harlequin
Publish Date: October 2, 2012
Mass Market Paperback {p.216}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Suspense, Western
Liza Turner, Jordan Cardwell
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

Six years ago, Dana Cardwell found her mother's will in a cookbook and became sole owner of the Cardwell Ranch in Big Sky, Montana. Now happily married, Dana is surprised when her siblings, Stacy and Jordan, show up on the ranch…and trouble isn't too far behind.As danger draws closer to the ranch, deputy marshal Liza Turner quickly realizes that Jordan Cardwell isn't the man the town made him out to be.

The book opens up getting right to the suspense. That’s a good thing because there was no time wasted with filler information.

Jordan is back in Big Sky looking for answers and what he gets is to be a suspect in a murder, Not only is trouble surrounding Jordan, but his sister Stacy is back in town with some trouble of her own.

The author did a great job of keeping the identity of the real culprit under wraps until the end. Even the trouble with Stacy wasn’t so obvious that you knew what was going on before it was revealed.

Although it’s classified as a romantic suspense, there is very little romance. And the little there was developed a little too quickly at the very end of the book. There was no romance between them; it went from one kiss to marriage in a span of two chapters. But with that being said, it’s still a good read for the suspense aspect.

Review: Savage Hunger by Terry Spear



Savage Hunger
Terry Spear
Series: Heart of the Jaguar #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publish Date: October 1, 2012
Mass Market Paperback {p.341}
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal
Kathleen McKnight, Connor Anderson
Challenge: 100+
Buy the Book: Amazon

In the heat of the jungle, jaguars are clawed, dangerous, and hungry for love. With hopes of overcoming night terrors and thanking the man who saved her life, Kathleen McKnight returns to the Amazon. A jaguar at heart, Connor Anderson doesn’t just protect her, but wants to claim her for his own.

Savage Hunger started out a little slow for me, but it did pick up around chapter ten or so. Kathleen’s journey back to the Amazon after her attack there didn’t turn out quite like she had planned it.

The chemistry between Kathleen and Connor is apparent although he chooses to ignore it at first. Maya, Connor’s sister, was a welcome additional character to provide a distraction from Connor and Kathleen’s dance around one another. I really felt for Maya and her need to a mate and family outside of Connor. I’m hoping she finds her mate in Wade, Kathleen’s guide she was supposed to meet up with.

To me, I found more entertainment in Maya and Wade just because Connor and Kat were a little to neatly written. If Wade and Maya get their own story I’ll definitely be continuing the series.

50 States Review 2012 Link Up ~ Fourth Quarter

<br /> <a href="http://www.book-obsessed.com/2011/10/50-states-reading-challenge-2012-sign.html/"><img alt="Book Obsessed" src=" http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc365/avidbookaholic/blog%20banners%20buttons%20and%20pics/flag.jpg” /></a><br />

For you bloggers that decided to participate in this challenge, please copy and paste the above image icon onto the sidebar of your blog.

Add your review links for October - December in the linky.

Anyone can join. Just sign up HERE. You don't need a blog to participate.

**Bloggers: Link your REVIEWS in the Linky below. Include blog name, book title, and the state the book takes place in. (ie.  Book Obsessed "Lover Awakened" - NY)

**Non-Bloggers: Post your reviews with other book sites (ie. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.) and post the link to your review in the linky. Or post your review in the comments section. Your comment should include the title of the book, author, state in which the book takes place, and the date you completed reading the book. (bloggers do not need to include the date because your blog posts are dated)

When you sign up on Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your review. You can either list your books on your challenge post, sidebar, or a page dedicated to your challenges.

Happy Reading!!!

{If you'd like to follow my progress, you can find it here.}

This is NOT the place to sign up for the challenge

Antonym Reading Challenge Review Link ~ Fourth Quarter

For you bloggers that decided to participate in this challenge, please copy and paste the above image icon onto the sidebar of your blog.

Add your review links for October - December in the linky.
Anyone can join. Just sign up HERE. You don't need a blog to participate.

**Bloggers: Link your REVIEWS on the Mr. Linky below. Include blog name, book title, and highlight the antonym. (ie. "Hot" Ice (Book Obsessed) or *Cold* Fire @ Book Obsessed)

**Non-Bloggers: Post your reviews with other book sites (ie. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.) and post the link to your review in the linky. Or post your review in the comments section. Your comment should include the title of the book, author, state in which the book takes place, and the date you completed reading the book. (bloggers do not need to include the date because your blog posts are dated)

When you sign up on the Linky, put the direct link to your review. You can either list your books on your challenge post, sidebar, or a page dedicated to your challenges.

Happy Reading!!!

{If you'd like to follow my progress, you can find it here.}

This is NOT the place to sign up for the challenge

Please link to your Antonym REVIEW posts here