Certified Bed Reader...

"Annabel Lee, when are you going to realize there’s not much of anything I wouldn’t do when it comes to you?" - Tegan

Can we all agree the cover is just adorable? I love a good nuzzle! I also can't believe I don't read more YA books. It's a problem I plan on fixing; especially if it means reading more books by Nyrae Dawn.

The message of this book: learning to love yourself, who you are, and how to ignore anyone who tells/makes you feel you aren't good enough. I found it so easy to put myself in Annabel's shoes. Heck, I was Annabel back in high school! I know first-hand the kind of humiliation that goes with looking different. Annabel faces down her fears -- first with Tegan's help and then on her own. It's wonderful seeing that while her body grew stronger, so did her inner strength.

The romance between Annabel and Tegan blooms so perfectly. It was like experiencing the rush of first love all over again; their first date, first kiss, Tegan calling Annabel his girl, each of them throwing down for the other, confessing their love, their first time. It all kept a huge smile on my face!

I'm ashamed to admit that, before previews of the movie started airing, I'd never heard of this book. Why? How is that possible? I have no idea, but it's a problem I soon rectified. I read this book the week before I watched the movie and was so glad I did! The movie was great -- the book even better.

It may come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, but Tarzan of the Apes is one of my all-time favorite books. Quite possibly my absolute favorite ever. A timeless tale that I still enjoy returning to whenever the mood strikes.

Emotional, funny, heartbreaking, sexy, and sweetly romantic. That's how I felt while reading Turn It Up! The best feeling I can get when I finish a book is knowing parts of it will stay with me forever -- I don't think I'll ever look at canned peach halves the same way ever again, lol!

Charlie and Bastion are best friends; have been for six years. The ER doctor and late-night radio disc jockey met and the unlikely pair clicked. They share everything together -- even a three times a week radio talk show called "Let's Talk About Sex". Dr. Hot and Honeypot spice up the airwaves with Bastion's knowledge of medical information and Charlie's sexpert insight.

I was hooked straight from the beginning as the pair lounge around a campfire; flirting, teasing, discussing all kinds of things as best friends are known to do. The conversation turns to secrets of which Charlie assures Bastion that she keeps nothing from him. She's frightened by the flash of guilt that crosses Bastion's face! She knows he's hiding something from her, insists that he share, and when he finally does it sends poor Charlie into a panic: Bastion admits that he's in love with her. Not only does he love her, he wants her as his wife! I know what you're thinking: the hero declares his love from the beginning!? Yes!

It's not all a fairytale after that. Charlie has a very complicated relationship with love and sex. She developed her bombshell looks (she's described as being a Betty Boop) at an early age. Since then, men have wanted one thing from her--her body, never her heart. To protect herself, she uses sex as a weapon. To Charlie, Bastion's declaration of love puts him in the same category as every other man who's wanted to use her. She's fearful of losing their friendship. It saddened me how such a confident woman had such a low opinion of herself.

The hardest part of this book for me was understanding why Charlie couldn't see the difference between Bastion and other men from her past. She trusted Bastion, loved him, believed in him, but she just couldn't make the connection between how he felt for her as a friend growing deeper and fuller in an intimate relationship.

Thankfully, Bastion knows how Charlie thinks. He realizes she uses sex to hide from love. So begins a battle of wills; Bastion refusing to sleep with Charlie until she says, "Yes." and Charlie trying to get Bastion in bed to prove he doesn't need to spout words of love to have her. The heat climbs as Bastion uses their radio show to get idea on how to persuade Charlie to marry him! The race "To Bed or Wed" commences and the things these two are willing to do to win will alternately make you laugh/moan/cry! Bastion woos Charlie. Charlie turns up the sex-kitten routine. I couldn't decide which one I wanted to win! Their on-air banter throughout the book were some of the best moments

I really fell in love with Bastion. Inez Kelley created a hero with plenty of flaws, but you just know he's perfect for Charlie. His love for her glowed on every page. At one point in the book, Bastion chooses Charlie over a dream he thought he'd never have. I cried when he told her, my heart breaking for him and loving him more with every self-sacrificing word he spoke.

Charlie's reaction to that moment is what kept this from being a five-star read for me. By that time, I'd learned to understand her tough outer-shell, gotten to learn the deep love she feels for Bastion. Her strength was commendable. Then Bastion makes a grand gesture, clearly with her in mind, and she does a really stupid thing. I can't tell you or else I'd ruin the moment, but suffice it to say I wanted to clobber her! It was hypocritical of her to feel that way and the following chapter ratcheted-up my annoyance. Had Charlie been the one to rectify things after that, I maybe could have given it five-stars, but she wasn't. Again, it was Bastion who made the effort and her sudden epiphany had me hollering, "Hallelujah! It's about friggin' time!"

I wouldn't be doing this review justice if I didn't mention Caz (Bastion's brother). He is the biggest surprise in the whole book! Caz is a tattooed rock star who struggled with staying clean and sober. As his story unfolded throughout the book, I was dying to learn more! I needed to find out who Maggie and Grace were. As soon as I finished Turn It Up, I checked to see if Caz has a book of his own (please Lord let there be a book!) I was thrilled to find that not only does Caz get his HEA, his short story is a freebie: Wishing for Grace. Be sure you grab it from Ms. Kelley's website!

Wow, 120 pages for $6.19 on Kindle!? This better be one helluva book. Think I'll read more reviews before I decide to buy...

Luke finished the bottle and deftly replaced the cap. "You were my best time," he said, the words pitched for my ears alone. "Standing up, fully clothed, just talking. I liked the way we breathed together. Made me wonder how you’ll sound just before you come."

COMPLETE. SENSORY. EXPERIENCE. Anne Calhoun does a remarkable job of engaging all your senses. I felt as if I were experiencing the slow build of sexual tension between Corryn and Luke. When they first met, Corryn didn't realize Luke was her new boss's best friend. She tells herself he's off-limits, but he doesn't make it easy for her. This brief story actually takes place over 6 months which lends credibility to the ending. My only complaint is that we miss a lot of the wooing Luke does over those months; I would've killed for a longer story!

I didn't read the first book, Til Death Undo Us, in this series because Courage to Live caught my attention more. Thankfully, it read well as a stand-alone!

Cayden/Cay is a hot-shot fighter pilot lieutenant (insert appropriate swoon here) that meets Candace when he moves in next door. He sees her, he wants her, and she doesn't stand a chance against his persistence. He walks into her life at the most inopportune time; Candace's abusive husband is missing and she's barely keeping it together.

Aside from that, Candace has an 11 year-old son, has barely survived the last beating from her husband only to be involved in a head-on collision, her car is totaled, her attitude is foul, and her neighbors believe she is the problem in the marriage. The woman's Irish temper gets her in more trouble than not, however, you have got to love a woman who doesn't back down no matter how many times she's knocked down! All of that would send most men running for Mount McKinley, but not Cay. No, Cay sticks by her side from the start.

Let me list some reasons why this book worked for me:

*Candace's love for her son, Rob, is nearly as beautiful as her son's love for his mama. At times, it's hard to remember he's just a boy.

*Candace & Cay don't jump into bed immediately though there is some sexual tension. He doesn't disguise his intent behind a friend's mask. He very clearly makes it known he wants more from her.

*Cay's photographer brother, Brennan, always seems to have a camera on-hand to document the best moments!

*Love seeing Brennan try to catch Whitney's eye. She's uncatchable...for the time being, but I suspect she'll be his lady love in his upcoming book.

*Cay's fly-by ala Top Gun! I don't want to spoil it, but even my heart was fluttering!

*I hooted with glee at Candace's well-timed flip of the bird. You'll love it, too!

There's clearly a lot to love about this book. My only real complaint is the mach speed in which their relationship progresses. Luckily, this is fiction--not real life--and all those pesky rules can easily be cast aside in the name of happily ever-after.

Sometimes the clouds weren't weightless. Sometimes their bellies got dark and full. It was life. It happened.
WOW -- this is the kind of book that makes me a happy reader! I loved that it's written in first-person; it made me feel so much closer to Jocelyn and to really understand her thought process. This is a woman who's struggling to overcome a traumatic past. Her fears run so deep that she refuses to let anyone in. She projects an air of snarky coolness that should turn people off, but instead it draws them to her. Even so, she keeps them all at arms length and her emotions locked up in an impenetrable box. Then she moves to Dublin Street and everything changes when she finds herself growing closer to her roommate, Ellie, and Ellie's devastatingly sexy brother, Braden.

Oh, Braden. Braden, Braden, Braden! He's like a cross between Kristen Ashley's über-alpha heroes and EL James's Christian Grey. But I draw the comparison hesitantly because Braden Carmichael deserves his own classification and not to be held in the shadow of other literary hunks. Thank heaven's Braden isn't as tortured as CG because two supremely tortured characters would be overkill (ie. Bared to You). Braden's super-hot and possessive; however, he allows Joss room to breathe, to make mistakes, to work through her shit all while showing her he's not going anywhere. I love that about him!

Towards the last third of the book, when the angst really hit the fan, I grew increasingly frustrated with Joss. Here's the thing: it had to happen that way! If she'd acted any differently then the entire story would've been a farce. I needed to see that the hours Joss had spent talking to her therapist (finally a heroine smart enough to realize she has problems that needed professional help!) hadn't been for nothing; that there was some true, honest to God, emotional growth that I could be satisfied with. When Joss finally opens up to Braden and then gives him ultimate trust by telling him her true feelings, I cried. I couldn't help it. I felt the eight years of pain she'd lived with seep out of her as she placed it all in Braden's capable hands. He took it for her, supported her through it, and he gave her every thing she needed just by loving her.

Absolutely beautiful. Breathtakingly wonderful. One of the best, definitely the most emotionally-fulfilling books, I've read all year!

A pacifist and a Marine? LOL This has promise!

NOVEMBER!?!? I cannot wait until NOVEMBER for this darn book! WTH, Kristen Ashley!? LOL

He loved her.
And every other woman he'd been with since that day she'd come into his life had only been a placeholder for the real thing.

For me, Ryan Sullivan is the biggest surprise hero in this series! After six books, I didn't expect Let Me Be the One to actually surprise me. I'd grown to know Ryan's character from previous books and I knew his type: playboy through-and-through. I was right, but I didn't count on the reason he was a playboy being because he'd given his heart away a long time ago.

It took me an astonishing half a chapter to give Ryan my heart; the fastest I've fallen for any Sullivan hero! It was about the time when teenage Vicki threw herself at teenage Ryan to save him from a runaway car and he threw her to the ground, covered her body with his, smiled down and her and said, "Hi, I'm Ryan." He thanked her for saving his life and vowed that one day, when she needed him most, he'd be there for her. Vicki didn't stand a chance of holding onto her heart and neither did I!

Ryan (the star athlete) and Vicki (the artistic military brat) began an unlikely friendship, but it was obvious they each felt much more for the other. That year in high school before her family moved away again was the best year of both their lives. After Vicki left, they remained in touch, but never were able to meet up again. Ryan did attend her college graduation though she never knew it because, when he saw her on the arm of an older man, Ryan left--heartbroken at losing his chance.

Present Day:
Fresh off a divorce from her controlling husband, Vicki is back in San Francisco creating sculptures. She's in the running for a fellowship and finds herself in an awkward situation with one of the judges. Without hesitation, Vicki contacts Ryan for his help. He leaves a family gathering immediately to go to her.

It's not hard to see the love and passion these two have for each other. The air practically crackles around them. Ryan knows--pretty much from the start--that he wants more from her than friendship. Vicki is scared to wish for more; afraid to lose the one person she's always been able to count on. Her mixed-signals makes it even harder for Ryan to decide whether or not to take a chance. Vicki's situation affords him the opportunity to be her pretend boyfriend and to keep her extra close. He hopes his performance will show Vicki just how much he's willing to make their pretend arrangement a for-real one!

I felt every emotion between them! Traversing the dangerous line between friends and lovers is never easy. What I loved was that Ryan and Vicki were so honest with each other (after the initial bump into intimacy). Ryan soothed Vicki's fears, romanced her, was supportive in a way Vicki had never experienced from anyone else. I can't tell you how much I swooned when Ryan turned on his thousand-watt charm. My Lord, and if that's not enough, he was an absolute GOD in the bedroom; he has a dominate streak that literally curled my toes!

Bella Andre has created a story that will stay in my heart forever. I think I say this with each Sullivan book I read: I don't know how the next book will be any better! After six books, I've wizened up to Andre's Sullivans and I'm fully prepared to fall in love with Smith Sullivan in Come a Little Bit Closer at the first word of Chapter One.

Likable heroine, sexy/geeky/wonderful hero, and a whole new group of Olivia Cunning's amazing rock stars to salivate over! I love immersing myself into the rock lifestyle Cunning writes. I wish there'd been an epilogue, so I hope we'll learn how Melanie & Gabe/Force are doing in the upcoming Sole Regret novellas.

*WARNING* This book contains a hero who likes to invent objects to drive the ladies crazy. You just might find yourself in need of a few objects of your own...and don't forget the batteries! ;-)

Try Me
Heroine: 3.5 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Plot/Originality: 3.5 stars
Voice: 4 stars
Steam Level (1/Low to 5/High): 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4 stars

The only way I can imagine someone liking this book was if they were looking for 50 pages of sex riddled with phrases like "weeping core", "weeping erection", and my personal favorite, "c*me your brains out". The dialogue didn't feel natural to me. Honestly, I put it down while one of them was "weeping" and almost didn't pick it back up! Only reason I did was because I wanted to know how many more positions they could do in the twenty-four hours, lol.

Because of this book's huge sexfest, I never cared much about either of the characters.

Scorecard
Heroine: 1 star
Hero: 1 star
Plot/Originality: 1.5 stars
Voice: 1 star
Steam Level (1/Low to 5/High): 3 stars; the dirty talk was so laughable that I can't rate this any higher.

Overall Score: 1.5 stars!

Good read with intriguing characters and a bit of family drama I hadn't seen in a romance novel before. Liam is my new book boyfriend. Yes, he was that wonderful. He quite possibly had the patience of a saint to deal with Talia's insecurities and shame. She has good reason for both considering her mother's mental health she's a hoarder. I really thought it was unfair of Talia to assume Liam couldn't deal. He and his family had been in her life for two years, and there really was no sign that would suggest he wasn't seriously a good (hot, yummy, control freak in the bedroom, there for you in a crisis) guy. That was my only problem with Let Me In. I loved how Liam finally told Talia he wanted her, but he wouldn't stand around and let her jerk his feelings around.

Not bad at all for a quickie read!

Scorecard
Heroine: 4 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Plot/Originality: 4 stars
Voice: 4½ stars
Steam Level (1/Low to 5/High): 4 stars

Overall Score: 4.3 stars!

Enjoyable, but it felt flat. I didn't like the heroine, Elle, at all. Her snobbish attitude ruined any chance I had of connecting with her. She'd been burned in the past by a bad boy, but unlike other heroines who have similar histories (ie. Tate in More Than Meets the Ink) I felt as if Elle never really redeemed herself.

Gabe. Oh, you handsome, tattooed, bad boy! He's the reason I kept reading until the end. He was just plain awesome. Read this book for him. He was worth any aggravating feelings I had for Elle.

Scorecard
Heroine: 2½
Hero: 4
Plot/Originality: 2
Voice: 2½
Steam Level (1/Low to 5/High): 4

Overall Score: 3 stars!

One of the funniest books I've read all year! A wonderful blend of sweet and steamy, this opposites attract romance will keep you turning the pages until their very last shenanigan!

Loved...
- The reaction Jason's family has when he first introduces them to Haley.
- Haley's Grandma
- Every little trick Jason/Haley play on each other.
- Jason sneaking into Haley's backseat.
- Haley's use for buttercream frosting.
- Jason's food obsession made me laugh more than once.
- The epilogue: cute, funny, and wonderful.

Hated...
- The completely asinine thing Jason does when his pride is wounded.
- Haley's over-the-top reaction to the asinine thing he does (even when he promptly apologizes for screwing up). She had a right to be hurt and angry, but I didn't like how it played out with her.


Heroine: 3 Stars
Hero: 4 Stars
Plot: 4 Stars
Originality: 4½ Stars
Steam Level (Scale 1/Low to 5/High): 3½ Stars

OVERALL: 3.8 Stars!