Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 4 1/2 ♥

Synopsis: In the shelter of her country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven—and into Derek Craven's dangerous world.

A handsome, tough and tenacious Cockney, he rose from, poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house—a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world—with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion. . .and the promise of love.

Review: Heartbreakingly awsome. It is clear why Derek Craven is such a fan fav. He was wonderful. I think I only liked Sara. She was so darn set on marrying that mamas boy for too much of the book, I wanted to smack her. I'm not so sure she was the ideal heroine for the part, but what do I know. I do have to say that Derek holds second place in my favorite Kleypas heroes. Nick Gentry (Worth Any Price) has already taken the top slot, and he is not willing to give up his spot.

The Game by Brenda Joyce

Rating: 5 ♥

Synopsis:

The Players:
Released from the sanctuary of a French convent, highborn, tempestuous Katherine FitzGerald sets sail for her beloved Ireland—only to find herself prisoner of the infamous pirate known to the Elizabethans as the Master of the Seas.

The Moves:
The pirate captain is Liam O'Neill, favored by Elizabeth the Queen. A hardened court player, he is determined to win the willful Katherine while advancing his own secret causes. But now he must risk everything he cherishes in order to triumph at a very treacherous game— through heartbreaking deception...and by breaking all the rules.

The Game:
has begun...

Review: Amazing. Utter fantastic-ness!! I was so fascinated by every aspect of this book -- Joyce really brings to vivid life the court intrigue, the thoughts and feelings of queen Elizabeth, and of course the two protagonists, Katherine and Liam are some of the best. I want a Liam! He was the stuff a woman's dreams are made of -- vivdily masculine, and delicious. This book blew me away and even if Joyce's other books were utter crap (which they are not, mostly), this book would still ensure I was a total rabid fan. This book is not to be missed. It is also not to be given away. This goes into The Box of Amazing Keepers.

Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 4 1/2 ♥

Synopsis: Kev Merripen has longed for the beautiful, well-bred Winnifred Hathaway ever since her family rescued him from the brink of death when he was just a boy. But this handsome Gypsy is a man of mysterious origins-and he fears that the darkness of his past could crush delicate, luminous Win. So Kev refuses to submit to temptation...and before long Win is torn from him by a devastating twist of fate.

Then, Win returns to England...only to find that Kev has hardened into a man who will deny love at all costs. Meantime, an attractive, seductive suitor has set his sights on Win. It's now or never for Kev to make his move. But first, he must confront a dangerous secret about his destiny-or risk losing the only woman he has lived for...

Review: I really enjoyed this book. I jumped right into it after Mine Till Midnight because I couldn't wait to read Win and Kev's story. While a very good book, it didn't grab onto me quite the same as MTM. It took me longer to finish it. I felt that it might have been best if Kleypas had distanced the couple from Amelia and Cam. Cam is so large as a character, I felt like Kev was falling into his shadow when the two were in scenes together. Even when they weren't, I still focused more on Cam. We learn more about these two mysterious Gypsys in this book and their conections to eachother. Facinating. And Leo, the loser brother, is in it as well, of course. He is less loser-ish, though I am still not a huge fan of his. I will be disgruntled if she gives him his own story. I will graciously allow him to have a side story in her future books, but please, I'd rather not read a whole book about him!

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: 5 ♥
Synopsis: When an unexpected inheritance elevates her family to the ranks of the aristocracy, Amelia Hathaway discovers that tending to her younger sisters and wayward brother was easy compared to navigating the intricacies of the ton. Even more challenging: the attraction she feels for the tall, dark, and dangerously handsome Cam Rohan.

Wealthy beyond most men's dreams, Cam has tired of society's petty restrictions and longs to return to his "uncivilized" Gypsy roots. When the delectable Amelia appeals to him for help, he intends to offer only friendship-but intentions are no match for the desire that blindsides them both. But can a man who spurns tradition be tempted into that most time-honored arrangement: marriage? Life in London society is about to get a whole lot hotter...

Review: Absolutely Fabulous. THIS is some of Kleypas' best work!! I was completely drawn in. Amelia is so genuine and real, a fantastic heroine. Cam is just total yumminess. Larger than life and so very manly! I enjoyed the set-up for the next book about Win and Kev as well. They broke my heart. The only character I was not a huge fan of was their brother Leo, who they start out the book looking for because he is an opium adicted loser. I get that she (Kleypas) must have uses for him since he survived the book, though I had my doubts that he would, the idiot oaf. I thought the mild ghost element was different. Not sure if I liked it or not... it kind of threw me a little. Over all, this was a throughly engaging, highly romantic, and enjoyable read. I hated to see it end.

The 38 Most common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) By Jack M. Bickham

One of my all time favorite authors had this book listed as recommended reading for aspiring writers, so I was delighted to find a copy at the library. For such a small book (just over 100 pages), I have found it to be extremely helpful and informative. Bickham's approach is very straightforward, concise, and no nonsense, which I actually really enjoyed. He covers a great deal of information in this book.

He talks about using exaggeration when creating characters to make them seem more real. It never occurred to me to do that, but I see his point. Some of my favorite and most memorable characters in books I have read have been extreme. He also warns against being a literary snob -- looking down on other genre's than your own, or thinking you are smarter than your reader. He states that it will come across and alienate your reader. He says to always keep the story moving, which seems very simple and obvious, but I can remember reading books that seemed to meander a little aimlessly with very little forward momentum, and I found them boring and frustrating to read. On a similar vein, he says that there should be a reason and a point for everything that happens in the story. That can also be frustrating for a reader who may become distracted by pointless details, trying to figure out how they fit, when the author never intended it to be an important detail.

That is just a small sample of the useful tips included in this book, and I look forward to going over it again, taking notes, and putting his tips into practice with my own writing.

Heart of midnight by Fiona Brand

Challenge: Readers Choice
Rating: 5

Synopsis: For Special Air Service agent Gray Lombard, the past seven years had been a nightmare. Not only had he been unable to nab his brothers killer, he's also lost Samantha Munro, the only woman he's ever loved. Seven years ago they had shared their dreams-- and the same bed. But when Gray's mission took over his life, and had walked away...

Now Sam was back. Her life was in danger, thanks to her involvement with Gray, and losing her was not something he wanted to relive. But could he protect her from a dangerous killer-- and safeguard his heart from the secret she had yet to reveal?

Review: Love. Love. Love. I soooooo love this author. This actually was not quite as good as "Blade's Lady" or "Cullen's Bride" (both will be stored with my favorites forever and ever until I die), but while it didn't sweep me away as dramatically as those other two, it still deserves no less than a 5 for me. Just fantastic writing, highly romantic, and another hero that makes me swoon. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it yet again, Fiona Brand is very similar to vintage Linda Howard. This is a keeeeeper!!!

Causing Havoc by Lori Foster

Challenge: Read a book with a sports theme/title
Rating: 4 1/2

B&N Overview: Orphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve-who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart. Now all Dean has to do is protect his sisters, win Eve over, and expose a devious criminal. And he thought winning the heavyweight belt was hard.

Review: This book was just plain fun. One thing I enjoy about this author is that she clearly does not take herself too seriously. I found it sexy, easy to read, funny, and her characters are very likable. My one and only gripe was one of the side character pair-ups. I could NOT stand the guy. Over all, I definitely recommend this book!! Perfect summer beach reading.