Author Archives: Kristin

Review: The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

The Calling
(The Darkest Rising, #2)
By: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: April 10, 2012
Genre: YA
Rating:
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Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is -a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

 

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Review: Game Plan by Karla Doyle

Game Plan
By: Karla Doyle
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Published: Feb. 15, 2012
Genre : Erotica
Rating:
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Recently divorced from seventeen years with a snooty, uptight, controlling man, forty-year-old Andie is definitely ready for some casual, sexy fun when a hot younger man “accidentally” hits her with a baseball. Mason’s interest is clear and he looks like a lot more fun than her overworked vibrator collection, so she goes for it, despite the obvious age gap. The young veterinarian is as easy to be with as he is on the eyes, making him an ideal summer diversion and the perfect man to help her make up for lost time and missed orgasms.

Mason had to meet the sexy woman at the ball diamond. The chemistry between them is instant and completely addictive. Andie is more than beautiful, she’s uninhibited and independent—totally unlike the needy twenty-somethings he’s been dating since his ex-fiancée deceived him five years ago. And yeah, Andie is ten years older than him, big deal. The more they’re together, the more his heart wants her as badly as his cock. Too bad Andie isn’t playing for keeps.

 

1thoughts 
When I read the synopsis I automatically think novella. For some reason, I just didn’t see how the book could have that much interesting story to it… but I was wrong. I was entertained the entire time, flipping as fast as I could to try and finish the book before bed.

Andie has been divorced for 2 years and is looking to get back into the dating world. She isn’t looking for anything too serious since she just came out of a marriage from hell but she is looking to have a little fun. What she isn’t expecting is to find a young man who is as interested in her as she is in him. However, when they start seeing each other more and more, she starts to become incredibly self conscious of her age. Mason refuses to tell her his age, saying that it doesn’t matter but she can’t help to think how odd of a pair they make.

Mason was a fun character to read. When he sets his mind to something, he gets it. Like meeting Andie for instance. When he is warming up for a baseball game he notices her cheering for a team on one of the other diamonds. So what does he do? He tosses a ball at her which was supposed to only roll up to her, not whack her in the ankle. Even though his move wasn’t smooth, he got what he wanted, a date with Andie.

I liked the connection between these two characters and the way the author wrote them. At no point did I feel like things were rushed. I thought it was perfectly normal for a woman to question a relationship with a younger man. After all she was married and had a kid when he was in high school. However, I did agree with Mason, that even though there was a decent age gap, they were old enough that it wasn’t creepy. Now if she were 60 and he 25… then I’d be a little creeped out. The only thing I wasn’t on board with was the ending. I felt like the obsessive controlling ex-husband gave up way too easily. He had been holding out hope that Andie would come back for 2 years… 2 years! He called her his wife when addressing Mason but he all of a sudden see’s how wrong he was and apologizes for his ways and backs off. I just felt like maybe the author started to run out of time in her story and quickly threw that in at the end. Especially considering all the fuss he created over Andie. Regardless of that little bit, I really enjoyed this story. If you are looking a good smutty book with a good story to boot, than you’ve got to pick up Game Plan. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

 

1favepart
“Do you think your friends and family will judge me because of my age?”
“It’s not the same Mason.”
“Sure it is. They might think I’m taking advantage of you… given you’re so old and feeble.” 

 

Sunday Wrap-Up #8

Sunday Wrap-Up is all about sharing the books and book related items that I’ve picked up recently. I also recap what went on last week and let you in on what’s coming up. I link up my post to Sunday Post, Bought, Borrowed & Bagged and Stacking the Shelves. I will post Sunday Wrap-up every other week.

 

I had bags made! My mom works at a printing company back home in Syracuse called Papa’s Sports and I decided to take the leap and get some cool stuff made. I actually received the bags a couple of weeks ago but because I decided to give one to Marissa as a surprise Christmas gift, I had to wait until she had hers before I posted them on here.

I absolutely love them!

 

Last week on the blog:
Ask Her at Christmas by Christi Barth (Review)
The Laird’s Choice by Amanda Scott (Review)
25 Days of Authors with Nikki Duncan (Interview & Giveaway)
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong (Review)
Between by Cyndi Tefft (Review)
Proximity by M.A. George (Excerpt)

Next week on the blog:
Game Plan by Karla Doyle (Review)
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong (Review)
A Cinderella Christmas Carol by Hope Tarr (Guest Post)
Die Run Hide by P.M. Kavanaugh (Review)

 

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Excerpt: Proximity by M.A. George

Proximity
(Proximity, #1)
By: M.A. George
Publisher: Self-published
Published: Sept. 23, 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance

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Dr. Palta Capal would be a typical American career woman…if only she were human.

She has found her calling in this world as a physician. It’s an ideal outlet for her compassionate spirit…and unearthly healing powers.

Palta may spend her nights rereading Jane Austen novels, but she deliberately avoids pursuing her own love story. Human men—attractive as they may be—inevitably grow old and wither, leaving her to grieve in solitude. Frankly, no one has seemed worth the torment.

Enter Eric Moran, the intensely attractive and enigmatic new coworker on the scene. With his quiet confidence and warm smile, he manages to draw Palta’s attention. Little does she know that he, too, holds a secret…one that will propel them both into an escalating collision of two worlds.

 

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Review: Between by Cyndi Tefft

Between
(Between, #1)
By: Cyndi Tefft
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: April 21, 2011
Genre: YA
Rating:
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It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water’s life isn’t alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven’s siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.

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Review: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

 

The Reckoning
(Darkest Powers Trilogy, #3)
By: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Orbit
Published: April 6, 2010
Genre: YA
Rating:
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Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally gifted (or should that be ‘cursed’?) friends are now running for their lives from the evil corporation that created them.

As if that’s not enough, Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible feeling she’s leaning towards the werewolf…

Definitely not normal.

 

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25 Authors of Christmas with Nikki Duncan

The days are ticking down until Santa decides… were you naughty or nice this year? Author Nikki Duncan has stopped by today to answer some fun holiday questions. She’s also offering one lucky reader the chance to walk away with an e-copy of their choosing from her backlist.

Heart stopping puppy chases, childhood melodrama and the aborted hangings of innocent toys are all in a day’s work for Nikki Duncan. This athletic equestrian turned reluctant homemaker turned daring author, is drawn to the siren song of a fresh storyline.

Nikki plots murder and mayhem over breakfast, scandalous exposes at lunch and the sensual turn of phrase after dinner. Nevertheless, it is the pleasurable excitement and anticipation of unraveling her character’s motivation that drives her to write long past the witching hour.

The only anxiety and apprehension haunting this author comes from pondering the mysterious outcome of her latest twist.

Nikki’s latest release Her Miracle Man came out Nov. 2012

 

 

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Review: The Laird’s Choice by Amanda Scott

The Laird’s Choice
(Lairds of the Loche, #1)
By: Amanda Scott
Publisher: Forever
Published: Dec. 18, 2012
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating:
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DUTY BOUND

Lady Andrena MacFarlan has been different since the day she was born. Possessing the power to sense others’ most intimate desires, she knows her duty is to marry the man who will take the MacFarlan name as his own and help her father regain the chiefdom of their clan. But her unique gifts don’t prepare her for the day when a mighty warrior suddenly enters her life. The attraction between them is undeniable — and insatiable.

DESIRE UNLEASHED

Hunted by brutal enemies, the wounded Magnus Galbraith washes up on MacFarlan land where he is rescued by a laird’s lovely daughter. Andrena is like no one Magnus has ever known. She has the uncanny ability to both calm and enflame him in ways he never dreamed possible. But she has other unknown-and dangerous-powers. Now, as Magnus seeks to avenge a brother and protect a king, the young beauty could prove his greatest ally-or his ultimate undoing .

 

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Review: Ask Her At Christmas by Christi Barth

 

Ask Her At Christmas
By: Christi Barth
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: Dec. 3, 2012
Genre: Romance
Rating:
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Caitlin McIntyre’s heart stops when her best friend drops to one knee and proposes. Kyle Lockhart never once hinted over the years that he has any idea she’s in love with him. Not wanting to jeopardize their friendship, she’s never let it slip. Good thing, too, since it turns out he’s only practicing—he’s about to propose to someone else.

A business merger might not be the most romantic reason to propose to a woman he barely knows, but Kyle’s determined to win the respect of the dying father who’s never seen him as quite good enough. Kyle’s always depended on Caitlin’s friendship, while trying to ignore the physical response she arouses. So he turns to her when it comes time to craft his proposal, not realizing his decision will affect their relationship, forever.

This Christmas, Kyle and Caitlin get one last chance to admit their feelings for each other, and find a mutual happily ever after, before he commits his life to another woman and Caitlin leaves town and him…for good.

 

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Review: Soup of the Day by Kate McMillan

Soup of the Day 
(Williams-Sonoma): 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year
By: Kate McMillan
Publisher: Weldon Owen
Published: Jan 31, 2012
Genre: Cookbook
Rating:
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A colorful, calendar-style cookbook, Soup presents 365 recipes—and daily culinary inspiration— for soups and stews to match any season, occasion, or mood. Lavish photographs and a colorful graphic design add visual appeal to these fresh and fabulous recipes celebrating a favorite dish.ENDLESSLY VERSATILE, soup is perfect for any season and every occasion. What better way to capture the essence of spring than by simmering freshly shelled peas and fava beans in a fragrant broth accented by bracing mint and refreshing lemon zest? In summer, a cool gazpacho made by whirling perfectly ripe tomatoes, juicy cucumbers, and vibrant red peppers is fitting for a hot and humid day—no pot necessary! When the air turns brisk, soup nourishes and satisfies like no other dish. In autumn, white beans mingle with sturdy greens in satisfying, peasant-style pots, and starchy squashes and root vegetables blend into silky purées. Winter brings even more soul-warming fare, such as chilis and stews featuring sausages and other hearty meats and thick vegetable soups scented with woodsy herbs.

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