Lusting for Covers (9)

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

Here's what you do:

1- Take the graphic (left) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the comment section on my post (when in doubt, use this link and then scroll down to find the post), and allow others to come and see what you picked!

(OPTIONAL):

4- Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required.


NOTE: PLEASE link back to my blog (http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post, letting viewers know that it is my meme, not something you are trying to call your own. Failing to do so, with the intent of actually calling this your own work, will result in trouble! I hate threatening, but really, is it so hard to post a link that says "This meme is hosted by TBQ."? Link love is great, and actually quite easy-- please use it!

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Here's my candidate for the week:

Title: Highland Surrender

Author: Dawn Halliday

Publisher/Publication Date: NAL Trade (April 6, 2010)
Summary:

From the author of "wickedly erotic romance" (Monica McCarty) comes the tale of a Highland lass and an earl with dark desires.
 Determined to put his roguish past behind him, the Earl of Camdonn arranges to marry the proper Lady Elizabeth. But when an accident lands the Earl in the expert hands of a beautiful Highland medicine woman, all well-laid plans are thrown to the wind- and, just as in the old days, his passions run high...



Ceana MacNab has terrible luck with men. Resigning herself to the healing arts, she has steeled her heart against love. Then fate sends Cam her way. Even though he's a well-bred Earl-and Ceana a low-born Highlander-their all-consuming passion may lead the way to lasting bliss.

Why?

The cover is simply yummy- as many of you agree, if it's got a "nekid" man on it, the cover=lust worthy! I have to agree. Plus, it's a "Highlander", which makes the man even better. Also, I love the use of cool blues.
Now, moving past the  cover--- I simply cannot wait for this book to arrive! I absolutely adored Dawn's first book, which I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of last year, and I've been anxious to read about Cam's story, after falling for him in the book. This one is a definite must buy for me, and I'm counting down the days!

What Did I Receive?

As you know, "What Did I Receive" is much like the popular "In My Mailbox". On Fridays, I try to post any and all books I may have received in the past week, unless I haven't had any deliveries.

Unfortunately, the junk mail and bills seem to overflow my mailbox more often than books.... In a book lover's world, the roles would be reversed, of course! :D

I know, I know-- I'm a few days late on this post! I hope to be back to my normal blog schedules in the next month or so, but I can't make any promises, not yet at least. Still very busy with college, my personal life, and work, so, sadly, the blog and reading (for pleasure, that is) have fallen a distant 4th and 5th.

Thank you, everyone, for being patient and all the kind words of encouragement-- I appreciate them!

Here's what I got last week:

For Review:

• 
  
  A Good Confession by Bridget Whelan (E-book,Thanks to Bridget!)

Bought*:

• Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole (Yummy-- can't wait to read!)
• A Highlander's Homecoming by Melissa Mayhue (Highlanders, time travel.. need I say more?
• A Highlander's Destiny by Melissa Mayhue (Ditto!)

Misc.

• A black polka dotted tote bag (Thanks to Harlequin Teen, a "valentines day" present for reviewing a book for them)

*Yes, I know, I broke down-- again. But, but.... new books are like comfort food when life isn't fair! LOL. That's my excuse and I'm stickin to it!

~~~~


I have my review for Unknown by Rachel Caine done and submitted, but I'll have to wait a few days before posting it on here, since it was a book I received from Night Owl Romance. :) I also hope to have another review up before the end of the week, but, again, I can't make any promises with my current work load. I'll try my best though! :D


Ooh, and I think I'll be expecting a few more books for review within the next few weeks, thanks to NOR-- one is a-not-yet-released historical romance that I am dying to read (any guesses? I'll give you a hint-- the author is well known, and has been writing for quite a few years....), the other has been released already, but I'm still looking forward to reading it.


If I don't post again before Sunday (LUSTING FOR COVERS, week 9!), I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I'll see you as soon as possible!






Enjoy!




Until Next Time,

Lusting for Covers (8)

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

Here's what you do:

1- Take the graphic (left) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the comment section on my post (when in doubt, use this link and then scroll down to find the post), and allow others to come and see what you picked!

(OPTIONAL):

4- Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required.


NOTE: PLEASE link back to my blog (http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post, letting viewers know that it is my meme, not something you are trying to call your own. Failing to do so, with the intent of actually calling this your own work, will result in trouble! I hate threatening, but really, is it so hard to post a link that says "This meme is hosted by TBQ."? Link love is great, and actually quite easy-- please use it!

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Here's my candidate for the week:

Title: Hunting Season

Author: Shelley Laurenston

Publisher/Publication Date: Samhain Publishing (August 3, 2010)
Summary:

Stubborn, lethal, and from Jersey…what more could a Viking warrior want from his woman?

The Gathering, Book 1
Neecy Lawrence, winged warrior for a Viking goddess and second-in-command of the fierce Crows, doesn’t know what to do with a nice guy. As it is, making up for a past she’d sooner forget leaves her barely polite most days. But Raven leader and loyal Odin warrior, Will Yager, isn’t just nice. He’s gorgeous, hot, and a distraction she simply can’t afford.
 Yager has wanted Neecy in his life—and in his bed—for a long time. Not just for a night, but forever. And, like any self-respecting Viking, he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. So what if she’s the most difficult, complex, never-gives-him-a-break woman he’s ever known? She’s more than worth the effort. In fact, she’s worth everything.
 And if it turns out that twenty-four hours of non-stop, any-way-she-wants-it sex doesn’t work with Neecy? Then it looks like he’ll just have to get a little more creative...

 Warning: Contains a strong, intelligent, ass-kicking heroine; an alpha hero with the occasional geeky tendency; gritty, realistic violence; and sex so hot that, well, let’s just say there’s not enough ice water in the world…

Why?

One thing's for sure--  I'd go "Hunting"  for that guy! Damn-- great abs, a hint of what lies beneath his jeans...

Besides that, the summary sounds very interesting-- and I love when these publishing companies give funny "warnings" on the back cover like the one above. Alpha hero, and scorching hot sex-- who wouldn't pick up the book?!

(Belated) B&N Haul....

I've been buried under a ton of textbooks and research papers lately, hence my MIA.

But as much as I hate putting my blog on hold like that, what's worse is putting my reading on hold as well. I have not finished ONE book this past week plus--- I've been reading, sure, but not from novels. Nope, the only pages I've read lately have been out of textbooks and books for my research papers. Hence the lack of reviews (though I do have one prepared, and I'll have it up later this week, I think.)

On to the real post...

Despite my hectic life right now, I did manage to drive over to Barnes and Nobles a week ago and look around. Amazingly, it was the first time I had been in there since... Wow, Christmas shopping, I think? I've been a good little girl lately, and I'm trying to get my TBR mountain down before I buy more. Sure, I slip up everyone now and then, but I'm improving! :D

Anyway, although I went in to the store to find a few books for class (I'm researching Celtic mythology for my English class), I *somehow* came out with a few extras... Don't judge! You would have done the same, admit it! And if you say "No I wouldn't!", then what are you doing on my blog? ;-)


Here is what I bought:

• 
  
  Celtic Myths and Legends by T.W. Rolleston (pictured left-- I don't like the cover on Amazon, in the widget I provided at the bottom of the post, so I wanted to show you my pretty cover instead!)
• 
  
  Celtic Myth and Legend by Charles Squire (my cover is also better looking than the Amazon one, but I was too lazy to find it and add it to the post..)
• 
  
  Troy by Adèle Geras
• 
  
  Ithaka by Adèle Geras
• 
  
  The Mammoth Book of Irish Romances by Various Authors
• 
  
  Food Network Magazine (this month)
• 
  
  Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine (this month)

Of course, I couldn't resist the pretty green, lush cover for the Mammoth Book of Irish Romances, so into the cart that went.

Then I was in the YA section, briefly, and saw the two books by Adèle Geras, and, well, they are suppose to be based on the Greek Myths, so maybe I might need them for "research". (Yes, I'm doing my paper on Celtic mythology. Your point..?)

And I couldn't resist the two magazines--I need recipes to keep my energy up while slaving away at my course work, and what would I do without my monthly RT magazine that helps me increase my towering wish list?



As if that wasn't bad enough, this past Saturday, while in the local Dollar Store picking up last minute Valentine's Day cards for my family (FYI-- never show up at the store the day before said holiday, because NOTHING is left on the shelves), I happened to stop by their small shelf of books.

Don't worry, they didn't have the box o' paperback books like they did earlier this summer (see famous "Oops... Yep, I Did it Yet Again!" post here for details!)

After moving all the boring non-fiction books to the side, I found a paperback book that looked interesting-- and familar. I picked it up, and it was a romance anthology! Yeah! Well, I couldn't very well leave it there, to a lonely existance in the store on the day before Valentine's day! So into my arms it went. The book was Bad Boys Next Exit by Shannon McKenna, Donna Kauffman,  and E.C. Sheedy! I can't wait to read this one, it sounds so... yummy. Dangerous boys and lots of kinky sex? I'm in! :D



Here's a widget of all the items I bought with links to Amazon.com, in case you want to know more about any of them. :D

And if you decide to buy any of those said items, using the links embedded in the widget, I do receive a very small percent from your order, since I'm part of the Amazon Associates. Any money I might make (almost a year, and so far I've yet to receive any) will go towards buying books for future giveaways on my blog, not for personal gain.

Lusting for Covers (7)

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

Here's what you do:

1- Take the graphic (left) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the comment section on my post (when in doubt, use this link and then scroll down to find the post), and allow others to come and see what you picked!

(OPTIONAL):

4- Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required.


NOTE: PLEASE link back to my blog (http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post, letting viewers know that it is my meme, not something you are trying to call your own. Failing to do so, with the intent of actually calling this your own work, will result in trouble! I hate threatening, but really, is it so hard to post a link that says "This meme is hosted by TBQ."? Link love is great, and actually quite easy-- please use it!

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Here's my candidate for the week:

Title: Demon from the Dark

Author: Kresley Cole

Publisher/Publication Date: Pocket (August 31, 2010)

Summary:
Unavailable at this time. :(

Why?

..... *Thunk*....
Sorry, trying to drag my hungry gaze away from the chiseled abs and sexy tattoo  (which leads your gaze right to his low riding pants....) Really, need I say much more than that?
Two weeks in a row now, my picks have been books that have no current summary for them, but are from authors I love and have covers I simply lust after! Who wouldn't want to have that on their bookshelf?
Or in their bed... 

See You Next Week!

This will be probably one of the few (if any) posts that I put up this week.

I'm completely swamped by all my classes right now, and unfortunately that means that my blogging, and reading as well, will have to suffer until I climb back up out of the textbooks. :-(

I hate having to take so many breaks from blogging, but right now, I have no other choice-- with about 10 different assignments/tests/projects due this week (not even joking!), and since I've got none of them completely prepared yet (bad Danielle, I know!), I need every minute I can get, including those that I usually set aside for personal time, such as the blog.

I will be back as soon as I can, with more reviews and such, but until then, I'm afraid it's "Good Bye".

Hope to see you next week!

Enjoy!




Until Next Time,

Lusting for Covers (6)

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers.

Here's what you do:

1- Take the graphic (left) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the comment section on my post (when in doubt, use this link and then scroll down to find the post), and allow others to come and see what you picked!

(OPTIONAL):

4- Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required.


NOTE: PLEASE link back to my blog (http://tbqspersonalbookpalace.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post, letting viewers know that it is my meme, not something you are trying to call your own. Failing to do so, with the intent of actually calling this your own work, will result in trouble! I hate threatening, but really, is it so hard to post a link that says "This meme is hosted by TBQ."? Link love is great, and actually quite easy-- please use it!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Here's my candidate for the week:

Title: The Darkest Passion

Author: Gena Showalter

Publisher/Publication Date: HQN Books (May 25, 2010)

Summary:
Unavailable at this time. :(

Why?

I'm sure this will come as no surprise-- after the cover was revealed earlier this week, I started drooling, and within minutes the cover for L4C was chosen. 
First of all, it's Showalter's newest LOTU book-- what's not to love? Second, it's got a hot guy on the cover. Really, must I say more? I love the tat, and the view of the guy... The colors are nice, too. I'm anxious to get my hands on this one!

Books Read in January

One month down, eleven more to go... Wow. Where is the time going? 2010 seems to be slipping by for me!

Book Total: 17

Pages: 5,273

Reviews: 8

Well, I didn't read as many as I would have liked during January, but considering my college courses and all the other daily stress I have to deal with, I'm still proud of what I did read! :D


In fact, I'm even more proud of the fact that I wrote a review for... *Drum Roll*.... 8 BOOKS! That means I wrote a review for, on average, every other book I read this past month!

My goal is to review even more books during the month of February---- say, 12 to start. I'll let you know how that goes...


Here's the complete list of what I read, with links to those that I reviewed:


1. Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley (4 stars)
2. For the Love of a Pirate by Edith Layton (2 stars)
3. The Amethyst Amulets by Cillian Burns (3 stars)
4. A Dangerous Love by Brenda Joyce (5 stars)
5. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (4.5 stars)
6. Heart of Fire by Kat Martin (4.5 stars)
7. Half Blood by Liberty Stafford (3 stars)
8. Full Blood by Liberty Stafford (3 stars)
9. Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (2 stars)
10. What Price Love? by Stephanie Laurens (3.5 stars)
11. Like Mayflies in a Stream by Shauna Roberts (4 stars)
12. Powers by John B. Olson (3 stars)
13. My Wicked Pirate by Rona Sharon (3.5 stars)
14. The Returners by Gemma Malley (4.5 stars)
15. The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares (4 stars)
16. The Blood of the Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani (3 stars)
17. Winter of the Beast by Vonna Harper (4.5 stars)



Of course, anything above 4 stars is a very good read, with 4.5 and 5 stars being top notch. But my favorite books from January were... The Dark Divine, A Dangerous Love, and Winter of the Beast!

~~~~~

What about you-- how many books did you read during the first month of 2010? Better yet, which ones did you love the most? Did you meet your goals, whatever they were? I'd love to know, so please leave a comment and tell me! :D

~~~~


Enjoy!






Until Next Time,

[NOR Review]: "Winter of the Beast"

Title: Winter of the Beast
Author: Vonna Harper
Publisher/Publication Date: Ellora's Cave (Jan 8th, 2010)
Available In: E-Book only
Summary (NOR):
Dio of the Puma clan is a skilled warrior and hunter. What he doesn’t feel prepared for is his new role as ruler of a clan with few women. Does he have the necessary leadership and compassion or will his need for sex dominate? Only the massive, mysterious Beast knows.
When her cruel husband casts her out, Tawia can no longer call herself a Falcon. Her future a frightening unknown, she heads into the wilderness as winter approaches. The Beast watches.
Captured by the enemy warrior, Tawia fights her body’s demands. Trust is as incomprehensible to her as the relationship between Dio and the great puma. But neither man nor beast are willing to set her free.

Places to order Winter of the Beast at:
Ellora's Cave

Amazon's Kindle

My Review:
Much like Vonna Harper's previous novel, Winter of the Beast is a very sexy, and entertaining, fantasy erotica, one that you won't want to miss!


Harper easily blends together a great plot line with the perfect balance of romance and scorching love scenes-- a talent that not every author has. After reading two of her novels, I've already added her to my own auto-buy list, and I'm sure you will as well!

Not many weeks ago, I received and reviewed her first novel in this paranormal series, Beast Master, which I enjoyed a lot. When I saw that she planned on doing more novels set in that world, I was extremely excited-- and that excitement only tripled with I saw the opportunity to read the newest novel, Winter of the Beast! After devouring the book in only a few hours (which, considering it's an e-book, is fairly impressive, seeing as how I dislike staring at the computer screen for long periods of time!), I was still impressed by the novel I had just read. Saying that I highly recommend both of these novels is a bit of an understatement, but so very true!

Don't let the fact that it's a novella put you off-- I promise, Harper does a wonderful job at leaving the reader satisfied, even with only 90 or so pages in which to do so. Would I have liked more? Well, of course! But they weren't necessarily needed, and therefore didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book.

The connection between Tawia and Dio was believable, since it wasn't all about the sex (at least not at first). They both helped each other to develop, as they each needed to overcome a part of their past, and learned from each other. And, of course, the sexual connection between the two was enough to scorch the very pages the words were written on.



4.5 STARS! Over all, a very well written story, quick, smoldering and yet still romantic, too. I look forward to many future books from this talented author, especially ones that revolve around this fantasy series! Keep your eyes out for this one-- I assure you, if you like sexy alpha male types, along with a good erotic romance to go with it, then this is the book for you!



~~~
Thanks to Night Owl Romance, where I received this e-book for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
~~~




Enjoy!



Until Next Time,