Sneak Peek at Gentleman Undone by Cecilia Grant

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Cecilia Grant's Gentleman Undone goes on sale May 29th. Here's the description:

Lydia Slaughter understands the games men play—both in and out of the bedroom. Not afraid to bend the rules to suit her needs, she fleeces Will Blackshear outright. The Waterloo hero had his own daring agenda for the gaming tables of London’s gentlemen’s clubs. But now he antes up for a wager of wits and desire with Lydia, the streetwise temptress who keeps him at arm’s length.

A kept woman in desperate straits, Lydia has a sharp mind and a head for numbers. She gambles on the sly, hoping to win enough to claim her independence. An alliance with Will at the tables may be a winning proposition for them both. But the arrangement involves dicey odds with rising stakes, sweetened with unspoken promise of fleshly delights. And any sleight of hand could find their hearts betting on something neither can afford to risk: love.

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My Top Ten Favorite Bookish Quotes In Books

Lately I've been seeing more bookish type quotes in books and they always make me smile. Here is a list of some of my favorites. Do you have any favorites?

10 - “We kissed each other, long and deep, while my legs opened like the covers of a book.”
― Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches


9 - “A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

8 - “I love books, by the way, way more than movies. Movies tell you what to think. A good book lets you choose a few thoughts for yourself. Movies show you the pink house. A good book tells you there's a pink house and lets you paint some of the finishing touches, maybe choose the roof style,park your own car out front. My imagination has always topped anything a movie could come up with. Case in point, those darned Harry Potter movies. That was so not what that part-Veela-chick, Fleur Delacour, looked like.”

― Karen Marie Moning, Darkfever

7 - “Stories never really end...even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page.”
― Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

6 - “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.”
― Cornelia Funke, Inkheart

5 - “One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

4 - “Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?" Mo had said..."As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar.”
― Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

3 - “People come, people go – they’ll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.”
― Nicholas Sparks, The Rescue

2 - His playful mouth traced the wing of her brow. "I find you thoroughly, deeply interesting. I want to open you like a book and read every page." A smile curved the corners of his lips as he added huskily, "Footnotes included.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Mine Till Midnight

1 - “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies," said Jojen. "The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance With Dragons

Once again, a big thank you to Goodreads for keeping such good track of my favorite quotes.

Release Day Review of Once Upon A List by Robin Gold

• Title: Once Upon a List: A Novel
• Classification: Adult Fiction 
• Genre: Contemporary Romance
• Format: Paperback, 336 pages
• Publisher: Avon Impulse (May 22, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0062193724
• ISBN-13: 978-0062193728
• Author's Website:  http://robingold.com/content/index.asp

Please Note: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book, therefore, there may be some discrepancies between what I quote and the final version. Assume any and all errors are mine because they probably are.

"In the blink of an eye, her entire universe had shattered, instantly becoming an inconceivable memory. BAM! In one second. Just like that...gone."

Nine days before her wedding, Clara received a phone call that no one would ever wish to receive. Her fiance, the love of her life, the man she'd planned to spend the rest of her life with had died in a tragic accident. The shock, pain, and grief of it all overwhelmed her. While she attempted to overcome it, eventually it took hold, and like Snow White after she'd bit into the poison apple, or Sleeping Beauty after she'd pricked her finger on a spinning wheel, Clara Black succumbed to a perpetual state of sleep. Some likened her to a zombie, one of the walking dead.

Then, one day, just like in the fairy tales, she awoke. She once again had a purpose and all it took was a single kiss. A kiss that she had written down once upon a list...

__________________

This was such a heart wrenching, yet cute story. It may have started out rather sad, but I loved watching Clara figuratively come back to life after such a tragic loss. Sometimes grief strikes so hard, it sends us tailspinning into a whirlpool of dark emotions that can suck us down and can be difficult to break free from. While life goes on, as Clara later realizes, "sometimes it's just too damn painful and difficult--if not impossible to recognize it."  

I loved the list that Clara created when she was nine and the significance it held. Clara had lost her father at an early age. At nine, she believed that 35, the age her father was when he died, was when life ended, or perhaps more specifically, when she thought hers would end too. So when asked to create a list of things she'd like to accomplish in her lifetime, she revised it, with the teachers permission, to be a list of things she wished to accomplish before she turned 35. The list along with other significant items from when she was nine, all went into a time capsule. Clara was 34 and had less than eight months to complete her list when she was reunited with it. Ironically, the list of things that were originally meant to be accomplish before she died became a list of things she needed to complete before she could figuratively come back to life. It was her virtual life line. Such a fun idea. I wish one of my teachers had done the same thing with my class. I wonder what I would have included on it?  

Leo, Clara's brother, was a fun character. With Ms. Gold emphasizing the fact he's one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors, I have a sneaking suspicion he'll be popping up in one of her later novels. I loved the strong bond the two siblings share, and how over the years he kind of took on the role of father figure for her. Always being the protective older brother. It made him quite endearing. 

Link, well, I wish we'd gotten to know him a little better. I didn't really connect with him, but I sort of figured he'd be the one Clara ended up with. I think my problem was that I wasn't 100 percent sure he and Clara would end up together because for the majority of the book he was in a relationship with someone else. I just wish we'd have had more time seeing the two as a couple. I definitely felt the two got along well, but I would have liked to have seen a little more of the dynamics of their romantic relationship. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a BLUSH rating--at the beginning stages of romance where something is just starting to be stirred.

Overall, I gave this one 3 1/2 out of 5 roses. A very sweet story that I felt did an excellent job depicting Clara's journey through the grieving process. Thankfully, we didn't see the full seven stages because an eight month period was skipped. I think Ms. Gold did an excellent job of showing us just the right amount so we could understand how tragic a loss it was for Clara, thereby, allowing us to empathize with her. The book contained a lot of cute and fun elements and a nice blend of drama and humor. 

Notes to keep you in the know:
The seven stages of grief are:
1) Shock & Denial
2) Pain & Guilt
3) Anger & Bargain
4) Depression, Reflection & Loneliness
5) The Upward Turn
6) Reconstruction & Working Through
7) Acceptance & Hope

The above list of stages was found at recover-from-grief.  To learn more, visit their website at: http://www.recover-from-grief.com/7-stages-of-grief.html

Silly Side note:

When I was little my mom told me whenever I was at a friends house I was to eat whatever their parents served. One of the most memorable meals was a grilled muenster cheese sandwich. That was one of the most horrible sandwiches I ever ate. My friend and her siblings wouldn't touch one of those darn sandwiches and I was the single eater of them. My mom, after hearing what had happened, actually renounced her previous rule and I never again had to abide by that rule or suffer through eating another grilled muenster cheese sandwich again. Why do I bring this up? I shuddered a bit at the mention of a grilled muenster and American cheese sandwich that Clara's brother, Leo made. I can't imagine adding American cheese could mask the taste of that (in my humble opinion) horrible cheese, but who knows??? One thing is for sure, I'll let someone else be the judge of that one. 

Pictures of Chicago:

Water Tower--I never thought about it when I lived in the Chicago area, but it does kind of resemble a gingerbread house:

Sue, Chicago's Field Museum's T-Rex:

Trip to Las Vegas:

Noah's Ark in the Wisconsin Dells:

Photos found on Photobucket.

Ride with Me: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance by Ruthie Knox (eBook only)

• Title: Ride with Me: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre:  Contemporary
• File Size: 1927 KB / Print Length: 207 pages
• Publisher: Loveswept (February 13, 2012)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• ASIN: B0061C1OQ0

Author's Website: http://www.ruthieknox.com/

It all started with an ad:

COMPANION WANTED. TransAmerica Trail. Will start in Astoria, OR, on June 1 and wrap up in Yorktown, VA by the end of August...

He was looking forward to a little solitude:

"I'm not going to ride with a partner. It's not a vacation for me if I have to talk to someone."

She just wanted someone to ride with:

'It was one thing to be a strong, independent woman on the streets of Portland and quite another to fall asleep alone in a tent in the middle of nowhere without worrying about ax murderers. She could do it--she 'had' done it--but she'd strongly prefer not to.'

Throw in a meddlesome sister...

"I found you somebody," his sister said. 
"What are you talking about?"
"For tomorrow. I found you somebody to ride across the country with."

and anything can happen.

 _________________

This was such a fun story. There were so many things I loved about it that I'm not even sure where to begin. First off, let me just say I bought this book and when I saw the Diamond Jubilee Celebration Hop honoring none other than Ms. Knox I decided to hold off on posting my review. Why the clarification? Well, I might quite possibly start squeeing like a teenager and don't want you to think my squeeing was in any way influenced by anyone other than Ruthie Knox and her characters. lol I have to confess of all the romance subgenres out there, contemporary is my least favorite. I'm not exactly sure why, but if you put a contemporary next to a historical or paranormal romance, contemporary will be my last choice. So that said, let the squeeing commence. *grin*

 I guess I'll start off talking about Lexie. She was such a fun character! She's independent, smart, and an extremely good sport although a tad bit stubborn. The fact that she's making a cross country trek on a bicycle makes me admire her. The fact she's cycling the same path her parents met and fell in love endears her to me. I've always wanted to visit the city my grandparents met in, Vienna, Austria. Hmmm...Maybe one day. Additionally, the way Lexie broke the ice between Tom and herself was smart and funny. I'll give you a hint. It involved:

That's right, hot sauce. lol The lovely display above was located at my local Firehouse Subs and immediately came to mind when I read the scene. Now, I'm not going to tell you what or how she did it. I'll leave that to your imagination to speculate about. I don't want to spoil it for you. 

Tom is a man of mystery at the beginning of the book. Something happened to him that made him retreat into himself and become a bit of a recluse. He even tells Lexie that at one point in his life he was considered charming. As the story progresses, we gradually find out what happened. What Lexie sees is a man somewhat broken with different layers to him. At one point she states, "It was like touring with half a dozen different people. Cheerful Tom. Angry Tom. Clever Tom. Sexy Tom. Bitter Tom. Silent Tom. Throw in Sneezy and Doc and she'd have the whole damn menagerie."  When they first start out she tolerates him, but doesn't exactly like him. Then as he slowly opens up and reveals the person who dwells deep inside him, she slowly starts to fall for him.

Neither set out to have more than just a passing attachment. On the surface they seem as different as day and night. I loved how this wasn't a smooth sailing romance like most are. It was a little more gritty, a little more raw with emotion and perhaps a little more truer to life. Their relationship works, however, because deep down each is what the other needs. She needs someone to teach her to be laid back and he needs someone to teach him to open up and love again. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a SHOWER rating- a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol

Overall, I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. It was a lovely mix of romance and humor with a touch of drama added in. Additionally, I adored how the story comes full circle, beginning with Tom's initial interpretation of a passage from Thoreau's book Walden and ending with his new understanding of that same verse. It reveals just how much he grew on that two month bike trek. The passage in question: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."  

Pictures of the more scenic views they might have seen:
The beginning - Beach at Seaside, Oregon

Togwotee Pass:

Breccia Cliffs:

Eureka, Kansas:

Photographs found on Photobucket.

Diamond Jubilee Celebration Hop

Hosted by Random House

Why a Diamond Jubilee Hop? For Random House's hero Nev, in ABOUT LAST NIGHT, by Ruthie Knox

First, a bit of trivia:
The Diamond Jubilee takes place in 2012, marking 60 years of The Queen’s reign. The Queen came to the throne on 6th February 1952 (her Coronation took place on 2nd June 1953).

Buckingham Palace is responsible for coordinating the events of the Diamond Jubilee central weekend (2nd–5th June 2012), as well as for organizing The Queen’s program in her Diamond Jubilee year.

Now, more about Nev, he feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire located in downtown London, England. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist struggling to break free. Albeit, his bohemian-self is trying to emerge, Nev is respectful of his roots and tradition & we want to help him celebrate his queen.

Enter below to win beginning 5/21 thru 5/31 – Romance at Random will be randomly giving away some of their jewels of romance, to celebrate the UK’s Diamond Jubilee including:

1 winner, 1 copy – Born To Darkness by Suzanne Brockmann

1 winner, 1 copy – The Proposal by Mary Balogh

1 winner, 1 copy – Darker After Midnight by Lara Adrian

3 winners, 1 copy of WITCHFUL THINKING by HP Mallory

10 winners, 1 copy of a PREVIEW from Net Galley of ABOUT LAST NIGHT by Ruthie Knox

10 winners, 1 copy of PREVIEW from Net Galley of DEEP AUTUMN HEAT by Elisabeth Barrett

That’s right, 26 winners in all! 

Enter the hop using the Rafflecopter below then visit all of the participating sites to increase your chances – winners will be randomly chosen and this is a big one . . . it could be you! US only for this one - Good luck! Winners will be posted on Romance at Random's website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Participating Blogs:

Early Review of Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #3) by Larissa Ione

• Title:  Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
• Format: Paperback, 464 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (May 22, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0446574503
• ISBN-13: 978-0446574501

Author's Website: http://larissaione.com/blog/
Please Note: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book, therefore, there may be some discrepancies between what I quote and the final version. Assume any and all errors are mine because they probably are.

The Prophecy: 
Behold! Innocence is Death's curse, his hunger his burden, a blade his Deliverance. The Doom Star cometh if the cry fails.

"We think that the baby may be the key to the end of the world...but he might also be the key to saving it, just like we were led to believe in the first place." There were some exchanged glances before Ky spoke, "We've put together everything we found regarding Thanatos and his role in ending the Apocalypse, including a mishmash of texts about a birth weakening Pestilence's heart." 

The four horseman of the apocalypse--Ares (War), Limos (Famine), Thanatos (Death), and Reseph (Pestilence), are a cursed lot. Born of a demon mother (succubus) and an angel father, they struggle with both halves of their nature. Each half struggling to take control, but once their four seals, which they wear around their necks, are broken their inner demons will be unleashed. Reseph is the only horseman to date whose seal has broken. Thantanos had hoped to find a way to restore his brother's seal, but now he may have to make the hardest decision of his life. For his soon to be born son is his agimortus--the trigger which can break his seal. If the prophecy holds true, then Thantos may have to choose between the life of his son or that of his brother's.

__________________

What a wonderful way to start off a book...."Regan Matthews was going to die. She knew it as sure as she knew the sky was blue. Knew it as sure as she knew the baby inside her was a boy. Knew it as sure as she knew the baby's father would be the one to end her life." Okay, that may not have come out quite right, what I mean to say is what a wonderful hook to start off the book with. Larissa immediately grabs our attention right from the first sentence and never lets go--we're hers, or rather, we're the horsemen's.;)

This was a full out action packed, rollercoaster of a ride type of a book that invokes plenty of questions and keeps you on your toes trying to figure out what happens next. I tried to see if I could predict where the story was going and what was coming, but failed miserably. *sigh* You gotta love it when that happens.

Lethal Rider starts up approximately 8 months from where Immortal Rider left off. Thanatos has been incapacitated since then by both the Aegis warriors and his siblings. When he awakes and escapes he has only one thing on his mind--reeking vengeance on Regan for what she did. When he finds out he's about to be a daddy and no one was going to tell him, well, let's just say Hell hath no fury like a Horseman whose been played.

Why do I love Thanatos? Well, I think its because he's such a conflict unto himself. One moment he's a fierce warrior and the next he can be so vulnerable. He can be full of rage when he battles and can be gentle as a kitten when he's with Regan. There are so many facets to him that it can make a girl dizzy. If you cut away the roughness, you see the beauty that he, the man, possesses. After all he's been through, after all his years of torment, deep down he's just a guy whose dream of settling down and having a family could never be realized because of the demon he knows lurks within and, of course, because it was thought his virginity was his agimortus.

Regan is an equally fun character. She's a no nonsense type of gal whose pregnancy is taking it's toll on her and, perhaps, making her a little more in touch with her emotions than normal. She's torn between wanting the baby and feeling she just doesn't have what it takes to protect or raise her child. She also has feelings of guilt for her role in the deceptions which resulted in her carrying Thanatos' child. While she and Thonotas were both drugged and manipulated, she knew what she was getting into. Additionally, Regan's pregnancy has made her more vulnerable because her soul manipulating abilities have been compromised.

Some (not all) of my favorite lines, scenes, quotes, etc:

- "Who's the father?"...
  "Listen to me--"
  "Who?"
  She inhaled a shaky breath. "I'd feel better if Kynan was here--"
  "Kynan?" Thanatos let out a godawful snarl, and she swore she saw the flash of fangs. "The Aegi is the father? He dared to touch you?"
  Dared? "No--" she blurted, but Than wasn't listening.
  "Kynan is a dead man." 

- The baby had clearly turned her brain to mush, and she'd become a classic horror movie dipsh*t who got killed in the first five minutes of the film. Awesome.

- "Are you okay? Is it the baby?"
  She blinked in surprise. "It was just a kick. Ponyboy boy is really active."
  "Ponyboy?"
  Again her cheeks colored, but this time with a soft feminine blush. "Well, you're a Horseman...the father...so...Ponyboy."

The relationship between Regan and Than was fun to watch. Than's possessiveness of her put a grin on my face, and the magnetism between the two was intense. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scores a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

The world Ms. Ione has created is extraordinary and brilliant. I love the concept of the Daemonica, a demon version of a bible and all that it entails. Overall this one gets 5 out of 5 roses. Just a wonderful story that knocked my socks off and left me wanting for more. Thank goodness this ISN'T the last book of the series or I'd be beside myself. If you've been on the fence about reading this series, get off and start reading! lol It's soooooo good! *sigh*

Just for fun:
Are you as big a fan as I am of the Lords of Deliverance series? Then check out this quiz over at Forever Romance entitled, 'Who's Your Perfect Mate (for the end of the world)?':
http://www.forever-romance.com/2012/05/18/who-should-you-spend-the-end-of-the-world-with-the-larissa-ione-lords-of-deliverance-quiz/

Silly Little Side Note/Review Revision:
I originally included the following in my review:
Why is this book called Lethal Rider? Well, Thanatos' armor is made up of, or haunted by, if you will, the souls of those he's killed. When released by Thantos, they become "deadly, horrific weapons." Each of those souls is known as a 'Lethal Rider' as can be seen when Thanatos refers to someone (and I won't mention who it is so as not to spoil it for you) becoming "Lethal Rider 397." 
Well, it turns out there was a teeny tiny error in the eBook ARC I read. A page header and page number, the only page number included upon reexamining, found its way into the middle of a sentence making it appear that someone was referred to as Lethal Rider 397. Upon finding the error, I quickly removed it from the main review portion, but it just goes to show you why you should always check your quotes against the final copy. This mishap had me one part horrified that I didn't somehow recognize the error and one part laughing myself silly because it actually sounded like it fit. So to clarify, the souls on Thanatos's armor are not called Lethal Riders. I believe that title goes to Thanatos and Thanatos alone. :)

Order of Series:

Guide to the world of the Lords of Deliverance Series:


Order of Related Series - Demonica:

Sneak Peek of HOME FOR THE SUMMER by Mariah Stewart

Mariah Stewart continues her Chesapeake Diaries small town stories with HOME FOR THE SUMMER – a delightful romance with a twist of suspense, on sale May 29th:

Description:
Some of Lucy Sinclair’s best days were those spent growing up in small town St. Dennis—working at the family inn and enjoying summers filled with swimming, sailing, tennis, and the company of Clay Madison, her best friend. But Lucy’s darkest day, the one that shattered her innocence with violence and fear, also happened in St. Dennis. And the town she once loved became the place she gladly left behind—along with the terrible secret she’s kept for twenty years.

While Lucy headed off for college and a career, Clay remained—more than satisfied with the life St. Dennis had to offer. But now, even after inheriting his family’s thriving farm and starting up an organic brewery, he can’t help feeling that something’s missing. And when Lucy comes back to town to plan a celebrity wedding at the Sinclair family inn, she and Clay reconnect, and find themselves reevaluating their long-sleeping friendship that could blossom into something deeper. Like a bookend to those distant childhood days, this summer will be Lucy’s chance to finally confront her hidden pain, make peace with the past, and plan her own whole new future.


Click on the following to enlarge and for a better view: