Readers Pick The Best of 2006

Our readers picks for Best of The Best 2006

Our readers have spoken, and they should be heard. As you all know, we held our last contest of 2006 recently. The contest was quite simple, really. We told you our Top Three Picks of 2006, and we asked you to tell us yours. Many of you were kind enough to respond, and we've compiled a list, based on what YOU liked best this past year. Without further ado, we present YOUR picks for the Best of the Best of 2006. This list is in no particular order, it's just a complilation of your choices. We've deleted your comments, for the sake of space and time. However, if you're interested to know about a particular title on the list, zap us an e-mail and we'll be happy to share what other readers had to say. No, we won't tell you who picked what, but here you go...

The Marriage Spell by Mary Jo Putney
Intuition by Allegra Goodman
All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Single in Suburbia by Wendy Wax
Email to the Front by Alesia Holiday*** (2003)
Welcome to Temptation by Jenny Crusie***
Faking It by Jenny Crusie***
Confessions of a Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser
Total Waste of Make-Up by Kim Gruenenfelder
She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel
Heat by Bill Buford
The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Witness by Dee Henderson
Beach Road by James Patterson
Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn
The Comeback Kiss** by Lani Diane Rich (chosen twice)
Hex and the Single Girl by Valerie Frankel
Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Bleed by Laurie Ann Stolarz
Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
12 Sharp * ** by Janet Evanovich (chosen twice)
Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris***
Body Movers by Stephanie Bond
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris***
Just for Kicks* by Susan Andersen
Francesca's Kitchen by Peter Pezzelli
Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury
The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
Triangle by Catherine Weber
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Sold by Patricia McCormick
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Dear John* by Nicholas Sparks
Testing Kate*# by Whitney Gaskell
Tenth Circle** by Jodi Picoult (chosen twice)
Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie*** and Bob Mayer
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Blondes Have More Felons* by Alesia Holiday***
Werewolf Rising*# by R.L. LaFevers
The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Poison Study by Maria V Snyder

* This book was reviewed by us in 2006
** This book was chosen by more than one reader as a Top Pick
***This author was chosen by more than one reader
#This book was one of the six chosen by us as Best of the Best 2006

What's the list tell us? Well, two of your Top Picks were also two of ours. We reviewed more than a few of the books on your list, and read (but didn't review) at least a few others. And, of course, it tells us that you like a very wide range of books, just like we do. Thanks for taking the time to let us know what moved you most, what you like best, and of course, for tuning in to see what we've been reading. If you have a book you'd like us to review, we're always open for suggestions. Just drop us a line at deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net , or leave us a comment. That's what we're here for! And, as always...

Take Care and Keep turning those pages!

Girls in Pants, Ann Brashares

Well now, that's not your normal and expected type of book for me to review, is it? Yeah, get over it. I needed to do a review. I was actually supposed to have one up yesterday, but I got lazy. I spent the day watching The Godfather with my hubs, then had to make him spaghetti. Who says tv isn't influential? Not his stomach, that's for sure.

So why am I doing a review of a YA book that's been out for over a year? Because I can. And also because it's a darn good book. The fact that the 4th book in the series is coming out soon has nothing to do with it. At all. Ok, maybe a little bit. The fact that it will be released January 9th, and I will be there waiting at Borders that morning, with my oldest daughter, and that we will argue all the way home about who gets to read it first is irrelevant, ok? Oh, and just so you know... I will win, because I am bigger. Also, because I have the Visa that will purchase the book. She won't complain too much though. Again, because I have the Visa. Also, because I'm a very fast reader, and she'll have the book before dinner, I'm sure. But that's that book, and this review is about this one. So here goes...

I was introduced to the Traveling Pants books a few years back by my daughter. She found the first one and wanted to read it. Like any mom wanting her daughter to love books, I bought it. However, unlike some moms, I read it first. That was the rule in our house. She could pick any book she wanted, but I got to read it first, just to be sure. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, it was just that I wanted to know what she was reading. Now the rule is that she can pick any book, but she understands that I can read it at any time. And if there is anything in it that I might get squicky about, she has to tell me before I find out on my own. I have to admit, she reads some darn good books. This series is proof to me that there are some really great YA authors out there!

Book 3, Girls In Pants, centers around The Third Summer of the Sisterhood. Basically, for those unfamiliar with the premise, four best friends found this magical pair of pants that fits them all to utter perfection. They are all just as different on the outside as they are on the inside, but The Pants don't seem to know that. Through two summers, The Pants have worked their magic in the lives of these young ladies, being there through joy and heartache. This summer though, these four might just need more than pants to make it through.

Bridget is heading off to coach soccer camp in Pennsylvania. She's the youngest coach there, only a few years older than her team. But even more than that, can she come face to face with The Boy from her past and walk away unscathed?

Lena wants more than anything to put thoughts of her old flame, Kostos, behind her. Immersing herself in an art project in order to win a much-meeded scholarship might be just the thing she needs to heal her broken heart.

Carmen meets the perfect guy, but is tortured about it. He seems to see her only at her best, and she knows there is more to her than what he's seeing. Does she bare her real self to him, or let him go on believing that she's really "Good Carmen"?

Tibby hates change. She doesn't want summer to start, because then it will end. When it ends, everyone is leaving, going off to college, starting new lives. If she could just keep things the same, everything would be fine. Why does the world keep moving forward when all she wants is for it to Pause for a while?

These are just a few of the dilemmas the young ladies must face during their last summer at home. With summer nearing its end, the world as they know it is almost over. How will they make it through all that this final summer has in store for them? Well, in The Pants, of course. And more importantly - Together.

Ms. Brashares is just freakin' brilliant, that's all I can say. She has managed to create this world where things like dead moms, and crazy grandmas, and boys that do you wrong, and girls that die, and friends that help you through it all, well, this world is right there, in your hands, as you turn the pages. I've read the first two books in the series and they are beautiful, but this one is beyond that. This one... oh, man, it's good!

This is a YA book I'm talking about, ok? But still, it put me right back there, into that very same summer that she's describing. I had three friends too, and we were a lot like the Septembers (so named because their moms were all friends during pregnancy and all gave birth in September). There was a smart one and a brash one and a beautiful one and a serious one. Just like this book though, we each got to be different things at different times. That's the beauty of friendship. You get to be all, and sometimes nothing, and that's ok. They'll still love you when the day is through, or even when the summer is over.

Each of the girls has a different passion, and Ms. Brashares is almost intimate with each of the things that define these young ladies. For Bridget, or Bee, it's sports. She breathes soccer, and running, and anything athletic. I know what she means when Bee talks about a natural high during a run, and I can almost feel my muscles straining with her. Carmen is so full of life that it oozes out of every pore. I get caught up in her exuberance. Lena is an artist, and seeing her family as she draws their portraits almost makes me think I could be proficient with some charcoal and a sketch pad (NOT!). And Tibby, the one who wants most for things to stay exactly the same, embraces life, in the most basic sense of the word, with such courage and bravery that it had tears streaming down my face.

I loved this book. Let me tell you that again, ok? I LOVED THIS BOOK. If you have a daughter that is anywhere between 13 and 20, you should buy her this book. If you are a young lady between 15 and 25, you should buy this book for yourself. If you are a woman, betwen 20 and 90, you should treat yourself to this fantastic read. Are you getting the idea that I'm going to read the next one first, and it has nothing to do with making sure it's ok for my daughter to read? I'm going to read it because I love this series, because I love getting sucked in to this world Ms. Brashares has created, where girls grow up and move on and learn to love and learn to let go, and still, through it all, cling tight to that wonderful gift they have been given. Yes, those magical pants are great. But the magic is not in what the Pants do for them. The magic is in what the Pants help them see, about each other, and about themselves.

Just do yourself a favor and read this book. Read the whole series. And then call up those friends of yours and tell them just how much they mean. Because you know, summer was over a few months ago, and things won't ever be the same again. But maybe, with a little luck and some magic Pants, you can feel that way again.

Keep turning those pages,
dee

Sleeping With The Fishes - MaryJanice Davidson

Hello, Lovelies! I hope each and every one of you had a very Merry Christmas, or Happy Holiday of your choice. I had a fabulous time and the kids are in hog heaven with all of their new toys. Now, I just have to find room for all of them! Before I get to today's review, I need to make a few announcements. First, please note that on January 1, 2007, we will be moved to our new home, Dee and Dee will now be here , and we are totally falling in love with it. Please point your bookmarks to the new site. It is still a work in progress, and you'll see many new and exciting things in the year to come. Second, we still have not heard from the winner of this months contest , so Joan B. please contact us at deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net so we can get your books out to you ASAP. And last but certainly not least, my third announcement, the two winners of signed Blondes Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday are Joel B. and Alexis J.. Please send your snail mail addy to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net and I'll forward those on to Alesia so she can send them out! Congratulations to all three of the winners this month! I have to say, I wish I could have entered our contest! And now, without further ado...

Sleeping With The Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson
(BCC)

A FISH OUT OF WATER

Fred is a mermaid, But stop right there. Whatever image you're thinking of right now, forget it. Fred is not blonde. She's not buxom. And she's definitely not perky. In fact, Fred can be downright cranky. And it doesn't help matters that her hair is ocean-colored.

Being a mermaid does help Fred when she works at the New England Aquarium. But, needless to say, it's there that she gets involved in something fishy. Weird levels of toxins have been found in the local water. A gorgeous marine biologist wants her help investigating. So does her mer-person ruler, the High Prince of the Black Sea. You think it would be easy for a mermaid to get to the bottom of things. Think again...

As far as this BCC goes, I can't really say too much, because there really isn't much there, is there? And that isn't actually a bad thing. It gives an idea of who the heroine is, and a rundown of her obstacle. All-in-all, if more pubs went with the idea of less is more, well, I'd be without fodder, but fewer books would get put back on shelves because of the nonsense written there.

Dr. Fredrika Bimm is a hybrid mermaid with attitude. Just like the BCC says, if when you hear "mermaid" you think Ariel , with Fred, you have another think coming. In true Davidson style, Fred is a no-nonsense female, who shoots it straight and just a bit harsh, loves her friends, but tends to focus more on herself and her own problems. And when Dr. Thomas Pearson, hunky water fellow and romance novelist, shows up at the NEA to investigate the source of toxins in the harbor, Fred's problems get even bigger than walking in on her parents getting down and dirty and the fish in her care being on a hunger strike because she won't play Pet Shop Boys for them.

Soon after Dr. Thomas arrives and announces the toxins, Prince Artur of the Black Sea also arrives to do a bit of investigating himself. Since Fred is a mermaid, he informs her that she is his subject and will help him solve the problem. Did I mention the prince is also very hunky? And did I mention that both he and Pearson have a thing for Fred? Oh yeah, Fred's life is about to get very interesting.

When I sat down to do this review, I was really very torn. On one hand, MJD is a must buy for me, and always will be, and when I review one of my must buy's I generally do the whole Fan Girl Squee Fest thing. On the other hand, Fishes just isn't FGSF worthy. I did like the book, but to be honest it's probably because I like Davidson and her humor.

Since we ended up with a blizzard on release date, I was unable to get out of town to buy it right away so I had a chance to read a few reviews. Many of those reviews were not happy ones. There were a lot of complaints about the length and the price of the paperback. I'm not gonna complain about either because I did like the book, and I simply don't mind paying the cash for a book that was worth my time to read. Especially from one of my favorite authors.

The book is short. A mere 268 pages and double spaced at that, and Davidson address just that by saying "Well, I can write fast or I can write long, but I can't do both." in a letter to her readers at the end of the book (true she's addressing the Undead books, but still). Even with the short length, Fishes has all of the elements that make me love Davidson. Like I said, her brash females are always a plus, and there is always a best friend that would do anything for them. A real sense of community about her books, and Fishes had all of that. There was a nice Romance sub-plot, actually two, and some very funny pages with a lovable cast of characters. I also liked the pollution problem they were investigating. Whether intentional or not, Davidson made some very good points about the way we treat our environment, hint-we don't treat it well. And I liked that even while making it funny to read, it brought some awareness to this reader.

Where Fishes was a disappointment for me actually had to do with those two nice Romantic subplots. This is supposed to be the first book in a series, and the way the book ended all nice and tidy didn't really leave room, that I could see, for the Pearson vs Artur triangle to continue, and neither man was chosen at the end. The book is classified as EROTICA, and there was only one scene in which sex actually took place. And guess what? It wasn't even Fred getting some. Now, I didn't buy this book for the erotica label, but I happen to know from reading her other books, that Davidson is a master at really HOT sex scenes. But the one scene we did get, was stilted and since the characters involved in the actual act weren't a major focus of the story, it just felt off. Nothing steamy at all, and that's probably because I just didn't feel invested in the two involved in the act.

If you, like me, are a HUGE Davidson fan, then you'll enjoy this book. BUT, if you are wanting to get some one hooked on Davidson and her style, this isn't the book to give them. I have hopes that the next installment will get better, and feel more natural, we'll just have to wait and see.

Take Care

Dear John, Nicholas Sparks

How come every time I start a new review, I feel like it's confession time? And I'm not even Catholic! Well, here ya go... Nicholas Sparks is another of my guilty pleasures.

He's one of those authors that I reach for when I need a really good cry. Every single one of his books that I've ever read has been a guaranteed tear-jerker. Now don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that I think they're all beautifully moving, or incredibly written, or fresh and innovative, or surprising, or anything like that. Almost without exception, his books are fairly predictable, at least to me. I can generally tell what's going to happen, who will fall in love, who will be heartbroken, who will die, and who should be cast when the book gets made into a movie. Still though, I'm drawn to these books like the proverbial moth to flame. I can't stay away from them. Sometimes, I can't get enough of them. Always, they are what I reach for when I just need a darn good cry. So of course, at Christmas, I find myself reading a LOT of Sparks. This year, he even made my gift list. And since I have one of those husbands that is totally determined that I will get what I want, I got this book yesterday. Yeah me!

Dear John is the story of John Tyree and Savannah Lynn Curtis. John and Savannah are both from North Carolina. He's from Wilmington on the coast, she's from Lenoir in the mountains. He's a reformed rebel, she's almost a saint. He's home from Germany on leave from the Army, she's on summer break from college building houses for Habitat for Humanity. They meet on Wrightsville Beach, when he jumps off the pier to rescue her purse. Neither of them are ever the same again.

During the few short days they have together before John must return to Germany, he and Savannah discover that they seem to complete each other. No, this is not some Jerry McGuire ripoff. Their love is real, and so is the heartache they feel when John gets on the plane. During their first year apart, they write and call often, and re-live their days together during the first night of each full moon. Their love seems to grow stronger and deeper, and they are convinced that they will end up together forever. After they are re-united a year later, their love only seems to strengthen. Counting down the days until John is discharged from the army, they make plans to marry. Along with the rest of the world, neither one can foresee how the events of September 11th will impact their lives and their plans for the future.

Well, that's takes you most of the way through the book. Yes, you can still read it and get lots out of it. Trust me, you get more info than I've given you just be reading the book flap. So don't think I blew all the good parts, ok?

What didn't I like? As I mentioned, I thought it was pretty obvious what would happen. I could see some of those plot turns a mile away. But then again, that's also part of why I like Sparks' books, as they are comfortable reads, nothing over the top happens. I wasn't too crazy about the way John seemed to use being in the army as an excuse to break his promise to Savannah. To me, that was not in keeping with the passion and devotion that John so often expressed. It seemed out of character. Also, the whole point of John and Savannah being apart seemed contrived to me, since I did 10 years in the Navy and know how easy it usually is for spouses to join servicemembers overseas. I still can't figure out why, if they were so much in love, Savannah didn't pack her bags and head over to Germany. Well, I guess there wouldn't have been much of a book if she'd done that, right?

What did I like? Well, it was sweet. Go ahead, gag if you must, but it's the truth. The story is told from John's POV. He expresses his love in glorious twenty-something detail. He chronicles his life with his father, a probable sufferer of Asperger's Syndrome. He details what it's like in a war zone. Basically, it's a different POV than I'm used to, and I really liked that.
- There's just something about reading a Southern author that fills me up to the brim. I loved the way John could tell that Savannah was from the mountains, because of her accent. This is something that people not from the South probably don't understand. To Yanks, we all sound the same, right? But to us, there is a very discernible difference between Charlotte and Charleston, Atlanta and Augusta, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Yanks label our speech as "Southern twang" or "Southern drawl". Only another Southerner understands the subtle nuances that differentiate between coastal and mountain, city and farm. Sparks shows that better than most, and I love it in all of his books.
-Sparks can paint a picture with words like no other. In describing their relationship, John muses, "Our relationship, I felt with a heaviness in my chest, was beginning to feel like the spinning movement of a child's top. When we were together, we had the power to keep it spinning, and the result was beauty and magic and an almost childlike sense of wonder; when we separated, the spinning began inevitably to slow. We became wobbly and unstable, and I knew I had to find a way to keep us from toppling over." Can you see that picture in your head? Can you feel John's uneasiness, the way he senses that he needs to work hard to keep what he has? This is what Sparks does so well; he creates these incredibly vivid emotional pictures that you can't help but identify with. You get sucked right into John's struggle to keep that top spinning, to find a way to hold on to his ideal and perfect love with Savannah.

How does it end? Well, duh! I'm not telling. Some of you already have this book. One of you even named it as one of your Top Three of 2006. It doesn't make my Top Three list, but it's not bad at all. It did exactly what I needed it to do. It drew me out of my own life for most of the day, helped me escape into someone else's struggles for a while, and of course, brought those tension-relieving tears that are the reason I reach for a Sparks book in the first place. It was a decent story, with decent characters, and I enjoyed it. Would I buy it in hardback? No, because I got it as a gift. Would I suggest you get it in hardback? If you're a hardcore Sparks fan, you won't be disappointed. I know I wasn't. If you're not hardcore, put your name of the library list or wait for the paperback. It's NOT a bad buy, but I'm pretty firmly against paying $25 for any book. That's just me, though.

Agree? Disagree? Drop me a comment and tell me why. And by all means...

Keep turning those pages!

Merry Christmas!!

Wow, it is early! Well, not really, but still... it is Christmas, so maybe I shouldn't even be on here yet. However, when you have six kids in the house, under the age of 15, there is no rest for the weary. But hey, I got the Between, Georgia audiobook AND the new Nicholas Sparks book, Dear John, so I'm not complaining at all. My family knows me so well!

Besides, this is the perfect time for me to announce the winner of the December contest... and the winner is...

JOAN B.

Congratulations, Joan! Please send us an e-mail with "I'm the December contest winner" in the subject line, and be sure to include your mailing address.

Joan had this to say about her Top Three picks of 2006...

Dark Lover J.R. Ward

The world Ward creates is fascinating and makes you want to know more about it. A real page turner.

Grave Sight Charlaine Harris

I love her imagination and the way she makes Harper's gift so so believable. A very accessible writer.

Just for Kicks Susan Andersen

Pure fun. Lovable hero and heroine and great secondary characters.

As the winner, Joan will get copies of all six of our picks, plus a copy of Blondes Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday. How's that for spreading Christmas joy?

Thanks to all that entered this contest!

And remember, we're only going to be HERE for a few more days. On January 1st, you'll have to check us out in our new home, over here. PLEASE bookmark the new place and plan on stopping by often. We're still going to be doing reviews all the time, and contests every month, plus we have some really cool new things planned as well. We'll be starting something called the Fabulous Author/Book Pick of the month (FAB Pick), where we will spotlight a fabulous book or author for a week. If we're spotlighting an author, we'll have an interview as well. Plus, to tie everything together, that FAB Pick will be included in the contest goodies for that month. Isn't that just the coolest?

So remember to check us out in our new home, send some congrats to Joan, be ready for Charity's announcement for the other two winners of Alesia's book, and, as always...

Keep turning those pages!

Merry Christmas!

CONTEST ENDS SOON. ENTER TO WIN - NOW!!

Yep, that's right - the contest is ending soon!
If you don't enter, you can't win. If you don't win, then how are you going to start out the new year with new books?

We're ending the December contest at midnight 24 December, 2006. Your entries or e-mails need to be posted by that day, or they won't count. Remember, all you have to do for this contest is send us an e-mail, or make a comment, telling us YOUR Top Three Picks of 2006 ( can you hear the rhyme in that one? I worked on that for, like, 3 hours!).

And here's a BONUS! Remember how I said that the six books that you'll be getting wouldn't be signed? Well, I was wrong. Some of the fabulous authors of some of those amazing six books actually contacted us... and said that they would be happy to sign a book for the contest winner. Can you believe that? It just blew me away. Now, not all of the authors are able to do this, but some of them are, so we're actually very lucky. And can I just tell you that we didn't ask them to do this? They volunteered to do it, because they are even more wonderful that we thought they were already! YAY YAY YAY!!

And another thing... remember how I said that we were giving away our six favorite books, three of mine and three of Charity's? Well..... Charity just mentioned that she would have picked "Blondes Have More Felons" by Alesia Holliday, if she would have read it before she did her picks. Well, Alesia said that she would send us THREE SIGNED BOOKS to give away to you wonderful people! Can you believe that? I know, it's like Christmas around here or something! So the winner will get not six, but SEVEN books! And two other lucky blog readers will each get a copy of Alesia's fan-tab-u-lous books as well!

So ENTER THE CONTEST!

And a Merry Christmas to all!!

Blondes Have More Felons - Alesia Holliday - Win a Signed Copy!

Hello, Lovelies! In 2004, an amazing, life changing thing happened for me - my sister handed me a book that was sky blue and had a picture of glass slippers with cherries on the toes gracing the front cover. I didn't read the book right away because I hadn't really read in a long time. But then, a friend of mine borrowed this book and when she returned it the next day said, "You really should read this. It's a great fun read." That made two people I trusted with my life telling me I needed to read this book. So, I did. The book was Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie . I immediately fell in love with the book. The life changing was two-fold, the first happened immediately, I fell in love with reading again. I grabbed up every Crusie I could find and then started branching out, it was like finding a piece of myself (like my writing) that I had been missing. The second life changing thing happened a little over a year later, wanting more Crusie, but seeing her admission to writing slow, I joined the The Cherries. And I met the most amazing, funny, kind, smart, beautiful people a person could ever hope to meet. It was through JCF that I "met" Dee, just one of the many blessings I have. And as it turns out, many of those people were also writers! Did I hit the jackpot or what? Alesia Holliday is one of those amazingly talented, kind, funny, and caring people that I had the pleasure of "meeting" and I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to find out that she also was a published author. Just by her posts I could tell that she was talented, but until recently, I had no idea , just how talented she was. And diverse. Not only does she write under the name Alesia Holliday, but she writes YA novels under the name Jax Abbott, and most recently she will release a new Atlantis series, under the name Alyssa Day , that will be released in March 2007, and you already know I'm dying to read this book! So, without further ado...

Blondes Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday
(BCC)

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE DECEMBER IN FLORIDA...

December Vaughn is tired of her roots. Not the ones in her hair-she's a real blonde after all - but her life in Ohio as a corporate attorney. She's used to Turing heads, but now it's time to turn her life around. And what better way to prove all those dumb-blonde jokes wrong than by opening up her own practice in Florida? She's going to take the Sunshine State by storm...

Soon, she's hired by a man whose wife died because of defective insulin. Now, the drug company and its ruthless lawyers are doing anything in their power to derail the case - and December. It's enough to give a girl split ends.

Luckily her over-the-top office manager, a card-sharp housewife, and a drop-dead gorgeous P.I. are on her side. Because December Vaughn may have parted ways with her old life, but she's not about to give up her new one without a fight...

I actually like this BCC, too. What is wrong with the world these days that I can't even get crappy BCC to tear apart? Maybe I'm just reading the wrong books? Maybe not, 'cause I really liked this book, and if good BCC is the price I have to pay for that - then so be it.

December Vaughn may look like the ideal dumb-blonde, but she is far from. Graduating summa cum laude (sounds kinda dirty huh?) from law school, she immediately takes a job at a top law firm "...Specializing in the defense of products liability cases, with a concentration on pharmaceuticals." Good thing too, since three weeks into her new life as owner of her own general practice law firm, her aunt sends her a doozy of a case. Charlie Deaver lost his wife due to bad insulin, and when his current lawyer decides to retire, December's Aunt Celia sends him to her.

But, it seems that some big-time local attorneys, including the one for the defense, don't like Charlie's decision to use December, and soon they are trying to get her to hand the case over. When December doesn't give up the case, some very personal attacks start to take place and soon it isn't just the fate of her new firm on the line, but possibly her new life.

Add to the tough new case, missing furniture, a new employee, Mr. Ellison, who just happens to be old enough to remember the first automobile, an incredibly good looking P.I., Jake, that may or may not be working for the opposite side and seems to be utterly smitten with her, a beautiful but crazy woman, Gina, that wants said P.I. and thinks December is in the way, her office manager and best friend, Max, who seems to have lost her sense of taste in clothing, her new neighbor and High Stakes Poker Player, Emily, her loving but wacky Aunt Celia and Uncle Nathan, a mystery writer who likes to plot at the most inconvenient of times, and you have the best cast of characters a book can have.

Written in First Person, I didn't quite expect to get the sense of community and knowledge of the other characters, it just doesn't happen that way in First, but by the last page, I felt like I knew each and every person and they were all apart of my life as well. Curious as to how she managed such a feat writing in only one POV, I asked, "...I'm very comfortable in first person. I've written several books that way. This is my first book with such a sense of community, though. I really wanted the reader to have a sense of who December's friends and family are." And boy, did she ever do more than give a sense of who those friends and family are, you truly care for these characters as if they were in your own life.

Now, if you were to ask me what genre Blondes is, I would say RoCoMy (my own word for Romantic/Comedy/Mystery). It's like one great big book of some of my most favoritist genres. But since you won't find a RoCoMy shelf at your local bookstore, you'll be able to find it in the Mystery section. And while the mystery aspect is stellar, it is the mixture of all three that made me say Blondes would have been one of my Top 3 Picks for this months contest.

Since I've already touched on the Mystery part of the book, shall we talk Romance? Jake Brody, ex-Navy Seal and now very hot P.I.. I'm talking mega-fantasy guy. He has this whole man of mystery thing down, and he seems to always be there when December needs him most. Then, there's Matt Falcon, super hot attorney. We meet Matt as December prepares to argue her first criminal case, and is he ever yummy. And although we don't see much of Matt in this book, there is some definite vibage between him and December. The ever curious (okay, impatient) reader that I am, I asked Alesia if we would see more of Matt in future books, "Oh, yes. Matt will be back. If Jake is the alpha bad boy who's really a good guy, Matt is the bad boy who really IS bad. The kind of man who's fun to play with but not necessarily keep around for the long term . . ." Ahhh, I think we all should have a Matt in our lives.

And then there is the comedy. The first line of the book is, "Nobody ever tried to stab me when I did corporate work." And throughout the book, we see several variations on this. I have to tell you, it was so much fun to read the book and try to guess where the next one would come up. The Hubs thought I was a total fruitcake while I read this book, I would say the line I thought would be coming and then laugh hysterically when it came up. So warning - Do NOT Read This Book In Public if you want to appear sane. There are also some situations December gets herself into because of her big heart that are just too funny. For instance, that first line up there? The person trying to stab her is Mr. Ellison, the older man that soon becomes her new employee. "In writing humor, I generally have a few riffs that play throughout the book. In the series, the ongoing riff throughout the books is that December is a soft touch for lost causes - anybody with a hard luck story who walks through the door is going to wind up with a job at her law firm. It's going to make for an interesting employment situation! You already know Mr. Ellison, retired bus driver. Stay tuned for an out-of-work psychic astrologer in BLONDE JUSTICE!" (Nobody ever tried to read my mind when I did corporate work. Not a line from the book, I'm just playing around here.)

And of course, no review of Blondes would be complete without the disclaimer - OFFICIAL DECEMBER VAUGHN MYSTERIES DISCLAIMER: NO DOGS DIE IN THE MAKING OF THESE BOOKS!!! When I saw this on her site, I HAD to know what was up. I mean, it's a BOOK! People are killed in fiction constantly, so was it a very big deal if a dog did? "Yes!!! YES!!! Oh. My. Goodness! I had one person call me from an AIRPLANE to yell at me! My editor called me mid-book at that scene to tell me I couldn't kill a dog! I said, of COURSE I wouldn't kill a dog! Especially a pug named after my darling pug, Daisy! Sheesh. :)" I can tell you right now, that Daisy is alive and well and spoiled at the end of this book. No worries!

For a laugh out loud, fast-paced, and just all around feel good read, pick up Blondes Have More Felons you will not be disappointed. What's that you say? You'd like to have a chance to win it? Oh well, OKAY! Alesia has graciously offered to give THREE of our readers a signed copy of Blondes. One copy will go to the winner of this months contest and for your chance to win one of the two remaining, simply leave a comment or send an e-mail to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net with the words, "Daisy didn't die so I'll give it a try!" and you'll be entered to win. I'll draw two names from a hat from all the entries and announce the winner in one week. That's right. You have until 8:45 a.m. on Wed, Dec. 27, 2006 to comment or e-mail and you'll be entered!

Take Care

Chari-Dee's Top Three of 2006

Hello. Lovelies! I know, I've been neglecting all of you and I am truly sorry. The Santa Shop at school is taking up all of my time and today Bear was sick. Not good. I promise, as soon as all of this ends, I will do better.

So, did you hear? We are running a FABULOUS contest this month, and you, YES! YOU, dear reader have the chance to win SIX books. And although I thought this was a great idea when Dee e-mailed me, I didn't realize, that Dee, same as Dr. Seuss , is a sadist. How the heck am I supposed to pick just 3 books? So. Not. Fair! But, for better or worse, my top Three picks for 2006 (as reviewed by me).

Pick #3 - Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

I picked this book for a couple of reasons. 1 - I LOVE Harris and her books. After reading her Sookie Stackhouse books, I hunted up every other series she had done and read them all. 2 - The Grave series is nothing like Sookie's. It takes a very talented author to create such different characters and write them so well. And, 3 - Harper and Tolliver are just plain endearing. No other way for me to put it.

Pick #2 - Jennifer Scales and The Messenger of Light by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi

I loved, loved, loved this book. Jennifer Scales is written in true-to-life teen. Not that I've been a teen in a while, mind you, but reading these books helps me to remember just a bit the young person I once was. As I said in the review - I love a book that touches me in all the right emotional places, and well, this one did. The writing was rock solid and left me wanting moremoreMORE!!! I cannot wait to get the next book in the series, and I know, if you haven't read these books yet, once you do - you'll be hooked too. (Great, I'm turning into some kind of pusher.)

And, Dum-Da-Da-DUMMMMMM!!!!!!! My #1 pick!

Fools Rush In by Kristan Higgins

If you have not yet read this book, you are missing out! There are very few authors that can pen a debut novel that grabs your heart and won't let go, Higgins is - without a doubt - such an author. Millie's story is one of the best told in contemporary fiction. You will laugh with Millie and you will cry with Millie and you will most definitely cheer for Millie. Every insecurity a woman can have is wrapped up in this amazing woman and her life - a GREAT life - but like most of us, Millie has much to learn about herself before she can see it. Higgins helped me to see my inner Canada Goose, and I will forever be thankful. There are times when a feel good read is what we all need, and this, my dear lovelies, is most definitely a feel good read. Higgins reached deep into every woman's soul and showed some heavy truths in a fantastically funny and touching tale. This book is on my keeper shelf and will remain there for eternity. It will be re-read and loved for years to come.

So, there you have it! My Top 3 Books Reviewed in 2006. There is one book I have just recently read but not had the time to review, and that is a shame, because Alesia Holliday's book Blondes Have More Felons would definitely have made the top 3. I still may have to give that one out anyway.

Now, what are you waiting for? Enter the contest now and win you some great books!!!!

Take Care

Dee's Top Three!

From dee :
Ugh! I can't even believe I suggested this contest. How the heck am I supposed to choose only three books? Well, here you go, love 'em or not (and I strongly suggest you LOVE them, because, well - *I* do!) (Note: Click on the title to take you to my review. Click on the author's name to visit the author's own site)

Dee's Number Three Pick:
Werewolf Rising, by R. L. LaFevers
This was actually one of our prizes for a contest. It was also reviewed by my son Michael, and by Rebecca, our contest winner. I can't tell you how much I loved this book without gushing all over the place, and that's not always attractive, now is it? But I really loved this book! It had action. It had adventure. It had a young lad with a BIG problem. And of course, you got to see change in this book. By that, not only do I mean that the main character grew some, but he actually changed, as in - he became a wolf! What's not to love? It's supposedly geared for the 9-14 boy crowd, but my 5 year old daughter LOVED this book, and so did I. This would make the perfect gift for any young person on your gift list this season (hint hint!). Pick it up, you won't be disappointed!!

Dee's Number Two Pick:
Testing Kate, by Whitney Gaskell
Oh man, did I really dig this book. You can tell, can't you? I searched for it and had to special order it, and was worried that it wouldn't live up to my own hype. Well, I was soooo wrong! It was all that, AND a bag of chips! (That's pretty high praise, since I really love chips, ok?) This book is about a woman at a crossroads in her life, really. I mean, she's 30ish when she trades in her routine world to try Law School. She deals with a meaner than the devil professor, an eccentric boss, a group of half crazy friends, and a way-too-sexy neighbor. What's a girl to do? Well, pick up this book and find out. Again, I can't see how you won't love this one!

Dee's Number One Pick:
Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
Did you know I was going to pick this book? How could you not have guessed it? It was the first book that we BOTH reviewed! Plus, I drove seven hours to meet the author and get her to sign my copy (and I even got to have lunch with her!). This book totally rocked my world. I don't even know how many times I've re-read this, but I'm sure I'm well into the double digits by now. It's all about Nonny, born a Crabtree but raised a Frett. The two families couldn't be more different if they tried, and Nonny has to reconcile her blood with her upbringing during the course of this amazing tale. You meet Nonny before she enters the world, and you see her struggle to gain her own voice throughout the story. It has so many layers, it's like eating a light and fluffy French pastry. I laughed until I had tears in my eyes. I cried until I ran out of Kleenex. The relationship between Nonny and the mom that raised her, Stacia, is so touching that you'll want to call up your own momma just to tell her how much you care. The supporting characters are so mulit-faceted that they can barely be called supporting. This book is a winner, and trust me, it will be on my 'favorite shelf' for a very long time to come.

December CONTEST: Dee & Dee Pick Their Best of the Best - 2006!!

And it's a wrap!

Yes folks, it's that time again. We're having another contest! Are you excited yet? Well, you should be, because YOU could be the winner of some FABULOUS BOOKS that WE already love.

Here's the deal:
This week, Charity and I are going to each tell you what our TOP THREE REVIEWED BOOKS of 2006 are. This is not easy for us, you understand. If you are a regular around here, you already know how much we love to read. And you know how much we appreciate every single book that we read. You know that we try our darndest to always be totally honest, but never cruel. If we don't like a book, we will tell you exactly why we don't like it, but we encourage you to make up your own minds. But sometimes, a book really stands out for us, and we can't stop singing it's praises. That's the deal with this contest.

I will give you a list of my Top Three Books of 2006. I'll tell you why each of those three books is special to me.

Charity will give you a list of her Top Three Books of 2006. She'll tell you why those books meant something to her.

YOU can win a copy of EACH OF THOSE SIX BOOKS. Yes, I said that the single winner will get a total of SIX books. Now unlike some other months, these books will not be signed by the authors, unless those authors see this blog and contact us and just simply insist that they sign your books. Hey, it could happen, right?

What do you have to do to win? That's easy. All you have to do is make a COMMENT, or send an e-mail to deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net and tell us YOUR Top Three Books of 2006, and WHY you picked those books. We want to know which books really flipped your lid, and we want to know what set them apart from the other books you read. You do NOT have to pick only books that were reviewed here. You can pick any book out there that was released this year. It can be fiction or non, biography, or any other book that held your interest, sparked a lil' something in your heart, brought you to tears or laughter. Just tell us what books you loved. We'll pick one winner at random. That's it. Simple, huh?

Our Top Three Picks will be in the next post. You can post your comments there, or go ahead an e-mail them to us now. Your choice. Just enter this contest. You can't win those six books if you don't enter!

Keep turning those pages!!

dee

This Is What I Did Today Instead of A Review. Forgive Me?

Review to come. Promise.

Sorry! Really, Sorry!

Okay, I know I promised new reviews since I got my books yesterday, but it's not my fault. I swear it! I fell asleep last night at 9:00 (okay, probably that WAS my fault, but I was cranky and in a bad mood and seriously needed the sleep) and then this morning while at the school, the Santa Shop people delivered the inventory early. Remember me? Overextended PTO mom? So I've been at the school all day doing inventory and have to go first thing in the morning to finish up. No worries though, I'll be home before 10 and will stay here (the laptop is arriving tomorrow and since I have to sign for it, I have no intention of leaving this house until it is in my hands) so I WILL post a review tomorrow. If I can keep my eyes open tonight (which I really want to do cause I'm diggin the book I'm reading) I'll have the review up before noon. Don't count on it, but I'll try REALLY hard. Promise.


Take Care

Got My Books

And a day early to boot. May be quiet until tomorrow afternoon! I'm hanging the sign on my door tonight that says, "SHHHHH! SHUT YOUR MOUTH, I'M READING!" I am so ready for some good reads. Talk to you very, very soon!

Take Care

Dead End Dating - Kimberly Raye

Hello, Lovelies! Like always, I hope this post finds each and every one of you in good spirits. I'm still surrounded by snow, but school is back in session and the house is slowly being restored to order. Which means I can finally sit down long enough to do a few things, like reading new books and reviewing them. I have an order coming in from Barnes and Nobel on Thursday, which means lots of new reviews coming next week. The list includes, Blondes Have More Felons by Alesia Holliday (NOTE: If you have already read this book and want to discuss it- hop on over to The Cherry Forums where it is the featured book for the month of December), Sleeping With The Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson , Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K Hamilton , and Adios To My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer . I so cannot wait for Thursday to get here! I also have a few books here now that I need to read so I'll be busy doing that so I can read my new ones without feeling guilty. Plus, I ordered a laptop a couple of days ago and it should be here soon, this will make it much easier for me to get reviews done faster, since I won't have to give up computer time to The Hubs when he gets home from work. It will also help me get our future home ready to move into on the 1st since I'm not having a lot of time to work on that during the day. And now, without further ado...

Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye
(BCC)

BITING IS SO LAST SEASON.

A vivacious vampire with a flair for accessorizing, Lil Marchette is unlike most of her kind. She prefers lively shades of pink to dismal black (so not her color), plus she's a hopeless romantic. In need of a steady paycheck to support a compulsive cosmetics habit, Lil starts Dead End Dating (DED), a Manhattan-based matchmaking service that helps smart, sophisticated singles like herself find eternity mates-and may even help her stake a claim to her very own Count Right!

When Lil meets geeky vampire Francis Deville, she knows he's the perfect first client. If she can hook up Francis-after a little revamping, of course-she will prove her skills to the vampire community and turn DED into the hottest dating service in the Big Apple. But just as her business takes off, Lil meets the (literally) drop-dead bounty hunter Ty Bonner, who is hot on the chase of a serial killer. Instantly drawn to the luscious vamp stud, Lil really wants a taste. But as a made vampire, Ty can't procreate-and Lil will settle for nothing less. Luckily, between "vampifying" Francis and helping Ty solve his murder mystery, Lil has no time for silly romantic entanglements...even if Ty is all that and a Bloody Mary chaser!

All in all, not a bad BCC. I really have no complaints, which bothers me a bit, but I'll live.

Countess Liliana Arabella Guinevere du Marchetter, aka Lil, will do anything to avoid working at Midnight Moe's, her father's copy and printing business. The clothes are awful and she just can't stand the thought of spending all night behind a counter, even if it would keep her in expensive make-up for the rest of her life. Her latest venture is Dead End Dating, a matchmaking service for anyone, though she specializes in helping Born Vamps find an eternity mate. Problem is, business is slow. What she needs is a big match that will get the vampire communities attention and send them flocking to her door. It's just sheer luck that she comes across Francis, the black sheep of the very rich Deville family. Francis is a total geek and not a very strong vamp, so if Lil can help him access his inner vampire and find him an eternity mate, she'll be set! Unfortunately, Francis is going to need a lot of work.

Ty Bonner, a made vampire, is a bounty hunter searching for a kidnapper who finds his victims through classified ads. Only now it appears the kidnapper is changing his MO and is starting to use matchmaking services. He goes to Lil to explain what is happening and ask her to use her vampire skills to "read" her human male clients thoughts, and in doing so, help him find the bad guy.

When Ty walks into DED the sparks fly between him and Lil. But Ty is made and Lil is born, they could never be together because just like the BCC says Ty can't procreate. It doesn't stop Lil from fantasizing about trying it, though.

In Lil's world, there are two kinds of vampires, those that are made and those that are born. The born vamps view themselves as highly superior, the ability to have children being just one of the perks. The born vamps smell like dessert and they find their eternity mates by orgasm quotient and fertility ratings. Lil has two best friends, both named Nina, and a family that's a canine tooth short of normal.

Francis is a handful of a client, and adds a bit of fun to the story and the "dates" her mother and father constantly hook her up with for their Sunday Hunt is rather amusing. The sexual tension with Ty adds a nice romance plot and the search for the kidnapper adds just a bit of mystery.

When I first started reading the book, I had mixed feelings. For one, I liked the premise of the book. It sounded fun and interesting and I really wanted it to be. But, within the first few pages it felt like Raye was trying far to hard to be funny. Vampire-Lite is a huge seller right now, and I got the impression that Raye was writing a story that wasn't her own, but writing to the market. Now, that isn't an absolute BAD thing, but it can have a few drawbacks. The main one with this book being it took a while for the writing to warm up and feel natural.

But it does warm up and the forced humor starts to fade and I actually found myself smirking at a few parts. I enjoyed Raye's take on vampires, I like the idea of born vamps, I LOVE the idea of born vamps in Kim Harrison's books, and Raye did a good job of taking that idea and twisting it into one of her own.

In fact, I would say that DED is Betsy the Vampire Queen meets Ivy . If your in the mood for a little vampire romp but don't want tons of gore, I suggest you pick this up. It's worth the time and you just may find a new series to look forward to.

Take Care

Knight Of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor

Hello, Lovelies! I want to start by giving a big shout out to Dee , who finished NaNo (no easy feat) and then celebrated by reading erotica - You GO, Girl! I'm snowed in here and you would think I would take advantage by reading and catching up on all my reviews I need to post - You would think wrong. I have spent the last couple of days fighting stir-crazy kids and re-reading my favorite Crusie's . Okay, and I spent most of today in the kitchen making bread (not that yucky bread machine kind, thankyouverymuch - REAL homemade bread) and homemade chicken noodle soup, with homemade noodles and everything. I will be eating well tonight! The food is the only reason I can stand the winter. I'll be heading to the mall tomorrow and upon my return, I shall have tons of books to read, and therefore, review. I still have a few I need to read here at home, but I really want these others, so I'm gonna read them first. And before I get on with the review, don't forget to check out our future home and tell us what we need to add or subtract to make it even better. We aim to please! And now, without further ado...

Knight of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor
(BCC)

Welcome to the darkest side of Camelot...

For centuries, I've been the assassin for the infamous Merlin, even though the woman who birthed me sits at the right hand of our enemy, Morgen leFey. Now both my mother and Morgen have decided that its time I take my place on their side of this conflict.

Normally, telling them no wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that the good guys I protect think that I'm an even worse demon than the ones we fight. Hmmm, maybe their right. I have to say that I do enjoy maiming anyone who gets in my way.

At least until my mother gives me a simple choice: Join Morgen's circle of the Damned or see an innocent woman die. I'm all for saving the innocent, but Merewyn isn't as innocent as she seems. And she's none to fond of the fact that her fate is in my dubious hands. Personally I'm all for taking the easy way out, but leaving her to Morgen is rough, even for me. Now the only way to save both our lives is to face the evilist forces know - my mother and Morgen. And two people who know nothing of trust must learn to rely on each other or die: provided we don't kill each other first.

Varian duFey

Okay, about the BCC. As you can see, it is a "letter" written by the hero of the book. When I first started reading this author, it was to read her Dark Hunter books (written under the name Sherrilyn Kenyon), and I kinda dug the whole thing. Now, well, I think I've grown tired. Plus, it isn't all that great. He talks about his mother giving him a choice, actually, his mother never gives that choice, he comes to that conclusion all on his own. I don't know, this BCC just doesn't do it for me. Misleading but not really. They walked a fine line here.

Varian duFey is, just as suggested, an assassin for Merlin. He has never had any qualms about killing those that cross the knights of Avalon and their cause. The son of Lancelot and the Adoni Narishka. Born to a mother that hates him, and dropped at the doorstep of a father and step-mother that feel the same, Varian has never known what it is liked to be loved. To be touched with comfort instead of hate. His magick makes him lethal and he is feared not only in Avalon but in the depths of Camelot, a place where cruelty is the norm.

Merewyn of Mercia was once the most beautiful woman anywhere. Tired of the men that saw only her beauty and angry that her father picked a husband for her that was less than pleasing, Merewyn had an Adoni summoned. In exchange for her beauty, Merewyn would serve the Adoni until the end of one moon-cycle, and then she would be free. But the Adoni Merewyn made her deal with was the evil Narishka, and little did Merewyn know, but there is no light in Camelot, therefore, no moon cycle. Merewyn has been doomed to live life as an ugly hag, with looks so hideous, no one would ever look at her again unless it was in disgust.

When a Grail Knight is murdered on the orders of Morgen, Merlin sends Varian to investigate. The only of her Knights that can walk both Camelot and Avalon, Varian leaves to investigate and this is exactly what his mother and Morgen want. When Varian refuses to join them, Narishka puts a spell bracelet on him that dampens his powers and turns to torture. When nothing else works, Narishka exploits Varian's weakness of pity and transforms Merewyn back to the beauty she once was. In order to keep her looks, Merewyn has three weeks to turn Varian to Morgen's side, or spend the rest of her eternity in hag form being punished for the failure.

But Varian is a smart man. He sees the plan and although he enjoys the kindness Merewyn shows him while he is beaten, he will not jeopardize the grail and all that Arthur had tried to accomplish. "Here, let me guess at how all of this has played out. She told you to come in here and be nice to me...Show me mercy so that I will be bonded to you and grow to like you...But it won't work...Then she's going to give me a choice-join her and Morgen or watch you die by her hand...When that moment comes, I won't save you...Better you should die than those who protect the grail from Morgen. Just as I'm willing to die for my conviction, I'm willing to see you dead for it, too. That is a promise."

It is after this exchange that Merewyn offers to free Varian if her will protect her from the Adoni and take him with her. Enlisting the help of Blaise the mandrake, and one of the only persons to ever be kind to her in Camelot, Merewyn frees Varian, and they flee the castle in search of Avalon. But without his powers, Varian is almost as vulnerable as Merewyn, and they must learn to trust each other and Blaise if they are to survive.

Setting off to the Valley of No Return, the trio hopes to escape Morgen's army and find a way back to Avalon. In the Valley, they meet up with Merrick, Derrick and Erik, triplet, cast off lovers of Morgen. I think these guys were supposed to be comic relief, but I just didn't feel it. In the Valley there are many strange things and I think most of them are supposed to be comic relief. The Pit of Despair, for one, Merewyn falls in and starts droning on and on about her pathetic existence. Not very funny. I think it could have been, I just didn't like the way it was written.

I liked this book, don't get me wrong. MacGregor has an imagination that is rivaled by very few. The world she has created for this series is fabulous, her take on what happened after Arthur fell is nothing short of genius. The problem for me, I think, is that even though this is only the second book in the series, I'm already growing tired of the formula. Bad boy Knight with a heart of stone, meets seemingly innocent beauty, they fall in love and the bad boy is redeemed. I know that books in a series tend to follow the same formula, but I can't help but want different from time to time. I'll continue to follow the series, because I love getting lost in this particular fantasy world. Plus, I do love the HEA with a twist. And of course, there are the fantastic sex scenes MacGregor/Kenyon pens, those don't hurt one bit.

If you are fan of fantasy novels, you won't be disappointed. And if fantasy really isn't your cuppa, but you have always enjoyed the tales of The Round Table, I recommend these books. They are a fun time in a world and time far from ours. And though the ending is predictable, they will have a place in my re-read pile.

Take Care

Enlightened Love, Shara Lanel

Warning: This review is not for kids. I repeat: This review is not for you, my darling daughter, so stop reading it right now. Also, if you are under 18, or at all squicky about s-e-x, then please, just skip on to the next review, ok?

Now that we've got that established, can I just tell you that this book was HOT? OMG, it was hot.

Now, I'm sharing guilty pleasures here, ok? And don't go all uppity on me when I tell you this, but there are times when I just love reading erotica. It isn't all the time, because most of the time I prefer my stuff much tamer. I like leaving things to my own imagination, which works pretty well, thankyouverymuch. Sure there are some hot scenes in some of my favorite books. Who the heck could forget that dock scene in Jenny Crusie's "Welcome to Temptation"? But every once in a while, I will come across a book that just looks interesting, and I have to pick it up, for research, you understand. As a writer, I need to see what other writer's are doing in their stories, and how they're doing it. That's the case for a book that I'll be reviewing early next week. That wasn't really the case here though, so let me explain.

If I say "New Jersey" are you gonna roll your eyes and mutter, "When is this chick gonna stop talking about Jersey?" Well, then you can go away for a bit too. Because the NJRW book signing is where I met Shara Lanel. She was very nice, and she actually warned me that her book was pretty steamy, like she might be afraid that I'd get home and be offended or something. Well, after talking to her, I was interested. Plus, I won a bottle of wine in her giveaway, and you all have got to know how much I appreciate a decent bottle of wine. It just looks so good on the shelf in my Tuscan-deco kitchen, you know? Anyhow, I came home with the wine and the book. I still have the wine, but the book got lost for a while. Now it's sitting here on my desk, after being devoured in my post-NaNo exhaustion. You wanna hear about the book though, right? Here we go...

Kerry Reynolds has always done the easy thing. She went to the school her parents picked, she got engaged to the guy they liked, and started falling right into the high society life they wanted for her. The only problem was that her husband-to-be had a vicious streak, but nobody would listen to her. One night, it went too far though. When he called her dad to help him clean up a mess (and by mess, I mean body, ok?), Kerry finally snaps out of her safe shell and runs, for her life, straight into the arms of Rick.

Rick Abernathy has spent most of his life in a monastary in India. After his parent's death, a monk took Rick under his wing. After 18 years, Rick is disillusioned, disheartened, and no where near the enlightenment he's been seeking. His aunt has left him a sizable inheritance, and Rick moves to America in search of a new life, which he finds when he meets Kerry. And did I mention he's a virgin?

Rick and Kerry barely start getting to know each other when her almost-hubby shows up and tries to get her back. Ok, really, he just wants her out of the way, but you know what I mean, right? There is danger, there is intrigue, there is romance, and oh yeah, there is steamy hot shecks. Lots of it.

Did I like it? What do you think? It was well written, fast paced, and entertaining. It had a few flaws, but nothing too major. The timeline of the first few days messed with my head. I actually had to go back and count the days that Rick and Kerry had known each other to make sense of some of it. A lot is packed in to just a few days. Also, there were goons with guns, and that didn't make sense, since they'd flown in. Unless they packed those guns safely in TSA approved locking containers, in their suitcases, which is a possibility. And Kerry got a job in a restaurant making $3.00/hour plus tips. I want to know where that place is! I haven't found a place that will pay more than the state required $2.13 (Yeah, I live in the same state where the book is set, so I know this).

Like I said, I don't read Erotica very often, so I'm in no way an expert on the genre. It is simply something I check out once in a while, to see how far the edges are being pushed in comaprison to more main-stream writing. I am very interested to know where the limits are. Personally, the book was tamer than I thought it would be, considering that Shara warned me. Still, it was so sweet that she did. And honestly, it was still a lot hotter than books that I normally read. But it wasn't tacky, or tasteless. The YEX seemed to be more about trust and romance than just physical gratification. The build-up to the first encounter literally had me breathless. It had a plot and it had interesting characters that grew over the course of the story. It was engaging.

As it's not my normal cuppa, I don't know that I will go hunting for Shara's books in Borders. Besides, my kids are usually there with me. But, if I happen to see her in Jersey next year, you can be certain that I will be picking up any other books that she has for sale. And I may just send her an e-mail asking how to order her others, if I can't wait til next October, you know, for research purposes, checking where the limits are in the genre and all. Not because I like erotica, you understand. It's all just for research. ;>)

And did I mention that this book was really hot?
Just sayin'...

Keep turning those pages!
dee

Housekeeping Note

If you haven't already, go on over HERE and check out what Charity had done. She has been hard at work this month, while I've been off slacking with my NaNo novel. Seriously, the other Dee has just outdone herself.

This is just to let you know that you will need to update your links, ok? We will be posting reviews on both blogs until the end of the year. That way, you can get used to us in our new home. However, starting January 1, 2007, we will no longer post new reviews on this page. You will only be able to find them at the NEW and IMPROVED joint book review site.

Head over there today and see what Charity has done. And please, PLEASE, drop us an e-mail (deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net) or leave us a comment and tell us what you think. Should we add more categories? Should we take some away? Should we have more links? What do you want to see? Let us know. We only do this for you guys, so we want to make it the best it can be, and exactly what you want.

And while you're at it, tell Char how fabulous she is.

Billionaires Prefer Blondes - Suzanne Enoch

Hey there Lovelies! I hope every one is doing well today! We're still working on setting up the new blog page. I hope you will like it! I like it because you can search archives by the author. It is in no where near ready to go, but we do have our posts up over there and you can already search, just click here and you can see the rough form and let us know what you think! Would you like us to not only categorize by author but by genre as well? Any suggestions on how we can make it an easier to view site? Suggestions are welcome, and encouraged. You can drop us a line at deeanddeedish@sbcglobal.net or you can leave a comment on either site, we get them all. Today is book release day! YAY!!! I LOVE Tuesday's. Books I cannot wait to get my hands on? Easy. Sleeping With The Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson (hint - Dec contest will involve this book!) and Stroke Of Midnight by Laurell K Hamilton (I'm relatively new to the Merry series, and I haven't a chance to read this one yet. Couldn't find it anywhere either, unless I wanted to pay $60. I'm so glad it is now in pb). Okay, enough from me, on with the review!

Billionaires Prefer Blondes by Suzanne Enoch
(BCC)
It's not easy dating a billionaire...

Samantha Jellicoe has never met a security camera she couldn't disarm. And even though she's promised her billionaire lover, the irresistible Richard Addison, to walk the straight and narrow, she certainly can't help it when trouble finds her.

What should have been a quite night at an auction house turns into something more unexpected when Sam spies her father - her dead father - very much alive and very interested in a painting Rick is after. Then the painting vanishes, Sam's arrested, and all hell breaks loose.

Now Sam has to track down the man who taught her everything she know about breaking and entering. And when she finds him, will his proposal for a lucrative heist tempt her to the dark side, or does Rick have a few tricks to keep her on the right side of a jail cell?

I like this BCC. Even if I hadn't been following Sam and Rick since book 1, Flirting With Danger , I would have picked this book up. And truthfully, after reading the book, I realized the BCC wasn't misleading at all. A+ - well, it would be an A+ if I graded these things.

Before writing about Sam and Rick, Enoch was a well established historical author. Now, you know I have had trouble finding authors that make the transition from historical to contemporary well, but Enoch seems to have done it flawlessly. I even picked up her historical, An Invitation To Sin just to compare, and was very much impressed.

Samantha Jellicoe is a retired cat burglar who is now trying to make her living in the security business. After meeting Rick, she realizes that to continue with her current profession would mean she would be unable to have a relationship with Rick. After all, he is very visible person, and when one steals for a living, one needs to be invisible.

When Rick takes Sam to Sotheby's for an auction, Sam is just a tad on the nervous and excited side. After all, this won't be the first auction Sam has attended, but it will be the first auction she has attended as herself and the first auction she is going to that she doesn't intend to steal something. When they arrive, they find that a new painting was discovered under the canvas of one of the paintings that will be auctioned, and Rick wants this new find.

As the bidding begins, Sam notices a man in the corner, but her eyes must be playing tricks on her, because the man is no other than Martin Jellicoe, her father that died in prison three years earlier. Unfortunately, Sam knows this is no trick, that man is her father, she just doesn't understand how it could be. When the bidding on the new painting is underway, Sam notices that her father is taking a keen interest in it and can only hope that he will honor the Thieves Code and not go through with his plans to steal it since it will be hers, well Rick's but hers through extention.

But while taking a stroll to meet with her father, the painting is stolen from her and Rick's townhouse and upon her return home, Sam is arrested for the crime. After all, she is the daughter of the notorious cat burglar Martin, and the police know it!

The race is on the find Martin, get some answers and get the painting back. If one thing Sam can't stand it is to be on the other end of the robbery. With the help of Rick and Stoney, Sam's ex-fence and now business partner, Sam sets out to clear her name and ensure her relationship with Rick remains unscathed and he remains safe. What she doesn't expect is her father has purposely entangled her in this mess because he wants her working another job with him. The job in question is to rob the Met and Martin knows that Sam never hits museums. But Martin has got himself in with burglars who carry guns, and now it isn't just the painting on the line, but Sam's neck.

Rick has no intention of sitting back and letting Sam save the day without him. After all, he was the one who was stolen from, and letting a burglar get one over on him impacts not only his personal life but his business. The people he is negotiating with see it as a weakness and try to take advantage. No way will Rick let the robber get away with it, and he'll be damned before he lets some one involve Sam in another robbery and lose her to her old life.

BPB is such a good time. Fast paced with a have you on the edge of your chair plot. The romance is there, too. Sam and Rick are now in love and after five months, things still seem too hot and too good to be true. The insecurities both characters have with their new roles in each others lives, are basic to all new romances, and Enoch did a terrific job of capturing the fragility that is newfound love and at the same time making it every girls fantasy to be with a rich, good looking, man who is head over heels in love.

I think one of the reasons I love this series of books so much is that I can imagine I am Sam. I mean, come ON, how cool would it be to be a super sexy cat burglar who gets swept off her feet by a sexy billionaire? And Enoch certainly did her research, the details she adds when Sam is on a job are fabulous and put you right in the middle of the action. You don't need to read the other two books in this series to follow along, but once again, I really must suggest it. Not only for a bit of clarity into some situations, but because they are fun to read.

Take Care

Comfort & Joy - Kristin Hannah

Oh, Lovelies! Do I have a book for you! My friend Michele sent me this book last week, and finally last night I had the time to curl up in my Breast Cancer print blanket all by myself and read. For three hours I sat in that chair, curled up in a blanket made with love and lost myself in this wonderful book. This was exactly what I was needing. That and the four day week-end I got to spend with my husband and children. The outside of our house is now decorated with care, and the tree is up and beautiful in our front room. Bear and Miss Beautiful have Christmas Wish Lists ready to present to Santa at the mall this week-end, and I have all of my shopping yet to do. Life is good. I just love this time of year, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was already counting down days to when it's over. Anyway, you came here to read a review, so without further ado...

Comfort & Joy by Kristin Hannah
(BCC)
Newly divorced, Joy Candellaro decides to break from her ordinary life and embark on a holiday adventure. A miraculous twist of fate lands her in the charming Northwest town of Rain Valley, where she meets Daniel O'Shea and his young son, Bobby. Thrown together by chance, these three souls will be touched by the true spirit of Christmas and discover what it means to be a family.

In this modern-day fairy tale of a woman caught between two lives, New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah delivers a holiday gift to treasure for years to come.

I cannot comment too much on this BCC. The book is a mere 240 pages, but within those pages, so very much happens. For the most part, this BCC does its job well.

It's Christmastime, but for high school librarian Joy, there are no feelings of good-will. She has been divorced for the past 3 months, but separated for eight months before that. Ever since the fateful day she caught her younger sister in bed with her husband, Joy's life has been turned upside-down. Upon finding out that her ex-husband and sister were to be married and have a baby, Joy takes off and heads to the airport. Once there, she sees a flight for Hope, and gets herself a ticket. Shortly after the plane is in the air, it crashes.

Miraculously, Joy is able to walk away from the crash and that is just what she does, literally. Leaves behind the wreckage and goes in search of a new life. If only for a little while. Not long after taking off, Joy stumbles upon an old Lodge that is for sale, and gets a room. The lodge is owned by Daniel and his eight-year-old son Bobby. Daniel and Bobby know loss as well. A few months before Joy arrives in their lives, they lost Maggie, Daniels ex-wife, and Bobby's very much loved mother.

It is in trying to help father and son find a way to live together and love one another again, that Joy finds herself. Not only does Joy find the truth in her feelings for her sister, but she finds herself seeing in Bobby and Daniel a family she never dreamed possible.

Written in First Person, Joy's story is a tale that will not easily be forgotten. The structure of Joy's sentences, and her descriptions of events and people, portrayed such a deep hurt I never knew could be expressed in mere words.

Joy learns so very much about herself in this book and in doing so, she showed me some inner truths as well. "...it's safe to say I'm a dreamer not a doer." Such simple words really, but boy did they strike a cord with me. The url for my person blog is dreamerbecomesdoer. I made it such because that was exactly how I felt. I was finally going to DO something that would kick-start me to writing. I have written more since starting that blog, but I'm still more of a dreamer than a doer. But after reading Joy's story, I realized that it was time for me to get on with it as well.

The book is divided into two parts with quotes and the start of each one. The quote for Part One was - " It's a dangerous business...going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to," J.R.R. Tolkien and then Part Two starts with, "You see things and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were And say, 'Why not?'" George Bernard Shaw. I loved both of these quotes, and more than anything they sum up the pages that follow.

If you want to believe in magic again. In falling in love. In family. In hope. In the incredible ability of the heart to mend. You need to read this book. Hannah delivers such a heart-warming tale, that I will be re-reading this book several times this season, and several more throughout the year. I also can't wait to get some of Hannah's backlist and her latest book Magic Hour .

If I had any complaints with C&J it would be that it ended far too soon. I wanted to know more about what happens with Joy, Daniel, and Bobby. I can only hope Hannah revisits them some day, if only a mention in another book.

Thank You, Michele, this was exactly what I needed!

Take Care