Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

Hey there, I know it's been a while, and I apologize. We've been running a contest so I chose to use that as my excuse not to post a review. Not a very good excuse, I know, but I've been busy! I'll probably be very busy for the next few months because I have taken a job and I work nights. One of the really hard things about this job is that it is for a major (and when I say major, that is an understatement) internet company that supplies just about everything under the sun, including books. The books being everywhere is what makes it really hard for me. I see all those books and just want to sit down in an aisle and read. Not good, I think I would get fired if I ever gave into that temptation. The good thing about this job, is it is only temporary and will help us get through Christmas and still be sane. Also, there is a TON of walking involved with this job and I should be very skinny when it is all over. Yay, for skinny! And now, I'll get on with the review.....

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

Let us start with the BCC, shall we? As you know by now, I don't normally read it. I did, however, read it this time, because I (ducking my head because I know I'm not in the majority here) am not a very big fan of Weiner's work and needed to know what the story was about. I had previously read In Her Shoes and was very disappointed in it and had vowed I would not be reading her again. But, when my sister sent me this and told me I HAD to read it, it was so GOOD! I would LOVE it, she promised, so I read the BCC and thought, huh, why not? The BCC to follow is in blue and my comments are the black.


Jennifer Weiner's richest, wittiest, most true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate one of life's most wonderful and perilous transitions: the journey of new motherhood. Sounds promising.

Becky is a plump, sexy chef who has a wonderful husband and baby girl, a restaurant that's received citywide acclaim-and the mother-in-law from hell. Kelly is an event planner who's struggling to balance work and motherhood while dealing with an unemployed husband who seems content to channel-surf for eight hours a day. Ayinde's basketball superstar husband breaks her trust at her most vulnerable moment, putting their new family even more in the public eye. Then there's Lia, a Philadelphia native who has left her Hollywood career behind, along with her husband, and a tragic secret to start her life all over again. Wait a minute, didn't the first paragraph say THREE women? Why are there FOUR listed here? Let me just re-check. Yep. THREE women is what it says. Let me just count, 1 - Becky, 2 - Kelly, 3 - Ayinde, and sure enough, there it is, 4 - Lia.

From prenatal yoga to postbirth sex, Little Earthquakes is a frank, funny, fiercely perceptive take on the comedies and tragedies of love and marriage.

The book is separated into months, and those months have a scene from each woman's POV. Lia's POV's are always first person and Becky, Kelly, and Ayinde are all written in 3rd Om. The fact that Lia was written in First and she is the first one we are introduced to, made me think of the book as hers. For some reason, this made it incredibly hard for me to bond with the other women.

I think for me, the main reason I didn't like the book much, was the ending. I never got that feeling of closure that I like with my books. It felt rushed and messy, and while I understand that life itself is fairly rushed and messy, I like my books to have a neat and tidy ending. They don't have to be happy endings (although I do love me a happy ending) but they do need to wrap things up nicely, and I didn't feel that this book did that.

Perhaps another reason for my dislike could be that there was a lot of bitching about how tough being a mother was. It is hard, I'll be the first to admit that. However, it is also wonderful to an extent that cannot be measured. The instances where the mothers felt or saw the joy in having a child were too few and far between. For me, it felt like mostly the babies were excuses for some of the unbelievable behavior of these women.

Also, the way in which the women handled some of the situations that arose in their lives just angered me. I wanted to throw the book across the room more than once because I felt the women had no back-bone, yet I knew that to not be the case, so why would the writer make them so STRONG in some situations, yet so positively WEAK and STUPID in other areas.

I'm not completely disappointed that I read this book. However, I probably won't be giving Weiner another try. She didn't get me with 'Hello', and she completely lost me with the 'How's it going?'

Take Care

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

"Naw, Jem, I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks." Scout, from To Kill a Mockingbird

I can't think of a more profound line, in any book save the Bible, that totally captures my feelings about the world that we inhabit. Harper Lee, the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, could not have better summed up my feelings if she had asked me herself what I thought. How, in 1961, did a Southern woman writer create a work of art that still has the power to move people? I only wish I knew.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time almost 20 years ago. It was required reading in one of my English classes, so I read it. It wasn't a book that I would have normally read on my own, since it had nothing to do with romance or mythology. However, I can remember being moved by the story of Scout and Jem, their father Atticus, and the small Alabama town in which they lived. I had no idea how much the story said, or even what it said, the first time I read it. I just knew that I'd read something wonderful, something that brought that small town alive in my head. I understood Scout's struggle to figure out her place in her town, to untangle the mysteries of race and inequality, to fight against hypocrisy.

Jean Louise (Scout) Finch is growing up in Maycomb county, Alabama, during the Great Depression. She lives with her father, Atticus, the town lawyer. Her idol is her older brother, Jem. Calpurnia, the negro family housekeeper, is a major force in young Scout's life. Unlike many other families that Scout encounters, hers is near the top of the social ladder of her small town. Scout tries, throughout the book, to make sense of the class structure that seems to govern her life. Sometimes she's successful, sometimes she isn't. Throughout it all though, Scout learns that the true value of any person lies not in the eyes of their society, but in the heart of each individual person. Worth and value have nothing to do with skin color or social status. Every person is an individual, regardless of any instances of mob mentality.

I loved this book 20 years ago, but I don't know that I would have re-read it if it weren't for my husband. He sent me a link to a Google site that talks about Banned Book Week. Over 40 of Radcliffe Publishing House's 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century have been either challenged or banned. To Kill a Mockingbird is on that list of banned/challenged books. Being the slightly rebellious and intensely curious person that I am, I decided to re-read TKAM, and try to figure out just why the book has caused such an uproar. I mean, I have a high-schooler, and 5 more headed in that direction eventually. I should really know what they're supposed to be reading, right? So in I dove, and I didn't come to the surface for air for almost 20 hours.

What I've finally decided is that the challenges and banning of books boils down to fear and ignorance. I'm not calling people stupid (though I may have used that word in a fit of anger earlier when trying to explain this to my oldest child). I just think that ignorance is rampant these days, especially in regards to what people want to hide from other people. I'm NOT an African American. I'm not a Black, or a negro person. I can't even begin to comprehend some of the things that they have experienced, even in very recent history. However, I do belong to a minority, and I know how touchy I can be about certain things. I'm a Native American, of the Cheyenne tribe. My father likes to remind me that I'm an "Indian Princess", and he's not exaggerating. So I know a little bit about racism. Granted, my skin pigment isn't all that dark, and I'm usually mistaken for a Mexican (which carries it's own set of prejudices), but I can still understand the concept, ok? Yet, I can't find anything in this book that is malicious to any group of people.

Ms. Lee shows how it was in many small Southern towns during the great Depression. She doesn't try to hide the racism, she brings it right out into the open. You see it all through Scout's eyes, and it isn't always pretty. However, that's exactly what makes this book so incredible. The ugliness and the evil aren't hidden, the author doesn't try to pretend they don't exist. The reader sees them as Scout sees them, and they are ever-present parts of daily life. The difference with this book is that Ms. Lee doesn't try to excuse them, or justify them. She tells, through Scout's voice, just how wrong these things are. As the reader, you are exposed to hypocrisy (the missionary ladies that want to bring Christianity to tribes in Africa, yet think the black townspeople are getting too full of themselves), bigotry (Mrs. Dubose down the street, that doesn't approve of Atticus' new client), and family strife (Scout's own family is angry because Atticus is defending a black man accused of raping a white woman). While Scout realizes how prevalent these things are in her life, the reader has the chance to recognize a few things as well.

Racism still happens today. You really can't deny that. We may be moving forward, but we still have a long way to go. However, trying to ban a book because it uses the "N" word or other racial slurs, or because the reality that it presents is something you'd rather forget ever happened, is just NOT the answer. You can't hide the books and pretend these things never happened just because you're ashamed of them. Banning books is NEVER the answer.

Overcome your fears and pick this book up. Read it through and tell me if this story isn't beautiful. If you hate it, tell me that as well. I want to hear it. I can take it.

There are books and websites dedicated to unraveling this literary hunk of gold, and you can find a few of them here.

"But remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." - Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird

SEPTEMBER CONTEST!! WIN WIN WIN!!!

In honor of Banned Books Week (September 23-30), we're having a contest!

I'm doing a review on a Pulitzer Prize winning book that is on the Radcliffe Publishing list of the 100 best novels of the 20th century. It is one of the 42 books on that list that has been either banned or challenged. To see a list of all 42 books, click here.

What does my review have to do with the contest? EVERYTHING. Here's the deal:

- I will post my review on September 23, 2006.
- You will have ONE WEEK to either a) make a comment OR b) link to your own post/blog in a comment. Your comment/post/blog should tell me why/how one of the 42 books on the list made an impact on your life.
- You MUST comment/review a book from the list of the 42 banned/challenged books. While I know that there are many other very special books out there, this is Banned Book Week, and we're doing our part to promote some of these books that have been dissed over the years.
- One winner will be chosen in a random drawing, from all entries received. Your entry must be posted or linked by 1159pmEST, September 30, 2006. Late entries can not be accepted. If you are having problems posting a link, or commenting, please send me an e-mail (clancys7@hotmail.com) and I will post your entry for you.

I almost forgot about the prize...

The winner will receive a gift card for $20 from the bookseller of their choice. If you want one from Borders, just tell me. If you want a B&N, let me know. If you gotta have Amazon, clue me in. Really, any national bookseller that you choose will do, as long as it's possible for me to get the GC from them.

Now check that link and tell me how those banned or challenged books made a difference in your life!

1118

Smitten

Alright, confession time again - I read this book quite a while ago, but just had to do the other reviews first. Also, (Super Big Confession Alert) I wasn't sure I was even going to READ this book. That was, until I saw a review Marg had done on her blog Reading Adventures . I am a HUGE fan of The Plum Series , but have had a very hard time getting into the re-released romances of hers. I was pleasantly surprised by this one, and I think you will be, too.

Smitten by Janet Evanovich
Back Cover Copy

Ummmm. There is none. Just a pic of Evanovich. I suppose her name is enough to sell this one.

Basically, Smitten, the story of Lizabeth Kane, a divorced single mother of two young boys, who is in desperate need of a job. After being told she was under-qualified or over-qualified (I just looked at this, and when I did spell check I didn't pay much attention obviously, for it changed those two words to underclassmen and over zealous,lol), for many jobs, her hopes hand on getting job working construction.

Matt Hallahan owns the construction company that Lizabeth wants to work for, and he's not quite sure this little whip of a woman is cut out for the job. But, she's determined and he hasn't the heart to tell her no. Plus, she's awful cute.

Lizabeth and Matt experience instant chemistry. This is a short and sweet book, it has what I feel, were many characters that were probably used as place holders for some of the Plum book characters. It also has a naked stalker and lots of funny little bits.

If you want something light and fluffy, this is the book for you. I had it read in two hours, so it was a great way to kill some time. Enjoy

Take Care

Werewolf Rising, reviewed by Michael

From Dee:
I know you've been waiting for this for a while. Well, so I have. Finally though, I have a day off, and I can be around when my oldest son, Michael (seen here) does his first ever book review for our book blog. He read "Werewolf Rising" by R. L. LaFevers. If you'll recall, Robin (R.L.) was here last month, when the book first came out. She very generously donated a signed copy of her book for our very first contest winner. So, without further ado, here is what Michael has to say about the book...

WARNING: Michael has included a few SPOILERS!! Sorry to anyone that read the review before I posted the warning. Don't be too mad at him, he's never done this before. He got a little excited seeing his picture up there, what can I say?

The main character in this book is Luc. Luc is almost thirteen when the book starts. He lives with his aunt and uncle, because his parents are dead. He doesn't really like living with his aunt and uncle because his uncle is mean to him.

Luc has nightmares. He dreams about a beast. He thinks HE is the beast. As his 13th birthday gets closer, Luc starts to change. He can run faster, and he wants to eat squirrels. He's normally a slow motion guy, and a vegetarian.

Luc's other uncle, Ranger, shows up to take Luc away to where the rest of Luc's family lives. Ranger then tells Luc that his family is made up of wolves, and Luc is also a wolf. Luc doesn't believe Ranger at first, until Ranger turns into a wolf in front of Luc. Luc is nervous and excited at the same time.

Luc learns that his parents are dead because of wolf hunters. He also learns that his other uncle was part of their death. Luc is angry with his uncle about this. He runs away to find his uncle.

I liked this book. It had wolves in it, and I like wolves. The wolves ate weird things, like big deer. It was a book, but it was more like an action movie. Luc doesn't really think everything is fair in the pack, but he still likes the pack better than where he was living before. He feels like he finally found a home in the pack. At the end, there was a big wolf beside him, and they were running, and they went home together. Home is where all of the good things happen.

I hope that Robin writes another book. It doesn't have to be about Luc, but I like her writing. I liked the "Falconmaster" and the "Lowthar's Blade" trilogy. They're really cool. I think everybody else should read her books too.

A Kiss Of Shadows

If you have already read this book, you know it isn't a newly released book. It is, however, new to me. So, I thought I'd review it, because hey, I read it!

I used to be a big fan of Hamilton's Anita Blake series, but lately, she's really seemed to forget who Anita was. I don't mind character growth, especially in a series, after all, character growth is essential to keep a series alive. The problem is, Anita isn't even remotely who she used to be. In the last few books, the Anita I fell in love with is gone, and she has been replaced by some one I really, REALLY, don't like. All the books seem the same any more, Anita has sex, Anita finds out she has a new power, Anita has more sex. Not much fun in reading any more.

So, I was so very thrilled to read the first book in the Merry Gentry series, and find that I loved it. I'm the type of person who just hates to lose a favorite author, and if I hadn't read Merry I would have probably given up on Laurell K Hamilton .

A Kiss Of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
(BCC)

Meredith Gentry, princess of the high court of faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a P.I. specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen's assassin has been dispatched to fetch her back - whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Meredith finds herself a pawn in her aunt's deadly game. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown - and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death.

I really can't pick apart this BCC too much because they pretty much hit the nail on the head. So, instead I think I'll just give my opinion on the book (opinionated thing, aren't I?).

I really liked Merry. She's not full faerie, and is mortal, unlike her fellow sidhe. She is beautiful, of course, but she is also tough, and smart, both qualities I like very much in the books I read. I don't want to waste my time reading about some dumb bimbo who can't fend for herself. No need to worry, Merry can kick ass and take names all on her own.

Another thing I think I'm going to like about the Merry books is, unless she turns into a wimp or a prude, there isn't much room for Merry to deviate from who she starts out as. Merry is sexual, it is just the way of the faerie, she is sidhe, but not wholly so.

From the time she was sixteen she resided in the Unseelie Court, where her Aunt is the queen. Her uncle is the King of the Seelie Court, but the Seelie Court view themselves as the most beautiful and the best of the faerie and are very selective of who can be apart of their court, in the Unseelie Court, every one is welcome. This means that Merry grew up knowing monsters.

Merry's cousin Cel hates her. He is second in line for the thrown and sees her as his enemy. Merry had fled the courts because she kept getting challenged in Duels and was afraid for her life. Cel was behind these duels (basically a legal assassination attempt) but his mother was blind to her son's wrong doings. We mothers can be like that, huh?

After being on the run for three years, the Queen has decided she wants Merry home. When Merry finds her cover blown she takes off to hide. Only you cannot hide from the Queen of Air and Darkness. All it will take is some one to whisper her name and the Queen will hear it and know where she is.

Once Merry is back at the Unseelie Court she finds that her aunt does not want her dead, in fact she wants to make her her heir. Whoever has a child first, Merry or Cel, will be the next to sit on the throne.

This book was so action packed and had some really very hot scenes. The world Hamilton creates for Merry is filled with magic. If you like fantasy, mystery, and paranormal, this is the book for you!

Take Care

Just For Kicks

I told ya, I've been a reading fool lately! This makes four posts in a row for me and I still have several more to go, AND I'm going to the mall in a nearby town tomorrow, and this mall has a book store, so I will have many more reviews coming up! I also see that our stat counter is going up, up, UP, yet comments are still sparse. Drop us a line, wouldya? That way we know what you think. Let us know how we can improve and if there is a book you'd like to see our thoughts on. We love comments here! So don't be shy and jump right in!!!

I also want to give a big THANK YOU! to author R.L. LaFevers , she is the wonderful one that made it possible for us to run our first ever contest , for her generous donation of two sets of her Lowthar's Blade Trilogy for my schools library! I have already told the librarians and they are super excited! We have over 1,000 kids in our school this year, and unfortunately, our library is seriously outdated and in need of books. The kids are so totally gonna dig these books!

And now, without further ado.......

Just For Kicks by Susan Andersen
(Back Cover Copy)

Las Vegas showgirl Carly Jacobsen keeps finding out the hard way that her idea of fun differs radically from that of her neighbor Wolfgang Jones. Sure, he looks incredible, and he seems to have a thing for her legs, but the man is a robot. So what's with their chemistry?

Wolf has noticed Carly's legs, because they're always tangled up in leashes attached to her ridiculous assortment of pets. She's a pain, she's wacky, she's always in the way and yet for some reason he can't keep her out of his thoughts.

When a moment of weakness leads to some serious sheet-scorching sex, the two discover at least one area where they do both have fun. But outside the bedroom the stakes are getting higher, and love might come down to a roll of the dice...

I just want to know who the hell wrote that dribble? First of all, Wolf never, NOT ONCE, in the entire book runs into Carly as she is walking her dogs. Second of all, the only unruly dog she has would be Rufus, and his main problem is barking. Third of all, I can, in all honesty say, that I don't remember Wolf being that obsessed with Carly's legs. He's a guy, so yeah, he mentions them some, but give me a break, she's a SHOW GIRL, of course he's gonna notice those legs!

Also, in this book Wolf finds himself the guardian of his nephew - and I want you to listen up you BCC writers - THIS PLAYS A BIG PART IN THE BOOK!!!! If I were new to Andersen's books, I probably would not have given this one a second glance. And that would have been YOUR fault! It also would have been a shame, because this book is really, really very good.

At the start of every book, Anderson writes the reader a little note telling us about the book. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE BACK COVER! She describes the book so well. She captures the essence of what it is all about. FAMILY. Believe it or not. This book is more about family than not. Wolf and his nephew. Carly and the family of friends she has assembled.

Anderson has a way with the pen, dear blog reader. She has a knack for capturing your heart and heating your blood all at the same time. Carly is a kind hearted show girl working in an up-scale Vegas casino. Wolf is a hard ass Security Specialist working at the same casino. They also happen to be neighbors.

Carly has a soft spot for animals, especially those that have no where else to go. Her menagerie is a lovable lot, and you find yourself wishing you had all of these great animals. The main source of Carly and Wolf's tension is her one barking dog, and I have to say, I can relate. Our neighbors have a dog that barks ALL DAMN NIGHT. Drives me up a wall some nights.

Wolf has no soft spots. Well, that's what you think when you first meet him. This doesn't make him unlikeable though. In fact, it sort of made me feel sorry for him. He has a plan and he has been focusing on that plan since he was 16. He was an army brat, and being uprooted from city to city, country to country, and embassy to embassy, he wants nothing more than to accomplish his goals and find the stability he craves.

When Wolf's parents show up to leave his nephew with him, Wolf's life is turned upside down. By this point he has already discovered he shares physical chemistry with Carly, but it is his nephew, Nik, that helps to bring him and Carly together even more.

I loved that Andersen gave Nik a voice in this book. Seeing things from his POV was a real eye opener, and she wrote him so very well. I don't think every one could write a 17 year old boy better than she did.

Combine all of the above with some seriously hot and steamy scenes and a stalker and you have an excellent book. Just For Kicks is the follow up book to Skintight so we get to see some of the characters from that one in this. Andersen stayed true to those characters and I cannot thank her enough for that. This is a stand alone though, so don't worry if you haven't read Skintight you don't need to in order to follow along. It is just nice to see old friends again.

I love all of Andersen's books, but I think this one may have kicked her book Hot & Bothered to the number 2 slot for me. Both books are incredibly touching and did I mention HOT!!!!

Take Care

Gotta Cut Loose - FOOTLOOSE!

But keep on them Bellagio Shoes. Yeah, that was my attempt at channeling the song Footloose by Kenny Loggins . I did a horrible job, but I gotta tell you - Leanne Banks nails it with her latest release Footloose . Before I begin today's review, I have a few confessions to make. Confession # 1 - I actually read two other books before this for reviews but I loved this book so much I had to review it first. Confession # 2 - This is NOT the first time I have gushed about Leanne Banks and Confession # 3 - This will, much like my last review, be a total Fan Girl Squee Fest. I'm thinking I should make my own little alert symbol for that, because the list of authors who cause me to give a FGSF is getting l - o - n -g, dear readers! Plus, Leanne holds a special place in my heart because I've won one of her contests and she threw in extra stuffs for little ole me, and that was just too cool. I don't win much (can't say never since obviously I have now won sumpin') so the fact that she made it extra special for me was great! With all of that said........ON WITH THE FGSF - I mean review.

Footloose by Leanne Banks - (Back Cover Copy) Even on a tropical getaway, a girl's got to watch out for the sharks... Think working for a leading international shoe company sounds like a dream job? Not if you're Amelia Parker, an overworked, downtrodden temp working for Bellagio, Inc.'s grande dame, Lillian Bellagio. But things are looking up for Amelia. She's just been given the assignment of accompanying Ms. Bellagio to her estate in the Keys. Trading pumps for flip-flops and a cell phone for a conch shell - could be worse, right?

Especially when life on the island includes her very own misery man - one Jack "The Shark" O'Connell, dashing venture capitalist. He dares Amelia to use this time to do something wild: drink a hurricane, go skinny-dipping...Have an affair with a dangerously attractive man. Now Amelia will have to decided whether to step into that glass slipper.

Okay now, I just had to look up the word downtrodden in the dictionary, because I thought I knew what it meant, and that is a word I would not use to describe Amelia in this book. And now that I looked up the meaning, I still wouldn't use that word to describe Amelia. Heartbroken? Yes. Downtrodden? Not so much.

You all know how much merit I put into Back Cover Copy anyway (translation: I pay the stuff as little attention as possible because they hardly ever get it right) and truth be told, the first time I even looked at it was to type it above. I didn't need anything to sell me on this book, I was already sold. I loved the first books (Feet First and Underfoot ) that were set in the world of Bellagio Shoes, so I would have read this book if it simply said - Girl meets boy and BAM. Seriously.

Amelia Parker is Bellagio, Inc.'s super temp. She is assigned to whatever department that needs her and she solves their crisis de jour. She is great at turning chaos into order. This is how she finds herself in the Florida Keys working as Lillian Bellagio's assistant. Bellagio needs some one that can appease their toughest board member. Fresh from her third and final break from Will, her long term (and I mean since elementary school, long term) fiance, Amelia decides to use her time in paradise to transform her life. As she sits in a Tiki Bar drinking a Hurricane and working on her New Life To Do List, she meets Jack O'Connell.

Jack O'Connell is in the Florida Keys to wrap up some business of his own with Lillian Bellagio. As he sits at the bar sipping a Corona he sees Amelia working on her list and is compelled to meet her. Noticing her wallet sitting on the ground he seizes his opportunity to talk to the most interesting looking woman in the place. Jack is most delighted to learn that the fascinating woman with her list, just happens to work for the same woman he is brokering a deal with. What could possibly be wrong with having a little fun and getting some valuable company information at the same time?

For their time in the Key's Jack helps Amelia with her list and makes sure that most of his additions include the word naked. Amelia is different from any woman Jack has ever known. He knows that she just came out of a long term relationship and he knows that this should just be temporary. Just as Amelia knows that Jack should just be her temporary fling to get her world turning on its axis correctly again. So why is it that when Jack has to leave they both find themselves missing the other.

In fact, Jack has to leave to take his seat on the board at Bellagio. When Jack realizes how much he misses Amelia, he makes it possible for her to get a promotion and get herself back to Bellagio headquarters and closer to him. As soon as Amelia arrives back, she sees Jack and is instantly angry with him for letting her be the mole the company suspects he has. She feels betrayed and used. Jack realizes it is going to take some doing to get her back in his bed and in his quest to win her over again, they both realize they need each other.

The ending of this book was Romance at its best. Every girl will wish she had a Jack when she reads the ending of this book. Leanne did it again and I am in awe. Not only was this book HOT HOT HOT it was sweet in the sweetest of ways.

What was so interesting about this book for me was, it felt much more like Jack's story than Amelia's. The book is written in 3rd Limited (which you know I love) and most POV is Amelia's. But the growth and pain that is Jack's just stole my heart. My only regret that I read this book is in knowing it was the last book to be released that deal with the world of Bellagio Shoes. I love reading books that have ties to each other. Every book of the three is a stand alone and they indeed stand alone quite nicely. But, it is so neat to read a book and see the hero and heroine from a previous book resurface. It is like reconnecting with a good friend and getting to catch up with their lives.

I really enjoyed this book and I know you will too! So what are you waiting for? Go read it now! I know I will have it in the re-read pile!

Take Care

It's All About The Nerds Baby!!!

To tell you the truth, this will probably seem more like a FanGirl Squee Fest than an actual book review. I absolutely ADORE Vicki Lewis Thompson and her Nerd Books. As soon as I have one of these babies in my hot little hands, I read it all in one sitting. I don't drink the words in, I gulp them. For me, reading is the ultimate escape. I love to read books that let me experience a different life from my own, for just that few hours. Now, don't get me wrong, my life is actually quite nice, but a little bit of fantasy never hurt any one. And I gotta tell you, the nerds in these books really know how to get a girl's imagination fired up!

Nerds Like It Hot is Thompson's latest release of her wildly popular Nerd Books. This makes book number 6 for the nerds, and they just keep getting better and better and hotter and hotter.

(Back Cover Copy) She's unleashed her inner vixen.... Hollywood makeup artist Gillian McCormick wouldn't normally be caught dead on a cruise aimed at single geeks. But as the sole witness to a murder, hiding out may be her only chance at staying alive. With P.I. Lex Manchester guarding her, and a voluptuous disguise in place of her plain-Jane wardrobe, Gillian should be safe....if she can resist a titanic attraction to Lex that's making her fantasize about some extra-naughty cruise activities....

He's rediscovered his inner nerd.....Lex thought he had left behind his nerdy ways, but his suave demeanor has no chance against Gillian's bombshell image and smart, sexy woman within. And when the scent of seduction wafts through the sea air, what's a red-blooded male to do?

And the passion they've found is about to get out of contol..... With a passenger list that includes a mobster on a mission, a cross-dressing sociopath, and hundreds of lusty nerds, Lex must find a way to keep Gillian safe - and prove that he's truly her nerd for all seasons....

ARGH!!! I had this wonderful post all made up and then BOOM, Blogger decided it wasn't good enough and ate half of it. Thank You, Blogger.

Anyway, ever since I discovered the nerd books, I haven't been able to pass one by. I have all of the previous ones and this latest makes book 6 for the nerds. These aren't series books by the way, they are simply stand alones with the same theme - Nerds who are HOT!!!

Thompson writes in a way that just sucks you in. Once you start one of these books, you just cannot put them down. I mean, come on, where else can you find murder, mystery, love, steamy sex, mobsters, aging starlets and cross dressers? That's right, no where. Plus, I'm a HUGE nerd at heart. I was in NHS in high school, I played in the band, and loved anything that included learning. Finally, Thompson has showed the world that us nerds are not just frumpy brainiacs that don't know how to have fun.

In Nerds Like It Hot Gillian is set to go on a pleasure cruise designed with the nerd in mind. Too bad that Gillian is running for her life and can't just relax with her hunk bodyguard Lex. Or can she?

If you are looking for a great, fun read, pick this baby up right now and prepare for a wild ride. Thompson is a master of the nerd. So, if you haven't read any of these books yet, be prepared to NEVER look at nerds the same way.

Take Care