Naughty & Nice

I had wanted to read this anthology because I have been wanting to read some good contemporaries lately and I have heard good things about Ruthie Knox and Molly O'Keefe and have enjoyed Stefanie Sloane's historicals so I was very happy to win a print copy from Goodreads First Reads program!  It gave me a great taste of each authors writing and I will be on the lookout for their full lengths now for sure!

Room at the Inn by Ruthie Knox
Carson and Julie have a past and every time Carson returns home, he ends up in Julie's bed...and then leaves her.  Well, Julie has had enough of her heart being battered and tries to take a stand against Carson but as he spends time helping her fix up her inn, the mutual feelings become far to evident again.  Will Carson chose his job or Julie?  This was the longest of all the stories so there was more time to explore the feelings and I really enjoyed it.  Yes, it is a story told many times over but if this is a taste of Ruthie Knox's writing, I know I am in for a treat!  Heartwarming, sexy and a delight.  4 stars

All I Want for Christmas is You by Molly O'Keefe
Maddy is about to turn eighteen and marry her hockey player boyfriend, Billy.  All she needs to do is tell her parents, who want her to go to college and follow her dreams, not set them aside for Billy.  Will Maddy follow her heart and defy her parents wishes or take a new path?  This was a prequel of sorts for Maddy and Billys full length story, Crazy Thing Called Love (out Jan 29th) and I will definitely be picking it up now to see how this couple grows and finds each other again.  It is short but sexy and has good writing and a nice sense of family.  Looking forward to more.  3 1/2 stars

One Perfect Christmas by Stefanie Sloane
I did think it was odd having two contemps and then a historical romance but as Stefanie Sloane was the only author I was familiar with beforehand, I was looking forward to it.  Lucas and Jane are friends but when Jane gets jilted she drinks a bit too much and confesses her true feelings for Lucas...whose feelings just happen to be the same.  Yet Jane bolts early in the morning and refuses to talk to him.  What becomes clear to all around them is the feelings between Lucas and Jane and they do what they can to push them together.  A sweet, delightful Regency Christmas tale that could definitely have benefited from being a bit longer and having more of their backstory told.  Still, I liked it!  3 1/2 stars

Overall, a nice blend of Christmas romances and samples of these talented authors writing.  I know I will be picking up more from each one of them

New Covers

Just a few new covers this week. . .

Here is the cover for Stefanie Sloane's upcoming October 2012 release, The Scoundrel Takes a Bride.  I like it but it's not my favorite of hers...  This will be book five in her Regency Rogues series.

This is the start of a new series from Maggie Robinson and I expect it to be filled with steamy goodness!!  I really like this cover too...I enjoy covers that have a bit of landscape on them and we still get some eye candy :)  This one will be out in November 2012.

A lovely red cover from the delightful Delilah Marvelle.  Forever a Lady is book two of her Rumor series and is sure to be scandalous :)  Look for this one July 24th.

And one last eye-catching cover for your week from a favorite author of mine, Anna Campbell.  She just shared this one today and I am dying for the September 25th release date!!  So far away!  Currently Amazon only has the Kindle version listed but I am sure there will be a paperback as well.  I know I pre-ordered it already!  It sounds delicious! :)

Well, pretty quiet front on the covers this week but these are all books that I am anxious to read!  Did any of them catch your eye?

New Covers

Since I have had very little time to read this past week, I thought I would post some of the fabulous covers that some authors posted (mostly on Facebook) this past week or so.  First up is Shana Galens The Making of a Rogue which is now being titled The Rogue Pirates Bride.  I have yet to read the previous two books in this series but based on how much I loved Lord and Lady Spy, I will get on that before her newest is released in February 2012.  I really like this cover...the blue really pops and I love a female with a sword!  They just need to button up her shirt a bit :)

Next up is the upcoming April 2012 release from Stefanie Sloane, The Saint Who Stole My Heart: A Regency Rogues Novel. This is book four in her Regency Rogues series and is another bluish cover with some pretty yellow. 

Here is the cover for Kate Nobles If I Fall coming in April 2012 as well.  Very pretty again and different to see a full face shot head on...they always seem to be more profile like or headless.

Now this one I'm sort of on the fence about, Meredith Durans March 2012 release, At Your Pleasure. Again, nice to see a full face shot and its very sexy but it's just ok I guess to me.  Maybe it looks better in person...


Katherine Ashe and Tessa Dare both revealed upcoming covers for there books on there fun blog, The Ballroom Blog. When a Scot Loves a Lady is by Katharine Ashe and is set for release in March and is very pretty in red while Tessa Dare is set to release Once Upon a Winters Eve on Nov 15th as a holiday novella for her new Spindles Cove series.  The green seems to be a perfect choice for the holidays.

Overall, a nice variety of colors that will be sure to grab your attention next spring!  Have you seen any covers that you just love lately?  Do you enjoy all of the above covers as well?

The Sinner Who Seduced Me by Stefanie Sloane

This is just a quick review as real life is quite busy at the moment!

This is book three of Stefanie Sloanes debut trilogy this year and while I liked it, I didn't really love it either but I think that was because I personally don't like to read a lot of the 'secret spy' type stories so maybe if I had waited a bit after reading The Angel in My Arms: A Regency Rogues Novel I might have enjoyed it a bit more.  That being said, if you have not read The Angel in My Arms: A Regency Rogues Novel yet, I suggest that you do first as something quite shocking in there leads to the events that happen in this book.

James Marlowe is undercover on a dangerous mission and it is thrown into more upheaval when his first love, Lady Clarissa Collins is forced to portray her male painter teacher in order to protect her mother.  Clarissa is furious to be in the care of the man who broke her heart but James had his reasons for saying what he did at the time and neither has really recovered from it.  There is quite a bit of back and forth on this subject and I wish it had been cleared up a bit sooner but James and Clarissa obviously still have strong feelings for each other that leads to some funny and hot encounters.  Will James come clean about his past, not to just Clarissa and her mother, but to his friends as well?  And will James and Clarissa be able to move on from their past to find happiness together for the future?  If you have enjoyed Stefanie Sloanes previous books, this is another solid addition to the series and I look forward to more books next year.  3 1/2 stars

The Angel in My Arms by Stefanie Sloane

After reading Ms Sloanes debut novel, The Devil in Disguise: A Regency Rogues Novel, I was a bit disappointed with it, mostly with the editing of the novel that I think hinder my opinion of it a bit.  Still I was looking forward to trying out the next book in the series, The Angel in My Arms: A Regency Rogues Novel and I am happy to say Stephanie Sloane delivered a good book with a good story and no major editing issues this time!

Miss Sarah Tisdale is a delightful heroine!  She is bold, feisty, a bit silly and flighty and I really enjoyed her!  (I just read Love in the Afternoon (Hathaways, Book 5) and she reminded be a bit of Beatrix).  She encounters Marcus MacInnes, Earl of Weston, one afternoon in quite an improper way as her brother, Nigel and her are swimming.  Sarahs enormous beast of a dog, Titus, also makes quite a wet impression and a bit of humor to the story.  And so with this awkward, unusual first encounter Marcus and Sarah being their relationship with both of them not wanting to like the other.  Unfortunately, Sarah quickly realizes that all these silly arguments the two share means she truly likes him.  And also, unfortunately for Marcus he has a hard time getting Sarah out of his head and letting her distract him from the real reason her returned to his estate---to watch the Tisdale family to see if they are involved in a smuggling ring with ties to Napoleon.  Marcus is half Scottish and half English so he has never really been embraced from either culture and left town to get away from the criticism but with Sarahs help, he gradually sees how his estate and people truly are once they get to know the actual man.

This is just a quick review but overall I was much happier with this book than his predecessor and I am looking forward to starting The Sinner Who Seduced Me: A Regency Rogues Novel soon and more books from what is sure to be a shining star in historical romance soon!  If you enjoy a delightful heroine and a slight broodish hero whos Scottish accent appears occasionally and a bit of intrigue on top of that, grab this one!  4 stars

Upcoming July Releases

Here are a few of the upcoming historical romance books being releases in July~

These two were just released today from Sourcebooks Casablanca and both look promising for new to me authors: 

Here are the new releases from Avon on July 26:
 

I have Miranda Nevilles ready to read from Netgalley and am looking forward to it.  But once again, I want to read everything Avon is publishing for the month.  I will probably wait on the new Warren book as it is part of a series and I have to read in order otherwise...hear you go Avon....take my money, lol!

Here are a couple other releases for the month that I am looking forward to as well:

 

I have the Kasey Michaels and Jennifer Haymore novels from Netgalley and they are both new to me authors so looking forward to trying them!  Very excited about the new Victoria Dahl....she is one of my favorite contemporary authors but I wasn't thrilled with her last historical I read (A Little Bit Wild) but I love the cover of this one so heres hoping I like it a bit more!  The Sinner Who Seduced Me: A Regency Rogues Novel is the third in her Regency Rogues books and while I liked the first one (The Devil in Disguise: A Regency Rogues Novel) I wasn't thrilled with it, especially the editing but I do The Angel in My Arms: A Regency Rogues Novel on the way from the library to read so I am hoping the editing is better and the story moves a bit better because I love these covers and the author is so friendly on Facebook and I really want to enjoy her books!

Overall, not a bad month!  Lots of goodies to choose from and still many more I didn't mention!  Hope you can find something for yourself~