What are you reading Week of April 9

Someone mentioned Blow Me Down by Katie MacAlister the other day and I was intrigued, so I'm starting that today. Again, I don't usually read contemporary romance, but it combined two of my favorite things: computer games and pirates!

katybear-I read Blow Me Down last week and thought it was pretty cute, I hope you enjoy it!

Today I started Carved in Stone by Vickie Taylor which is about a gargoyle. About a year ago I read Marjorie Liu's short story about a gargoyle and just fell in love with the idea of them as romantic heros. I was happy to hear of another book along the same lines.

I was in a mood & for some reason, none of my recent purchases were calling to me, so I decided I would go back & re-read my Linda Howard books from the very beginning (which I had kept telling myself I was going to do). Wow, never thought I'd say this, but All that Glitters was really awful! It was written in 1982 & it was her 1st published book, but it was really bad! I guess it was good in 1982; can't remember what I thought of it back then, but I must have liked it then because I kept it. I was afraid to continue with her next book, An Independent Wife so I'm reading the new Beverly Barton, The Dying Game, and I'm DYING to get off work so I can continue reading it! LOL :)

This weekend I reread a couple of old favorites by Julie Garwood. I love The Wedding, The Secret and The Bride.

Then I just finished Samantha James' new book The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell. It was execellent. I could not put it down! I liked the characters and the plot. It was quite touching!
Now I am on to Edith Layton's How To Seduce A Bride.

I finished Skintight by Susan Andersen her first book in the Las Vegas showgirls series and started the next one Just for the kicks.

Julia

I am reading The Survivors, Dinah McCall's newest book.

CC

I've been on a Christie Ridgway kick this week, and am really enjoying them. So far I've read Do Not Disturb, First Comes Love, and Then Comes Marriage. She really has a flair for writing passionate relationships.

I just finished The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday and i loved it!

Next I'm going to start Through A Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen.

Today I read Guardians: Nevermore by Maureen Child.

I spent a very satisfying reading day by rereading the McKade Brothers series by Nora Roberts. They came out in the late 90's and held up rather well, I thought.

I also re-read Kleypas' Scandal in Spring and liked it less this time than I did in the first. I know it's been said alot in all the threads Devil in Winter was definitely the best in the Wallflower series.

Finally, struggled through Touching Evil by Kay Hooper wow...bad.

Finished Honeymoon Suite by Lynn Michaels (pretty good - I have enjoyed the first three of this series so far including Mother of the Bride and Return Engagement).

Next up is Hide by Lisa Gardner.

And I have two more waiting for me at the library...

I forgot my book at home this morning and out of desperation grabbed the only book in the convenience store that looked like it might entertain me. That happened to be And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke.
This is the first time I've read anything by this author, and I'm almost half-way through (which might be due to the fact that I'm trying to avoid homework).

I'm going to a conference in sunny San Antonio for the rest of the week, and I can't decide what to bring, so I'm stuffing my suitcase with as much of my TBR pile as I can fit! So far, I've crammed in:

Never Seduce a Scoundrel and Only a Duke Will Do - from the School for Heiresses series by Sabrina Jeffries

Splendid, Dancing at Midnight, and Minx - by Julia Quinn

The Texan's Wager - by Jodi Thomas

The Dream-Hunter - by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I may have to hit a bookstore at some point while I'm down there also...

Read Fair Play by Deirdre Martin. I like sports romances but I thought this one was a little painful. Theresa did not deserve Michael at all.

I finished Carved in Stone last night, but my mom hasn't returned My Big, Fat, Supernatural Wedding yet. So, I think I'll read another YA while I'm waiting, Pretties by Scott Westerfeld, but I'm not sure. I also have Demon Angel, Over the Moon and Forced Mate (I was curious) in my library tbr stack. I guess I'll truly decide what to read next when I'm walking out the door.

I just read One Knight Stands by Jocelyn Kelley last night. I liked it, but it wasn't too believable a romance. All that the couple had was sexual attraction, which is fine, but I guess I prefer a little more depth if I'm going to believe they're going to be together forever. :p

I just got Sugar Daddy, the new contemporary from Lisa Kleypas, from my public library and am enjoying it. I am about half way through and it seems like all I've read so far has just been setting the scene, but, having lived in the area described in the book, I really identify with the scene Lisa sets. I'm going to the conference Katybear refered to in #13, so I don't know how much time I'll have to read this week, but I'm looking forward to finishing the book. Since the conference is in my home town, I'm expected to go to work AND go to the conference.
Katybear, if you see this in the next 3 days, come by booth 2111 and visit with me.

Richard

I'm currently reading The Leopard Prince. It's a fast read, but I'm not particularly fond of the writing style so far. (I'm sorry that I've panned everything I've read, but I'm extremely picky. Unfortunately.)

Just finished And Then He Kissed Her. It was definitely a quick read, but it never really sparked for me. The romance was supposed to grow gradually, but since most of that seemed to happen 'off-stage' so to speak it didn't really work for me.
The very last scene was adorable, though.

#17
Richlib,
I can't wait to read that book. I'm on a waiting list. Last time I checked I'm number 60 in line.LOL. Good thing the library system is big and there are many copies floating around so hopefully I shouldn't have to wait too long.

While I'm waiting, I'm reading A Kiss of Shadows again.

BL79, have you tried looking for Sugar Daddy on one of the bookswapping sites?

Bunny, I love Hoyt's writing style. The Leopard Prince and The Raven Prince are on my keeper shelf. I thought they were excellent. I am anxiously awaiting the release of The Serpent Prince.

Caramel, thanks for the review on And Then He Kissed Her. I was debating whether to get it, now I won't bother.

I just finished The Survivors. It was a typical McCall suspense thriller. I started The Rogue's Bride by Leslie LaFoy at lunch today, the second in her series about three illegitimate daughters of a Duke. The first, Her Scandalous Marriage, was very good.

CC

The reason I haven't been around much is that, for the past month, I've been helping to move a library. It's all moved now and the new one is wonderful. It has lots of bells and whistles (literally and figuratively). I'm trying to keep up with the posts here, though, so I can see what's hot and what's not. I did want to share that I just finished Worth Any Price by Kleypas and it's the best one I've read by her so far.

I finished Just for the kicks by Susan Andersen this morning and am going to start So speaks the heart by Johanna Lindsey on my lunch break. I probably won't get much reading done today since I'm going to the movies to watch 300.

Julia

I'm rereading A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer, one of my favorite books.

I've misplaced the most recent Kasey Michaels but will look for it tomorrow. And I've got the new Dragon Lovers anthology to read also.

I read The Naked Earl by Sally Mackenzie. I didn't like the main characters, so that kinda killed it for me.

I also read Bad Boys Ahoy! by Sylvia Day, which I kind of liked. I could see glimmers of the greatness that was in The Stranger I Married.

I read The Perfect Wife by Lynsay Sands, per someone's recommendation here, I think. It was great!

The Rogue's Bride was very good. Next up for me is A Most Unsuitable Groom by Kasey Michaels, and then Klondike Doctor by Kate Bridges and High Plains Bride by Jenna Kernan.

My husband left on a fishing trip this morning. He will be gone through the weekend and I decided to assuage my lonely heart with romance novels and movies. I ordered the DVD version of Return of the Native, and I'm going to watch A&E's adaptation of Pride & Prejudice and the BBC's adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. I've seen P&P and N&S many times, but they never get old. Julia, have you seen North and South or read the book? I think you'd really enjoy the story.

CC

CC, I've had it a couple of times on my amazon recomendations list but haven't read or seen it yet. I've read the 3rd book of John Jakes's North and South saga though.

Julia

heyjude - you'll have to let me know what you think of Hide - I LOVED it!

I started Murphy's Law by Lori Foster last might. I was only going to read one chapter...which turned into over 250 pages!

I finished The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich yesterday, but didn't think it was the greatest.

LOL I just read the blurb on amazon of NaS. It sounds really good. One of the the reviews asked

Thornton oder Darcy ??

After that I guess I'll put it on my wishlist. But it will probably be June till I get it, because next month I want to buy the second season, part II of Grey's Anatomy.

Julia

Katybear couldn't stay away from LibraryThing for three days so she got my message from #17, and I got to meet her today. Hi, Katybear! I also couldn't stay away from Sugar Daddy so I finished it tonight. I really enjoyed it. I hope Lisa continues to write historical AND contemporary romances. I will definitely add the paperback to my collection when it comes out.
Richard

Starting Demon Angel by Meljean Brooks. I suspect it's going to be a rather epic story from the little I know of the story already and the little I've read. It also has the very tiny type I'm not very fond of *sigh*.

I read Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell. It was very good. Very disturbing, but good.

I read One with the Night by Susan Squires and I hated it. There was way too much raping of the male lead by secondary female characters.

Just finished The Duke and I - I'm just now discovering the Bridgertons, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Wow. It was hysterical, but at the same time the characters were such real people... My wallet is going to kill me.

I finished So speaks the heart by Johanna Lindsey. At first a didn't like it much because of the heroines eval aunt, she got seriously on my nerves. BUt it turned out to be a good book.

Next one is Express Male by Elizabeth Bevarly which is part of her OPUS series.

Julia

I read Ask For It by Sylvia Day. I still like The Stranger I Married better, but Ask For It was very good, too.

I read Too Wicked To Tame by Sophie Jordan. It was very good, my first book by Sophie Jordan. I will definitely be looking up her backlist.

Rianoel, I also thought Too Wicked To Tame was very good, but I had a sense of deja vu reading it. I know I've read a plot in which the hero doesn't want to marry or have children because he thinks he'll pass on a hereditary crazy gene. I just can't remember whose book it was!

I finished High Plains Bride. It was very disturbing. There was a big "ick" factor involving a 13 year old girl.

CC

#33: I picked up & read Claiming the Courtesan tonight, too.... and I agree with you ... a little disturbing..... but considering the time period and the treatment of women, almost accurate... I've got to think a bit on this one.

Oh, well, now it's time for bed & some much needed sleep.... wish I could do some more reading, but sleep does help clear the brain.... a little bit.

CC, The Duke and I had the same plot part about not wanting to marry, though I'm not sure you've read it since you said Julia Quinn is a hit and miss author for you.

Julia

I thought the madness plot was kind of a standard storyline? I know I read a book with a similar plotline recently, as well, except it was the heroine whose family had the madness. That one sucked---I gave it away immediately. I can't even remember the title offhand. Oh well. I still liked Too Wicked To Tame. Perhaps I'll pick The Duke and I back up and read it again. It hasn't been packed yet.

I think I really like Claiming the Courtesan, but maybe the first half of the book could have been shortened by about half. It was quite a lot of abuse. Still, the end of the book made up for it. It was also interesting to see how the hero and heroine changed during the course of the book. I'm not sure the heroine could have lived a full life without him forcing her to it, anyway. I'll definitely read her next book.

Finally made it back from San Antonio. I got to meet Richard at the conference and we had a nice chat about Lisa Kleypas' Sugar Daddy. He also has me just about convinced that I need to break down and try out Nora Roberts. She's one of those authors who is so popular and prolific, that I've always been a little intimidated about trying her stuff. Thanks for the great suggestions, Richard! Also, it was great getting to meet you face to face!

While I was away, I finished Blow Me Down, which made me laugh quite a lot. My best friend is a computer game designer, so a lot of the parts dealing with game mechanics really cracked me up. I also read The Bride by Julie Garwood and I liked it so well, I've already started The Wedding. I've never read any Garwood before, but I'm liking her so far.

Finished Susan Squires book No More Lies or should I say I jumped my way through it. I thought it was pretty bad. I think it's because I really need good character development and there didn't seem to be any in this story.

Also tried to read Improper English by Katie MacAlister and was put off by the heroine in the first chapter. I hate not reading a book all the way through but I'm not even going there with this one.

I scored a coup yesterday at the library, someone had just donated an amazing amount of romances and there were several original Silhouette Intimate Moments of early Nora Roberts so I'll be reading Second Nature today.

"I scored a coup yesterday at the library, someone had just donated an amazing amount of romances and there were several original Silhouette Intimate Moments of early Nora Roberts so I'll be reading Second Nature today."

Beret, Lucky you! :)

Sometimes early NR is hit or miss but this was really good!!!

Thanks...I feel lucky! That was one NR not in my collection!

I read Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase. It was wonderful, except for the last 20-30 pages. The end was good, but not excellent. Still, the book was almost as good as Mr. Impossible.

Rianoel, Chase's newest Carsington book comes out in May, Not Quite A Lady, brother Darius' story. I cannot wait!

CC

I'll have to order it!

I loved loved loved Susan Squires No More Lies so it just goes to show that tastes differ. I don't mind the Susan Squires over the top abuse of the male heroes by secondary female characters, but it totally squicks a friend of mine, such that although she has liked Squires she doesn't plan to buy or read anything else by her.