What Are You Reading Week of March 26

I finished Count to Ten by Karen Rose over the weekend. I just love her books and how she brings back characters from previous books. The H & H in this book had so many issues between them I wasn't sure how she would work them out & get them together in the end, but she does it superbly & still manages the suspense as well.

Currently reading Without A Sound by Carla Cassidy; really good so far & I have my list of suspects for "who done it" mounting up.

edited to correct touchstones

Had a busy weekend home improvement-wise, so I didn't get much reading in. Still reading The Texan's Touch by Jodi Thomas. It's kind of got a different pace than what I'm used to, but I'm liking it so far.

(edited for stubborn touchstones)

I am on a Cathy Maxwell kick and have just reread Because of You. I am off to Borders tomorrow to get her new one, Bedding the Heiress. I can't wait to read it.

Katybear, I read Jodi Thomas'
The Texan's Touch and liked it. I have read some of her other books and liked them too.

I just finished my second Anne Gracie, A Perfect Stranger, and started an old Jo Beverley, The Stanforth Secrets. And I am listening to Erica James, Love and Devotion.

Next I'm going to try How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life.

I finished the Carla Cassidy book last night. Now I'm trying to decide between Point of Departure by Laurie Breton or Sight Unseen by Samantha Graves, who also writes as C. J. Barry. This is her first romantic suspense genre.

I'm going to start Susan Andersen's Head over Heels today.

Haven't read her in a while so I'm looking forward to it.

Julia

Not exactly romance I don't suppose, but I've started The Decoy Princess. I was struck by the cover (and I want to read the second in the series because of its promised swashbuckling Princess at Sea). Has anybody read these?

I am reading Border Lord by Arnette Lamb, with some SFF coming up next Mercedes Lackey's Joust and Barbara Hambly's Sisters of the Raven.

Caramel -

did you say swashbuckling?? I'm such a sucker for piratey things... Might have to check that series out! Let me know what you think...

I just started Jane Feather's Almost a Bride. She's kind of hit or miss for me but I am enjoying it so far.
Just finished Susan Anderson's Shadow Dance. It's a bit darker than her usual fare. I missed the light touch she usually has.

I picked up Cathy Maxwell's new book Bedding the Heiress today and also found Mary Balogh's new book, Simply Magic is out. This is Susannah's story for those of you familiar with her Simply series. Now I don't know which to read first.
Decisions, Decisions!

I finished Much Ado About You (Eloisa James) in bed last night. It is the first in her Essex Sisters series.

Tonight I hope to start Courtesans: Money, Sex and Fame in the Nineteenth Century by Katie Hickman. It is a nonfiction about courtesans (of course) and spotlights five in particular, among them Harriette Wilson. Should be interesting. Then I switch to a mystery or science fiction before heading back to romance again.

Finally, some new books have arrived. This morning, I received Too Wicked to Tame, Her Only Desire, Simply Magic, and The Leopard Prince!

CC

This week I am reading The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan.

So far, so good!

Alana

www.DCTheBook.com

www.Book-Bits.com

I am on an Amanda Quick-a-thon. I tend to start reading one author in my collection until I reread almost all for them. So far, Surrender, Deception, Scandal, Mistress ...

Well, I didn't start on the one I expected to. Instead, I just finished the first of the Fitwilliam Darcy trilogy (fan fiction based on Pride and Prejudice) by Aidan(?). Anyway, I have the other two on order at the library. I really enjoyed it.

And now I am reading Anne Gracie, The Perfect Waltz.

>16 xorscape:
Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Perfect Waltz, it got me hooked on the series and I discovered that The Perfect Rake was even better (to the small extent that that was possible. I was really impressed with those. Do let me know what you think.
(And isn't Fletcher - was it Fletcher? - in the Darcy trilogy hilarious?)

I read Sylvia Day's The Stranger I Married. I thought it was excellent. The secondary romance was also excellent. One of the best romances I've read in awhile.

My only complaint is it seems like the editor forgot to include the last three chapters of the book. The end felt truncated.

Rianoel, I also thought Sylvia Day's The Stranger I Married was excellent. Have you read Ask For It? As much as I loved TSIM, I thought it was even better!

CC

I haven't read it yet, but I am planning to purchase it! This morning I put all her books on my amazon wishlist.

I think Day's writing is amazing. I note she is also a member at LT! Maybe she'll stop by and visit with us one day.

CC

I went to amazon this afternoon and bought up most of the things on there I saw she'd written, and a few that haven't been released yet. It's great fun to discover a new author (not to mention the chance to get even more mail!).

>17 Caramellunacy: C: I started with the Perfect Rake! And was so impressed that I had to read the others. I've loved them all (Rake, Waltz and Stranger) so far. I picked up Perfect Kiss today, but won't start on it until tomorrow.

And re the Darcy trilogy - yes, I really like Fletcher too! I will start the second book this weekend.

Since I didn't get to the library until late today, I started one of my own (new) books, Kasey Michaels' Everything's Coming Up Rosie. I'm halfway through and enjoying it immensely. It is a light hearted contemporary set at an upscale wedding.

I finished Mary Balogh's new book Simply Magic last night at 11:30. I thought the beginning was a little slow but it was really a good read. She had some different twists to her plot and I did like Susanna's story. Now I can't wait for Claudia Martin's story.

This afternoon I will finish Perfect Kiss by Ann Gracie and then start Bedding the Heiress by Cathy Maxwell.

PM, your reading list is the same as mine! I'm starting Simply Magic now and plan to read the other two over the weekend.

CC

I finished Touched by Darkness this morning (woke up really early). I enjoy anything that's different so it was a fun read for me.

This weekend I'll be reading Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld which is another YA, not a romance.

I borrowed another stack of romances from the library the other day so I'll be back to them soon enough. The first of those will probably be Blow Me Down. I don't think I've ever read any pirate romances before but I know I like Katie MacAlister so it should be a good one.

Dang, Demon, you really are expanding your romance reading world, aren't you? Pirates? Are they vampire pirates? LOL

CC

I'm going to visit relatives for the next week.

My book bag is going to contain:

Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas
Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
It Happened in Autumn by Lisa Kleypas
When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas
Behind Closed Doors by Shannon McKenna
The Perfect Wife by Lyndsay Sands
When Darkness Falls by Shannon Drake
Kill and Tell by Linda Howard
Getting Things Done: the art of stress free productivity by David Allen

Tonight, I'm going to read Someone to Watch Over Me from the Anthology Where's My Hero? ... what I don't know is if that is the same as the book... guess that I will find out!!

I just wonder how many more books are going to find themselves in the bookbag before I'm done packing?

edited to try & get the touchstones to work... maybe, please?

I finifshed Head over heels by Susan Andersen yesterday and thought it was very good.

Today I'll start Hearts aflame by Johanna Lindsey

Julia

CC-LMAO! Vampire pirates sounds like a great idea! Maybe there is a romance like that already out there. I'll have to keep an eye out. There is a YA book I've been thinking I might read called Vampirates, but it didn't sound like there was any romance in it.

Skittles-Just think it will be a working out vacation just by lugging all those books around!

Demon, if you're going to start on Pirates, you have to read Sabrina Jeffries' The Pirate Lord. It is awesome. Smokin' love scenes, great tension and dialog, and the cover model is drop-dead gorgeous! LOL

CC

Read recently - Beau Crusoe by Carla Kelly, which is fabulous. Without spoilers, I can only say that this story of a man who returns to society after spending five years marooned on a desert island is incredibly moving. This has some issues that are hard to explain without completely spoiling the book, but readers should be warned that there are some difficult bits. Mrs Giggles does an excellent review of it at http://www.mrsgiggles.com/books/kelly_beau.html but I'd have read a new Carla Kelly no matter what.

Also loved and recommend The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt who has leaped to the top of my autobuy list. The interweaving of a fairytale type story as a metaphor for the journey of the hero and heroine is amazingly well done.

Ice Blue by Anne Stuart is another one of those Stuart patented tortured, I can't believe I'm rooting for this guy male main characters. Not just a "oh naughty" thief or similar but a genuinely dangerous and bad man who is redeemed by love. I wouldn't put up with it from anyone else, and I can't believe I tolerate it from her, but I do. Heroine has a Japanese bowl left by a beloved nurse/caretaker who died when she was twelve that is being sought by the leader of an evil religious cult. His getting it will trigger a worldwide series of attacks worse than 9/11.

Virgin River by Robin Carr is the first of a new trilogy that connects losely with some of Carr's previous books. It's another small town, but not quite as "small town=utopia" as some of that sort of thing. The heroine is a nurse practioner, widowed nine months previously who leaves LA because she can't stand being looked at all the time as "poor dear" and because she is so hurt. I do have some issues about "baby as ultimate good" overtones, but Carr manages the issues around becoming pregnant and having children better than many romance authors.

Tempting Evil by Keri Arthur is another sex drenched paranormal, third in a series with the same werewolf heroine and a vampire hero. Pretty cheerful sex fest, and I rather like it, since the angst level is kept pretty low. Good if you like that sort of thing with a long story arc of evil scientist types trying to do evil scientific genetic experiement type things.

Hey, Roms. Thanks for your reviews! I agree with all except Tempting Evil, which I haven't read.

I thought Beau Crusoe was stunning... a riveting, gritty, gorgeous story.

I also liked Ice Blue, even though Stuart's "heroes" barely qualify as human. I want to slap most of them silly.

Up next for me is The Leopard Prince, but I already know it won't disappoint. Hoyt is an auto-order author for me, too. She reminds me of another new favorite, Sylvia Day.

Based on your recommendation, I am also putting Virgin River on my Wish List.

CC

I finished The Leopard Prince, and it was excellent! I love Hoyt's self-described "wickedly witty" way of writing. I liked this book almost as much as The Raven Prince, which I rated superb.

Roms, I checked Hoyt's website to see when the next book in the series is going to be published. We'll have to wait until September to read The Serpent Prince!

CC

30 Yes demonlover, I have wondered about Vampirates it is such a silly (in a good way title.

I picked up Vampirates for my friends' son for Christmas but haven't had a chance to see what he thought of it.