Since I'm pressed for time as I'm writing this, as I have still to start packing and we leave in less than 24 hours I'm not going to make it a very long story but instead I'm going to leave you with a few pictures.

The first few are of the house we rented to stay in during the coming week.


The next pictures are of the pile of books and e-reading devices I'm taking with me because any self-respecting book-addict will surely take this many books, even if you know you will never be able to read them all because:

- The first and the last 3 days of this vacation I will be driving every 2-3 hours
- I will also be going to want to do some sight-seeing during the vacation
- I'm taking my DVDs of seasons 1 & 2 of Prison Break with me too, so the spare hours won't be just spent reading
- I have a hubby going with me who grows restless if we spend more than an hour just lounging about, reading...
- Do you see the e-reader and the iPad? Print books will not be the only books read on this vacation!


Still, this was the best I could do in terms of keeping myself in check since I always lose control with the amount of books I bring with me when we go on a car vacation. With airplanes I have the baggage restrictions which are just torture as I MUST make choices and limit myself to a certain amount. When we go on holiday by car...The limitations are so much less...I always go crazy...

During my vacation very few reviews will be posted. If there are any posted they will most likely be back-logged reviews as I'm still trying to play catch up on my to-be-written reviews, and sadly I didn't make my goal of having caught up before going on holiday.

When I get back, I have 3 days to prepare my departure to New York City for RWA Nationals 2011. In these 3 days I must unload, unpack, do laundry, buy last-minute necessities, buy goodies for my giveaway gift-bags, repack, schedule some stuff on the blog and then I'm off again to what I've come to consider the event I've been most anticipating ever since I booked the flight in January and registered for it in February.

But for now I'm going to enjoy a very much deserved and relaxing vacation with my hubby. By the time you're reading this hubby and I are probably nearing the border between France and Spain so take care and see you in a little less than 2 weeks!

As promised I'm trying to keep up with my Quotes Posts and this time I have a yummy one of a book that is coming out Monday at Carina Press.

Friday I posted my ARC-review of COMING CLEAN and if you've read it you must have noticed that A) I loved the book and B) there were quite some quotes already mentioned in the review...but I had so many more marked so what better to do than make another Quotes Post of it.

But before I start the Quotes let me treat you to a gem of a quote Inez Kelley gave me on Twitter when she read my review of COMING CLEAN:

Inez Kelley (@Inez_Kelley) 8/25/10 17:09 @Pearl_828 I may not have gotten your M/M cherry but I had my fingers in your panties, at least

As COMING CLEAN is an ebook I do not have a picture of the post-it markers to show so I'll just continue with a pic of the cover, blurb and the quotes.



Coming clean never felt so good….

Grant and Vivi Michaelson share everything in their marriage: love, commitment—and their wildest sexual desires. But their relationship is tested when Vivi admits she wants a threesome with Grant’s old friend Cade, proposing their annual trip to the lake as the perfect opportunity to fulfill her fantasy.

All three of them are aroused by the idea. Vivi and Cade have long felt a smoldering attraction to each other…and Grant and Cade have hidden an illicit desire for decades. Going through with the ménage will test their boundaries, reveal old secrets…and maybe tear them apart. After all, there might be room for Cade in bed, but is there room for a third in their marriage?

Grant and Vivi during sexy times
Forbidden erotic sensations coursed through him, and he poured every drop of lust into his hips, driving inside her.

Examples of Inez Kelley's amazing writing
*The beat of his racing heart nearly drowned out the sexually tinged melody.

*Fear mixed with dread and was fed by guilt.

*Jealousy swelled like a tsunami before common decency tramped it back down.

Grant and Cade discussing the possibilities:
“Are we seriously talking about anal sex in baseball analogies?”

Vivi thinking about what she wants
This was going to be fine. It would be a sexual experiment, a tasting of forbidden fruit and an erotic adventure, but nothing would rock her marriage or their friendship. It could only make both stronger.

Cade feels guilty over almost kissing Vivi in front of Grant
*Betrayal soured in his mouth. He’d crossed a line no friend should ever cross. Since fourth grade they’d been blood brothers, buddies, the guy you couldn’t call to bail you out of jail because he’d be sitting in the cell with you asking “Man, what the hell did we do?”

When my heart broke for Cade
Like every other person on Earth, he wanted to fall in love with someone who accepted him at his worst, loved him at his best and craved his company in between. He wanted someone to tell his dreams to, his fears, his fantasies. Someone who could finish his sentences and turn his insides to jelly.

Grant finally broaches the subject with Cade
“She wants the three of us together…all parties involved equally.”

Grant and Cade are nearing point of no return
“You okay?” Grant asked.
“Yeah, tired I guess.” Surely his voice wasn’t that thick with longing, was it? He must have swallowed some BBQ smoke that left his throat scratchy, that was all. He took a hasty but long sip of his beer to soothe his voice. The icy brew did nothing for his increasing internal heat.

Cade and Grant and Inez Kelley's wonderful writing again
*A soft command husked with gravelly texture. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.” His sultry tone slithered across the air, shedding a skin of doubt and revealing scales of lust and promise.

Golden-brown brows dropped to a shrewd evaluating level. The stare danced over Grant’s skin, and each individual hair stood and twitched at the perusal. His gut tightened in anticipation of the questions he saw forming.

The grazing kiss barely touched their lips but Cade didn’t try to return it. This was Grant’s exploration and he allowed it, unhurried and uncontested. His heart jackhammered, pummeling his ribs. The desperate need to deepen the light peck scoured through him but he refused. He would not let loose the famished need inside him too quickly and fuck this up.

Grant definitely liked kissing, and each lick and nibble pumped more yearning through Cade. His control cracked, and he had to pull away before he moved too fast or tried to give more than Grant might be ready to accept.

No explanation needed
Cade, Grant and Vivian were a triangle. Three sides of equal strength, joined together.

(The ones with the * made the official review)

It's been a while since I posted a Quotes-post...*goes to check when the last Quote-post was* To be precise tomorrow it'll be a year since the last Quote-Post...hmmm coincidence much?

I've decided to revive the Quote-post Feature as once in a while there are books that are just so quotable that I it's very, very hard to stick to the 2 or 3 I usually use in my reviews, and I'm not even talking about the times I sneak in an extra few on top of the 2 or 3...

I'm kicking it off with quotes from a book I had the honor of reviewing for Fiction Vixen Book Reviews...When I saw it on the list for reviews I first hesitated to put my name up for it, but then I saw it was romantic suspense and everyone knows by now, my weakness is romantic suspense so I put my name in, waited for the book to arrive and left in on the shelves until on the evening of August 10th, when I suddenly was brutally reminded of the fact that Fiction Vixen was expecting my review of SHADOWS AT MIDNIGHT on August 15th and I hadn't even cracked the spine yet. So I got my behind in gear and opened to the first page that same evening and totally unexpected was blown away by this book.



Fiction Vixen has my review up so you can read HERE why I gave it 5 stars...

A LOST SOUL
Claire Day’s promising career as a Defense Intelligence Agency analyst comes to a shattering end in the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Laka, West Africa. For more than a year, Claire has been rebuilding her life and her confidence when she suddenly remembers the man who tried to protect her, and who might hold the key to the mysteries haunting her nightmares

A LOST LOVE
Former Marine Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Weston believed Claire was dead. But the woman he grieve for has just come back into his life seeking to reconnect with her past, unaware of the feelings he has for her. Determined not to fail Claire again, Dan vows to help her heal.

A LOST TRUTH
Together, they begin to unlock Claire’s lost memories only to uncover a conspiracy that puts them –and any future they might have together– in deadly danger…

And as I didn't want to deprive you all of the wonderful quotes I found while reading this book, it has the honor of being the first Quote Post on the Blog again since a year. I hope you all enjoy the quotes as much as I did the book!

Dan's thoughts when he sees what's going on outside the embassy. It was a serious scene but the QT on crack remark made me smile:
Shit.
It was a Quentin-Tarantino-on-crack-scene.
Hundreds of screaming soldiers, firing their weapons crazily in all directions, pouring into the city

Several "smell" quotes from Dan's POV, the sense of smell was used a lot in this book:
*He could smell individual bits of her and they all smelled wonderful. Freshly shampooed hair, some lemony lotion on her hands and something fresh and springlike that he imagined was the smell of her skin. Jesus, he’d like to smell all that up close. Just put his nose next to her neck and inhale, even though he doubted she’d like him pulling a dog imitation on her.

Dan looked away for a moment, trying to get back into his own head. He definitely needed to go out and get laid, asap, if holding a woman's hand briefly while looking in her eyes nearly overwhelmed him.

He forced himself to smile into her eyes instead of closing his, leaning down to her and sniffing her like a dog.

Claire about to sleep with Dan for the first time and citing the reasons why she wanted to:
He wanted her and she wanted him right back, but for all the wrong reasons. Because he was so hot he melted the icy chill that surrounded her. Because he had strong hands that wouldn't let her fall. Because he was completely, gloriously sane and she was...she was slightly loony on her best day. Because he was a Marine and was guaranteed to make her feel safe when she woke up at three in the morning, alone and terrified with the echo of danger and voices clamoring in her head.
Those were not good reasons to take a man to your bed.

Clair has a "smell" quote too, she's dressed in Dan's T-shirt after a shower:
She sniffed at the material but all she could smell was detergent. She'd been hoping for the smell of Dan. His smell would be embedded in the deepest recesses of her brain to the end of time.
Oh, God. A mixture of soap and musk and man. Intoxicating. Enthralling (...) The smell of him , musk and male, the taste of him, salt and spicy, the feel of him, hot and amazingly hard all over, the sound of him, breath heaving in and out of his lungs(...)

Dan's fear for Claire's life described while he hugs her after an ordeal they go through:
Dan hung on for dear life, sweating and shaking, completely undone. Later when he could think straight, it would astonish him.
He was known for his cool under fire (...)
But now he was shaken to the core, the adrenaline of the escape coursing through his system like poison and the only antidote was Claire, safe in his arms.

Claire asking Jesse to buy her and Dan supplies while they go into hiding:
"(...) And buy me a parka." She narrowed her eyes on him. "Can you buy women's underwear?"
His eyes rounded and he took a step back as if she'd asked him to French-kiss a rattlesnake. "No ma'am."
Claire sighed. Pity. Though God knew what he'd choose. She was fanatic about nice underwear, but sending Jesse into a La Perla store would probably give him a heart attack.

Another Dan quote that made me smile:
He forced himself to take his clothes off normally, not in a frenzy like last time. Sweater off, placed on the chair he'd been sitting in. He didn't fold it. There were limits to what a man could do but at least he didn't rip it off and toss it over his shoulder. His shirt seemed to have a million buttons, all tiny. He was never going to buy a shirt ever again, not with Claire around. Maybe he'd just wear one of those Arab thoubs, go commando underneath, pull it up and off and there you were.

Claire ogling Dan:
Naked he was an extraordinary sight. Broad, heavy shoulders, tapering down to a narrow waist, smooth buttock, hard hairy thighs with the muscles very visible as he walked.
If I can admire his ass, I'm feeling better, she thought.
Walking back, he was even more admirable.
(...)
"Thanks I feel much bettter"
"I know." He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "You were checking my butt out. Then my package."
That earned him an elbow in the ribs, which he took like a man.

Dan and Claire, hot and heavy and emotional:
"Can I use my hands now?" He asked quietly.
She nodded, unable to speak. The feelings in her were so intense she felt as is she could hardly contain them. (...)
"Dan, I--"
"Sh." He put a finger over her mouth. "I know."
Kissing her deeply, he turned them over and entered her, a long, slow, tender penetration.
He lifted his head and looked down at her, wiping the tear that had escaped with a rough finger. "You're mine now," he whispered.

Another example of Dan's protective feelings:
* He’d made love for hours to Claire, as if joining his body to hers could create a magical aura of protection, as if the more time he spent inside her, the safer she’d be. If he could have, he’d have tucked her right into his own body and kept her there.

Sweet, disarming Dan:
Dan sighed and she turned around, her face lighting up when she saw him.
Oh man.
He rubbed his chest. When she smiled at him like that his heart just gave this enormous thwack inside his chest, even after (...CAN'T QUOTE THIS PART AS IT IS SPOILERISH) . He should maybe see a cardiologist.

(The ones with the * made the official review)

So a quick update post on how the spur of the moment Read-a-Thon went.

To be honest I'm a little bit disappointed in myself. I spent less time reading than I had planned. Sometimes this was due to unexpected stuff, like hubby feeling under the weather and me having to spend 2 hours doing grocery shopping by myself or sleeping through the alarm this morning and losing about 4 extra hours to read but mostly I have only myself to blame because I couldn't stay away from Twitter, was distracted by the Hungrian Grand Prix (Formula 1 racing) on television and simply not concentrating on the reading enough. Still I didn't do bad because where I normally read about 5-8 books in a month this weekend I read 5 books so I have to be satisfied with the little victory of that. And I also read some requested reads and ARCs which gives me some breathing space this coming month as I have a few more to tackle before the beginning of September, next to the daunting Mt. TBR of the books I own and buy...

Still I only finished 2 full length books, the other 3 books were novellas of ranging between 80 and 120 pages. I know these are books too but still I have trouble classifying them in the same category as full-length books of around 300 pages.

Here's the list of books I read, they'll all be reviewed in due course (sometime this month depending on which request/ARC it is and on some other reviews I have to write and some that are already lined up).

01. Full Disclosure by Cari Quinn
02. A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
03. A Hollywood Affair by Sally Royer-Derr
04. Ex Appeal by Cari Quinn
05. Whirlpool by Vivian Arend
started Naked Dragon by Annette Blair

I was blown away by the Cari Quinn's Full Disclosure and Ex Appeal. They were an unexpected treat during this read-a-thon weekend and I hope to read much more of her contemporary work in the future

The historical by Victoria Dahl was my first taste of her historical work and all I can say is that I prefer her contemporary work but I did enjoy A Little Bit Wild

A Hollywood Affair was a very tough read for me. The book was well-written and fast-paced but the subject of it was something that was so not to my liking that I had a lot of trouble reading this book. I'll explain more in detail in my upcoming review of it.

I closed the read-a-thon with a great read, Whirlpool is the second book in the Forces of Natures series by Vivian Arend and though I had trouble with the pace of Tidal Wave (it's predecessor), I flew through Whirlpool and enjoyed every page of it. Once again, well done Viv!

That's it for now, I am going to finish the review I left hanging when I started the read-a-thon on Friday.

And speaking of reviews FYI as of tomorrow my reviews will be having a slightly different lay-out as I am fusing the lay-out of my QnD-reviews and my full reviews together a bit in preparation of closing down my QnD Romance Reviews blog in the near future. Because it's not really working like I had envisioned so I've decided to do the QnD reviews here on Pearl's World of Romance, so all my reviews will be kept in the same place. I hope you all will like the new format and the future move of the QnD reviews to PWOR.

This weekend I had plans. Saturday was for grocery shopping, a bit of reading and shopping for some family birthdays presents, Sunday we had some family visits to do the whole day in view of some upcoming birthdays. Then we got an email that the family birthdays were being postponed until next Friday and a plan started forming in my mind. It was triggered by an invitation I received on Goodreads for a read-a-thon event in the weekend of August 13-14-15 and I thought: I can do that on my own too, especially now that I have an unexpected free weekend.

After the plan had formed I knew the biggest stumbling point was going to be hubby-dearest. He is NOT a reader and doesn't quite understand my reading obssession (I can't in good faith call it a hobby anymore LOL), he is very supportive of my reading but we also have some hefty discussions about it when he feels a bit neglected and all I can talk about are books (or blogging about books or tweeting about books) or all he sees of me is the top of my head sticking out above a book while my nose is in said book. Sometimes he's right, sometimes I think he's being unfair and we really fight about it. But most of the time he's very supportive as he's proved yet again by not fussing about me wanting to do this 48-hour reading marathon. Don't get me wrong: I had to drive a hard bargain and came up with some good arguments as to why I wanted to do this and showed him that it would be opportune for him too if I could do a reading spree for 2 straight days and then have more time in the coming month to spend some quality time with him. But me reading all weekend, means he's on his own for more that 48 hours, he has to do the groceries, buy the birthday gifts, cook, eat alone and pretty much be ignored by me until Sunday evening...He's a real trooper!

So now I am really going to do this. I'm going to read for 48 hours, with the only interruptions being a few hours of sleep tonight and tomorrow night.

Below is the pile of books I have layed out for this read-a-thon...mind you, I will not be able to read them all but am going to do my very best to make a big dent in this pile. The two covers shown are 2 e-books I'm reading at the moment (only read a few pages in both) and I am planning to at least also finish those two this weekend.



I'm starting this read-a-thon on Friday (today) 4 PM (CET) and will read at least until Sunday 4 PM (CET) but may extend it into Sunday evening, depending on how much I get read by Sunday afternoon.

I'll be checking/updating the below list as I go and hope to have a decent list by Sunday evening:

01. Full Disclosure by Cari Quinn
02. A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl
03. A Hollywood Affair by Sally Royer-Derr
04. Ex Appeal by Cari Quinn
05. Whirlpool by Vivian Arend
started Naked Dragon by Annette Blair

Well, wish me luck and I'll be back Sunday evening with an update of how it went. Right now I have to work on a review that's coming up Monday and which I have to write before I start the read-a-thon.

When you guys read this post I'll be on my way to the airport to catch a plane to London, England!
After an amazing trip to the US (Los Angeles) in June, I am a lucky woman about to meet one of my fave romantic suspense authors, Karen Rose...

About the Author
Website
Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has written ten more novels and a novella. Her third novel, I'M WATCHING YOU, received the Romance Writers of America's coveted RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005. In that same year her second novel, HAVE YOU SEEN HER? was also a RITA finalist.

Her fourth novel, NOTHING TO FEAR, a 2006 RITA finalist, was nominated for Romantic Times Magazine's Best Suspense and for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Award for Fiction. Karen's ninth novel, DIE FOR ME, was a RITA finalist for Best Romantic Suspense and won the Romantic Times' Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense of 2007. SCREAM FOR ME (January, 2009) was also a RITA finalist. To date, her books have been translated into eighteen languages.

A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two teenage daughters, a dog and two cats. When she's not writing, Karen enjoys traveling and skiing.

“I love happy endings,” says Karen, “and I think other readers love them, too. Sometimes real life can be overwhelming. It’s nice to escape to a place where you know everything will come up roses by the last page. Reading has helped me during rough periods in my life as well as through times when everything was just a bit hectic. I hope my stories provide a good escape to my readers as well.”

Karen’s characters generally face tough challenges. In DON'T TELL, Caroline is a survivor of spousal abuse. She has Dana, her best friend, to encourage and guide her, but a lot of abused women don't have a "Dana" in their lives. However, there is help out there for this and many other life situations. Karen came up with the idea of LIFE LINKS, a set of links that provide resources of help for a variety of different issues. “Thank God, I've never been a victim of abuse, but I've been in other situations where I needed to reach out for help,” Karen says.

I read DON'T TELL last year and was blown away by it and am really excited to meet Karen in person!

My review of DON'T TELL

I'm going to her book-signing first and in the afternoon I have the pleasure of joining her for an afternoon Tea. I just finished packing my bag and also made room for some of my Karen Rose books for the signing. And hope to get SILENT SCREAM (Karen's newest) at the signing! And I'm definitely going to look for a new copy of YOU CAN'T HIDE to replace the tattered secondhand copy I purchased a few years ago ;)

I'll be back tomorrow (Friday), hopefully with some pics and a wonderful experience, because besides meeting Karen Rose, this will also be my first ever trip to London and I hope to do some touristy stuff on Friday before flying home again.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren

It's been a month (to the day) since I posted my last IMM...sad fact is that since then I have only received 5 books, 2 of which are for review...This book-budget is KILLING me!!! :(

Author: Alyssa Day
Title: Atlantis Redeemed
Series: Warriors of Poseidon
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: March 2010
Bought (via The Book Depository)

Poseidon’s warriors have learned that the battle to protect humanity produces unexpected enemies--and alliances. But none more unexpected than the bond between a cursed Atlantean warrior and a woman whose sight surpasses any lie…

A WARRIOR WITH NO EMOTION…
Doomed by Poseidon millennia ago to live life bereft of feelings, Atlantean warrior Brennan’s curse is shattered when he meets Tiernan--a human with the ancient Gift of Truth Telling. Attraction turns deadly when the woman he could never forget becomes the woman he can never remember. With the fate of Atlantis on the line, will a warrior’s uncontrollable desire destroy the world?

A WOMAN WITH AN EYE FOR THE TRUTH…
Tiernan’s job as an investigative reporter is perfectly suited to her unique ability to see through any falsehood. But when she discovers human scientists conducting hideous experiments on humans and shape-shifters alike, only a wildly sexy Atlantean can help protect her from the those determined to see her fail—and die. When the future of the world is at stake, can she overcome death itself so together they can protect mankind?

When truth and passion collide…Atlantis is redeemed.

Author: Pamela Clare
Title: Naked Edge
Series: I-Team Series, book 4
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: March 2010
Bought (via The Book Depository)

The day Navajo journalist Katherine James met Gabriel Rossiter, the earth literally moved beneath her feet. Nearly killed in a rockslide while hiking, she found her life in the tall park ranger's hands. Although she can't forget him she thinks she'll never see him again. She is crushed when she recognizes her rescuer among the law enforcement officers raiding a sweat lodge ceremony one night, throwing her and her friends off Mesa Butte, land they consider sacred.

Gabe long ago swore he would never again lose himself to a woman not even one with long dark hair and big eyes that seem to see right through him. But from the moment he first sees Kat, the attraction he feels is undeniable. Appalled by what he has been ordered to do, he's determined to get to the bottom of recent events at Mesa Butte and to keep Kat safe.

But asking questions can be dangerous almost as dangerous as risking one's heart. And soon Kat and Gabe's passion for the truth and each other makes them targets for those who would do anything, even kill, to keep Native Americans off their sacred land.

Author: Saskia Walker
Title: Rampant
Series: Unknown
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Format: Tradesize Paperback
Release date: April 2010
Received for Review from author

Possession is only half the fun...

The moment she arrives at her rented vacation cottage nestled in Scotland, Zoë Daniels feels it--an arousal so powerful she's compelled to surrender to the unusually forceful carnal desires...with nearly anyone who crosses her path. Crawford Logan, the boat builder with the wayward grin. The devilish restaurateur Cain Davot, who seems to know more about Zoë than he lets on. And even her sexy neighbor Grayson Murdoch, whose eyes delve deep into her soul as he explores every inch of her body.

Yet there's something unsettling about the way the locals watch her, something eerie about these overwhelming encounters. Zoë knows she's not quite in control of herself and begins to wonder if there's any truth to the legend of Annabel McGraw, a powerful, promiscuous eighteenth-century witch who once owned the cottage, and whose spirit is rumored to affect anyone who stays there. Zoë doesn't believe in anything that even hints at the occult, but now strange visions are turning frightening...and only one man's touch can bring her back to earth.

Author: Jaci Burton
Title: Bound, Branded & Brazen
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Erotic Romance
Format: Tradesize Paperback
Release date: March 2010
Bought (via The Book Depository)

BOUND BY PASSION, BRANDED BY LOVE, BRAZEN ENOUGH TO TAKE IT ALL…
In the wilds of Oklahoma, three sisters have a hot date with destiny. Valerie, Brea, and Jolene McMasters reunite on the family ranch that should have been called the Bar Nothing…

BOUND…
When Valerie left for the big city, she kissed her foreman husband, Mason, goodbye—along with the best sex she ever had. Now, seeing him brings back sizzling memories. But their rekindled fire threatens to burn them both.

BRANDED…
Watching Gage wrangle untamed horses with a gentle but firm touch leaves Brea hot and bothered. But can she live out her fantasy with a man who may ask more than she’s willing to give?

BRAZEN…
Ranch hand Walker Morgan can’t afford to lose his job by getting too close to his new boss, Jolene, no matter how much she tempts him. But Jolene’s prepared to take the first step, because what Jolene wants, Jolene gets. And Jolene wants Walker.

Author: Christie Craig
Title: Shut Up and Kiss Me
Series: Unknown
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: June 2010
Won from Dorchester Publishing (via Twitter) and sent to me by publisher for review

Photojournalist Shala Winters already had her hands full bringing tourism to this backward, podunk little town, but her job just got tougher. Pictures can say a thousand words, and one of Shala’s is screaming bloody murder. Now she has to entrust a macho, infuriating lawman with her life—but she’ll never trust him with her heart.

Trusted or not, Sky Gomez isn’t about to let a killer get his hands on Shala’s Nikon—or any of her more comely assets, for that matter. Her mouth might move faster than a Piney Woods roadrunner, but all he can think about is how good it must taste…and how she’ll never escape true love.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren

During my vacation I didn't receive many books...This is a direct consequence of the tight book budget I am on since January, which is a consequence of losing my job and being forced to get unemployment benefits which are much lower than my salary was. I am now forced to make choices and think before I click the buy buttons at my favorite online bookstores. Let's hope I find a new job soon so I can go off this book budget, because I really don't like this :(

Author: Sara Lindsey
Title: Promise Me Tonight
Series: Weston Family Series, book 1
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: February 2010
Bought via The Bookdepository

The Weston siblings have been blessed with Shakespearean names and an affinity for impropriety. Prepare to fall in love while discovering how the Westons are won.

ISABELLA IS DETERMINED TO MARRY JAMES…
Isabella Weston has loved James Sheffield for as long as she can remember. Her come-out ball seems the prefect chance to make him see her in a new light.

JAMES IS DETERMINED NEVER TO MARRY…
James is stunned to find the impish girl he once knew has blossomed into a sensual goddess. And if he remembers his lessons, goddesses always spell trouble for mortal men.

A COMPROMISE IS CLEARLY NECESSARY.
When Izzie kisses James, her artless ardor turns to a masterful seduction that drives him mad with desire. But, no stranger to heartbreak, James is determined never to love, and thus never to lose. Can Isabella convince him that a life without love might be the biggest loss of all?

Author: Allison Brennan, Roxanne St. Claire and Karin Tabke
Title: What You Can't See
Series: Anthology
Genre: Suspense
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: January 2008
Won via Allison Brennan

THREE GRIPPING TALES
FROM TODAY'S BRIGHTEST STARS
OF DANGER AND SEDUCTION

Allison Brennan - Deliver Us From Evil (prequel to Seven Deadly Sins series)
Demonologist Anthony Zaccardi can't save the twelve priests brutally slaughtered at a California mission, but he's determined to send the killer -- an ancient demon -- back to hell. And when tough, sexy local sheriff Skye McPherson refuses to believe something supernatural is at work, Anthony realizes that to "Deliver Us From Evil" he must first win Skye's trust, then her heart.

Roxanne St. Claire - Reason to Believe (part of the Bullet Catcher series)
Popular TV psychic Arianna Killian's conversations with the dead have earned her the attention of a killer who fears her abilities, and Bullet Catcher Chase Ryker is the skeptical bodyguard assigned to protect her. æWhen the messages turn deadly, they are given a "Reason to Believe" in life after death...and love...after all.

Karin Tabke - Redemption
After a fatal car crash, bad boy cop Zach Garret's descent into hell is interrupted by an unusual deal for "Redemption." All Zach has to do is return to earth as a warrior sworn to defend his ex-fianc?e Danica Keller, the unknowing keeper of a power coveted by the forces of darkness. But even harder than keeping Danica alive that long is convincing her to give a second chance to the man who once betrayed her.

Author: Lora Leigh
Title: Nauti Deceptions
Series: Nauti Series, book 5
Genre: Erotic Romance
Format:Tradesize Paperback
Release date: February 2010
Bought via The Bookdepository

Caitlyn "Rogue" Walker left her life in Boston to become a teacher in a small Kentucky town. But her dream was shattered when she was framed in a sex scandal. Refusing to be run out of town, Caitlyn shed the identity she had and became Rogue.

Sheriff Zeke Mayes knows there's more to her than meets the eye, though what meets the eye is pretty smoking. He's prepared for a long struggle getting Rogue to drop her defenses-and give in to desire. But soon Zeke will become embroiled in a deadly game that sweeps Rogue up in its wake. And when everything seems to be a matter of life and death, there is no reason to hold back...

Author: Karin Alvtegen
Title: Shadow
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Euro Crime Fiction
Format: Tradesize Paperback
Release date: February 2010
Won via It's A Crime blog, received from the publisher Canongate

In a nondescript apartment block in Stockholm, most of the residents are elderly. Usually a death is a sad but straightforward event. But sometimes a resident will die and there are no friends or family to contact. This is when Marianne Folkesson arrives, employed by the state to close up a life with dignity and respect. Gerda Persson has lain dead in her apartment for three days before Marianne is called.

When she arrives, she finds the apartment tidy and ordered. Gerda's life seems to have been quite ordinary. Until Marianne opens the freezer and finds it full of books, neatly stacked and wrapped in clingfilm, a thick layer of ice covering them. They are all by Axel Ragnerfeldt, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, with handwritten dedications to Gerda from the author. What story do these books have to tell, about Gerda, and more importantly about Ragnerfeldt, a man whose fame is without precedent in the nation's cultural life, but seldom gives interviews?

I had planned to do this overview at the end of 2009 and in the first week of 2010 at the latest. Unfortunately due to serious lack of time and illness I wasn't able to meet that self-imposed deadline, so I decided to do the overview later and leave it to post during my vacation.

The first book of 2009 was ONE LAST BREATH by Laura Griffin and the last book of 2009 was ALL JACKED UP by Lorelei James.

Best reading month: September, with 13 read books (in 2008 it was July with 12)
Worst reading month: November with 5 read books (in 2008 it was February with 6)
Author with most read books: Lorelei James
New to me author discoveries: Evie Byrne, Victoria Dahl, Susan Donovan,Lorelei James, Joely Sue Burkhart, Maya Banks, Lauren Dane, Moira Rogers, Ava Gray, Vivian Arend, Shannon K. Butcher, Suzanne Brockmann, Andrea Kane, Stephanie Tyler, Dawn Halliday.

Top 10 favorite reads (in random order):
 1. Bound by Blood by Evie Byrne
 2. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
 3. Skin Game by Ava Gray
 4. Branded as Trouble by Lorelei James
 5. Hard to Hold by  Stephanie Tyler
 6. The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter
 7. Sweet Persuasion by Maya Banks
 8. Seduce the Darkness by Gena Showalter
 9. Whisper No Lies by Cindy Gerard
10. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

Heroes added to favorite list:
Jack Donohue (Rough Riders, Lorelei James)
Billy Chase (Tumble Creek, Victoria Dahl)
Damon Roche (Sweet, Maya Banks)
Cabal St. Laurents (Breeds, Lora Leigh)
Colt McKay (Rough Riders, Lorelei James)
Jake McGregor (Magic, Cheyenne McCray)
Stacey Quinn (Knock Me Off My Feet, Susan Donovan)
Johnny Duane Reed (Black Ops Inc., Cindy Gerard)
Gregor Faustin (Faustin Brothers, Evie Byrne)
Ben Lawson (Tumble Creek, Victoria Dahl)
Rehvenge (Black Dagger Brotherhood, J.R. Ward)
Nikolai (Midnight Breed, Lara Adrian)

Heroines added to favorite list:
Molly Jennings (Tumble Creek, Victoria Dahl)
Crystal Debrowski (Black Ops Inc, Cindy Gerard)
Gwen (Lords of the Underworld, Gena Showalter)

Books of 2009 in numbers
Please note that in the lists below any info in maroon is in relation to the numbers of 2008

Total books read: 103 (including 6 novellas). -This is about the same as in 2008 when I read 99 books-
Total books reviewed: 92 -No 2008 info for this-
ARCs: 17 (8 for ROOB, 9 for Blog) -Almost double of 2008 when I reviewed 9 ARCs-
Requested Reviews: 7 (5 for ROOB, 2 for Blog) -more than triple the requests in 2008-
Rated perfect reads (10 out of 10/5 stars): only 2 --- Evie Byrne's BOUND BY BLOOD and Suzanne Brockmann's The UNSUNG HERO, this low number is pretty remarkable with all the amazing authors I discovered in 2009... -apparently 2008 had more perfect reads: 7-

Breakdown by format:
Ebooks: 35 -I read only 7 ebooks in 2008, so this is quite an explosive growth and I expect this development to continue in 2010-
Mass Market Paperbacks: 50 -No 2008 info for this-
Tradesize Paperbacks: 10 -No 2008 info for this-
Hardcovers: 8 -No 2008 info for this-

Breakdown by genre:
Erotica/Erotic Romance: 26 (22)
Paranormal: 23 (25)
Contemporary: 18 (9)
Historical: 17 (23)
Romantic Suspense: 15 (16)
(Urban) Fantasy: 4 (4)

Breakdown by month:
January: 12 (6)
February: 6 (6)
March: 8 (10)
April: 10 (7)
May: 9 (9)
June: 7 (10)
July: 6 (12)
August: 7 (11)
September: 13 (8)
October: 8 (8)
November: 5 (6)
December: 12 (8)

Just a post to let you all know that I won't be around the coming two weeks due to a long awaited vacation to Cape Verde. The Islands where my parents were born and grew up. They came to the Netherlands in their early twenties. And their courtship and marriage was one that belongs in a romance novel, but that's for another time because I want to keep this about the vacation.


I was born in the Netherlands but my roots lie on the Cape Verde Islands as both my parents are from there. I have been there a few times, both as a child and as an adult but the last time I went there was 10 years ago. I met my hubby 9 years ago so he's never been there and this vacation is his first encounter with my roots, which both he and I are very much looking forward to. We will be going to 4 of the 9 islands: Boa Vista, S. Vicente, Sto Antao and S. Tiago. And on S. Vicente we will celebrate my mom's 60th birthday, which she wanted to celebrate in her home country.




We'll start and end our trip on Boa Vista in a wonderful hotel hubby found and negotiated a sweet deal for. Below are some pics of it. Can you see me lying in one of the beach chairs, sipping on a cocktail? I can!















The fact that I'm away on vacation doesn't mean the blog won't be updated. I won't participate in the IMM and OMW memes these two weeks but I do have a few nice posts scheduled for your enjoyment:

I start with a ROOB-review on February 4th: TAMING THE BEAST by Heather Grothaus
On February 7th you can read my ARC-review of CROSSROADS by Moira Rogers
On February 12th there will be a reading round-up of 2009 post. A bit belated but better late than never, right?
On February 15th there will be another ROOB-review: THE VIKING'S CAPTIVE PRINCESS by Michelle Styles

And on February 17th I'll be back and ready to catch up on all you have been doing while I was slacking away on vacation.


Well after much debate, picking books, putting them back on the shelves, picking others, putting those back and getting the first again....and after many repeats of this cycle I have the following print books packed to take with me:

• FRAGILE by Shiloh Walker 
• COMING UNDONE by Lauren Dane 

(I wanted to have read these two books before my vacation but didn't have the time to finish them, so I hope to finish them on during the flight)

• BROKEN by Shiloh Walker (a bit of ARC reading on vacation)
• TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS and NO RESERVATIONS by Megan Hart and Lauren Dane
• REESE'S BRIDE by Kat Martin
• SPANISH MAGNATE, RED-HOT REVENGE by Lynn Raye Harris
• SHAKEN AND STIRRED by Kathleen O'Reilly
• PRIME TIME by Hank Phillippi Ryan
• FEEL THE HEAT by Cindy Gerard
• ORIGINAL SIN by Allison Brennan
• MARK OF THE DEMON by Diana Rowland
• PLEASURE UNBOUND by Larissa Ione

So that is 13 books for a 2-week vacation. Want to start placing bets on how many I will have finished by the end of the vacation? Be my guest, I couldn't even dare to tell you. I do know I read a lot more when on vacation than when I'm at home and two 6 hours flights will definitely put a dent in this pile of books. And for the unfortunate event that I might not be in the mood to read these books I'm taking with me I have a spare pile too: a digital one on the iPhone, among those are:

A very special beta-read which will remain unnamed till further notice, BUTTERFLY TATTOO (Deidre Knight), GLORY IN DEATH (J.D. Robb), PACK CHALLENGE (Shelly Laurenston), BLOOD VICE (Keith Melton), TAMING ELIZA JANE (Shannon Stacy), SEDUCING SIMON (Maya Banks), ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEAT (Vivian Arend), DARKFEVER (Karen Marie Moning), PLAYING WITH FIRE (Gena Showalter)...and many more...

Welll I think I have informed you of all the relevant information surrounding my vacation. I hope to see you all again in a few weeks, when I hope to return refreshed and ready to take on the jobhunting world and with a nice dent in my Mt. TBR.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren

Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
Title: Prime Time
Series: Charlotte McNally, book 1
Genre: Mystery
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: 2007 (re-release in 2009)
Bought via The Book Depository

Could an innocent e-mail offer really result in murder, mayhem and a multimillion-dollar fraud ring? The last person to ask is dead, but that won't keep Charlotte McNally from poking around. Face it, in the cutthroat world of television journalism, this seasoned reporter knows that she'd better pull out all the stops or kiss her cushy job (and that means her life) goodbye.

But all too soon her investigation leads her straight to Josh Gelston, who is a little too a lot too handsome. Could she trust a word he said? Charlie might have a nose for news, but men are a whole other story. Which means she is putting her job, life and heart on the line.…

Author: Allison Brennan
Title: Original Sin
Series: The Seven Deadly Sins, book 1
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: January 2010
Received for Review from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations

Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O'Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira's global search has led her to a small California town that's about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can't explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira's dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity's last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

Author: Kristan Higgins
Title: The Next Best Thing
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: February 2010
Bought via The Bookdepository

Lucy Lang isn't looking for fireworks...

She's looking for a nice, decent man. Someone who'll mow the lawn, flip chicken on the barbeque, teach their future children to play soccer. But most important... someone who won't inspire the slightest stirring in her heart...or anywhere else. A young widow, Lucy can't risk that kind of loss again. But sharing her life with a cat named Fat Mikey and the Black Widows at the family bakery isn't enough either. So it's goodbye to Ethan, her hot but entirely inappropriate "friend with privileges" and hello to a man she can marry.

Too bad Ethan Mirabelli isn't going anywhere. As far as he's concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing can really be forever?

Author: Jill Shalvis
Title: Slow Heat
Series: Pacific Heat, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Release date: February 2010
Bought via The Bookdepository

After a woman claims she’s pregnant with Wade O’Riley’s love child, Major League Baseball’s most celebrated catcher and ladies’ man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image. His enforcer is the team’s publicist, the tough and sexy Samantha McNead.

When Wade needs a date for a celebrity wedding, Sam steps up to the plate as his “girlfriend.” But given her secret crush on him and that one awkward night a year ago in a stuck elevator with too much scotch, the whole thing is an exercise in sexual tension.

Wade is thrilled when the pretense turns into an unexpected night of hot passion. But the next day Sam is back to her cool self. As a catcher, Wade’s used to giving the signals, not struggling to read them. Now, to win the love of his “pretend” girlfriend, he needs a homerun–even it involves stealing a few bases…

I had the pleasure to receive an e-ARC of this book for review but of course had to order the print book too. You can read my review of this book here

1. Kati
2. Maija A.
3. skyla11377
4. justpeachy36
5. Jennifer M
6. pattepoilue
7. Sarah
8. Julie
9. Angelique
10. Mandi
11. RKCharron
12. tetewa
13. QLady48
14. Tena
15. INCiDeNT
16. Victoria
17. Smokinhotbooks
18. Spav
19. Emily
20. Wanda
21. Trin
22. Marissa
23. Tori Lennox

Congratulations to Kati and I will be in touch with you to get your mailing address.
Thanks to all who participated in this giveaway!

Clearly some participants did not read the rules to this giveaway thoroughly because I stated that if you did not leave a way for me to contact you I would re-draw. I had to re-draw 2 times before I found a winner who left a way for me to contact her. The 2 first ones did not leave their email address in the comment and did not have a blogger profile with an email address.

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by BookChickCity and was inspired by Kristi at The Story Siren. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

My wishlist is endless and I will try to regularly share some of the books on it. Some posts will concentrate on a certain release date or on a certain author, debut author or on new series, ongoing series or on certain (sub)genres. I will try to vary, depending on time available to do the post.

This week my "On My Wishlist" was inspired by last night's Twitter announcements: 2 covers and a contest. These are all books I'm looking forward to, especially the Lauren Dane book. Cope captured my heart the minute he set foot in LAID BARE and as I am now reading COMING UNDONE I treasure every page his name is mentioned *sigh* His cover is just gorgeous and utterly lickable. This from me, a reader who isn't easily swayed by covers, says a LOT!

The first in a brand new paranormal series beginning in 2010

THERON – Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn’t exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron’s duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendent of Hercules, he wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Author: Elisabeth Naughton
Title: Marked
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Love Spell
Release date: April 2010
Series: Eternal Guardians, book 1

Future books in the series:
02. Entwined (release: August 2010)

Welcome to The Blades of the Rose.

To most people, the realm of magic is the stuff of nursery rhymes and dusty libraries. But for Capt. Gabriel Huntley, it’s become quite real and quite dangerous…

IN HOT PURSUIT…
The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn’t be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.

IN HOTTER WATER…
Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley’s assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn’t easy to deceive…

Author: Zoe Archer
Title: Warrior
Genre: Historical Action Adventure
Publisher: Zebra
Release date: September 2010
Series: Blades of the Rose, book 1

Other and future books in the series:
0.5 The Undying Heart (Prequel in the anthology: Half Past Dead)
02. Scoundrel (release: October 2010)
03. Rebel (release: November 2010)
04. Stranger (release: December 2010)

WORTH THE WAIT
Ella Tipton is a survivor. In the wake of an attack that left her nearly dead, she’s spent each day putting her life back together. Once vibrant and outgoing, she’s needed to reclaim the best parts of who she was while retaining the hard won lessons. There hasn’t been room for any romantic entanglements, even if she were ready. Still, it didn’t mean she had to stop sneaking looks at Mister Tall, Dark and Tattooed himself.

Security professional Andrew Copeland isn’t quite sure when his jones for the lovely and decidedly skittish Ella developed. He’s known her for years, has watched her triumph over the pain she’d been dealt. Cope is no stranger to women, but he knows the nervous flush he gets every time he talks to her is different than any attraction he’s had in the past. Determined to get Ella to let him in, Andy does the one thing he can think of to get close: he offers her hands-on training in self-defense.

While Ella’s sure he’s just being nice, the prospect of being able to touch him and gain the tools to push away the last vestiges of her fear is more than she can resist. Soon enough, Cope shows Ella his feelings are far more than friendly and re-ignites something deep inside her. Before long desire and love turn them both inside out.

Author: Lauren Dane
Title: Inside Out
Genre: Erotic Romance/Sexy Contemporary
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Release date: November 2010
Series: Connected to LAID BARE and COMING UNDONE

Reviews and future books in the series:
01. Laid Bare
02. Coming Undone (released: January 2010, reading it now, review to come soon)
04. Adrian's book (to be contracted)