Workout Wednesday: Exclusively Yours

I want my own cuppa Joe *cries*. And I'm not talking about coffee! He'd be the perfect pick-me-up after a hard workout...at the gym (you pervs!).




An Ebook again this week?
2...2...2 weeks in a row?!?!
(ok so took me 3 weeks, who's counting?)

♥♥♥♥♥
Pages read approx 300
Riding Time 3hours 18minutes
Calories Burned 1206
Distance Peddled 56.31




For My Thoughts

I've been wanting to read Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey for awhile now, but just haven't gotten around to it because of the e-book format (me = old school, likes paperback format). Since my 1st experience last week was so satisfying, I knew I had to move this one up the TBR pile.

Kari Daniels to her high school boyfriend and then love of her life Joe Kowalski shortly after graduation: “Good-bye Joe. Me gotta go. Mee-oh-my-oh! See ya later cuz I'm California bound!” ( I took some poetic license with the wording).

Almost 20 years later and celebrity magazine writer Keri Daniels needs to get the biggest scoop of her life after her shark-eating boss Tina finds out she once locked lips with the now famous, but reclusive best-selling author Joe Kowalski. Threatened with losing a job she loves and a career she's worked hard for if she doesn't get the goods and deliver a kick-ass, juicy tell-all article - a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...go camping for 2 weeks on a Kowalski family vacation?

Me thinks someone’s got some serious groveling to do.

I have 3 fabulous words to describe Exclusively Yours: funny, flirty and family! In case you’re still in doubt about my feelings - I loved it. It’s a sexy, fun character driven story. No murder, mystery or mayhem (unless you count a bunch of rambunctious boys) in sight and yet it truly kept me entertained and engrossed in not only the outcome of the H/h but the entire Kowalski family and they are quite a crew.

The characters in Exclusive Yours are what definitely sold me. Normally for me, I like my secondary characters in small doses, basically page filler, so when you find a book that you actually care about the supporting cast, well it’s definitely an added bonus.

Stacey writes the Kowalski family including the ‘Rents, Joe’s twin sister Terry, sister Lisa and brother Mike and their assorted spouses and a gaggle of kids so unbelievably fun and so real. I almost felt like taking a week’s vacation in the great outdoors, tent and mosquito repellent in hand, rustic bathroom facilities and eyes that glow in the dark be damned, just so I could hang with the Kowalski clan …cue *record scratching sound*...who am I kidding? I don’t like ANY of those things! But that I was even considering it tells you what a terrific job Stacey does in creating and developing this family and story.

Exclusively Yours is more than just Keri and Joe‘s story. It’s the sum of the parts that make this book a keeper. I laughed, I got choked up and I’m sure there were even a couple of ahhhh’s murmured over the course of the read.

Finally, I think if I ever go ATV’ing, there is one particular maneuvre I would like to practice over and over again on that little 3-wheeler…involving mud and a throttle ( I know which scene y’all went to and it wasn‘t the same one as me LOL! ).

If you’re looking for an unforgettable read, then download this book NOW.



Available from Carina Press

From the Author's Website

When Keri Daniels’ editor finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

Joe’s never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he’s intrigued to hear Keri’s back in town—and looking for him. Despite his intense need for privacy, he’ll grant Keri an interview if it means a chance to finish what they started in high school.

He proposes an outrageous plan—for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping and four-wheeling trip, Keri can ask one question. Keri agrees; she’s worked too hard to walk away from her career.

But the chemistry between them is still as potent as the bug spray, Joe’s sister is out to avenge his broken heart and Keri hasn’t ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever.

Live to Tell: Suspenseful and Disturbing

♥♥♥♥♥

A day off work and a nice big package arrives in the mail containing Lisa Gardner’s Live to Tell. Backyard, sun and lawn chair..get ready cuz here I come.

Lisa Gardner is an auto-buy author or me even if her latest books do get released in hardcover (hello Book Depository..thanks for letting me buy this one for $10 bucks and change...Win!). The back cover jacket states Lisa Gardner will mess with your head so get ready...Live to Tell is pretty intense. This is no fluff read and even though the subject matter was a times hard to read…I couldn’t put it down.

Although Detective DD Warren has appeared in previous novels, this story is not about her per se. It’s about 3 women and how their lives intersect as DD and her squad race to uncover the connection between 2 entire families who have been murdered in their own homes, these 2 women and their own horrifying stories.

DD Warren is tough, has a mouth like a truck driver, can eat anyone under the table with the metabolism to match and she has no time for a personal live - even though she would like to have one. She’s a career cop and married to her job. Out on a date for the first time in a long time, she’s hoping it ends in the horizontal mambo when her pager goes off - or what she likes to refer to it as…birth control. The only action DD’s going to see this night is of the murderous variety.

Danielle a pediatric psych nurse and Victoria a loving mother are the other main characters. What was interesting and different in their story-telling was Gardner chose to tell their story in 1st person. Although I am not a fan of 1st person narration, I will admit for their story - it worked particularly for Victoria.

Victoria‘s story was one of a mother's unconditional love and extreme gut wrenching emotion. You can not help but feel for her and all the sacrifices she has made in the name of love for her family. I felt like I was right there with her, experiencing her overwhelming despair, living every day in fear and terror from her oh so psychotic eight year old son and yet her devotion to him is unwavering. How did she find the strength every day to get out of bed and survive and live under those conditions?

Danielle’s story was one of a survivor and guilt. She is the lone remaining member of her immediate family after her own family was murdered in the worst way imaginable when she was just a child. Now Danielle works with children at the Pediatric Evaluation Clinic of Boston. These children and their sad disturbing stories will tug at your heartstrings, send chills through you and keep you riveted to every page until the end.

So what's the connection? How are Danielle and Victoria a part of a murderous rampage being investigated by DD Warren and what part do the sad children in the mental ward on the top floor of the Boston hospital have to do with anything?

Make sure you reserve a block of time before starting Live to Tell, because you won't be able to put it down until you reach the end.

Read an Excerpt

From The Author's Website

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide.

On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.

Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.

A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Silent Scream

I Scream Silently Every Week While I Ride Results

♥♥♥♥♥+
Pages read 570
Riding Time 2hours 23 minutes
Calories Burned 892
Distance Peddled 44.61miles


Yes I did start out reading this book at the gym for my weekly challenge.
Yes the final numbers seem a bit low.
Yes you are correct in your assumption that I cheated and did not entirely read this book while riding a bike.

570 pages people !?!? There was no way I was going to be able to read this book in one week when I can barely squeak in a book just under 400 pages. I was willing to make this a 2 week adventure, but once I started Silent Scream, everything else ceased to matter until it was completed.



For My Thoughts

Ever since I read my 1st Karen Rose book You Can’t Hide in 2006 I was hooked on Rose’s suspenseful storylines, romantic relationships about people I actually cared reading about and amazing storytelling. She quickly became one of my favourite auto-buy authors and I did something I have never before done...I immediately went to Amazon and purchased her entire backlist. She is one of the few authors whose books I will shell out the big bucks for and purchase in hardcover because I can’t wait for the paperback. Rose delivers once again and does not disappoint with her latest release (in paperback..YEAH!).

Firefighter David Hunter and Homicide Detective Olivia Sutherland have both made appearances in Rose’s previous books (David - Don’t Tell and Olivia – Count to Ten), and can I just say how excited I was to discover that David was finally getting his own story (thanks Ms. Rose for that twitter confirmation). I can honestly say you don’t have to read the previous books to get full value from Silent Scream, but all of Rose’s books rock – so you really should read every one!

A suspiciously set fire and the death of a young deaf girl trapped inside a burned out condo under construction bring David and Olivia face to face once again since their unforgettable night two years ago where they may or may not have hooked up at a wedding. One of them can’t really remember what happened and it’s one of the reasons that these two have been tip-toeing around one another for the past seven months, since David packed up his bags and moved to Minneapolis where Olivia works.

David and Olivia have a few misunderstanding (ohhh the words you yell out in the heat of passion can do ALOT of damage even if you don’t remember doing it) to work through and are initially cool and civil towards one another, but you can just sense the powder keg of awareness and sexual chemistry simmering just below the surface. In past Rose books, the suspense and sometimes grisly nature of her storytelling has been in the forefront while the romance takes a back seat, but in Silent Scream, Rose definitely ratcheted up the romance quotient for David and Olivia...and I liked it!

David Hunter may well be Mr. Perfect. I’m pretty sure I developed a severe crush on the hunky firefighter while reading Silent Scream. He’s thoughtful and caring, can cook, risks his life to help people and seriously I just wanted him to rub my neck and stroke my hair. I melted a little inside everytime he did that to Olivia...you lucky, lucky girl!

Arson, murder, mayhem and a master puppeteer, blackmailing villain who pulls all the strings to get others to do his bidding have David and Olivia working overtime and racing to discover his identity before the body count can climb any higher.

I love a great romantic suspense novel and Rose out does herself with Silent Scream. The storytelling is superb. Everything follows in a logical, satisfying order towards a climatic end. I love it when I don’t question the villain’s motives or am shaking my head at some action carried out by the H/H. The story made sense and was all tied up with a nice big bow. There was one point when I actually gasped out loud and cursed Ms. Rose...WTF??? at the fate she delivered to one of the main supporting characters. I guess if you can illicit such reactions from your readers, then you know you’ve told an amazing story.

Silent Scream delivers 570 pages of pure reading enjoyment.

Overview
When a teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unspoken and hearts were broken. David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twentysomethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close—and is moving in for the kill.

Workout Wednesday: Rules Were Made to Be Broken

Rachel Gibson's Nothing But Trouble was the book of choice this week for the read-n-ride challenge. Love, love, love me some Rachel Gibson. How excited was I when I got home from work last Thursday to find my nice, white little envelope from the Book Depository and me in need of a new book to start at the gym (ummmm not like I don't have a 100 to choose from in the TBR pile O_o).


Here are the results:

♥♥♥♥♥
Pages read 354
Riding Time 1hour 20minutes
Calories Burned 550
Distance Peddled 25.93 miles

Wait a minute...something seems fishy with these results?


Ok, ok I confess. I cheated! I broke my own rules! Revoke my bicycling privileges why don't you!
I had good intentions, I swear I did. I started out reading the book at the gym and I finished it at the gym. It was the in between part where I stayed up til 1:30am when I had to get up for work the next morning at 5:45am that I got into Nothing But Trouble.



For My Thoughts

Did I mention that I love Rachel Gibson? I am a sucker for a sports-themed, contemporary romance and Gibson delivers on all counts.

First of all I must say it's pure Marketing genius to release a book about a hockey player during the height of the NHL playoffs, but you don't have to be a fan of sports or hockey in particular to enjoy Nothing But Trouble because there is very little actual "hockey" action contained within this book.

Mark Bressler, ex-captain of the Seattle Chinooks had it all. Fame, fortune and a brilliant career as a superstar hockey player and in an instant in a life-altering car crash his life was forever changed. He's got a huge chip on his shoulder at the bad blow life has dealt him. His wife left him for greener (as in money) pastures, he walks with a cane, pops Vicodin like they're Tic-Tacs and worst of all he'll never play hockey again. He's pissed at life and is quite content to wallow in his self-pity and isolation and be a big old (albeit HAWT) Mr Crankypants. How can you help but feel empathy for the guy?

Perky, aspiring but out of work actress Chelsea Ross with her blond/reddish/pink hair, colourful clothes (or like she just got off the boat - Mark's words not mine) and big honkin' boobs is not what the Doctor ordered as far as Mark is concerned . He thinks she's his new health care worker, but she's actually been hired by the Chinooks to be Mark's personal assistant. Chelsea's twin sister Bo works in the Chinooks front office and was instrumental in getting Chelsea the gig.

Mark wants an assistant like he wants another hole in his head. He's managed to run off the last few "assistants" the team has sent over to his home in record time and Chelsea isn't going to be the exception if Mark has anything to do with it. He's a man on a mission to get rid of the latest intrusion in his live and the sooner the better.

But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to make ends meet. And with a bonus of $10,000.00 on the line if she can stick it out for 3 months, Mark can do his worse, because Chelsea ain't going nowhere!

Chelsea is obsessed with her boobs. Big honkin' Dolly Parton boobs. I am qualified to work at Hooter's boobs! And they are mentioned again and again. One of the reasons Chelsea agrees to take the job as Mark's assistant is so that she can save enough money to have breast reduction surgery. This is something her family is totally against and can't comprehend. Surprisingly once Mark finds out about her insecurities concerning her large ta-tas and her desire to have the surgery - he is actually very supportive (might also be because while he can appreciate her fine assets, he is actually a leg man). It was just one more reason to fall a little bit more in love with him.

This book could have been entitled Hello House (as in the Fox TV show starring Hugh Laurie) meet Dolly(Parton). That's kind of what the character's reminded me of while reading it.

There are some very funny scenes between these two especially one in which Mark sends Chelsea on an errand to the drugstore to purchase some "items" for him. I have been reading romance novels for alooooong time and one of these items I did not even know existed or that it was possible to buy it from a drug store and not a specialty sex shop. Another very funny scene occurred when Mark was giving Chelsea the silent treatment. She continually bombarded him on his cell phone even though they were in the same house, a few feet apart just to bug him about the most mundane things. I couldn't help but laugh.

Mark and Chelsea are great together...funny and sexy and as mean as he tries to be, she knows just how to handle him and keep him on his toes. My only complaint about the book is a personal one. I need more than a few pages at the end of a book for such a deserving couple to get their HEA. I felt cheated and I wanted and needed to read more.

Rachel Gibson is an auto-buy for me and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Nothing But Trouble delivers nothing but a fun, sexy, funny romp. Run (or BIKE) don't walk to get your copy!

From Goodreads:

TROUBLE...
Chelsea Ross's acting career has been a total bust. The closest she ever came to stardom was her brilliant performance as "Pretty Dead Girl #1." But leaving Hollywood to become the personal assistant to a famous hockey player could be her stupidest career move ever.

MORE TROUBLE...
Injured superstar Mark Bressler's glory days are over. The one time bad boy jock could at least be civil to the pint-sized, pink-haired bombshell who the Seattle Chinooks hired to be his P.A. If Chelsea didn't need the money, she'd be skating away from the world's biggest jerk-on-ice as fast as her feet could carry her.

BIG TROUBLE!
Chelsea can deal with Mark's rotten attitude and dark moods. The problem is those biceps and that red-hot hockey-toned bod! And when the bad boy starts to put the moves on her, Chelsea knows it's time she banished him to the penalty box...if only she could resist the kind of trouble he has in mind!

Naked Edge Had Me On The Edge Of My Seat!

♥♥♥♥♥

I just finished reading Naked Edge by Pamela Clare and all I can think of to say is WOW!

This book is the perfect example of why I love reading a romantic suspense novel. Even now as I sit and write this review one day after finishing the book, just thinking about the ending is giving me goose bumps. As the suspense built towards a chilling conclusion, I couldn’t have stopped reading even if I’d wanted to I was that invested in the story (good thing it was a Saturday afternoon and not 1:00am on the morning of a workday!). As for romance, well let me just say that Ms. Clare delivers it in spades - Naked Edge is megawatt hot!

What happens when opposite attract? Gabe Rossiter and Katherine “Kat” James are about to find out.

Let me start my stating that I liked Gabe. He’s a love’em and leave’em type of guy and he makes no excuses or apologies for who he is or how he treats women. He wants one thing from a woman and he makes sure she understands what that is right from the start…S-E-X. He’s not relationship material; to him sex is just chemistry; an itch to be scratched before he’s on to the next conquest. Although it takes a while, we do discover that Gabe was terribly hurt by a past relationship and it’s the reason he’s closed himself off emotionally from women for the past 3 years. He may be a Park Ranger by day to pay the bills, but he finds solace in being an adrenaline junkie; he’s into extreme sports and is nicknamed the “rock-jock”. He scales cliffs with no harness or safety gear; taking great pleasure in risking his life with every climb.

Until he meets Katherine James…she’s about to rock is world.

Kat James is half Native American, raised by her grandmother on the reservation with all the core values and traditions of the Indian people. She may be an investigate reporter working for the prestigious I-Team at a Denver newspaper, but when it comes to men, she is a complete innocent. She’s never had a relationship or been kissed by a man. She’s searching for her other half; a soul mate and she has no intention of having premarital sex until she finds the man she plans to marry and have lots of kids with.

Gabe Rossiter is the last man Kat should be attracted to; they are total polar opposites. But fate has a funny way of intervening.

During their very first meeting Gabe saves Kat’s life after she is injured in a hiking accident and three months later, destiny brings Gabe to her rescue once again when a traditional Indian sweat lodge ceremony is interrupted and Kat is manhandled by other law enforcement officials on the scene.

When a story Kat is working on involving the looting of artifacts on ancient Indian burial grounds puts her life in jeopardy again, she turns to Gabe for help. As they work together to uncover the truth, the sexual attraction between them palpable even though both spell out early on what their expectations are (he wants sex, she’s not putting out until she’s married). I wasn’t too sure how Kat’s naiveté would play out as her relationship progressed with Gabe and although he desperately wants her, he also respects her beliefs enough to restrain himself to a certain extent. Let me just state for the record that there are lots of hot and steamy scenes that don’t involve actual sex.

The nonstop action at the end of this book reveals Gabe true character; it’s heart-wrenching and almost brought tears to my eyes. Is the love of a good woman enough to bring a man back to the land of the living and restore him to the hero he’s always been?

Read Naked Edge and you be the judge. You will not be disappointed!

5 Plus Stars! Something About You is a Humorous, Sexy, Fun-filled Read

How do I love thee "Something About You"? Let me count the ways.

Things I loved: Everything with a Capital E

A smart, sexy heroine, who gives as good as she gets

A sexy, hot "glowering" hunk of an FBI agent

Quick, witty, sarcastic banter that had me smiling and laughing out loud

Wonderful relationships

A suspense plot reminiscent of today's headlines (think John Edwards and Andrew Young).

Things I disliked: Nothing

I know, I know.. Details, Details.

Home renovations have forced U.S. Assistant DA Cameron Lynde to spend the night at the very expensive and upscale Peninsula Hotel. Thinking she's treating herself to a night of pampering and relaxation (after all she could have chosen a cheaper hotel); instead she's forced to endure the rambunctious goings-on in the room next door. And it goes on and on and on all night long.

Finally Cameron has had enough and calls the front desk to complain about her noisy neighbors and while waiting for management to arrive, she hears the doors of the room next door open and close and peeks through the peephole and spies a suspicious, hooded character leaving via the stairwell.

All is not as innocent as it seems in the room next door when a women's dead body is discovered. Cameron now finds herself the prime witness and potentially the last person to see the killer as he was leaving the room.

Enter FBI agent Jack Pallas; a strong, sexy, drop dead gorgeous hunk with a "glowering" disposition. He's recently returned to the Chicago branch of the FBI and along with his partner Wilkins has been called upon to investigate the murder.

Clash of the Titans comes to mind when Jack and Cameron first see each other. Neither is pleased to see the other one again. Turns out they have a past. She's the reason he's spent the last 3 years in Nebraska. She refused to prosecute a case that Jack had spent 2 years working on and as a result he called her some not so nice names on camera that made headlines nationwide. Jack's remarks "I think the assistant U.S. Attorney has her head up her ass, that's what I think. They should've assigned the case to someone with some fucking balls." almost cost him his career, but instead got his ass booted to the wilds of Nebraska.

Now that Jack is back and the lead investigator on the case and Cameron is the lone material witness to the murder, they are forced to work together whether they like it or not once Cameron is put in protective custody.

The plot is fast paced and full of action including corruption and a high level political conspiracy. Although the suspense subplot plays a major role in the novel to advance the story, the reader knows from the get-go who the bad guy is so there is no mystery as to his identity or why he is out to silence Cameron.

The relationships in the book are outstanding. Jack and Cameron's relationship builds slowly, but their interaction is ohh sooo full of sexual tension and chemistry through the roof. Cameron and her BFF's, Amy who's in the process of getting married and gay sports writer Colin are again written in a witty, fun-filled manner. And Jack and his partner Wilkins sarcastic, hilarious dialogue kept me smiling all the way through especially when they played out the "good cop" "bad cop" scenario (guess who played bad cop?). Wilkins had a way of getting under Jack's skin, in a good, funny way.

Lastly a few final thoughts. I loved that Jack loved to read and had a great home library; loved that he crept into her bedroom and slept against the wall to protect her during the night and that he truly was a gentleman and took his job protecting Cameron seriously; and one last funny one for me was when Cameron was embarrassed about old episodes of the The Bachelor on her DVR and felt she needed to delete them when she found out she was having in-house protection (that made me laugh out loud as I know from Twitter Ms. James herself watches The Bachelor).

You will not be disappointed if you decide to read Something About You. It is a fantastic contemporary read!